“Gershwin” is Maria Candida Gentile's most citrusy perfume I've sampled so far. It contains a rather unconventional combination of various citruses and incense, which led me to dubbing the perfume “liturgical citrus”. Allegedly, Ms Gentile utilises a large amount of natural ingredients in her perfumes (according to some accounts they're 100% natural, which I would definitely take with a pinch of salt). I'm not sure I'd be able to tell the difference between a natural molecule and a synthetic one, but “Gershwin” does smell “natural”. The citruses in it are not overdone (there's no acidic sourness irritating your nostrils here); on the contrary, they exude a pleasantly zesty aroma, bringing to mind their flesh as well as their rind. After a while, incense arrives on the scene. In my opinion, it is the intriguing citrus-incense combination which prevents the scent from being categorised as yet another citrus-based summer cologne. The combo is improved even more by cloves in the base.
Nevertheless, “Gershwin”´s greatest strength (a high amount of natural notes) is, at the same time, its biggest drawback. On my skin, the fragrance has a weak sillage, not to mention its poor longevity. It basically evaporates almost completely within 2-3 hours. At this price range, I'd expect much more convincing results in these two departments. That being said, “Gershwin” is a fine scent that every perfumista ought to try out.
