Farmacia SS. Annunziata
Farmacia SS. Annunziata
209 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The cinnamon hits immediately with cassia's distinctive heat, but rather than standing alone, it's shot through with orange blossom's creamy, almost rubbery facets. There's an instant gourmand quality, yet it's sophisticated—more spiced marmalade in a monastery kitchen than cinnamon bun at the mall.
The clove emerges with its eugenol bite, creating an almost dental quality that's surprisingly seductive when wrapped in tobacco's leathery sweetness and nutmeg's warmth. Rose appears as a supporting player, its animalic undertones mingling with soft suede-like leather, whilst the bran absolute begins revealing itself as toasted grain and warm dough.
The woods take over with proper authority—not polite or pale, but resinous and amber-hued, the cedarwood's pencil shavings meeting sandalwood's creamy depth. Vanilla provides cushioning rather than sweetness, whilst saffron's metallic hay-like quality persists like a golden thread, keeping the composition from becoming too somnolent or predictable.
Anniversary is Farmacia SS. Annunziata's love letter to the apothecary's craft—a scent that feels like stepping into a centuries-old Florentine pharmacy where spice merchants once traded their wares. The opening salvo of cinnamon doesn't arrive as a timid whisper but rather as a full-throated declaration, its cassia heat immediately tempered by orange blossom's indolic richness, creating an almost narcotic sweetness that borders on overwhelming before settling into something more measured. This is where the composition shows its intelligence: clove and nutmeg weave through tobacco leaf, their medicinal sharpness cutting through potential cloying, whilst rose adds an animalic depth that prevents this from becoming mere potpourri. The leather note reads more as suede than biker jacket, soft and napped, supporting rather than dominating. What makes Anniversary compelling is its architectural use of bran absolute—a rare note that smells of toasted grains and warm bread crusts—which grounds the entire composition in something earthy and real. The sandalwood and cedarwood in the base aren't the anaemic synthetics found in lesser fragrances; they smell properly resinous, almost chewy, with the saffron threading metallic, hay-like tendrils throughout. This is for someone who appreciates their gourmands grown-up and intellectually engaging rather than simple sugar-rush confections. Wear it when you want to smell intriguingly edible without being literal—more spice market than patisserie, more contemplative than crowd-pleasing.
Add fragrances to your collection and unlock your personalised scent DNA, note map, and shareable identity card.
3.8/5 (89)