Illuminare

Citrus, Suede & Osmanthus... Opens with a burst of fruity citrus, but already the osmanthus, suede & aromachemicals are swelling through. The aromachemicals here (a blend including Iso-E-Super) may remind some of Light Blue Dolce&Gabbana, but this is more animalic from osmanthus & suede. As it transitions to the heart, the floral tones expand with osmanthus as the star of the show, which is more forward than the notes would suggest. The base notes - especially suede - are there to support the osmanthus for well beyond average performance, and I catch reminders of the base of scents like Casablanca Swiss Arabian (although this is much less sweet). There's a nice and bright citrus component in the opening, but for me this is predominantly an osmanthus & suede scent. Performance is suitable for year round wear, and fans of suede & osmanthus scents might like this. For what it is, it's nicely done. Enjoy! Update 03/04/24: I came back to this one as I was craving it for some reason. I did not expect that, but I'm really enjoying this, much more than I've enjoyed other osmanthus-suede scents. It's become a love. Update 08/22/24: This has gotten more mellow with the suede-osmanthus - almost creamy, with plum-blossom supported by the apricot facet of osmanthus on top. Also today the cedar is coming a little more forward for me. Every time I wear this I love it more.

Yes, Illuminare is the scent of Chinese plum blossom. Led along the silk road by the scent of Chinese plum blossom was the slow bewitching of Marco Polo when its vapours reached the Italian peninsula. A harbinger of spring, the scent of plum blossom illuminates even the coldest winter air. Arriving at the court of Kublai Khan, Marco discovers the origin of the enchantment is an imprint of plum blossom in the forehead of the Princess Shouyang. So illuminated was her beauty by the petal prints, that it inspired the cultivation of thousands of ornamental plum blossom trees from the Yangtze River (as well as imitation by the ladies of court in the form of "plum blossom makeup").

The best way to describe it would be what a grapefruit flavored champagne, prosecco, or mimosa would taste like. The floral notes pair harmoniously with the citrus. The citrus and floral notes are perfectly balanced, neither canceling each other. The cedar and seude seem to be the prominent base notes. The cedar gives this fragrance a nice freshness. I'm not getting a lot of Tonka or Musk, I find that to be a good thing. Too much of these would have drown out the delicate and juicy top and mids. I would wear this to a brunch for sure.

the plum is heavenlyyy. i usually am not a fan of florals but it smells soft and light compared to something like daisy from marc jacobs. such a kind scent, it's like candy. it smells better the longer you hold onto the perfume because when i first sprayed it, it was weirdly sharp and citrusy. but i really like it. such a nice daily summery perfume!!!

Fresh cut plum and cedar is what I get with this one. I agree, very pretty scent but the longevity and projection are awful. After about an hour it's a skin scent and after that it totally disappears. Not edp strength at all, more like a body spray. Not worth a high quality price tag.

The scent is fruity, floral with fresh citrus, I particularly loved it. Very soft and balanced and not too sweet. Nothing unforgettable a common perfume but fresh

I love it. I gravitate to vanilla and warmly sweet scents. I don't have a lot of summery scents but I like the mix of citrus, plumb blossom, cedar, and musk.

On days when I don't want to wear anything overpowering, I reach for this one. It's a clean, soft floral that's effortless and easy to wear.

This one is less spicy and a bit more fruity and rosy than the Illuminare Intensa. The base is nice, I sense a tad of cedar in the dry down. I think the base, along with the pink pepper and the iris in the Intensa version make it more interesting. If you are in the mood for a pleasant fruity floral, Illuminare is a wearable, non-overpowering option. To me, the plum blossom and pomelo make it more special than a straight bergamot and citrus combo. I think the pomelo maybe giving it a watery/aquatic freshness. I have a bottle of Eclat d'Arpege on order, so I can do a comparison later. I think there is a similarity between the top notes of Illuminare and VC Fiori. Followup: to me, not similar to Eclat d'Arpege. Eclat is more of a pink/purple floral and has something funky in the dry down which doesn't agree with my stomach or head. Also, Fendi L'Acquarossa is more rose forward and perhaps a tad more aromatic with elements I can't pinpoint in the blend which make it more unique. I also don’t think this resembles Light Blue, which also gives me a headache.

I'm guessing its the pamelo that smells like pear & quince to me. It's very crisp, citrusy and slightly fruity for about the first hour. On me the sillage and longevity is very good considering it is a light, clean scent. After an hour or so it settles into a smell that is best described as, what my bathroom would smell like as I just stepped out of the shower and had washed my hair with some green apple & pear shampoo. I really like it. And its worth mentioning, this is the first Vince Camuto fragrance I've tried that didn't turn bad on my skin.

Illuminare is such a pretty subtle fruity floral fragrance. I really like the choice of pomelo and bergamot here instead of the usual red berries. I also really like the plum blossom, it's not a note I come across very often in perfumes. I think overall this fragrance is very pretty and pleasant. It's not very strong though and it doesn't strike me as a must have, but it's nice. If I were to find a 100 ml bottle for cheap at TJ Maxx I probably would buy it because it's good for an everyday perfume when I want to smell nice, but not overwhelming.

Light citric-floral freshness. The bottle is more stunning than the scent. Heavy enough to double as a weapon. With its flowing lines, it recreates water bubbles trapped under ice on a frozen lake. It’s paler than in the picture if one holds it, but once put on a surface, the pink hues come through. Performance is average. Stays longer on clothes. Similar to Eclat d’Arpège by Lanvin, but Illuminare seems a bit richer and stronger. I’m not sure why it’s classified as an Oriental though because it is not warm, deep or sensual.

Those saying this smells like D&G light blue how??? Lol this smells nothing like it. This is light and airy and sweet Light blue is musky and dark. Anyway. This is a nice smelling fragrance. Sweet airy and on my skin 5hr longevity. Sillage is intimate to moderate. Nothing super special about this fragrance. Just nice smelling. A safe interview fragrance if you will. It borders on the line of “old lady” but because it lacks the powder aspect it stays safe. A nice addition but not a must have.

Not long lasting at all, but very pretty! It’s a clean, sparkling citrus with pretty florals. Quite soapy, but also light and pretty! It has become my favorite to wear day to day, and I’ve found it layers quite well with other perfumes, especially with Dream by Catherine Malandrino, a peppy, sweet, and musky sent. Definitely a nice casual everyday scent. Nothing too special, but still leaves me wanting more. Best in warm weather!

This is a not too sweet, fruity-floral frag, the type to which I often gravitate. I love bergamot, and the pomelo has a deeper essence than a lot of other citrus fruits. The flowers, however, are not delivering much of a bouquet, and I don't really detect any of the base notes either. Illuminare does also tend to veer ever-so-slightly aquatic, which keeps it in "like" territory rather than "love" for me.

A fresh citrus floral scent, I get some compliments with it. I would only wear this perfume in the summer, or spring. It's long lasting with a moderate sillage. It smells similar to Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue for women but a lot more feminine because the florals are stronger in this perfume if you want a more affordable option.

I really like this fragrance. It’s feminine, fresh, and modern in my opinion. It has average longevity on my skin. There’s something about it that is really intriguing to me. My husband thought it smelled like cheap bath and body works body spray, so I would definitely test before blind buying.

I don't love it, but I definitely like it. Very soft. I think most people would like it.

Honestly this earns a neutral vote (*edit for new ranking system), not for scent itself...but because as Beth C said, performance is dismal. It's quite fresh, with an obvious green apple tone. Plum blossom? Sure I guess? I can't be the only one to admit I have no clue what that smells like, right?! There totally is something Light Blue-ish about it, but I think LB grossly outperforms this despite LB being an EDT and this being an EDP. No rose, cedar, tonka OR suede...and I'm more disappointed after reading the alleged constituents because those heavy, beautiful ingredients aren't present here in any notable fashion. Mayyybe a slight amount of cedar, but nothing of the hallmark acrid scent that would be noticable if you had to guess. It doesn't smell bad, but it's a generic release that can scarcely be detected even on your own person within 30 minutes of spraying. I'll just save this sample and overspray it for a day or two come summer next year, it's extra weak in the cool autumn air.

Ended up a bit disappointed with this fragrance. It smelled lovely at first but now that I've had it for a few months I'm getting a heavy rubbing alcohol scent as soon as I spray it. It doesn't last long at all on my skin, maybe a couple hours and then it dries down to absolutely nothing. I got it for only $30 on another website so while I'm regretful it wasn't that much money wasted. Maybe I'll enjoy it more during spring and summer when my body heat interacts with it more. However it was described as a scent that could be used during winter but I'm finding it too light and airy.