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spartak301 – :
Very unique! This was a recent acquisition and I’m not disappointed. Floral, sweet, spicy and rich and just hard to describe. To be honest, it doesn’t smell like anything I’ve smelled before. As I was reading the reviews, I have to agree with Cynicalwish when she says it’s like “pouring liquor on a sugar cube and red velvet”. It’s boozy, even though there’s no liquor in the notes. I do see some comparison with Queen Latifah, though this one isn’t as spicy as QL, nor do I smell any powdery notes in the dry down like I do in QL.
I think if red velvet had a smell, this would be it. The notes mesh very well together so there’s no sharpness whatsoever. I do apologize for not describing this scent very well, but I just can’t. It’s something that you’d have to sniff to understand what I’m talking about. It’s just so unusual! I haven’t given it a proper wearing yet to comment on longevity and sillage, so I’ll have to come back and edit. As for seasons, definitley late fall and winter, and possibly on cooler spring days. Another great perfume from L’erbolario!
annzarra – :
Red, hot, velvety, rounded, sweet, fruity, liqueur-ish. This is what comes to my mind when smelling this perfume. It is a strange perfume, a very original one.
At the beginning, I clearly smell peach and other fruity notes, very sweet and liqueur-like. With time, it evolves in something more powdery-sweet (vanilla and musk). I can smell jasmin, poppy and artemisia, not much rose though. Patchouli and amber are there, but in the background. The vanilla-musk combo is sweet in a powdered-sugar-marshmallow kind of way – that is why it kind of reminds me of D&G Pour Femme, but this is better imo, much more complex and deep.
It might be too sweet for summer, but it can be worn in cool spring days.
Sidenote: if a good witch wore perfume, this would be it. It reminds me of Melisandre from Game of Thrones! Perfect color too… It smells magical in a way, I know that it sounds stupid, but really, this is not the typical scent you find around 🙂
Microptic – :
I buy it about 4 years ago with the body lotion (that is great so luxurious) it’s sweet a bit dark sensual, super femenin, I remember it last 3 to 4 hrs in my skin ( my skin eat fragrances). For me it’s not for summer days.
It was a discovery. Erbolario has great fragrances.
Love ❤️
freeraid2010 – :
Sweet, sensual and a bit dark perfume based on sweet poppy seeds and some flowers.Rose,jasmine or lilac are put in the background rather than to play main role.Opening is creamy,intriguing and doesn`t smell like anything known in perfumes.I can remember sweet poppy cake made for Christmas in my country- it`s similar to a scent of baking it.All the sweetness, coming from poppy seeds and vanilla is broken with a hint of patchouli.We have some powderiness in the heart created by ylang-ylang not heliotrope as it often happens.It it also `responsible for Papavero`s `vintage vibe.Composition is framed in ambery and musky tones, very subtle though. Very feminine, on a good side and well made as ingredients split with each other, join another one and eventually re-split. I would suggest it for a woman who is not decided to wear gourmand perfumes but doesn`t like flowers or fruits.It`s also deep and mysterious enough to wear with a red dress and the same nails in an evening party.
artem32r – :
“Life has always poppies in her hands”
Lord Henry, The Picture of Dorian Gray
Ah, yes, the poppy. Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy, has been used for its painkilling and euphoriant properties for millennia and even today, we still use many narcotic painkillers that either are contained in the poppy or are based on compounds derived from it. Opium has inspired poets, musicians and artists and also been the cause of much grief historically due to its addictive nature. These days, “opioids” (opium-likes) are leading prescription drugs of abuse.
I have always found poppies very joyful with their bright red petals. This fragrance sparks the same joy in me. Uplifting and very unique. I cannot tell the notes apart at all, but what I do know is that I love it.
nwp789 – :
What a gorgeous little treasure this is!
My skin seems to do very well with white florals and this is no exception. It smells delicious and warm like drizzled honey onto the skin. It’s almost got a fruit jam scent and if velvet had a perfume, this would be it. I love this perfume and will keep it in my rotation for years to come! For me, this is a springtime scent.
old_hurricane – :
I didn’t know there were colognes for gay men and that these are different from the colognes for straight men. Is there a special label on them?
Sorry, this is not a review of the perfume but the one below is not one either.
roosetiedge – :
Papavero can definitely do for men also…gay men that is..
It’s heavy and on the sweet side BUT after an hour or so, it starts to smell like a sweet gay man’s cologne..
ryba03 – :
I love this perfume! the best of all Erbolario series, it’s so unique and conforting, very long lasting and intense <3 perfect for the winter season
Dron.cor89 – :
This is too beautiul to be true <3
Reminds me of a sweet cake with poppy seeds and honey, and the sandalwood makes it so complete, I adore it!
banzaj666 – :
i just found it in a small permumerie shop that had the erbolario range.
it reminds me of hermes rouge delicate, with a herbal twist.
it is unique, and as all of erbolario perfumes, has a vintage vibe and a close to nature, feeling.
almost like a skin scent but prominent and longlasting.
i got the body cream and the soap too.
layering all of them, feels heavenly.
i love it.
Deroxpgqke – :
i dont know about the perfume,but the body cream is very long lasting
fuffCYcle – :
Scrivo in Italiano tanto difficilmente gli altri avranno modo di verificare: questo profumo è quasi identico a Patchouli Flower di Deborah, lanciato un paio di anni fa, che io amo, e che costa 13 euro per 100 ml; solo che quello della Deborah è molto più intenso. Peccato che rumors dicono che la Deborah voglia già metterl fuori produzione e lanciare una linea nuova. Se avete ancora modo di trovarlo e Papavero vi piace, acquistatelo perchè non ve ne pentirete (tra l’ altro costa la metà). Entrambi meravigliosi, forse questo dell’ Erbolario è più delicato e dolce, ma la somiglianza è inconfondibile.
olegrad – :
I bought this in Florence three years ago. Loved it then, love it even more now. I have no idea what poppies smell like (do they really have a fragrance?), so I can’t decide where that note comes in. For me, it is rather sweet at first, with jasmine and deep fruit. Then, a few minutes later the sweetness becomes more woody, with a some peppery smoke. A tiny hint of green and bitter, but those are fleeting on me. So, it’s not an ordinary sweet and heady floral, it’s much more complex than that. Many reviews say that the notes are difficult to separate out and I completely agree.
Cynicalwish used the term red velvet, a great description, because the notes blend so well that there are no sharp edges, nothing shouts. It’s a plush whole.
din_kisa – :
Yosa already wrote down my thoughts. I was very curious about Papavero, but it turned out way too sweet for my taste. Nevertheless, I think it is a really interesting and unique fragrance, which stands out from the crowd. If you love sweet perfumes, you should give it a try!
Sidenote: Ibisco is heavenly for autumn/winter, went on my want list immediately.
ramzes1989 – :
‘What do red poppies smell like’ was my first thought when I saw this perfume. I couldn’t test it until the next time though, and wow, did it surprise me?
I don’t associate red poppies with anything sweet, but Papavero Soave smells VERY SWEET. It’s also rather powerful, and it’s hard to pinpoint all those individual notes in it.
It’s something different, something very special. An enigmatic symphony of (floral) sweetness!
I could smell it for hours and hours on my skin – great longevity! And like all L’Erbolario perfumes, it’s not spoiled with price or too many nasty chemicals.
(If you try it and find it too sweet, then try the same brand’s Ibisco!)
valerik.75 – :
I would label this scent as floral fruity gourmand. I mainly get delicious plum jam, preserved peach/apricot and jasmine.
The fruitiness in Papavero is not the standard generic stuff, but has a real nice liquer quality. There is also spiciness that reminds me of heady poppies. In the drydown there is lots of sugary vanilla and amber.
Very comforting and edible, a true feast. Beautifully composed as well, and to be taken seriously. Something about it reminds me of the original Mauboussin, but I have to say I much prefer Papavero Soave.
Well done, L’erbolario!
Exhichhixlits – :
I really, really like this, though I feel that it’s “not me.” I imagine a tall, beautiful, graceful redhead, dancing in a red dress and heels, lightly wafting her intoxicating fragrance as she weaves nearer… then leaving her would-be partners bereft as she dances on. It’s a scent you want to follow and inhale, and that music that’s playing is not chill-out electronica; it’s a sexy hot beat.
To me, this isn’t a scent that sits on top of your skin carrying on its own affairs regardless of the wearer — it definitely melds with your own body heat and skin scent once it has settled down a bit. It’s bold but not overbearing, full-bodied, warm, sweet, lush, confident, seductive, and probably a little dangerous.
It’s not me, but I wish whoever is wearing it would come sit by me.
alexkochetov74 – :
Upon the initial spray, Papavero Soave exudes a boozy chocolate and sugar scent with a herbaceous undertone. When I saw the notes listed on Fragrantica and the sample pack, I would never have thought that it smells like this. There is indeed a little jasmine mixed within but overall I wouldn’t say it’s a very floral scent. Papavero Soave doesn’t evolve much on my skin. When it’s more tamed down after about 4 hours, it smells like a concoction of amber, vanilla and patchouli, with a smoky touch.
The sillage is moderate and the longevity is at least 8 hours. I find the notes listed quite deceiving. It’s more like an oriental fragrance to my nose, and a very good one! It’s sweet, and there is a slight gourmand touch. However, it’s nothing superficial. Instead, it’s rich, opulent, at the same time quite affordable. I’d recommend it to those who like oriental with a little gourmand/liquor touch.
ferz78 – :
first impression, sweet, burnt sugar, jammy without a well determined fruit (honey, no, more like mead…)
Then it goes floral and slightly spicy/oriental.
I have the roll/on version, and I like it as it is very discreet.
I don’t like perfumes with too big a sillage, as I dislike sitting next to people with a perfume I don’t like, and it is the vast majority of perfumes, unfortunately, so I assume the rest of the population does the same. And I travel a lot by train…so I know how it feels.
petra cotes – :
It is not similar to any perfume I know. Overly sweet, very-very red, deep fragrance. I thought it would be more soapy but it’s not a clean soap, but a strong, flowery one. Well, it’s just like hot sugar syrup made for jams with the touch of red fruits, but it’s not the typical girly-fruity line, as the flowers balance them.
Occasionaly I feel it too much, but I can’t resist it, there is an addictive effect.
Not a light summer frag, also suitable for winters.
abalayday – :
I’ve smelled it on paper, and it’s a beautiful sweet scent. Not overly sweet, comforting and very feminine.
uzurpator – :
My premise is that I love it, and I wear it daily. But I cannot distinguish different component, is like a creamy flower-spiced scent, well whipped toghether.
ovh334Diobtetty – :
Tonight I attended a friends open house, all in – at her lovely little pedicure salon.
As a model in Italy, she learned to know and love a lot of the Italian, fashion, as to handbags, scarfs and –
L’erbolario ! She ones taught me that muschio was not musk but moss and just back from Rome ,she showed all her new stuff. I am now craving for this soave in its little cute red box. I want the whole serie, but the perfume will do…. ; ) lovely poppy, jasmine,patchoulie, roses and sandal, what a creamy instant love. Like a warm embrace this wet and chilly fall…
Tonight I bought myself a beautiful scarf and whats rest of my new perfume encounter still is to be sniffed on my arm…..
Do I need it – no .
Do I need it – YES ! ! !
Thanks Maria for the nice get together !
Extitlefees – :
This one just isn’t my cup of tea. It’s too sweet and the only note that I can smell after I spray it on my skin is vanilla. And that is not a good thing because I don’t like the scent of vanilla.
sedoi – :
Happy to add this amazing perfume to my collection. It’s rich, sweet, sexy, feminine and very italian to me 😉 In the best meaning of those words 😉
And the red box it comes with is just pretty!! Thanks, l’Erbolario. I was waiting for a long time for a perfume like Papavero. Not to mention that i LOVE poppy’s.. Beauty!
Koma017 – :
I wrote an email to L’Erbolario asking for the detailed olfactory pyramid of Papavero Soave. They answered me very kindly and quickly. Here it is.
TOP NOTES: Peach pulp, Red Mandarin pulp, Prunella
MIDDLE NOTES: Rose petals, Indian Davana, Lily of the Valley, Ylang Ylang, Lilac, Neroli, Jasmine, Poppy petals
BASE NOTES: Sandalwood, Musks, Amber, Vanilla, Patchouli
That’s why I find some similarities between Papavero Soave and J’Adore (2011): I find Papavero Soave more interesting and complex, with a liquorous note that in J’Adore is missing.
J’Adore is a bit more mild and soapy, Papavero Soave has a smoky accord that makes it more intriguing (IMO).
UPDATE: Now Papavero Soave is my absolute favorite perfume! If I put the perfume on “Papavero Soave body cream”, its sillage is incredibly loud, and it lasts all the day…
I’m definitely in love with it, and with every single note of it: from the sparkle of mandarin and peach to the deep sensuality of amber and musks, Papavero Soave has literally hooked my senses!!
valtornist77 – :
After having tried it some weeks ago, at last I bought Papavero Soave and… wow!
A very interesting and sexy combination of fruity and smoky accords that I never smelled in any other perfume before!
As just said, it’s hard to describe this scent, but every time I’m smelling Papavero Soave, it reminds me something delicious that belongs to my best memories… and then I realized: every years, on June, my mother prepares a simple dessert made of strawberries dipped in Porto (a delicious spanish red wine) and sugar, and it does stand in the refrigerator some hours before serving it. Then the strawberries have become liquorous, and the wine is more and more dense and aromatic: it’s a real treat to eat and drink.
Papavero Soave has the same beautiful scent, with the addition of floral and smoky accords and a warm, sensual base that make it very classy and charming!
This is another good surprise from L’Erbolario, which recently is starting to make very good perfumes, more original and interesting than the earliest ones…
Papavero Soave is so lovely, I think it’s going to be my springtime signature scent!
andreydor – :
i simply adore & love this perfume. this perfume somewhat reminds me of burberry brit for men. one note that i am crazy about this perfume is the sarsaparilla (sarsi)-like.. plumy-liqourish. I am a male & this scent last long… very long.. fantastic creation & value buy! must have for all!
Оblivion – :
Thanks Cynical !
Looking at then notes, I would never have guessed this one could have this “sweet-caramel-honey-vanilla-sugar” note.
I’m CRAVING for this note, so … ^^
Plus, perfumes need to have both strong sillage and great longevity according to me (otherwise, they are not really worth it).
alex_buric – :
I know that tastes about perfume are very personal, but this one is really worth a try, has a good sillage, very good longevity (8hrs on me!! which is a miracle) and it’s cheap. I’m struggling not to buy it!
прапор – :
Cynicalwish, your review makes me want to test this fragrance !! ^^
AlexMhn11 – :
I tried it today in a store. I have to be honest, I find difficult to describe it or discern the notes.
What comes to my mind is pouring liquour on a sugar cube and red velvet (I find the packaging incredibly fitting).
It’s sweet, warm and aromatic at the same time. It’s not “sticky” sweet like caramel, honey or vanilla can be, but a sweetness that I’d rather associate with sugar, almost powdery.
I wish I was better at describing it because I really liked it a lot!