Review of Bottega Veneta Eau de Parfum by Pia Pedersen

Let’s invite the BV siblings - they’re such fun! There was a period in my life from my early thirties to my late fourties through which I adored everything Italian; culture, fashion, food, weather, language… well, I suppose I loved it all. I seriously considered moving to Italy, finding work as a teacher and studying Italian in my spare time; finding an apartment with a view or maybe a small house with a shady garden. Living La Dolce Vita. It never happened, though. I guess, in the end I was afraid to be too far from my family and friends. In 2016 I took a short trip to Lake Garda. I stayed at a hotel, Astoria in Garda City. The hotel had a frog theme. Frog puppets and figurines everywhere. Quite fun. During my stay I visited Verona, a really beautiful city with lots of small boutiques. One of these sold perfumes and I felt the wellknown urge to go and have a look. On one of the shelves I saw a nude coloured box. The text read “Bottega Veneta Eau Légère”. I fell in love with the bottle and the scent straight away and bought it. As I recall, I did not pay much. Back home I googled and found out that Eau Légère has an older brother, the signature fragrance Bottega Veneta. I looked for it for a long time - and just a few months ago, almost 10 years after BVEL I finally got my hands on the original. And I was finally able to compare the two. Well, that is three since I also got my hands on the Eau Sensuelle. All three are great. BV is, as I said, the big brother. Leather, spices and plum make a unisex blend. A mature mix, stern and reliable, some days more masculine - never feminine. Whereas BVEL is the younger brother, more playful and a bit darker and somehow more unpredictable. BVES is the little sister, floral and sweet and no spices. Peach and Jasmine make the scent a bit girlish, but it has the same vibe as the two brothers. You have no doubt they are family. Is it necessary to own all three, you may ask?… well, I can assure you, that I wear them. Especially BV is perfect for the climate in Italy, as well as where I live. The combination of the few notes makes is wearable in warm weather. It is perfect for a summer evening on my coordinates, and the oak moss and leather fit so well when the temperature drops. The Three Siblings will definitely stay in my collection. Bottega Veneta will, however, always be the favourite.