Tiempe Passate
Antonia's Flowers (1999)

An energetic little number that creates a clean musky haze – one could easily slap it into an aftershave bottle and market it as such.
The main theme is an abstract floral laid onto a salty, stripped wood base. It's executed with a light, airy touch. The ambery depths with their hint of rich sweetness and spice are kept well in the background – one gets little glimpses now and then but they don't well up.
So, what's not to like? For one, its sheer casualness which suggests a ten buck refreshing thing picked up on a whim at the drugstore. Second, the quality of the ingredients used don't do enough to dispel that impression. It would be a good thing at aftershave or cologne prices, but it doesn't live up to the billing of the brand.

It would seem that something about my skin om-nom-noms this fragrance. It does a vanishing act on me. I really enjoyed the ten seconds or so that I had after the unusually harsh opening. It smelled like a delicious unisex woody-floral. I was looking forward to the rest of it. And then...it vanished, leaving behind only the faintest hint of soap. And not even expensive soap, at that. It smelled, in fact, almost exactly like a bar of Dove.

Nor was it just my nose. Two of my friends and my spouse, when called upon to sniff my arm, all independently did the same thing: they took a sniff and immediately said "Dove soap!"

Definitely try this one before you buy. If it works on your skin, I can imagine it being soooo wonderful and delicious. But you might be like me, in which case a bar of Dove from the supermarket would be far less expensive.

Unlike Portrait of a Lady by Malle this is not a full blown rose scent, it's more of an exercise in producing an accord of woods, herbs and amber. There is a skein of rose that overlays the scent, but it isn't the main player. The longevity is very good on me and I'm sure some musk has been used in the base. Regarding gender categorisation, it does open on a spritzy feminine tip, but the drydown is easily unisex verging on the masculine. It's quite expensive but ultimately worth it. Some beauty and class here.

This is a simple, pleasant fragrance from a niche perfumer who enjoys great popularity in New York. The rose is barely distinguishable; the top notes are fleeting. It is a safe choice for the office or humid summer months. Because of the old-fashioned name, this perfume reminds me of when Al Pacino was married for a minute in Godfather II to Appolonia. Though Antonia Ballenca had her grandparents in mind when she created this, it is more the scent of a summer fling... a chaste one.

I ordered the sample pack from the website, ran through all the viles and picked this one to try first. The amber is noticable immediately, and along wiht the citrus twist make this very 'nose' catching. I find that a green opening, especially from bergamot, provides an instant lift in mood. This scent makes you just want to smile, it's very refreshing. I associate it a little bit with Yves Rocher's Voile d'ambre (which has no amber at all, I know). The citrus theme is reminiscent (a little bit) of Guerlain's philtre d'amour. My one complaint, and it's a biggie, is that this is an EDP that is way too fleeting. Perhaps it is my skin chemistry, but this wears really light on me

A beautiful, very understated, classy fragrance that stays close to the skin. This ticks all my boxes; warmth and sensuality together with a slightly masculine edge; yet still very feminine. You know sometimes your fragrance smells better the next morning when that blend of fragrance /skin has worked its magic? With Tiempe Passate, its there straight away - it smells like you've been wearing it overnight which is exactly what Antonia Ballenca wanted. The lingering bergamot and rose remind me of a day on a meditarranean beach in the baking sun with the taste of the salty sea still in my hair and on my skin.....