Although I try to keep on top of things, designer Vince Camuto wasn’t really on my radar screen, until I received a sample of his first perfume this September. I didn’t get a chance to review it during fashion week, and once I finally got around to regarding this scent, I easily became a fan. For starters, the bottle is one of those must-have, to-die-for collectibles. But I didn’t realize that Camuto was already well known for other fashionable accessories. All I knew is that Vince Camuto perfume (launched under license of the house of Parlux) is his premier scent, which he calls: ”affordable and accessible luxury”
Vince didn’t do it alone. His wife Louise Camuto (also his creative director) was in charge of the product. along with perfumer Steve DeMercado of Fragrance Resources. Looking at the “rock royalty” chunky shoes and jewelry that Vince Camuto creates, this fragrance seems like a good fit. It’s not a grandma scent. The fruitiness and lightness of it keeps a more youthful feeling, but it is less for teens, ore for hip, chic young women who know quality and can pay for it.
Vince Camuto Eau de Parfum is categorized as a chypre-floral. In case you don’t know what a “Chypre” is, it is a category of perfumes chacterized by an accord composed of citrus top-notes, a floral middle, and a mossy-animalic base-note derived from oak moss and musks” The top notes include a unique mix of of rum absolute and osmanthus nectar. The heart is a mixture of very feminine florals: Bulgarian rose and night blossoming jasmine plus one masculine mote of leather. The base includes vanilla, absolute, patchouli, Brazilian amber and leathery musk.
All of this sounds elegant, unique and interesting, but when I first sprayed the fragramce, all I smelled was fruity floral. It took a while for the character of the fragrance to reveal itself. I wished I could smell more of the unique notes, such as the leather, and my nose can’t pick that up. But I’ll tell you what: it smells expensive. It reminds me of the type of fragrances I found in tiny boutiques in Paris where the attention to detail of the fragrance meant it would blend with your body chemistry to be something just a little bit different on everyone. Camuto calls the fragrance; “contemporary, sexy and sophisticated.” I would agree.
…and then there’s the packaging. The outer carton is a nearly pristine, white box with an embossed, cheery red seal (Vince Camuto’s) and”Vince Camuto” in gold lettering. Inside the box, it’s a different story. The liner is a bright, hot pink. It’s like business on the box, and party on the inside! The bottle is gorgeous. A clear, glass, five-sided base rounded at the top to show off the golden juice in all of the facets, marred only by “Vince Camuto”in gold lettering on one of the facets. The spray diffuser is matte gold diffuser, topped by a literal, large, brushed gold “crown” mimicking the company logo. a slim, hot pink, gross-grain ribbon tied around the neck of the bottle hold a small, golden “coin” with the full logo as well. If you wished, you could remove the coin and put it onto a charm bracelet.
The fragrance is available at Macy’s with a 1.7 oz. eau de parfum for $60.00 and a 3.4 fl. oz eau de parfum for along for $78.00, and also there’s a 5 oz body lotion for $40.00 (in a simple white, flip top tube). Launched last month, this is going to be one of the hot holiday gift fragrances of the year.
