Ramón Monegal - Umbra

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Umbra the vetiverinterpretation by Ramón Monegal starts like a green, clean vetiver with some deep almost citruslike notes. The citruslike is not the usual light, sparkling one, and I suspect the impression emerges from the combination of other notes. Peppery notes are also emerging as the topnotes evolves, but more as supporters and not as distinct as the ginger-peppery effect in Prada Infusion d'Vetiver. The opening ackord is the part of Umbra that reminds me most of other vetivers but soon Umbra finds its own path: Umbra gets sweeter then the common vetiverfragrance and almost resiny, balmy, floral as it developes. Probably the geranium contributes to the green floral feeling. The dry down is exciting and unusual, the vetiver doesn't stands out like in the most straightforward light, rooty green vetivers.The vetivernote is restrained of the sweet, powdery tonka been in the base and despite the tonka sweetness. there is an aura of green, refreshing, moist, woody sweetness in Umbra. In the base a beautiful mossy note, similar to the one in Mon Patchouly also emerges and is present during the rest of the extended dry down of Umbra.

In lightness and texture Umbra reminds me about Prada Infusion d'Vetiver and Mona di Orio Les Nombres d'Or Vetyver but both these fragrances are more of straight forward, contemporary representants of the classical rooty, grassy vetiver fragrance. The vetiver that comes to my mind with some similarities with Umbra later stages is Andy Tauers smooth and gentle Vetiver Dance but this is more a cosy vanillia-vetiver where Umbra is more of an elegant chypre. Both fragrances has also in comman that they follows their own interesting path in the world of vetiver. The general impression of Umbra can be summeraized as the picture and smell of the coolness of the mossy, forest floor under high pines a summerday.

Even if classified as unisex I precieve Umbra as the most feminine vetiver I have sniffed so far. Umbra is definitly a vetiver that I will be delighted to wear as I usually have some "problems" with the more sharp, rooty "manly" versions. Umbra appears to be so wellcrafted and well thought out compared to many other representatives of the genre which smells like variations of the same theme compared to Umbras individuality. Even if Umbra is somehow relaxing, it's engaging to follow what is going on and trying to figure out what's happening next, during the dry down of the fragrance.

Umbra is suitable both for office and for dressed-up casual, year around but wears very well in the summer. Heavy appliers beware: Strong in concentration as in the case of almost every RM fragrance, two - three spritzes lasts for long. Sillage is more than medium and longevity about 24h.

Rating: 5

Notes: Vetiver, oakmoss, black pepper, geranium, fir, tonka bean

Ramón Monegal - Mon Patchouly

Picture: Cacao (Theobroma cacao), Photo: Luisovalles,

(cc)  Wikimedia commons, some rights reserved

The patchouli of the Ramón Monegal line, Mon Patchouly is not a variation of the earthy,woody, fresh, almost herbal theme of the note. Nor is it the other typical warm amber-patchouli variation. Mon Patchouly is a variation of the gourmand patchoulitheme in the tradition of Serge Lutens delisious Borneo 1834, but MP is a softer and more well-behaved interpretation.

Mon Patchouly starts with a scrumptious blast of cocapowder the note is dry in texture even if some sweetness is glimpsing through. There is also a whiff of an almost "men colognish note" but in a good way, not an "old mans scent" but something more elegant with amber. There is also a subdued flowery note with slight green almost moist facets, probably the moss. Even if vanilla isn't mentioned among the ingredients there is an accord in the middelnotes/early base that reminds me of the unsweet vanillapod note like in Montale Boisée Vanille blended with some dark ruhm similar to the vanilla-ruhm accords in L'Artisan Havana Vanille and Mona di Orio Les Nombres d'Or Vanille. As the MP dries down further in the base, the mossy note becomes clearer and more dominant, a sort of dark-green freshness is added to the ruhm-patchouli-ambra. The overall impression of the texture and style is something elegant as the original Chanel Coco to mention a recent example in the wake of the launch of the new Coco Noir.

Mon Patchouly is a delicious and comfortable scent in the gourmand style. On me the patchouli is not especially dominating, it's one of the prominent notes togther with amber and moss. I think its gourmand character makes it a perfect cold weatherscent and I will definitly re-test it in autumn-winter. Mon Patchouly is a perfect choice for evening wear and even if unisex I think it (despite the man cologne note) lean towards the feminine side. As many of Ramón Monegals fragrances, Mon Patchouly is very concentrated and just a few spritzes is quite enough, it's easy to overapplicate this one. The sillage is also extensive, the wearer will be noticed, but in a good way if using the right, minimal dose. Longevity 24h+.

Rating: 4+

Notes: Patchouli, olibanum, oakmoss, geranium, jasmine, amber

Top summerfragrances 2012

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Suddenly the bright and shining early summer month of June disappeared, the high summer month of July is over and sadly most of the summer is gone. Two weeks ago I also noticed the first signs of the late summer, the late evening suddenly was dark, not bright as in the beginning of the summer. One week ago the crickets started to play a true sign of the late summer. Fragrancewise I have worn just a few typical summerfragrances, most of the preferred ones up to day I enjoy the year around. Even if I almost sampling different fragrances and not have much time to wear my favourites, here they are for summer 2012:

Nuit Etoilée (Annick Goutal): Light herbal, slight smoky this one reminds me of a starry night in the asphaltjungle.

Cologne Friction (Parfums de Nicolaï): The ultimate, green, grassy, cologne for lazy summers. Perfect for vacation in the archipelago or just anywhere. And for looking at a game of tennis.

Corps et Ames Eau de Toilette Apaisante (Parfumerie Generale): A 1970s inspired chypre-light featuring the verbena note. An airy and bright interpretation of the original CeA Edp.

Rebel (Antonio Visconti): A soothing, refined patchouli with delicate notes of dark and dry chocolate.

Cristalle Edt (Chanel): There is (almost) nothing like this citrus-mossy classic when it's comes to summer casual chic.

Impossible Iris (Ramón Monegal): Year around elegant-chic. Has made a rapid career and is now among my most appreciated irises.

Rose Etoile de Hollande (Mona di Orio): Monas lovely rose is an olfactorial masterpiece is a multifacetted creation that reflects both the brightness and the dark sides of the rose.

Amoureuse (Parfums DelRae): Whith it's dark, almost decaying flowers blended with cardamon, Amoureuse is a beautiful gem suitable for alls seasons. Love it.

Ubar (Amouage): There is a golden shimmer surrounding the white flowers of this fine Amouage classic. Always right to wear in it's understated elegance, the quiet sister among Dia and Gold.

Black Oud (Montale): This classic dark rosy, leathery, patchuli oud becomes creamy in texture when worn in warm and humid weather. And never fails to attract compliments....

Amouage - Interlude Man

Picture: Rheum rhabarbum, leaves and shafts.

Photo: Dieter Weber (Uellue), (cc) Wikimedia commons,

some rights reserved

Just as its female counterpart Amouage Interlude Man starts up anything but pleasant. Interlude Man starts with a strong, burned accord, resembling a turned up version of the burned wood accord of  Mona di Orios Les Nombres d'Or Cuir (in swedish summary in english here). As the accord in Cuir is leaning to the smell of an open fire accord where some meat is grilled a grey autumnday, the burned accord in Interlude Man remids me of the smell of burnt rhubarb pie as there is a light vanillic note glimpsing in the background. When the smoke has tuned down to a more comfortable level the tart, green, rhubarb note becomes more apparent. As rhubarb is not in the notelist, I suspect there is the oregano, the pepper and the incense that creates the tart and spritzy sensation. There is also something that is close to the taste of Zig-Zag pastilles (at least swedish readers probably knows this, pached in small red boxes with white letters on.) In the basenotes Interlude Man settles in well blended, woody, among them the typical oudnote, slight leathery notes. The woody note is smell very natural to me, almost as I sniff on a just cutted down conifers. The projection is large (be warned don't overapply this one) and the longevity is great, 24h+. Interlude Man suits very well for evenings but also as a scent for the day during the colder month of the year. To me Interlude Man is unisex even if leaning to the masculine side. Just to compare, I think Mona di Orios Cuir is more masculine in its expression than Interlude Man.

All in all I think Interlude Man is to close to Mona di Orios Cuir in style and personally I like Cuir better as it's more firm and clear in it's smokey, rough leathery woody character. Interlude Man feels like more uncertain about what it wants to convey. Starts though and rough but later leans anxiously to some tarter ans also sweeter subnotes. The blend also weakens in character and becomes more common, dry, peppery, woody, oud in style, a style that is all but original these days. In the latest stage of the basenotes the blend clears up and get much more interesting: The tart note similar to a smoother geranium becomes evident and this latest stage of Interlude Man i also think is the best one, the oud is similar to that in Mona di Orios Les Nombres d'Or Oud. All in all Interlude Woman to me are more uncommon and therefore I, despite its muddly note (on me), appreciate it much more than Interlude Man.

Rating: 3

Notes:  Bergamot, oregano, pimento berry oil, amber, frankincense, opoponax, cistus, myrrh, leather, agarwood smoke, patchouli, sandalwood

Thanks to Amouage for the sample to test.

Amouage - Interlude Woman

Picture: Zyklus der Monatsbilder, Szene: Der düstere Tag (The Gloomy Day)

(Monat Februar oder März), oil on panel by Pieter Brueghel the elder, 1565

Be warned, this is the most perplexing fragrance that I have tried in many years. It indeed shows a dual personality to me and this is one of the trickiest reviews that I have written.The new Amouage  Interlude Woman doesn't start pleasent at all .When just applied there is a smell almost like fortified wine. There are grapelike and some almost fermented fruity notes. Shortly thereafter the blend turns in a grey and gloomy mud note, supported with some subdued flowers, that mediates the atmosphere of mutued grey, beige and dark red colors of a gloomy day, just like the painting above. From other reviews I have read that many of the reviewers are experiencing an explosion of a great number of bright colors in this stage, but all I percive is this messy gloominess. There is also a fuggy smell, like a sultry closet with old, wollen clothes. When wearing Interlude Women very light applicated, the muddled note is less dense but nevertheless gloomy. A whiff of an accord containing the cold flower of crysanthemum also appears and reminds me a bit of the Serge Lutens beauty De Profundis (review in swedish). Experienced from many years of perfumsniffing I know that a challenging opening of a fragrance often leads to something even more interesting and sometimes also beautful. In Interlude Woman the muddled texture slowly decreases and now and then short whiffs of the excellent Amouage frankincense appears. When reaching the basenotes Interlude Woman clears up considerable, the mud is drying to a pleasent putty note.The fermented fruits developes to a note that could be described as "preserved prunes with leather " with a glimmer of the incense and some peppery oud added. As the drydown futher progresses there is also notes that reminds me of bay leaf and pickled juniperberries. This part of Interlude Woman I experience as more masculine than feminine in style and to me the fragrance is quite unisex. The basenotes are the best part of Interlude Woman and in this stage is both interesting and enjoyable, not as the top and middlenotes, which are almost solely interesting but not particulary enjoyable. The basenotes are lasting for long, during at least a whole day. The sillage is medium.

In Interlude Woman I find some similarities, i.e the mud note and the almost messy impression, with Amouage Opus III, but for me Opus III is better. Both Opus III and Interlude Woman is created by perfumer Karine Vinchon Spehn and maybe she uses some accord that doesn't goes well with my chemistry, as obviously Interlude Woman fits so many others.

All in all Amouage Interlude Woman isn't true to me even if  my appreciation of  the basenotes is growing. As mentioned above it's probably my skinchemistry as I havn't read a negative or not even neutral review of Interlude Woman. Could I come over the first part of the fragrance...But on the other hand my wallet is reliefed as it not has to live under the constant pressure from a new Amouage (from the regular line). These bottles almost always are screaming "own me".

Despite my shortcomings wearing this fragrance, I think of Interlude Woman as an interesting and demanding fragrance of high quality that also is strangely beautiful when reaching it's basenotes. And I somehow suspect that one day I will like it, I will get back to my sample the coming winter in order to reassess it. Even if challenging in character, to be an Amouage Interlude Woman is almost subdued and it is wearable in many different situations.

Rating: 3+

Notes: Bergamot, grapefruit, ginger, tagete, rose, frankincense, jasmine, orange blossom, helichrysum, opoponax, sandalwood, nut, coffee, kiwi, honey, agarwood, vanilla, benzoin, amber, sandalwood, oakmoss, leather, tonka, musk

Thanks to Amouage for providing a sample to try.

Considerations when it comes to perfumerating

Photo: Parfumista (c)

When I rate parfumes I use the scale 1-5 where 5 is the best and 1 is the lowest rating. The ratingscale are fintuned with a "+" when a fragrances has qualities that somehow exceeds the chosen rating but don't  reaches all the way up to the next grade. I have observed that the number of 4 and 5 rated fragrances in my reviews are disproportionately high compared to the fragrances rated as "good" (ie medium, quite ok, something I would like wear). An explanation to this is that I acquires samples of fragrances that there in advance is a high probability that I will like as I read a lot about them and know my favorite houses/noses/notes. But to perform the grading more accurately in the future, I have to consider what should form the criterias be to deserve a certain rating.

In my perfumerating section I describe as follows:

"When I describe and evaluate a fragrance in a review it is concluded with a weighted rating. The components considered are: Quality of the ingredients, longivity on the skin, balance in the composition, originality of the composition, if there is an interesting development during the day, if the scent is stimulates the imagination , if the fragrance is reasonably priced (compared to what it delivers), if there is a surprise or a disappointment. Overall it provides a subjective assessment based on the experience and knowledge accumulated over several decades being interested in perfume.

5. An exellent fragrance. Something beyond the ordinary, perhaps already a classic or a future classic. Or just a beautiful fragrance that I love....
4. A very good fragrance. Or a fragrance that I like very much or almost love.
3. A good fragrance. Adequate, no reason not to buy a sample or two of it when I like it. Something that I will wear occasionally.
2. Not so good. A fragrance that does not live up to the expectations. A disappointment to me and therefore not worth buying to me.
1. Poor, a fragrance that is underperforming. "

I think all this is still relevant but I think that two factors are increasingly important to me: 1) The fragrance is challenging or otherwise interesting and keeps my interest during it's whole dry down and during a whole day ie the longevity have to be good. Or 2) The fragrance makes me feel comfortable and I'm longing to wear the fragrance. The fragrance supports me in uncomfortable situations and strengthen my self-confidence. A perfume rated 3 doesn't have these qualities to me (to my personal liking) even if smelling good and I probably would wear such a fragrance from time to time. But I could nonetheless recommend the scent to others to try as I have assessed the fragrance as good and to somebody else these two important qualities described maybe will occur.

Ramón Monegal - L'Eau de Rose

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Ramón Monegals rosewater is despite of it's airy, happy, uplifting character, not a traditional dab-on rosewater L'Eau de Rose seems to me as a bright and seemlessy blended Edt composed by high quality roseoils. The scent of the rose is the scent of the rosebuds of the flower, there is no harsh green notes of the steem or leaves crushed in the blend, just the smooth and creemy rosebuds. I image there is rose buds from different colors particulary pink but also yellow, orange and red, all of them in the lighter and brigther tonality of the respective color. Soon the rosiness becomes creamy, it smells almost as the nail cream my mother used when I was a child, and as she rememered from her childhood that her grandmother used. As the delicate blend reaches the basenotes it's grounded with a light touched patchouli that gives the blend a interesting darker dept as a background. There is also musk there but so well intergrated that I don't smell it as a separate, dominate note. In fact, I was surprised when wearing L'Eau de Rose that the, for light and bright rose fragrances, mandatory rose-musk combination is missing.

To me L'Eau de Rose is sort of a delicate, fintuned, summerversion of rose, patchouli combos such as Lady Vengeance by Juliette Has a Gun (review in swedish). Also bright and light pink rose fragrances as Rose Pivoine by Patricia de Nicolï and Bulgari Rose Essentielle comes to my mind even if L'Eau de Rose is less sweet and has it's darker twist compared to the two latter fragrances.

All in all: L'Eau de Rose is a straight forward light rosefragrance, easy and comfortable to wear, suitable both for casual and officewear. The longevity is great, a full day wearing in summer, the sillage is close. The darker patchuli twist makes L'Eau de Rose staying away from the dull and meek light rose fragrance territory. A good alternative when it comes to the light and bright rose fragrance category.

Rating: 4+
Rating: 5 (June 2013)
Update: L'Eau de Rose is unusual to be a pink rose and deserves to climb the last half step to reach the highest rating 5.

Notes:  Tea rose, taif rose, neroli, patchouli, musk