Gelsomino Santa Maria Novella 2023 Eau de Parfum

This summer I stayed in Milan, right by Gelsomini station on the M4 metro, and every time I descended the steps to the subway I kept thinking of the Passeggiata del Gelsomino (Jasmine Walk) at the Vatican. This elevated passageway has a great view of St. Peter`s Basilica and in the right season, the most beautiful aroma of blooming jasmine washes over you. I didn`t like Milan. Most of it seemed too new, too commercial, too "cleaned up for the tourists." All the time I was there, I kept wishing I could run away to Rome, a city I love. Wearing this Gelsomino Eau de Parfum while strolling around those sterilized streets consoled me a little. It`s such a beautiful, feminine jasmine, no frills, just the right amount of white flowers and citrus to make you feel fresh, light, presentable. I went through 10ml decant of this pretty jasmine in one week, this is how much I wanted to isolate myself from that fashionable Milanese environment.

The creation of my watchlist is breathtakingly arbitrary. The casualness with which fragrances land on it sometimes astonishes me. And so my nose stumbled completely unprepared over a carefully selected addition: Gelsomino Eau de Parfum

Jasmine scents always enchant me, as long as they manage without indolic notes, which is why I boldly moistened my wrist: Bam! A heavy olfactory slap in the face with a whole bouquet of flowers. Ouch!

Wait. I need to collect my thoughts.

Who am I to review fragrances from the oldest pharmacy in Europe? And now this jasmine wonder, whose ingredients made their way from Goa to the strictly guarded greenhouses of the Grand Duke of Tuscany - Cosimo III de' Medici - in 1688.

I can understand old Cosimo. There’s something about this jasmine, once I’ve recovered from the initial shock. Sniff again:

There’s natural freshness (bergamot) and a bit of sharpness (pepper). Then there’s a certain kind of indole (I believe), but it doesn’t come off as fecal or urinous, rather it just lets a hint of ammonia waft through the nose.
Before I can think about whether I like that or not, Goa Jasmine hits me.

This doesn’t come across as delicately monothematic; instead, it has rosy-lemony notes in tow. Ylang-ylang surprisingly contributes a softly honeyed sweetness, which allows the heart note triad to fade harmoniously on the skin.

Wait. Did I say “fade”? Wrong word. It lingers, and for quite a while. As befits such a noble and well-protected Medici plant*, it sits somewhat motionless on the skin for hours, allowing itself to be admired for its naturally beautiful floral quality.

And I must give Gelsomino credit: the scent truly comes across as naturally beautiful. To my nose, completely free of “synthetics” aka artificial lab sludge vibes. I think of real flowers. Of old alleys in Florence. Of sun-drenched landscapes. Of the Villa Medicea di Castello (as if I knew what it looks like).

The chances that this olfactory daydream can also be picked up by my surroundings are not bad: the sillage moves between cultivated restraint and feudal desire for recognition. That’s something to work with!

One last sniff for farewell: The musk-cedar combo from the base was announced, but ultimately shied away from making a grand entrance. The radiance of the heart notes is too strong. Probably too intimidating.

Lastly, I must mention the pretty bottle, which is shaped in elegant simplicity but knows how to charm with ornate decorations on the cap and logo. In this way, the scent and bottle fit together wonderfully.

Flower enthusiasts who like it lush but not too sweet: please give it a try.
Thanks to the Medici.
*Of course, the Medici did not "invent" or breed Goa Jasmine. Cosimo simply knew how to protect his precious gift from the profane noses of Europe. Gatekeeping deluxe.