Mandarine Tout Simplement, (2006)
by L'Artisan Parfumeur

Let’s hear it for truth in advertising! This is exactly what it says on the bottle: the holographic representation of a freshly peeled Satsuma mandarin orange. The resinous peel, the sweet-tart juice, and the bitter white pith are all here in exactly the right proportions.

Unfortunately, such olfactory illusions are impossible to sustain for very long, and it’s no more than a half an hour’s wear before the citrus mirage evaporates to reveal a pleasant, but hardly exciting clean musk and eau de Cologne drydown. Ephemeral as it is, the scent delivers what it sets out to, and it’s with that in mind that I give Mandarine tout Simplement a “thumbs up” by the narrowest of margins.

2nd April, 2011.

Not much I could possibly add here. As you might imagine from the name it's a straight-forward dead simple orange experience. Exactly like squeezing the peels of an orange to release the essential oils into the air. And then it vanishes. I wish there was more to say. A 5-minute experience.

28th January, 2011.

L'Artisan Mandarine Tout Simplement

Notes: green mandarin, ginger, yellow mandarin, frangipani, red mandarin, and white cedar (from luckyscent.com)

Mandarine Tout Simplement is...simply mandarine. Yes, the label and the contents do agree! MTS goes on light and juicy, with a slight bitter "baby aspirin" edge that mandarine fruit has naturally. Later, white florals kick in to give a little bit of substance as the top notes fade. MTS is fresh and refreshing, a very straightforward citrus that is neither challenging nor complex. At the same time, it is not necessarily outstanding in its composition, and is extremely short lived with low sillage. This would be a good fragrance for times when heavy or "perfumy" fragrances are too much. I must give some positive marks for the fact that MTS does not decay into laundry soap territory as many "fresh" fragrances do. MTS is nice and fruity, and sometimes that is what is needed on a warm day. However, a traditional cologne would be equally refreshing at a fraction of the cost.

23rd August, 2009.

Just like the name implies. Very simple. Very fresh. Very mandarin. The opening is a bit too tart and sweet for me, like squeezing a fresh mandarin on my skin, but it develops into a nice,soft summer scent,

16th July, 2009.

This fragrance opens with a burst of tangy citrus, followed by the true-to-life scent of orange peel and pulp during dry-down. The slightest hint of sweetness arrives just as the (already very light) fragrance begins to fade. Unfortunately, this sweetness is quite generic, and far from the juicy slice of manderine the scent seems to promise.

Like a real manderine sometimes does, this scent yields disappointment when peeled.

29th December, 2008.

Just like Il Profumo's Mandarine but with a sweeter, and more tart tone to it. Very light. More like some watered down orange juice.

29th June, 2008.