Hey APJ Peeps,

This is a much awaited sample. I thought I had ordered it in the SurrenderToChance Montale carded samples sale but I must have forgotten to put it on the list and the only place I could find a sample was Posh Peasant. Thank goodness I did..

Sandflowers by Montale

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Sea water, juniper, sandalwood, oakmoss

From ThePoshPeasant: Sandflowers is an unusual and stunning combination of sea notes from the ocean combined with the coolness of juniper berries on a base of sandalwood and oakmoss for a fragrance reminiscent of sunshine, sand, salt water and peace.

The juniper and salty sea shore, clean swept after a storm and early morning before the seaweed starts to fume ferociously. Sandflowers also gives me a sweetness, reminiscent of green cordial, and something a little sugary in contrast to its basic savoury nature. A bit like sweet Vietnamese rolls with salt crystals in the butter you’ve slathered on, causing your arteries to slam shut with a clang but your tastebuds to jump for joy. Not a BIG Montale extravaganza but a quiet, interesting verging on weird, fragrance that doesn’t necessarily evoke each note at any given time but a variety of combinations that work so harmoniously that individual notes are lost, except the salt which cuts across everything.

Sandflowers is such a departure from what I expect a Montale to smell like and I’m wondering if that is what makes it seem so special to me. I was predisposed to liking it from a couple of extremely positive reports I’d read but they didn’t explain the complete lack of any rose or oudh, Sandflowers is a sweet and sour scent. A gourmand in the broadest sense because though it’s not exactly an edible odour, it is definitely a smell that you may know from a morning at yum cha. Yes, I am crazy. No Sandflowers is not bad, it is wonderful. F.B. Wonderful!

I get moderate 4-7 hour wear from Sandflowers by Montale, longer if I wear it as a double coated spritz about an hour apart. Being such an unusual scent, not perfumey at all, I think it would fly under the radar at work, I want to smell this on a really athletic person after they’ve showered at the gym, I wonder if the extra salt and blood pumping would enhance the beachside effect positively. I know this is a totally weird thing to say but I feel like this is the fragrance that I can wear to be myself, there’s no perfume reference for Sandflowers and it’s beautiful on its own merits, no need for comparison or conjecture.

Photo Stolen myworldthrumycameralen

Further reading ISmellThereforIAm and PerfumeSmellin’Things
ParfumsRaffy has 50ml/$75
ThePoshPeasant starts at $3.50/ml

Sandflowers IS an unusual beauty and one I recommend you try. Are you ever surprised by a fragrance houses releases? Does one from a house stand out to you as completely different? Tell me, I love to read about the unusual stuff, please.

Till tomorrow I wish you something lovely, go find it, smile when you do.

Portia xx