.
Post by Portia
.
Hi there Fumies,
Mondale gets some love from perfumistas but they also get a whole bunch of snark. Mainly due to their seemingly endless range, the oh-so-Montale-synth-oudh and their bro-woods. I get it, an enormous range with only the merest difference between them and so many having the half life of uranium, they are an easy target. What sometimes gets lost in the sneer is that they also do some really yum frags. I own a few bottles Dew Musk, Sandflowers and Sweet Oriental Dream. There are a couple on my list too Red Vetyver and Intense Pepper. Today I found this sample in my box and thought it might be fun to give it a whirl, you’ll be getting a first impression ride with me
Vetiver Des Sables by Montale 2004
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Vetiver, mahogany, sea notes, Indian spices
Salty woods. An aquatic woodsy summertime dream. Vetiver Des Sables is a spicy and salted version of the 1990s aquatic. A grown up version that leans heavily on the buff middle management lunchtime gym locker room. The opening is so refreshing and seaside reminiscent, even having that weird greasy petrol and electrical sparks vibe from the outboard motors. I can see why this has been soundly panned because it is such a synthetic feeling blend but it isn’t bad to me.
Respritzing over the top I find the vetiver (grassy, dry reeds, everlasting daisy, salty woodsiness) is much more pronounced. It has some smoky qualities and the spices make a better showing (maybe cinnamon, ground black pepper, cardamom and/or paprika) giving Vetiver Des Sables more nuance and a warmth not experienced on the first spritz, it’s cool and fiery which is a wonderful combination. I also detect some orange zest and dark rum through the heart, but I could be fantasising.
Donated by my BFF Kath
I’d like to smell how this is on a woman. I think it could be very Catherine Hepburn on the right person. It’s certainly interesting and better than I expected after reading some fairly unimpressed reviews. If you already hate Montale fragrances Vetiver Des Sables will probably not change your mind but if you are on the fence or like their work then you’ll find this one of their more easy wear fragrances, it’s aimed at the men and I can easily place it on almost any guy who likes to smell like the modern image of manliness.
Once the open and heart have calmed down Vetiver Des Sables becomes a fairly linear cool vetiver/woods scent, imagine how just picked up from the beach at night driftwood would smell if you could amp it up 10,000x. That’s basically it. Or, better yet, here’s a pic of my mate Michael, he looks EXACTLY how Vetiver Des Sables smells in dry down. Enjoy!
My mate Michael looking like some hot driftwood
Further reading: Scent For Thought and Scent Critic
First In Fragrance has €94/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml
Do you do Montale? Which ones have caught your fancy?
Portia xx
Australian Perfume Junkies 
Does he really look like the fragrance smells or were you just using that as as excuse to give us some eye candy?
Xoxo
LikeLike
BOTH! Poodle, this smells exactly like Michael looks in this photo. Try it. I’d love to read if you agree.
He is a particularly delicious piece of eye candy though and I wanted you all to share the joy.
Portia xx
LikeLike
I have never tried any Montales. I hate the bottles so bad I just won’t. So there you go.
❤️
LikeLike
That’s a shame Val,
I love the bottles. That’s kind of how they transport the perfume juice awaiting alcohol in their bottles. They are light retardant and safe, though Montale’s nozzles are not always perfect,
Portia xx
LikeLike
Hey Portia, I’ve never tried any Montale. I had a look at them in First in Fragrance when I was there and just got a bit mind-boggled, wasn’t sure where to start. I took a photo of all the pretty coloured canisters instead. Very rainbow.
Tina G xx
LikeLike
TinaG,
This is my problem with the larger lines too. Where do you start? Especially when you only have a limited amount of skin real estate. Too hard.
I tend to buy a couple of samples every now and then.
Portia xx
LikeLike
Hi Portia, I’m a bit of a Montale fan girl. I happen to like their take on the rose/oud theme and could easily have bought any of them but settled on Aoud Roses Petals with its added geranium and excellent longevity. I agree that they have some non-oud standouts and also own Full Incense (one of the best!), Jasmine Full (jasmine on steroids), Red Vetyver (which is why I haven’t tried their other vetiver), White Aoud ( just gorgeous, velvety, jasmine/rose/vanilla oud, not sweet), Taif Roses (intensely green, sour opening that morphs into the richest Bulgarian rose). Many others on my radar. I think they are good value and I like the packaging too.
LikeLike
YAY Clare,
SNAP!
I love your choices and one day we should have a Montale sniffy moment. I think Michael and a few others may have a couple too.
Portia xx
LikeLike
Montale is really too hard to keep up with and their names are not helpful much because every other perfume is aoud or woody. I own three from the brand but only Aoud Lime has truly impressed me.
LikeLike
Hey Fazal,
I was wearing Oudh lime recently. It’s outrageous! Such a fun fragrance.
I could imagine you wearing it very well from your online persona.
Portia xx
LikeLike
Geez – salty aquatic notes AND Indian spices? Having trouble getting my head around that! Sounds like it could work brilliantly or fail horridly. You don’t mention calone, so that’s all to the good.
LikeLike
Heya AnneMarieC,
There may be alone. I am not sensitive to it as a note but now that you’ve mentioned it I bet there is some. You may have to spritz on paper.
Portia xx
LikeLike