Theorema (1998)
by Fendi

There's just nothing quite like Theorema. For me it offers all the guilty pleasure of a gourmand gingerbread scent, yet it's kept elegant and a bit dry by its woody Italian style. I know there are floral notes in the composition, yet it's one fragrance that is so not about flowers! Given that it's discontinued now I ration the bottle I have left, and if you find yourself in the same situation, I've found a funny and unlikely substitute for a ginger/wood/incense mood - Tibetan Mountain Temple by Pacifica.

25th November, 2011.

Theorema captures the essence of pre hippie chicness
of the early 60's from smoke filled cafes to an old count's piazza Theorema gives a vibe of an Jaded
Roman Jet setters ala La Dolce Vita with the spoils of
war. Long gone but we have it's Zeitgeist, The opening
is cozy with chai then dries with an etching of Pepper,
grounded nutmeg & Cardamom adds to a dryish opening Bright citruses with it's transparent clearancy blown from a distant and lush pastoral fields gives an warm
Mediterranean travelogue then closes the top note is
sun scorched Brazilian Rosewood.

The Heart is cinnamon fiery sweet earth dries with
spicy carnation falls in with the mysterious elegantness of Osmanthus velvet texture of the rose
starts to steep though adding an demure presence,
The drying down dark and Resinous with benzoin leaves an allmost esoteric mental frame amber adds to the sweetness then dries with fiery Sandalwood.

7th January, 2011.

Given how "gaga" the community is over Theorema, I fully expected to love this one. I don't. I find the last-powering to be less than satisfactory. It also has a playdoh smell to me. I have a 10ml decant, which will be more than enough.

13rd September, 2010.

Yep, it is an absolute travesty that so many fabulous frags from the house of Fendi will soon cease to exist (except on eBay at insane prices). I liked this one very much, but for some reason never felt completely comfortable wearing it. Not sure why. I still have the bottle and it's nearly full. Perhaps I'll revisit it and give it another go...

15th July, 2010.

My wife has had a bottle of Theorema on her bathroom shelf that she owned long before we even met. For years I never gave it much thought. I don't remember why but one day I sampled it and was very pleasantly surprised - a nice warm, amber/benzoin, I thought. Keep in mine that my wife, not a perfumista, kept this bottle on shelf not far from the window where it's sat for many years through all sorts of temperature changes, sunlight, etc. and therefore it's perhaps not in the best shape. I came across a NIB Theorema and picked one up, ostensibly for my wife but with my own interest in mind.

Experiencing a fresh Theorema brings my appreciation to a whole new level (and demonstrated how faded my wife's old bottle is). Theorema is nearly bursting with warmth. The top notes are dominated by a ripe candied orange (they refer to it in the notes as 'tangelos') accord that includes osmanthus and amber. The sweet orange never fully recedes but over the application an amber/benzoin/vanilla accord becomes more prominent, and there's a hint of cinnamon/pepper, just a hint, that balances the sweetness of the amber accord. Theorema maintains a light, powdery musk that also gets a tad stronger towards the base. Perhaps its the benzoin, but I can't help but draw the comparison to Boucheron Jaipure Homme EdP with respect to the same type of warm, restrained sweet oriental. Theorema is far superior to Jaipur, and in fact it would serve well as an alternative to Jaipur for guys looking for an oriental.

Sillage and longevity are both superb with Theorema, and it's certainly the type of oriental that would be both sexy on a girl and is totally wearable by guys without a moment's hesitation.

Worth seeking out a bottle.

13rd December, 2009.

This is as much of a pleasurable surprise for me as was the masculine version. It strikes me how similar the two Theoremas are. I wonder why such an excellence fragrance is so seldom mentioned… Theorama opens orangey / sweet with that tinge of rosewood that I always enjoy. The opening is an excellent sweet orange accord which eventually turns orange / floral / spicy – particularly with cinnamon. It carries an almost smoky or incense aura into the heart notes. This aura is, I think, from the rosewood of the opening and possibly the labdanum from the base. The base is supposed to have sandalwood, but I don’t smell it; rather I get a patchouli and vanilla accord where the patchouli takes on a chocolate feeling because of the resinous labdanum. There’s a vanilla feel to the base from the benzoin. I find the fragrance basically linear; the sillage is firm, but not excessive; and there are longevity issues. Theorama is delightfully… elegantly… even compellingly – feminine. Lovely.

4th December, 2009. (Last Edited: 4th December, 2010.)