Gandini
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Saffron and cardamom assault with peppery warmth before that unsettling floral decay creeps in, creating a discordant first impression that's neither welcoming nor entirely off-putting—just genuinely strange.
Black tea and coffee ground the composition into something almost civilised, the peony offering a powder-soft counterpoint whilst Madagascar pepper maintains an edgy vibration throughout, the whole arrangement held aloft by glomtak's shadowy animalic presence.
The amber and oakmoss finally emerge from beneath the spice, bringing a chypre solidity, though the patchouli remains understated and the entire composition dissipates with remarkable speed, leaving only faint whispers of tea and labdanum resin on the skin.
Aquamarina Gandini is a peculiar beast—Bertrand Duchaufour has crafted something that sits uncomfortably between sharpness and decay, refinement and disturbance. The opening announces itself with saffron's dusty spice and cardamom's slightly medicinal warmth, but it's that rotting flower note that immediately signals this isn't a straightforward aromatic. It's as though you've stumbled into a florist's back room where something's gone beautifully wrong.
The heart reveals the perfumer's true intent: a surprisingly sophisticated interplay between black tea's astringent tannins and coffee's earthy bitterness, softened only by peony's powdery delicacy. Madagascar pepper crackles through like static electricity, keeping everything from settling into comfort. Glomtak—that mysterious Burmese ingredient—adds an almost animalic dimension, a subtle funkiness that prevents this from ever feeling safe or predictable.
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3.8/5 (159)