NEW NOTES
AKIGALA MANDARINO

2024

mandarin
passionfruit
raspberry
apple

freesia
jasmine
muguet

akigalawood
amber

‘A captivating perfume that merges the spicy and woody notes of akigalawood with the freshness of fruit and the invigorating zest of mandarin.’ – New Notes

A month prior to this review, I first tried Akigala Mandarino and the good folks over at De Parfumeur sent over the bottle as I quite loved this fragrance on first impression.

The ‘catch’ with Akigala Mandarino is that it’s very similar to Marc-Antoine Barrois Ganymede EDP. Close to a copy, with minor differences… but the best copy and for arguably the best scent of the 2010’s, making this my favorite New Notes to date for sure.

Straight from the opening, this is a fruitier scent. Not just the namesake mandarin, but a more tropical type of general fruitiness; not far removed from something that you would get in an Erba Pura-type fragrance.

But simultaneously you get the spicy side from the akigalawood. It’s a tad mineralic; it’s watery and spicy at the same time.

In my first impression, I said that from memory, this seemed to get identical to Ganymede after the opening, but after wearing them side-by-side, I’d say that Akigala Mandarino remains a bit fruitier and less spicy; a bit more easy going, softer and brighter. Still, very similar and I can only assume you either love both or don’t like both, but it feels like a Summer flanker, which I can appreciate as much.

Akigala Mandarino wears really smoothly. Because it’s not as spicy, it feels like a thinner, more watery, slick wear that doesn’t feel demanding to the wearer. Performance is solid, but I don’t think it’s as strong or ‘in your face’ as many of the fragrances with an akigalawood focus.

Overall, this is an easy recommendation and love for me.