Xerjoff – Erba Pura – Shampoo masquerading as perfume – 3/10.
I’m not a fan of this one at all. The fruity notes are sugary, sweet, and more akin to bubblegum than actual fruit. Far too sickly for my taste. The amber and vanilla in the base do little to quell my anxieties. They merely add to the sweetness. I can’t quite figure out what fruit I’m smelling, either. Probably not a good sign. I’ll take a stab at passionfruit. Maybe mango or watermelon. But I’d rather eat those than smell like one. The musks in the base are reminiscent of shampoo and remind me of the unrelenting musk base of Tiziana Terenzi’s Kirke.
Yes, this type of scent will find fans, but my tolerance for sweet fruity numbers is low. Due to the tenacious musks, Erba Pura has good lasting power at ten-plus hours. However, in my opinion, Xerjoff did a much better job of this sort of fruity vanilla composition with their Dolce Amalfi.
L’Artisan Parfumeur – Mandarina Corsica – Candied mandarin – 6/10.
Mandarina Corsica, the 2018 release from L’Artisan Parfumeur, should be something I deplore. There are many notes here that I generally don’t enjoy—ethyl maltol, caramel, and immortelle, to name a few. I think there are some synthetic sandalwoods in the base, too—all red flags. Surprisingly, I don’t mind it, though.
In fact, I find it rather addictive. Still, I doubt I’d buy a bottle of the stuff. Mandarina Corsica is part of the Les Paysages collection from the brand. This range pays tribute to various geographical regions of France. Mandarina Corsica, authored by Quentin Bisch, is all about the sun-drenched region of Corsica. But, this is not the fresh citrusy cologne that one might think.
Instead, the perfume is a sugar-sweet gourmand that remains light enough for summer wear. The mandarin is doused in sugar and caramel. Immortelle brings the feeling of maple syrup – but it’s only a drizzle, so it doesn’t smell suffocating. Nuances of creamy almond from the tonka and smoky vanilla in the base anchor the scent. It’s all a tad too sweet and synthetic for me to consider a full bottle, but it’s worth checking if you like the sound of the notes. Lasting power is moderate at 6 hours.
L’Artisan Parfumeur – Bana Banana – Memories of childhood, or have I gone bananas? – 7/10.
Banana is not a common feature in many fragrances. I think I’ve only tried two fragrances that include banana in their note pyramid. The first I tried was Quasar by Jesus Del Pozo, released in the mid-90s, a watery green banana fragrance with good longevity but is sadly tough to find these days. The second was Bat, by Canadian outfit Zoologist, an artsy take on a bat’s habitat, a very different fragrance and ultimately challenging to wear. So when I heard the quirky French outfit L’Artisan Parfumeur was releasing a banana fragrance, I was excited to see how they would deal with this oft-neglected fruit.
The initial blast of Bana Banana transported me back in time. It reminded me of those candied banana sweets we used to eat as children. However, this trip down memory lane didn’t last long as it starts to turn green and more floral as the banana leaf, jasmine, and iris combine to give the impression of a ripe banana ready to eat. There’s a mild sweetness at the heart of this fragrance, but it never gets cloyingly sweet. Amber and tonka notes are not overplayed and are softened by the iris and musky base, bringing a clean powdery feel to proceedings.
I only get about 6 hours of longevity from the fragrance, and I wish the green banana from the opening lingered a bit longer than a couple of hours. Overall though, it’s a well-executed fragrance with an unusual note combination. In typically flamboyant fashion, I see L’Artisan again looking to shake things up with a vegetable collection with peculiar notes such as green peas and cauliflower. I wait with bated breath to sample. The nose behind Bana Banana is Celina Ellena.
Have you tried these scents? Do you have a favourite fruity perfume? Any fragrances with bananas in them you can recommend?
Bottle images from Fragrantica.