Acqua Di Parma

Rethinking Jasmine With A Little Help From Acqua Di Parma

August 5, 2011

Jasmine is a polarizing fragrance note, in my humble opinion. It’s the cilantro of the scent world; you either love it or hate it, with little room in between for indifference. I tend to fall on the “don’t care for” end of the spectrum when it comes to the white-petaled bloom, and so I struggle with excessively green scents that use jasmine extract in high quantities. But seeing as how Acqua di Parma secured my allegiance to its Le Nobili collection six years ago with its Violet Nobile, only strengthening the bond in 2009 with the release of Magnolia Nobile, I put my distaste aside to properly review the line’s latest offering, which is jam-packed with the floral note. Gelsomino Nobile is centered around jasmine, albeit a special strain of it grown in Calabria, Italy. This jasmine essence is used primarily to achieve a light and airy effect—two words I would never typically associate with jasmine, as I typically find it to be a bit cloying. The eau succeeds in this pursuit, evoking the bright Mediterranean sun and fresh sea breezes with additional hints of pink pepper, orange blossom, tuberose, and musk. For the record, my favorite of the three Le Nobili offerings is its Magnolia iteration. But Gelsomino has made me reconsider my stance on jasmine, which is a feat in and of itself.

—Celia Ellenberg

Photo: Courtesy of Acqua di Parma

tags: Acqua di Parma, Fragrance, Gelsomino Nobile