Magnolia Nobile
Acqua di Parma (2009)

Acqua di Parma Magnolia Nobile follows the same pattern set down for Iris Nobile, which is to say: citrus + white flowers + light musk/woods base. Instead of iris, we have magnolia, which in real life smells like bright lemon notes, mixed with sweet whipping cream. In the Balkans, where I live, every yard has one single magnolia tree, planted there as a sign of welcome. Or at least to say “We will pause before taking out the shotgun”.

Magnolia Nobile dials up the citrus notes of the flower, and so the opening positively fizzes with snappy lemon and sweet orange peel. I like the opening a lot – the cream of the magnolia petals needs to be cut somehow, and this does the job. In fact, I wish the uplifting freshness could hang around a little longer. I'm not so keen on the creamy aspect of the flower that forms the heart.

To me, magnolia always smells a little too sweet and soapy. Unfortunately, in this particular example, it reminds me of an Impulse body spray I used when I was 19. Or a hand-soap, or a shampoo – I wish I could recall exactly. Either way, the smell association is there. Magnolia Nobile ends up smelling – to me – like a banal soap or shower gel or body spray that I used to buy in Marks and Spencers on Fridays with the money from my student grant that I hadn't spent on booze and cigarettes. Boring and juvenile, therefore, to a nose that is at least two decades past that awkward stage.

Cannot believe I overlooked reviewing and rating this wonderful perfume, as I've owned it and worn it now for nearly three years. Came upon this during a 2012 trip to Epcot Center in Orlando. Stumbled across the display at the Italy or Venice area and was over-taken...immediately in-love. Do you know that heady, over-whelming, wonderful olfactory sensation one experiences when entering a high-end parfumerie or a unique & spell-binding candle-shop in a tiny European town or Big American City? THAT is what got me...those fragrances...that fragrance...it was instant love.

As others have stated, Magnolia Nobile begins quite citrusy, which I normally do not like...I actually dislike fragrances with strong, opening citrus notes. After settling in and simmering down a bit, the magic of Acqua di Parma Magnolia Nobile begins! The more this fragrance settles down and remains on the skin, the finer it becomes! Staying power is great...sillage is super, too. A little does the job. Over-doing the application can be over-powering.

Again, thinking I would dislike such a "floral" and citrusy scent, magnolia is dominant; yet the mixture of citrus (lemon & bergamot), floral (rose & jasmine) and woods (amber, musk) make this perfume truly unique.

The scent, IMHO is very feminine but not trendy or juvenile, not hip or lively. While this doesn't smell like the top drawer of grandma's dresser, I would call this a more mature and "lady-like" fragrance...not a fun and playful one. I like the fact that Acqua di Parma does not make dozens of "trendy" fragrances; the perfume maker chooses to perfect, develop and modify the "tried and true" base and basic notes.

As the Acqua di Parma website states, "this perfume DOES have a distinct structure that is enriched with surprising notes." There are opening notes of bergamot, lemon and citron that develop with rose & jasmine. The dry-down is sandalwood, patchouli...a hint of vanilla.

I absolutely love this stuff! It definitely ties as #1 with my other "go-to" fragrance, Frrederic Malle Musc Ravageur. Completely different fragrances but similar in so many ways!

Genre: Fruity Floral

This is how to do a fruity floral. A refreshing, realistic lemon top note melds into a cheerful, effervescent citrus-seasoned floral heart. While bright and potent, Magnolia Nobile is perfectly balanced and never screams. The citrus is just tart enough, and the floral accord just soft enough, that there's no hint of the artificially flavored hard candy effect that ruins so many fruity floral fragrances. The composition has the cheerful simplicity of Annick Goutal's lighter green florals, including Eau du Ciel, Folavril, and Le Chèvrefeuille, but Magnolia Nobile is less green and a bit more emphatically floral than these. It's also heavier on the aldehydes and more enduring on the skin. There is a clean, fresh quality to this scent, but it's achieved without resort to stereotypical aquatic notes or large doses of laundry detergent musks.

There's not an awful lot of development once Magnolia Nobile's central citrus and floral accord is established. Keeping this accord intact for several hours entails chemical extension of the citrus note beyond the usual duration which does yield a bit of harshness at the three or four hour mark. Happily, creamy wood and vanilla base notes eventually counteract the chemical effect, so that Magnolia Nobile's final stage is a mildly sweet, soft skin scent.

A simple and bright accord of citrus, white flowers and aromatic woods, with a talcum/soapy feel and a sweet musky base (I don't want to sound repetitive and use that "sweet soft musky shampoo base" aromachemical name again...). It gets slightly mentholated after a while. Pale and suave like a Victorian girl. The floral notes are there, but they are developed in a way I do not enjoy much - somehow plain, restrained and innocuous. It's like watching a photoshooting on a travels' magazine: still good, but you crave for "the real feel". Clean and pleasant, but to me, a bit dull.

6/10

There are a number of floral fragrances of this house that are fairly formulaic in the composition and not really top in their ingredients and authenticity of their notes, but this one is not one of them. Sure, the magnolia is not all-natural top quality, but very good, and blends well with the whole structure of their scent. The magnolia arises after the orange, the bergamot and the jasmine are notable, and dominates deeply into the drydown The vanilla that later arrives is not really sweet on my skin, not cloying and blends in well. Added florals, mainly some rose and a gentle, softer patchouli round it off. Not the greatest of scents, but well blended, with very good silage and projection, and six hours of longevity on me. A soft but firm, rich and deep floral, enchanting but not soppy.

More than… thirty minutes of wonderful… I love the brightness, and clarity of the opening bergamot / lemon accord. It's a clear citrus accord that exhibits a definite warmth and a tangible citrus feel without a trace of lemon-drop-candy stickiness. The magnolia-dominated white florals show themselves in the background almost immediately and serve as an excellent prediction of the classic structure that is to come. I find the magnolia / white notes quite authentic and they are accompanied primarily by a complementary green note that brings the accord to perfection. The whole of the top and middle accords are accomplished beautifully, and they are particularly elegant in their proportions. I don't get the rose in the middle, and the tuberose is quite restrained considering that it is tuberose... I believe that I can smell some of the base's vetiver in the background of the middle's floral accord. The jasmine comes through lightly and serves as a perfect support to the magnolia note. In all, it's a beautifully done floral presentation that exhibits better than average longevity in its heart accord. The drydown retains a bit of the floral ambiance, but primarily features a relatively dry woody accord with noticeable sandalwood and patchouli. I don't catch much of the vetiver in the base, and the vanilla projects just enough to appropriately sweeten the woods: the drydown is an appropriate finish to the beautifully done florals that preceded. Good sillage and long lasting. What can I say except that Magnolia Nobile is another beautiful presentation from Acqua di Parma: It serves as an excellent companion to excellent Iris Nobile.Pros: Beautifully classic white floral starring an excellent Magnolia.Cons: