Farmacia SS. Annunziata
Farmacia SS. Annunziata
139 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Bright mandarin and lemon burst forth with cheerful citric immediacy, creating an almost sherbet-like top that feels both fresh and sweet. Within minutes, however, this citrus brightness begins receding, and you sense the fragrance repositioning itself towards something far more confectionery.
The strawberry and vanilla emerge as the dominant forces, creating a gourmand sweetness that's creamy and preservative-like—imagine jam stirred into fresh whipped cream. The powdery quality becomes more pronounced here, softening the berries' edges and lending the composition an almost cosmetic, vintage powder-room quality that feels nostalgic rather than modern.
The woods gradually assert themselves, moving from background to mid-ground as the more volatile fruity elements fade. What remains is a soft, creamy sweetness with a faint woody undertone—more like lingering vanilla with the faintest whisper of dry wood and talc, a ghosted version of the earlier gourmand richness that persists gently on skin.
Farmacia SS. Annunziata's Vaniglia del Madagascar presents itself as a decidedly confectionery affair—one that doesn't apologise for its sweetness but rather leans into it with the confidence of a proper patisserie. The opening citrus notes (lemon and mandarin) provide a fleeting structural moment before the fragrance pivots decisively towards its true calling: a strawberry-vanilla composition that reads less like a gourmand fragrance and more like candied fruit preserves folded into whipped cream.
What distinguishes this from the glut of pedestrian vanilla fragrances is the interplay between the strawberry's brighter, slightly tart berry character and the Madagascar vanilla's creamy, almost buttery sweetness. Rather than blending into a one-dimensional sweetness, these notes maintain a subtle tension—the berry prevents the vanilla from becoming cloying whilst the vanilla itself softens the strawberry's potential sharpness. The powdery accord (52%) lends a talcum-like quality that suggests vintage cosmetics or dusted confectionery rather than heavy florals, adding an understated delicacy.
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4.5/5 (76)