Ramon Monegal - Mediterranean Memories

Picture: A favourite plant for Chinese New Year
Photo: Mokkie (CC),
Wikimedia Commons, some rights reserved

Mediterranean Memories by Ramon Monegal is created for and available exclusively at the famed hotel Mandarin Oriental Hotel Barcelona. 

Mediterranean Memories (MM) starts with a realistic, sharp tangerine note. Soon a smell of green leaves, which I can imagine as the leaves of the tangerine three, appears. As MM dries further down it becames sweeter, probably the light green yellow lindenblossom note achieves this and in this phase MM reminds me slightly of Carthusia The Essence of Centaral Park.  Some accords  later, the smell of MM suddenly reminds me of citrus/orange hard candies. More yellow flowers are to come, when the lovely, sunny, nectarious mimosa appears, golden and warm. The fruity vibes still lingers and even if MM not is smelling of pineapple, I find  similatities with another contemporary, fruity chypre Jean Patou EnJoy which has a dominating note similar to pineapple, is much bolder but has a resembling expression and aura. Later on an very light, almost peppery impression shows up, probably from the cedarwood in the basenotes. There is also additlional, varm spicy, woody notes combined with a light, white musk, a musk which has been present, highlighten the notes during the whole development of MM. The basenotes is the part I like the best with MM, probably as I'm no great fan of lindenblossom. The base notes retains the chypre-ish expression and MM is here darker than in the exuberant top- and middlenotes.

Picture: Mediterranean Memories by Ramon Monegal
Photo: PR Ramon Monegal (c)

Mediterranean Memories is an easy to wear, elegant, albeit a tad to sweet for my taste in the middlennotes, everyday fragrance suitable for work or daytime pleasure in spring and summer. Sillage is close and longevity good, for approximatly a day.

MM is in the same vein as another  Ramon Monegal exclusive Very Private, reviewed earlier. Both are flattering and easy to like by many as they are smelling very good and are versatile in style. But they are not as interesting as the basic Ramon Monegal line. For those who havn't tried Ramon Monegal yet, my recommendation is to start with the basics.showing the versatile but genuine Ramon Monagal style as expressed in the first fifteen fragrances released to the international market in 2012.

Rating: 3+

Notes: Tangerine, green leaves, lindenblossom, mimosa, cinnamon, cinnamonbark, cedarwood, musk (I think as I havn't seen any official notelist, only some mentions in an article)

Ramon Monegal - Very Private

Picture: Beneath the Lilac at Maurecourt,
Painting by Berthe Morisot, 1874,
Wikiart

Very Private is an exclusive composition created by Ramon Monegal for Bergdorf Goodman, New York. The fragrance is said to capture the hypnotic and magical impression of the Bergdorf Goodman flagship store as well as Central Park in springtime.
Very Private starts with a sunny burst of what I percieve as yellow-green fruity notes, accompanied by fizzy peppery notes. There is also a hint of alcohol in the beginning, the impression of a fruit cocktail. Soon also rose and a note that reminds me of melon appears. the fizzy, fruity first stages of the perfume reminds me of another joyful Ramon Monegal - Lovely Day. Lovely Day and Very Private also have some common notes; rose and licorice and I can also smell a similarity also in whole accords of the fragrances even if Lovely Day is more peppery and fresher where Very Private is more flowery with a golden, warm, honeyed sweetness. The melonnote is of the Galia varity, not watermelon. The lilacnote, to my nose, is recognizable in the second part of the dry down and I have to smell very close to really sort it out from the seamless blended fruity-flowery mix. The basenotes are a pleasant musky mix with oak moss and licorice adding some dept and contrasting darkness to the this bright and happy fragrance.



Picture: Very Private in its white cap,
 inkwell bottle
Photo: PR Ramon Monegal (c)

Very Private I can imagine (the test is done in cold springweather) is a durable fragrance for warm, summerdays. Also suitable for spring and wearable in most occassions, very good to cheer up in the office. Perfumesnons should not fear away as this is a genuine fruity-floral fragrance, it's not the sickingly artificial smelling sweet fruity-floral, Very Private smells almost natural in its interpreation of florals and frutis. Sílage is medium and longevity good, for a day.

Those who like Hermès Un Jardin apres la Mousson, Ramon Monegal Kiss My Name (which is in a similar style as Lovely Day) and Guerlain Idylle Duet Jasmin-Lilas will probably also like Very Private.

Rating: 3+

Notes: Citrus, fruity notes, tea rose, violet, lilac, orange blossom, oak moss, licorice, vanilla, musk