You can never please everyone in life. That's neither good nor bad, it's just the way it is. Because each of us (fortunately, otherwise there would only be one kind of person, what an idea!) has their own preferences, their own ideas, their own goals.
How often have I read here (and also written myself) that a fragrance has a moderate longevity, but even more often a rather weak sillage. If you're looking for a real howler in this respect, well, boys and girls, here you go: BOCCANERA. A fragrance you will never forget. If only because you can hardly get rid of it :-)) This is exactly what some of the previous speakers have criticized the fragrance for. Too strong, too long-lasting. Well, as I said above, you can never please everyone.
But back to square one. The sample I received comes in the form of a bubble, which has to be broken open at the top, nice to look at, but in the smallest way hinting at what is hidden inside. The handling is, to put it mildly, semi-optimal, because when I bend the predetermined breaking point of the bubble backwards, a good portion of the contents spills out onto my desk and over my fingers. I take some speed to clean up the mess and disinfect my hands with the antivirus liquid that is standing around. Nevertheless, the "damage" is done, because after (the really clinically pungent smelling) disinfectant has dried, my fingers smell exactly the same as before. The Tempo is soaked with Boccanera and begins to relentlessly perfume my office. I leave my office and wash my hands. When I come back, the scent bomb has already taken hold and my office has mutated into a single temple of fragrance. I can hardly believe it and dispose of the soaked Tempo at a safe distance. Back in the office, the scent continues to linger in my nose, but why? I sniff my fingers and realize that a second and maybe even a third wash cycle would be necessary to remove it. Holy shit, this stuff has endless oomph and a durability I've never experienced before. So let it "stick" for now and look forward to the further development.
What kind of fragrance is Boccanera? My first association was somewhat in the direction of Intoxicated by Kilian, which offers a similar performance but is sweeter overall. Both have a darkness in common that is second to none.
Boccanera gets off to a tremendous start, I can't say it any other way, this thing almost knocks me out of my chair. I have the feeling that everything that has been packed into this fragrance literally bursts out again in the opening and buries me under an avalanche. I hear coffee, chocolate, pepper, cinnamon, resin, wood. Everything dark, very, very dark.
After half an hour, the brute force of the beginning is somewhat over and I still don't know whether I think it's awesome or just bad. But I find myself sniffing myself again and again. A little bashfully, as if it were forbidden. But everything that is forbidden is exciting. My head says no, but my stomach wants to know. You can't live with it, but you can't live without it either. This thing is masculine, animalistic, promiscuous. On the other hand, dirty, repulsive, somehow disgusting. A very strange combination, very strange.
Hours later, the overall impression hasn't changed. I still find myself in a dark (fragrance) cloud. Which has become much better than it was at the beginning, but which performs just as it did at the beginning, in other words, everyone, really everyone, notices you as you walk past. You can literally feel the glances that follow you, people are irritated by this fragrance, just like me.
It has become dark. And the darkness suits the scent perfectly. As I step out onto the street, another waft hits my nose, it's incredible. At home, noses are wrinkled at the table, the comments are not quite ready for print. In a video, a continuous beep would probably be necessary to block out adult language. On the subject of social acceptance. Anyone who does Boccanera should know what they are doing and should be able to live with the consequences. The thing is certainly not a crowd pleaser.
That reads quite negatively, especially in the last paragraph. Nevertheless, the fragrance is incredibly appealing. It is a divider, a polarizer, a black and white painter without shades. You either love this fragrance or you hate it, there is nothing in between. The sillage and longevity are from another universe, simply galactic. Nomen est Omen, Boccanera lives up to its name.
My problem with the fragrance: I don't even know when I should wear it. In the office? Not in life. On public transportation? Fucking hell, never. In sports? If you want to get thrown out of the gym, please. On a shopping trip? Would probably embarrass your wife/girlfriend. In a club/bar? Most likely, but what are you going to do the next day, that thing easily lasts 12 hours!
The fragrance is extreme, in all directions. I admire perfumer Gualtieri for his courage to create such a grenade and show what is possible in the industry - and reward this courage with an extra point. Whether you choose Boccanera or not is a question that everyone has to answer for themselves. I don't know anyone who wears this fragrance. Standing out is guaranteed. Comments too. A high level of self-confidence and mental stability are further prerequisites for a potential wearer. Not for everyone..