We’re giving you a full dose of Italy today in the Duft-Tagebuch with the three new fragrances Scorzaforza, Sandalvia and Gioco all’Alba from Bois 1920. I have three samples of the brand in front of me, which are quite opulently decorated, so I’m hoping for powerful and beautiful compositions that smell of Bella Italia and Dolce Vita. We will see whether this is confirmed.
Scorzaforza – Giardinomirabile Collection
The Giardinomirabile Collection includes the two fragrances Scorzaforza and Sandalvia, which revolve around fictitious scents and imaginary plants. There are no limits to the imagination in this wonderful garden – which translates as Giardinomirabile – and I am more than excited to see what the Bois 1920 niche fragrance house means by this.
Scorzaforza – the name alone brings a smile to my face – is dedicated to citrus fruits, which are combined with flowers and woods in the creation. A quick look in one of the common online dictionaries reveals to me that the name of the perfume is made up of the two individual words scorza (= skin) and forza (= strength). You could translate the fragrance as the power of the skin or skin power, which admittedly sounds much less dynamic and exotic than Scorzaforza. The fragrance notes are lemon, mandarin, bergamot, petitgrain, mint, lily of the valley, rose, white musk, ambergris, cedarwood and patchouli and I strongly suspect that the skins mentioned by name refer to the Hesperides.
Scorzaforza is an intense and powerful fragrance, the result of a breaking wave of citrus notes that evoke liveliness and freshness thanks to lemon, mandarin and bergamot. The tangy mint blends with lily of the valley and a gentle note of rose. White musk, ambergris and patchouli characterize the sillage and exude an aura of enveloping elegance and sophistication.
The tangy zest of citrus fruits opens Scorzaforza, with which the perfume makes reference to the Hesperides and the fruit peel right from the start. While I had expected an opulent and powerful agrume squadron, the fragrance proved to be very relaxed, calm and dignified during the test. The citrus peel is soon joined by the greenish freshness of mint, which adds lightness, while aquatic lily of the valley and lucid roses play in the background. At the center of Scorzaforza, however, are the Hesperides, who feel completely at home in the composition. In the base, clean cedarwood, the finest musk powder and a hint of earthy patchouli cream ensure an atmospheric and successful finish.
Scorzaforza is not a loud, shrill citrus fruit bomb, but a rather tart, tangy-sour Hesperides bowl fragrance that is quiet, a little thoughtful and wonderfully summery. Perfect for those who prefer cologne-like perfumes with good longevity and presence, who love the combination of citrus, mint and woods and are looking for an uncomplicated, catchy and pleasant creation that can be worn for any occasion in the warmer months of the year. A wonderful, Italian-inspired summer fragrance for all those who love Dolce Vita and Bois 1920. 🍊🍋🇮🇹
Sandalvia – Bois 1920
We dive into the world of herbs with Sandalvia, a perfume dedicated to sage. Since the Latin (and Italian) name for sage is salvia, I suspect that the first part of the word sand- could possibly refer to sandalwood. This can certainly be found in the fragrance notes. Bergamot, cardamom, frankincense, clary sage, immortelle (Italian immortelle), saffron, cedarwood, sandalwood, ambergris and musk make the second creation in the Giardinomirabile Collection an “enveloping and fascinating fragrance that is intended to emphasize the herbaceous freshness of sage”.
The opening of Sandalvia combines tangy, tart bergamot with greenish-fresh cardamom and a fine coolness of incense. Sage soon reveals itself with aromatic herbal notes, underlined by immortelle. Warm woods join in, with a powdery, light and soft appearance, skillfully soothing the greenish herbal freshness and bringing the fragrance to a wonderful close.
Like Scorzaforza, Sandalvia is a rather calm fragrance that combines greenish-fresh and aromatic herbal notes with spices, citrus fruits and warm woods, creating an extremely successful and exciting olfactory melange. Transparent, quiet and meditative, the perfume by Bois 1920 is a sociable fragrance companion for every occasion and every season. If you like light herbal fragrances with a warm woody background and Italian flair, Sandalvia is definitely recommended. 💚
Gioco all’Alba – Trasparenti Collection
Gioco all’Alba could be translated as a game at dawn and does not refer to a light-hearted, cheerful game with the children, a game of chess, a parlor game or a sporting activity, but rather the smoky, wicked game of chance that takes place in the back room of a pub, accompanied by numerous drinks, cigars and other vices. The press release writes: “Gioco all’Alba captures the soul of an old, historic Florentine restaurant at dawn, when the lights go out and the scent of memories comes alive.” And so the fragrance notes also reveal some of the above-mentioned ingredients of a debauched evening at the poker table: whisky, saffron, boronia, davana, tobacco leaves, sugar, leather, vanilla, cedarwood, guaiac wood and musk.
“It’s boozy at dawn” would also have been a nice name for Gioco all’Alba, because the perfume opens with lush and very authentic whisky notes, intense, deep, peaty, which soon combine with leathery, spicy saffron to create a fragrance that reminds me of English clubs in which one or two glasses of high-proof spirits are enjoyed on leather Chesterfield sofas. Perhaps my association is also a little too elitist. After all, I’ve never been to an English club, and I’m also unfamiliar with Florentine pubs/restaurants. And yet I find the fragrance wonderful and extremely authentic.
The still lush notes of whisky and saffron are joined by deep golden tobacco leaves and a vanilla sugar sweetness, while clouds of guaiac wood smoke curl gently in the background. Warm, comforting and wonderful – Gioco all’Alba is the ideal perfume for anyone who loves gourmand, spicy and leathery, smoky creations with a boozy character. In my opinion, it is more of a fragrance for the cooler season, but here it is perfect for snuggling up, going out and for any other occasion. Whisky fans should definitely put this fragrance at the top of their to-try list. 🥃
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