Al Contrario

Tiziana Terenzi Al Contrario opens with a moderate projection of delicious and tasty accords. The cacao which as a chocolate-like hint is very noticeable, it blends with the sweetness of the vanilla and tonka bean creating a gourmand fragrance evocative of a dense and hot sweet cocoa cup. The malt adds some depth but it isn’t prominent, similarly, the orchid creates a soft aromatic floral touch. As the fragrance commences to dry down, the soft, creamy, woody sandalwood joins the blend, the sugar cane enhances and makes the fragrance feel sweet and delectable, the hazelnut adds a soft nutty accord. The benzoin supports the vanilla. The fragrance is relatively linear, some of the initial sharpness subdues under the softness of the sandalwood, but for the most part, the initial tones continue into the dry-down. Once Tiziana Terenzi Al Contrario has reached its full dry-down, it can be summarized as a moderate projection, sweet gourmand, cacao, vanilla, and tonka bean fragrance with sandalwood and very soft floral accords. The fragrance feels aromatic, comforting, creamy, delicious, gourmand, chocolate-like, inviting, mature, nicely-blended, rich, sticky, sugary, syrupy, warm, and very pleasant. BATCH REVIEWED: 2020 WOW RATING: 9/10. Tiziana Terenzi Al Contrario is a delicious fragrance. DISLIKE RATING: 1/10. The notes are well blended, inoffensive. Some could find it overly sweet. UNIQUENESS: 7/10. The market has many gourmand fragrances although this is a good one. MASS APPEAL: 9/10. Most people will find this fragrance very appealing. PROJECTION: 4/10. Moderate, about 4 feet around the wearer. SILLAGE: 5/10. Moderate, about 5 feet behind the wearer. APPLICATION: 3 atomizations will suffice. LONGEVITY: 4/10. About 4 hours. SEASONS: Winter, fall, colder nights, or climate-controlled environments. OCCASIONS: Outdoor gatherings, casual, holidays, romantic, dating. VERSATILITY: 5/10. Not the most versatile fragrance because of its gourmand nature. GENDER: Unisex, the noted found in this fragrance are neutral. AGES: Any. RECOMMENDATION: Tiziana Terenzi Al Contrario can be found discounted for $100, but just for 1.7oz which creates an unattractive cost/value. There are better options. Not recommended. BLIND-BUY: No, sample it first. SIMILAR: This is a list of some gourmand fragrances. Dua Fragrances Beauteous Delight is the clone of Feve Deliciouse, very similar but with stronger citrus notes and great longevity; Kilian Paris Black Phantom is a gourmand boozy fragrance, excellent quality, and longevity; Paco Rabanne Black XS is a gourmand fragrance that features praline and it feels chocolaty; Tom Ford Noir De Noir is more floral and more chocolaty, Tom Ford Noir Extreme EDP is a sweet, dessert-like, floral fragrance but slightly tilted to the feminine side; Feve Deliciouse is a fantastic gourmand fragrance featuring cacao, milk, and other notes; Thierry Mugler - A*Men Angel Men Pure Tonka is another great gourmand fragrance featuring coffee, cacao, and other delectable notes. SUMMARY: A moderate projection, sweet gourmand, cacao, vanilla, and tonka bean fragrance with sandalwood and very soft floral accords. The fragrance feels aromatic, comforting, creamy, delicious, gourmand, chocolate-like, inviting, mature, nicely-blended, rich, sticky, sugary, syrupy, warm, and very pleasant.

Fragrance -Al Contrario Tiziana Terenzi Bottle from - 2017 Al Contrario reminds me of a good night hugs and kisses. This is a story about a nutty,delicious,sweet,chocolaty,cozy and a bit romantic vanilla with an astonishing touch of benzoin and orchid and with the tender trace of woodiness.I think it's a unisex smell.Al Contrario is another nice relese from Paolo Terenzi. Longevity - 8/10(8+ hours) Silage/Projection - 7,5/10(moderate projection and silage for the first 1-2 hours,than sits closer to skin for the duration of the scent's evolution) Weather -best in autumn,winter and early spring Age - 26+ Compliments(low-medium-high) - medium Scent - 8,5/10 Main notes according to me - hazelnut,cacao,vanilla,tonka,orchid,sandalwood. The drydown is sweet,woody,nutty and warm and I get some -vanilla,hazelnut,woodiness and benzoin. Emotions - good night hugs and kisses,delicious,cozy, romantic,sexy. Occasion -perfect for romantic evening,dates and night out. Try before you buy.If you like a gourmand fragrances,could be a nice signature scent.

Reminds me of Montale Chocolate Greedy and Comptoir Sud Pacifique Amour de Cacao. It has a similiar vibe like these two but with a different character than them. It is not as strong as Chocolate Greedy but also not as weak as Amour de Cacao. It's definitely gourmand but sliiiightly less gourmandy than the other 2 (which are indistinguishable from real food btw) thanks to the orchid and maybe ebony wood and sandalwood. It's also got less cacao and additionally more of a sugarcube smell. If you're a gourmand lover and loved the other 2 I've mentioned but never had the courage to make all the rooms you've visited smell like chocolate cake then this might be the perfect thing for you. This is definitely more wearable because 1. it's not as strong as Chocolate Greedy and 2. it's got very few non-gourmandy elements and that makes you smell less like you've just baked a cake. It's slightly more wearable but it might still be too much of a gourmand to wear for many people.

First spray : A big wave of Vanilla and sweet Arabic spices It smells like an Arabic sweet/treat. Then it turns to a smokey Cacao-cream with Malt topping served in a plate of Sandalwood, and less sweet. I think it's a very feminine scent. I also like to layer it with Oud Cashmere Mood then it will turn to a whole new 1001nights scent. Projection is good,If someone's standing beside you he'll notice it. With all these sweetness bombs in the composition,It's still airy and fluffy ,not jammy and sticky,Which I really like about this Perfume. It lasts usually 4 hours on my skin . and perhaps a day or 2 on my clothes . This is by far the sweetest perfume I own,and I use it in cold days when I am wearing leather outfits. And this the perfume that I can actually smell it on myself and enjoy it even after few hours. It gets alot of compliments which surprises me,I thought not so many people would like it but it seems that they do. both Ladies and Gents.

Oh my God No. Just no. Thank God I sampled this first. This was almost a full bottle blind buy. This smells like a muddled mix of dust and cardboard. I had a visceral reaction to this one, similar the reactions I had to TF Black Orchid EDP and ELDO Secretions Magnifique. I own and adore Christian Siriano Intimate Silhouette which is up there in the "Reminds Me Of" section. This smells nothing like that. Also, not even a hint of the AMAZING Dior Addict here. That's insulting to Addict Lol. I rarely use the "hate" option on Fragrantica but this is a hate. Don't blind buy this expecting a cocoa leaning fragrance. Thank God it's very light and doesn't have any performance. This one should come with a warning. YMMV of course, fragrance is all subjective to our individual tastes.

I was anosmic to this for the first year and thought "well that's a lame blind buy.." but I could never part with it. I forgot this was hiding in the back collecting dust for maybe 5 years, and now I'm absolutely obsessed! My skin seems to pull that ebony note then having a faint sweet, nutty nuance. The dark wood is my favourite part of this fragrance but it dissipates to a woody-sweetness that doesn't smell like vanilla but just raw sugar. I would spray this all day, everyday on myself but the most disappointing part is this is possibly one of my most short lived fragrance! For the price point I can't justify repurchasing but I'll have to search for an alternative, that deep ebony and nutty sweet combo has my heart!!

Love at first sniff and a blind buy. This absolutely met all my expectations based on the majority of the reviews here. Wow factor: 10 out of 10.Yummy, deep, sweet (thick vanilla-like sweet, not sugary toothache sweet). Lots of cocoa, but not Nutella, more like high quality Belgium cocoa rich chocolate. Superb wood base- it literally reminds me a cup of hot rum, or an oak barrel of aged malt whiskey, something boozy about it, but so yummy. More on the feminine side overall but I guess the right man can pull it off too! So good. If you like gourmand and boozy/woody fragrances, do check it out! Will update about sillage and longevity later on!

This juice is, in my humble nose’s opinion, decidedly decadent. I’ve had this on for about 5 hours now and every time I’m ready to concede that it doesn’t have lasting power and that it’s retreated to being a skin scent... boom there it is, wafts reaching my nose and treating me to a dark chocolate scent that to me is reminiscent of one of my favorite snacks, Lindt dark chocolate with chili pepper. There’s a mild spiciness meets smoky meets deep dark cocoa. I’m not sure this would be a crowd pleaser, but it’s wonderful to me and I’m glad I pulled the trigger on adding this to my collection.

Very smooth, warm and cozy. Ebony wood with a hint of vanilla. Tonka beans and cocoa, sugar and hazelnut. Black velvet of a scent. It is perfectly balanced, smooth. It creates an aura, not a cloud. I think it might be better on a male, but I am also happy in it. Very huggable. In character it reminds me of lighter, less intense Herod by Parfums de Marly and of less feminine Escada Collection. Also Back to Black by Kilian comes to mind - but Kilian is more complex, sweeter and more intense. In comparison to these, Al Contrario is an edible, huggable whisper. You wish the wearer closer.

Chocolate and hazelnuts. Delicious scent. If you're not into gourmands, you may not like this, and if you don't enjoy sweet scents, you might not like this either, but otherwise, what's not to like? A lot of scents have a sort of unpleasant top-spray-smell before they settle, but not this one. Right away it's yummy and then a while later you can get a bit of a floral undertone coming through, but it works well. I'd just say that to me this is a feminine scent; it didn't seem unisex at all. But I see a lot of other reviewers feel otherwise, so there's clearly room for interpretation!

This is such a delicious and addictive scent - it smells like malted milk and hazelnut paste, sweetened with raw sugar and a touch of cocoa dust. If one would combine all of these ingredients into a decadent chocolate truffle, the result would be Al Contrario. It truly is an exceptional gourmand, unique and sophisticated, the kind of scent that invites you to crave it. I have also tried Sucre D'Ebene and that one has the same addictive, sugary quality, but I prefer Al Contrario, the malt note really sets it apart from other fragrances with the same scent profile.

I agree with a previous comment: Paolo Terenzi is a genius. I have a hard time appreciating chocolate or cocoa in a perfume (I own Bvlgari Blv Notte that I never pull out, and Guerlain L'Instant EDP that I am not a fan of either). This is supposed to be agourmand, but it's so well blended, that I just love it. Slightly gourmand but fresh at the same time. I'm not sure how to describe Terenzi's perfumes... just find a Barney's store and smell them. It's worth the ride (or the journey). A gourmand perfectly unisex? Thank you Paolo!

It starts with an explosion of citrus, reminds me of some local salted lemon pickle. It was that strong. I was wondering what's going on here. Then it subdues in a few minutes & something very nice & pleasant start. Its a mix of Cacao, Hazelnut (very prominent background) tonka, vanilla , sandal, mild citrus, & creates one of the most luxurious smell I ever sniffed. Its enough sweet also, not cloying or anything. When I spent money on niche fragrances this is the outcome I expect.

Al Contrario to me smells like a finest bake shop its very nutella chocolate like very gourmand indeed the performance itself truly radiates since it is an Extrait i have nothing to complain about it. # Awesome Bottle & Packaging # Great Price Value # Great Performance # Unique Gourmand Scent my girlfriend and i share with these stuff goes well nicely unisex. 10/10

Dang, did I get a bad batch?! On my skin this is PURE dark, smoky woods. Nothing sweet, no Cacao, no vanilla, nothing nutty.. Not at all what I envisioned, but I do secretly like the smell of an expensive fire. Maybe I'll have to try it again? *update* The dry down is giving me a vague sweetness.. very low sillage.. overall disappointed I blind bought this :/

The most delicious burnt, smoky sugarcane scent with a hint of tobacco. Love! One of my all time favs! I wouldn't say it smells very chocolatey to me like most comments have stated, even though it has cacao note in it, there are fragrances that have it very prominent, this is more burnt sugary type of scent.

WOW!! Super sexy!! I die for this.Is wonderful not strong, for night or day, winter or summer.I love this.Vanilla is so good in this. Sillage very good and longevity too. Try it and you love it,

Very light skin scent from the get-go, it is so subtle and light you can literally douse yourself with a minimum of 15 sprays. Minimal projection and sillage, decent longevity.

Such a nice creamy sandalwood creation! IMO it's a lot like Loewe 001 Woman!

it smells like brownies and flowers 8/10

A light gourmand frag that smells like a combo of tiramisu desert + lemon meringue pie, with a small hint of cocao powder-like musk that lightly hits the back of the nose, but mainly a skin scent with almost zero projection. This is a cuddling frag. Was pretty pissed off that they are charging the price they are for only a 50ml tiny container. Incredible packaging, shitty atomizer that leaks after spraying. Regular price is a massive rip-off along the lines of a scam. I have lotions that offer more of a scent than this does. Offering such a small quantity & fancy packaging to make it seem more great than it really is, makes it a cheap company sales tactic. Don't get fooled. I strongly recommend avoiding this frag unless you are a collector until they can reformulate this with much more projection. Atm it's just a bedroom scent frag, and other than that a scent not worth being that excited over. 100% unisex! It's a nice scent that isn't anything to rave about. Again, it smells like a lotion that has this scent mixed in with it, and because of that, id rather spend $10 on a lotion. But with that being said, id eat up a girl if she was wearing this!! So ladies id recommend this for you! One thing i love about this is that it doesn't really smell synthetic, which is a huge plus in my books! If the scent projected 2 times more i would have liked it more. I like this, but im not crazy obsessed about it. I would wear this to have sex, or to sleep next to my partner so you don't gas them out with cloyingness like another frag would. Disappointed. 3/5 Woofs

This is a superb gourmand style frag that isn't too sickly sweet and I think sits quite unisex. The main notes comes to me as a powdered malty chocolate, licorice and vanilla. When I put it on it reminded me of Angel Muse, one I really like but leans feminine. So I put that on as a comparison and they are quite different although have some overlap. Muse has a fruity patchouli chocolate but AC has a drier more bitter chocolate. Where you might think that Muse is a cup of hot chocolate with a minty dusting, AC is like still powdered malted chocolate with vanilla. It has the same choco vibe but is not "wet" and sticky. It is also not as literal chocolate as CSP Amour de Cacao for instance. I think Al Contrario might be one of the most wearable and versatile cacao heavy frags, similar to how L'Instant de Guerlain pulls itself into that realm with citrus, here it is probably the dry sandalwood filling that role. I think the toasted hazelnut note could be the licorice style bitterness I am getting too that helps with that also. Don't get me wrong though this is a sweet fragrance, just not crazy sweet. Anyway, great niche frag without an exorbitant niche price.

Cacao and malt create a smooth malty opening, dark and sweet without sweetness. Followed by vanilla and tonka bean, very smooth, warm, and nutty. All the facets so far continue this natural, smooth sweetness without the tartness or acidic nature of fruit or the saccharine sweetness of sugar. Just a mild, smooth, earthy, nutty sweetness. It's already going weak. Then, the sugar enters and it kind of clashes with the more "organic" sweetness of the other notes. It's a little less smooth and more piercing, but it's become so weak it's more like faint poke. Nutty hazlenut and a woody touch and possibly a smidge of resin in the drydown. The benzoin resin becomes more prominent as time goes on. It is lovely and beautiful, but so weak. I would need to use a ton to enjoy it, but maybe I will? I would love this if it was jacked up like 10 times stronger. Can they not increase the ratio? The sample I had was the extrait? Puhleez. It's rare that I like a weak perfume, but I will keep an open mind....

Based on the listed notes, it seems to be an incredibly delicious gourmand. While it is not entirety that, it is still a nice fragrance. Let me explain. If does have that rich, almost sticky, expensive gourmand perfume vibe. It is mainly powdery cocoa scent with plenty of tonka, some vanilla and resins. Some rich sugary malt and hazelnut must also be somewhere around. It is creates a very cozy, warm scent bubble. And lasts forever, without being overwhelming. It is not a food-like scent, but still a nice gourmand. Might not be suitable for very young persons though, it feels like it would suit more grown up individuals, of any gender. I'm not certain yet if I'm recalling the scent correcty, but I think it reminds of Gallagher - Wicked Good, only minus the citrusey notes.

from the reviews below you might think this is a deliciously sweet gourmand, but not so fast. Distinctly and strong woody notes of ebony and dusty sandalwood, Tonka bean's very noticeable smokiness, resins, vanilla and a sweetened sugar base. Vaguely nutty, and even more vague is a dusty chocolate like note. The fragrance sweetens as it wears, and sits close to the skin. Longevity is maybe 4-5 hours. I would say for reference -- Al Contrario is the less attractive 3rd cousin of Tobacco Vanille, and due to some tracing -- found out related from the other side of the family too -- the 4th cousin of Feve Delicieuse, but also not as attractive. It's in the same family-ish, but at family reunions sits in the back next to the ebony wood credenza, and then leaves early.

After priming and resting this stuff turns out to be decent. These notes on a Terenzi can be daunting. The sweetness is just perfect. There is a waxy pollen and honey amber also happening. All in all it smells like a wonderful sandalwood concoction. This one has grown on me. I wasn't very impressed at first, didn't even have much hope or interest. So it sat away until I hear it get some random praise and I'm thinking they are crazy. It smelled synthetic sweet nutty vanilla with a little cocoa, wasn't very strong and didn't seem to last long. Now after time and a few more wears I get the other notes mentioned above and it takes to another level. Overall I'm going to give it a 7.5 out of 10.

I went through about eight original samples of this fragrance before finally deciding to buy a full bottle. August is definitely not its season, but I purchased it for cooler weather. To me, it could smell like butterbeer from Harry Potter. In general, it’s like being covered in butterbeer and letting it dry on you - that’s how Al Contrario smells to me. Hoppy, creamy, sweet (I often notice a slightly burnt sugar note). Unfortunately, it doesn’t have much sillage, though I wish it did. It’s not very long-lasting, but it clings well to clothes. This is a fragrance for yourself and for cozy comfort.

Blind buy! This is a REALLY awesome fragrance! But I paid a lot of money (from online discounter) for an absurdly small amount of juice to bottle ratio. It's actually quite hilarious. The scent is really wonderful it's a woody vanilla with cacao as others have said. My husband really likes it so I've given it to him. I love it as well. My only complaint is that it's a very light skin scent and I'm a fan of skin scents so that's saying a lot. It smells natural. It's a love! Similar vibe to L'Artisan Noir Exquis. (not the same scent but same genre). -

I prefer this over Black Phantom which is very sweet and can become cloying when worn in warm weather. It has a little more depth in my opinion. It's a safe buy if you're into cacao and gourmand-ish scents. It isn't sweet which makes it much more versatile to wear and perfectly unisex. A very good close encounter scent that lasts for hours.

This fragrance smells exactly like a chocolate scented baby wipe. This does not mean that it smells bad. Fragrance sits close to the skin with very moderate longevity.

This reminds me of Dame's Mexican Vanilla with less projection. Very nice scent. I like both but prefer Mexican Vanilla because of its projection and longevity.

Add this to the number of mixed reviews. It's certainly not what I hoped for in that I wanted to at least detect the cacao and hazelnut, but there's none of that on me. I only get sugar cane and malt, and something spicy. It is definitely sweet but it's a masculine sweetness. I don't get the comparison to Angel Muse, which I have and is definitely feminine. What I like about Al Contrario is that it's versatile and sophisticated. I think it's supposed to be for winter and fall, but it's still good in this warm weather. It's the kind of thing you wear to dinner at a fancy restaurant, but it's not cloying or overbearing so you can wear it to the office every day. This was a blind buy, and I got it for half the price. I'm not sure it's worth it at full price, but I am keeping it. Over the days I've grown fond of the melted sugar dry down I get. Definitely try before you buy though.

As the name implies " Al Contrario " opposite in nature or character, this fragrance lives up to its name. As a gourmand fragrance lover, I was totally excited to add this perfume to my collection, but unfortunately for me the woods, floral, and powdery notes dominate this perfume. I am missing the sweetness, spiciness, and gourmand components supposedly contained in this fragrance. It's not a bad fragrance as it has a very unique aspect to it, but it leaves me empty wanting and waiting for the gourmand elements to shine through, but unfortunately as the name implies the contrary happens. Also for the supposed perfume extract and the hefty price tag of this perfume the projection, sillage, and longevity is below average. Very disappointing as I own Orion by Tiziana Terenzi and it's a performance beast! My 3 P's - Price 4/10 - Projection 5/10 - Performance 5/10

Este es un perfume al que solo le he cogido amor después de muchos intentos, me sorprende que nadie más lo mencione porque para mí en el primer aerosol hay una nota mentolada supremamente dominante, algo como las lociones que se aplican en los dolores musculares o tal vez una loción para después del afeitado muy vintage. Sin embargo... Después de una media hora empiezo a percibir mucha dulzura proveniente del azúcar y cacao en polvo. Es difícil decidir porque si bien la primera media hora me resulta muy incomoda, lo que viene después es tan cálido y reconfortante que creo que vale la pena. Es un abrazo dulce azucarado que no empalaga.

I sampled this the other day (along with a few other things) at Neiman Marcus and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. If there was a "gourmand lite" category, then this would apply. It's slightly sweet but not cloying. It sits close to the skin for the duration of the time but still manages to emit wafts of chocolate every now and then. Definitely a unisex fragrance and one that can be worn all seasons.

A blind buy for me- its ok. Borders on baby lotion with a sweeter, slightly dark chocolate edge. In the same vibe as Kenzo Amour with the powder level. Hoped for more wood. Overpriced. Try before you buy. Edit: when I smell the nozzle, I get zadig and Voltaire This is her vibes, but once sprayed, its very different so don't be fooled.

Worst blind buy ever. I was hesitated, becouse everywhere I read about it the comments were so twisted. "Not sweet - super sweet", more male - more female.... One thing is for sure: THIS IS NOT A SWEET perfume. Nothing gourmand, nothing what I expected from the notes! It can't be a fake one. Becouse I tested it later in a stor. So what's happening with this? How on earth can this be so different to so many people? It's a powdery... NO... it's a dusty scent. Maybe powder cacao and woods. And thet's all to me. Absolute male scent.

This is a boring semi sweet fragrance, with no projection or power. Not the worst smelling gourmand, but defiantly not good. This should be a $10 fragrance for the performance and smell. Genuinely disappointed, was expecting something 100x better. This leans feminine as well. I would say it would smell nice on a lady. 3/10

I'm obviously one of the rare few who like this, going by the comments... lol. Without looking at the notes, it started off with the tiniest hint of what I assumed was a citrus fruit, like orange, just a tinge, mind you, and honey... Looking at the motes, I assume the honey sweetness was malt. There's something holding the sweetness back, and gives it a fluffy edge... the cocoa powder I imagine. It's difficult to pick out individual notes on me, as it's blended so beautifully. I can't say I get woods, or spices...... perhaps some vanilla, and a vague sweetness... If I had to compare the smell, it's the perfume version of Ferrero Rochers, including the wafers, and the bits of hazelnut. It's by no means a sickly sweet fume, or intense dark chocolate.... merely a hint of those things. It's not heavy, or much of a projector.... it's a water colour painting of a artificial ferrero rocher, made from woodchips, dipped in a swweetish, malty vanilla, covered in a tiny bit of hazelnut praline, and a slight dusting of cocoa powder... veering more towards a milk chocolate, than a dark one A more nuanced, and complex powdery/dusty version of chocolate greedy with hazy edges.

Al contrario is best mix of gourmand like and cacao scent I ever used. Though there is no pure sweetness or gourmand feel but a blend to emerge a different scent. There is depth, balanced sweetness. Smoky woodiness and amazing versatility in this one. This felt me alike Black Phantom but this one is way deeper and more intense on my skin. Also, there was a feel of Muglers Angel Muse in it but still it is unique in its own way. This one is different yet familiar and superb easy to wear. Scent is nice enough but the price is much more than it should be and performance is even not that fantastic. Sort of disappointed with silage and longevity. This makes me feel cuddling, joyful, natural and romantic. Would prefer wearing it on a date night maybe or clubbing. Buy it but try with your skin chemistry before buying. Good luck!

Yummmmilicious one! Damn chocolaty, delicious and a true gourmand with more of natural essence. There is sweetness in this but not the one that causes headache, but the rich and lovable one. Fragrance is truly amazing in which woody vanilla blends so well with cacao. Projection is moderate at the opening with the sweet, tasty and delicious accords. A perfect balance of cacao chocolate feels and the vanilla sweetness with that of tonka bean making it a supreme gourmand scent. Orchids in it adds the floral touch. The emotions attached to this are hot, romantic, sensuous and evocative. There is linearity in the fragrance that feels comforting, delicious, creamy, aromatic, chocolaty, sugary, rice, warm and mature. Longevity is moderate as well as the versatility is average too. Recommended for the gourmand lovers like me

This is the perfume I went into Barneys in Chicago (several years ago) thinking I would purchase. YouTuber Jeremy Fragrance had said that it reminded him of Nutella; and based on my love of Nutella, I had thought it would be the one for me. However, when I smelled Tiziana Terenzi's Dionisio, I much preferred it, even though it lists no chocolate. Dionisio is Tahitian and Bourbon vanilla, ambergris, musk, oud, jasmine, and lily of the valley. it also is supposed to contain some type of pheromone, which I believe is from the ambergris. The notes list (except for the vanilla) would have turned me away from Dionisio. It is now my favorite and most prized perfume. Just goes to show that perfumes have to be experienced in person, and that relying on just notes or recommendations can result in missing out on a gem.

Sprays on with a porter-like malty, hazelnut accord. As it dries, the orchid comes to the forefront accompanied by a waxy but thin, overly sugared chocolate note. The orchid withers throughout the life of the fragrance until you're left with a slightly malty/nutty, waxy chocolate base. Has that "carnival" type of vibe that I get from some L'artisans like Dzing and Amour Nocturne. The gourmand take on orchid draws parallels particularly to Amour Nocturne. Longevity is above average and I get 4-5 hours of self sillage. 3+/5, "Good". Note: A "+" is not equivalent to a 0.5. I use the + ratings organically where I feel a particular whole number would not best summarize a category. Call it a "je ne sais quoi" counter.

Uh, I'm getting ebony wood, a touch of white sugar, and yeast. Had this on my wrist for about 30min now and incredibly disappointed. No chocolate at all. No hazelnut/sandalwood/tonka. Not a whisper of smoke or a single spice. Hell, I'm not even getting any vanilla, just a pale sweet note. Very unfortunate. 2 hours in and no change. I guess I'll try once more when it's cooler. Really not looking forward to experiencing this warm bread-dough scent again. Review of foolish full bottle blind-buy. PS This kinda reminds me of DEAD SEXY by Tokyo Milk but watered down and with a yeast accord added. Sad.

Review in this Gourmand nutella Very Potent Performance, it just do it's job 12+ Hours. this gets compliments off the bat, & this is Pretty Much Unisex but to think a Woman can Pull this stuff more than a Man does. the scent itself is woodier ebony accompanied by malt & cacao at the Start, and at the middle turns Floral from that Orchid note in a Tonka Vanilla Harmony, then at the Base of Sweetness of Sugar & Benzoin Mingling with nutty Hazel nut & more woody tone from Sandalwood. The Scent Profile is Elegant,Addictive & Romantic. Truly a Standout Fragrance, a Masterpiece from Tiziana Terenzi.

I did smell this when I met Signore Terenzi and Tiziana. In the end I ended up liking their Dionisio better and even went so far as to buy it, despite the fact that it quadrupled my budget. Although I love to eat Nutella (and Al Contrario was supposed to be like Nutella in a bottle), something about the vanilla in Dionisio just caught me and wouldn't let me go. To vanilla fans, I say give Dionisio a try. You will not be disappointed. Al Contrario was nice, too, but in my estimation, Dionisio put it in the shade.

Surprised this has scored anything above a 3 to be honest. I found this to be immensely dull. Sillage and longevity was appalling and after an hour, my skin smelt like mold. Was so disappointed with this that I snapped the pump on the bottle and sent it back claiming it was damaged. Absolute garbage for the price. Bottle is also cheap. Lid did not fit on properly. Am utter JOKE of a fragrance considering the price tag of £189.00 for 50ml.

I was instantly reminded of Muglers Angel Muse when I smelt this for the first time and still am. Different, but so very familiar :) I actually find Al Contrario to be the "easier" one, or maybe even more gourmand. Myself I can barely smell it though when I put it on, unless I smell close to the spot I sprayed 😭 Otherwise I think I would've gone for a bottle at the discounter. Must still try how it would perform on clothes.

Basically this is chocolate in a bottle. To me, the smell of hazelnut is not so obvious, although I dig comparisons to Nutella. For those who enjoy gourmands, this is a safe blind-buy, in spite of its steep price. As to the rest of us who are not so keen on smelling like chocolate / nutella / ice-cream / cotton-candy / pralines / any other sweet treat, it’s a pass.

Regardless of the reviews, this is a very nice fragrance, it’s very musky on me and super long lasting. It’s like a malted cocoa musk. The malt smells toasty and the musk is very present even though it’s not listed. It’s a nice muted gourmand, not too sweet, unisex but I think men would appreciate this a tad bit more. Smells sexy honestly!!