Maybe the best way to describe my 2019. is to use the lyrics of local evergreen, more precisely a few popular verses which are upgraded almost to a proverb:
A handful of tears, a bag full of laughter, what is life but a fantasy…
At the very end of the last decade, I started writing about perfumes (again). Among other things, perfumes are my constant reminders that the fantasy is real, even though it can not be fully grasped and translated into words. In a specific way, while pointing to the creations that impacted me, I see the perfumed side of my life as a fantasy where the ups and downs mentioned in lyrics are replaced with the “oops” and “wows”.
Perfume creations are someone else’s fantasy becoming our own and they are always about sharing. Even if it is only en passant, while inhaling a perfume as a softly scented trail of another human being moving further away – we are involved in sharing.
And the most pleasant way of sharing perfumes is – a perfume coffee.
Perfume coffee is about sharing scented time. It is about sharing knowledge, experience, insights and impressions, with a drop of fantasy involved, too.
So, here are some first impressions of two Italian houses gathered on one truly enjoyable perfume coffee:
Malum by BRUNO ACAMPORA
Malum is a member of Tadema Collection, created by perfumer Miguel Matos and launched this September on Pitti Fragranze 2019.
Tadema Collection, named by an English artist Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836 – 1912) is inspired by part of his neoclassical and proto-impressionistic opus dedicated to the everyday life of Ancient Romans in Pompei and recreates the Mediterranean open and sunny spaces in ancient villas and their atriums or gardens.
The collection is a triptych consisting of Mentuccia Romana, Citrea Prochyta and Malum.
In quick sniffs, Malum captured my attention.
This is not an ordinary fruity apple perfume. The apple in Malum possesses a wicked allure: it is radiant and refreshing, but also deceivingly light and bright.
At first, withdrawn, steamy, temptingly juicy and half-hidden, the apple in Malum feels like the apple resisting to land in a picking hand. Once revealed and fully grasped, it becomes drier and crunchy, radiantly fresh and almost velvety.
Half an hour in, another twist happened: as the fresh roundness gained a shady edge, the depths of Malum became darker.
Malum smells like the apple enchanted twice, firstly by The Snow White’s fresh young innocence and then by Queen’s bewitching hand.
Except for the work Miguel Matos did for SP Parfums (the review of Suntanglam in Croatian is here), I haven’t tested any other creation made by this prolific perfumer. The opportunity to smell his Acamporas, also the new Acamporas, made me very happy.
This fulfilling “quick bite” of Malum was captivating and tempting enough to ensure some future full testing and wearing.
Talento by MENDITTOROSA
Talento (2019.) is the sixth member of Mendittorosa‘s Talismans Collection. The perfume is created by Amèlie Bourgeois and Camille Chamardine, and behind the perfume presented in a most beautiful bottle is Stefania Squeglia, the owner and the creative director of Mendittorosa
A few drops were enough to sense it: while Talento can be interpreted as a rose/patchouli combo with the minty twist, the devil is in the detail, and the talent is too:
Talento’s transparent texture is made of shades and reflections and creates a unique story about a shy but resolute rose.
The fresh minty opening smells a bit cold and peppery. A rose barely peaks out: the leading role in the introduction belongs to the geranium, and a bud is raising its head up and out through the leaves.
Delicate petals bloom hidden in a transparent shade, still covered by mint and wrapped in a bit dump patchouly. Ashy ground reflects on bright petals, creating the illusion of an ashy rose. In the base, a fragile yet resolute rose is slightly warmed and sweetened, feels like a touch of golden afternoon sun congratulating the survivor.
Through carefully executed light contrasts, at the end of the story about the rose surviving among greens, woods and dirt, I got the feeling that the battle for a space of her own wasn’t won by the rose’s thorns, but by the sheer delicacy of her petals.
This is a talent.
