Maria Candida Gentile
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The blast is deliberately disorientating—bitter orange and lime converge with Somalian frankincense in an almost acrid clash, the citrus immediately revealing its sharp, slightly soapy character rather than offering fruity sweetness. Within seconds, the incense's smoky resin begins asserting dominance, creating an atmosphere of purposeful severity rather than radiance.
Violet leaf surfaces with a waxy, green intensity that refuses to soften the composition's inherent austerity; the woody accords strengthen simultaneously, drawing forward haitian vetiver's earthy, slightly animalic character. The fragrance becomes increasingly linear and contemplative here, the spicy undertones (likely from the violet's subtle pepper notes) creating warmth without allowing the overall composition to shift toward coziness.
The citrus has departed entirely, leaving a duet between woody-smoky base notes and that persistent, almost herbaceous violet leaf memory; haitian vetiver dominates with particular insistence, dry and slightly leathery, whilst precious woods and Texas cedar provide an almost austere woody skeleton that persists with admirable tenacity for a composition reportedly light on projection.
Exultat arrives as something altogether more austere than its citrus opening suggests. Maria Candida Gentile has crafted a fragrance that treats brightness as merely an entryway to something far more contemplative—a frankincense-soaked meditation that refuses sentimentality. The Somalian frankincense doesn't play supporting role here; it arrives with the assertiveness of cathedral incense, creating an almost liturgical atmosphere that the Brazilian citrus notes (bitter orange and lime possess a peculiar sharpness, almost medicinal) serve to puncture rather than sweeten.
What's remarkable is how violet emerges not as a pretty floral flourish but as a structural element, its green leaf character threading through the composition's woody skeleton. The violet leaf's slightly astringent quality prevents any descent into powdery predictability, instead creating a tense, almost confrontational dialogue with the base's haitian vetiger and Texas cedar. These aren't polished woods; they're unvarnished, with a fibrous quality that the woody accord's 100% dominance confirms.
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3.6/5 (115)