Tocca Stella

Is it bad that was initially attracted to this perfume only because of the name and the lovely bottle?  Stella from Stella McCartney is one of my favorite perfumes and therefore this creation from Tocca caught my eye while browsing around the Sephora perfume aisle.  Tocca and Stella McCartney are two brands that are little to nothing alike, so I was really intrigued as to how this perfume would compare to the rose version from Stella McCartnery.  This also is my first fragrance from Tocca so I didn't really know what to expect when I chose this as a sample when ordering from Sephora.  I seem to remember that Tocca started as a clothing brand and then launched out in the beauty industry within several years.

A bit of background on the Tocca brand from the Sephora website.  "The Tocca name is synonymous with chic European style and old-world Romanticism.  Launched in 1994 with its wildly popular sari dress; the clothing and beauty brand continues to be a go-to for the perfect frock, luxurious indulgences, and sumptuous fragrances.  Tocca is renowned worldwide for creating distinctive, exquisite scents with feminine sensibility that are also reminiscent of familiar places.  Each unique fragrance inspires and surprises in multiple mediums - candle, fine fragrances, and luxurious bath and body products - all of which have a precious appeal that makes these small indulgences simply irresistible."  I have a feeling that this is a brand that I will want to know more about very soon...

Now onto the fragrance itself.  "Stella is infused with the slightly sweet, never bitter, and always fresh scent of blood orange.  With its origin coming from the 17th Century Italy, the blood orange is harmonious with Tocca's philosophy of combining the best of old world traditions with modern influences."  This fragrance is available in a full range of fragrance forms, bath and body products, and a matching candle.

This is a white floral with blood orange as the top notes.  The notes of this fragrance are: Bitter Orange, Blood Orange, Watery Accord, White Freesia, Wild Diamond Orchids, Spicy Lily, Sheer Musk, Sandalwood. 

This is one of those fragrances that goes on very strong and settles down after several minutes.  I mean really strong.  I hated this fragrance the first time that I applied it, it smelled like pure lily and was almost overwhelming.  My first reaction was to run to the sink and wash this off as soon as I could, I forced myself to keep this fragrance on for at least an hour or two in order to really get a feel for the fragrance.  It is good thing that I did because after the initial burst of lily subsided, this became a very lovely and unique fragrance.  After the drydown occurs, the strongest note is still the lily however the sandalwood takes the edge off of it.  The freesia also helps to soften the lily note.  The bitter orange note is present in the fragrance but the floral notes really dominate on my skin.  I really liked this fragrance actually wore it five days in a row, something that almost never occurs for me.  Two days in a row is feat for a fragrance...

One of the reasons that I really fell in love with this fragrance is that is it very unique, I have never smelled anything like this one before.  I will be buying a full bottle of this when I have my sample finished up and I want to try the body products to match.  The bottle of this fragrance is also beautiful and looks as though it has an antique finish.  It reminds me of many of the pieces of glasswork that I saw when roaming the streets of Venice, further adding to its appeal to me.

photo courtesy of Sephora