Melograno (1965)
by Santa Maria Novella

I tried wearing the cologne, probably because it reminded me of My Sin (in the top 10, despite its demise ) but that's where it ended. I tried and tried to like it but we just couldn't make it work. Confess I have not smelled a real pomegranate so I can't speak to that. I am a chypre person though, which is probably what attracted me to it. That and the recommnedation of a shopkeeper in Boston who regularly travels to Florence to replenish her SMN stock. I think I'd like the soap or hand creme. Or to put in drawers. On second thought, no drawers.

I think my sample is mislabeled! I don't find this scent weird or even unusual. My nose almost immediately gets the fragrance of a very exclusive, powdery, white bar of soap. Italian, expensive, hand poured, exquisitely scented, and sold in an exclusive department store like Nieman's or Barneys, but soap nonetheless. It's quite beautiful, really, but not my cup of tea.

This is a very odd fragrance indeed. It has elements of classic barbershop, mixed with all sorts of stuff that is supposed to include pomegranate. I suppose there is pomegranate, it certainly is like pomegranate, because it's sour and seedy. One could possibly find SMN Melograno "refreshing" -- tart and refreshing. Unfortunately, I find the tart turns to our and as time goes by the sweet/sour elements become a muddle that never resolves into anything very satisfying. I can imagine wearing this and people around me making that exaggerated sniffy sound with their noses, wondering what the heck that smell is. I don't want to be the cause of all that. Might be good to wear liberally if you have unexpected company and you had hoped for a quiet weekend alone.

I do agree with the above reviewers that this fragrance is aldehylic and somewhat powdery and there is no pomegranate (melograno) to be found, however I do find it to be leathery because of a big dose of isobutyl quinoline, which is where the "synthetic" reviews and smokiness might come from. I equate it with a clumsier take on vintage bandit, still it has its cozy aspects. The florals are so blurred it is hard to name them, and there's some citrus in the mess. This review makes it sound horrible, which it's not, it's my favorite SMN next to aqua di colonia, but still I don't reach for it often, and never in warm weather.

Peculiar but not extreme. A quiet scent. Reminds me of the Lava pumice soap my dad used to use, plus ... well, I'm not sure what else. I keep envisioning a clean, white, dated bathroom. There's the slightest hint of incense and the slightest bit of sweetness. Seek out a sample to break the monotony that can set in after you think you've tried everything.

This packs a powerful punch to begin with. I do like the slightly tart smell of the grenadine/pomegranate and the powdery/incense is very unusual.
Maybe I wouldn't wear thie every day but it would be great for a formal occasion or a winter party. Santa Maria Novella is a perfume house of quality.