Relent by ETRO + Venice Photo Essay

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

Hey there happy huffers,

While Jin and I were in Venice in January/February he had found us a wonderful hotel. My only rules for him to do bookings were 4 star, less than 300 metres from the railway station and that they include breakfast. In Venice he excelled himself. The hotel was very close to the station and near a bunch of major bridges, attractions, ferries and food. The room was bright, clean, spacious, quiet and sunny with a view of the rooftops of Venice and the Grand Canal and the hotel had wifi in the lobby 24 hours, with a bar that was quite comfortable. One of our favourite things about the hotel was the large, super-clean bathroom filled with ETRO Relent bath products: hair & body wash and lotion! We left the hotel every day smelling beautiful from our bath products and kept arm skin clear for frag testing. We also left the hotel CRAMMED with breakfast each day, HEAVEN!! Needless to say we asked for, and received, a handful of the mini shower gels which are big enough to last 10 days of showering. SCORE! The hotel? The Boscolo Bellini, Lista di Spagna 116/A | Cannareggio quarter, 30121 Venice, Italy

ETRO Relent Boscolo Bellini Venice

ETRO Relent Boscolo Bellini Rooftop VenicePhotos Stolen Expedia

Relent by ETRO

ETRO Relent FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, orange, lime, eucalyptus
Heart: Orange blossom, rose, iris
Base: Amber, vanilla, musk (ETRO adds citron in the base)

From the ETRO site: The true Eden is never a precise location; we need to learn to create it inside ourselves, to carry with us some of the serenity that can be evoked by aromas that brighten the heart. Sparkling citrus fruits and the sweetest flowers, a hint of the sensuality of amber and the languor of rose, a drop of solemn musk.

ETRO Relent venice Grand canalPhoto Stolen MorgueFile

Since Venice, every shop that has ETRO gets a visit from me but nobody seems to carry Relent anymore, only the newer ones in the lineup. So I went to the internet and recently I found a Relent 150ml Eau Parfumee at Beauty Encounter for only $70 and the 200ml Shower Gel for only $39!! I am extremely happy about it and bought fragrance and a couple of shower gels. It is such a vivid memory for both Jin and I, a happy, wonderful memory that we cherish, so easy to bring back just by fragrance. Fragrantica gives 2010 as this fragrances release but MUA has reviews from 2003.

How does it smell? The opening citrus and eucalyptus combination is fizzzy, dry and interesting, the citrus fizzes like a soda pop drink fresh from the bottle but the eucalyptus holds the sweetness in check giving a very herbal, green dryness. If you told me there was some cumin with coriander/lavender/basil here I would totally believe you because it’s such a vegetative yet sweaty green opening. I also smell some wood notes that are unmentioned. It takes a while for the opening scene to develop properly and it stays for a while before the orange blossom makes her appearance, not as an entrance but she comes in though the side door unannounced, no fanfare but there she is whispering something naughty in your ear and rose is giggling wickedly beside her. Then, as the star of the show is about to be announced, like a wedding everyone quietens down and there is a fragrant hush, a lull, a pause before IRIS stands tall at the top of the stairs in full spotlight. A woody, powder puff of an iris, gentle and soft and cuddly and furry with musks comes down the stairs to be the star of the night. Everyone gets to dance with her, maybe the best analogy would be a round dance where everyone is involved but only a few are near iris for the rest of the evening before the last slow dance and then gone.

ETRO Relent Venice Boscolo Bellini Light

ETRO Relent Venice Garden Block

ETRO Relent Venice Canal

ETRO Relent Venice Bridge portiaPortia’s first Venetian Bridge

ETRO Relent Venice Carnivale Costumes JinJin loving Carnivale

ETRO Relent Venice Canivale Costumes Purple

ETRO Relent Venice Carnivale Costumes Silver

ETRO Relent Venice Last Gondola MakerThe Last Gondola Builders

ETRO Relent Venice Gondola

ETRO Relent Venice Grand Canal CathedralThe Grand Canal

ETRO Relent Venice RestaurantFrom our restaurant

ETRO Relent Venice Wood Bridge

ETRO Relent Venice Palazzo

ETRO Relent Venice Pegggy GuggenheimPeggy Guggenheim Modern Art Museum, so fabulous

ETRO Relent Venice Cafe CeilingCafe Ceiling

ETRO Relent Venice Jin on BridgeJin loved this bridge

ETRO Relent Venice Main Square

ETRO Relent Venice PalaceMain Square at night after the Carnivale crowds are gone

ETRO Relent Venice SunsetVenice sunset

I think Relent could be worn anywhere, including frag phobic works, it is soft and pretty enough to be passed of as body lotion but interesting enough to wear. Light, cuddly and to Jin and I joyful. Maybe you will think so too.

My scent hungry skin gets about 3-4 hours before there is only a sweet amber musk that smells like me. Jin says the scent continues but I have lost the ability to smell it.

Nobody else on the first 4 pages of Google has reviewed Relent
Beauty Encounter has the best prices I could find and none of the sample shops carry Relent, though some have other ETRO frags.

I hope you enjoyed our ETRO Relent and Venice Photo Essay. All unattributed photos taken by Jin or myself.
See you tomorrow for more fun and madness,
Portia xx

34 thoughts on “Relent by ETRO + Venice Photo Essay”

  2. Thank you for those beautiful photos. I have never been to Venice, and looking at these makes me want to go!!! Your hotel seems awesome! Also, you two are such a gorgeous and dashing couple.

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    • Thanks Tora,
      I was expecting Venice to be AWFUL: crowded with tourists, stinky, uncomfortable and terrible to navigate. Because we were there Jan/Feb it was very UNcrowded, didn’t smell, was easy to navigate and because it just happened to be Carnivale, AH MAY ZING! We saved a fortune by traveling in winter too. I will try never to do Europe in the summer again,
      Portia xx

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  4. Fabulous photos and write-up. I’ll be in Venice in early August for 1.5 days. Given my limited time there, I am looking for recommendations. What were the top 3 must visit places or you? Where was your favorite place for a meal or coffee?

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    • Oh Hajusuuri,
      I hope you have the most amazing time ever. You MUST go to the cafe off the main square that’s been there for centuries with the incredible roof and walls, all small paintings and drawings. Behind that you’ll find a warren of high end shops and there are a lovely pair of sisters with a fragrance shop: Perfumeria Muschieri at Frezzeria San Marco 1178, the girls are so lovely. We did a LOT of walking after 10pm, Venice is asleep late and we went all over the place just talking and laughing. The Pont de Rialto has a fab frag shop too where you can find the Pineider range, I am TOTALLY in love with their stuff, get yourself to the Peggy Guggenheim gallery too: FULL OF MAGIC.
      Portia xx

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  5. Stunning photo essay, great travel agent and a wonderfully descriptive fragrance review. I will definitely put this hotel and ETRO Relent on our short lists.

    By the way, I’ve discovered several ”hard to find” fragrances on Beauty Encounter for pretty good prices.

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  8. Wonderful photos!

    I have not smelled Relent (or even heard of it, that I recall) but I love your description… especially Iris making her entrance at the top of the stairs in the spotlight.

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  9. Dearest Portia
    Why is it that Etro seems to be so poorly treated as a house. Few places carry their stock and the back catalogue is practically impossible to find.
    The Dandy’s own introduction to the scents came when I stayed at the legendary Palais Jamais hotel above Fez in Morocco.
    The perfume in question bears the hotel’s name and is an exquisite vetiver and birch-tar chypre light. Yes, every bit as singular as the hotel that inspired it and a novel by Paul Bowles to boot.
    Anyway, digressions aside, this is hotel whose name is noted and a mental note made to self to give Palais Jamais an outing sometime very soon.
    Yours ever
    The Perfumed Dandy

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    • WOW!! Maybe people don’t like their fragrance to have been traveling more than them? I don’t get it either.
      Fez in Morocco! Now I am suitably jealous of your travels. So incredibly romantic. One day….
      Portia x

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      • Dearest Portia
        Yes, I’d never thought of people being purple with envy of their perfumes, but perhaps it is so.
        Fez is quite the most ‘other’ place I have been to. The Medina is a glimpse into a medieval, or possibly even older world, whereas the Ville Nouvelle is French Colonial preserved in aspic.
        The perfume, though remarkable seems to be more an impression of the people who have passed through rather than place itself, though it is fascinating for that…
        Yours ever
        The Perfumed Dandy

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  10. Your hotel is fabulous! This brought back so many memories of my visit to Venice in 2005. We rented a flat! now that was really fun! Relent sounds like absolute heaven!

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    • I like Relent so much. It was weird to me that no one else had done much about it. Relent must have been one of the initial offerings from the house and there were far fewer releases each year then. Who knows?
      I bet you had an excellent time in Venice, what a fab city.
      Portia x

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      • We did… and stumbling home at two in the morning a little squffed on too much wine and too many Negonis we were met suddenly on the Giudecca by a huge fireworks display. It seemed as if it were for me and Lane alone. No one was up…just us and it was pure magic!

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        • How blessed are we in our lives. So much magic. It’s everywhere. And if you were together watching fireworks and it was a perfect memory moment then higher powers made sure it was there, just for you.
          Portia xx

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  11. Looks like it was a great trip with a great fragrant souvenir. I loved to see you book hotels like I do. I want to be either in the middle of the action or close to transportation so I don’t have to drive at all if possible. I want a clean and somewhat spacious room in case I am stuck in it for any length of time. I also must have a big breakfast, not some muffins and a coffee. Great minds think alike.

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  12. Beautiful pictures. I dream of visiting Venice and love seeing the place through your eyes. How great to have Etro toiletries instead of the generic dull ones in most hotels.

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    • Oh My RosieGreen62,
      It was utter lavishness to be spoiled with ETRO, we felt like 6 star travelers. Venice was super fun and we walked for hours every day because there was so much we wanted to see, every time we turned a corner there was another something amazing. Jin and I felt blessed.
      Portia x

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  14. Haha I had to laugh at this statement of yours : “Nobody else on the first 4 pages of Google has reviewed Relent”..

    Isn’t Venice lovely- we also stayed in Canneregio when we visited and would probably stay in the same neighborhood if (no-when) we revisit..:)

    Great photos by the way!!

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