Pino Silvestre and Lino Vidal

Well, I'm a big fan of Pino and I have to admit I don't know much about its history.
I do know it was launched in 1955 and has been a staple of the inexpensive Italian market ever since.
I am so lucky to access the full range of products, at Italian deli's where I live. I can get the EDT, aftershave, bar soap, foam bath, and shower gel. The foam bath comes in a honkin' big pine cone, it is terrific!
I do know another Pino fan, I'll contact her and see if she has any info.
And, I'll also draw your attention to the wonderful "Coneheads" social group here on Basenotes, where Pino and other piney products get full attention.
Cheers, ody

Brief mention at
http://www.mavive.com/
and
http://www.perfumediary.com/brands/p/pino-silvestre/

It seems the perfume house is part of a larger entity now.

I have been undecided about PS for about 2 weeks. This thread will most likely "push" me to get it

I love Pino Silvestre and I can't add more to the subject than perfaddict. Only the notes (according to scentdirect.com):

Top: Basil oil, Bergamot oil, Juniperberry, Lavender, Lemon,\t
Middle: Carnation, Clary Sage oil, Geranium, Pine Needle, Thyme,\t
Base: Amber, Cedarwood oil, Musk, Tonka, Treemoss

I'm in a cedarwood phase right now and I remember Pino having a beautiful cedar note in the base. Also, the pine note and green notes are stunning. Great choice!

They mean it's not "Mediterranean" enough for their tastes and that it's popular here in the states and worn by American Italians like myself.

Good green frag for the money.

I wouldn't know if it's a big seller there, but it stands to reason it's more popular here in the USA. People here prefer more eclectic juice. Members are a testament to that fact. I would think it sells some, but without the overseas market, it would crash and burn.

This is only an opinion however.

When I was in Rome, the leading inexpensive brand line was Victor. But I did see Pino on display in several shops.
And yes, I really do buy Pino at the Italian deli, there are sizable Italian communities in Edmonton and Calgary and there are great deli's in each city. Also Pro Raso shaving products which are very good quality and Malizia Vetiver line of products.

i found that in your sentence
get some & join the club !

Hi there. That is a good question, I like balm/lotion myself after shaving. To my knowledge, no, there is only an alcohol-based aftershave. Here as in many cases I just use an unscented balm and then apply the scent later.

Yep! just joined the club! bought a bottle.

First impression: Beautiful!

Next impression: Was this scent one of the templates for Halston's I-12?

Your impressions actually make PS more intriguing!

Read the earlier neutral and negative reviews. The reviewers must have picked up the definitely dirty aspect of PS. I cannot wait to get back to my tropical home country where i have found out that scents really come on song due to the balmy heat.

Great discussion.
The sulphur note -- I know what you mean, that struck me in my early days of wearing it. I think that is a combination of the various herbal elements. I'm used to it now. At first I found PS a bit challenging. I apply it in a couple of spritzes and it now seems fine to me.
About PS as a template for Halston's 1-12... a very cautious maybe, IMO. I think any similarity may simply due to the herbal notes and perhaps the galbanum.

For me, the "greenness" of Halston 1-12 moves into in a smoothe orange slightly floral/smoky. There are less edges than in PS in its opening, with the citrus in PS more clearly lemon. There is in the devlopment of 1-12 a move to a more nuanced drydown more quickly, but in PS a fair assertion of pine now as resinous in the drydown, and the "incense" perception is fair. I think PS retains more of its lavander sense also in its development, in a sense more "refreshing?"?

Halston 1-12 for me is a great rediscovery which may or may not qualify me for club membership, and with the pine in the middle, wih its own slightly offputting phase, a brief one, I love its drydown at times seems very "everyday," at others, a more contemp club scent, at others, in some of its restrained smokiness, almost an atheletic slightly spiced sport scent/talc...

Structurally the 2 scents and functionally...I'm with you maybe in the direction of I don't think so...

It's arguable that PS is a more complete scent...whatever your opinion of it.

I don't wear PS all that often, perhaps once a month. I have so many scents old and new to work into the rotation!
So I don't think I have olfactory fatigue for it. I might as well mention a similar, arguably a bit more complex scent -- Eau de 4 Voleurs by L'Occitane en Provence. It is quite similar, but perhaps a bit more "refined" in presentation. Both are worthy scents. 4 Voleurs is a bit hard to find. It has been discontinued in North America but is still available in the UK.

To be frank, I wear Agua Brava. The woman in my office one day exlaimed, "Oh, you've got on Pino Silvestre. I love that stuff."

I like Pino, the pine note is refreshing and invigorating and it offers so much quality for a low price.

In fact, pine is a note that I really enjoy, I have tried many others - Yatagan (magnificent, pine very prominent), Quorum (deifinite pine, but can be lost in myriad of other notes) or even Polo (great memories of this, but tried recently in shop and seemed weaker and lasted far less time).

Is Pino the best representation of pine or what is the definitive pine fragrance?

"The Ultimate Pine Scent" -- what a concept!
Since I'm obsessed with pine, I find I have trouble answering that in a single way.
PS is very good, and yet I'd say that 4 Voleurs has a bit more complexity and refinement in a pine-herbal sort of way.
Epicea is a great pine scent, but a smoky-campfire sort of scent.
Zagorsk by CdG has a cool pine/birch vibe.
Yatagan is really good, but Elogie du Traitre by Etat Libre D'Orange is similar and bit greener and more piney.
Often, I find that Fou D'Absinthe actually delivers the most amazing warm pine note. To me it is an absolutely delightful pine scent. If pressed, I'd probably say that was the best one I've found so far.
PS -- Acqua di Selva (for me) is a mossy scent rather than a pine scent.

Thanks to perfaddict for the links, they are quite informative.
Here is info from the first link:

The following information is from Parfums Mavive. This company distributes the following scents: Borsalino, Pal Zileri, Police Parfums, Parfums Nautius, Monotheme Venezia fine fragrances. See http://www.mavive.com
* Pino Silvestre. A name, a personality, a symbol that runs through the history of perfume our history. Pinos character and traits have never been subject to the passing of time. Fads and fashions, which inevitably and rapidly come and go, have never touched it.
* Created in the fifties from a blend of twelve natural essential oils, Pino Silvestre is still being made in Venice with the same dedication following the most rigorous methods to meet the strong, irresistible need for nature inherent in every one of us. Today the product recognition is still unchanged but the box and the bottle look more up-market. A high-impact communication has been developed focusing on "Made in Italy".
* Total harmony: this was the goal of the "grand nez" who conceived Pino, which, during 50 years, was honored and burdened with many imitations. No imitation could approach the original formula though, respectfully kept until today blending twelve naturally originated essential oils.
The result is a feeling of well-being for those wearing it, while those who get close to it are attracted by its niceness, expressed by its unmistakable notes, coming from all those perfumes we have all met in nature's great outdoors. That's why Pino can be considered an "environment friendly" perfume, getting the appreciation of a large faithful male and female audience.
* OLFACTORY FAMILY: agrumatic, lavandaceous, mossy woods

And thanks to perfaddict here is the info from the second link.

The following information is from PerfumeDiary.com. See http://www.perfumediary.com/brands/p/pino-silvestre/
* Designer History: The Pino Silvestre brand is produced by the Italian company Mavive, which has a presence in 80 countries. Mavive focuses on producing the same quality, freshness, and natural appeal in their fragrances as the time in the 1950s when fragrances were first introduced. The master perfumer Lino Vidal is the creator of the fragrance line.
* Perfume History: Vidal’s men’s fragrances are earthy and warm. The signature Pino Silvestre cologne, introduced in 1955, is a blend of bergamot, lavender, pine, musk, moss, and sage and is still made in Venice. Other men’s scents include Fifty , a spicy blend of coriander and nutmeg with notes of musk, clary sage, and mandarin; and Pino Blue , a cologne with scents of lemon, bergamot, watery jasmine, and marine notes. He also offers a citrusy unisex fragrance called Green Generation that was introduced in 1996.

I wore PS yesterday as my SotD. I think i "felt" what shamu1 meant by the sulphur/egg note. I spent quite a while in the Aurora, Il heat, and PS was really on song. I dont have a trained nose but i suspect there is some vetyver in the mix somewhere (probably as a fixative) which plays a discordant note. Nevertheless, PS was a pleasant fragrant experience.

Very nice scent.

I also found the following, which includes mention of an 'extreme' version ! Some might feel the regular version is substantial enough! I wonder if any BN'er has tried this version.

The following information is from Fragrantica. See http://www.fragrantica.com/designers...Silvestre.html
Pino Silvestre Original was presented in 1955, as a fougère composition. This perfume still seduces with its refreshing, clear notes and its authentic bottle design. It was designed by Lino Vidal, who brought a handful of freshness and sweetness of bergamot, lavender, basil, shiny lemon and juniper berries in the top notes. The heart carries an explosion of spicy notes of carnation, nutmeg, geranium, thyme and fir tree. The base contains accords of amber, cedar, musk, Tonka beans and moss.
Pino Silvestre Extreme by Pino Silvestre is a aromatic fougère fragrance for men. Pino Silvestre Extreme was launched in 1998. The fragrance features coriander, pepper, lime, tangerine and cardamom.
PS - checking the reviews, I see that the erudite Ken Russell has posted a review, and did not care for it.

I don't recall the Extreme version, unless of course I actually wore it way back when and didn't realize it.

From 1980 to 1983 or so, my wife used to get Pino for me at a local Italian gift shop. I used to switch back and forth from Pino to Victor's Aqua de Selva. Similar, but not exactly the same scent.

These 2 frags got me started in this hobby.

Acqua di Selva has some great notes, and some notes that I just can't cozy up to.
I do love mossy-green scents, Geo. F. Trumper Wild Fern and Penhaligon English Fern have all the good notes and none of the notes I don't like.

Now, I grant that a pinecone is a pinecone but does anyone else think that there is a great similarity here? Especially given the Made in Italy emphasis in current Pino Silvestre advertising? The second image is the famous monumental pinecone at the Cortile di Pino (Courtyard of the Pinecone) at the Vatican.

Nice pictures, odysseum

A discontinued pine gem is Silvestre by Victor. You can find it at ebay sometimes.

another gem by Victor is Wall Street ..all green & very herbal .

It's funny, I hardly see this in pharmacies or small shops here in Miami - whereas when I was in Europe I saw it everywhere! I almost bought some.

Next time I see it, I will buy it immediately. This thread got me all worked up.

I'm going to write to Massimo Vidal, CPO of Mavive and descendant of Lino, and ask if there is any info on his ancestor. There has got to be more information out there!

Well, I got it in a blind buy, because the piney-ness that every one talked about intrigued me. But when I got it, the "balogne" note just turned me off. So much so that I could not bear to even put on my skin. I even tried Yatagan once on my skin before jettisoning it. One thing though, it is one of the most dirt cheap frags out there. Check this out!!

http://www.fragranceshop.com/perfume/pino-sylvestre/

Crazy huh? I WISH I liked it!! LOL...

As promised, i wrote to Massimo Vidal, the Managing Director of Mavive (the company which has the rights to Pino Silvestre). Here is my letter, and the initial response of Mr. Vidal. It was kind of him to respond so quickly, and we look forward to further information!

-----

Dear Mr. Vidal,

I send my friendly greetings to you. I am writing to inquire about the history of Pino Silvestre and particularly if there is information about its creator, Master Perfumer Lino Vidal. I suspect that he is an honored ancestor to you.

I write for the perfume internet discussion group Basenotes.

There are many in this group who appreciate Pino Silvestre, and we have interest in knowing more about its creator and the how the scent was developed. There is very little information about these topics, so any news which you can provide to us would be greatly appreciated.

With my kind regards,

-----

Thanks for your interest.
Lino was my uncle and indeed formulated this unique fragrance.
I will ask to send you as much as possible info and remain at disposal for any specific inquiry.
Kind regards
Massimo Vidal

Massimo kindly sent me a four-page press kit about Pino Silvestre. I will have to figure out how to post that here.
He also sent me the following family information.

A brief history of the Vidal family
by Massimo Vidal, managing director of Mavive

There were three brothers managing “Vidal Spa”, a Company which specialized in perfumes and toiletries.
* Lino was the Chemist in charge of formulations and part of the creativity team.
* My father Renzo was Managing Director.
* Mario, another uncle and the oldest of the three brothers, was commercial manager.
Vidal was sold to Henkel (a German chemical group) in the early 1980's. After few years I formed “Mavive”, my own Company, and bought back from Henkel the dear Pino, my most beloved fragrance full of reminiscences and glory.
I have two sons who represent the 4th generation in the business and they will continue the business hopefully for more generations.

Some people on the thread were asking if they could get shower gel, after shave, etc., of Pino Silvestre. You could source it from FragranceX or ScentMonkey (Note that I'm not a fan of scentmnokey.com, but still...)

For those who are just curious about this and don't want to spend much: 1.3 oz EDT at 6 USD, and for those who are willing to buy a slightly bigger bottle, 2.5 oz EDT at 10 USD.

FragranceX has their shower gel for 11 USD and a gift pack (shower gel + 4 oz EDT) for 23 USD.

Note that shipping is free from both sites when you use the coupon code FREE (FragranceX can ship worldwide free, whereas scent monkey will send stuff within the US for free).

Hope that helps someone - and yes, I agree that PS is just too good for the price.

In the business plan I received from the company, the following products are listed in Pino Silvester: EdT, aftershave, deospray, deostick, shower gel/shampoo, bath gel, toilet soap. In the past, there may have been other products such as shaving soap or aftershave balm, and these may appear on ebay. I have not seen such things, but I think it is possible. Hey, I once saw a Pino flanker in a "Golf" version!

Hello everyone, maybe you won't believe it but I'm the grandson of Lino Vidal, he died some years ago and I personally don't know much about the Vidal company since they (my family) sold it around 30 years ago to a german company. but if you have any questions I'd be happy to answer them

Hello and thank you for your post. I am always happy to hear about Pino and the Vidal family. Since this is what Massimo said to me: "Vidal was sold to Henkel (a German chemical group) in the early 1980's. After few years I formed “Mavive”, my own Company, and bought back from Henkel the dear Pino, my most beloved fragrance full of reminiscences and glory. I have two sons who represent the 4th generation in the business and they will continue the business hopefully for more generations."

So from Massimo's note I understand that the company Mavive is under the leadership of Renzo (brother of Lino) then Massimo and in the future his sons. Lino, your grandfather, and his family are not directly involved. Is this correct?
Well, if you can share any memories of Lino with us, we would be most interested. What sort of training and education did your grandfather Lino have? How did he learn to make scents? Did he design any other scents?
Many thanks, and kind regards to you and your family.

Yes unfortunately Lino's family, and therefore my family, don't have anything to to with this business anymore....his son, Francesco(my father,) is a paediatrician and his daughter has been doing various jobs and married a very famous personality in the business environment: Vittorio Radice. The only question I can answer for sure is that Lino had a degree in chemistry, about which he had always been proud of.....and he used to persuade me to do chemistry as well when I was a little boy anyways,I'll ask the other questions to my father and I'll let you know asap. bye

Again, many thanks to you Alessandro. It is an honour to have you share your family's information with us. We think your grandfather Lino created an amazing scent, and we would like to know more about him, and honour him. Despite our research in the past, we found very little information about Lino was available.
Kind regards,