Top Notes 
Italian bergamot
Cyclamen
Egyptian basil
Heart Notes 
Fresh laundry
Jasmine
Mock-orange
Base Notes 
Bread
Australian sandalwood
Green hazelnut
Precious woods
Amyris
Carrot seed
Indian sandalwood
04/17/2015
Drseid
821 Reviews
Drseid
2
Did Someone Call The Doctor?...
South opens with a moderately sweet, almost transparent accord before quickly moving to its heart. As the composition enters its early heart the sweetness drops to a more modest level, as a slightly sharp, clinical gauze-like synthetic fresh accord takes over. As the composition moves further through its middle, the gauze-like synthetic fresh accord adds in subtle spice and underlying natural smelling vague woods. During the late dry-down the clinical fresh accord gradually recedes as the now semi-transparent woods hang on through the finish. Projection is average and longevity below average at about 5 hours on skin.
The first time I tried South on skin for an early read I described the experience rather negatively as smelling like "odd spice". Just like anything else, first impressions don't always prove true and I would say "odd spice" really is not the best descriptor of what I smell now with a full wearing. Instead, the best descriptor of the key heart accord is a very fresh, clinical, gauze-like rubbing alcohol experience. When wearing South, I almost feel like I was in a hospital or doctor's office, smelling the alcohol laden swabs and other sanitized instruments throughout. This sounds a lot worse than it is, and in fact there really is nothing wrong with the composition as I find it pretty mundane and easy to wear. The only question I have is "Would I want to smell like I just came out of a hospital or doctor's office?" In my case, the answer is a pretty solid, "No." The rubbing alcohol aspect coupled with the house trademark poor performance metrics (save, Le Mat) make South a rather benign, but unwanted composition that just doesn't seem to fit in with the "real world". The bottom line is the 185 Euro per 100ml bottle South is a competent release by Mendittorosa, but one that needs some warmth and heart, earning an above average 2.5 to 3 stars out of 5 and a neutral recommendation with a positive bias.
The first time I tried South on skin for an early read I described the experience rather negatively as smelling like "odd spice". Just like anything else, first impressions don't always prove true and I would say "odd spice" really is not the best descriptor of what I smell now with a full wearing. Instead, the best descriptor of the key heart accord is a very fresh, clinical, gauze-like rubbing alcohol experience. When wearing South, I almost feel like I was in a hospital or doctor's office, smelling the alcohol laden swabs and other sanitized instruments throughout. This sounds a lot worse than it is, and in fact there really is nothing wrong with the composition as I find it pretty mundane and easy to wear. The only question I have is "Would I want to smell like I just came out of a hospital or doctor's office?" In my case, the answer is a pretty solid, "No." The rubbing alcohol aspect coupled with the house trademark poor performance metrics (save, Le Mat) make South a rather benign, but unwanted composition that just doesn't seem to fit in with the "real world". The bottom line is the 185 Euro per 100ml bottle South is a competent release by Mendittorosa, but one that needs some warmth and heart, earning an above average 2.5 to 3 stars out of 5 and a neutral recommendation with a positive bias.
