La Serra Collection

“Lassera” in Italian means “greenhouse” – a sheltered living environment for plants that thrive in optimal conditions.

I find the idea that a perfume essentially serves the same function quite true: I wear certain perfumes because of their protective profile, as they nurture and enrich my personal space and the microclimate inside it.

The perfumes’ names reflect the idea of deviating from the nonexistent concept of “normal.” However, all four perfumes are nicely polished, but with much less deviation than their names suggest.

I wear fragrances with bolder shifts, so my perception of “normal” is somewhat more inclusive:

I smelled moderate contrasts and accents, instead of the noticeable shifts and twists that might be interpreted as a disorder from the perfume’s name.

I liked Borderline Neroli the most.

The perfume is based on the contrast between the dry and sharp, almost angelic-soapy neroli with prominent citrus facets and the fuller, sweeter, slightly fleshy fig, supported by a discreetly indolic white floral accord.

The effort to do things the right way was obvious: the presentation includs fully refillable bottles and waist-free cardboard packaging, all of which were exhibited and explained in detail.

The blotters are also very carefully designed:

Following the instructions written on the blotter, the brand representative directed the sprayer towards the nose image, right where it says “spray area.”

Then, he inserted a blotter into a printed booklet, which on one side describes the brand and Borderline Neroli, while the other side serves as a notebook for personal notes.

I’m sure the “bookmark” method for recollection works, speculatively.

However, because of the scent’s dynamic and performative nature and the notoriously known physical fact that the fragrance evaporates, recalling the subtler nuances of the composition and character of a created olfactive entity rarely works this way.

Taking into account the investment on the appearance, and all effort of a brand new brand to do things and professionaly and common-sense right, I am surprised that the samples were forgotten.

But, it is what it is.

I will be reminded of the smell and character of Borderline Neroli from the other side of the borderline—the printed nose and the flattened traces of the woody base on the blotter.