NEW FRAGRANCE REVIEW: Maria Candida Gentile The Exclusive Collection “Affascinanti Profumi” + 15mL Reader’s Choice Draw

 Maria Candida Gentile Photo: bergamottoebenzoino.blogspot

Earlier this year I became acquainted with the Italian Maitre Parfumeur Maria Candida Gentile and her Classic Collection. Her independent quality of creating perfume delighted me and I was looking forward to more. In April she sent us the descriptions of the four fragrances which make up The Exclusive Collection. I was very interested in these new fragrances because unlike the fragrances which made up The Classic Collection she would be using only a few well-chosen notes to realize her vision this time. I am coming to appreciate how much harder it is for a perfumer to have depth and contour when only using a very few notes, The Exclusive Collection is an example of what the skill of a Maitre Parfumeur can do with just a few notes.

Michelle L'Amour Fan Dance

Burlesque is the most complicated, if I can call a fragrance which has five notes complicated, formula-wise but it develops in an uncomplicated way.  It moves from citrus to floral to resin and each transition is done extremely well. It sort of evokes its name as it performs an olfactory strip tease along its development. The citrus component at the top is blood orange and Sig.ra Gentile uses a juicy version of this unique citrus note. There is almost a darkness to this note which is not in the normal citrus family and it works very well here as an opener. The heart is iris and rose but in a way which neither dominates and both impart their unique qualities. The one common quality of both iris and rose is their ability to be powdery and Sig.ra Gentile harnesses that quality as it evokes the waft of powder off of a Burlesque Queen waving her fan as she goes through her moves onstage. The powdery aspect recedes and eventually the spicy quality of the rose combines with the chilliness of iris to create a bit of hot and cold contrast before we head to the base. Incense and patchouli make up the base and before you run screaming “head shop!” let me assure you the quality of this incense and patchouli is as far from a head shop as Tiffany’s is from Target. This is austere silvery incense matched with rich thick delineated patchouli and it is a gorgeous way to finish the show. Burlesque might be uncomplicated but it is most definitely not unsophisticated.

Gentile is the other member of The Exclusive Collection which has more than three ingredients and at its heart lies osmanthus. Osmanthus is a tricky note to pull off and Sig.ra Gentile chose to surround it with a green herbal cloak. This set of orthogonal notes; basil, geranium, and vetiver add sharpness to Gentile that almost belies its name. This has sharp edges to it and if you aren’t careful it will cut you as you reach for the flower at the center of it all. A really fresh basil note opens gentile it has a green leafy quality along with the typical strong herbal component. Geranium in its most green version take Gentile in to very astringent territory and it is here where the osmanthus arrives to add some needed contrast. Osmanthus is described as a leather apricot white flower and here it is the apricot aspect which blunts the green so far on display. Eventually that leather does arise and it leads to the vetiver in the base. This is another high quality ingredient and it is the woody quality of the vetiver which eventually pulls out the leathery bit of osmanthus in the end. I can’t think of Gentile as gentle but I can think of it as signed by the artist.

Now we get to the three note stand-outs of The Exclusive Collection. Luberon is the first and it is made up of lavender, rose de mai, and oakmoss. If you are going to make three note perfumes you better have some pretty darn high quality versions of these notes and it is very clear Sig.ra Gentile knows this. Luberon is a region in France which is perhaps most known as the setting for Peter Mayle’s Provence trilogy as Menerbes is the town he describes. Sig.ra Gentile describes what could be a walk through Le Luberon. First we walk by a field of beautiful lavender in full bloom with the morning sun releasing its bouquet. This is a lovely lavender which does not flinch from some of the sharper aspects of lavender and as such I felt I was experiencing the whole plant in the early going. Next is a field of rose de mai sweet and spicy in turn as the breeze wafts it to my nose. Rose de mai is perhaps the most balanced rose note between the spicy and sweet floral aspects of rose there is and it is on full display here. Finally we rest under a large oak tree laden with moss. I’m not sure what the concentration of oak moss is in Luberon but it has to be very high because it has been awhile since this note chimed so cleanly for me. It is a great place to relax and consider these three notes displayed in such expert fashion.

The final entry of The Exclusive Collection is inspired by the late jazz chanteuse Billie Holliday. Lady Day is one of her nicknames and Sig.ra Gentile wanted to focus on the affectation Ms. Holliday had of never appearing onstage without a gardenia in her hair. Lady Day the perfume was going to have gardenia at its heart but what would Sig.ra Gentile choose as background vocalists? Her choices were the green high notes of galbanum and the tenor of balsam wood. The galabanum in Lady Day is kept to a lesser concentration to allow for it to be softer than it often is when used in fragrance. From that softer greenness the gardenia arises with its green facet forward before it unleashes its floral display. The galbanum really illuminates the green quality early on but once Lady Day hits its stride it is the sweet smell of gardenia at the front of the stage. The best quality gardenia notes eventually fade to a woody aspect late in their development and this gardenia does that and that is when the balasamic notes arrive to gently close this fragrant concert out as the spotlight goes black.

All four of The Exclusive Collection are extrait strength which translates to extremely long wearing and very close wearing perfumes.

When it come to The Exclusive Collection it seems like it is the simplest compositions which spoke loudest to me as it was Luberon and Lady Day which stood out. Burlesque is the one I think is going to grow on me over time and Gentile also I think has some charm it will take another couple of wears to coax out. The one thing I know for sure is Sig.ra Gentile has now become one of my independent perfumers to keep a close eye on.

Disclosure: This review was based on preview samples provided by Maria Candida Gentile.

Thanks to Maria Candida Gentile we have a reader’s choice draw for  15mL of any one of The Exclusive Collection. The Exclusive line will be available in September, 2012.  To be eligible leave a comment naming which one you think will be your favorite.  Draw closes July 25, 2012 .

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, EIC

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74 comments

  • I believe my favourite would be Burlesque, as I adore blood orange.

    Thanks for the draw!

  • d3m0lici0n says:

    I am pretty sure that Luberon would be my absolute favorite from this collection. Thanks for another amazing draw.

  • Burlesque. I am really curious how would burlesque smell, therefore that one would be my favourite since I can only imagine how it captures the smell.
    Thanks for the draw!

  • These all sound great, so it’s a touch call. But I think I would like Gentile the best. Thanks!

  • OMG all four sound amazing would love toy try them all however now that I have to pick one it will be Gentile for the osmanthus. Thank you for the presentation and the draw!

  • I think the Luberon sounds like something I need…calming Lavender…especially with having family members living with me for a while..

  • Lady Day! I love the name! And I don’t have a white flower scent in my collection !

  • Michelle U says:

    I am a Billie Holliday fan and after what I have read, Lady Day seems to be a a Gardenia gem with a very original name.

    Let the Lady sing the Blues! 🙂 <3

  • I have read quite a bit lately about Maria Candida Gentile on some of the forums and the blogs and how beautiful her fragrances are and of course they aren’t easy to find but being a fanatic for floral perfumes
    I received a sample of cinabre and hanbury and loved both
    My choice would be Burlesque as the rose iris and incense sound tantalizing or Luberon as lavender and did I read this correctly oakmoss!
    Thank you for the draw and I love your reviews (which is how I learned of hanbury and cinabre)

  • I am extremely intrigued by all of these! What an undertaking by Maria Candida Gentile and a great article Mark. I was so torn by all of the choices but the one that keeps drawing me in is Lady Day…Thanks

  • They all sound wonderful
    If I was so lucky to win I would choose Luberon
    I have traveled to Provence and visited Menerbes and it is an experience I will always remember and this perfume that inspired by this beautiful place sounds dreamy
    Thank you for the draw

  • When I read “an olfactory strip tease” I was chaffing at the bit already thinking, this is the one- but then I pulled in the reins and made my way to the description of Gentile where I said..put me out to pasture with this one, the greeness almost defiant it seemed and then the leather..back in the saddle! I rode on to find out what Luberon was all about, kick back and live the Provence dream indeed. Oakmoss makes me feel my feet are on the ground. Easy then to trot on to Lady Day and back in the woods with gardenia as a companion. Never let it end! But the trickiness has won out and the alchemic contortions of Gentile would be my choice! Lovely review~

  • Thanks for the reviews and the draw!

    Wow, these all sound great! Burlesque sounds very ‘me’ with incense and patchouli, but Lady Day sounds like it could be amaaazing (I love the scent of real gardeniad) and Gentile also sounds fascinating, as I love geranium and osmanthus and never imagined putting them together!

    I would probably most like Lady Day or Gentile (if I won, it could be a surprise)

  • ringthing says:

    These are all intriguing, but how can I resist oakmoss? Luberon would be my choice.

  • These all sound stunning. I have tried a couple of Maitre Perfumeur Gentile’s other fragrance and they are so beautifully done. By the way, I first learned of Ms. Gentile through the essays posted on Cafleurebon.

    I am very curious as to what Ms. Gentile has created with gardenia, so my pick would be Lady Day. But then I see the oakmoss…ah, Luberon sounds incredible too.

  • Amberosmanthus says:

    What to do? I have an uneasy relationship with rose, but I love lavender and oak moss. I think I’d take a chance and choose Luberon even though Lady Day might be the safer choice. These sound like lovely compositions.

  • All sound amazing, but Burlesque sounds like my cup of tea. Luberon and Lady Day are close ties for second 🙂

  • Mary evans says:

    They all sound great but I think I am going with the editors favorites either lady day or luberon
    I remember the first time I heard of Maria Candida Gentile either on CaFleureBon or basenotes I can’t remember but I loved the names of her perfumes , the reviews were great and i was so impressed that she is a maitre parfumeur

  • Nicolai-R says:

    I must jump in the boat of those with Burlesque. The combination of notes sounds amazing! Thanks for the draw.

  • I’m not sure but I think that my favorite would be Luberon because I love lavender and rose notes. And I’m intrigued by the oak moss note, which I know is hard to find today.

    Thanks!

  • Being always on the lookout for the perfect interpretation of a gardenia, I would love to try Maria Candide Gentile’s version..

  • Paul Matem. says:

    Gentile. That one I think it would be my favourite. The notes seem to fit very well the name. Many thanks for the draw.

  • These all sound amazing. Since I love lavender and oakmoss I would like to win Luberon. Thanks for the draw!

  • Thank you for the reviews. I think Lady Day would be my first choice. Sounds good and interesting.

  • Scented Memories says:

    I think that Gentile would by my favorite fragrance from Maria Candida. It seems a veru fresh and green fragrance and has some of my top ingredients – basil and geranium.

  • I’m curious to try all four, but probably the most interesting for me is Burlesque.
    Thank you for your article and draw!

  • Luberon sounds like it would suit my tastes best. I like the sound of the simple 3 note scent.

  • I was sent to this site while on a quest for a fabulous Gardenia scent. I read the description for Lady Day and *GASPED*. It sounds beautiful. I’m trying to imagine a green balsamic/woody gardenia. Having just 3 notes does not guarantee simplicity.

  • Burlesque sounds really interesting to me, and I think I would appreciate each transition of its notes. Thanks for the draw!

  • Very difficult to choose. MCG’s fragrances are so pure and well composed. I consider MCG one of the best houses around.

    Purely based on the ingredients, especially incense (which I adore in Sideris and Exultat), BURLESQUE sounds very appealing to me.

  • Quichange says:

    Through a friend in Italy I have decants of the entire classic collection.
    As Joyce noted above MCG is one of the best niche houses I have encountered
    Your reviews make it difficult to choose just one
    but I think Lady Day sounds amazing
    Thank you for the draw

  • Farawayspices says:

    Lady Day sounds wonderful, I love the fact that this was inspired by the gardenia that Billie Holliday wore!

  • What a tough choice! I think they all sound lovely, but would have to go with Burlesque as I do love incense and patchouli!

  • Borko Boris says:

    Luberon is the most appealing to me, but I must say that is really hard to choose only one for they all seem to be beautiful.
    Thanks!

  • Cheesegan says:

    Hello, I think I would choose Luberon as It has a prominent oak moss note.
    Thanks for the draw and for the blog.

  • I think Lady Day or Burlesque would be my favourites…maybe I’d choose Lady Day, though.

  • Luberon I think would be lovely. Familar with the south of France, it’s hard to find a more beautiful place. A perfume that smells like the region would be welcome.

  • On the Website Gentile seems like a men’s fragrance so that is what I would like to win
    it also sounds completely different than anything I own

  • This perfumer must be very talented to create such complex fragrances from such few notes
    I love gardenia so Lady Day is my choice although burlesque sounds beautiful too

  • Oh I hope I am not too late for this draw
    Luberon sounds lovely and I would love to try a perfume from this house

  • I love oak moss, so Luberon would be my first choice…but who can’t be intrigued by a fragrance named Burlesque?

  • I don’t know about favorites, but would like to try Gentile and see how the osmanthus is used. I have recently fallen in love with osmanthus absolute!

  • All of the perfumes in this collection sound incredible but how can anyone resist a perfume homage to Billie Holiday
    Lady Day is my choice

  • jezabelle says:

    The Lady Day singing Cole Porter, “birds do it, bees do it, even elevated fleas..”