The new perfume in the Dolce&Gabbana Velvet Collection, Velvet Oriental Musk, explores the mysteries of the passage of time in a mystical blend dedicated to the majestic, monumental land which is always at the heart of the Designers’ vision: Sicily. It’s an eternal place; a world of light and shadow, where warm meets cool; east meets west, and the ancient and modern intertwine in a perfume created to reimagine both the Arab heritage in Sicily and the glistening, vibrant, and wild splendor of the island as it stands today.
Century after century, layers of fragrance infused into architecture told their stories even as the walls were decorated with glittering gold and lapis, sparkling in the Mediterranean sun. The rich blues, resplendent golds and dream-like fragrance created a unique alchemy – which, now, Dolce&Gabbana Beauty brings to life in a shimmering, jewel-like perfume. Perpetuating the tradition of the oriental blends that combine notes of Oriental perfumery with the finest Italian ingredients, with Velvet Oriental Musk the collection offers a tribute to the most treasured scent of all: musk.
THE FRAGRANCE
Only the most exquisite ingredients could be precious enough to evoke the spirit of Ancient Sicily. For Velvet Oriental Musk, master perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui anoints intense musk as the centrepiece of this olfactive monument to Sicily. Yet, the scent of musk is never obvious or overplayed; like the sweet, enveloping breeze rising from the ancient Arabic monuments, the fragrance enshrines the musk with a warm, shimmering sensuality, enveloping accords of ancient woods and spices, and refined notes of the precious rose damascena.
In the top notes of the fragrance, sparkling essences of aromatic cardamom and peppery cumin add vibrant glints of spice and evoke the striking blue of the lapis lazuli, contrasting with the heart notes. An overdose of creamy sandalwood bringing to life the gleaming gold of the millennial palazzos and giving way to a palette of rich, warm, heady hues. Luminous saffron and burnished, almond-soft tonka bean absolute sculpt their fragrant volutes revealing a sensual dry down of musks. A cool earthiness brings an intriguing new depth, with woody notes evoking the deep shadows of the ancient chapels. As the perfumes of the Dolce&Gabbana Velvet Collection, Velvet Oriental Musk is both complex yet profound: a perfume as rich in its Arabic heritage as it is evocative of the majesty of Sicily.
THE PACKAGING
Reflecting the gold and lapis-lazuli décors of Palermo’s monuments, the spare, assertive bottle of the Velvet Collection takes on the deep blue shade of the precious stone. A bold golden label, bearing “Dolce&Gabbana Velvet Oriental Musk” is engraved in black to create a rich contrast. The weighty glass flacon is capped with a gold-trimmed blue velvet stopper, matching the elegant black coffret made from the same precious fabric.
