03/17/2024
Dmbfaninmass
22 Reviews
Dmbfaninmass
1
90s Redux
I have 2 Montale selections and they both serve one very specific purpose - nostalgia for the 1990s and that is it. When I was on the cusp of turning 40, I bought several 1990s to early 2000s era frags for the magic of olfactive scent memory and feel nostalgia for younger, more care free, and quite plainly for my life experience, more fun times.
Did they do the trick? I suppose, albeit in a lesser fashion than I’d imagined they would. My nose felt they were less than they had been - be it the quality of oils used, IFRA changes that occured and necessitated altered formulations, or simply watered down offerings due to the frags being selections that had gone through multiple reformulations in the years since they’ve fallen out of fashion en masse. Tommy, Hugo, The Dreamer, Dunhill Desire Blue were all standbys in my teen years rotation. Sculpture was one I didn’t personally own, but I knew several that had it and would “borrow” some sprays from time to time.
Enter Montale’s Fougeres Marines and Wood & Spices. Off the top Fougeres just hits my nose like a 90s one two pinch of Tommy and Hugo. At opening much more Tommy and into dry down sort of an equal mix of the two. I’d heard / seen several compare Wood & Spices to Sculpture, The Dreamer, and Desire Blue and to my nose I get equal parts of all of those.
I don’t wear either of them often and while I’ve got several fbs from the sister company, Mancera, and enjoy those quite a bit, I have not, and don’t plan on delving deeper into Montale. They hit their sweet spot for me and there they shall remain within my fragrance wardrobe, no more, no less.
If you, too, are looking for that 90s nostalgia but from a brand that offers options that project and last as long as I would imagine one could desire, and don’t want thinner or watered down versions, while being willing to pay a tad more in line with what those 90s frags went for back in those days, this may hit that sweet spot.
I enjoy the heck out of some of my more refined niche frags, but I can also appreciate these for what they are. I say that because I know Pierre Montale’s works can spark “controversy” within the fragrance community. To some they’re just a synthetic mess, to some they’re an affordable gateway to niche, to some they’re absolutely outstanding. I appreciate them for what they are. Some of my Manceras I can’t imagine parting with. Are they going to hit my nose like Roja, Royal Crown, Stéphane Humbert Lucas, Francesca Bianchi, among others - no, certainly not. However, they do, at times and situationally hit my nose as simply perfecto for what my nose craves. These 2 fit the perfecto bill when I want that 90s feel and for that reason, I couldn’t imagine wanting to ever sell or trade them away. Sillage, Projection, and Longevity, like all Montale and Mancera I’ve experienced is about as potent as I could want. Refinement and quality of ingredients is lower spectrum of niche - they’re synthetic and not “natural ingredient” smelling, but they’re as good as it gets for doing what they do and what my expectations could be for their doing so.
Did they do the trick? I suppose, albeit in a lesser fashion than I’d imagined they would. My nose felt they were less than they had been - be it the quality of oils used, IFRA changes that occured and necessitated altered formulations, or simply watered down offerings due to the frags being selections that had gone through multiple reformulations in the years since they’ve fallen out of fashion en masse. Tommy, Hugo, The Dreamer, Dunhill Desire Blue were all standbys in my teen years rotation. Sculpture was one I didn’t personally own, but I knew several that had it and would “borrow” some sprays from time to time.
Enter Montale’s Fougeres Marines and Wood & Spices. Off the top Fougeres just hits my nose like a 90s one two pinch of Tommy and Hugo. At opening much more Tommy and into dry down sort of an equal mix of the two. I’d heard / seen several compare Wood & Spices to Sculpture, The Dreamer, and Desire Blue and to my nose I get equal parts of all of those.
I don’t wear either of them often and while I’ve got several fbs from the sister company, Mancera, and enjoy those quite a bit, I have not, and don’t plan on delving deeper into Montale. They hit their sweet spot for me and there they shall remain within my fragrance wardrobe, no more, no less.
If you, too, are looking for that 90s nostalgia but from a brand that offers options that project and last as long as I would imagine one could desire, and don’t want thinner or watered down versions, while being willing to pay a tad more in line with what those 90s frags went for back in those days, this may hit that sweet spot.
I enjoy the heck out of some of my more refined niche frags, but I can also appreciate these for what they are. I say that because I know Pierre Montale’s works can spark “controversy” within the fragrance community. To some they’re just a synthetic mess, to some they’re an affordable gateway to niche, to some they’re absolutely outstanding. I appreciate them for what they are. Some of my Manceras I can’t imagine parting with. Are they going to hit my nose like Roja, Royal Crown, Stéphane Humbert Lucas, Francesca Bianchi, among others - no, certainly not. However, they do, at times and situationally hit my nose as simply perfecto for what my nose craves. These 2 fit the perfecto bill when I want that 90s feel and for that reason, I couldn’t imagine wanting to ever sell or trade them away. Sillage, Projection, and Longevity, like all Montale and Mancera I’ve experienced is about as potent as I could want. Refinement and quality of ingredients is lower spectrum of niche - they’re synthetic and not “natural ingredient” smelling, but they’re as good as it gets for doing what they do and what my expectations could be for their doing so.
Dmbfaninmass
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