Anime Sante Maria Candida Gentile 2019

Judging by its name, I expected “Anime Sante” (or Holy Souls) to be a perfume composed around the note of frankincense. This in itself would be a very gratifying idea to me as Maria Candida Gentile surely knows how to incorporate the note effectively into her creations without making it smell too churchy or overwhelming. “Sideris”, “Exultat” or “Gershwin” exemplify not only the perfumer’s technical expertise, but also her artistic sensitivities. Imagine my surprise then when I first smelt “Anime Sante” and detected no trace of frankincense whatsoever. Instead, its head is dominated by a sweet flowery aroma of frangipani, so sweet in fact that at times it reminds me of the smell of pink bubble gum. To my relief, however, this phase lasts only for a couple of minutes. Although the sweetness never recedes completely, it becomes less intense and more palatable in the heart where a combination of melon and almond milk adds a gourmand accord to the scent. This accord permeates the drydown with the support of benzoin. Nevertheless, at this stage woody notes emerge as well, which tones the sweetness down even further.

“Anime Sante” will appeal to lovers of sweet, floral-gourmand fragrances. While that might sound like a description of some banal, uninspiring product, fear not. In Ms Candida Gentile’s capable hands, it turns into a lovely scent. Well, I guess the lady holds the title of a master perfumer for a reason.