Magnifico
Laura Tonatto (2000)

In Magnifico Laura Tonatto delivers a green fig, sap flowing from where it has been plucked, with a generous twist of zesty lemon – crisp, summery and energizing. Lavender is a perky backing player. Perfumes this light and lively are often not taken seriously as they have no grand statement to make, but the sureness of touch here is unmistakeable.
Whereas the composition is a refreshing delight, I'm a little underwhelmed by the projection which could have been more upfront. As this has summer written all over it, I need to try it when the mercury rises to see whether it holds its own better then.

Laura Tonatto is the very talented nose behind the beautiful, Summery Carthusia creations. I thought it would be worth ordering a sample of a fragrance from her own line of scents, and the so-called oriental vanilla (as classified on Fragrantica), Magnifico caught my eye.

Well, this is not an oriental vanilla, in fact there's no vanilla in this at all. It's crisp, green and sparkling with notes of citrus, zesty fig and aromatic lavender.

Honestly, Magnifico smells like it should be marketed towards men and not women. I am very open-minded when it comes to scents, but I doubt that I would wear this by choice as a woman. For the first twenty or so minutes, Magnifico smells like cheap aftershave.

There is a very distinguishable watery, aromatic feel to this fragrance, which of course suits the hot weather I am, at this present time, experiencing on my side of the globe. The lavender stands out quite prominently on my skin, with a rather masculine feel. The licorice and myrrh add a different aspect to this fragrance as it transcends into the drydown, however it's not enough to cancel out the crispness that this fragrance has already established.

I wouldn't turn to this fragrance for the perfect fig, seeming that the fig note isn't all that enticing. I just can't seem to get past the odd aftershave smell, which smells a little like Oscar for Men by Oscar de la Renta.