ELLE Exclusive: Light Blue Turns 25—And Capri Smells Like Home Again

Top Note: The Memory

Some fragrances pass through your life. Others become part of your mythology.
For me, that scent was Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue—the first perfume I bought with money saved from a college job. I wasn’t just looking for what was popular. I was looking for something that felt like me.

When I unboxed that powder-blue velvet case and spritzed it on for the first time, something shifted. I felt freer, flirtier, more alive. That bottle wasn’t just perfume. It was possibility—bottled in 100ml.

So when I travelled to Capri this summer for the relaunch of Light Blue, marking 25 years of D&G’s modern classic, it felt like returning to something I’d never really left.

Capri is Light Blue’s spiritual home—a sun-drenched cocktail of citrus, salt, and skin. The campaign’s fantasy of white swimwear, azure waters, and salt-slicked skin wasn’t just marketing. The island delivered. As our boat touched the shore, Capri felt exactly as Light Blue had always smelled: citrus-bright and heat-soaked, with limestone cliffs plunging into surreal blue.

There’s no rush in Capri. The roads are mostly pedestrian, compelling you to walk its winding slopes. Every turn holds something new: a Vespa parked under a “Baci da Capri” sign, bougainvillaea cascading over old stone walls, chameleons darting across sun-warmed steps, Aperol glasses glowing like bottled dusk on café tables—and lemons everywhere. Big, bright, voluptuous things.

In the town square, prayer coexists with piazza life. Locals gesture animatedly with sun-browned hands. Visitors wander with gelato in hand. You don’t find Capri’s rhythm. It finds you.

Middle Note: First Night

The D&G Light Blue celebration unfolded over two days, but the memories blur into one golden-lit reel.

We arrived at Villa Certosa, a tranquil boutique hideaway with sweeping sea views—the kind of place where the breeze carries both salt and silence. That first evening set the tone. A welcome dinner at Concettina ai Tre Santi, a family-run Neapolitan pizzeria, offered a view of the Mediterranean—and of a plate built on three perfect ingredients: tomato, basil, and lemon.

Concettina’s story began in 1951 when its namesake fried pizzas near Naples’ Tre Santi shrine. Still family-run. Still rooted in tradition. Now reimagined for Capri’s brand of quiet glamour. Ciro Oliva, who now runs it with his father, moved through the crowd like he was greeting old friends.

Dolce & Gabbana Beauty CEO Gianluca Toniolo sat a few tables away, swapping stories between courses. Supermodel Vittoria Ceretti was there too—grounded, glowing, blending into the soft heat of the evening like a local.

The guest list echoed the fantasy that Capri sells so well: Arnas Fedaravičius (Valentin from The White Lotus), Korean KOL Lee Sian, Thai actress Benyapa Jeenprasom, and from India, Alizeh Agnihotri.

Laughter rose over slices. Italian songs spilt into the breeze. Somewhere between espresso and the last bite of crust, a dance floor appeared.

Base Note: Afterglow

The next evening felt like a montage, visual, immersive, cinematic. We boarded the Veliero Tortuga, a vintage wooden sailboat that looked like it had sailed out of a Slim Aarons frame. Sharing the boat with Olivier Cresp and Alberto Morillas—the master perfumers behind Light Blue—added depth to the moment. No lab coats here. Just sea breeze and linen shirts.

As we sailed past Capri’s Faraglioni, those towering rock formations rising from the sea like sentinels—Light Blue lingered in the air, as if the island itself were wearing it. We were inside the frame. The latest campaign, starring Theo James and Vittoria Ceretti, had been shot just steps away. Stefano Gabbana made a fleeting but memorable appearance, cargo trousers, well-worn tee, and a presence that stood out against the rhythm of waves and the hush of shutters clicking.

As night fell, we gathered under fairy lights at Da Paolino—Capri’s iconic lemon grove restaurant. Once a secret, now a beloved staple. The mood: relaxed, glowing. Just before dessert, a spontaneous tarantella broke out. Guests danced with locals. Editors mingled with perfumers. Even James and Ceretti joined in, giving the night a warmth that no itinerary could predict. There were beauty masterclasses and fragrance samplings, but this wasn’t about learning the Light Blue formula. It was about feeling it.

The D&G beauty line, now reimagined in-house, is quietly evolving. Sleek packaging. Soft textures. Products that wear well in heat and feel like nothing on the skin—terracotta bronzers, tomato-red lipsticks, dusty rose tints, and pencils that glide like kohl post-swim.

Naoko Scintu, the brand’s new global makeup expert—a London-based Italian-Japanese artist who works with Kaia Gerber, Greta Lee, and Emily Ratajkowski—described it best: “It’s chic, elegant, wearable for all. Everything connects to the house’s roots. The formulas are crafted in Italy, designed to look effortless and natural.”

That essence lingered with me. Whether it dances on your skin or catches the light on cheekbones, the feeling is the same: effortless, sunlit, quietly confident. Just like Capri.