Tom Ford Mandarino di Amalfi Full Review – Do You Need It?
Mandarino di Amalfi.
One of Tom Ford’s finest summer fragrances.
Tom Ford Mandarino di Amalfi was released in 2014 and is based on citrus, aromatics, and white florals. It lasts 6 hours on the skin with average projection.
In this review, I will describe its smell and performance and if it’s worth it.
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Table of Contents
What Does Mandarino di Amalfi Smell Like?
Overall, the initial top notes are nothing extreme. Equal parts juicy lemon and grapefruit lead the opening. They are mainly sweet and provide a familiar bright and zesty aroma.
As the scent develops, things get slightly more exciting. An herbal spice sits underneath the citruses from early on.
My nose picks up a variety of greens with a black pepper hue. I can’t pick out the notes specifically, but my guess would be mint and basil.
Progressively, these greens gain a soapy quality. The greens are heavier than the citruses in the grand scheme of things. But here, they never overpower them.
Once in the mid, there is more floral dominance, a nice citrus orange addition, and an array of flowers. The greenness has carried over and still retains its spicy tone.
As the scent dries down, it is primarily a mix of greens with spice nuances and fresh florals. Never is this a feminine scent, but rather ultra-clean and summery.
The official Tom Ford Mandarino di Amalfi notes:
TOP NOTES
- Lemon
- Grapefruit
- Mint
- basil
- Tarragon
- Black Currant
MID NOTES
- Orange Blossom
- Jasmine
- Clary Sage
- Shiso
- Coriander
- Black Pepper
BASE NOTES
- Musk
- Vetiver
- Civet
- Labdanum
- Amber
Performance
The performance is decent for a citrus-based fragrance. It lasts 6 hours on the skin and pushes out 1 – 2 feet the first couple hours of the wear. The projection will only ever create a subtle ambiance around you.
As it is a citrus-based fragrance, it is exclusively summer wear. It can be worn in the spring, but often it’s too weak.
If you live in a four-season climate, you’ll get about three months of wear out of this. The closer you are to the equator, the more versatile Mandarino di Amalfi will be.
With the floral and citrus combination, it has the sophistication for formal events and dates in the summer.
But because of its lack of projection, it doesn’t far well for going out or other close-quarter settings when your fragrance has to “compete.” In short, all occasions but going out.
Lastly, the compliments and mass appeal are outstanding.
No matter where you wear this, it’s hard for others not to enjoy your subtle and fresh aroma. And compliments, it pulls a lot. There’s something about Tom Ford’s quality, with florals and citruses that everyone loves.
Tom Ford Mandarino di Amalfi Clone
The most similar fragrance is Mandarino di Amalfi Acqua. Which happens to be a flanker of the original. The only difference between the two is that the original (one reviewed in this article) has prominent white floral notes.
Outside of the Tom Ford brand, John Varvatos Artisan Blu is the best dupe.
Final Words
On the official Tom Ford Website, Mandarino di Amalfi costs $295 for a 50mL bottle.
This is exceptionally expensive for a summer-only fragrance. I love the smell and think it is one of the best summer fragrances from Tom Ford. When only considering the smell, it’s worth it.
However, it becomes less enticing considering the average performance and lack of versatility.
Other citrus fragrances like Louis Vuitton Afternoon Swim are $300 for a 100mL bottle with the same quality and citrus dominance. Missoni Wave is $50 and is primed for summer.
Mandarino di Amalfi is an excellent Tom Ford fragrance. However, don’t limit yourself to Mandarino di Almalfi. Discover the best Tom Ford colognes here.