Tiziana Terenzi
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The cinnamon and clove strike first with almost peppery force, cutting through a luminous rose absolute that's immediately complicated by tart raspberry—you're smelling something between candied fruit and mulled wine, sharp and aromatic, with barely a whisper of sweetness to soften its edges.
As the top notes settle, Bulgarian rose emerges with considerably more restraint, anchored by patchouli's earthy, slightly metallic presence and the resinous dark matter of frankincense, whilst poppy petals add their own peppery texture, creating something mysteriously herbaceous rather than conventionally floral.
The composition contracts inward, myrrh and amber combining with the underlying patchouli to create a warm, slightly bittersweet base that's more wood and incense than florality, whilst the chestnut wood imparts an unexpected nuttiness that lingers as a gentle, skin-like musk settles into your clothes.
Porpora arrives as a contradiction wrapped in velvet—a fragrance that marries the genteel expectations of rose with the unruly energy of spiced fruit and resinous depth. Paolo Terenzi has crafted something genuinely unusual: a rose composition that refuses to whisper demurely. The Bulgarian rose in the heart doesn't simply bloom; it dances alongside frankincense and patchouli, creating a sacred-yet-sensual tension that feels almost liturgical, as though you've stepped into a Byzantine chapel where incense mingles with petrichor-touched florals.
The top notes betray Porpora's true nature immediately—the rose absolute pairs with a tart, jammy raspberry that's been dusted with cinnamon and clove, suggesting mulled wine made from rose petals rather than any conventional spiced composition. This isn't decoration; it's structural, giving the fragrance an almost edible quality that persists through the heart's darker territories. Here, patchouli refuses to skulk in shadow; instead it grounds the florals, preventing them from becoming sentimental, whilst the poppy adds a peculiar peppery whisper that keeps everything slightly unsettled.
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3.8/5 (99)