Calicantus

Bought at the Florence shop almost as a mistake. Spent sometime sampling and came up with this as my favourite. I questioned it as it was down as a feminine fragrance but the assistant said it was unisex. First hour or so is definitely feminine as the powdery floral elements dominate, but as soon as it starts to dry down the oak moss and woody tones come to the front and it leaves a nice trace of just about masculine notes. Silage is good so I use sparingly - being a male !- and longevity is also good, with again the woody notes lasting a full day. Not a head turner - maybe I'm a bit conscious of it being a feminine fragrance, but a nice one to wear if you want to retain that just showered feeling all day long.

Bright, luminous chypre/woody-floral. As most of the fragrances by SMN, it shines with elegance and simplicity of the old world. In SMN olfactory-spectrum, Calicantus stands somewhere between clean woody soapiness of Melograno and warm floral resinous brightness of Mediterranean flowers of Ginestra; narcissus and orange flower, a hint of carnation, ylang and powder on woody-oakmoss base. Clean, soapy and spicy. This is how an expensive Venetian Grand Canal hotel bathroom would smell like in my mind.

My dad said this is exactly how his grandmother and her house smelled. Interestingly, she and her husband were from Italy and France. This is a tamed floral, and nothing fascinating. It has just the right silage strength and holds remarkable staying power. Calicantus is one of the most pleasant carnation fragrances I've tried, and I usually don't take to carnation. It's powdery in a vintage way, not too baby powder-ish. This is nice to wear at any time.

Vivid, opulent, woody. Full-blown flowers and woods that I never get tired of. This is why I like SMN, its ingredients are all so natural, they bring out the best in the smell of all things on earth. A highborn, matron like scent. But she still knows good things when she sees them, and celebrate.