by Rachel K. Ng
Profumo Del Sonetto Amorosa Nebbia bottle
That wandering paleness which conceals
the sweet smile in a loving mist,
offered itself to my heart with such majesty
that it revealed the heart in the face. Petrarch Sonnet 12
Italian Renaissance scholar, poet and humanist Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374) popularized the sonnet form that has come to bear his name. Petrarch’s great works were written to honor a woman named Laura de Noves, who Petrarch saw for the first time on April 6th (Good Friday) in 1327 at Easter mass in the church of Sainte-Claire d’Avignon. He fell in love instantly. Unfortunately for our poet, Laura was already married and never returned any of his advances. Petrarch would continue to write about his all-consuming love for Laura throughout his life, publishing more than 300 sonnets dedicated to her. Laura died at the age of 38 in the year 1348, on Good Friday, exactly 21 years to the very hour that Petrarch first saw her. Several years after her death, Laura’s tomb was opened. Inside, next to Laura, a medal representing a woman ripping at her heart was discovered, and under that, a sonnet by Petrarch.
A new house, based in Hong Kong has found inspiration in the depth many facets of great poetry, creating fragrances with equal beauty and devotion. Profumo Del Sonetto’s first release, Amorosa Nebbia, is a scent inspired by Petrarch’s Sonnet #123. As life and great art both teach, love is multi-faceted force. Love can illuminate the greatest qualities of the soul, yet at times, it can envelop and confuse like a dense fog. This bittersweet aspect of affection can lead to doubts, hesitation, or even addiction to the chase. Nathalie Feisthauer’s Profumo Del Sonetto Amorosa Nebbia is a brilliant olfactive interpretation of the complex tensions and layers of endearment, devotion and adoration that are a part of love.
Profumo Del Sonetto Amorosa Nebbia opens with striking charm: bright and rosy pink pepper pops with natural vivaciousness, grapefruit freshness uplifts bergamot’s center-stage beauty, and fig’s warm sweetness entices the senses. This dazzling opening gradually softens and smooths, leading to a lingering and profound tenderness, eloquently representing the fondness and affection of love.
The passionate heart of Profumo Del Sonetto Amorosa Nebbia is a warm embrace of florals. Jasmine and Moroccan rose are expertly paired with lily of the valley’s tenderness. The heart of this fragrance lasts for hours on my skin and it is a joyously careful and expressive transition from the lacy petals of jasmine and rose to velvety, buttery-soft orris and rooty earthy carrot seed oil. I imagine wearing the fine layers of extravagant textiles one would see during Petrarch’s time. Silks, velvets, linens, and brocades feeling refined and lustrous with each movement. The olfactive experience of Amorosa Nebbia evokes these luxurious fabrics and their layered caresses.
The sense of being lost in a fog of love takes hold in the dry down of Profumo Del Sonetto Amorosa Nebbia. Labdanum, a resin from the rockrose plant that grows along the rocky hillsides of the Mediterranean, has always been a magical and romantic material for me. In this scent it sings with intimacy and ardor. Warm, musky, and sweetly animalic, labdanum mixes dizzily with ambrette’s fellow musky and amber facets. Tonka’s creamy sweet vanilla blends with benzoin’s sweet nutty vanilla and cherry almond aspects. A fluffy cloud of cashmeran, musks, and cedarwood keeps everything soft. The incense is a stroke of genius by perfumer Nathalie Feisthauer, as this sweet-spicy-citric lift vaults up through the other cushiony materials and stirs everything into a veil of intoxicating richness and comfort. Profumo Del Sonetto Amorosa Nebbia is a fog I want to be lost in!
Notes: pink pepper, fig, bergamot, grapefruit, carrot seed, Moroccan rose, orris butter, muguet, jasmine, incense, cashmeran, musk, ambrette, labdanum, tonka bean, cedar, benzoin
A sample of Profumo Del Sonetto Amorosa Nebbia was kindly provided to me by Nathalie Feisthauer; opinions my own.
~ Rachel K. Ng, Senior Contributor
Link to the article : cafleurebon.com
