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7.1 / 10 79 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
Powdery

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
GingerGinger Pink pepperPink pepper Black pepperBlack pepper
Heart Notes Heart Notes
Moroccan roseMoroccan rose Splendens roseSplendens rose
Base Notes Base Notes
OpoponaxOpoponax Bourbon vanillaBourbon vanilla BenzoinBenzoin

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
7.179 Ratings
Longevity
7.165 Ratings
Sillage
6.764 Ratings
Bottle
6.753 Ratings
Value for money
6.611 Ratings
Submitted by Inala · last update on 12/22/2024.
Source-backed & verified

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
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Reviews

3 in-depth fragrance descriptions
ElisaS95

9 Reviews
ElisaS95
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
0 Comments
ScentFan

336 Reviews
ScentFan
ScentFan
Very helpful Review 6  
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.
2 Comments
Ergoproxy

1130 Reviews
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Ergoproxy
Ergoproxy
Top Review 19  
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
8 Comments

Statements

20 short views on the fragrance
3
Vintage potpourri, rosewater and face powder with a spicy kick from ginger & pepper. Nuanced and bold but a touch too opulent for me
0 Comments
2
Surprisingly pleasant and layered! Oriental, rose-based, but also - a strong metal shavings presence that tingles your nose, unusual!
0 Comments
1
A rose perfume with a very prominent opoponax note, which I don't like in such quantity. It smells like a vintage rose soap.
0 Comments
1
A different kind of rose; a lot of pepper and mhyrra initially but if you wait a little bit, rose , benzoin and vanilla come out!
0 Comments
27
25
Extremely spicy
Too much blush on my cheeks
Out of the dark
Into the light
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25 Comments
25
22
One of the pioneers of the trend for dark rose scents with pepper, with a soft, warm note in the base: perhaps the most beautiful to this day!
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22 Comments
12
1
Masterfully intertwined contrasts: dark rose petals and pepper ... scratchy and spicy on a vanilla soft, warming balm cloud.
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1 Comment
11
Classic, nostalgic, yet fitting for today, this rose scented with myrrh on a melting vanilla base. Elegant!
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0 Comments
8
9
Invigorating start, top-notch rose petals that maintain their velvety touch through Opo-vanilla. The pepper notes are skillfully fused. Good.
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9 Comments
8
2
Myrrh-like pepper-rose powder with a baroque touch. The opening is quite sharp, but it softens over time.
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2 Comments
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