Farmacia SS - a brand that magically attracts me. This is partly due to its medical origins, its centuries-old tradition, and the beautiful bottles (especially the new black ones).
It exudes such seriousness for me, like a family business without bling-bling marketing or any other frills. More "handmade/homemade" and alchemical.
In its sympathetic appearance, it strongly reminds me of Carthusia. Unfortunately, they only showcased their room fragrances at Exsence 2018, so I couldn't fully test the range. But the bottles were a real eye-catcher, reminiscent of Dimple whiskey, great!
So I had to order the samples online. I was vaguely familiar with the anniversary scent 450 from a colleague who usually has nothing to do with niche fragrances, so I was more than surprised when she pulled it out of her bag! So I needed to do a detailed test again!
I'll keep it short, the scent is fantastic! This is simply because I love fragrances like Bois d'Iris (Van Arpels), Bois d'Argent (Dior Prive), Lye (Gabriella Chieffo), or The Woods/New Level (Brooklyn Soap Company).
This wonderful blend of light woods, incense, and powder just appeals to me and evokes a lovely, cozy feeling on cold days.
The differences between the individual scents lie in nuances; Bois d'Iris is the sweetest of them all, The Woods has the wood a bit more in the foreground, while Bois d'Argent features the incense. I like all facets.
The fragrance radiates warmth and elegance from within; everything about it is bright, soft, and sensual. Unfortunately, its longevity (like the others) is quite moderate; after 3-4 hours, it's all over, and the sillage is rather close to the skin from the start, with Van Arpels standing out a bit here. The fact that 450, like the other scents, does not develop significantly is forgiven, as it smells great from the beginning, but I can't overlook the poor performance, as otherwise, it would only suffice as a sofa-cuddle scent. Unfortunately, there are no samples available for the stronger version "Concentrato" to make a comparison, and currently, there is no discovery kit either.
However, the very friendly customer service provided me with a few additional addresses where the fragrances can be found in Germany, apart from the two large online retailers. I will then provide a direct comparison here as an edit. It's a shame that this wonderful and somewhat unknown brand is so rarely encountered in Germany; even in Italy, it is not often found. It definitely deserves a bit more spotlight!
Venusia 5 years ago
Ernstheiter 7 years ago