Where to find Marge’s eau de cologne …
We were glued to Ripley this weekend, the Netflix adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s fiendishly clever and sinister novel of 1955, starring Andrew Scott. Its monochrome moodiness makes it closer to the book than the gorgeous sunlit 1999 Anthony Minghella-directed movie version (though personally I found this Dickie a pale and slightly dull character compared to Jude Law’s glowingly vibrant and charismatic take; in fact, Philip Seymour Hoffman as Freddie was also peerless, and Gwyneth was never better).
And in Ripley, there’s a telling detail, beyond the beautiful suits and chic cigarette cases, that brings the mood and setting to life – and that makes us want to wear Italian eau de cologne. In both screen versions, when Dickie buys Marge’s favourite perfume for her, it is shown to be from the legendary Florentine pharmacy Santa Maria Novella, with its distinctive bottle and crest. While the exact one shown in Ripley has been discontinued, there are multiple eau de cologne options available online, from Acqua di Sicilia to colognes emphasising vetiver, gardenia and lavender (€125 each).
The Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella began back in 1221 in Florence, when Dominican friars founded a convent of the same name, with its own garden. They distilled rose water from around 1381, and their Acqua di Rose is still one of the loveliest rosewaters you can buy (€24). It became an independent pharmacy from 1542, and over decades the convent was transformed into a store, with perfumes, soaps and more being sold in the former chapel. Dublin had its own Santa Maria Novella boutique in the Westbury Mall for a time, but sadly no longer.
On the website, there’s free shipping above €150 for orders to Ireland. Though the dream is to plan a visit: obviously the Florence store is the ultimate, but there are outposts in London, too (Piccadilly Arcade), and Paris (rue Saint Honore). The eau de cologne may be a small detail, but it offers an olfactory fix of Ripley’s dark glamour.
READ MORE: Ripley Is Back, But What About The Fashion?
