The Lover's Tale
Francesca Bianchi (2018)

I agree with Nathan86 on the opening. It’s that familiar, signature beeswaxy orris base, which works well and provides a solid foundation for a fragrance. In her other scents, this base supports different focal points: Black Knight leans into honey, while Angel’s Dust emphasizes brighter mimosa and resins. Lover’s Tale doesn’t dramatically shift the formula; it simply brings the leather slightly more forward.

The honey and sweetness are toned down here compared to Lover’s Tale and Angel’s Dust, letting the leather shine while staying familiar to the other leathers in the line. If you appreciate orris root, you’ll enjoy this scent—the leather and orris feel cohesive, blending seamlessly. Castoreum is present in the base, but it doesn’t make the scent overtly animalic or challenging; it simply adds a subtle muskiness that supports the composition.

This could easily work as a unisex fragrance. It leans slightly masculine due to the leather, but the iris and florals balance it nicely. For those who already own multiple scents from the line, this might feel a bit redundant. But if you’re new to the line and want an iris that leans toward leather, this is a solid option. Just be sure to sample before buying.

I'll admit, I let out a groan of frustration and disappointment when I first sprayed The Lover's Tale and gave it a big whiff: here we go, another Bianchi perfume centered solely around her much reused animalic, orris and sweet woody base. There it was, sitting big, round, dense and sticky: orris butter, musks, castoreum, labdanum, and tree moss. But I assumed I know how the story was going to end too soon, and needed to give this tale time to unfold. Yes, I was correct about Bianchi heavy-handedly reusing materials yet again, but The Lover's Tale shifts to a new gear and presents something I haven't experienced yet in the brand's line-up - emphasis on "yet" - being a big, bold, abstract floral.

Bianchi's base is a logical and very appropriate launch point for a big, abstract floral. Mimosa's golden and honeyed floral accord works beautifully with the sweet balsams. The indolic and heady jasmine is a natural partner for the animalic musks and creamy sandalwood. The fleshy and jammy red rose is arm-in-arm with the leathery castoreum and damp moss. The Lover's Tale is electric and tantalizing, romantic and warming, captivating and magnetic. Unfortunately, the florals don't last long, a mere couple of hours, and then down to Bianchi's animalic, sweet, chypre base we go. The leather is louder in the dry down than in several other Bianchi perfumes, but it's the same leather we've experienced from the brand before. It's dark and brooding. This lover's tale is a bit too Romeo and Juliet for me: short and tragic. The elation is too short lived, and the end a bit too heavy. Not all romance stories end with a happy ever after; far more than not come to a complete end, period. But, I wish Bianchi had let me keep my illusions for just a while a longer. It's a lovely perfume, but it's one of those stories that I only need to hear once and don't really ever get the feeling to revisit it.

The Lover's Tale opens with this raw, overripe hyper real leather that made me recoil. Then this weird fruity note began to take center stage and I was riveted, though it didn't exactly smell pretty. Then this sultry iris amber musk took over and the leather faded into the background and I am in love.

This is fine as an artistic experience but not something I can subject others to at dinner. But it is brilliant! Good projection and longevity.

Update: a sample smear survived a shower and is going strong the next day. This is the only perfume I've experienced this level of longevity. Do not test the day before a job interview.

Powdery (very orris), fresh, and almost minty (geranium - not listed - or mimosa ?) opening. Not as funky as expected (yet). 1 spray on forearm. There was bergamot and some florals. Fleeting rose. Where's the jasmine ?

It's very clean so far.... And.... here comes the animalic drydown.

But what kind of animal ? The nearest is horse, but not quite (not sheep, nor cow, nor dog). Maybe the olfactory concept of a horse ? Leather and castoreum, musk probably, all with a sheen (ah, civet ? though not a listed note) of fresh powder. Talcum powderish, rubberish, latex-ish. Fetish horse ? And finally some almondy heliotrope, and honey. Not so much a bull in a china shop as a horse in rubberwear in a patisserie.

All day I have been getting powerful wafts from my arm, through a long-sleeved T shirt, a sweater and a thick aran cardigan, plus a waterproof padded jacket with close-fitting wrists. Longevity is many hours so far. The drydown is very smoothly animalic and exceedingly pleasant.

Coming back to The Lover's Tale the following day : still very present as a skin scent in the morning. Don't get this one on your clothing - though I sprayed on my forearm, it had permeated T-shirt and sweater so much that they need washed if I don't want to smell of TLT for ever. It's strong, but after a while it gets tiresome to my nose, and in that respect I find it hard to wear. OK in small doses for a short while. One spray was more than enough.

This, is just incredible. Animalic start for the first few minutes, but my goodness, the interplay between raw and sweet is perfect. Strong leather tones with beautifully soft sweet notes and dance for attention throughout. Sublime, and utterly addictive