Mandorlo Cioccolato

Mandorlo Ciccolato: Summer of 1992. My very first trip to France with my sister to visit our French cousins and family south of Paris. Our luggage is mercilessly being held hostage at Charles de Gaulle, we're jet-lagged...just off, and Christine, my cousin who spent the Summer visiting us 5 years earlier, is doing the best she can to accommodate her cranky American relatives by taking us into the heart of Paris, to a café, ordering "quatre cafés français" and then...reveals the golden box with brown ribbon. Who the heck is Leonidas? And why are we eating Greek chocolate, sitting right here in the middle of Paris? Where's our luggage, and, and, and... oooooooooh...that's why. First, they're Belgian, not Greek. Second, these are the most delicious, delicate, decadent marzipan chocolates I've ever had in my life. Fast forward to Third...now I can wear something that reminds me of that whirlwind adventure, my first trip to France...being able to relax after the long, treacherous flight, enjoying my café français, popping Leonidas marizipans, people watching, and feeling great all around. Not a care in the world.

Mandorlo Cioccolato 15ml spray bottle MC opens up with a boozy vanilla-amaretto almond note. A little splash of orange grand marnier adds to the mix with a buttery cafe mocha undertone. Oakmoss and patchouli set off the cocoa notes and give it all some depth. A gentle lilt of white floral around the edges to femme it up and cut through the gourmand with the artemesia. The artemesia can lean sharp when used, but not in this instance. It helps to counterbalance the sweeter notes and add a herbal touch. A well done European style concoction. Longevity is good and sillage is moderate to heavy. Its a cold rainy evening and it is projecting very well. Body heat is key with this one. It reminds me at a local stylish coffee shop sitting at a table with a vase of white flowers, cafe with butter, gran marnier & amaretto and a small belgian chocolate for a sweet indulgence.

This one is a delight. I loved it from first whiff out of the sample vial. Out of the vial it smells like a gorgeous chocolate covered cherry. On skin it is not so (but leaves me curious about finding the perfect chocolate covered cherry scent), but it is something wonderful. It comes and goes in waves on me. This is a slow burn that dances back and forth between what it wants to say. At first it's a bright cocoa smell. This faded so fast I got nervous it wouldn't come back. But then it came back powdery, cocoa in the background, a touch of jasmine? Then kind of faded away again...only to bounce back a little bit spicy (kinda reminded me of cardamom at first, and then cloves), and still powdery and sweet. Then mingling with this spicy, powdery scent came a dusty oakmoss. DUSTY. This scent smells like someone opened up a doorway to another time.

It smells so darned edible. My first thoughts were of the Amaretti disarrano alcoholic drink. The dark chocolate, almond and orange go so well together. It does smell like some amazing chocolate, almond and orange liqueur. I dont get much butter but I do get the white flowers and the coffee. I think its the coffee and the oakmoss that give some sort of astringency. I like it best after an hour or two when the white flowers and orange comes much more to the fore. Its definitely bang on unisex. Moderate longevity and sillage.

Love it. This is a great scent and a perfume oil in a spray, for a really low price. Unique, delicious and I get compliments. I love putting this on in the morning and still able to smell it near the end of the work day. Goes great with a cup of coffee and a leather jacket. I find it hard to believe that there is any body who would not like this but then again some people are just plain weird.