Yendi by Roberto Capucci

Launched in 1974 among the greats, Yendi has been unjustly overlooked until a sample from Bofifa finally came into my hands. It is a pity it was passed over so lightly. It opens with effervescent, herbal aldehydes that boost a sweet-and-sour, peachy bergamot, primitively sensual. The flowers (iris, rose, hyacinth, lily) shine with their own light, sweetened by spiced honey. The base is a soapy, powdery musky sandalwood, with oakmoss and amber adding warmth and femininity, shifting from green to gold. It is a fresh, youthful, springy floral chypre that makes you smile. Sophisticated yet approachable, more akin to Estée Lauder than Chanel. Why not unisex? I prefer these flowers in a man rather than the typical lavender and carnation. The drawback: discontinued and hard to find; I’d rather keep my olfactory memory than settle for a watered-down reformulation. It reminds me of Barbra Streisand: angelic voice and wit in an imperfect beauty for her time. The name evokes her film ‘Yentl’, radiant disguised as a man. Yendi is a contained glory in a humble bottle, undervalued as it deserved. At least Barbra was finally recognised for her worth.

I’ve always wanted to create a floral for men that expressed beauty and colour, like a breath of life. Male florals tend to be dark and threatening (Grey Flannel, Narciso, etc.), but Givenchy’s Insensé was already close to my ideal. Capucci’s Yendi (1974) is one of the most pristine florals I’ve ever smelled. Although the aldehyde opening is sharp and realistic, its very green herbal heart makes it genuinely unisex without losing character. I’ve worn it for ages and received nothing but compliments. The dry-down is a feat of engineering: the sandalwood makes the flowers sweeter and more radiant (like the jasmine blooms of my summer childhood) without losing the green stem note at the base. It is a wonder, a gift made in heaven to spread happiness.

Yendi by Capucci, featuring Noel Harrison’s ‘The Windmills of Your Mind’, instantly conjures a specific era. Although I was born in 1980, I research sounds and videos from other times to build mental images by combining what I see, hear, and smell. Yendi is a green aldehyde scent similar to Chanel No 19, yet warmer, more floral, and infinitely feminine. It feels like a perfume tied to a bygone era where women dressed more conservatively: stockings, tights, tweed skirts, long-sleeved blouses with high necks. It is a complete fragrance, perhaps too much for today’s ‘less is more’ philosophy, but it is exquisite and I have the honour of owning it in my collection.