Cristina Hilde Soliani

Source: Luckyscent

I fell in love with a sample of Cristina that was thoughtfully included in a perfume parcel from a fragrant friend who knows what a "patch head" I am. She was right, I loved Cristina from the first wearing and despite the patchouli department of my wardrobe being well-stocked, I had to have it. I mean, after reaching a certain number of bottles, does another one really matter any more? :)

  Patchouli has so many different faces ranging from hippie to haughty and Cristina seems to embody most of them although the most apt description would be that of a oriental gourmand, the vanilla flavoured buttery white chocolate that eluded me in Chanel's Les Exclusifs Coromandel standing out clearly in Cristina. Also present in Cristina is the woody and dark soil aspect of patchouli like in Jovoy's Psychedelique or Histoires de Parfums Noir Patchouli and a creamy nuttiness like in Montale's Patchouli Leaves, all these mixed with a heady caramelized resinous syrup.

Despite its potent richness, Cristina like other Hilde Soliani fragrances I have tried, does not come across as heavy but instead is like a soft cloud that drifts lazily about you.