As much as I don’t fancy pure roses in perfumery, I sure have a lot of roses-based fragrances in my collection and between my favorites.

Porpora is one rose’s fragrance I would say close to perfection. I have discovered it at a friend and became obsessed with it and last fall I got my hands on it, although it was launched back in 2017.

The Terenzi family established the first perfumery back in 1968 in Italy and since then the business has remained in the niche perfumery world, creating more complex and beautiful fragrances, with fascinating stories for each perfume.

Porpora belongs to the Luna collection and it is inspired by the Red Moon astronomical phenomenon. It is passion, love, art, and seduction in a bottle.

The bottle is exquisite. A hot red glass, with a heavy golden cap, illustrating the phases of the Moon. You can see those details described in the video.

The liquor is a perfect mix of roses, incense, spices, fruits, and woods. It has a little bit of everything, perfectly combined and blended, making it strong, long-lasting, easily recognizable, and perfect for a statement.

Notes listed in the booklet that comes in the box are, as follows: rose absolute, osmanthus, raspberry, cinnamon, clove on top, Bulgarian rose, poppy, incense, and patchouli in the middle, and a base of chestnut wood, benjamin, amber, musk, and myrrh.

To my nose, the fragrance opens with some Bulgarian rose and cloves, making it a bit spicey, that a strong layer of incense comes out, and all of them start settling down on chestnut wood, amber, and musk.

Although it is quite similar to the more famous Portrait of a Lady, there are few differences between them. Porpora is a bit more rough, dusty, and unrefined, with linear edges, not that smooth as POAL. It is not necessary more masculine, due to the roughness. Anyway, for me, I do not separate fragrances in masculine or feminine, because most of them are wearable for both sexes, with the right attitude.

This being said, Porpora is not a safe blind buy, first try on buy, it is overwhelming, stands out, screams attention, perfect when you want to be the center of attention or to mark your presence. It is a boost of pure power, perfect for business and cocktails, for cold weather, or romantic and passionate nights.