I love to make my house smell amazing. I mist my bedsheets, I mist my lightbulbs and furniture. I light candles, incense, spritz the air…. I basically want to PERFUME ALL THE THINGS.

I fell in love with Antica Farmacista in LA. The hotel I was staying in smelled fantastic. I wandered into the boutique, because hotel boutiques are among my favourite things. They often curate the loveliest stuff, and lo and behold, I found the origin of the beguiling scent. It was Antica Farmacista and their famous scent, Prosecco, which might be one of my favourite fragrances in the world. It’s fresh, tingly and addictive, just like the drink, and it smells elegant and sophisticated.

The notes of Prosecco: sparkly top notes of satsuma citrus balance beautifully with subtle floral notes of muguet (lily of the valley). Sensuous apricot, nectarine and passion fruit complement the sweetness of sugared black currant. Mellow accents of sweet vanilla ground this incredibly fresh effervescent scent. Heaven! I bought the room spray ages ago, but now I think I *need* the reed diffuser….

I recently got the opportunity to sample their newest fragrance launch, Antica Farmacista Damascena Rose, Orris & Oud. They had me rose, then got me again at orris. Orris is the root of the iris, and smells like (from Fragrantica) “powdery, slightly bitter, starch notes, resembles violets”. I adore iris and orris in perfume, and it smells gorgeous when paired with rose, as in Chanel Misia, my recent perfume love affair.  From Antica Farmacista’s site: An exquisite floral fragrance built on fresh Damascus Rose absolute, sensual Violet and rich Tuscan Orris root. Tart rhubarb and dewy apricot add a hint of lush fruit, while the warmth of rare Oud and Amber lend an exotic earthiness. A soft dry down of musk and cashmere result in an intoxicating and complex floral scent. 

It is one of the loveliest treatments of oud I have sniffed, the closest thing I would compare it to would be Ex Idolo Thirty Three, which is probably one of the smoothest rose-oud perfumes in the world. The powder of the iris, and the creamy warm beauty of the roses combine to make my house smell like heaven. The most beautiful thing about Antica Farmacista home fragrances is that they never overpower or overwhelm, they just become part of your environment. I loathe heavy or cloying scents – on my skin and in my home. Damascena Rose, Orris & Oud is olfactory velvet, surrounding your environment with beauty. I use the reed diffuser for this fragrance, but now I want the room spray too!

You can get Antica Farmacista online, at Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks, Bergdorf’s and more. See link for retailers.