It was none other than the Splendida Iris D’or. Sophisticated and radiant, much like Carmen herself. The heart of the perfume radiated with the dainty and incredibly precious ingredient—the iris flower— its candescent femininity enhanced with heliotrope, raspberry and sandalwood. 

If the name sounds familiar, you’re not wrong. The Iris D’or is part of a trio of Bulgari perfumes named Splendida, a newly launched collection that has remastered three iconic fragrances that have existed for over two decades. The scents, all romantic and glamorous in their very own right, is evocative of three distinctive dolce vitas. French master perfumer Sophie Labbé is behind the reinterpretations that magnify the beauty of each key bloom in the Iris D’or, Rose Rose and Jasmin Noir auras.

 “I rendezvoused at the Trevi Fountain to make that obligatory wish, when I noticed that the travertine stone statue of goddess Trivia looked inexplicably like Iroshini ,” The Tatler Nose gushes. “Oh, it drew me in like a spell." No surprise there; Splendida Rose Rose, emblematic of the flower of love seduces effortlessly. The essence of the trio of roses is highlighted by top notes of white mulberry and mandarine essence, and rounded off with musk and patchouli.

“That very evening, as I was marvelling at the grandeur of the Pantheon—such a tour de force of engineering for its time—when behold, Stephanie glided in with a scent that took my breath away. It was the dream juxtaposition of night and day,” The Tatler Nose continues. The tantalising elixir of gardenia, satinated almonds and tonka beans, and a spotlight on the jasmine bloom is a fragrance that can only be described as mysterious.

 “I may have visited Rome’s most famous spots, but I was swept off my feet with the sights, the sounds and the enchanting scents that were simply out-of-this-world.”