Santa Maria Novella
Santa Maria Novella
74 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The cardamom hits with bright, slightly peppery clarity, cutting through the sweetness that's already gathering beneath. Citrus fruit notes—bergamot, perhaps—add a momentary freshness before the honey begins its gentle emergence, softening the spice's edges.
The tobacco unfolds with surprising depth, its sweetened, almost caramelised character becoming the fragrance's true anchor. Spices bloom more fully now—cinnamon and clove create a warm, almost culinary impression—whilst the honey rounds out every sharp corner, preventing the composition from becoming austere.
Clary sage emerges with mineral, herbal clarity, whilst dry woods form a subtle woody scaffold underneath. The smoky accord becomes increasingly apparent, lending a faint charred, almost smouldering quality that persists for hours—tender rather than forceful, intimate rather than projecting.
Acqua di Cuba announces itself as something altogether warmer than its aquatic name suggests—this is less about salty sea spray and more about the humid, spice-laden air of a colonial trading post. The cardamom arrives first with a clean, almost medicinal brightness, but it's immediately tempered by the fragrance's true character: a honeyed tobacco that feels less like fresh leaves and more like aged, caramelised sweetness. There's a sophistication in how the honey doesn't turn gourmand here; instead, it acts as a sweetening agent for the underlying spices, which unfold with the warmth of clove and cinnamon rather than pepper's sharp bite.
This is a fragrance for those who've grown comfortable with complexity—who don't need their scents to shout their purpose. The woody base of clary sage introduces an herbal, almost mineral quality that prevents the composition from becoming cloying, whilst the smoky accord (52%) whispers rather than declares, adding a subtle charred dimension that lingers in the peripheral. It's the kind of scent that rewards proximity; you'll catch different facets depending on how close someone stands to you.
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3.9/5 (386)