Teatro Olfattivo di Parma : Bell'Antonio
Hilde Soliani Profumi (2008)

An austere and artistic take on roasted coffee grounds sprinkled over a pack of freshly opened cigarettes. A drip of sweetness appears after about 30 minutes.

I personally enjoy this combo and would wear this occasionally as the mood strikes just for myself.

Projection could be overwhelming if worn in hot weather. 2-3 sprays is all you need. Longevity is 8 hours.


3.5 / 5 stars

Tobacco? Green... perhaps tobacco "flowers", but not the "cigarette smoke" that others have noticed, and to which I looked-forward. Coffee? Nope... nada, nyet, zilch, goornisht. Easily over-sprayed (three sprays is the maximum; more, and it's "headache city"). Glad I bought a decant... but 10ml is 9.5ml too many.

This is interesting. I can appreciate where Soliani is going here, but I don't know if I want to come along for the ride. The combination of coffee and cigarettes (tobacco) is just a bit more traumatic memory than I want to visit, especially on my skin. The former has never been a favorite note of my perfume, and do prefer it as a supporting note rather than a lead role, and the latter, while most definitely a beloved note (countless tobacco forward fragrances are in my arsenal), I just don't want to think of sadder times, desperation, chain smoking and instant coffee, and it takes me back to that.

It mostly does because it's quite two-dimensional after a while. It doesn't smell offensive, per se, it just depresses me.

Deceptively simple, this bravura marriage of coffee and tobacco achieves a delicate balance that has no real equivalence in any fragrance I've sampled. Both notes are exquisitely rendered here, supported with green, grassy tones: sinewy tobacco smoke and the aroma of roasted coffee, dancing together in real-time.

Gentle but steady in sillage and projection, this has more presence and longevity than you might initially suspect.

Smelling the spray nozzle reminded me of a freshly-opened pack of cigarettes, I found it to be unique and had to buy it. Still love it to this day but rarely wear it as it must be in colder weather only. A ton of tobacco throughout with some honey and musk. A stubborn linear oriental frag. My wife loves it on me and during the drydown once said "it reminds me of the beach". Thumbs up!

Spartan two note perfume of pipe tobacco and coffee notes. Very simple, very to the point and excellent at that! Evokes memory images of my time in Paris or Florence sitting outside a cafe with my coffee and listening to the heated debates of smokers around me. Well done.