The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Notturno was created by Laura Bosetti Tonatto and released in 2015 as a fragrance for women and men. Its inspiration is explicit: the notes of Fryderyk Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2, distilled into a scent. The brand describes the musical reference as a melody free to wander, initially tender and intimate before becoming unbound and dreamy. That arc gives the composition its central idea. It begins close to the skin, then loosens into a darker, more spacious mood, joining floral softness, animal warmth, and resin in a fragrance designed for the hours after the room has quieted.
The pairing is unusually spare for an oriental fragrance. Musk supplies the intimate first impression, while opoponax brings a darker resinous current rather than a bright burst of fruit or spice. That restrained structure makes the composition feel less like a statement and more like a mood changing hands, moving from tender to distant without losing its thread.
The evolution
Notturno begins as a close, tender musk, soft enough to feel like a whisper against the skin. As it develops, opoponax introduces a resinous shadow, giving the opening a darker, more nocturnal edge. The floral and animal facets remain present through the middle, keeping the scent sensual without making it loud. Over a 4-6 hour wear, the profile settles into a quieter, closer musk-and-resin trail. It doesn't announce itself across the room. Instead, it lingers as a warm, slightly smoky impression, the kind that seems to follow you into the next moment.
Cultural impact
Notturno fits Essenzialmente Laura's Roman sensory position: fragrance treated as an atmosphere rather than a loud accessory. Its music-inspired concept and restrained floral-animal profile place it in a grown, evening-oriented register, though its reception is not documented here.
The House
Essenzialmente LauraEssenzialmente Laura is a Roman perfumery brand founded by master perfumer Laura Bosetti Tonatto. Based in Italy, the house creates artisanal fragrances that draw deeply from the sensory heritage of Rome, translating the city's gardens, churches, palaces, and courtyard atmospheres into wearable scent compositions. The collection spans 55 fragrances organized across seven families according to the Classification officielle des Parfum system. Bosetti Tonatto's work bridges private commission work for royalty and a publicly accessible collection available through her Roman boutiques.
The Creator
Laura Bosetti TonattoTonatto's signature lies in her command of Italian raw materials and her commitment to bespoke creation as a foundational practice, not a luxury sideline. Her technical palette draws from classical French parfumerie while her sensibility remains distinctly Italian.
