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Post by TinaG
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So, who is Casanova? If you follow the story in this scent, Casanova doesn’t stand out in a crowd. He’s the type of person you’d easily walk past in the street and not notice directly. But he knows himself – he is cool, calm, and confident. Dressed immaculately, the quality material of his suit and shirt shows that he has a refined taste and attention to detail. But it’s more than that. He has a subtle charisma which is alluring – once noticed. And he knows it. Catch his eye, and you’ll find a deep, challenging sparkle which you’ve taken a few steps towards involuntarily, drawn in like a house mouse to candy.
1725 Casanova by Histoires de Parfums 2001
1725 Casanova by Magali Senequier and Gérald Ghislain
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, citruses, grapefruit, licorice
Heart: Lavender, star anise
Base: Vanilla, almond, sandalwood, cedar, amber
1725 Casanova opens with lavender and multi-citrus top notes, primarily smoky bergamot and grapefruit, with a fleeting touch of amber. After 15 minutes a dark green, moist, sticky liquorice joins the lavender. The impression I get from the liquorice is that of a thick glossy black stick which has been snapped in half exposing the softer centre.
The oily fresh lavender mingles with the liquorice and lifts it up, preventing it from being too overpowering. At half an hour an almond comes through – thankfully only lasting to the hour mark before it subsides back to lavender/liquorice, and the bergamot which has lost its smokiness and become much more orange in nature.
Photo Stolen Flickr
The fragrance has an air of alcohol about it, which I can’t quite place until I realise it is just like basic aftershave. The absence of any herbaceous notes in 1725 brings a grey, austere effect to the fragrance. The effect is a smoothness of a well-cut good quality men’s suit. There is an almost transparent cedar in the background, which gives an anthropogenic slant to the scent. The cedar is refined, dead, cut and shaved into a cupboard or a set of draws in a room, almost undetectable but providing a sense of presence to the room.
I originally felt that 1725 had a longevity of around 5 hours, but I realised later that after that time the remaining skin scent sticks around for about 12 hours. This base still contains the lavender but gains vanilla. The combination of vanilla and lavender in the dry down has an oddly gourmand feel to it. So, overall, this feels like a relatively ordinary scent. But who ever said ordinary can’t be interesting? I wore this on a warm summers day, respritzed quite a few times, and the combination of lavender, bit of dust and residual oils from my skin created a clean muskiness that neither my skin nor the fragrance alone would have shown.
Photo Stolen WikiMedia
Casanova is the man you’ll find standing quietly at a bar, watching a group of young men acting up and playing the fool to try and get the attention of a group of young women. He doesn’t need to do anything – just smiles and watches whilst stirring the ice in his drink. Slowly, one of the women notices him, and starts watching back. And another. Who is this silent stranger? They move over to chat. Eventually, the group of guys have given up, and Casanova is still standing at the end of the bar, which is now lined with ladies all talking quietly, sipping on their own drinks, and waiting for their chance to get closer to him…
Further reading: Chemist in a Bottle and Olfactoria’s Travels
Parfum1 has $36/15ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5/ml
Have you tried 1725 Casanova by Histoires de Parfums? Is it on your list?
Tina G xx
Australian Perfume Junkies 
Hey Tina,
What a lovely last review for APJ. Thanks for being part of the team, you’ll always be part of the family.
Portia xx
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Portia, thank you so much for the opportunity to write for APJ! It’s been wonderful – a fun challenge, and I’ve loved being part of the APJ team. I do hope to be back sometime.
You are amazing. Lots of love xx
Tina
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Hi Tina,
You have such knack for describing scent! This time I especially liked reading about how an “ordinary” fragrance becomes extraordinary on skin. I have a tendency to dismiss new fragrances with only a sniff from the bottle or sample vial. I really should pay more attention to these quiet Casanovas and will give this HdP a try.
I will miss your reviews so much, TinaG!
Azar xx
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Hi Azar, and firstly, thank you! I’ve loved writing for APJ – I’ll still be reading & popping in of course! 🙂
Sometimes I feel a bit swamped by all the scents & samples I am interested in… And giving them skin time does take time! One of the things I do like is seeing how different they can be with multiple wearings – this one in the summer heat was unexpectedly interesting and worked for me. There’s been other times that I’ve only noticed certain notes on a third wearing… You can definitely get a good impression from a bottle sniff though!! & decide where to go from there. Lots of shopping hours have been spent in fun pursuit that way too. 🙂
Best Wishes – will ‘see’ you around!
Tina xx
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Great review as ever, Tina. Doesn’t sound like one for me but I can imagine it would be great on a guy. 1740 Marquis de Sade is the one I want to try next from this line.
I’ll miss your posts too but hope to see you around until your return.
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Hi Tara – Ooooo, 1740 is definitely on my hit list too, sounds like an interesting combo of notes, and I’ve heard good things about it. Not sure if get much wear out of Casanova – there’s that almond note, which although does disappear, still makes for a rough half hour.
And thank you! It’s an indefinite break but I do hope to be back sometime.
xx Tina
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No! Don’t go. If you must, then please come back and say hi.
I really like lavender but sometimes it smells too barbershop to me. I think this may be a scent I’d like on my hubby but not so much on me. I’ll have to sample it sometime to be sure.
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Oh Poodle, thank you! Yes I’ll definitely still be dropping by! Will miss writing though…
The lavender is quite barbershop in this one, but you never know till you try! It may still work for you.
Thanks,
Tina xx
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Really? Going? Good luck then in whatever you are doing! I have tried this one but don’t remember I am sorry to say. I did however use a whole 130ml bottle of 1969. Every last drop, sprayed on top of patchouli oil. To this day it is was my most complimented perfume. Hmmmmmmm. xxxx
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Hey Val, thanks! Taking a ‘break’, but an indefinite one. I’ve got a few things I want to concentrate on & get moving in 2015, including 6 weeks travel if all goes well!
A whole bottle of 1969, you say…? Wow. I’ve got access to that one in the shops so I might do the rounds & check it out.
Best wishes & will keep in touch.
xx Tina
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