Salvatore Ferragamo- Signorina (EDP 2012)

My sister called me the other day to ask me what I know about Salvatore Ferragamo perfume Signorina. It took me a a minute to verify that she meant the 2012 original and not the newest flanker Signorina Eleganza that was released this year. Apparently she got a bottle after falling for it at first or second sniff. I unearthed a sample and went to see what it was all about.

I could see why my sister wanted it. While over the last few years she's been mostly loyal to Kenzo Flower, she's also gone through a couple of Eclat d'Arpege bottles as well as Lancome Tresor In Love (the 2010 flanker, as her husband cannot abide the original). In the world of musky gourmands with a sizable helping of fresh fruity notes and hearty pink floral core, Ferragamo's Signorina is kind of an extreme example of a perfume that was created to make you smile no matter what. It's just so... perky. Like a morning person who insists on making you rise and shine, but you cannot get too mad because he or she already made you pancakes and tea which they've arranged beautifully on a small table decorated with fresh flowers and your best linens. What's not to like?

Well, the generic simplicity, for one. I wonder how I would have felt had Ferragamo's Signorina been the first of its kind. Would I have reveled in its realistic and incredibly mouth watering pannacotta accord? Would I have marveled at the way the light and fresh green leaves, sparkling pink pepper, and juicy red currants keep the creamy dessert fresh and vibrant? I keep thinking about it, and the answer is "probably". I do love me a good gourmand, from Olivia Giacobetti's Sexy Angelic to the wonderfully weird Kelly & Jones #5 Notes Of Chardonnay that lets you have your creme brulee with a side of cheap wine and a slice of the oak barrel. A milky dessert in perfume is an excellent idea if you ask me, but I wish it was done a bit more dramatically and with less of the usual pink suspects.

Signorina is cute and I kind of liked it for a while (see above: what's not to like?). I admit that after a couple of hoursof wearing it I get bored out of my skull. Soft and sweet smelling, but ready to snap. I'd rather smell Signorina on my sister, and that's how it should be.

I've heard that there was some kind of raucous over the name "Signorina" and the strong push towards very young audience. I sometimes find certain perfumes juvenile, but usually it's because I feel that the Powers That Be were cutting corners on quality and aiming extra low in their marketing campaigns. This isn't the case here. A sunny disposition is not exclusive to the young, and while my little sister is weeks away from turning 40, in my mind she's perpetually nineteen. She's happy to wear Signorina, I'm happy not to test it again, and our mother will keep on spraying Chloe and Fracas all around her. It's all in the family.

Notes: red currant, pink pepper, green notes, jasmine, peony, rose, patchouli, musk, pannacotta accord.

Salvatore Ferragamo- Signorina ($79, 50 ml EDP) is available at select department stores.

Top image by Zalita on Flickr.