Creamy vanilla with smoke, multi-faceted inflections, and a hushed breath. That is the core of Vaniglia del Madagascar, a silky parfum extrait from the ancient Italian perfume house of Farmacia SS. Annunziata dal 1561.

Source: Farmacia ss Annunziata website.

As a preliminary matter, the full title of the perfume is Farmacia SS. Annunziata dal 1561 Vaniglia del Madagascar, something which is far too long for me to write out repeatedly. For the sake of convenience, I’ll simply refer to the company as “Farmacia SS. Annunziata” and occasionally shorten the fragrance’s name to a brief “Vaniglia.” (I have an unfortunate habit of mentally thinking of the company as “SS Annunziata,” which sounds like some sort of fascist group or ship, so I may just call it “Farmacia” to avoid an inadvertent malapropism.)

I think the Farmacia is a very under-appreciated company with solid perfumes and an interesting background. It is based in Florence and has a long history that dates back to 1561, when a chemist called Brunetti worked with the Benedictine Nuns of San Nicolò to create all-natural beauty products and potions. Their modern creations are very rich and nicely done, with a style that seems very similar to that of Profumum Roma. Namely, simple, uncomplicated, and unpretentious fragrances that highlight one key note in an extremely concentrated manner. (You should see the Farmacia’s Patchouly Indonesiano. Absolute insanity!) Continue reading →