Il Bacio by Borghese is a romantic fruity floral perfume from 1993 that approaches sweetness very differently from today's vanilla-heavy gourmand fragrances. Instead of caramel, praline, or sugary vanilla, Il Bacio builds its personality around honeysuckle, freesia, jasmine, rose, peach, plum, melon, passion fruit, warm amber, woods, and musk.

Its name means "the kiss" in Italian, and that romantic idea fits the fragrance surprisingly well. Il Bacio begins with an abundant floral bouquet, becomes increasingly juicy and fruity through the heart, then settles into a warm musky and woody base.

From an editorial perspective, what makes Il Bacio worth rediscovering is its unusual structure. Most fruity floral fragrances place the fruit first and flowers second. Il Bacio reverses that expectation. Flowers create the opening, fruit becomes richer through the center, and amber, sandalwood, cedarwood, and musk provide the finish.

The result is sweet, feminine, romantic, full-bodied, and unmistakably rooted in classic 1990s perfumery.

What does Il Bacio by Borghese smell like?

Il Bacio smells floral, fruity, sweet, warm, musky, and softly woody.

The fragrance opens with honeysuckle, freesia, jasmine, lily of the valley, and rose.

Honeysuckle brings a nectar-like floral sweetness. Freesia gives the opening a lighter, airier character, while jasmine and rose provide classic feminine richness. Lily of the valley adds freshness and keeps the initial floral bouquet from becoming too dense.

Then the fruit begins to emerge.

Peach provides velvety sweetness, plum adds darker fruit richness, melon gives the heart a watery freshness, and passion fruit introduces a tropical tang.

This combination gives Il Bacio a particularly juicy middle stage.

The dry down becomes warmer and smoother.

Musk, amber, cedarwood, and sandalwood anchor the fruits and flowers. Amber provides warmth, sandalwood gives the fragrance softness, cedarwood adds structure, and musk creates a sensual skin-like finish.

The final effect is romantic and sweet without smelling like a modern dessert fragrance.

What are the top, heart, and base notes of Il Bacio?

Release Year: 1993

Top Notes: Honeysuckle, Freesia, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Rose

Heart Notes: Peach, Melon, Plum, Passion Fruit

Base Notes: Musk, Amber, Cedarwood, Sandalwood

The structure is unusual because Il Bacio places its major florals at the top rather than beginning primarily with citrus or fruit.

That creates an immediate floral impression.

As the fragrance warms on skin, peach, passion fruit, plum, and melon become increasingly noticeable and bring a sweeter, juicier character.

Eventually, amber, musk, cedarwood, and sandalwood create a warm and comforting dry down.

Is Il Bacio for men, women, or unisex?

Il Bacio by Borghese is a women's fragrance.

It was created and marketed for women, and its honeysuckle, freesia, jasmine, rose, peach, plum, passion fruit, amber, and musk profile reflects a traditionally feminine fruity floral style.

However, fragrance preferences are personal.

Anyone who enjoys floral sweetness, juicy fruit, warm woods, amber, and musk can wear Il Bacio regardless of gender.

Its original presentation and overall scent personality remain clearly feminine.

How long does Il Bacio last?

Il Bacio Eau de Parfum generally provides approximately 6 to 8 hours of noticeable wear for many wearers.

Borghese describes the fragrance as long lasting, which makes sense given its Eau de Parfum concentration and warm amber, musk, cedarwood, and sandalwood base.

Performance can vary according to:

• Skin chemistry
• Temperature
• Number of sprays
• Skin hydration
• Application to clothing
• Bottle age
• Storage conditions

The floral opening and juicy fruit are usually strongest during the first portion of wear.

As Il Bacio settles, amber, woods, and musk remain closer to the skin.

Applying the fragrance to moisturized skin can help extend its performance.

How strong is Il Bacio's projection?

Il Bacio has moderate projection.

The floral opening creates a noticeable scent cloud, particularly because honeysuckle, jasmine, freesia, rose, and lily of the valley arrive together.

The fruit heart maintains the fragrance's presence as peach, plum, melon, and passion fruit develop.

As the perfume reaches its dry down, projection becomes softer and more intimate.

Amber, sandalwood, cedarwood, and musk create a warm trail rather than an aggressive cloud.

This balance makes Il Bacio versatile enough for both daytime and evening wear.

What fragrance family is Il Bacio?

Il Bacio belongs primarily to the floral fruity fragrance family.

Its major characteristics include:

Floral: Honeysuckle, Freesia, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Rose

Fruity: Peach, Melon, Plum, Passion Fruit

Warm: Amber

Woody: Cedarwood, Sandalwood

Musky: Musk

Sweet: Honeysuckle, Peach, Plum, Passion Fruit

One of the fragrance's most distinctive qualities is that its sweetness comes largely from flowers and fruit rather than vanilla.

That gives Il Bacio a very different personality from today's gourmand perfumes.

What seasons is Il Bacio best for?

Il Bacio is especially well suited to spring and fall, although it can work throughout much of the year.

Spring

Spring is an excellent season for honeysuckle, freesia, jasmine, lily of the valley, and rose.

The fruit also feels bright and lively without becoming overwhelmingly sweet.

Summer

Il Bacio can work during summer when applied lightly.

Melon, passion fruit, florals, and peach feel natural in warm weather, although heavy spraying may amplify the sweetness.

Fall

Plum, amber, sandalwood, cedarwood, and musk become especially appealing as temperatures begin to cool.

Winter

Il Bacio can still work in winter, but someone who prefers very deep amber, vanilla, spice, leather, or woody fragrances during cold weather may want something richer.

Is Il Bacio better for daytime or nighttime?

Il Bacio works well for both daytime and evening wear.

During the day, honeysuckle, freesia, lily of the valley, melon, peach, and passion fruit give it a cheerful and romantic personality.

At night, plum, jasmine, rose, amber, sandalwood, cedarwood, and musk become more noticeable.

This makes Il Bacio particularly versatile.

It can move from lunch or shopping into dinner without feeling mismatched.

What occasions should Il Bacio be worn for?

Il Bacio works particularly well for:

• Romantic dates
• Brunch
• Lunch
• Weddings
• Spring gatherings
• Dinner dates
• Weekend outings
• Travel
• Anniversary celebrations
• Family gatherings
• Casual evening events
• Everyday signature fragrance wear
• Romantic occasions

Its name and scent profile make romantic occasions an obvious fit, but the fragrance is versatile enough for everyday wear.

What age range is Il Bacio best suited for?

Il Bacio can work for a wide adult age range.

The peach, passion fruit, plum, and melon provide a youthful fruity quality.

Honeysuckle, jasmine, rose, amber, cedarwood, sandalwood, and musk bring more traditional sophistication.

Someone in her 20s who enjoys classic fruity florals could easily wear it.

Someone who remembers Il Bacio from the 1990s may appreciate it for both its scent and nostalgic connection.

Personal fragrance preference matters far more than age.

Is Il Bacio office appropriate?

Yes.

Il Bacio can be a very good office fragrance when applied moderately.

Its floral fruity personality feels polished and approachable, while the warm woody base keeps it from feeling overly casual.

For most office environments, 2 to 3 sprays should be enough.

The honeysuckle, jasmine, and fruit can project noticeably during the opening, so heavier application is unnecessary in smaller workspaces.

Is Il Bacio good for dates?

Yes.

Il Bacio is particularly well suited to dates.

Its name means "the kiss," and the fragrance itself carries a romantic personality.

Honeysuckle, jasmine, rose, peach, plum, passion fruit, amber, sandalwood, and musk create a combination that feels feminine and inviting without becoming overly heavy.

It works especially well for:

• Brunch dates
• Dinner dates
• Anniversary dinners
• Spring dates
• Weekend getaways
• Romantic evenings
• Weddings and celebrations

Il Bacio is romantic without relying on the heavy vanilla or caramel sweetness found in many modern date-night perfumes.

Is Il Bacio a safe blind buy?

Il Bacio is a reasonably safe blind buy for someone who enjoys classic fruity floral perfumes.

It is especially likely to appeal to someone who likes:

• Peach
• Plum
• Passion fruit
• Honeysuckle
• Jasmine
• Freesia
• Rose
• Amber
• Sandalwood
• Musk
• Classic 1990s perfumes

There are two potential blind-buy considerations.

First, the floral opening is substantial.

Someone who dislikes honeysuckle, jasmine, or traditional floral bouquets may find it too floral.

Second, the fragrance has a distinctly classic style.

Someone whose collection consists almost entirely of modern vanilla gourmands or minimalist skin scents may find Il Bacio more traditional than expected.

What fragrances smell similar to Il Bacio?

No fragrance smells exactly like Il Bacio, but several perfumes available from South Beach Perfumes share its combination of fruit, florals, amber, sandalwood, cedarwood, and musk.

Ellen Tracy by Ellen Tracy

Ellen Tracy is one of the strongest comparisons for someone who enjoys Il Bacio's rich fruit and warm floral character.

It combines peach and plum with floral notes before settling into sandalwood, amber, musk, and other warm base notes.

Both perfumes have a recognizable 1990s fruity floral personality.

Il Bacio feels more romantic and nectar-like because of honeysuckle, passion fruit, melon, and freesia.

Ellen Tracy feels warmer, spicier, and slightly deeper.

Laguna by Salvador Dali

Laguna is an excellent alternative for someone who enjoys Il Bacio's tropical fruit and warm woody base.

Laguna combines pineapple, plum, peach, citrus, rose, jasmine, lily of the valley, iris, sandalwood, amber, musk, and vanilla.

Both fragrances bring ripe fruit into a floral structure before drying down into amber, sandalwood, and musk.

Laguna feels more tropical and citrus-driven.

Il Bacio feels more floral, romantic, and softly sweet.

Versace Woman by Versace

Versace Woman is a more modern alternative for someone who enjoys the plum, floral, cedar, musk, and amber elements of Il Bacio.

Its floral opening moves through raspberry and plum before settling into cedar, musk, and amber.

Versace Woman feels cleaner, smoother, and more contemporary.

Il Bacio is sweeter, fruitier, and more nostalgic.

What is the difference between available Il Bacio concentrations?

Il Bacio has historically been available in both Eau de Parfum and Parfum concentrations.

The South Beach Perfumes product featured here is Il Bacio Eau de Parfum.

Il Bacio Eau de Parfum

The Eau de Parfum is the best-known version and remains the primary Il Bacio concentration available today.

It emphasizes the floral opening, juicy fruit heart, and warm amber, musk, cedarwood, and sandalwood base.

It provides enough richness for evening wear while remaining versatile enough for daytime.

Il Bacio Parfum

A more concentrated Parfum version was also produced historically.

The Parfum offered a richer interpretation of the Il Bacio scent profile and placed greater emphasis on the warmer and denser characteristics of the fragrance.

The Parfum version appears to have been discontinued and is most likely to be encountered through vintage fragrance channels.

When comparing Il Bacio bottles, always confirm the concentration rather than assuming different packaging represents the same formula.

Learn more about fragrance concentrations

Is Il Bacio discontinued?

No. Il Bacio Eau de Parfum should not currently be considered discontinued.

Borghese continues to maintain an official product listing for Il Bacio Eau de Parfum and describes it as a classic Borghese fragrance.

Availability can fluctuate, and the fragrance may periodically be out of stock through Borghese or individual retailers.

That is different from being discontinued.

The historical Il Bacio Parfum concentration appears to be discontinued.

For shoppers searching for Il Bacio today, the Eau de Parfum remains the primary version to look for.

When was Il Bacio released?

Il Bacio by Borghese was released in 1993.

The release year helps explain its fragrance style.

Fruity floral perfumes were becoming increasingly important during the 1990s, but many still retained the substantial floral and woody structures associated with earlier decades.

Il Bacio sits comfortably between those styles.

The peach, plum, melon, and passion fruit provide the emerging fruity personality of the 1990s.

Honeysuckle, jasmine, rose, freesia, and lily of the valley retain the full floral character of classic women's perfumery.

Amber, sandalwood, cedarwood, and musk then provide warmth and structure.

That combination makes Il Bacio unmistakably nostalgic while still remaining wearable today.

Who created Il Bacio?

The individual perfumer responsible for Il Bacio is not reliably identified in major fragrance references or Borghese's current product information.

For accuracy, it is better to leave the perfumer publicly undisclosed rather than attach an unsupported name to the fragrance.

The bottle design is credited to Marc Rosen, a prominent fragrance packaging designer.

That distinction is important.

Marc Rosen designed the presentation, but this should not automatically be interpreted as confirmation that he created the perfume formula itself.

How many sprays of Il Bacio should be used?

Il Bacio benefits from moderate application.

For most situations:

Office: 2 to 3 sprays

Everyday Wear: 3 sprays

Brunch or Lunch: 3 sprays

Date Night: 3 to 4 sprays

Dinner: 3 to 4 sprays

Spring and Fall: 3 to 4 sprays

Hot Weather: 2 sprays

Three sprays are a good starting point.

Because the floral opening contains honeysuckle, jasmine, freesia, rose, and lily of the valley, the fragrance can make a noticeable first impression without heavy application.

Is Il Bacio authentic at South Beach Perfumes?

Yes.

South Beach Perfumes sells authentic, original brand-name fragrances, including Il Bacio by Borghese.

The current South Beach Perfumes listing identifies Il Bacio as an Eau de Parfum for women and offers the fragrance in multiple bottle sizes, subject to inventory availability.

South Beach Perfumes sources authentic fragrances through established distribution channels and stores inventory in a climate and light controlled environment.

This helps protect fragrance quality and gives shoppers greater confidence when purchasing both current and harder-to-find fragrances.

Learn more about our product guarantee policy

Who should buy Il Bacio?

Il Bacio is an excellent choice for someone who enjoys:

• Fruity floral perfumes
• Romantic fragrances
• Peach
• Plum
• Passion fruit
• Melon
• Honeysuckle
• Freesia
• Jasmine
• Rose
• Lily of the valley
• Amber
• Sandalwood
• Cedarwood
• Musk
• Classic 1990s perfumes
• Sweet fragrances without heavy vanilla
• Feminine signature scents

It is particularly appealing for someone who likes sweetness but does not necessarily want a gourmand perfume.

Who may not like Il Bacio?

Il Bacio may not be ideal for someone who prefers:

• Very dry woody perfumes
• Minimalist skin scents
• Strong vanilla gourmands
• Aquatic fragrances
• Pure citrus perfumes
• Extremely light florals
• Very modern transparent fragrances
• Low-sweetness perfumes
• Floral-free fragrances

The floral opening is especially important.

Honeysuckle, freesia, jasmine, lily of the valley, and rose arrive together and create a noticeable floral bouquet.

Someone who dislikes traditional floral perfumes may find that opening too prominent.

Its fruitiness also has a recognizable 1990s character rather than the syrupy or candy-like style found in many current fragrances.

South Beach Perfumes Expert Review

Il Bacio by Borghese deserves more attention than it receives today.

Released in 1993, it captures a moment when fruity floral perfumery was evolving but still retained much of the richness of classic women's fragrance.

The opening immediately makes that clear.

Instead of beginning with predictable citrus or fruit, Il Bacio opens with honeysuckle, freesia, jasmine, lily of the valley, and rose.

It smells floral first.

Then the perfume becomes increasingly juicy.

Peach, plum, passion fruit, and melon emerge through the heart, turning the initial bouquet into something sweeter and more colorful.

The base is where everything settles into place.

Amber adds warmth.

Sandalwood creates softness.

Cedarwood gives the composition structure.

Musk provides a smooth, sensual finish.

What makes Il Bacio especially interesting today is what it does not contain.

There is no dominant vanilla accord.

There is no caramel.

There is no praline.

There is no need to turn sweetness into dessert.

Instead, Il Bacio creates sweetness through ripe fruit, nectar-like flowers, warm amber, and musk.

That gives it a personality distinctly different from the gourmand-heavy fragrance landscape of today.

It also makes the name particularly appropriate.

Il Bacio means "the kiss," and the fragrance feels romantic without becoming overly dramatic. It is warm, feminine, affectionate, and inviting.

For someone who remembers 1990s perfumery, it can be a beautiful dose of nostalgia.

For someone discovering it for the first time, it offers an opportunity to experience a fruity floral fragrance from a period when the category had considerably more floral and woody structure than it often does today.

South Beach Perfumes Expert Rating: 9.1/10

Best For: Classic fruity floral and romantic fragrance lovers

Best Seasons: Spring and fall

Best Time: Day into evening

Longevity: Approximately 6 to 8 hours

Projection: Moderate

Blind Buy Rating: 8/10 for fruity floral lovers

Overall Character: Floral, fruity, sweet, warm, romantic, musky and feminine

Looking for a fragrance that better matches your personality, scent preferences, and lifestyle? Explore our Ultimate Guide to Finding Your Signature Scent.