Mandarine by L’Artisan Parfumeur

Hey there Posse! Launch your minds back to 2006 and Mandarine by L’Artisan Parfumeur. At the time they were one of the most groundbreaking houses with a 30 year niche history already. Back then very few could touch them. Olivia Giacobetti was the perfumer, since 1993 L’Eau de L’Artisan she has been a staple perfumer of the house right up to 2020s Passage d’Enfer Extrême. Sure, many of the L’Artisan range are very GP but the weird assed standouts have been prolific too.

My friend Tim is a bloody gem. This was part of my Christmas present last year. Yeah, I know, a GEM! I think we may have been talking special citruses one day and it planted the seed. It has been getting some skin time over summer and as you all move into spring I thought you might like a reminder of a long lost discontinued rarity.

Mandarine by L’Artisan Parfumeur 2006

Mandarine by L'Artisan Parfumeur

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Green mandarin, Ginger
Heart: Frangipani, Yellow mandarin
Base: Orange, Red mandarin, White cedar

So how does Mandarine smell? The opening blast is icy cold peppery ginger and citrus, very mandarine like. Not quite photo realistic on an up close sniff but sweet and juicy and as refreshing as you could wish. This opening lasts better than you would expect and the citrus continues beautifully into the heart.

Mandarine by L'Artisan Parfumeur

My wear gives me zero florals. Through the heart the citrus turns quite orange, like eating quarters in the sunshine. It has the lovely pithy vegetal muskiness as well.  Dry down becomes a sweet bed of orange flavoured jelly crystals and fluffy laundry musks.

Completely unisex, projection excellent for the first 30 minutes or so then calms to a very pretty wash that pumps out for hours.

Did you ever try L’Artisan’s Mandarine?
Portia x

Way back in 2016 I drained a decant and chattered about it on APJ. Interestingly Patty wrote about Serge Lutens Mandarine Mandarin in 2006!

  • Dina C. says:

    How did I miss out on this one, Portia? I need to sniff some. I really love some of Olivia Giacobetti’s other creations. Thanks for bringing it to my attention. Citruses are perfect for spring & summer here in Virginia.

    • Portia says:

      I hope you find some DinaC,
      Enjoy your spring. I bet you are bathed in bulbs and other flowers right now. YAY!
      Portia xx

  • Tom says:

    Of course last night the system decided again that my iPad was a spam generator..

    I did try this one. As a matter of fact I bought a small bottle which I used up in record time. IDK why I never got another one except maybe I had the SL and Demeter Sweet Orange distracting me.

    • Portia says:

      Hey Tom,
      It was only available for the shortest window. Maybe you finished your bottle and it had disappeared?
      Portia xx

  • carole says:

    Portia, What does GP mean? I loved your review of this. I have a small catalogue from so long ago-shows all of the original fragrances, in their super beautiful bottles. I’ve been wearing mine a lot this week-today is Fleur di Liane-but I never tried this. I would have loved it-noting better than orange citrus in the heat!

    • Portia says:

      Hey Carole,
      GP = General Public. So made for the bulk of humanity and thus quite safe.
      OOOOHHHH I have no memory of Fleur di Liane. I just looked it up. Sounds very pretty. Salty greenery and white florals. SIGN ME UP!
      Portia xx

  • Musette says:

    Hi, babysnakes! I do remember this one – it was SUPER mandarine on me – and I loved it. As trabuquera (below) said, the fresh ginger made it a colder citrus, perfect for midsummer. Not a hefty bit of longevity but fun while it lasted.

    xoxoxo

  • March says:

    Oh, I loved this — so sad it’s gone! But you’ve reminded me I should dig out some citrus scents, it’s that time of year… IIRC it didn’t have huge lasting power on me but I thought it was gorgeous.

    • Portia says:

      Oh yes March, it’s time for the grain tray changeover here too. Loads of amber/woods/spice/vanilla coming out in the very near future. YAY!
      Portia xx

  • trabuquera says:

    Have and admire it, but while I revel in the uncannily realistic first burst (smells more like a mandarine than an actual mandarine ?!?!?! and how does fresh ginger always seem to make citrus scents colder rather than hotter???) mine simply evaporates to almost nothing in under 45 minutes. Which is a minor tragedy.

    • Portia says:

      Trabuquera, we all feel your pain on the longevity. It becomes a very soft wash of pithy nothings, but they do linger. I think we may become quite anosmic to it but it’s still a better than us smell.
      Portia xx

  • Maya says:

    L’Artisan has some truly lovely perfumes and Mandarine sounds like one I could fall for. The problem I have had with L’Artisan is that they are very short-lived on me. There are, however, two which are now baby unicorns to me and it doesn’t matter how short-lived they are – L’Eau du Navigateur and La Haie Fleurie. Both are early works by Jean-Claude Ellena.

    • Portia says:

      OOOHHHH Maya! I love and have both. La Haie Fleurie top notes are pretty much gone but it’s still so pretty.
      L’Eau du Navigateur is so bloody gorgeous, I will never understand why it wasn’t more popular.
      Yes, the longevity is fairly awful on most, but that means you get to spritz something different by lunchtime. That’s kind of a win for me.
      Portia xx

      • Maya says:

        I think you mentioned the benefits of short-lived perfumes once before. I thought about it for a while and thought, “He’s right.” It is kind of a win! 🙂

  • MMKinPA says:

    Sounds like a lovely summer perfume; have never tried (but wish I had – ginger!! ). The only FB of L’Artisan that I have ever owned was Vanille Absolument- also the only one I have ever dropped/broken. Managed to save a couple of decants worth but it’s almost gone now.?

    • Portia says:

      OH NOOOOOO! MMKinPA that would have lingers for months too. A house full of crunchy vanilla caramel plastic. HEAVEN! I still have some here but it rarely gets the spritz, just a bit too hefty.
      Portia xx

  • cinnamon says:

    Not tried this, but sounds hot weather perfect. A sunbathing scent (if that’s the way you go). Have so much time for l’Artisan — my first one was Hadrian and then wore Mure et Musc for years.