Pernoire Mansa Extrait de Parfum

What it smells like

Pernoire Mansa is a rich floral fragrance built around rose and oud, with dark fruit and warm spice. It opens with blackberry, which gives a deep, juicy fruitiness, pink pepper for a bright, rosy sparkle, and orris, the powdery iris-root material, for a soft, velvety elegance. The start is fruity and polished rather than sharp.

The heart is the centre of Mansa. Rose provides a lush, full floral core, oud adds dark, woody depth, and saffron brings a warm, slightly leathery spice. Cassis, or blackcurrant, reinforces the dark fruit, and amber adds a golden, resinous warmth. Rose and oud is a classic pairing in modern perfumery, and here the fruit and saffron make it feel opulent and generous.

In the base, patchouli adds an earthy, woody richness, heliotrope contributes a soft almond-powder sweetness, and moss and musk give depth and a smooth, lingering finish. As an extrait de parfum from Pernoire's Anima line, made at 25% concentration, Mansa has excellent longevity and a warm, luxurious trail.

Who made it

Mansa was composed by Andreas Wilhelm, the Swiss perfumer credited on every fragrance in Pernoire's current range. Wilhelm trained at Givaudan and Luzi, founded Wilhelm Perfume in Zurich in 2008, and develops Pernoire's fragrances with founders Robin Dünner and Nico Mannino.

Mansa was released in 2022 and is named after Mansa Musa, the 14th-century ruler of the Mali Empire, often described as the richest person in history and remembered for his generosity. Mansa means king or ruler in Maninka, and the golden staff on the bottle symbolises wealth and generosity. The fragrance was a finalist at the Art and Olfaction Awards 2023, where it placed in the top ten among more than 1,000 blind submissions.

Who it’s for

Mansa is for lovers of rose and oud fragrances, and anyone who enjoys rich, fruity florals with a luxurious, warm finish. It is unisex: the rose is prominent, but the oud, saffron and patchouli give it plenty of depth for all wearers.

It suits people who like their fragrance to feel refined and generous, and it is a strong choice for those who already enjoy Middle Eastern-inspired rose-oud compositions and want a Swiss niche interpretation.

When to wear it

Mansa shines in autumn and winter and on cooler spring evenings. It is ideal for special occasions, formal dinners, celebrations and evenings out, where its opulence feels appropriate.

In the daytime it can be worn on cool days with one light spray. In hot weather its richness increases, so evening wear is the better choice in summer.

About the house

Pernoire is an independent Swiss niche perfume house founded in Basel in 2020 by childhood friends Robin Dünner and Nico Mannino. The house believes a perfume should express personality, so each fragrance starts from a story and bears a symbol on its bottle. All Pernoire fragrances are unisex extraits de parfum in 50 ml flacons. Mansa belongs to the black-bottled Anima line, made at 25% concentration. Pernoire Mansa Extrait de Parfum is available at Redolia Perfumery as a full 50 ml bottle.