Smeriglio

It has a lemon yellow incipit with a modest ginger graft. The passage of time transforms it into a slightly aquatic blend with a floral component that imposes itself. The image of the water lily with its leaves resting on the water is appropriate. In the finish the perfume veers towards the woody while maintaining the floral component in the background. It is a fragrance from which a sensation of cleanliness emerges, a little green, slightly woody. The name I would give it is River Ritual.

The bottle design is beautiful, the fragrance inside is just discreet. I'm not thrilled to smell it. I'm won over by the initial citrus explosion, in which the scent of a quality lemon, freshly squeezed, reigns supreme. If it had been like this until the end, it would have been a good citrus perfume, 8/10. Instead, after a few minutes, the lemon is joined by a smokiness that partly recalls that of the mosquito repellents so in vogue in this summer period. The only accord present is limited to these two notes, it is not despicable, but suffers from the lack of something else. Then, after no more than twenty minutes, only the smoke that lingers for a long time remains perceptible, sprayed at 8 in the morning, it can still be felt 10 cm from the skin, at 18. It could have been something glorious and instead it is an incomplete work.

It is citrusy, even if only for two or three minutes, precisely the lemon makes itself felt. Then the bitter/dark green/herbaceous note of rhubarb explodes, to which is immediately added the saffron which opens the barn doors to us, as it recalls the smell of hay. This accord continues for more or less half an hour, then gradually fades away, leaving room for the tea note. It is a lightly sweetened tea that is combined with white musk to create the drydown. Whoever created this fragrance wanted to enhance the contrast between light and dark; initially the rhubarb contrasts with the saffron; subsequently black tea opposes white musk.

What you can hear here is music that is played with just a few notes. There is a reference to citrus fruits at the beginning; a little bergamot and cedar cannot bring you to enjoy their scent, because they are evanescent. A few seconds later you start to perceive the woody notes, so there is no central phase. The birch makes itself felt and gives the fragrance a slightly smoky, partly fresh or it would be better to write camphorated scent. Cedar wood is relegated to a secondary role; ultimately, it is a perfume that has minimal development, but the birch note with its nuances manages to make the entire fragrance appreciable.

You know when you walk into a restaurant where your friends have taken you and you survey the situation. You realize that it is packaged well, it is of a certain level and this suggests a high cost for the menu. You start to scroll through the list of food and wine provided by the house and assume an incredulous attitude when the prices catch your eye; “really below the market average” you exclaim. "They will bring us some pre-cooked food." None of this. The approach to this perfume is similar to the metaphor described above. At the opening it is fresh, with the presence of more bergamot and less lemon, but also very aromatic; there is a very consistent mugwort which, together with a little coriander, makes the atmosphere herbaceous, bitter. These aromatic herbs continue to writhe under the nose for at least ten minutes while the citrus fruits take on a secluded profile. At this point the fragrance turns towards a note of vetiver which at first appears clean thanks to the influence of neroli; then, entering the final phase, the fragrance exhibits a classic style with a propagation of oakmoss and vetiver, softened by a nuance of sandalwood. Experience above expectations