Pot Pourri (1828)
by Santa Maria Novella

I love this old thing. It really is quite unique in my experience. It is aromatic, camphoraceous, resinous. Very difficult to describe in fact. All that I can say is that is seems to have some, or all, of the following, Eucalyptus, Clove, Rosemary, Lavender, Camphor, Juniper, Nutmeg, Cinnamon. Sometimes I think that I can smell Liquorice, Rose, Immortelle. For a more accurate analysis you may wish to see Odysseusm below, but these are my impressions.

What I can say with confidence is that in my opinion it is unusual in how it wears. Initially this works like your most refreshing Eau De Cologne. It is exceptionally bracing and uplifting. But then it continues to wear in a lower key, with a quiet confidence. Incense, spice, words like comfortable, comforting, confident, salubrious, all come to mind. That is rather a lot to get from one fragrance, don't you agree?

SMN Pot Pourri will not be to everyones taste, definately not, but surely it is a "must try" and if you do love it, like I do, I can tell you that it will become an old friend.

Having commented on the uniqueness of this fragrance I feel that it is only fair to mention Heeley Esprit Du Tigre as I am sure that comparisons will be made eventually. HEDT has a minty opening, after which clove bud oil is very dominant for a time, and yes, here we have some similarities, but not for long.

7th September, 2011. (Last Edited: 3rd October, 2011.)

This is an amazing, complex, and beautiful scent. Thanks to Arlecchino who helped me understand some of the structural elements which make this so successful and pleasing. This certainly is a scent of another time: not simply old-school but rather a timeless classic.
For me, the strength and appeal of this lies in its balanced structure: it is a well-conceived and executed scent. On the one hand, it is a treasure chest of richly dark and warm spices (clove, nutmeg, pepper). On the other hand, there is a sustained bright note of cool eucalyptus. These two happily co-exist and compliment each other. Grasses and herbal notes (laurel, thyme, mint, oregano, sage), along with some resins, add aromatic and even slightly medicinal tones. I appreciate these greatly.
The sum of these parts is a compelling, unique and quietly thrilling scent. There is little like it on the market. In my opinion, LV Spezie or Piper Nigrum strive to attain these qualities, but SMN Potpourri did it first and does it best. The dry-down is sustained, and very pleasing. One of my favorites. The highest rating.

4th January, 2011.

I really want to think that this fragrance is better than what I perceive. Based on what I read about it, I expected to love it, but it wasn't quite like that. I find it harsh, much too medicinal and not very accessible. Normally, I would probably rate it as negative, but I feel that the small sample I had was not enough to fully comprehend this fragrance. I really think it takes time to appreciate it. Unfortunately, I did not have that time.

7th May, 2009.

As I've come to expect with SMN, this is another high-quality and robust fragrance. Linear, yes.... but realistic, enjoyable, and very aromatic. I'd take this over almost any other incense type fragrance. Foetidus' review is dead-on, and there's not much to add besides reporting that longevity was 10-12 hours. Real good stuff.

12nd January, 2009.

Resin with super aromatics… immediately. What really strikes me first is its resinousness. These are not just some lightweight, vaporous aromatics – there is real substance behind and supporting those medicinal tones. The resins and spices and flowers provide a strong background and give the fragrance a depth that I have never before seen in a similar “classic” potpourri or spicy scent. Those supporting accords also provide a much better longevity than I have seen in similar scents. This is a very admirable fragrance. Actually, I don’t know how the potpourri concept can miss: Potpourris are so lively and spicy and bright, and they so quickly invoke pleasant memories of the past. Santa Maria Novelle’s Potpourri is likely the most classic and the best potpourri fragrance I’ve come across.

7th October, 2008.

Santa Maria Novella produces the best pot-pourris. I was afraid to wear "Pot-pourri" as a frangrance, but it's wonderful. It's aromatic and spiced, quite medicial at the opening, but very sweet and smart : a classic fragrance, as Eau de Cologne "Santa Maria Novella" in another way.

18th April, 2008. (Last Edited: 30th June, 2008.)