Lorenzo Villoresi • Dilmun • Fragrances

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*TOP REVIEWER* WentworthRoth on 11/18/2010 9:09:00 AM more reviews by WentworthRoth

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Notes: citrus, rose, jasmine, orange blossom, green leaves, neroli, petitgrain, laurel, opoponax, incense, floral extracts, elemi, vanilla, cedarwood and sandalwood.

Dilmun opens sweet and powdery on my skin. I smell sweet flowers, jasmine and orange blossom, with a slightly bitter base which must be the citrus oils. These green and bitter notes balance the flowers and add an interesting second layer to the floral notes. At first the two different note types struggle with each other until they find their correct balance. Later on the fragrance turns into a powdery orange blossom scent as rose and vanilla notes have taken over as the base in this stage of the fragrance. The dry down is pale aromatic wood. Lasts for 6 hours.

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Fruitful on 10/13/2010 2:37:00 AM more reviews by Fruitful

Age: 36-43   Skin: Acne-prone, Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

I had to keep inhaling this. I think I have to buy a bottle.

I didn't read the notes before trying. At first sniff it was very familiar, very herbal and felt like it was doing me good. When LV gets it right it's truly soul therapy.

I pictured a kitchen garden. Perhaps a medieval Italian one. A quiet walled garden full of herbs and aromatic vegetables, with a couple of rose bushes along the path.

I was surprised to find it was neroli, which I didn't realise was so - savoury? Perhaps the laurel underscored that kitchen garden feeling too. It's not at all gourmand - yet it is nourishing.

A powdery sweetness soon appears, but it's not overwhelming and the neroli heart stays strong to the end.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Lisaandtheword on 4/25/2010 3:28:00 PM more reviews by Lisaandtheword

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Black, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

The laurel & other green leaves in this seem kind of bitter, & the neroli is the deeper kind that isn't as sweet as some, so it doesn't quite offset the bitterness enough. plus it goes on a bit harsh/sharp, by the time it mellows & has touch of incense it is also washed out, very sheer.

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*TOP REVIEWER* bellydancer on 4/22/2009 4:53:00 PM more reviews by bellydancer

Age: Unknown   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

Lovely neroli scent bolstered by some citrus notes and a bit of greenery on a soapy musky base which helps to elongate the neroli a bit. I don't mind the soapiness-- I kind of like it. And the musk is inoffensive (sometimes I don't like musks) and never really lets go of the neroli. A very pleasant scent that lasts about four hours-- again, with never really letting go of the orange flower/neroli fragrance. That's an accomplishment! Way to go, LV!

It's not as soapy or as long lasting as the new Prada Orange Flower Infusion-- but the neroli is nicer smelling, more citrussy and flowery.

It's not as sharp and well defined as Neroli Portofino or AG's Neroli-- but it does last longer. Although not as long as the Prada.

:)

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*TOP REVIEWER* GlamDiva on 3/2/2007 2:02:00 AM more reviews by GlamDiva

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Other, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

Lorenzo Villoresi's Dilmun is a sharp clean orange blossom scent with
a signature LV musk base, an impression of slight vanilla and amber, and a hint of wild greens.
Similar on me to 24 Faubourg edp. Dilmun transports me back and forth from India to Italy. Sunlight in a bottle.

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*TOP REVIEWER* potionsandlotions on 8/22/2006 4:40:00 PM more reviews by potionsandlotions

Age: Unknown   Skin: Combination   Hair: Other   Eyes: Brown    

WOW! I got a sample today and upon first application I thought it was a scrubber -- it was too soapy and sharp (and perfumey)-- I gave it a few minutes and then it worked its magic on my skin. I am in love! The sharp soapy phase only lasts a few minutes at most so it's not like I have to suffer through a long horrible opening phase to be able to enjoy the dry down -- like some SLs-- This smells like honey-ed orange blossom. Yes, like others said, I detect some green notes, a little jasmine in the background and some incensy note more evident in the dry down. I prefer this to Jo Malone's Orange Blossom. FBW for me!

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*TOP REVIEWER* veruska on 8/2/2006 12:58:00 AM more reviews by veruska

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

As Paschat said before this traditional flower note with the citrus accents is slightly spiced with incense.It has also a delightful laurel note that does'nt bring the scent on the stew category.The drydown keeps the green freshness but i detect a light touch of olibanum although there's not in the notes.I consider Dilnum a very nice and straightforward orange blossom but it's extremely light.It's so lioght that i have a problem to fully enjoy it.I wish it was more full-bodied so it could work for me cause i own a bottle.still from time to time i layer this with dsh indian patchouli oil and it seems to be more strong with that.

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oberon21 on 5/20/2006 6:34:00 PM more reviews by oberon21

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

this is one of my most beloved and my holy grail in perfumery 's world i dare to say simply divine

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*TOP REVIEWER* Maller on 8/20/2005 7:08:00 PM more reviews by Maller

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Honey and orange blossom soap. That was my initial impression of this fragrance. I had ordered it unsniffed - I love orange blossom, I love most LVs...how could it not work? Well, for over two years it didn't work. I couldn't get past the soapy accord. Out of guilt, I tried it once every third blue moon, but they must have been "off" blue moons, because it still didn't work. However, retried it earlier this summer and the expected LV magic happened. Fell madly in love. How could I ever not have appreciated it? Honey, citrus, orange blossom, some green notes, a touch of jasmine, resins on a softly woody base. I hardly even notice the soapy accord any longer and it certainly doesn't bother me. It's less soapy the IPdF's Zagara, has less citrus and spice than SMN's Zagara (but shares the emphasis on floral notes), has far less citrus than Norma Kamali's Zagara, is less sweet and spicy than SL's Fleurs d'Oranger, isn't quite as light or green as Cote Bastide's Fleur d'Oranger and isn't quite as delicate, floral and feminine as Jo Malone's Orange Blossom. This is simply a beautifully composed scent from LV. One of my holy grail orange blossom scents.

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Dalisay on 4/30/2005 2:14:00 AM more reviews by Dalisay

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

After re-visiting a long-neglected sample of Dilmun, I cannot believe that I never bought the fragrance outright. I agree with the reviewer below--the opening combination of orange blossom and citrus notes is rendered in a very traditional and masculine sort of way. Orange blossom is supported, however, by what I think of as Villoresi's signature sweet, powdery musk base. Beautiful and light, this counterintuitive base accord slowly diffuses the weight of the floral heart in the most elegant manner. Dilmun is certainly an orange blossom for all seasons, and I'm thrilled to see LV fragrances now available in 50 ml bottles.

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cdvoyles on 2/25/2005 11:09:00 PM more reviews by cdvoyles

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

LV Dilmun is one I've sampled via First-in-Fragrance and I'm very impressed with it - I think it may be going on The List. I love orange blossom, let's get that right out there. Grew up in Orange County in the 60s when you could still catch a whiff of it in the air. This one struck me on first try as a very masculine fragrance - the woods and dry herbs came out strongly and it seemed very dry - but on second wearing I fell for it, and sensed its feminine side. It is very broadly composed while remaining a predominantly orange flower scent. Unlike Serge Lutens Fleurs d'Oranger which is so creamy and solid you can almost taste it, and it tastes like dessert, this one invites you to expand your lungs, expand your awareness over the entire pastoral landscape. It is currently my favorite orange blossom-neroli scent.
Notes, via Lusciouscargo:
Top Notes: Citrus, Orange Blossom, Green Leaves, Jasmine, Neroli
Middle Notes: Citrus, Laurel, Fragrant Woody Resins
Base Notes: Elemi, Aromatic Woods, Flower Extracts, Vanilla

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*TOP REVIEWER* schminken on 9/16/2004 9:55:00 AM more reviews by schminken

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I really like this one. Since I live on the italian border and witness on a daily basis how fashionable and just how ITALIAN the women are, I want to be like them too. Well, everyone said I just HAD to go get Acqua di Parma. And then I obsessed about it and finally got a sample along with Dilmun. I tried the Acqua di Parma first and was horribly dissapointed. What was all that horrible vanilla and baby powder doing in my vision of Tuscan summer nights???!!! Then I tried the Dilumn and it was much much better. It was all cutrusy and clean and herby and fresh but without powder. What I actually envisioned(or ensmelled) with the Acqua di Parma

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*TOP REVIEWER* NancyT on 6/1/2004 1:43:00 PM more reviews by NancyT

Age: 36-43   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

This fragrance started out very bitter on me for the first 20 minutes. It sweetened up a bit after that, but not enough for me to like it. On me it smells like orange blossoms mixed with weeds.

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*TOP REVIEWER* midnightc on 5/16/2003 1:01:00 AM more reviews by midnightc

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

Ugh. There's something about Villoresi's fragances that just turns my stomach- always a top note. The dry down in this is beautiful but I can't make it past the first few moments. Incensi was the same way. I've only had luck w/ Garofano.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Mayra on 4/23/2003 12:04:00 PM more reviews by Mayra

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Jean Nate's pretentious cousin. Spicier. In a prettier bottle. But not worth the price tag to me. Sorry Lorenzo. I had such hopes for you. :-(

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*TOP REVIEWER* harperhilton on 2/15/2003 4:43:00 PM more reviews by harperhilton

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

on me, this smells immediately like cleaning supplies...you know, what the house smells like when you come home after the cleaning lady left...not my favorite thing.

my husbamd, on the other hand, says it smells like tamale..."hmm...hot tamale" he says. another thing i don't care to smell of. o well.

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*TOP REVIEWER* manon on 2/9/2003 10:35:00 PM more reviews by manon

Age: 25-29   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Lorenzi Villoresi, a perfumer who has managed to revive Florence's Renaissance tradition of perfumery by introducing a touch of modernity, has long been the personal perfumer to the likes of Sting, Tony Blair, Billy Joel, and many others, famous and not, rich and...not so rich. His publicly-available lines of fragrances are representative of the influence of his time spent studying in the Middle East, where his introduction to perfumery began by mixing various spices and harvest essences. When his blends became more complex and sophisticated, he realized what his calling was. Like another favorite perfume house of mine, Serge Lutens, Villoresi fragrances all have a touch of the exotic to them.
Dilmun, which takes its name from the paradise of the old Mesopotamia, begins with sharp notes of grapefruit, bitter orange, and lemon that quickly soften with mandarin. Then it unfolds to reveal a glorious heart of neroli and orange blossom accented by opoponax, sweet and smoky incense, resting upon a base of dry laurel and sweet resins accompanied by luminous aromatic hints of sandalwood and cedar. The notes also include hemstitch and floral extracts, but I have no idea what hemstitch smells like, and floral extracts is a bit vague for me. Nevertheless, this is truly a fragrance that must be tried by any lover of orange blossom scents, although some may find it too sweet. Rather than the usual airy, zesty and slightly spicy orange blossom fragrance, it is deeper, richer, and more honeyed sweet, yet not heavy at all. Just has a bit of the Exotic to it in a very subtle manner. This has surpassed SMN Zagara as my favorite orange blossom fragrance, and it certainly has much more lasting ability.

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