By Sandra
I do not usually pay attention to the name of a perfume. But when one as beautiful as La Danza delle Libellule comes my way I sit up and pay attention. It means The Dance of the Dragonflies. This is a perfume which came out I believe in 2012 and when I received a sample in Rome I wore it and loved it for 3 days. I received another sample this summer and have been dreaming ever since.
Autumn has arrived and although the days are shorter and the temperatures have cooled off, the sunshine (which is unusual here in Vienna in November) and the crisp blue skies is making me dream of lazy summer days and I am searching for the perfect vanilla perfume. I pulled out my sample of La Danza delle Libellule from this summer and quickly used it up. The search was now on to find it in Vienna!
The Nobile 1942 website gives a beautiful description of this perfume. It is quoted here so that you understand of how spot on they describe it.
LA DANZA DELLE LIBELLULE (THE DANCE OF THE DRAGONFLIES)
… claiming some time for frivolousness, cuddles and the gentle insouciance that all women deserve. All these elements form the background to the melody conceived by Franz Lehar, who composed the “Dance of the Dragonflies”, an operetta that met with great success. With this spirit, the new fragrance by Nobile 1942, brings all the lightness necessary to soothe even the most troubled hearts.
Pure vanilla, a gourmand fragrance that warms the heart and envelops you in a sweet cloud, around which three frivolous dragonflies flutter, as in the operetta by the celebrated composer of “The Merry Widow”.
It is good for our senses to be pampered and loved, in an Epicurean joie de vivre, with moderation but also indulgence with ourselves. (by the homonymous operetta with music by Franz Lehar, Libretto by Carlo Lombardo).
Fragrantica lists the notes for La Danza delle Libellule as follows: Top notes are bergamot and red apple; middle notes are cedar and cinnamon; base notes are musk, vanilla and coconut.
I spray it on and get a blast of freshness with vanilla and musk intertwining ever so delicately. The apple is not dominant at all and quickly morphs to something more cuddly with the cinnamon. Thankfully it is never an apple crumble or pie – it is more of a marriage between fresh and sweet.
For the last year or two I have finally understood musks and that is what makes La Danza delle Libellule stand out on its own. The vanilla and musk shine together and tame the fresh opening after about 10 minutes. This is where I start dreaming and where my heart is comforted. The vanilla is not as sweet as Tihota for instance – which is also a great love of mine. This is a year round vanilla scent for me. To be honest I cannot smell a distinct coconut note at all. Perhaps it is rounded together with the vanilla and musk to make this such a gorgeous perfume.
This is not a complicated vanilla perfume which will rock your world with new direction. No, it is a subtle perfume which will caress and comfort and ease my mind into a state of dreaming.
I love colour in my life – from bright colourful paintings to colourful fruits and vegetables and La Danza delle Libellule is a colourful dream indeed. I was taught to dream and to add as much colour in my life as possible. I am transported back to lazy summer days as a child poking holes into lids of jars so that we could catch as many fireflies as possible. We wanted to be princesses in a castle or fairies in a garden at dusk making sure everything was set for the night hours. We were taught to paint our lives full of colourful experiences.
This past summer I was sitting by a pond full of lilypads and a single dragonfly danced amongst the lilypads – light shining on its delicate wings – bringing out the beautiful shimmering colours of its body.
La Danza delle Libellule is a beautiful addition to my collection making it possible for me to fondly remember what childhood and summer is all about – especially with the looming cold months ahead.
While there is an Extrait version of La Danza delle Libellule available, I caved and bought the Eau de Parfum. The Extrait is stunning in the opening – it really brings out the apples and cinnamon together but the perfume as a whole is just like the Eau de Parfum. The Eau de Parfum is beautiful and smooth and definitely gives me the serenity that I need these days in dealing with the challenges of life. I certainly don’t mind respritzing this during the day either.
What do you dream about? Does perfume help you dream a little bit more during the day?
Olfactoria's Travels 
Hey there Sandra,
I will look it up. Hopefully it will be somewhere in the states.
Portia xx
I am sure you can find it somewhere in the US! It would be perfect for the cold you are headed towards. xoxo
I have a whole load of samples of the Nobile fragrances at home. I have not tried them yet. Will have a look if I can find this. Sounds lovely. xxxx
I hope you find a sample Val. They really have some nice perfumes. Let me know. xoxo
What a beautiful review, Sandra. I’m a chronic dreamer so I definitely relate to the transportive power of perfume.
Despite my best efforts, I can’t seem to get on with most gourmands/vanillas but I’m glad you’ve found a scent that helps you drift away from life’s challenges. I love its name too.
I am so glad to hear you are also a dreamer Tara. This one probably will not be to your liking, but Nobile 1942 may have something you enjoy.
La Danza is totally bonkers and it makes me smile. I have a 5ml decant but never wear it, it’s just something I like to sniff off from time to time. Nobile 1942 is a very interesting house, shame that distribution is so limited.
I am happy that this makes you smile Sabine. Have you tried any of the home scents by Nobile 1942? They are wonderful too.
Thank you for the beautiful review Sandra. I was checking this perfume here ( http://www.luckyscent.com/product/52310/la-danza-delle-libellule-by-nobile-1942 ) just the other day. Sounds like a happy, delicious and summery scent. I am looking for a more winter appropriate scent at the moment though! But I thought I would be a good idea to share this link, maybe your lovely readers would like to get at least one sample! Lots of xx
Annie,
http://www.anniesbeautyblog.com
Thanks Annie! That is great. I find that La Danza Della Libellule works very well in the colder weather now. Hope you like it when you try it.
I’m sure I love it because it has in its composition some of my favourite notes! Have a great week, Sandra! Lots of xx
I agree! It is not a summery perfume to me. I think it would be good in any weather! The vanilla adds that cozy kind of feel that would be GREAT in winter! It’s very versatile!
Some of my favorite fragrances are vanilla scents, so I can’t wait to try this. Thanks for the review or I wouldn’t have known about this fragrance or this house.
Definitely give it a try Kandice. I hope you like it.
On paper I can’t say that the notes sound like they’d meld well together, but your review really does make it sound fantastic – and as you noted – the name is quite beautiful. Perhaps I’ll have to add it to the sample list! Gift giving holidays are approaching…
I hope you get to try it soon. The notes work surprisingly well together.
Just wanted to tell you that thanks to your lovely,evocative review,I looked for this one when I was in Paris,fell in love and am a happy owner of this little gem-even though the SA at Jovoy said it was more for little girls,I don’t care,how nice to put this on,feel like a young girl and dream away…!!Thanks for this gorgeous,enabling review!!!😄
Your comment makes me so happy Ariane. I am so glad you love it and own it as well. Silly SA – she is missing out on a delightful perfume.
Sounds like you are loving this exquisite perfume as much as I am! It is fast becoming my new favorite! I would say that La danza delle libellule is a fruity scent more than a vanilla one, although it does contain loads of delicious vanilla! The apple note is so prominent and I love strawberry and somehow the apple note in this is reminiscent of strawberry! It’s like strawberry vanilla but not something a teen would wear bc the quality in this fragrance is nothing like 1 of those cheap celebrity scents. it’s high quality, made with high quality ingredients and that definitely comes across! I am in love with this perfume!
Hi Eve. I get lots of apple as well but wish it lasted longer. It is a perfume made with excellent ingredients and I am still loving it now in the summer. It is nice to hear that you also love it.
Sandra,
Thanks for your reply! I am looking into purchasing the Exceptional Editition version of this perfume also, because I want to try the longer lasting version, too. Have you tried Cafe Chantant by Nobile 1942 yet? I am looking forward to getting a sample soon. It sounds like another gourmand I would like!
Hi Sandra,
Thanks for your reply. I am not sure this went through..I wrote that I am going to try the Exceptional Edition of this perfume also (it’s more concentrated, so supposed to be longer lasting..maybe the apple note will last longer, too!) I was wondering if you have tried Cafe Chantant by Nobile 1942? It looks like another delicious gourmand & I can’t wait to send away for a sample!