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Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Fendi Theorema: fragrance review

Now that perfumer Christine Nagel is at the helm of Hermès, looking back on her work for various brands reveals her core aesthetics; at once saturated and filled with light, like a Joseph M.W. Turner painting that foreshadows what's to come, namely Impressionism. Judging by her newest Eau de Rhubarbe Ecarlate and Galop, this heftiness-shot-with-brightness continues the sun path to its natural apex.
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With Fendi's Theorema, Italian for theorem, a proposition that has been proven to be true based on previously established statements, Nagel has taken a theme and brought it into its culmination. Namely the "Oriental perfume" that feels as comforting as nibbling chocolate by the fire, while at the same time retaining the plush luxury and sophistication that a proper womanly perfume fit for the salon should exude.

Fendi's Theorema, inexplicably discontinued much too soon (at least before the brand discontinued its entire line in order to bring out the newest project on the shelves) and at least as clamored for a resurrection as Laura Biagotti's Venezia, opens with the delectable alliance of orange and chocolate. The effect of the former is apparently accounted by two unusual citruses: tangelos and thai samuti. The chocolate is folded with sweet spices, amber and warm milky woods, such as sandalwood and rosewood; there's none of the austerity that woody notes usually provide. A touch of a classic, orientalized bouquet of flowers (orange blossom, ylang ylang, jasmine) gives just a tinge of ladylike proclivities. But Theorema is too good to stay on the ladies alone...and is extremely ripe for a resurrection as well.

5 comments:

  1. Wonderful! It is timely to read about Theorema as I recently tried it for the first time. I must try it again soon and look for the chocolate among the oranges and spice. Delicious. And thank you for describing Theorema's place within Christine Nagel's oeuvre. I am an ardent admirer of Hermes scents so it is exciting to imagine where she will take us with her next perfume.

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    1. Thank you Tiffanie for visiting and commenting.
      It's indeed a very crucial point in the story of Hermes. Let's see!

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  2. I was blessed by the gods to find Theorema early on in my perfume career. It is still in my top five, only kept from the permanent no.1 spot by the vagaries of mood and season. By complete coincidence, I chose to wear it yesterday, when this article was posted. And what a lovely day it was. :)

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    1. What glorious serendipity. I love when things like that happen! Do people into perfume go through mystical cycles of raptured longing for specific scents? I think they do!
      Anyway it's a great fragrance and you're awfully lucky to have found it and to have found it early on. Enjoy while it lasts!

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  3. So glad that I met Theorema in the past! Who can forget this beauty?!.. :( inexplicably discontinued.

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