Dolce & Gabbana Know How to Partner with a Perfume Genius

The biggest trend this last while in the world of perfumery has been the extensions of offers. Whether this be flacons of favourite scents, add-ons with slightly different facets, or extensions in the form of much stronger more intense versions of favourite perfumes. But how do these more intense versions work? Find out more in Dolce & Gabanna Know How to Partner with a Perfume Genius

The image on left-hand side,  Samantha Inman @rememberingtobreathe

In 2022 Dolce & Gabbana, the Italian designer duo began the process of moving their beauty business away from licences and bringing it back in-house. This move was about having far more control over what goes out under the brand name. Make-up collections came first and then new fragrances.

One new launch in 2023 summed up the mood. Devotion by Dolce & Gabbana was born with the nose behind this fragrance being the genius perfumer that is Olivier Cresp. Opening with a top note of Candied Lemon; middle notes of creamy Panacotta, Orange Blossom and Rum; with a warm and sultry base of Vanilla.

So who is this Olivier Cresp and why is it important that he worked on this fragrance? Well, he is a legendary French perfumer widely regarded as one of the industry’s most influential and respected figures. By freeing themselves up Dolce & Gabbana allowed themselves the flexibility to work with the very best people in the industry

Olivier Cresp’s family heritage is rooted in perfume; his grandfather and father spent their lives buying and selling natural raw materials in Grasse, the centre of the fragrance trade in France. The Cresp name in this region goes back to the 12th Century.

Yet Olivier moved to the US, where he began his career with Firmenich in 1992. He quickly established himself as a talented and innovative perfumer and over the years he has created hundreds of fragrances including some of the world’s most iconic scents. Notable creations include Midnight Poison, Estée Lauder Modern Muse, Penhaligon’s Peoneve, Thierry Mugler Angel, and Paco Rabanne XS.

So working with Dolce and Gabbana makes sense, after all, Cresp brings an incomparable breadth of references to his profession. The original Devotion by Dolce&Gabbana by Cresp is an Amber Vanilla fragrance for women.

And like much in the way of successful new fragrances, the house has bought out an intense version, simply named Devotion Intense by Dolce&Gabbana. Dolce&Gabbana Devotion Eau de Parfum Intense revisits the original fragrance with deeper and more enveloping notes.

So what happens when you take a perfume EDP and ramp it up to a stronger longer-lasting perfume? It certainly is simply not about adding more of each note. No that would distort the elixir. This is when a skilled nose comes to the fore.

So here Olivier Cresp has first added to this rich gourmand fragrance giving it a nuttier top with a fantastic note of Hazelnut. Where before there were fresh yet sweet candid lemons here its opening has the distinct creamy, nutty, and almost roasted, warm feeling of the Hazelnuts at its first spray.

The sacred joy of Orange Blossom is the very heart of this perfume with its complex scent. The scent ‘length’ goes all the way from a subtle honey facet that can build into a heady, floral-animalistic eve soft spice note whilst still holding a fresh, baby-like, clean element. This note comes as a ‘top and tail’ for the perfume bringing the top and base notes together in harmony

In its finale, there is a ramping up of the Vanilla here too. With the Vanilla in this one being almost sweeter and fuller. It may be a different type of Vanilla but this does bring more sensuality to this version.

This intensity has that depth and richness and of course, one key element of this intensity allows for longevity of wear; a good spritz will last all. The rich hazelnut and creamy vanilla notes create a warm, sensual scent, like being wrapped in a luxurious, nutty sweetness.

Devotion Eau de Parfum Intense is housed in a vibrant amber-tinted glass bottle beautifully adorned with the unmistakable diamonte symbolic Sacred Heart.

It takes a house like Dolce & Gabbana and a nose as good as Olivier Cresp to manifest in a bottle, this depth of perfume, one that leaves a lasting impression, and one that lingers not just for the joy of those that pass by and is captivated by its trail but those who spray it on their skin and feel encapsulated by it all day into evening.

Devotion Intense by Dolce&Gabbana is available now at Dolce&Gabbana.com and Harrods.com

If you enjoyed reading Dolce & Gabbana Know How to Partner a Perfume Genius then why not read Goddess in Art here

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