Laura Biagotti Laura: fragrance review

Laura Biagiotti's iconic Laura, with its aqueous character, has been so characteristic of its era that 30 years later it still springs forth in our minds as a 1990s staple, alongside L’Eau d’Issey (1992), L’Eau Par Kenzo (1996), Aqua di Gio (1996), Escape For Men (1993),and Eden by Cacharel (Indeed, I recently wrote a dedicated fragrance review & homage to Cacharel's Eden).

Perfumer Anne Flipo's composition from 1994 for Laura became an essential accessory for women, enveloping her like a gentle scarf without overwhelming her personality. Operative words: not overwhelming. You have to see a woman's eyes before you smell her perfume, so went the old piece of advice on fragrance-wearing etiquette. The so-called olfactory bouquet in Laura is delicate and fruity above all, with a gentle hug and a kiss on the cheek provided by the synergy of the 1990s trademark Calone note, giving it melon-like tonalities and peachy lactones coupled with fruit accords like litchi. The inclusion of litchi fruit (or lychee, as it's also spelled) was novel at the time. The scent profile of litchi is close to that of a very juicy grape, with a mild flavor that is aqueous, delicately rosy, and temperately sweet. The likening with some Gewürztraminer variety wines comes as no surprise: the lychee-rosy aroma is common thanks to the magic of the cis-rose oxide, a common thread in all three subjects—flowers, fruit, and wine. Ethereal, doe-eyed, and tender are also words that come to mind when I think of Laura by Laura Biagiotti. It's aqueous and watery, to be sure, and the effect of Calone contributes to that. But it's a calm lake rather than a vast, tempestuous sea.