Pitti Fragranze 13: Scent Diary #1

Pitti Fragranze 2015 will be certainly remembered for the big audience, but also for the great number of people coming to Florence from overseas to discover niche perfumery. In addition to strenghened markets like Europe, United States, Russia and Emirates come emerging markets like Poland, Ukraine and Qatar with big interest above all for italian perfumery.
I had the chance to sniff around on sunday only, yet enough to give me a rough idea of the upcoming trends hinted by the new launches. By now an oud is not denied to anybody and even a symbol of french taste like Annick Goutal or Diptyque introduce their interpretation. After years plenty of woods, ambers and leathers though, the most daring proposals bring back almost forgotten families like hesperidic and florals. Here we go with the first four ones, all from Italy.

Maria Candida Gentile
Suntan, aquamarine eyes of a shy girl, an inspired Maria Candida Gentile in great shape tells me about a creative "hallucination": a pachyderm walking through a bed of roses to get to the river. Elephant and Roses edp mixes the impressive animal to the fragile rose petals, rough foliage and a supple leather for an intense, shiftily erotic synesthesia. Just close your eyes and let the perfume resonate with your soul.

Antonio Alessandria Parfums
Baby you're a firework! The new fragrance by Antonio Alessandria Fleurs et Flammes rings the tune with a luminous, pungent explosion of fruits and gunpowder. Childhood memories of a popular feast are blurred: the boom of fireworks, the procession, the buzz of the crowd, fresh lmond milk to chill from the heat and the intense smell of full blooming lilies and carnations in the shade recalling the disguised seduction of florals from the '50s. If you like to play with fire and even don't mind burning up.

Masque Profumi
Take two dummies (the banned Masque display) and immediately it's a scandal! Diffusive and bold, Romanza has the faded elegance and intoxicating suspence of Agatha Christie. Violets, hyacinths and daffodils from Miss Marple's garden. Check. The beautiful victim loaded with absynth and the leather gloves in the shade ready to strangle. Check. Even a soapy touch to remove traces of a crime of passion is there. Culprit the nose Cristiano Canali. If you are looking for partners in crime.

Houbigant
The rigour of classics and a pinch of innovation. This is the recipe for elegance chez Houbigant who renews the eau de cologne thanks to a particular extraction of olibanum resinoid. So the perfumer Luca Maffei pours in Cologne Intense the freshness of bergamot and lemon. Petitgrain and vervein extend the sparkle with green and floral glares fading into a contemporary, musky-balsamic echo. To rediscover a must with the improved density of an eau de parfum.