Rosa Novella Santa Maria Novella 2020

A Benjamin Button situation of a rose. At first spray, it's plumes of something an antique-y and vintage-y. It put me off for a while before I revisited it. I think it's the rose in combination with the stringent petitgrain.

But it soon relaxes and the tension gives way to something more youthful, sweet, and lemon-y. It's actually a dead ringer for Skinfood's Black Sugar mask which has a light citrus scent. So that's probably where I got the sugar-lemon association. In contrast to a lot of other reviewers, I think it's a modern offering from SMN compared to their usual, aged apothecary assortment.

Rosa Novella is a shy rose blossom sweetened by jasmine and gardenias. Although it has distinct vintage vibe, it's still a youthful, airy, well-balanced scent. Its youthfulness, light, appropriate for a hot summer day as well as a freezing winter night. Unfortunately, it's pretty short-lived on my skin. On clothes, you can enjoy it a bit longer. If you like youthful, fresh roses, it deserves a chance.
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Rosa Novella este un boboc de trandafir sfios, îndulcit de gardenii și iasomie. Deși este un amestec cu izuri vintage, este un parfum foarte frumos balansat și aerisit. Are un aer tineresc, ușor, care se potrivește atât pe caniculă cât și într-o zi friguroasă de iarnă. Din păcate, la fel ca multe altele de la Santa Maria, nu persistă foarte bine pe piele. Pe haine, poți să te bucuri un pic mai mult de el. Dacă îți plac trandafirii, merită o șansă.

A rose surrounded by white florals and delicate citrus notes with a subtly waxy nuance. The fresh, green, floral opening gradually gains sweetness, allowing the namesake rose to bloom against a backdrop of smooth, woody accords. Overall, the composition feels pleasantly spring-like, though not the lightest, as it can occasionally become slightly heady. It is a well-crafted floral fragrance with a depth that goes beyond simple, mainstream rose interpretations. Well worth discovering.

Rosa Novella immediately transports me back to my very first trip to Italy, where I discovered Florence and fell completely in love with the city's beauty. It was during a week of an intense heatwave. The weather was scorching, and this perfume offered the most refreshing citrus opening before settling into a chic, classic floral. It has a beautiful vintage touch, but without ever feeling like something you’d find in your grandmother's closet.

I consider it a unisex fragrance, as my husband frequently borrows and enjoys wearing it. Other scents from the house that I absolutely love are Magnolia, Eva, and Acqua di Sicilia. All of them share that signature Santa Maria Novella DNA of classic and still modern fragrances.

Rose fragrances are not my thing.....it is solely thanks to the persuasive power of the very competent Gesa Hotzen from Santa Maria Novella Munich that I even tested this scent....

“You don’t like rose..? Then this is the perfect rose fragrance for you...!! A completely new interpretation of this note...”

And how right she was..!! The combination of rose and citrus fruits creates something completely unusual and unique......the acidity of the citrus fruits lightens the rose, removing its heaviness and stuffiness, making it shine with a fruity-fresh quality....as if there were such a thing as a “rose fruit”.......this surprising and beautiful first impression is underlined by a gentle floral hint.......really just a hint.....

Soon a fine herbal note joins in......not pizza oregano and not sharp-biting T-bone steak pepper......the herbs rather sprinkle the scene with a subtle spiciness that gives the fragrance an extremely noble quality......I spontaneously picture an elegantly dressed, striking Milanese woman who masters the game of seduction as well as the trade in stocks....

The scent development concludes with an incredibly beautiful and warm gentle-mossy base.....

All in all, it is a very subtle fragrance......understated and with remarkable class......it smells to me of dignified calmness and complete femininity .....