To put it simply; Antonia is liquid emotion.

Have you ever known that you would love a fragrance before you even tried it? I have on quite a few occasions, the most recent of which was with the second feminine fragrance from ultra-luxe niche line Puredistance. A perfume wonderfully named ‘Antonia’. I had already fallen head-over-heels for the beautifully arresting Puredistance I, and everything about Antonia; the reviews, the description and the very brief sniff I’d had in Harrods, led me to believe that Antonia was a perfume that I would love.

I’ve also been really impressed with the Puredistance line and their ethos. I find it refreshing that they seem to focus all of their attention on the perfumes, there are no gimmicks and they manage to offer exclusivity without snobbery. It’s also very clear that they have a passion for quality, which really translates into their three offerings, all of which are incredibly different, but share an impeccable attention to detail and fit together like three contrasting compositions.

Antonia, or ‘La Dame Verte’ as I call her, is the second feminine in the line and is a Parfum Extrait with a not-to-be-scoffed-at 25% concentration. Antonia is described by Puredistance as “a green floral with a great lushness and warmth of heart, but at the same time pillowy and as gentle as can be” [1]. Like the first feminine in the line ‘Puredistance I’, Antonia was created by Annie Buzantian in New York and shares her name with the mother of Puredistance founder Jan Ewoud Vos.

The Notes

Jasmine, Rose Essence, Ylang Ylang, Orris, Ivy Green, Galbanum, Vanilla and Vetiver [2]

How Does it Smell?

In her review, Birgit of Olfactoria’s Travels said of Antonia “She is no Puredistance II” [3] and in true Olfactoria style she couldn’t have said it better. I can’t think of two perfumes that are more different; Puredistance I is ethereal, cerebral & nymph-like and Antonia is bold, confident and womanly. Despite being polar opposites in their style, both Puredistance I and Antonia share a beautiful timeless quality that makes them feel as if they’re not at all like other perfumes.

Antonia starts very sharp and green with a lovely dose of wonderful, sparkling aldehydes that illuminate the green, floral notes, which rather than being prickly or harsh, are incandescent and warm. This green quality comes from galbanum, a note that is reminiscent of the great green fragrances of the past and is seldom used today.

Green fragrances aren’t the easiest for me to get on with, I find that they can be bitter, harsh and unforgiving. They have a tendency to feel cold, aloof and bitchy. Not Antonia, she is plush, soft, and pretty. When I smell Antonia I think of a well dressed woman with a warm smile and a big heart.

Each of Antonia’s flowers is distinct without being dominant, they each join together to create a heart that is green, sweet, earthy and powdery. What is startling about Antonia is how the strength of the galbanum and floral notes seems to be perfectly weighted so that everything can come through and show its own distinct character, no single part takes centre stage. Annie Buzantian seems to have a real nack for creating a perfect equilibrium within a composition.

Antonia becomes much softer and more powdery with time, she also keeps warming until she moves from being sparkling and exuberant to being cosy and comforting. Dry vanilla and amber create a cosy, maternal aura that surrounds the sweet florals and green galbanum. It’s amazing that a perfume can be so classy, yet so cuddly.

Antonia is a perfume of contrasts, at times she can feel old fashioned (thanks to the strong galbanum and aldehydes) and at others she feels completely contemporary. There is also nothing quite like Antonia available at the moment, she feels like a proper ‘perfume’, a signature scent that encourages loyalty from those who wear her.

The link between Antonia and Jan Ewoud Vos’s mother is very touching and it resonates so well because Antonia feels incredibly maternal. There is something wonderfully comforting about Antonia, her presence is reassuring and loving, like a hug from Mum. She strikes me as a fragrance that could be passed down from mother to daughter through the generations. She is timeless enough to be worn by Grandmother, Mother and Daughter simultaneously. To put it simply; Antonia is liquid emotion.

The Bottle

All Puredistance perfumes are available in 17.5ml and 100ml flacons. The 17.5ml flacon resembles (a rather posh) test tube.

I find it incredibly handy that each of these Parfum Extraits are presented in a spray bottle, I have to admit that I’m not the biggest fan of dabbing and I wish more brands would follow suit.

A series of accessories are available, including leather cases, a stand and a Swarovski crystal column (pictured and available in clear & silver, clear & gold and black & silver). The packaging is ultra-luxe yet clean and pure.

Disclaimer

This review is based on a sample of Antonia sourced myself.

[1] & [2] puredistance.com 

Image 1 hautemacabre.com (Alexander McQueen Couture from the book ‘Savage Beauty’)
Image 2 & 3 puredistance.com