L'Erbolario
L'Erbolario
122 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The bergamot cuts through immediately with a bright, slightly zesty character, almost breakfast-tea-like in its clarity. Jasmine flickers alongside it—delicate, not heady—before the almond begins its slow emergence from underneath, already hinting at the powdery sweetness to come.
The almond deepens considerably, transforming into a soft, almost translucent marzipan sweetness that coats the mouth-feel of your skin. The bergamot has retreated to a supporting role, allowing the powdery-gourmand heart to breathe; this is where the fragrance reveals its true character—intimate and slightly creamy, like holding a warm biscuit.
Vanilla and benzoin Siam merge into a low-key, resinous base that's more about skin-scent territory than projection. The sweetness mellows into something almost savoury-warm, the benzoin adding a faint incense-like quality that lingers gently, never becoming heavy or cloying even in its final hours.
L'Erbolario's Mandorla is a fragrance that commits fully to confectionery comfort without apology. The bergamot top provides a bright counterpoint—almost tart—that prevents this from becoming a pure gourmand douse, offering just enough citric snap to keep the sweetness from cloying. But it's really the heart where things get interesting: that almond note sits front and centre, lending a distinctly powdery, almost marzipan-like quality that's both creamy and dry simultaneously. It's reminiscent of crushed amaretti biscuits or the faint dustiness of almond flour, which speaks to how effectively the powdery accord (76%) works here rather than feeling like a synthetic afterthought.
The base of vanilla and benzoin Siam rounds everything into a soft, almost creamy finish—these two ingredients together create something less like a traditional vanilla sweetness and more like the warm, resinous embrace of incense mixed with custard cream. There's a slight synthetic quality (64%) that actually works in its favour, giving the whole composition a clean, almost skin-like quality rather than something that smells overly complicated.
Add fragrances to your collection and unlock your personalised scent DNA, note map, and shareable identity card.
3.6/5 (422)