Santa Maria Novella products??

There's at least one long thread on the subject that will come up if you put <"Farmacia Santa Maria Novella"> (without the arrows, of course) in the Search Box.

Thank you , Eloise. I did read that thread but was hoping for further information, as there is not all that much detail there about the actual specific products.

Balenciaga, one of our posters, knows their products quite well. I hope he posts in soon.

BC

Oh, yes, I always enjoy those gorgeous posts of his; I do hope he checks in before I leave!!! Where has he been, anyway?

anyone???

The almond hand cream is wonderful--about 20 euros. The whole place smells great and be sure to check out the view of the convent garden area in the back. I have to say the women who work there are very snooty.

Thank you! I will put that almond hand creme on my list of products to check out.

the men's shaving stuff is fantastic. the potpourri is great smelling too...

I'm a friend of Balenciaga who also likes this line. All the body cremes and the body milk are wonderful on the skin. There signiture frangrance SMN was created for Catherine Medici. The range of fragrances and bath oils is long. I like the Iris and tuber rose.
Very expensive so make sure you'll like what you buy.

My husband likes the after-shave cream. I didn't find the women there snooty at all, they were very helpful. I was interested in something that might help ezcema and the one out front sent me to the back room to get help. The woman in that room was just as helpful.

I am the greatest expert on Farmaceutica Profumo Santa Maria Novella here at Fodor's. My entire hhome is scented with SMN pot-pourri, which I have sent from LAFCO in Manhattan. (It is also sold at Takashimaya 5th Ave.)

The best product that SMN sells, in my opinion, is the pot-pourri, followed by the almond paste handcream. I also recommend the sandalo soap, camomile shampoo, Idrasol body cream, and the Russian Cologne (for men).

Is there anything else you would like to know, darling? I have the complete list of products stored on my mobile.

Balenciaga, sweetie
John G.

OOOOH!! Thanks to all and a big Ciao to Balenciaga. I got so caught up with his post that I am about to miss the plane....but no problem..will just give a call on my special Schiaparelli shocking pink phone to the special secret Alitalia hot line and aks them to hold the plane for me! On second thought, they may be holding the plane anyway, even without my call. Really, thanks for the great advice..I left lots of room in my bag.

Hi, Gorjus. I'll be in Florence in May and plan to visit SMN. What would you recommend in ladies eau de cologne, orange-citrus type? Something subtle though. I don't mind splurging.

I'll be in Florence in May, so I'll have to check this place out too!

Monica

Monica, is your Italian itinerary written stone? We'll be in Italy May 4 thru May 25 but we've requested a couple of timeshare exchanges and our itinerary will depend upon their availability. I sure would like to meet with other Fodorites for drinks or dinner. Right now Rome 5/22 thru 5/25 is a given. Sicily, Positano, Bellagio, Tuscany and Orvieto are on the "will see" list.

Sorry Eskrunchy...

Yes, my plans are all set and I'm just waiting for May 10th to arrive for my flight to Florence. I'll be in Florence on the 11th (4 nights), Bologna the 15th for 6 nights, Venice on the 21st for 4 nights; fly home the 25th. All three locations I'll do day trips via train or bus.

I posted a message on fodors about a fodorite get together(s). Here's the link: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=34716171 If you're interested, just post a message there so others can read it. You can also email me directly and we can see what we can work out in meeting. mjpileggi @adelphia.net.

Monica

PS: So far I have 5 people that are interested in dinner on the 13th of May in Florence.

SMN makes a very nice bitter orange cologne. I think it is called "Bagara."

Don't forget to hit Ferragamo on the Via Tornabuoni.

Balenciaga, this is my first post, but I couldn't resist....you may be the "greatest expert" on SMN, but I would likely be second..I started using the products 40 years ago as a very young girl...they are lovely. IMHO the Queen of the line is the Melograno scent..in everything, soap, cologne, candles, etc...it is wonderful to wear it and be asked "What is that amazing scent???"

My favorite product is the Crema Pedestre which is fabulous for your feet - soothing and softening.

Yes, another vote here for Crema Pedestra. By far the best foot cream I have ever used, and not greasy. It is my #1 favorite SMN product. Slightly mentholated in scent.I also use the Crema Per Le Mani (hand cream) which has a slight orange scent. And, I like the signature pot-pourri. I'm not a big fan of the pomegranite sachet.

Sorry, but my great-grandmother shopped at Farmacia SMN, sweetie. I still get a Christmas card every year from the shop on Walton Street in London, the city of my birth.

I am the greatest star there is......the stars are ageless!!!!!!!

Balenciaga

Balenciaga....I am not one to argue with star power...the floor is yours!! To anyone visiting Florence,the products are wonderful it is true, but also keep in mind the setting...even if you aren't interested in their products, I highly recommend a visit to see the interior...just beautiful and historical...don't miss it.

I was there in Sept - and found the staff to be very helpful. I bought some perfume (can't remember the name right now...), a pomegranete scented candle that makes my bedroom smell fantastic - and it has never been lit!, some beautifully scented baby oil for my kids, and some face creme for my husband (the newly transformed metrosexual). It is 'pre-dopo barba crema' and he swears by it. I could have spent all day in there, as well as all my $$.

This is great. I'll be in Florence late April/early May. I definitely plan to visit the shop, and will keep these suggestions in mind. I'm always looking for good bath salts. Any suggestions along these lines?

Thanks!

Just want to thank everyone here..Balenciaga and all..for the great advice. I have just arrived in cold rainy Florence and will be venturing to the Farmacia early tomorrow armed with the list of all your recommendations.

And I will be in Florence the latter part of Feb - sure to be cold and rainy, if not actually snowing! We are staying near there so thanks for the info about Farmacia Santa Maria Novella.

I love their products! We visited the gorgeous shop in Florence and I probably spent way too long (and way too much money!) in there.

If you are interested in trying various products, just ask. The people who work there were very friendly and let me try anything I was interested in. There were gobs of people in there though, so I tried to hurry. As mentioned above, the products are pricy so definitely try before you buy.

I agree with the above; the almond hand lotion is wonderful and I bought some. I also bought several soaps. Many of the perfumes smell heavenly and I purchased several bottles as gifts (and one for me, of course!). I bought 2 bottles of the SMN and the tuberose, I believe, was the other fragrance I purchased.

Tracy

Hey, I am still working on my Italian, and want to know what Balenciaga means. I checked the dictionary and found "balena" = "whale" or "barrel of lard", and "balenare", which is "to flash". Where should I be looking if this is not correto?

Do you mean the name Balenciaga?

He was a famous Spanish-born designer and couturier in Paris. The house he founded continues under the direction of Nicolas Ghesquiere.

When you've been around long enough, you will know that the Fodors "Balenciaga" dresses only in the best designer fashions, dahling...

Anyone who has been on Fodor's for a length of time will realize who I am. My former persona was exiled by the PC Police on this forum.

Let us just say that I am thin and gorgeous, sweetie. And yes, I took my current sn from the great Christobal Balenciaga, one of the world's most influential fashion designers.

I am the greatest star there is.......the stars are ageless!!!!!!

I thought viaggio sempre was teasing. Barrels of lard and all that.

But maybe I'm just naturally suspicious.

mi dispiace. I thought perhaps that the name was an Italian derivative.

Just to report to Cristobal and friends. I spent about an hour there today. Even in January there were lots and lots of eager penitents. All I can say about this place is WOW! Be sure to go, even if you can hold yourself back. But holding yourself back here is no fun so bring lots and lots of Euro! And prepare to know more or less what you want to buy and to wait in line!!! Thanks,all!

Just returned from a week in Italy and want to thank again everyone who offered advice on this place and their products. Especially our resident experts! I bought several bags full of delicious smelling items, including many of the women's products recommended here: almond hand creme, day and night cremes, bath oils, candles, toothpaste, etc. While the saleswomen are very helpful, they do not push anything. This is not the Estee Lauder counter at Bloomingdale's, so it helps to know in advance what you are going to purchase so that you are prepared once you make your way through the line (yes, there was one on a Wednesday in January) to the main counter. And although I spent lots of money, the individual prices are not very high when compard to high-end beauty products in the US; the day cream, for example, is about 22E. for 1.6 ounces. Note that the items in the cases do not display prices; to see the cost you need to check the price list on the counter.

Now, here is another question for Balenciaga: I purchased two candles in melograno scent, but did not realize until I got home that their is no candle holder in the box, a la Rigaud, etc. So, what is the proper holder for the candle? I now see that SMN sells a candle holder; what does it look like? I cannot wait to slather myself and scent up my home with all my new items! Thanks again. I will post some other trip notes on a separate thread.

ekscrunchy, isn't that MELOGRANO beautiful? I switched from the iris to that.

here's the holder:

http://www.aedes.com/product.php?product_id=1639

I am so excited about all of these products. I see that they are sold here in NYC at Lafco (which also does mail order) but prices in Florence are a downright bargain compared to what Lafco charges. Yes, I love the melograno scent!! And the day face cream smells wonderful as well. But what shall I put the candle in? It looks like the dripping wax would not be contained by the SMN candleholder. I want to light it up right now!!

I use a beautiful little dish I bought in Provence, but I think the SMN dish is made wide enough to catch any dripping.

Alas, I won't be in Florence anytime soon, but I *will* be in London in about a month.

So, Balenciaga (and anyone else), the London store is in Walton Street? Which neighborhood is that in? Which tube stop should I use?

I tried to go to the SMN store in Rome a few years ago, but I could never figure out where it was. Now I find out there's one in London! Yay! (Naturally, I'll go to the original in Florence someday, but this will have to do!).

Thanks!

Linds

I downloaded the catalog from their website. Many of the products discussed by Fodorites do not appear in the catalog. So, I assume I will have to do quite a bit of browsing in the store. I have never been so I wanted to be prepared in advance.

I have the list that was given to me in the store in Florence last week. It does not have prices, but I will be happy to look up anything you want and give you the exact name for the item. Sylviam, which list did you download? The one on the Lafco site seems pretty complete.

Linds--Walton Street is a few blocks from Harrods. Check your London map. We stayed within walking distance so I'm not sure of which tube stop--probably the stop that would put you closest to Harrods rather than South Kensington tube station. Walton Street has great shopping. Have fun!

ekscrunchy: I just realized that the catalog I downloaded was not from their site but from another store. No wonder I am confused. Do you have the site to download a catalog of products?

Ahhh~ I Love Walton Street.


Cheers Balenciaga!!

Sylviam, try www.lafcony.com to see what their catalog contains. The store is in downtown Manhattan. Prices are much higher (more than double, I think) than in Florence but they will fulfill mail orders. Now that I am back and over the shock of all that buying I realize that the prices in Florence are not high at all for that quality of stuff. The day cream is the only thing I have tried since I have been home and it is a marvel; feels so silky without the stickiness that some others have. I tossed my (shudder) L'Oreal day cream in the trash today. I am among the converted!

There is no complete catalog on line from any place that carries the products, because each place only carries a selection and SMN does not do a catalog on line.

ekscrunchy; thanks for the lacony.com website. This gives me enough info to be partially prepared when I go to Florence in April.

Now I realize that the decisions will be difficult to make and that I need another suitcase to bring these products home.

Strawberry Jam (a shop) in New Hope, PA, sells some of these products. I've never bought any, but I've sniffed a few. I don't remember the prices, but I did look at them, and they were high.

yes, very expensive, the fragrances I buy here are $84. One candle goes for $100, now that is not expensive but outrageous!

Yes, that same candle costs about 35 Euro in Florence.

The products of Farmacia SMN are meant for aristocrats, not for people who buy their groceries at Cosco, hence the high price.

I don't know anything about the candleholders, but I do own a few soapdishes.

I am thin and gorjus. Cheers.

Balenciaga...you do bring a smile to my face....the mid size Melograno candle costs approximately $50.00...however, it is a wonderful buy because this candle will perfume your space before you ever light a match to it.....further, when you do burn it, the scent takes all of 15 minutes to fill your room, so you don't burn it as long as you would others....in the end, worth every penny...

Cheers to you too, Balenciaga!!

traviata, that is what I have been wearing(malagrano) since I switched from the Iris, so many compliments.
The candle I have not bought...yet.
Balenciaga is a ball!
How about that terra cotta vase with the potpourri!!!

Cigalechanta..if you already wear the Melograno scent, try the candle..really a beautiful treat...but, be advised...once you burn one, you'll want another, and another, and another....

Just to let you know, my darlings, that if you like scented candles you should try the scented candles by Jo Malone. Amazing!!! I adore the grapefruit and also the lime/basil/mandarin. These candles are highly addictive.

I am the greatest star there is. The stars are ageless!!

I'm raising my bowl of gin to you, Scarlett. Cheers!!!

Balenciaga

I thought of you this weekend. I was reading a magazine that had a picture of Gwynneth Paltrow at the Golden Globes. The dress she was wearing was designed by.....Balenciaga! Come to think of it, she is thin and gorgeous. Are you secretly trying to tell us that you are Gwynneth Paltrow?

I just browsed in the Lafco/Santa Maria Novella store on Lafayette Street in Manhattan last night. I wish I had this post handy as I had no idea what to buy! I'll have to print this out and go back.

I'll be in Italy in June, but not in Florence. I WAS in Florence 3 years ago and indulged myself at SMN. Are there other places to buy these products in Italy? I'll be in Venice and Milan (and a few places in between).

Alice

Can you buy them at the Rome airport?

Alice,

For Milan the address I have is:

Via Santa Maria all Porta, 1-20123 Milano

For Venice:

San Marco 2493, Campo S. Maria del Giglio 30124 Venezia

I have not been to the shop in Milan, but have visited the one in Venice...it is small, but has the basics...certainly enough to spend your $$$$ !!

What is so truly Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon is that in the movie "The Talented Mr. Ripley," Gweneth Paltrow's character receives a gift of perfume from SMN. You can see the distinct white gift-box with black ribbon as it is handed to her by Ripley.

Balenciaga,

Which scent do you think he would have chosen for her???????

What do you recommend as far as an after shave scent?

topping.....

I have not been to Lafco yet but I am curious..do you have an chance to sample the products? How is the service? I know the prices are very high compared with Italy but it is nice to know we can replenish here when we run out. I am sorry I can't help you with the men's products.

I have to go to the store in Rome now. I forget about it every time but now I have the address!

I have a Balenciaga purse that I love.
What a handsome talented man he was (the original, but I assume our Fodors one is too)

I went to Lafco yesterday and the service was good. I bought the Gold Musk as a gift for my boyfriend, now I am having buyers remorse! After smelling it more it seems feminine, although the woman who helped me assured me that this scent was the most popular one for men in their 30s..... I see that eluxury classifies it as a woman's scent- I wonder if she misled me purposely to make a sale???? Obviously it's my fault, but at the time it smelled nice. Hopefully it will smell good on him!

I really don't believe in classifing scents as masculine/feminine. If it smells good, that is all that matters. I doubt the saleswoman at LAFCO purposely misled you, as I have been shopping there for years and know the staff. The staff is very professional. If the saleswoman wanted to make a sale, she could have easily persuaded you to try the stronger colognes like Water of Cuba or Russian Cologne.

As for "The Talented Mr. Ripley," I see Marge as being very floral. Therefore, I can surmise that her gift of perfume would be a tuberose or gardenia.

I am the greatest star there is. The stars are ageless!

The Talented John G.

Dear The Talented Mr. G.,

The saleswoman advised me that the Russian Cologne was for an older man. She was around my age and her father wears it. My boyfriend liked it, it's a very soft scent. My goal was to get him a scent that wasn't so common, and I think I achieved that.

I really don't care for the Russian Cologne itself, but do like the RC scented soap. I do like the Water of Cuba cologne, however. I once bought my ex-husband, Tom, the Tobacco cologne; he hated it.

My mother told me that she wants her coffin lined with SMN pot-pourri when she dies.

Balenciaga, you seem to be the resident expert on Farmacia SMN. I just posted looking for gifts from Rome for my 16 and 20 year old daughters. Someone suggested I look up this thread. Any suggestions on SMN products for my daughters?

Your daughters would probably like the pot-pourri sachets that they could put in their drawers or closets. Their clothes would smell so divine! The camomile shampoo would also be very nice for a young lady. I think SMN perfumes would be too strong, too tradional for a younger person. I doubt a 16-year-old would appreciate the scent of jasmine or gardenia.

Farmacia Santa Maria Novella is very "old guard," very aristocratic. It has been around for over 400 years, so it is not for everyone. If your daughters are the type who like "Tommy Girl" cologne, they probably would not appreciate anything from SMN.

Ciao, darling.

Balenciaga--You can buy me tobacco cologne anytime. It's lovely.

Since you know so much about perfume, what is the British line of men's colognes that is supposed to be good for those who are allergic to strong scents? I sampled some in Sacks, I think it was, and adored it.

I totally agree with you, by the way, that men's/women's scents are irrelevant. If you like it, wear it! Knew a young lady of 16 who always wore Fahrenheit for men, and it was so lovely to be around her. That was one girl with style!

Do you mean Saks, darling? What is Sacks? That sounds like a store for chavs.

The British perfume manufacturer? I think you may be referring to CREED.

I agree with Balenciaga that the scents are too strong for a young person.
The pomagrante candle would be nice.
and the potpourri.

Of course, Mimi, you agree with me. Great minds think alike.

Jackie O sends licks. I took her for a walk at the King of Prussia Mall today. She was not impressed with the men's shirts at Bloomingdale's at all. She is so fussy!

Love,
John G.

bookmarking

Oh my friend, John, How I miss your posting because you know that the only good Christian is a Dior wearing SMM

Mimi


I'm

here.

from me too, John

On the Avenue Louise in Brussels yesterday, I walked past the chic Senteurs d'Ailleurs shop and saw an entire display window packed with SMN products. I had no idea they sold them, but another reason to be lured into this very tempting emporium.
http://www.senteursdailleurs.com/Page_Generale.asp?DocID=122&langue=EN

Balenciaga, so glad to hear from you , dahlink.

I am a fan of melograno (pomegranate) , too. The soap is just divine.

I also agree the shop in Florence is worth visiting even if you are not going to buy anything. It's glorious.

SMN has a shop in L.A., too.

Great thread! I have a feeling I will be an SMN fan-for-life.

Ekscrunchy,
Would you mind posting what type of day/night face creams you bought. I've long been looking for a non-sticky type of day cream (which from your post sounds like what I've been looking for). Also, any recommendations on SMN bath oils, toothpaste, perfume, etc.

We are leaving for Italy in a week, right in the middle of the crazy tourist season. I was afraid that with the crush of people in the store, I may not be able to smell, linger, and sample my way, and it would help to hear about your favorites.

After reading all the previous posts, the almond hand cream and Melograno candles are now on top of my list.

I would love to hear from SMN fans about your favorites.

Thanks, dear Fodorites!

My favorites are the Olio da Bagno - Melograno and Angels of Florence cologne.

bfrac,

Thanks for the tip - will check those out. I just noticed from Traviata's earlier post that there is an SMN in Venice too - that's perfect in case we can't make it to the big store in Florence. I'm sooo looking forward to the SMN experience.

Thank you!

I am happy to see this thread resurrected.

One caveat: Although I do not know this for certain, I have a feeling that the prices in the main Florence store are the best in Italy. (I have not shopped at the various stores on the same trip so cannot be sure..)

The cream I currently use is their Crema F which is a fairly heavy night cream. It has a wonderful, light floral aroma; the little 50ml pot may look small but it lasts for months.. Their other classic cream is the Idralia which I use in the winter, when I do not need sunscreen...this is lighter than the Crema F.

As far as I know they do not make any creams with sunscreen..

I think the candles are another "must." Even when they are not lit, they exude a lovely scent!

How funny that this thread has been "recalled to life." (to quote Charles Dickens in TOTC.)

You many not realize it, but Fodor's uses my "word of mouth" quote for Farmacia Santa Maria Novella in Florence in its Italy guide.

Thingorjus

Thanks for all your tips. Didn't have time to go to the SMN in Florence and knew that Venice was our last chance.

It was tricky to find the Venice store - it was tucked inside this alley that was mostly residential. We almost gave up because of the heat, but fortunately persisted. It's near the Palazzo Grassi.

Got some of the famous almond hand cream, melograno candles, melograno soap, Russian cologne for DH, and a few more bars of soap for gifts. Alas, it was the tail end of our trip and there was no more room in our suitcases!

Thank you!

Hi Everyone, we are going to Europe next month and will visit Berlin, Vienna, Prague and Budapest. We want to buy some of the SMN products back home, any idea where we can find it?

You can buy them on line for the same or lesser price.

I don't know of any store in those countries that sell Farmacia Santa Maria Novella products.

As Mimi wrote above, you can purchase the SMN line at www.lafcony.com

If you are in Prague, you should stop by Dr. Botanicus herb shop which is located behind the Tyne Church on Old Town Square. I highly recommend the bitter orange bath products and the canned jams to eat.

Thin

Someone told me that Nagele & Strubell also sells SMN product, I find a link from their website, but I just don't understand anything dutch. Anyone can help?
http://www.naegelestrubell.at/Parfuemerien.html

It list under the highlighted link Exklusive Marken

http://www.naegelestrubell.at/Exklusive-Marken/Santa-Maria-Novella.html

Louis in Boston carries some of the line.

Um, isn't that page in German?

I can translate some of it and it seems to be giving a history of the shop in Florence, now under the direction of Eugenio Alphandery. It also mentions that that Catherine di Medici was a patron and used "Water of the Queen."

The photo on the web page is of the store on Via Scala in Florence.

Thin

I read that LAFCO in New York will offer an expanded r range of SMN (and other, imported) products; free shipping on orders of more than $150US:

http://www.lafcony.com/


I also read, but cannot confirm, that on Fridays they open their warehouse at 161 Sixth AVenue to the public for discount merchandise.

Oh wow, would love to know if the Friday warehouse story is true. I am just back from Italy last night and had to make the pilgrimage to SMN in Florence. It is such a wonderful place.

This is why I come to the forums. Thanks for the advice and information!

ditto, by the way, what's the address for the Florence SMN? thanks!

via della scala 16

http://www.concierge.com/video/europe/florence/florenceshopping/1825938964/santa-maria-novella-florence/1832211966

thanks so much!

Hi all I'm new to this forum ( please be gentle
I first saw the SMN in the movie * Hannibal * and I was intrigued. My husband as a birthday gift has booked us into Lake Garda for a week this September. We have a hire car and plan to drive to Florence as it costs around € 200 on the train!
I'd much rather spend that money on products from SMN!
What I was wondering is, don't you get overwhelmed by all the scents?
I read once that after smelling three smells your sense of smell becomes fatigued.
Did anyone else have that problem?
I want to make sure I get the right one for me !
Thanks all,
your advice would be much appreciated.
Anna
x

Hi
I'll be in Rome at the end of the month, and wonder if prices fo their products are a bit lower than in other european stores? Otherwise, I don't think this will be worthy to go there

Do you mean lower than in stores outside Italy? If so, yes.

yes i meant outside Italy thanks for the response !