It is yet another unreasonably cold day here, and so I am reaching for one of my favorite winter comfort scents. Theorema was launched by Fendi in 1998, and the narrow-shouldered bottle was inspired by the shape of the classic Fendi handbag. It was developed by perfumer Christine Nagel, and the notes are tangelo, jasmine, thai shamouti (orange), osmanthus, spices, cinnamon, pink pepper, sandalwood, guaiac wood, amber, macassar, sweet cream, and musk.

The top notes are cheerful, with a very bright and juicy orange underscored with strong, dusty spices. The cinnamon is pronounced, and there are other spices as well — possibly nutmeg, possibly cardamom? It settles into a soft, lightly spicy scent with woody base notes. The sweet cream gives it a milky, almost vanillic feel, and there is tiniest whiff of something like dusty cocoa, however it is by no means overly sweet and it is only slightly foody. The floral notes are very muted, and the woody amber base is more pale than not…

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