Blog post by Gwen

Venezia – rich and sensuous and womanly

Photo: perfumeniche

Do you have a fragrance you love, but has been discontinued? It’s hard to lose a simple pleasure. I know first-hand how it feels.

I loved Venezia by Laura Biagiotti. Originally launched in 1992, the first time I smelled it, I loved it. And I wore it a lot. In fact, I wore it like it was always going to be around. When I ran out, I just bought another bottle. Then, one day, it just disappeared. Its rounded bottle with its jaunty little Pierrot hat topper was never to be had again. Ever.

And that, my friend, is what starts you shambling through the Five Stages of Discontinued Fragrance Grief.

Stage 1: Denial - “Hmm. Funny that I can’t find Venezia in my usual haunts. I read on a blog that it has been discontinued. I’ll just have to find another store that carries it. It’ll be OK". This is just a temporary defense. That fragrance can’t be found anywhere.


Stage 2: Anger – In this stage, you realize that denial can’t continue. Now it’s personal. “Why is this happening to me? Every time I find something I like, they have to go and fiddle with it or stop making it. It’s just not fair….”

Stage 3: Bargaining - In this stage, you hope to postpone the inevitable by bargaining with a higher power in exchange for reformed behaviour. “Dear perfume gods, I’ll do anything to have a bottle of that juice. I’ll plant a tree, adopt a puppy, and give up wine if I can only have a bottle of Venezia again.”

Stage 4: Depression – This is where the facts begin to sink in; you will never have your favourite perfume again. This stage is often accompanied by crying, grieving and staying in your bathrobe all day.

Stage 5: Acceptance – In this stage, you come to terms with the loss “Hey, I miss Venezia, but there are so many new perfumes coming out, I think I’ll get some decants and see what they’re about…”

Once you’ve gone through all the stages, you may just find the reformulation is full bottle-worthy.


That’s how I discovered the 2011 reformulation of Venezia. The story is that demand was so great, Laura Biagiotti produced a re-creation of the original scent. Having gone through the five stages of grief, I’m over the comparisons – all I know is the 2011 incarnation is a gorgeous, rich oriental fruity that is deep and so beautiful on the skin.

It opens with a note of exotic ylang-ylang that’s rich, floral and almost custardy; it has hints of jasmine that foreshadow what’s to come. Black currant, tart and jammy joins the ylang-ylang, adding a fruitiness that is amplified and sweetened by a deep plum note. At the heart, jasmine appears as promised, it’s heady and seductive. The jasmine is joined by osmanthus – which, to my nose, smells of apricot - and a beautiful rich, lush note of rose. As it settles on the base, vanilla comes forward, adding a creamy sweetness that’s rounded out by resin and softened by sandalwood. 

Floral and fruity, but never too sweet, Venezia is rich, sensuous and womanly.

How much do I like this new Venezia? I bought three bottles. 

Check out Venezia in our Shop.