Varens Original Italian Romance

I was lucky to win a bottle of this possibly discontinued scent in a fellow Fragrantican's giveaway. Italian Romance is a bergamot/citrus dominant perfume, with a fresh breezy feel that is never harsh or sharp. The floral notes, along with the resin/patchouli and musk, emerge towards the drydown and add warmth and softness. This is a perfect summer fragrance, which could be worn by men as well. The bergamot is incredibly realistic, the best rendition of this note that I have smelled so far! Longevity and sillage are on the high end of moderate. Italian Romance could be an "office-friendly" scent if applied lightly.

EXCELLENT perfume, unbelievably fresh!! It starts out really citrus like Escale Portafine, but further on becomes more sweeter. EXCELLENT Ulric perfume!!

Italian Romance is very good fragrance for its low mass-market price. It’s chypre! But elementary chypre, only fresh and sharp bergamot with patchouli. That’s all! Italian Romance is a solo of bergamot. It’s light chypre for summer for those who search something interesting for hot days.

Varens Original Italian Romance was one fragrance I never expected to like. I am truly amazed by its complexity and quality. When Italian Romance first hits the skin, it smells quite citrusy and fresh. What I found most pleasant was its less than synthetic approach. The bergamot accord is natural and believable, kind of resembling the zesty scent of citrus peel. It would smell breathtakingly beautiful on a hot Summer's day. Twenty minutes into my first wearing, I was even more impressed by the soft floral heart of orange blossom and lily of the valley, which kept with the initial freshness, just adding to it a sweet and feminine touch. A hint of smouldering patchouli in the base, shows complexity and fuels my fascination for this inexpensive gem. Due to Italian Romance's subtlety, I find this fragrance quite inoffensive and easily versatile. I'll just make note of the fact it could also be unisex. Like other reviewers have noted, this is a fantastic interpretation of bergamot, easily one of the best. Patchouli and resinous accords provide a nice, chypre-like finish to Italian Romance. I find the scent overall to be smooth and rather dreamy. It does actually smell quite Italian to my nose, however it doesn't strike me as being anything overly romantic. Classic and clean sums it up. I really enjoyed Italian Romance and its freshness, even though I'm in the middle of Autumn on my side of the world. On that note, I lean towards suggesting it for the cooler months as well as the obvious hot seasons. I am very impressed.