The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
037 This Is Magic arrived in 2019 as part of Stradivarius's numbered scent series. This Is Magic entered the rotation as a study in contrast: citrus brightness on top, woody depth beneath, amber warmth anchoring everything. The fragrance belongs to a catalogue of numbered releases that includes entries like 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 006, 007, 008, 009, 010, 011, 012, 013, 014, 015, 016, 017, 018, 019, 020, 021, 022, 023, 024, 025, 026, 027, 028, 029, 030, 031, 032, 033, 034, 035, 036, 038, 039, 040, 041, 042, 043, 044, 045, 046, 047, 048, 049, 050, 051, 052, 053, 054, 055, 056, 057, 058, 059, 060, 061, 062, 063, 064, 065, 066, 067, 068, 069, 070, 071, 072, 073, 074, 075, 076, 077, 078, 079, 080, 081, 082, 083, 084, 085, 086, 087, 088, 089, 090, 091, 092, 093, 094, 095, 096, 097, 098, 099.
What makes this composition interesting is its restraint. Three note layers do all the work. Mandarin orange at the top delivers immediate lift without the sharp citric bite of lemon or bergamot; it reads as sweet, almost floral, and sets a welcoming tone. There's a juicy roundness to it that feels more like biting into a ripe fruit than spritzing a citrus accord. The sweetness leans toward candied rather than zesty, giving the opening a friendly, approachable character. The woody heart is deliberately vague in its sourcing, which lets it function as texture rather than statement.
The evolution
The first fifteen minutes belong entirely to the mandarin. Bright, juicy, almost candy-like, with a sweetness that reads as orange rather than tropical. There's no sharpness to it, no bitter pith note. It simply glows on the skin like something freshly peeled. The fruit character is front and center, and it carries a round, almost pulpy quality that makes the opening feel edible in the best possible way. By the thirty-minute mark the citrus begins to soften as the woody heart starts to surface. Not a specific wood you can name, more an impression of warmth, like sun on bare floorboards or the smell of a wooden box left open in a warm room. The sweetness from the opening doesn't disappear; it migrates, getting absorbed into the wood and turning into something drier and more textured. The transition happens quietly, without any sharp edge between phases.
Cultural impact
This Is Magic sits within Stradivarius's numbered 'This Is' series, a line of compositions that share a consistent, straightforward approach to scent-making. Within that series, 037 carves out a warm-citrus space defined by mandarin orange, a woody heart, and an amber base. The accord profile, citrus, woody, amber, fruity, sweet, places it firmly in the wearable, everyday category of fragrance. It reads as a composition built around recognizable, comforting notes rather than challenging or avant-garde materials.
