Skip to main content

IL Lancetti

Image
By
Anise, Artemesia, Basil, Bergamot, Lavender, Neroli.
Aldehyde, Geranium, Coriander, Clary Sage.
Amber, Leather, Moss, Musk, Vetiver, Cedar.

Il Lancetti has been around since 1991 and only in the last 3 years have I purchased a bottle. It was one of the fragrances that had to grow into my sensibilities. It's not that I didn't care for it at first. Let's just say that I wasn't quite ready for it's understated "terrificness". You will also learn that I reserve the right to make up words as I go along. My being on the fence with Il Lancetti in the past had a lot to do with my predilection for powerhouse scents at that time. I needed to step back a bit from those in order to not only appreciate ones like Lancetti, but to continue my affinity for the strongmen of the perfume world.

What I like most about the opening of this masculine is the interaction of anise and lavender. This may be the best pairing of these two notes I've ever smelled. From the initial spray, Il Lancetti is utterly static and sans a rough edge or flaw in its glass-like exterior.

This is smooth plus one and intermittent whiffs of spice and woodiness abound. The Neroli and Bergamot are a low volume, steady duo and they contribute a soft version of hybrid orange. All this rolled up into Il Lancetti's fragrant package is an extremely enjoyable and comfortable accord.

The heart of Lancetti is on par with the beginning in terms of quality and volume. Coriander and Sage contribute a very nice spicy, herbal aspect that stops short of aromatic. Il Lancetti finally decides to step forth from the smooth zone when the base and drydown occur.

This isn't to say that it changes drastically, because it doesn't. It simply develops enough grit from amber, leather and vetiver to signal a change. There's also a woodiness underneath holding everything else up. My only beef with Il Lancetti is that after an hour, it's no more than a skin scent and longevity is about 4 hours on me.

Since this problem can be easily solved via atomizers, I have no qualms about picking up another bottle should my current 100ml run out. Il Lancetti is surprisingly good and an easy wear in basically all venues. The 1980's and early 90's were good times for fragrances.

Thumbs up from Aromi for Il Lancetti.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Oriental Lounge by The Different Company

By
Bergamot, Curry Leaf, Pepper, Red Rose, Tonka Bean, Labdanum, Satinwood. I suppose the first thing I noticed about Oriental Lounge is that as a man, this is a bit of a stretch to pull off. Since the core of Oriental Lounge is a powdery tonka and amber duo, it really does lean a bit too far feminine for me to wear. However, it would smell just as lovely on a woman and more appropriate as well. I bring this up simply because it's marketed as shared. I was wondering about the curry leaf. Actually, this "note" brought nothing to the table with the exception of possibly enhancing the pepper note just a bit. Even so, the pepper note itself was low key ( at least on me ) and both blended nicely with the citrus opening. From the onset of Oriental Lounge, it's unmistakable that this fragrance is.......well.....an oriental. From other opinions, I read some gripes about longevity, but it lasts on me quite awhile. This fragrance is uncomplicated and without much movemen...
4 comments
Read more

Black Suede by Avon

By
Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...
1 comment
Read more

Paco Rabanne Pour Homme

By
I am reviewing the original Paco Rabanne Pour Homme ( circa 1973 ) thanks to a generous basenoter who sent it to me recently in a swap. He also sent me the current formulation in order for me to do a side by side comparison. The side by side resulted in what I had already imagined would be the case. Not that the newer formula is terrible by any means. The original version simply is better by being deeper and a bit more masculine. No......you shouldn't go to ebay searching for the vintage formula and paying stupid prices. It's simply a notch or two better than the current and noticeable by comparing the two in real time. Rabanne Pour Homme opens with a slight shimmer in conjunction with lavender, spices and a subtle woodiness. It's an old school introduction, however a good one. The lavender takes about 5 minutes to raise its volume and evolve into a soapy rendition. I dislike when a boatload of soapy lavender takes over a composition, but here it doesn't go over t...
2 comments
Read more