Versense
Olive wood is the detail that makes Versace Versense Eau de Toilette worth a look, since it is a material almost nobody else bothers with.
It sits in the base alongside sandalwood and cedarwood, and it has a dry, slightly bitter, almost savoury greenness to it that reads as Mediterranean in a way no amount of marketing copy could achieve. Musk softens the three of them so the finish stays close and clean rather than dusty, and the result is a drydown that smells more expensive than the bottle it comes in.
Above that, the heart is cool and a little odd in the best sense. Sea lily gives an airy, saline white floral note, jasmine adds proper floral weight, and cardamom brings a green, slightly soapy spice that cuts across both of them. It is a more thoughtful middle than the packaging suggests. Cardamom in a feminine citrus is an unusual move and it pays off here.
The opening is the easiest part: bergamot and green mandarin for sharp citrus, and fig for a milky, green sweetness that carries all the way through into the heart. Fig and olive wood in the same fragrance is plainly not an accident, and the two of them give the whole thing a sense of place. In practice it is the sort of bottle that gets packed for a week away and comes back nearly empty, which is the best argument any fragrance can make for itself.
It is light, it stays near the skin and it works best in heat, on holiday and in daylight. It reads feminine but only just, and a good number of men wear it. Released in 2009. The Italian house behind it was founded by Gianni Versace in Milan in 1978 and has been creatively led by Donatella Versace since his death.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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