Hilde Soliania Drink Caffe Eau de Parfum opens with a blast of realistic, dark espresso with a layer of crema on top and is gently mixed with a hint of cream after a few minutes of wear. Unfortunately, all of the wear is captured in those few minutes! I’ve worn this multiple times–using up my sample vial–because it pulls quite the disappearing act with wear of less than a half hour.

Drink Caffe Notes

It is described as “la goduria di una buona tazzina di caffè espresso fatto con amore e una perfetta crema,” which Google translated as a “good cup of espresso made with love and a perfect crema.” LuckyScent listed its notes as “coffee, coffee, coffee.”

What does Drink Caffe Smell Like?

It opened with dark, roasted espresso being extracted and filling up cup before it finished and left the crema on top of the just-pulled shot. It felt like a mix of freshly-ground espresso beans and a freshly-pulled shot of espresso. It was dark, roasted, nutty, and caramelly at times, and then there was a splash of sweet cream that married everything together.

As a fragrance that merely lists “coffee” as the note, I didn’t expect much metamorphosis of the scent over time, but I definitely didn’t expect to be looking for the scent entirely within a half hour of wear.

Longevity

It lasted for a half hour hour before I had to go hunting for it and felt like I was deluding myself if I found even a trace of it left!

Personal Notes

The intensity of the opening of Drink Caffe is what dreams of espresso are like. It’s realistic but amplified and all of the better parts of freshly ground espresso, just-made espresso drinks, and the facets of coffee that linger in a cafe dedicated to the craft of espresso. It’s the kind of scent that I’d love as a hand soap because it has an enjoyable aroma but has very little longevity, so it’s a fun experience at the sink but doesn’t linger (which is my preference for things like hand soap!). As a perfume, the lack of longevity was a total deal-breaker.

These are more subjective feelings based on what I like (or don’t like) in a perfume as well as considering the fragrance against other perfumes I own and love.

Testing Methodology

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise.

I purchased my sample in May 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime, so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Availability

Drink Caffe is available for $165/100ml.

If possible, I highly recommend trying a fragrance before purchasing a full bottle because fragrance can wear differently just because of skin chemistry. Skin chemistry can effect not just the longevity of a fragrance but also what notes are prominent or hidden.

Drink Caffe Samples

We recommend the following retailers for purchasing decanted samples (typically 0.7ml to 2ml in size). This is a fuller list, so individual availability may depend on inventory.

• Jovoy Paris
• LuckyScent
• Scent Split
• Twisted Lily

Where to Buy

• LuckyScent

Hilde Soliania Drink Caffe Perfume Review

Hilde Soliania Drink Caffe Perfume Review

Hilde Soliani Bell’Antonio Eau de Parfum is a darling duet of tobacco and coffee. The tobacco ranged from sweeter and smoky to darker, smokier, and a little gray without being acrid or ashy. The espresso began more roasted and nutty before transitioning into something caramelized and nutty, though the sweetness never dominated, even into the drydown.

It’s supposed to be like “a light cloud of pipe smoke, sipping on a double espresso.” The notes are listed simply as tobacco and coffee.

Scent Development

It opened with sweet pipe tobacco with a roasted espresso beneath it before turning slightly smokier, less sweet, and nuttier. I was surprised at the lack of caramel sweetness there was in this, which is often a component of coffee notes. This was much earthier and drier, owed primarily to the tobacco. There were very little, if any, shifts in the first two hours.

The third hour saw some caramelization; the coffee pulled more caramel, while still being nutty, while the tobacco seemed slightly sweeter, further contributing to the caramel aroma. It continued in this vein for the remainder of its wear, just sweetening slightly over time but was absolutely a duet of tobacco and espresso and not much else (did exactly as marketed, really!).

Application

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. 

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for six hours until it was a skin-scent and about 12 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were light with the projection only a few inches above my skin after four hours.

Personal Thoughts

I can’t believe I’m going to say it, but I kind of wanted vanilla or something to sweeten everything or else had some creaminess to the scent, so… I wanted it to be… oh my goodness, more gourmand! I said it! Nevertheless, I love that it was a more simplistic fragrance and did what it set out to do.

Available Sizes

• 100ml for $160
• 0.7ml sample for $4

Where to Buy

• LuckyScent

Hilde Soliani Bell'Antonio Perfume Review

Hilde Soliani Bell'Antonio Perfume Review

Hilde Soliani Eau de Parfum starts with a burst of juicy pineapple, then joined by creamy coconut after a few minutes, though the pineapple was the most dominant note. Rum is part of the composition about five minutes in but ends up shining more after a half hour to hour when the pineapple is less sweet. The drydown was a combination of the three, as expected, and was less sweet as the fragrance wore on.

It is described as the “perfect pineapple scent” that is inspired by pina colada. The notes are listed simply as: rum, pineapple, and coconut.

Scent Development

First came zesty, biting pineapple–sweet but acidic–just sliced and juice dripping down the cutting board. The pineapple slowly felt heavier, more diffused, as creamy coconut emerged and blended with it. After five minutes, New Sipario found itself doused in a shot of light rum, further softening the bite of the pineapple but adding a syrupy thickness to the composition.

It was sweeter, heavier on pineapple and stingy on the rum, as far as pina coladas go in the first half hour. The coconut strengthened through the first hour, which eventually softened the intensity of the pineapple, which didn’t seem as juicy as a result and also enabled the rum to be more noticeable.

As anticipated, this was a more linear scent, so the scent was a soft blend of coconut, pineapple, and rum (in that order for intensity), which was less sweet in the drydown than it was in the opening.

Application

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. 

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for three hours until it was a skin-scent and about eight hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were quite light after the first half hour.

Personal Thoughts

I liked the fragrance the most after two hours, but it was quite subtle, and I felt like I had to really put my nose to my wrist to detect it, so it ended up being too subtle for the part I enjoyed the post to merit a purchase.

Available Sizes

• 100ml for $160
• 0.7ml sample for $5

Where to Buy

• LuckyScent

Hilde Soliani New Sipario Perfume Review

Hilde Soliani New Sipario Perfume Review

Hilde Soliani Orgasmo Eau de Parfum starts with incredibly accurate amaretto poured over ice–almondy, slightly sweet, and very boozy, but it quickly settled and the almond came through with the depth and sweetness of amaretto but with less of the bite. The almond turned buttery, flaky like a pastry and lost some of its cherry-like sweetness and moved toward a more vanillic sugar sweetness toward the drydown.

It is described as a “splash of Amaretto on the rocks” that showcases an “almond note” as “full and complex.” The notes are listed simply as: almond and amaretto liqueur accord.

Scent Development

It opened with pure amaretto on the rocks–just as described–sweet almonds with a boozy kick. As the fragrance settled on my skin over the next 15 minutes, the almonds were smoother and creamier, nutty and sweet with the depth of amaretto liquor but lacking the alcohol bite, so everything seemed quite well-blended.

It started to evoke marzipan, almost sugary, buttery almonds, about a half-hour in, and it finally gave in to its sweet tooth at the hour mark. Orgasmo lost most of the amaretto booziness and was more about a sweet, just-baked almond pastry, flaky and buttery. The almond sometimes has a powdery aspect to it and often felt like it sat upon a bed of vanilla sugar.

Some reviewers felt it evoked Play-doh, which I can see, as almond scents that get creamier and somewhat powdery can do so (based on the fragrance of actual Play-doh), but it didn’t make me immediately think of that myself. As this was a linear scent, the drydown was a lot like the rest of it; just marked by a softer, airier feel of creamy, smooth almond nuttiness with a hint of powder.

Application

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. 

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for five hours until it was a skin-scent and about eight hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within the first hour of wear.

Personal Thoughts

Available Sizes

• 100ml for $160
• 0.7ml sample for $4

Where to Buy

• LuckyScent

Hilde Soliani Orgasmo Perfume Review

Hilde Soliani Orgasmo Perfume Review

Hilde Soliani Cristina Eau de Parfum delivers a patchouli perfume that is accentuated by labdanum and vanilla. It is a more linear fragrance, so the notes listed are very much what one gets throughout wear. It reminded me of the drydown of fragrances with the note combo (patchouli and vanilla, in particular), which would make it particularly good for someone who tends to love base notes and wants to skip all the top notes!

The brand described the scent as “combin[ing] two types of rare patchouli” that have a “subtle feeling of incense and oud-like familiarity” and use “vanilla and cistus labdanum” for the heart. It has a simple note list of: patchouli, labdanum, and vanilla.

Scent Development

It opened with dark, earthy patchouli: loamy soil, freshly-tilled, which was quickly met with spiced incense and leather with a boozy undertone. The patchouli had hints of cocoa, not dry or particularly dusty, but lightly chocolaty after three minutes of development on my skin. The spiced incense turned quieter and resulted in a patchouli-centered fragrance with smoky leather, a few dashes of cocoa powder, and subtle sweetness.

While the initial opening was more intense, the fragrance quickly settled and dropped closer to my skin within 15 minutes. It hovered above my skin enough to get soft wisps of scent trails if I raised my arm, but it definitely dialed down compared to the first few minutes in a noticeable way. The patchouli was slightly earthier, slightly warm and cocoa-like rather than soil-like, with smoke, leather, and vanillic facets.

Through the first two hours, Cristina was always patchouli first, but sometimes that patchouli was earthier, slightly dusty, and other times, it was chocolaty and woody. The other aspects–smoky, leathery, and vanillic–wove in and out and were more or less noticeable depending on the moment. They were present but in different degrees.

In the third hour and through the drydown, the vanilla strengthened, so it started to override the leathery aspect of the labdanum and reinforced a darker, more resinous quality underneath the earthy, cocoa-ish patchouli.

Application

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. 

I purchased my sample in January 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime , so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Longevity

It lasted for four hours until it was a skin-scent and about 12 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were both on the lighter side with projection only a few inches above my skin for the first four hours of wear.

Personal Thoughts

I really enjoyed it! It was a linear journey but the exact kind of notes that I adore and love. I felt like the way the patchouli changes–sometimes being earthier, dirtier and other times being sweeter and woodier–gave me shifts that made it fun to wear. I’m definitely considering a bottle, though it’s not high on my list since I do have several fragrances that drydown to something similar enough.

Available Sizes

• 100ml for $160
• 0.7ml sample for $4

Where to Buy

• LuckyScent

Hilde Soliani Cristina Perfume Review

Hilde Soliani Cristina Perfume Review

Hilde Soliana Buonissimo Eau de Parfum is a photorealistic scent that conjures up hazelnut lattes, espresso shops, and buttery croissants. It’s entirely gourmand: roasted espresso with nutty, caramelized hazelnuts and a lactonic, buttery quality. There doesn’t seem to be a formal note list, though these seemed to be what people tend to refer to as notes, based on the description of the scent: cappuccino, sweet pastry, butter, vanilla, espresso, and cream.

It opened with dark, rich espresso with a dollop of thick cream and a drizzle of caramel syrup and powdered cocoa on top. It was chewy and dense and almost boozy before the espresso became more roasted, less caramelized, and it initially reminded me of layers of tiramisu but sweeter. The espresso was dark, roasted, and just barely bitter and so aromatic; it was like a full-time espresso shop that begs you to drink it with as little extras as possible.

Over the first fifteen minutes, Buonissimo became nuttier, more like a hazelnut latte with a buttery croissant on the side. I absolutely felt like I detected the perfume as described; the buttery quality supported the milkier, creamier feel of the espresso, sugar, and hazelnut, while adding a level of decadence to an already very gourmand scent overall.

There were no real shifts, just a weakening of the roasted espresso as it became more and more overrun by a creamy, darker caramel, buttery and rich; more like the last sip of a caramel macchiato. It continued to soften over the next few hours but did not stray from sweet, buttery caramel with an underlying nuttiness.

Application

For testing, I used 1/3 of a 0.7ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area on my left arm. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as this is also my swatching arm (aka, incredibly parched at any given moment) as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise. 

Longevity

It lasted for four hours until it was a skin-scent and about eight hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were light, and it always wore pretty close to the skin.

Personal Thoughts

I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but the depth of the espresso and how it lingered for longer really reminded me of sweet lattes. The vanilla used in this felt so rich and boozy that even as it was quite sweet, it didn’t feel sickly to me. It was a fun fragrance, and it reminded me of a lot of the “fall” candles and melts I used to use many years ago. (I love more gourmand scents for the home.)

Available Sizes

• 100ml for $160
• 0.7ml sample for $4

Where to Buy

• LuckyScent

Hilde Soliana Buonissimo Perfume Review

Hilde Soliana Buonissimo Perfume Review