Adrienne Vittadini
Adrienne Vittadini (1999)

I picked this up quite a few years ago, at a discount store (TJ Maxx I believe). I put it away and forgot about it for awhile but broke it a year or so ago. Sprayed it on and really enjoyed wearing it. My wife loveswhen I wear it and we were both surprised to find out it was originally marketed as a women's fragrance. Hard to find now, but I have about 1/2 of the bottle left and it sits in the "vintage" section of my wardrobe next to Fendi Uomo.

Crisp, fresh citrus, especially lemon. Very simple. It might have something green and herbal, not much going on. Easily a unisex fragrance.

This, in my opinion, is one of the best women's perfumes ever made. It VERY oddly resembles Paloma Picasso's male fragrance Minotaure. In fact, both fragrances share many of the same notes (coincidence?) but Vittadini is stronger being an EDP. It can be worn with great success by women young and old. It is amazingly noticeable without being offensive, and it's scent transcends the age gap. The best thing of all is that it's rather uncommon if you like to be unique. I bought it for both my mother and girlfriend and they both love it, as well as I. I think you will, too. : )

The two things most difficult to understand about this fragrance are (1) why it was labeled 'feminine' when it has so much in common with any number of men's fragrances, and (2) and why is it so inexpensive? The discount stores are practically giving it away right now! Adrienne Vittadini is a quality modern oriental with fresh, floral, and herbal notes. It is complex, refined, and has good staying power... and it comes in an unusually attractive and stylish bottle. Truly, it is another one of those fragrances that probably should have been labeled 'unisex' so that it could reach it's true market potential. This one is for grown-ups, and my suggestion is to buy it and try it. Although the fragrance is perfectly fine on its own, it clearly has potential for some adventurous 'tweaking' by dabbling it with other fragrances. Depending on your whim or mood, Adrienne Vittadini could easily be pushed towards more decisively musk, or floral, or oriental or whatever you want.. but the end result will be far more complex, delicious and uniquely yours! Thumbs up for high quality, good fragrance, and great looks.

It's such an interestingly layered scent, and like feotidus says below, it's difficult to categorise. So the best way to describe it is warm, citrus, mossy and soapy. I have received compliments from women, but not from men. Mind you, I don't often get compliments from men about my perfume. I think most of them don't notice or don't care what it is, it just smells "nice". My brothers notice and usually ask. Perhaps the skill runs in the family? Anyway, back to the perfume in question. I give it a thumbs up for its uniqueness because the only thing that comes close in having similar traits is Dolce & Gabbana.

Hmmm… I hardly know what to make of this. Is it watered down Oriental? Or perhaps powdery aquatic? Whatever it is, it is some sort of an in-between something. But it's a very nice in-between something. It has flowers but it isn't floral. There's a definite amber in there but I wouldn't call it an amber fragrance. It's sweet and goes a bit in the direction of an Oriental, but it doesn't seem as sweet or as substantial to merit the Oriental label. It's feminine, friendly, and fine: It's a scent that, if you like it, you would find it hard to misuse, and probably no one would object to it. I started out thinking that Adrienne Vittadini is a neutral, but, through testing, I have come to value its subtle powdery, sort-of-sweet ambiance and its transparent, soft, feminine drydown. This fragrance has its place.