By Sandra

Shelley Waddington is the wonderfully talented nose behind En Voyage Perfumes. I was introduced to her work this year when a dear friend of mine presented me with Captured in Amber. I was gobsmacked with awe and could not wait to smell more from this house.

Fiore di Bellagio is En Voyage’s newest perfume which just launched this fall. The details on her website describe the perfume as follows:

„An opulent blend of Florentine Iris, Bulgarian Rose Otto, and Vintage Resins form the sensual backdrop for the spicier facets of precious carnation.
Fiore di Bellagio is crafted in the 1920’s vintage style of fragrance worn by European and American beauties of the Golden Age. Exquisitely recreated and contemporized for the more modern noses, Fiore di Bellagio retains the quality of a vintage masterpiece that will forever delight and inspire.”

Top Notes: Italian Lemon and Citrus, Green Leaves, Ylang Ylang
Heart Notes: Spicy Carnation; Gardenia absolute, Jasmin absolute, Bulgarian Rose Otto, Muguet, Violet, Bois de Rose
Base Notes: Dark Vanilla, Antique Sandalwood, Iris Florentine (Orris absolute), Costus Oil, Vintage Resins, Civet and Musks.

Shelley Waddington’s inspiration for Fiore di Bellagio was „to create something that was likely to have been on the dressing table of the infamous and bombastic Zelda Fitzgerald. Given time, proximity, and Zelda’s proclivity for the outrageous, it was a small leap to Daltroff for Caron’s famous Bellodgia – and to then interpreting it from a contemporary viewpoint.“

Fiore di Bellagio is a beautiful name- isn’t it? The Eau de Parfum has a beautiful thick consistency which truly enhanced my experience with this perfume – it prepared me for the rich soulful fragrance which bloomed beautifully as my skin warmed.

Fiore di Bellagio it opens as a large floral bouquet – a bouquet at a mansion during the Roaring Twenties. This bouquet has been sitting overnight in the garden and the early morning sees dewdrops on the petals of the flowers. As the morning sunshine rises and warms the flowers, the flowers start to give off their exquisite smell. The rays of sunlight have brought out the iris to the forefront and soon the other florals join the chorus. I breathe deeply and exhale slowly steadying myself for the day to come. The perfume enchants and mesmerizes me and leaves me wanting more.

Bellagio, Lake Como

I feel as if I have been lounging in a adirondack chair after a night of too much music and dancing overlooking a lake watching the sunrise, hearing the call of the loons and having my nose buried in these flowers. The dewdrops are still present and give the petals a silvery sheen.

The memory of last night lingers on and the perfume still faintly present rejuvenates me.