Santa Maria Novella. Which are your favorites ?

[SixCats]

Hi all,

I've been a BIG fan of Santa Maria Novella (SMN) since around 2003'ish. However, I've only tried but a few from this Historical House.
Of the few examples I've tried, TWO have been among my TOP 10 Fragrances : Acqua di Cuba and Nostalgia. If you are a fan of SMN (especially if you sampled this House at length) please list your favorite SMN Fragrances. I'd like to add to my collection of Niche Fragrances from the SMN. Thank you.

Regards,
SixCats!

[Trilby Lark]

SixCats, I love Santa Maria Novella too! Patchouli is the one that I own and wear. I was looking for a somewhat refined head shop patchouli and tried 10+ different brands. SMN Patchouli fit the bill perfectly.

[Wit_Siamese]

Peau D'Espagne raw, dark, dry leather, the longevity is really impressive for EDC.

[SixCats]

Hi Tri and Wit,

I must say, BOTH your choices sound excellent! SMN is such an OUTSTANDING House! I have a feeling I'm going to go broke!

Thanks for your suggestions.


SixCats!

[Darjeeling]

For pull no punches scents in the vein of Acqua di Cuba, I enjoyed Patchouli. I’m not sure I enjoyed Peau de Espagne, but it’s a no compromise concoction.

Love Nostalgia.
In a lighter style Tobacco Toscano is nice. For fresh scents, the only full bottle I’ve ever finished is the original Acqua Colonia. I also enjoy their jasmine.

[SixCats]

Hi Dar,

LOL, love this :

1. No, never blind buy (I do, but do as I say, not as I do. I'm taking no responsibility for your fragrance gambling).
2. Get them both. You're a Basenoter and you know you're going to end up purchasing them both eventually.
3. Yes, it has been reformulated.
4. Looking for a signature scent? You've come to the wrong place.


Thanks Dar for your suggestions/thoughts. God, I too LOVE "Nostalgia" (I'm wearing it tonight!)

I've heard very good comments regarding "Tobacco Toscano". Would you say it's a "light" scent ?

I'm a fan of Patchouli. I'm sure I MUST of tried SMN Patchouli a loooong time ago and I'm sure I must

of enjoyed that Fragrance. However, I also was BIG TIME into Fragrances of Lorenzo Villoresi and Patchouli

by Villoresi was among my favorites (along with Piper Nigrum). I'm going to have to again sample SMN Patchouli.

Ah, so Peau de Espagne is a no compromise concoction eh ? Sound like it's right up my Alley! Thanks Dar.


SixCats!

[cacio]

The one I own and favorite is acqua di cuba, which you have. Of the others, I may buy at some point Peau d'espagne, which, as said, is a nice and dry leather. I enjoy some others, but often I am a bit underwhelmed by the drydown. Among those I enjoy, but not enough to buy, Melograno, a clean cologne style water, fieno and marescialla, spicy florals, and Tabacco toscano (less sweet than Acqua di cuba, and also somewhat less strong). Tabacco toscano also has a soap which smells wonderful.

I enjoy some other products of the house. I don't think they are sold in the US, but in Italy they have a few sweet liqueurs for cake (alkermes, liquore mediceo). SMN also sells little strips of paper to burn or to perfume drawers called Carta d'Armenia, which smell like benzoin.

cacio

[hednic]

Of the ones I've tried - Peau D'Espagne I found to be pleasant.

[Buzzlepuff]

I like theirPatchouli - my favorite patchouli fragrance. I also like Maresciella which is a nutmeg dominant fragrance that was introduced by SMN in 1828 - A very deep almost hypnotic spice scent.

[SixCats]

Hi guys,

Cacio, thank you for your thoughts/suggestions. I have noticed that some of SMN (like so many other Houses) fragrances tend not to be too strong/long lasting/projection. I do find it remains VERY close to the skin many hours after however. I think I would like Tobacco Toscano but, since I already have/enjoy Acqua di Cuba, I may find TT a bit wanting. That being said, I will have to try a sample/decant. I'm sort of leaning towards the Patchouli and (per hednic) D'Espagne.

Buzz :

"I like theirPatchouli - my favorite patchouli fragrance. I also like Maresciella which is a nutmeg dominant fragrance that was introduced by SMN in 1828 - A very deep almost hypnotic spice scent".

Ummmm, Maresciella sounds lovely. May have to sample that one as well. Thanks guys.

SixCats!

[Avecesar]

I own and love SMN Patchouli ; it's my favorite patchouli. Very long lasting (all day) with good projection.
I blind bought Acqua di Cuba and was disappointed : it gave me headache ...

[SixCats]

Hi Ave,

I am happy to hear you love SMN "PATCHOULI". Chances are high that I will purchase a bottle of SMN Patchouli in the future.
Ugggh, sorry to hear Acqua di Cuba (so far) hasn't work out for you yet. AdC is a STRONG Fragrance (especially out of the gate)
and not a Fragrance for the faint of Heart. Even I have to be careful to NOT apply too much AdC least I too would get a Headache.
Perhaps put some time between you and AdC and (when you feel brave) spray just a tiny amount on Wrist and upper Chest.
I hope you'll grow to love AdC as much as SMN Patchouli.

Regards,

SixCats!

[Trilby Lark]

Hi SixCats & SMN fans,

I am intrigued by Lana, a fairly recent release. According to the SMN website, it is “soft, warm and sweet, evoking the sensation of sinking your hands into wool.” Notes are leather, sandalwood, cedar, vetiver, and powdery notes of moss and rose petals. It appeals to me because I often experience fragrance in relation to fabric textures, possibly a mild form of synesthesia.

Distribution and production are extremely limited so I haven’t sampled it. I’m considering a blind buy before it goes away. Does anyone have any experience with it?

[Kaern]

For pull no punches scents in the vein of Acqua di Cuba, I enjoyed Patchouli. I’m not sure I enjoyed Peau de Espagne, but it’s a no compromise concoction.

Love Nostalgia.
In a lighter style Tobacco Toscano is nice. For fresh scents, the only full bottle I’ve ever finished is the original Acqua Colonia. I also enjoy their jasmine.

+1

Also, Melograno -- the pomegranate one

[donna255]

I have Peau D'Espagne in parfum strength dark and gorgeous.

Carnation which is a monster sillage clove.

Iris, great rooty iris and longevity

[ClaireV]

Trilby - I would advise caution. I tried it in Dublin last week, and was absolutely blown away at first. The opening has this sweet, nutty candied quality, like those old-fashioned milk caramels you get in wax paper, and in the heart, it evolved to the best impression of pure ground nuts that I have ever smelled - milky, pappy, textured, very much a feature of the vetiver and sandalwood acting upon each other. It smells like soft white nougat, or torrone - both the whipped, white marshmallowy part and the plain crunch of the nuts. Delicious, and not overly sweet. But the drydown takes a turn towards the verrrrry sweet, and soon what starts out as tantalizing turns into something a little nauseating. It is stronger than the usual SMN performance too, so I felt hounded by it all day.

[Hat and Beard]

Peau D'Espagne and Marescialla are the two that stand out to me.

[ClaireV]

My SMN favourites are:

Citta di Kyoto: iris, lotus, and incense, a very calming, centering Japanese-style fragrance
Patchouli: best boozy hardcore patchouli, served straight up
Vaniglia: Bitter, smoky, medicinal, weird as hell vanilla - old wood, herbal liquer made by monks, and a batch of butterscotch cookies
Garofano: Medicinal clove and carnation - must like cloves! Feels like a tonic on cold days. Dries down to clove stick.
Tobacco Toscano: Light, rustic tobacco and honey, gauzy, not heavy (thank you, Cacio, for the soap recommendation - it's bloody expensive here, and was going to buy it a few weeks ago, but chickened out because I wasn't sure how intensely or truly scented the soap was. I will buy it this week)
Gelsomino: I have this in triple-strength extrait - fulsome, strong blend of the sour/leathery/rubber wrist strap smell of sambac jasmine with lots of the sweet, purply, animalic grandiflora for good measure. Very intense. Very horse dung in the drydown, which I like but my husband objects to.

[cacio]

Claire

when I got the tabacco toscano soap three or four years ago, it had a very good sillage. I haven't smelled this year, so you may want to doublecheck that it is still strong.Obviously, as with all soaps, it's really to scent drawers or the bathroom sink, the smell doesn't last on the skin (and it shouldn't).

cacio

[Trilby Lark]

Trilby - I would advise caution. I tried it in Dublin last week, and was absolutely blown away at first. The opening has this sweet, nutty candied quality, like those old-fashioned milk caramels you get in wax paper, and in the heart, it evolved to the best impression of pure ground nuts that I have ever smelled - milky, pappy, textured, very much a feature of the vetiver and sandalwood acting upon each other. It smells like soft white nougat, or torrone - both the whipped, white marshmallowy part and the plain crunch of the nuts. Delicious, and not overly sweet. But the drydown takes a turn towards the verrrrry sweet, and soon what starts out as tantalizing turns into something a little nauseating. It is stronger than the usual SMN performance too, so I felt hounded by it all day.

Oh, dear! Glad I asked. Thank you, ClaireV.

[Scarce]

Patchouli

Nostalgia

[SixCats]

Hi all,


I just wanted to say Thank You all for sharing your thoughts/suggestions on SMN.


SixCats!

[LiveJazz]

I own and love Tabacco Toscano and Acqua di Lavanda Ambrata, a simple but superb quality dry lavender/amber concoction.

Pot Pourri is a total sleeper of rich, smooth, old-world spice smells and a bracing eucalyptus note. Nobody ever mentions it. It dries down to a totally approachable resinous spice accord with a hint of smoky animalism.

Among the others I've tried:

-Acqua di Cuba is on my wish list.
-Patchouli is a no holds barred dank, wet-earth patchouli from the bowels of the underworld. It's an impressive creation, but IMO imposing to wear. Kudos to those who pull it off.
-Nostalgia has an interesting opening, but I don't remember to evolution and longevity being very compelling.
-Peau D'Espagne - my memory of this one is hazy, but as far as big butch leathers go, I remember preferring something with smoother edges, like Knize Ten or Bel Ami. But it's very good.
- I do like their traditional EDC (I forget the name), but hesitate to pay SMN prices for it.

This is one of my favorite houses. Very "rustic" overall vibe. Love their lavender bar soap, too.

[JDBIII]

L’eau d’Espagna
Citation di Kyoto
Two totally different creations, both beautiful.

[Scentologist]

Gold Musk. Smells like Dial soap. The original .

[Trilby Lark]

Hi all,


I just wanted to say Thank You all for sharing your thoughts/suggestions on SMN.


SixCats!

You are so welcome, SixCats! Thank YOU for facilitating an interesting thread.

[Pipistrello]

As Scentologist says, Gold Musk smells exactly like Dial soap; it's not my style.
Musk or Muschio, I like that, I have a bottle, I think is nice.
It is curious that no one has mentioned it, is usually one of the most classic and valued.

Taking into account the types of synthetic musks or too much detergent-types that is frequented now, is an ingenious combination.
It has a rooty and earthy touch between the sweet creamy tone that encourages you to smell it over and over again.
I like to splash it; I also would like to try the body lotion.

My favorite among the colonia range is Colonia Russa.
I also had a bottle of Alba from Seoul; of coniferous aroma, mild almost aquatic, with a note of pine nut if I remember correctly; I thought it was a bit boring, it didn't convince me.

Regards, Pipi

[ClaireV]

Ah Pipistrello, the original Muschio is great, thanks for reminding me of it! I don't know why I left it off my list. It has the same weird butterscotch undertone that Vaniglia has, which is perhaps why I never invested in it. But as a warm, vegetal alternative to the usual white laundry musks, it is certainly ideal.

Cacio - no worries, I won't hold you responsible if the TT soap doesn't live up to expectations! The lady who manages the SMN shop up in Dublin says that she bought it for her husband and they both love it, so two positive mentions make it a worthwhile risk for me. I am also attracted to the iris and vetiver soaps, do you have any experience with those? I smelled the vetiver soaps through their wrapping a different time and thought it was a true "unearthed from a mass grave" kind of vetiver, just completely raw, rooty, and dank. I'm kind of attracted to that idea for summer, though. The Iris cologne is one of those scents that I find very weird, although few others share my opinion - after a very pretty violet opening, it gets extremely rooty and ends up smelling like wall plaster, old books, and dry mold. Makes me wonder what the soaps would be like. The cologne is barely floral; it kind of does a switcheroo from its violet topnotes to a wholly un-perfumey, rooty aroma.

SixCats - thanks for starting this thread! As you can see, there are plenty of avid SMN fans in the hive. I love this brand.

Trilby - always glad to prevent a blind buy if I can! The store manager told me that SMN developed Lana with Ballantyne, the Scottish cashmere brand for one of their fashion shows and all the wool garments were sprayed with the perfume. The notes mention rose, which I didn't get at all, and reviews on Fragrantica seem to peg it as a fluffy rose gourmand, so I guess you should take my opinion with a grain of salt and test it to see if you get a different impression. I had been kind of hoping the perfume would smell a bit like lanolin, but it doesn't alas.

[Diamondflame]

I last visited SMN in Florence in 2011. Didn’t get to try them all but I did bring home a bottle of Eva. An elegant hay & vetiver fragrance that wears very well in the tropics. Also enjoyed Nostalgia.

[cacio]

I have used a few SMN soaps and they all smelled good (Tabacco Toscano being perhaps the strongest smell), also when stored in drawers. After a while though they made my skin dry, so I stopped using them. I don't recall vetiver specifically, though.

cacio