SANTA MARIA NOVELLA FLORENCE, SEOUL, MELOGRANO, ZAGARA, AND KYOTO REVIEW

February 5, 2023

Wow, that title is long! SEO is fully optimized. 

I purchased samples from LuckyScents months ago (like half a year ago!) and have yet to try everything. I will be featuring my haul in the next couple of posts. 

Disclaimer: the fact they are old decants might affect some of their performance. 

I first featured this brand in a wishlist post—shockingly, I buy things on my wishlist. Three out of the four fragrances I got are on that original wishlist.

ANGELS OF FLORENCE

Peach, Orange

Marine Notes, Jasmine, Blackcurrant

Musk, Sandalwood, Vanille

The main reason I purchased this is the peach note. Love peaches! Orange/citrus, Jasmine, Musk, Sandalwood, and Vanilla are all the usual suspects in perfume, not new or exciting. 

After trying:

Airy, fresh jasmine. Definitely reminiscent of the sea. No sandalwood or vanilla. Possibly a subtle peach, but not very likely. (My senses are still recovering.) The musk smells like baby wipes on me. Musk with blackcurrant tends to express this way on me. 

Despite the multiple fruit notes, it's not a fruity fragrance; it's a white floral perfume. This is a sweet perfume, not the sugary sweet way, but "it's charming and darling." 

This is for the youthful clean girls in the Spring/Summer. It's sundresses and wide-brim hats while abroad. The candid looking-back-at-the-camera in front of a garden of flowers and clear blue sky photo on the 'gram. Pastel gym wear in a pilates class. Cute phone case with a beaded cellphone strap. You love Sanrio characters and plushies. She's a nice girl. 

Because of the aldehydic nature of this perfume, try a sample before committing to a whole bottle of possibly headache-inducing juice. It's also not a unique fragrance. There are many perfumes like it out there. 2.75/5 

ALBA DI SEOUL

Bergamot, Nutmeg
Violet Leaves, Lavender, Jasmine
Patchouli, Amber, Cedarwood, Musk

After looking at these notes, present-day me would not pick this. Past Vivien was not thinking, nor had she developed her perfume taste, that's for sure. Were you trying to have a variety of fragrance families from the brand? Applause for diversity, but the brand has to have other exciting woody fragrances you can try.

After trying:

Spicy, lavender, patchouli, pine, cooling sensation in the nose, and slightly medicinal. If you like woody and green lavender scents, give this a try. A good unisex fragrance. 

Although I talked a lot of smack about how uninspiring the note list is (it is) and berated past me, I like it more than Angels of Florence. A clean, earthy, and refreshing green scent. Reminds me of a toned-down version of Lush's Breath of God. 3/5

Other reviewers mentioned a melon-like dry-drown, and I can see it, but I think it's the pine and amber. 

This is a good daily fragrance. There is a serene and calming quality to the notes. 

Who would wear this perfume: a person that loves wearing baggie hoodies/sweater vests with wide-leg pants would wear this. They carry a beige canvas tote bag and an iced, caffeinated beverage to their next therapy session. (This is entirely recency bias because I've been binging Steven Morea videos.)

POMEGRANATE / MELOGRANO

Bergamot, Bitter Orange, Fresh Spices
Pomegranate Chord, Rose, Ylang-Ylang
Oak moss, Labdanum, Patchouli, Musk

Past me was so brave and curious about pomegranate perfumes that she was willing to risk smelling labdanum, rose, and oak moss.

After trying:

Oh, this is awful. It's the labdanum. The labdanum is slaying everything in its way and leaving no crumbs. There's an old, baby powder scent. 

This smells like Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong. The hot weather, the old people burning incense, the dingy and cramped apartments, and the streets jam-packed with different food stalls. I do not get pomegranates. The citruses cannot stand a chance or lift this fragrance to give an effervescent quality. Even the most pungent flowers (rose and ylang-ylang) don't stand a chance. 

I need to scrub this off! 1/5

ZAGARA

Paraguayan Petitgrain, Citrus, Galbanum, Bergamot Mint, Lavender, Rosemary

Bourbon Geranium, Carnation Flowers

Oak Musk

Soapy and citrusy. This is such a boring fragrance. This reminds me of some public bathroom soaps and laundry detergents. A literal take on fresh and clean. 1/5

CITTÁ DI KYOTO

Hawthorn, Citrus

Peach, Lavender, Iris, Lotus

Precious Woods 

Powdery woods that smells like stale, crushed cigarettes, and woods with Iris in the background. Smokey Iris. 1/5

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Santa Maria Novella was disappointing. Sure, I could have put in more effort in the reviews, but there is nothing much to say, and they also could have put more effort into their formulations.

A blanket statement from my experience: the sillage is intimate, and the longevity is 2-3 hours max. The longevity is expected because they're Eaux de Cologne, but I had hoped for at least decent sillage. For $100+, this is not worth it. Since it's fleeting, you need to reapply, so you end up with an empty bottle in less than 6 months.

Summary: If you want long-lasting, mesmerizing perfumes, run away.