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Cinabre Maria Candida Gentile 2009

7.2 / 10 81 Ratings

A perfume by Maria Candida Gentile for women, released in 2009. The scent is spicy-floral. It is still in production.
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Main accords

Spicy

Floral

Resinous

Sweet

Oriental

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Ginger

Pink pepper

Black pepper

Heart Notes

Moroccan rose

Splendens rose

Base Notes

Opoponax

Bourbon vanilla Benzoin

Benzoin

Perfumer

Maria Candida Gentile

Ratings

Scent

7.281 Ratings

Longevity

7.167 Ratings

Sillage

6.666 Ratings

Bottle

6.755 Ratings

Value for money

6.713 Ratings

Submitted by Inala · last update on 01/31/2026.

Source-backed & verified

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What the fragrance is similar to

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Reviews

4 in-depth fragrance descriptions

01/29/2026

5Scent 4Longevity 4Sillage

MartaRegina
542 Reviews

MartaRegina

Warm, spicy scent, warming, pleasant

Warm, spicy scent that feels immediately comforting and inviting, carrying a pleasant character from the first moment. It is slightly sweet in a floral way, adding a soft and gentle brightness to the overall impression. The composition remains cozy and harmonious throughout, creating a soothing warmth that makes it easy and enjoyable to wear.

12/30/2020

9Scent 7Longevity 10Sillage

ElisaS95
9 Reviews

ElisaS95

Helpful Review 1

Cutting memories

Cinabre, literally meaning "of the vermillion colour of cinnabar", is a fitting name for this early creation from Maria Candida Gentile, one of the four perfumes of her own first line.

The names she gives to her perfumes may be uncommon as their scent, and her works are undoubtedly original on the perfumery landscape, but, they make memories resurface inside of me with such clarity, that I could compare them to still frames of my childhood.

Perhaps it is because we're from the same land that Cinabre is so familiar to me.

But my very first approach wasn't like meeting something familiar, on the contrary, it was estranging.
Cinabre opens with a strong, razor-sharp ginger and peppercorn accord.
After a while, you become more accustomed to it and you realize that it is not like freshly cut ginger- these spices are dried, and together they still release their scent in a thick, somewhat sweet, delicious aroma. It doesn't last long before rose joins the stage.
On the middle notes, rose is the most prominent. Unlike any other I have in my collection, this rose is unique. This isn't a dewy, pink rose- It's big and cutting, in a bed of spices and warm resins. So sharp, that if I sniff close to my wrist, it's like I can smell a droplet of blood on its petals, because of my inattentiveness while admiring it.

Nearing the end stage, Cinabre leaves the spot to delicious vanilla, with faint traces of the spicy rose from before.
This perfume is altogether warm and feels heavy. If I were to describe it in fewer words then, I'd say that Cinabre is a warm, mature, thick, spicy perfume with a sharp rose that ends in vanilla and resins.

It's definitely not for the warmer months. I feel like it would be too much to handle. It performs well in fall and winter, and maybe in early spring.
It has an enormous sillage: My mom asked me immediately what perfume I was wearing today as soon as I took a few steps to go down the stairs. And that's just from applying a few drops on each wrist from a sample vial!

I hope that, if you like rose perfumes, you'll give this one a try. It is really a unique find from Italian perfumery.

Updated on 02/03/2021

04/26/2014

9Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

ScentFan
336 Reviews

ScentFan

Very helpful Review 7

Magic Blending

Never would I have imagined that ginger, pink pepper and black pepper could smell like this, but let your mind put them together, assume success, and Cinabre's top note is exactly what you'll get. The rose heart rises and blends with the spice, neither overpowering the other. Next comes the vanilla base and the sweetly resinous opoponax and this scent's magic is achieved. If you don't like pepper, this one may not be for you, but give it a try. Like most Maria Gentiles, Cinabre is a special and exotic perfume, well worth the experience.

07/29/2012

9Scent 7.5Longevity 7Sillage

Ergoproxy
1131 Reviews

Translated · Show original

Ergoproxy

Top Review 20

Cinnabar, hardly anyone associates it with a color today.

I must admit that brands with an antique-looking presentation have a special appeal to me. Although this is not true for every brand, in this case, the fragrance is high-quality and well-composed.

Maria Candida Gentile learned her craft in Grasse, among others with Carol André. In addition to some fragrance concepts for Italian hotels, she also created the perfume "Pinede des Princes," a tribute to Caroline of Monaco.

Currently, there are a total of six fragrances in her collection, offered in 15ml and 100ml. A line of scented candles is reportedly in the works according to the website. But now, let’s talk about Cinabre.

When we use the term Cinnabar today, it is probably more in a negative context. Cinnabar stands for something cheap or for farce.
The term Cinnabar red is not as commonly used nowadays.

According to the website, the name of the fragrance is derived from the resin of the dragon tree, which apparently turns red upon contact with the skin. MCG drew inspiration from an ancient portal of the Villa Palombara in Rome, which features a dragon next to a dragon tree alongside an inscription.

The key note in Cinabre is a wonderful and deep rose note, which skillfully runs through the entire fragrance journey.

The opening is spicy and has a well-measured ginger sharpness. The rose, however, still holds back a bit here.

The transitions in the fragrance development are very smooth, and the sharpness gradually fades, giving way to the lush rose, which receives a spicy-sweet undertone from Davana (mugwort). The heart note lingers for a long time before the fragrance becomes increasingly resinous and softer.

Cinabre may not develop a massive sillage, but it has very good longevity.

All in all, there is something wonderfully nostalgic about the entire composition, without coming across as overly sentimental or outdated.

I am very much looking forward to the remaining fragrances!

Updated on 10/29/2023