Review: Giovanna Antonelli Parfums
The Givoanna Antonelli perfumes were born out of a meeting between the aforementioned actress and the perfume house Courtois Mourot, which started as a desire to have a custom-made perfume and resulted in a collaboration to create a whole trio.
411 – “Intenso”The nose behind this perfume is Julie Masse who opted for a “floral cyprus”. 411 opens with an aromatic blast of patchouli, pepper, florals and a hint of chamomile. It actually has a very distant reminiscence of Clinique Aromatics (the old version) but they are definitely not the same. The heart it becomes a bit more of a soapy floral which is very pleasant (if you like soapy, which I do from time to time) and the aromatic, herbally undertone though less prominent, still persists. The jasmine and the ylang-ylang come to the fore in the heart and really takes me back to my early childhood and a soap or a skin lotion that my mother used. It is similar, but not the same. I can’t be too specific because although it is strongly linked to a time and a place, it is something just at the edge of my memory which I cannot quite put my finger on. No doubt it will come flooding back to me one day when I am least expecting it. I can pick up the slightest hint of sandalwood but really, by the dry down it is all white florals and soap. I actually really like it and it definitely hits me in the feels for some reason, I feel very nostalgic wearing this fragrance. I would say this is probably the most approachable of the three, although if you like sweet fragrances, the next one in the series might appeal more…
611 – “Extremo”This fragrance is very different from the 411 and is the “floral oriental” of the three. It opens with a candy sweetness that simply just reminds me of lollies, it is very sweet. Not being a huge vanilla fragrance fan myself, I do find the benzoin/vanilla combo to be quite overpowering particularly in combination with the fruit, which is reported to be pear. I don’t get much of the rhubarb, as I don’t get any hint of sourness but I do get just the slightest sense of licorice but it is so feint that it almost has a marzipane-y feel. The perfumer, Cecile Matton set the intention of creating a perfume that left and unforgettable trail, and she definitely succeeded – this perfume has moderate projection and sillage which makes it suitable for most circumstances but still enough for others to notice. The dry down is my absolute favourite part of this fragrance, the vanilla tones down to a warm hum and the white florals come out to play, and play they do; in one moment I get a clean tuberose, in the next the jasmine is vying for my attention. Being a white floral lover, I find myself gravitating towards my wrist to smell again and again. That’s pretty much how it stays for me until it fades. Sometimes it develops a slight powderiness, but not always, this fragrance is a little bit of a shape-shifter in the dry down which I find intriguing and playful. I really don’t see the licorice again once the initial candied marzipan sweetness fades.
811 – “Absoluto”This one is interesting, and as the “oriental spicy” it is definitely the “darkest” of the three. When I first spritz it on my immediate thought is licorice, licorice, licorice, more particularly, chocolate coated licorice…mixed with dark fruits. Which is strange because this one is not purported to have a licorice note in it. Nor chocolate, I might add. Nor dark fruits! However, after a short while on the skin the patchouli starts to snake its way into my senses, slithering seductively to the surface adding an aromatic greenness that I love about Patchouli paired perfectly with soft balsamic notes. Again, this also seems to turn almost soapy in the dry-down and I was beginning to think my nose just detects Patchouli as soapy! However, with the help of my friend Daniel, I think we have concluded it must be the combination with musk that gives it the soapy cleanness in the dry down. The patchouli definitely remains in all of its green glory though, and balances the musk very nicely, while the amber and vanilla provide a cozy warm cloud that is not overly heavy, and which makes this perfume wearable all year around despite some of the heavier notes. I think this is my favourite of the three, I definitely find it intoxicating. Mathilde Bijaoui is the perfumer behind this creation and I will be on the lookout for more!
Overall, I am actually really enjoying this trio and whilst it took me some time to understand them, I don’t see that as a negative. Quite the opposite in fact, as this makes them interesting and fun to wear! If you like aromatic style fragrances these might be of interest to you, and given the range of personalities reflected in the collection there would likely be something for everyone.
*Feature Image from the Giovanna Antonelli website