There are a lot of brands which I don’t connect with. The perfume is adequately put together it just doesn’t do anything for me. There are a few of those brands that seem to surprise me every couple of years with one that does. Reminiscence Mandarine Fraiche is the most recent to do this.
Reminiscence has been around for fifty years. Their first perfume Patchouli remains one of the best patchouli fragrances I own. Over the following half a century they have never come close to that. They have mostly played it safe without innovation. It is a valid business model and that they are still around after so much time indicates its success. It also means even when I like something it is because it hits all the right notes without being challenging. Mandarine Fraiche falls right into that categorization.
Zoe Coste, Nino Amaddeo, Lilla Amaddeo, and Sebastien Coste (clockwise from l.)
Nino Amaddeo and Zoe Coste were there on day one. They have enticed a second generation to join them. It ensures a unanimity of aesthetic which is noticeable. It is why the ones I like tend to depart just a bit from that. In the case of Manadairne Fraiche it stays much more focused as a citrus-centric style. It does this without using some of the typical ingredients.
It begins with a fantastic top accord of the rind of mandarin and lime combined with baie rose. The last ingredient has an herbal and fruity facet which the rind of the citrus amplifies. It gets even greener with verbena adding in its lemon tinted presence. It leads to a base accord that is also excellent. Powdery iris and white tea give off a tearoom vibe before they are expanded via a set of white musks. It creates a fresh effect through adding volume.
Mandarine Fraiche has 8-10 hour longevity and average sillage.
Mandarine Fraiche is an ideal choice for warm weather. It works for me because it doesn’t go for the pulp inside. By being a skin-deep citrus it finds its way to something better.
Disclosure: This review is based on a sample provided by Reminiscence.
–Mark Behnke
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