Blog post by Gwen

Mandarine – refreshing and reviving and summery

Photo: perfumeniche

Do you suffer from SHS? Each year,  innocent victims worldwide endure the effects of what we call ‘Summer Heat Syndrome’, at least that's what we call in my house. Symptoms can include, but aren’t exclusive to: profuse sweating, that can result in too short, too flimsy and just wrong clothing choices; dehydration caused by drinking too much alcohol in an effort to slake the unquenchable thirst brought on by the heat; depression upon discovering that summer isn’t all you thought it was going to be last winter; sleep deprivation caused by sleeping in sweat-soaked sheets every night and a constant, low-level crabbiness that results from a combination of any or all of the above symptoms.

Well, now there is a way to fight the unrelenting heat of summer and overcome the effects of SHS from the good people at L’Artisan. They’ve created an fragrance called Mandarine. Originally launched in 2006 under the name Mandarine Tout Simplement this summer heat-buster has been brought back by popular demand as a limited edition called Mandarine.

How does it work? Thermal scientists and guys in white lab coats don’t really know, but perfumer Olivia Giacobetti has hit upon a formula that relieves SHS in men and women immediately upon application and it has to do with mandarin orange trees.

The concept is simple really. The mandarin is a small citrus tree (Citrus reticulate – that’s its scientific handle) and its fruit, the mandarin orange, is a variety of the orange family.

Mandarin trees grow in tropical and subtropical regions, which mean they are genetically engineered by nature to thrive in heat and still produce light and refreshing fruit. So, when you spray a mandarin based fragrance on your skin, you are in fact creating a citrusy sense of serenity, with each component of the frag playing a vital role in the execution.

It works like this: zesty green mandarin at the opening has a sharp note of, well, green, that offsets the luscious sweetness of the citrusy orange. There’s ginger here too, adding a warm note that keeps the mandarin on its toes. These notes immediately relax and open up the pleasure centre of the brain, giving the wearer a feeling of being refreshed, which often results in a smile. The heart notes do their work too. Here, fragrant yellow mandarin, tart and fresh, is paired with frangipani, which adds a lovely, exotic jasmine/peach accord. This has the effect of lulling the wearer into a sensuous, tropical vibe so that the effects of SHS are lessened and they actually start enjoying summer. The base keeps it going with red mandarin so succulent, sweet and juicy it could rehydrate the most parched soul, anchored by camphorous cedar wood. And, clever nose that Ms. Giacobetti is, she put the formula in EdT concentration, so it doesn’t hang around too long like an unwanted in-law, but can be re-applied as needed.

Light, refreshing and reviving – never overly sweet, fruity or cloying - regular doses of Mandarine will soon restore the wearer to vim, vigor and vitality, effectively shutting down SHS, no matter how high the temperature climbs.

Note: Mandarine works in the summer to combat SHS, but it can also be used in other seasons to give the wearer a joyful reminder of summer goodness.

Check out Mandarine in our Shop.