Anima Vinci are a brand on a mission to bring joy into our lives through the transformative and uplifting power of scent. Through something akin to an aromatherapy approach, their fragrances are designed to connect to emotions and open up a world of relaxation, balance and calm.

The vibe

Anima Vinci have a bit of a boho chic vibe about them due to the way in which they have marketed their scents by tying them to specific benefits. For example Lime Spirit is described as having a ‘uplifting and refreshing benefit’ and Jasmine Yang is ‘balancing and relaxing’. There’s something a bit modern hippy about this way of describing their perfumes, and the references to ‘aura cleansing’ may put some people off, but this brand sits at the intersection of aromatherapy and more traditional perfume so doubtless there will many who find this upscale aromatherapy approach works for them and allows them to feel extra good about the scent they pick.

The brand

Anima Vinci was founded by Nathalie Vinciguerra in 2016. Nathalie was formerly the creative director of Penhaligons and L’Artisan Parfumeur so you can be sure that the brand has a good and established pedigree. Anima Vinci currently carry a range of scents and three scented candles. As a young brand, momentum is building behind them and it won’t be long before you’re seeing them all over the place.

The presentation of the Anima Vinci range is worthy of note. The bottles are pebble shaped and really beautiful in their simplicity. The bottle cap is designed to reflect the heart of a lotus flower and tops the curvy bottle beautifully. The bottles look as if they would fit perfectly into the bend of a hand, they’re gorgeous.

The scents

There are seven scents in the Anima Vinci line up and they all have a clean, uncomplicated singularity about them which makes them very easy to wear and enjoy. Many of the scents feel like they would work in a wide variety of situations, from the office to holidays, and who doesn’t love versatility in a scent.

Lime Spirit

Listed notes: Bergamot, orange, citrus, mandarin, black pepper, neroli, ginger, lavender, hedione, pink pepper, cardamon, pepper wood fusion, amber, cedar wood, moss, patchouli, vetiver, sandalwood, tonka, leather, benzoin, musk.

Bright, zesty, sharp, energetic and energising, this scent will pick you up off the floor and reinvigorate you even on the most mundane day. It’s masculine-leaning, and there isn’t a whole lot of sweetness in the mix so it’s good for people who don’t like their citrus to verge into dessert territory. A leathery nuance comes through in the heart of Lime Spirit, but the whole perfume is very pure and uncluttered despite the long list of notes it contains. It feels like the sort of scent which would be great to wear when you need to impress without being all heavy and meditative; think job interviews and first dates.

Rose Prana

Listed notes: Violet leaves, verbena, pink pepper, centifolia rose, oak moss, woods, vetiver, patchouli, white musk.

Rose Prana is a beautiful, light rose that smells like the bloom has just burst open and then been doused in light rain or morning dew. There’s a moment in the heart of the scent when it becomes almost boozy and a little intoxicating whilst remaining airy and light. This rose is fresh, really natural smelling and feminine and the perfume itself is one of those which could be trotted out year round for a variety of occasions. We could imagine wearing it to a relaxed and informal summer wedding.

Wood of Life

Listed notes: Bergamot, mandarine, grapefruit, mint, blue ginger, ylang-ylang, rose, petitgrain, cinnamon, cloves, sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli, piri piri, leather, palo santo, leather, musk, vanilla.

This fragrance starts off with a bit of a nutty vibe but develops into an oily wood, in that the wood seems concentrated and smooth rather than dry and sinus-irritating.

The wood becomes drier as it wears with hints of bitterness creeping in and then a really gorgeous liquorice note appears which is delightful. There’s a minty or eucalyptus coolness lurking in the scent which stops the wood from being too obviously warm and gives the fragrance a much more interesting vibe. Again, this is a scent which is super easy to wear and easy to reach for it without too much thought needed. We can imagine city professionals wearing it to the office in summer to stay smelling fresh and on top of their game.

Neroli Wisdom

Listed notes: Bergamot, lemon, mandarine, orange blossom, neroli, jasmine, vetiver, sandalwood, benzoin, tonka.

Bright, buzzy and sharp, lemon-citrusy, this is another energetic and invigorating fragrance. The neroli sits more towards the woody end of the neroli spectrum, but it hasn’t totally lost its more floral nuances. There’s a real hum about this scent, it wears a bit like the vibration of a bumble bee. As the scent dries down it becomes less floral and more woody, which makes it a good scent for all genders.

Jasmine Yang

Listed notes: mandarine, yuzu, pink pepper, solar flowers, frangipani, water jasmine, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, ambergris, patchouli, vanilla, white musk.

Jasmine Yang is the creamy floral number from this stable of scents. It’s white, honeyed, very summery and you can almost imagine bees and butterflies flitting around blossoms as you wear it. The scent has a traditional and timeless vibe about it somehow, which suggested to us that it would suit people of a variety of ages.

Oud Delight

Listed notes: Bergamot, lemon, cinnamon, clove, ginger, saffron, coriander seed, ylang-ylang, rose, olibanum, sandalwood, oud, patchouli, tonka, labdanum, vetiver, musk, amber.

This is a gentle, kind oud, barely an oud at all really. It has a warm, woody breath and feels remarkably un-demanding for an oud scent. As a result it’s much less headache inducing than some of the more aggressive oud perfumes can be. There’s rose in the mix too, which is an obvious paring for oud but very pleasant nevertheless. We could imagine this appealing to people who like oud scents but just want a day off from all their frenetic energies, or people who are new to oud and want a less intense way into this ingredient.

Tudo Azul

Listed notes: lime, mandarine, orange, cachaca, brown sugar, marine accord, rum, amber woods, vetiver, vanilla, labdanum.

Tudo Azul is easily our favourite from this brand, it’s very lovely indeed being memorable and invigorating. The fragrance smells like the best summer beach holidays, it’s cheerful, uplifting, and optimistic. The lime comes through beautifully and the paring of the citrus with the sugars and boozy rum notes really made us happy, rather like a caipirinha cocktail does! The marine notes are low in the mix but they, almost subconsciously, make you feel as if you’re sitting beside the water. Wear this and you’ll feel like you can almost hear the breeze rustling the leaves of the palm trees. Beautiful!

The verdict

Despite long lists of notes, the fragrances from Anima Vinci feel very uncluttered, easy to wear and easy to pick up and chuck on. We can see them having wide appeal to people who don’t want to have to really contemplate what scent they’re going to put on for which occasion at which time of year, as many of the range are very versatile and friendly. They would be a great way into niche perfume for people who want an approachable way in, and we have really to love these ‘gateway drug’ brands. Our favourite from the range is Tudo Azul which is just in another league entirely, a really beautiful and optimistic perfume that makes us feel sunny and happy inside.

Buy it

Anima Vinci scents are available from their web boutique, they’re priced at around £150 for 100ml of EdP.

We won a discovery set from Anima Vinci in a giveaway they ran on Instagram recently and it was these that we used in order to review the line. The prize was not given freely and not associated with any promise that we would review their fragrances at all. Thank you Anima Vinci for giving us the chance to try your scents.