Mandarino di Amalfi vs. Neroli Portofino

In this edition of the head to head fragrance comparisons, I want to take a closer look at two Tom Ford perfumes, that utilize citrus and floral ingredients. These are: Neroli Portofino vs. Mandarino Di Amalfi. Which of these unisex scents is the better of the two? Which popular fragrance gives the best performance? Which is the top buy?

Tale of the Tape: Mandarino di Amalfi vs. Neroli Portofino

Neroli Portofino

Notes include: neroli, orange flower, amber, mandarin, bergamot, jasmine, lavender, lemon

Click here to try: Tom Ford Neroli Portofino 1.7 oz Eau de Parfum Spray

Review: Neroli Portofino

Mandarino di Amalfi

Notes include: grapefruit, lemon, wildflowers, mint, tarragon, orange blossom, sage, amber, vetiver, basil, black pepper, black currant

Click here to try: Tom Ford Mandarino Di Amalfi Eau de Parfum, 1.7oz./50ml

Review: Mandarino Di Amalfi

Opening

Portofino opens up with lemon and other citrus notes to go along with orange blossom and the neroli. The top is a bright citrus smell with a zesty quality and floral notes sitting underneath and providing a soapy feeling.

The jasmine and neroli together, really give it that bath soap sort of smell. That’s fine and this is a good example of it. I like the citrus notes, but they aren’t as prominent as the floral trio.

Mandarino Di Amalfi opens up with lemon and grapefruit, which are juicier than what is found in Neroli Portofino. There is also an additional black currant note, which is familiar, but not overly sharp within this composition.

Under all of that, is basil, tarragon, and mint. It gives the composition a cool spice and a lighter soapy quality than its competitor.

Which is better? I like Mandarino better at the start. The juiciness of the citrus is better and the herbal spice gives it another dimension, then, just being a soapy floral.

The black currant adds a nice distinction here versus Portofino. Plus, those spicy herbal notes, give Mandarino di Amalfi some more depth early on.

Edge: Mandarino

Projection

Neroli Portofino’s sillage starts out as a moderate, but quickly moves into something that is much lighter. Meanwhile, Mandarino di Almalfi, has very solid projecting abilities for a citrus based scent. It isn’t insane or anything, but it is better than Neroli, in this regard.

Edge: Mandarino

Longevity

Neroli Portofino will hit the five to six hour mark of wear, on skin. If you’re willing to spray on fabric, you can of course get a bit more. It’s really not on of the marathon type of perfumes on the market.

Mandarino di Amalfi isn’t much better, if at all. It too seems to strike that six hour mark and be gone from my skin, thereafter.

In this category, the two are very evenly matched. I get about 5-6 with Neroli and about 6 with Mandarino. This is after plenty of testing of each. Neither are great, but are passable…just don’t expect beasts.

Edge: Push

Versatility

Again, these two pretty much occupy the same space. Spring and summer wears, that can go casual or dressy, during the daytime. They are unisex fragrances, that lean more feminine, than masculine. No real distinction.

With each, you’re going to get more of that coastal summertime outdoorsy vibe. No nightlife monsters, just attractive fragrances to wear during the warmer months.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Neither of these scents really wows me, at all. They’re nice, but just not amazing. Neroli Portofino is a very simple perfume with citrus top note, neroli, and orange blossom.

Later on, it becomes even more floral, with lavender and jasmine coming in. Clean, bright, soapy, floral. Pleasant to wear and won’t offend.

Mandarino Di Amalfi, doesn’t reach some rarefied air, but I think that it is better than Neroli Portofino. The opening citrus is better, then the herbal spice brings in a different dynamic (also does it better than Neroli Portofino Forte), and then you get orange blossom and wildflower.

The floral element smells better to me in Mandarino, as well, and goes well with the green herbals.

Obviously, if you’re a super fan of neroli, you may have your leanings for Portofino. To me, I think the citrus, less soapy aroma of Amalfi is the better of the two.

The performance is pretty good, but not great. I like Mandarino and during parts of the wear, I thoroughly enjoy it, it just never brings it all together. However, it wins this Tom Ford perfume match up.

Winner: Mandarino Di Amalfi

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.