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Santa Maria Novella Pot Pourri?

post #1 of 17
11/14/07 at 7:44am
Thread Starter 
I have just read the reviews for this one in the Directory and it sounds really interesting. I am considering getting some, but is it a scent that is safe to buy blind? I don't live anywhere near London, so a visit to the shop in Walton Street is out of the question and the shop doesn't do samples.

I love Czech & Speake No88 which is based on a Pot Pourri formula, is there any similarity?
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post #2 of 17
11/14/07 at 7:50am
It is an interesting scent but it did not work for me. No, I do not suggest buying this one blind. You know how some people say Bulgari Black has burnt rubber and others say no? How do you decide which one it will be on your skin, just by reading? Same with the Potpourri. It does have legs, and it does project a bit. And it is one, that while it did not work for me, I can say I found it interesting. Kinda like a horrible car wreck, it just kept begging me to sniff it, to see if I was repulsed or secretly enjoyed it, but it never in the final analysis drew me in.

Sam
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post #3 of 17
11/14/07 at 7:52am
Imagine a mentholated bay rum with lots of rosemary and tons of spice.
Sounds vile; works beautifully. I recommend it highly, but also suggest sampling it before buying it.
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post #4 of 17
11/14/07 at 7:55am
Love it in the terracota pot, hated it in the bottle. Hard to explain, but some things were just meant to scent a room, and this is one of them. Was give it as a gift, brought it to work to give it away for free...and no one would take it! Not even for the pretty bottle!
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post #5 of 17
11/14/07 at 9:27am
Thread Starter 
Thanks guys for the replies so far. I think that I will have to ring the boutique and see if they would be willing to put some on a paper split for me and wrap it up well.
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post #6 of 17
11/14/07 at 9:58am
This is a beautiful scent, but this is just one guy's opinion. If you like the smell of a tradtional potpourri with an added touch of eucalyptus, this is the scent for you. Imagine Diptyque's Eau with a strong menthol note and you have this scent. It is unique and one fragrance I would not want to be without.
Best not to buy blind, though, unless you like avant-garde fragrance.
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post #7 of 17
11/14/07 at 10:12am
Not a safe blind buy unless you adore eucalyptus.
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post #8 of 17
11/14/07 at 4:21pm
Definitely NOT a blind buy.
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post #9 of 17
11/14/07 at 9:50pm
Most definitely a great scent, but tough to recommend as a blind buy. As mentioned above, the addition of eucalyptus makes this enticing.
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post #10 of 17
11/14/07 at 10:09pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks guys for the additional comments. I really don't know what to do about this one. I do like the smell of eucalyptus, not sure if I could wear it as a fragrance though.
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I rang the London boutique this afternoon and spoke to a really helpful guy called Barney. He did tell me his full Slovenian name but he said that Barney is easier to say.

Anyway, he is going to pop a scented card in the post to me of the Pot Pourri, along with a number of others that they do including the new Tobacco Toscana that has only been out for about a week. He's also including a strip of the Opoponax, Cuba, Ginestre, Maresciala and one or two others. He kept suggesting them and me being a perfume lover, I never said no.

Can't wait for the envelope to drop onto my doormat.
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post #11 of 17
11/15/07 at 6:43pm
"This does not appeal to everyone, but you must give this scent TIME. It changes throughout the day and becomes less like potpourri and more like incense mixed with some spice. It really is like stepping back in time. I have had numerous compliments while wearing this fragrance. At first it does not smell like anything except potpourii. You must let it dry down before judging this. This fragrance is timeless and I can FEEL the history when wearing this.. it's quite upscale, well-made, and really does in fact change, like a fine wine, throughout the day. Again, numerous people have complimented this fragrance, so it's not just me that likes it. It's overpriced a bit, but a small amount goes a long way. This fragrance is enchanting, even "haunting," because I can sense the history of others that have worn this.. meaning it's simply GREAT to wear something that has been around for so many, many years, two centuries ago! It smells, to me, "European..." Charming and elegant, yet a bit contemporary. Not everyone will appreciate wearing this, but I've yet to encounter someone who has not liked it on me.. including myself! This is an amazing fragrance."
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post #12 of 17
11/15/07 at 7:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prince Barry View Post

Thanks guys for the additional comments. I really don't know what to do about this one. I do like the smell of eucalyptus, not sure if I could wear it as a fragrance though.
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I rang the London boutique this afternoon and spoke to a really helpful guy called Barney. He did tell me his full Slovenian name but he said that Barney is easier to say.

Anyway, he is going to pop a scented card in the post to me of the Pot Pourri, along with a number of others that they do including the new Tobacco Toscana that has only been out for about a week. He's also including a strip of the Opoponax, Cuba, Ginestre, Maresciala and one or two others. He kept suggesting them and me being a perfume lover, I never said no.

Can't wait for the envelope to drop onto my doormat.

Prince Barry:

SNM Toscana to which you refer to above as a new fragrance, is identified in the new Mens Vogue as discontinued. Pray advise whether they are wrong (likely) or you (unlikely)? Many thanks.

Your humble servant,

Joseph
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post #13 of 17
11/15/07 at 7:42pm
and I do not think this is blind buy.. but the story above about "giving the bottle away.." I paid $80 USD for my bottle, and have not at all regretted it. I bought it blind also. At first I was not sure I liked it. Then I wore it for a while. It's an incense fragrance that changes throughout the day. I don't much smell the eucalyptus..

To me, the fragrance is fine and well made, among the best I have ever smelled. I actually like the fact that some don't like it, and that it is not common.

I have worn it to work and been complimented on it.

I wore it to a formal evening dinner and got a compliment on it. Some lady said it was "unusual, but very very enticing.. " she said it smelled like "of an era" to her, and has since bought a bottle of it for herself. She had never heard of Santa Maria Novella. She also bought other old scents from SMN and loves them now.

Perhaps it's hype, I am not sure, but the scent is simply outstanding to me. It really is misnamed as well. It's more smokey incense than anything, with a sweetness underlying it all, but that goes away after a few hours. It starts out harsh, like a Creed, then softens up, then changes to a smokey church-type incense, with a hint of spice.. it's pure class, imo, all the way.
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post #14 of 17
11/15/07 at 10:21pm
Thread Starter 
Joseph, Barney at SMN said that the Tobacco Toscana is definately a new fragrance.

Blah, thank you for your eloquent impressions of the Pot Pourri. I am getting more and more convinced that this fragrance is going to be one that I will love.

Barry
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post #15 of 17
11/16/07 at 6:32am
I hope so.. just an fyi some people hate it.. but I sincerely can tell you no one has stated they "hate it" when I wear it.. I even have worn it to a US movie theater.

Also, when I was in Europe for some time, I wore it all the time, daily, and felt comfortable wearing it. I smelled it on other people, or other people were wearing similar fragrances. It's a funky fragrance because few other fragrances smell like it.

The Muschio frag from SMN, for men (unisex), truly is the best musk out there.. Acqua di Cuba is also outstanding, a bit flowery for my taste, but a true "gentleman's cologne."

I rank Santa Maria novella in a different class than Creed and other houses. The company is not for everyone.. their packaging is simple, their ingredients appear to be notches way above other frag makers.. either that, or I have fallen for the hype.. when one visits them in Florence, from what I have read, people will realize why they are in a class above most makers. I consider L'Artisan in the same vein as well, but to each his/her own. If nothing else, SMN is "cool" because you typically can't grab it at Sephora, etc. I guess I have fallen for their exclusivity hype as well. But their stuff is good, truly.
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One other, last thing.. if you want a sample, and really want to know the scent (besides what they are sending you), you can always mail order some SMN Potpourri soap. It's nearly identical to the fragrance in the bottle.
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post #16 of 17
11/16/07 at 8:00am
And Hannibal Lecter was a fan -- read the novel and find out how Hannibal the Cannibal goes to SMN while in his beloved Florence and buys a frag there to spritz on a letter he sends to Clarice Starling.
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post #17 of 17
11/16/07 at 9:45am
Thread Starter 
Thanks again Blah, you are a star...that rhymes too!

tvlampboy, that scene in Hannibal is one of my favourites in the film.

Barry
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