Trussardi Inside Woman : Perfume Review

Trussardi Inside is the second recent fragrance release by the Italian luxury goods brand Trussardi that focuses on making the scent of the wearer’s own skin flourish. The other one is of course Skin, a scent which ended up reminding me too much of Burberry Classic so I never paid it that much attention. I did not think I would be interested enough in Inside to actually end up reviewing it, but I must admit, I am pleasantly surprised by this one. The opening is strange – slightly unorthodox in fact: There is a very strong scent of woods and the overall impression is that of woody caramel. It is sweet, yes, as you might imagine caramel would be, but not tooth-achingly so. It is a medium, light sweetness that satiates a taste for it rather than cloys. Additionally, even though there is no hint of leather in the scent, Inside’s opening somehow manages to evoke the feel and texture of suede – soft, supple and dense all at once. Soon the intensity simmers down: the woods fade into the background and the caramel becomes thinner. For a while we get to enjoy the bittersweet, strange, honeyed character of oleander, the beautiful yet highly toxic shrub found in great abundance all over the Mediterranean. As the scent of oleander recedes, the woody accord returns to fore, this time gently embraced by mild coffee. Every so often, a sweet, powdery scent rises from the skin, acting almost as a guard that keeps the fullness of the fragrance in check. In a way, it gives the otherwise sweet-ish fragrance a drier feel, like a dusting of talcum powder. This talcumed aroma gets more and more prevalent as time goes by and in the end, that’s what the drydown is all about: Powdery musks with a hint of wood. With powder playing the starring role, might I add.

The presentation certainly makes an impact: a heavy, hefty, art deco inspired bottle whose metal back features a croc-print design inside, visible from the open front. It will certainly sit nicely on a dresser. Whether the jus makes an impact – well that’s a whole different story. I find myself strangely attracted to Inside even though I tried to dismiss it when it first came out. Too, I certainly expect it to be selling rather nicely. It is a kind of non-perfume, a skin scent that will appeal to the woman who favors clean cuts, well tailored suits and a restricted palette of colors in her wardrobe: cream, grey, black and white. It will also appeal to those who manage to look gorgeous in jeans, boots and large knitted pullovers, carrying the look with a cozy elegance the rest of us can only envy from afar. It is indeed, as Trussardi probably intended, a simple, sophisticated skin scent that smells delicious to the ones that are allowed to come close enough to the neck to kiss it. If you like to smell your perfume while going about your day, this is going to disappoint you – sillage is minimal. As for me... I won’t be buying it. I love skin scents, but this one misses the mark somewhere. I would possibly have loved it were the coffee and musk amped a good bit and the caramel toned down just a tad. If I’m honest, I guess I’ll have to say that what it misses is sexiness, as far as I am concerned.

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