Mandarino di Sicilia

It’s an obscure brand I haven’t given a second thought to in about 20 years (I think I used to buy their scented candles back then). I was on the hunt for something fresh — something like Cool Water, but more modern and long‐lasting. I typed my fragrance preferences into Deepseek, made a list, and headed to the store. To my surprise, every scent on the AI‐generated list was great — nothing needed changing. In the end, I kept the rest of the options on my “to bottle” list, but I bought the Acqua di Parma first. The consultant also suggested their fig scent, which I got too — but I’ll talk about that later. The main reason I’d never really considered the brand before was that I somehow assumed their fragrances didn’t last long, kind of like Jo Malone colognes. “Oh, no!” the consultant exclaimed. “They stay put, especially the Mandarino one.” She was right — it lasts at least 20 hours on my skin. The scent is mostly suited to mornings and daytime; it’s energising. If you wear it in the evening, it’ll be like drinking strong coffee — you won’t fall asleep. It’s perfect for warm weather: it mentally transports you to the Riviera. Its uniqueness also lies in the fact that, unlike many fresh compositions, it doesn’t remind me of laundry detergent or air freshener — no household‐chemical vibes at all. Another definite plus is the reasonable price and the fact that it is not overly popular (too many people are chasing overhyped fragrances like Louis Vuitton). So now this scent is my personal elixir of energy and, at the same time, a ticket to the Sicilian Riviera. 👌🏻 I’m happy with the purchase — and with the AI’s recommendations. P.s. too sad they say it will be discontinued.

Spearmint gum laced orange popsicle . And a sprig of petitgrain (lemony leaves/twigs) . Like perhaps a mint-forward interpretation of Eau de Rochas Homme replacing the basil. This is quite effervescent in the opening, and a bit more dated in its greenness and sweetness (late 80’s / early 90’s) - think more Aramis New West for Him and Escape, as opposed to say Versace Eros. Ironically enough, my mind also went to A*Men Ultra Zest and Tauer’s Orange Star as more “contemporary” fragrances - this never going too thick nor heavy nor too sweet. And perhaps a nod to a more “natural” Cedro di Diamante . Very orange, very green, slightly sweet, slightly off-putting, slightly entrancing . Better than Futura? For me, yes - a perhaps slight return-to-form. *update: wife purchased this for me after finding a t-shirt in the hamper that kept the fragrance for a few days - asked me what it was, and immediately went online. Very happy summer ahead! As an aside: Tomlaf188 (below) notes coriander - to me, fresh coriander is better represented in Aqua Media; however, I will concede this ADP does hint at the cilantro vibe of Live Jazz - sweetness and all. So 188’s impression is quite apt. As an aside #2: heracles (above) references Annick Goutal fragrances in relation to this fragrance and I wholeheartedly agree - and appreciate hercales opening my eyes to that correlation. Certainly there is a bit of a nod to the tip-of-the-tongue Eau d’Hadrien EDP, but also to the lesser-referenced Un Matin d’Orage EDP in its water-drenched opening. Very eye-opening citrus. Very apt correlation, indeed, especially to Goutal’s creaminess found specifically in the EDP blends (compared to the EDT blends)

I blind bought this because I had smelled Tom Ford’s Mandarino di Amalfi in-store and completely fell for it—but it was just too overpriced for what it was. When I heard Acqua di Parma released Mandarino di Sicilia, I figured it could scratch that same itch, and honestly... it kinda does. The opening is super bright and sharp in a good way—like that feeling when you eat pineapple and it almost stings your tongue. It’s this punchy mix of green mandarin and bitter orange that feels so alive and fresh, like sun hitting citrus peel. There’s also this clean minty coolness underneath (spearmint, I think) that adds this breezy effect without smelling like toothpaste. Compared to Amalfi, this one is definitely more linear and more citrus-focused. No florals or deeper base. And yeah, it doesn’t last that long on skin—maybe 3-5 hours max unless you go heavy or spray on clothes. But honestly? It smells really clean, natural, and expensive in a way that a lot of citrus scents don’t. If you’re expecting it to be a 1:1 dupe of Tom Ford’s version, it’s not. But if you just want that bright, luxe citrus energy without dropping €250, this is a really solid summer daily driver. I’ll definitely keep wearing it in warm weather.

This is a very accurate rendition of the mandarin orange imo. Smells like I'm smelling the real thing. They managed to make it perform good (for a citrus) without making it smell like chemical fixatives (looking at you arancia la spugnatura flanker). I love this brand but their releases such as the newest Colonia Club have been absolute garbage, and not befitting of a brand with this heritage and pedigree. I mean come on, Cary Grant and Audrey Hepbern wore ADP and you release this new club that smells like a worse made copy of Armani Code? But I digress, this one is more befitting of the quality I expect from the house. If you like Arancia but hate that it only lasts 20 minutes, give this a try. If you are obsessed with performance get the arancia flanker or don't wear citrus dominant fragrances because you'll always be disappointed. You cannot have natural and strong performance in this category, you pick one or the other. Here, you'll get 6ish hours which is very good for a natural smelling citrus. ---------------------------------------------- Scent 90/100 Performance 65/100

It's petitgrain and spearmint forward. Green mandarin is unripe but manages to provide some fruitiness to it. Among ADP's greenest fragrances, alongside Cipresso and Ginepro. This one is a brighter, fresher green than those two. At first, I wasn't a fan but it's grown on me in the last 20 minutes. Becomes a bit more creamy and rounder as time goes on, but not by much. The opening is too green and soapy for my taste, so I wish they rounded it out a little more in the dry down. Although, overall, I like smelling this, the way I might like looking at a piece of art, I can't imagine ever wanting to smell LIKE this. However, I will say that this is so much more interesting and commendable than what ADP has been putting out for the past couple of years. They haven't released a memorable fragrance in years, and nothing that's catching any interest in the fragrance community. Doubt this will either.

I love that this is finally getting the recognition it deserves. I own and have owned a ton of Acqua Di Parma fragrances and tested nearly every single one they've ever made (they sell them down the street from where I live) and I think this is an gem from the house. You can find genuine bottles on the secondary market for around 50 bucks which is an absolute steal. If you want an citrus dominant (primarily Mandarin orange obviously) fragrance that actually lasts a decent amount of time without smelling like its loaded chemicals, this is the ticket. It smells realistic and has an ingredient quality advantage over the stuff you find in the mall. ADP still uses the ancient sea sponge method to extract their citruses. Guerlain also makes a nice mandarin, but don't sleep on this one.

I really like (and own) this fragrance, I love it for its interesting dry orange character in particular. I agree it’s really underrated. That said, I can recognise the good and bad in some of the reviews below. Maybe for 2 reasons: 1) it’s actually quite a niche scent and maybe not quite what you’d expect from a large commercial house. I think it’s all the better for that... 2) how you perceive it is very temperature dependent. Personally I think it works incredibly well in summer heat (25C plus). At lower temperatures, there can be a slight ‘cleaning fluid’ scent that others have noted. I also have the hand wash version and that does not have the same sensitivity. Overall though, as a big fan of this house, it’s a core part of the collection.

This fragrance is truly unisex; both men and women will enjoy the scent after applying it. It has a vibrant aroma reminiscent of organic mandarin in 4K, which alone can lift your spirits. However, you will need to reapply it every couple of hours. While this may seem inconvenient, the appealing scent makes it worthwhile, as it's quite addictive during its opening, even though it has a short half-life. I wouldn't recommend purchasing this if your collection fits on a single shelf. This fragrance is ideal for avid fragrance enthusiasts looking to add something unique to their collection, but its cost doesn't match its longevity. Personally, I love it, being a fragrance junkie myself, so take my opinion for what it’s worth. ✌️😎

There is some overlap with this fragrance and Arancia La Spugnatura, but there are some differences that they aren't completely redundant. If you like ALS you will like this as well, fresh citrus based with a heavy musk that comes off as slightly oceanic. Very refreshing, light and easy to wear for spring and summer. This is the type of scent that would pop off of your skin as the heat turns up. There's almost celery like note that comes out and I know that sounds unpleasant and usually is but it isn't bad in this. I think that's just my mind playing a trick on me with the spearmint (which is very prominent).

Absolutely love this fragrance. It's probably my favorite ADP scent. It's absolutely unique and even if you are not crazy about it the first time you try it out, you'll be thinking about it for days after trying it out. At least, that was my experience. After my first wear, I wanted to smell it again and again, then I ran out of my 2ml decant and was sad. It was a MUST BUY for me so I can keep smelling it. Longevity could be better, but I got the 6oz bottle, so I can respray halfway through the day. Cannot wait to wear this in the spring/summer.

This delighted me so much. I normally steer clear from linear, citrus fragrances- but the smell of a mandarin peel was so visceral on my skin that it made me chuckle a little. I truly enjoy this, very fresh and uplifting! I don’t get a lot of mint on my skin, but that’s fine. The juicy mandarine is super strong! I was pleasantly surprised with the sillage and longevity too, very few fresh fragrances last more than 5+ hours on me. Beautiful and refreshing. I am in love!

I really don't understand why ADP refuses to release anything outside of its Colonia, Blu Mediterraneo, or Signatures of the Sun lines. Why not FINALLY create an all new, standalone fragrance? Something that performs well and might actually catch interest in the fragrance community and bring ADP to the forefront. Right now, they're known as the "pleasant, eau de cologne Italian company that makes hotel scents". Where's the showstopper?

More convincing than Arancia di Capri (but still close), the illusion of the whole tangerin is prolongated with the woody/musky background and some spiciness (cardamom ?). I don't get any mint in this one. Doesn't feel as synthetic as Arancia La Spugnatura. Longevity is quite good. I would have preferred a more juicy vivid opening (like bergamotto, chinotto or bergamotto la spugnatura) but i find it technically very well done.

l love this fragrance, it captures the very realistic smell of a mandarin being peeled, with bursts of mint, spice, and overall freshness. Despite being a fruit fragrance, it stays wearable and isn’t overly sweet like other fruity scents. It has a powerful opening and strong initial projection, but the longevity is short. It is what it is with those summery, citric EDTs, especially from ADP.

Green mandarine, mint and petitgrain are the main notes here. The Mandarine and petitgrain give it a green herbaceous feel while the mint gives it a cooling effect. The musk rests in the background and as it drysdown a very nice aromatic musk comes out. Highly realistic smelling scent (as accustomed to AdP) and it leans masculine to my nose.

A chilled blast of green mandarin, quickly pursued by a crunch of spearmint and petit grain. The spearmint stays in a halo of cool freshness balanced by orange for a couple hours after which it calms to a mild cedar musk. Needs reapplication after 4-5 hours. A worthy fragrance for summer. Never had such a unique fresh combination as this.

It’s a very minty fragrance, with a bit of citrus. Dont get me wrong, it smells quite nice, but it sits very close to my skin apon testing it. I could definitely see this as a great day-summer scent that isn’t too offensive. The only setback I would give it is that it’s just a little reminiscent of cleaning products.

Coming back to it a few weeks later, and it’s just great. I’m about to buy a 30ml upgrading from the teeny tiny bit I have left from my sample. The aqua di Parma line (besides Fico di amalfi) are pretty under the radar; this one especially. It’s fresh, minty, aromatic, and that Aqua Di Parma photorealistic citrus.

For all the hype we get for this house, this one justifies. What a perfume man. Photorealistic mandarin orange in a bottle. When I looked for something Italian nothing came close to this. Even Renaissance and Fiero from Xerjoff. Blind buy worthy(I never say this but trust me on this one, you'll thank me later).

Acqua di Parma serves the best natural perfumery with the greatest quality. This is everything about a sicilian summer in a beautiful blue bottle. Great longevity for a citrus fragrance, and very realistic, no synthetic funk at all. Absolute masterpiece as always from Acqua di Parma.