Laboratorio Olfattivo
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The Italian mandarin erupts with genuine citric brightness, its pith-forward character immediately evident—green, slightly dry, unapologetically real. The blackcurrant arrives almost simultaneously, not as a secondary player but as a co-lead, immediately tempering any expectation of linear citrus joy with a dark, jammy undertone that feels almost austere.
The blackcurrant gains prominence as the mandarin's initial volatility settles, the two notes finding equilibrium around the 90-minute mark. What emerges is neither pure citrus nor pure fruit—it's something more complex, a tart-sweet interplay with faint green herbaceous qualities that suggest the white musk beginning its subtle work beneath. The fragrance becomes increasingly skin-like, less a projection and more an intimate second-skin experience.
By the fourth hour, only the softest traces remain—the mandarin reduced to mere memory, replaced by the barely-there white musk and residual blackcurrant dryness clinging close to the skin. This final phase feels almost nostalgic, like smelling your own neck after the scent has become part of your biology rather than something you've applied.
Mandarino arrives as a masterclass in citric restraint—the sort of fragrance that feels almost whispered rather than announced. Jean-Claude Ellena has engineered something deceptively simple: Italian mandarin orange deployed with the precision of a jeweller, its natural sweetness and slight green bitterness allowed to breathe without dilution or synthetic forcing.
What makes this composition compelling is the blackcurrant's role as a tonal darkener. Rather than brightening the mandarin into generic citrus territory, the blackcurrant introduces a subtle cassis earthiness that grounds the top notes, preventing them from floating off into thin air. There's a minerality here, almost like you're biting into the skin of the fruit rather than merely inhaling its juice. The citrus doesn't play the traditional "bright and cheerful" card; instead, it becomes contemplative, slightly melancholic even.
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3.9/5 (811)