Women’s Perfume Essens W199 — a Fragrance Inspired by Dolce & Gabbana Devotion

An oriental gourmand fragrance — sweet, warm and sensually Italian

🏛️ The Legend of Dolce & Gabbana Devotion

Devotion was launched in 2023, presented in September at the TFWA exhibition in Cannes. The composition was created by the legendary perfumer Olivier Cresp, the creator of Angel for Mugler, Light Blue for Dolce & Gabbana, Black Opium for YSL and dozens of other hits. It is Cresp who is considered the father of the gourmand revolution in perfumery, since Angel in 1992 opened an entire direction of «edible» fragrances. Devotion became Cresp’s return to the sweet aesthetic, but in a softer, Italian key.

👝 Named after a bag. The Devotion line began not with a perfume but with the iconic Devotion bag, which D&G presented in 2018. The bag was opened at the show with the help of drones, models walked the runway without people. The clasp in the shape of a metal heart is handmade from an alloy of bronze and brass with pearls and metal leaves. The fragrance inherited this symbol.

🌸 The fragrance pyramid. The official pyramid is minimalist. The top note is candied lemon. The heart is panna cotta, orange blossom and rum. The base is vanilla. Some retailers add «their own» notes to descriptions such as caramel, milk, amber, benzoin, musk and woody accords, but the brand declares a specifically minimalist structure. The fragrance belongs to the oriental-gourmand group. The start is sparkling, candied lemon. In the heart creamy panna cotta with orange blossom and the alcoholic tartness of rum. The base is warm and sweet, vanilla gathers the composition and makes the trail cozy and lasting.

🎬 Advertising. The face of Devotion became singer Katy Perry. The commercial was directed by the Oscar-winning Italian director Paolo Sorrentino, the author of «The Great Beauty» and the series «The Young Pope». The shooting took place in Capri, Perry sails on a boat along Marina Grande, walks the streets and meets a local fisherman played by Italian actor Michele Morrone, the star of the film «365 Days». The campaign was inspired by the legendary D&G commercial of the 1990s with Monica Bellucci, directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. The formula is the same, a beautiful foreigner, an Italian fisherman, a seashore, but the public reaction was polarizing, many found Katy Perry unconvincing in the place of the «seductive Italian».

💎 The bottle. A rectangular bottle of transparent glass with a golden cap. The Sacred Heart is a metal emblem on the front, not an element of red glass as sometimes written. The shape references Catholic iconography and Italian jewelry craftsmanship, and the Sacred Heart symbol became the visual code of the entire Devotion line. The bottle is refillable, part of D&G’s sustainability strategy, the refill costs less than a full-size bottle.

🧡 Vanilla as a global trend. In 2022 a study involving people from different countries named vanilla the most loved scent on the planet. Devotion was released right on the wave of this trend, together with Burberry Goddess and DS & Durga Deep Dark Vanilla. The fragrance is often compared to Xerjoff Lira, lemon, vanilla, cinnamon, and Devotion is called «a more democratic Lira without cinnamon and musk». In density and sweetness it does not yield to niche vanilla compositions like Vanille Franck Boclet.

⏳ The line. The original Devotion of 2023 has spawned a whole series. Devotion Pour Homme (men’s version), My Devotion Intense (a more intense interpretation), Devotion Sacred Heart Limited Edition (2025, a heart-shaped limited edition, 20 ml, contents fully repeat the original), Your Devotion Eau de Parfum Intense (2026, a new version with melon, mandarin, gardenia and a vanilla milk accord, the face of the campaign is Irina Shayk with the same Michele Morrone).

📖 Stories of the Notes

🍋 Lemon is a sunny citrus, a symbol of Sicily and the whole of southern Italy. Its cold-pressed oil gives a sparkling tartness and at the same time a light sweetness. In Devotion the lemon is not «soapy» or household but alive and juicy, almost like a slice of fresh fruit on a plate.

🍮 Panna cotta is an Italian dessert of cream, vanilla and gelatin, one of the most recognizable in the world. In perfumery this note is rare, but it is exactly what gives Devotion that creamy, enveloping sweetness without cloyingness.

🥃 Rum is an alcoholic note with a tart, slightly smoky sweetness. In perfumery rum is often used to create warm, sensual accords. In Devotion it adds intrigue and grown-up depth to the start, distinguishing the fragrance from dozens of purely gourmand compositions.

🌼 Vanilla is a base note without which no gourmand fragrance can do. In Devotion the vanilla is not cloying or culinary but creamy, warm, slightly spicy. It is exactly what gathers the composition and makes the trail cozy and lasting.

👤 Portrait of the W199 Woman

She is sensual and generous. She loves good food, beautiful clothes and time spent with loved ones. Her home always smells of baking and good coffee, and music plays in the kitchen. She knows how to create coziness out of small things and does not consider it a weakness to be gentle.

She is confident but not aggressive. Her strength lies in softness, her beauty in naturalness. She wears warm shades, loves gold jewelry and knows how to enjoy the moment. Next to her it is warm and calm.

Essens W199 suits her in autumn and winter, when she wants warmth and sweetness. It sounds especially good in the evening, on a date or at a family dinner. This is a fragrance for the one who values tradition, passion and devotion in the broadest sense.

⚖️ Original and Essens W199 Side by Side

The only difference is the price and the bottle. The scent remains recognizable from the first seconds, a sparkling lemon-caramel start, a creamy floral heart and a warm vanilla-amber base.

✨ Essens W199 women’s perfume is a warm oriental-gourmand fragrance unfolding with the creamy trail of an Italian dessert. It has absorbed the magic of southern Italy — it is an exact dupe of the legendary Dolce & Gabbana Devotion. Every drop carries the recognizable accord familiar to fans of the original. It gives a feeling of coziness and sensuality while remaining affordable luxury.

A sweet, enveloping fragrance for autumn and winter, and for any evening when you want warmth and love. Try it and see for yourself.