Francesca Bianchi Under My Skin Perfume Review + The Loves of Casanova  Draw

Perfumer Francesca Bianchi via Instagram

I was delighted when an envelope bearing Francesca Bianchi’s line of perfumes arrived upon my doorstep. I’d long wished to smell them; not being a newbie to fragrance, I learned long ago to trust my own nose rather than to go by hearsay. Francesca  Bianchi Under My Skin was released last November and many Europeans are familiar with its charms: one may now add me to the list of converts and devotees.

Lasse Hallstrom’s Casanova Natalie Dormer as Victoria Donato in Casanova 2005

Francesca Bianchi reveals her vision of the mysteries of human communion utilizing soft-pedaled animalic materials as an olfactory springboard of sorts. They underline the tapestry of Old World beauties harnessed to smoldering effect, sparing no expense in the process. All our beloveds are in attendance: Bulgarian rose, orris butter, Mysore sandalwood, ambergris, carnation, costus, castoreum, spices and balsams aplenty. Moss and musks adorn its floralcy, lavender displays many facets – spicy, floral, herbaceous. Leather invoked is an opera-length kid glove buttoned discreetly up the entire arm, suave and elegant. One mustn’t rush things; it spoils the pleasure…

Frederico Fellini  Le Casanova starring Donald Sutherland 1976

Hush, hush; softly, softly. Francesca Bianchi Under My Skin may be a floral animalic perfume, but it is acutely intimate, intended as aromatic emanation, not decimation. We are not storming the castle here – we enter stealthily on tiptoe under cloak of darkness, tentatively treading the winding staircase lest we be unmasked. It is the human animal we seek, perhaps not so much prey as willing erotic playmate. In this wise the perfume feels more like Giacomo Girolamo Casanova than Don Giovanni to me: intelligent seduction by mutual consent, charismatic versus crass, suggestion in lieu of outright olfactory bludgeoning. 

Cassanova Variations 2015 starring John Malkevich

In the boudoir all is permissible if agreed upon; part of the delectation lies in the illicit. Francesca Bianchi Under My Skin is nothing if not that sotto voce beckoning. Its subtlety is among its many virtues; I weary of bellowing fragrances which attempt to drown out one another on the mouillette, in the same room, on an elevator. I certainly needn’t bellow in the bedroom (perfume-wise, of course!).

The Loves of Casanova 1927 directed by Alexander Volkov

Francesca Bianchi Under My Skin is one of the loveliest perfumes I’ve smelt of late. Is that a flaw? An old Jewish aphorism remarks wryly that “a fault-finder even complains that the bride is too beautiful”. This perfume is that beautiful bride; I have no desire to question the wisdom or the timelessness of it. There will always be a welcome place for perfumes which are seductively chic, refined and tantalizing; Francesca Bianchi Under My Skin falls squarely into that space. Carnal comfort is a great joy. Notes:grapefruit, lavender, black pepper, spices, Bulgarian rose, carnation, iris butter, musk, castoreum, ambergris, leather accord, costus, tonka bean, tolu balsam, peru balsam, sandal Mysore, vanilla, tree moss.

Sample kindly provided by Francesca Bianchi. My nose is my own…

Ida Meister, Senior Editor

~ Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

Please follow us on Instagram @francesca_w, @idameister and @cafleurebon

Francesca Bianchi Under My Skin apped by MC

Thanks to the generosity of Francesca Bianchi, we are offering a 30 ml bottle of Francesca Bianchi  Under My Skin to one registered reader worldwide (be sure to register or your comment will not be counted). To be eligible, tell us what appeals to you about Francesca Bianchi Under My Skin based on Ida's review and where you live. Draw closes 2/2/2018

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like ÇaFleureBon and use our RSS blog feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

52 − 42 =

45 comments

  • I enjoyed this review!! Thank you, Ida!
    Especially I like this phrase: ” like Giacomo Girolamo Casanova …. intelligent seduction by mutual consent, charismatic versus crass, suggestion in lieu of outright olfactory bludgeoning”.
    i like animalic perfumes, even more thay are soft animalic. This perfume sounds very interesting.
    But I have doubt about sillage of this perfume.
    from Armenia

  • As much as Ida gets her nose on, if she says it’s one of the loveliest, then that puts it on my list! I love old world, sensual and also animalic, so this is a must try for me. Thank you to Cafleurebon and Francesca for the generous giveaway.

  • Malka Gittel bas Reuven says:

    I’m in the US. I am very fond of animalic, balsamic, and amber scents; Ida’s very description makes me want to bundle a bottle of this up in s clutch of Russian furs to bear it home.

    I like Ida’s reference to The Loves of Casanova, but I think there might be just as much a dash of Les Liaisons… in this. It’s an intriguing question for an intriguing scent.

  • Lovely review! You got me with: “All our beloveds are in attendance”. I love animalic perfumes. I live in the US.

  • BethMongold says:

    Oh Francesca’s fragrances are some of my favorites. I wear Dark Side and Angel’s Dust regularly. I also love a perfume that does not bellow, but emanates…and a too beautiful perfume is just fine with me. Thank you for the opportunity to try her newest creation! I live on Colorado USA.

  • fazalcheema says:

    Ida seems quite impressed by this floral leather creation Under My Skin. She says it is timelessly beautiful and she understands why it became so popular in Europe before making way to America. It is comfort scent and versatile. Thanks for the draw. I am in US

  • I will always make room for any perfume Ida calls seductively chic, refined and tantalizing.

    I have not had the pleasure if experiencing any Francesca Bianchi scents, and appreciate the possibility of doing so.

  • Looking at the enumerated notes and that it’s a floral animalic perfume, I can only hope that I’d be able to try it on my skin because it sounds lovely. I live in Europe.

  • Great review Ida. This perfume got a lot of hype on the facebook groups and that makes me really curious about it. The name of this perfume is really beautiful and so are the notes listed. I have never tried anything from Francesca Bianchi so this would be a great oportunity 🙂 I live in the EU, thanks for the draw.

  • I thought Under My Skin was also a song, so I looked it up. It was Frank Sinatra. (I thought the “crooners” were boring. It was rock and roll all the way.) But back to perfume. This one sounds like it could be a strong like or love. I like the idea of some subtlety and some sensuality. I did get a laugh with Ida’s line, “bellow in the bedroom”. Her Jewish aphorism is too true. This is a fun post about an interesting perfume. Thank you. Live in the USA.

  • This sounds so lovely – seductive yet understated. Self-seduction comes to mind based on the review. I don’t know this line but the notes are really comforting to imagine in this weather. I live in the US.

  • What a great review! A beautiful animalic sounds compelling compared to the “dirtier” offerings available.

  • sounds lovely, always interested in something intimate and close to the skin, thank you for the draw! In the US….

  • Fabulous review Ida! This was my favorite part.

    Francesca Bianchi Under My Skin is one of the loveliest perfumes I’ve smelt of late. Is that a flaw? An old Jewish aphorism remarks wryly that “a fault-finder even complains that the bride is too beautiful”. This perfume is that beautiful bride; I have no desire to question the wisdom or the timelessness of it. There will always be a welcome place for perfumes which are seductively chic, refined and tantalizing; Francesca Bianchi Under My Skin falls squarely into that space. Carnal comfort is a great joy. Notes:grapefruit, lavender, black pepper, spices, Bulgarian rose, carnation, iris butter, musk, castoreum, ambergris, leather accord, costus, tonka bean, tolu balsam, peru balsam, sandal Mysore, vanilla, tree moss.
    I’ve smelled this and it’s absolutely Bewitching. I live in the U.S.
    Thanks for the generous giveaway.

  • So complex scent. The list of ingredients remands me the great scents of the eighty’s. I’m very curious how it smells, especially that it is declared as unisex, but looking on the notes list, I would say that it is a strong man’s scent. I live in Poland.

  • Elizabeth T. says:

    Wow, the ingredients alone sound magnificent. And Ida brings such light to the perfume! I am not a newbie to perfume, but hadn’t heard of the Francesca Bianchi line. It sounds so rich. Thank you for the beautiful review and the generous draw. I’m in the USA.

  • I like lovely scents, and Ida described it as “loveliest of late.” I enjoy animalic notes; they give fragrances such smoothness. I live on the Central Coast of California.

  • Floral animalic but hush hush. Interesting. This perfume sounds soft yet intrusive in a very intimate way. I cannot say I have ever tried a floral animalic fragrance. I love Francesca’s Angels Dust. I would love to try this one for sure. Cold Wisconsin USA here. Thank you for the opportunity.

  • Richard potter says:

    Ida’s reviews always slay me. This one is no exception. I love all three of Francesca’s earlier works, especially Sex And The Sea and Angel’s dust. Under My Skin sounds even more captivating. I would love to win this. Is it available for sale in The States yet?

  • Oh, I loved the initial trio of Francesca Bianchi perfumes!
    I think I’m gonna love this one, too, and its “soflty animalic” quality.

    I live in Italy.
    Thanks for the draw!

  • Danu Seith-Fyr says:

    Always drawn to those scents that are Animalic at their core, Bravo this scent is strident in its carnality yet hidden discreetly under voluminous veils. I adore its secret chambers and hidden heart.
    Ida, once again sublime, thank you

  • I can’t tell you how long I’ve been wanting to try this – after Pep did such a great review on it. It sounds so sexy and I love the idea of a fragrance being subtle but compelling.
    I hope I win!

    I am in Melbourne, Australia

  • Ida is one of the best perfume writers ever, I am already in love with this perfume before even testing it!”sotto voce beckoning”?genius!
    I live in the UK.
    Thank you for this draw!

  • Under My Skin is at the very top of my to try/buy list. That was a beautiful review Ida, you definitely captured an intimate, tender essence that I’m expecting from the fragrance, with an understated animalic tension. And carnal comfort is indeed a great joy haha.

    Thanks for an amazing giveaway, and I’m in Sydney, Australia.

  • The base of the review Under My Skin sounds really interesting and unique. Thanks for the draw. I live in the EU.

  • That’s a wonderful review that makes more curious to try “Under my skin” I like the Jewish aphorism and would love to smell this beautiful bride! I’m in the EU. Thanks for the draw.

  • Wow! What a great review! This one is getting a lot of fans and lots of great reviews , now we have one more to make it even more interesting.
    spicy, floral, herbaceous. What’s not to love there?
    I hope i can win this one.
    I live in the US

  • Tom Schroeder says:

    The whole notion of a fragrance that seems to emanate from inside and be expressed through the skin is great. I like the idea of a fragrance that builds upon sandalwood, musk, leather, and orris root, then adds florals to discreetly adorn and seduce the wearer and with luck, the object of one’s affection. Another romantic portrait painted by Ida. I hope to sample Francesca Bianchi Under My Skin soon. — San Jose, California, USA

  • This fragrance sounds so interesting. It sound like it starts off uplifting and fresh but that drydown sound so earthy and sensual. Love the review.
    I live in the US.

  • doveskylark says:

    “Carnal comfort is a great joy.” Yes, it most certainly is. I just love fragrances that veer towards the illicit, the animalic. It’s the best part of human nature. I would love to try this one on a night out.
    I live in the USA.

  • The review has made me want to try Under My Skin, and that doesn’t happen too often! I’m particularly interested in seeing for myself the harmony between the leather note and tolu and peru balsams: I’m very fond of these notes but haven’t smelled them together.

    I live in Russia.

  • Lynn Sylvaine says:

    I bought Angel’s dust based on your review last year and now will have to hunt for under my skin
    I loved the entire hush hush feel of intimate perfume and the scenes from Casanova were amazing
    US

  • Beautiful words to match a seductive scent. I love animalic fragrances in all their many guises but it is often harder to find one that whispers rather than shouts. I’m in the US, thank you for the draw.

  • QuietlyWaiting says:

    You had me at “smoldering” 😉 Seriously, it sounds incredible. The softness, the pretty florals paired with leather and more animal nuances. And vanilla in the base tends to work well for me. I’d love to try this one! Thanks for the draw! (I’m in the US).

  • Ida’s reviews wax lyrical in so many ways. The interweaving of story with beautiful stills of various movies underscores the beauty fo this fragrances. I’ve never tried any of these fragrances, but thids certainly sounds like it should be the first. Thank you for the draw. I live in the USA

  • What I really loved in Ida’s review is the part where it mentions the following:
    ¨Hush, hush; softly, softly. Francesca Bianchi Under My Skin may be a floral animalic perfume, but it is acutely intimate, intended as aromatic emanation, not decimation. We are not storming the castle here – we enter stealthily on tiptoe under cloak of darkness, tentatively treading the winding staircase………….. like Giacomo Girolamo Casanova than Don Giovanni to me: intelligent seduction by mutual consent, charismatic versus crass, suggestion in lieu of outright olfactory bludgeoning.¨
    A truly beautiful perfume! Thank you Ida for the lovely review and draw!
    I live in EU.

  • Sleepylizard says:

    Intelligent seduction by mutal consent… I love that line!
    Subtle, Sexy and compelling – yes please!
    Thank you
    Australia

  • “Intelligent seduction by mutual consent”: Perfect turn of phrase! And I love an understated fragrance these days — I admire the blockbusters, but there’s something truly seductive that causes people to lean in. I live in the U.S. and thank you, Ida, for another terrific, evocative review.

  • I love animalic and carnal perfumes and Under My Skin has an explicit name, something I would like to try.Thank you for this interesting review!
    EU

  • It’s lovely to witness such enthusiasm!!!
    So glad you are enjoying. Michelyn’s choice of stills is mesmerizing (I’ve seen each of those films <3) and really enhances what is such a wearably beautiful fragrance.
    Many thanks to you all for joining us and Francesca for the generous draw!

  • My favorite part of Ida’s review is:”In this wise the perfume feels more like Giacomo Girolamo Casanova than Don Giovanni to me”
    It’s a perfect comparison for describing seduction by mutual consent.
    This perfume captured my attention when I read Francesca Bianchi’s note about Under My Skin: ” The scent emanates from skin, rather than being sprayed from outside.” It’s a great concept and would love to try it.
    I’m from the EU. Thanks for the draw.

  • A perfect review. If Ida states that it’s one of the loveliest perfumes she has smelt of late, then it must be amazing. I love leather, orris and tolu balsam in my perfumes and Under My Skin seems incredible.
    Thank you for the wonderful review and the draw. Looking forward to try the rest of the perfumes from Francesca Bianchi.
    I’m from the EU.

  • I’m drawn to Under My Skin because Ida has conjured up a picture of a subtle alluring perfume, my favorite kind. I’m in the UK.