Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.
Montale perfume house is based in Paris, with a charming boutique near Place Vendôme. Pierre Montale, the perfumer behind the line, created dozens of scents based on such traditional Middle Eastern notes as oud, attar, rose, sandalwood and patchouli. After having much success with Aoud Roses Petale, I became curious in Aoud Lime, especially since the combination sounded intriguing. How would the marriage of medicinal pungent oud and tangy sparkling lime develop?
The first impression is of rosewater seeping through a heap of Chinese herbs. However, as soon as patchouli warms up the composition, the moist quality vanishes like a raindrop on hot asphalt. Medicinal veil of oud is evident from the first inhale, which only intensifies turning darkly herbal, earthy and pungent. Paired with the dense richness of rose, the result is quite heady, however not unpleasant. If there is any lime here, my nose does not register it. I would love to hear other opinions on this fragance.
The drydown is redolent of rose attar, which is a hydrodistillation of rose into sandalwood oil. Under its heavy and stilted wrap, even oud is muted, even though its pleasant pungency cuts through from time to time. I do not find Aoud Lime particularly interesting, but fleeting is an accusation one cannot make against it. It lasts for the entire day and into the night.
Available at Montale website, Aedes, Parfumsraffy, and First-in-Fragrance.
Painting: Woman with a Veil, Persian painting of the Qajar Epoch (1785-1925). Exhibition at the Brunei Gallery, London, UK.
18 Comments
parislondres: Dear V – excellent description of Pierre Montale’ Aoud Lime. As you may know, I am still not a great fan of aoud/oudh based perfumes – the pungent earthiness of these perfumes overwhelm my senses for hours (not always in a great way). I guess the ones I could wear in teeny amounts of Aoud Rose petals and the Black Aoud – though I have been told by some people that it maybe a case of acquired taste. I may have to be persistent (have the same problem with patchouli btw).
xoxo July 27, 2005 at 2:27am
Robin: V, I really liked Aoudh Lime, although not as much as Roses Petals. I smelled lime only in the top notes — it did not last long. July 27, 2005 at 9:10am
Laura: Love this painting, Victoria. Wish I could have seen the exhibit! Nice post, too. July 27, 2005 at 5:36am
mreenymo: This is a very interesting line, V, although I can’t say that I absolutely love what I have tested so far. The only one that I really like and wear is Chypre Fruite (hugs to a dear friend!). Skin smells like Nu (I love Nu!) and Crystal Flowers was just okay. However, I would love to test their other fragrances, especially the Aoud line.
I know that etailers and retailers here in the US have been courting Mr. Montale. I wonder if the line will ever be sold in the US?
Hugs! July 27, 2005 at 1:35pm
Victoria: Dear N, I love the smell of oud, but as you said, in case of Aoud Lime it overwhelms. Then I just smell so-so attar and that’s about it. Not particularly appealing.
L, I also wished I could see the exhibit. I love Persian art, and that period is definitely among some of the most interesting.
xoxo
R, yes, Roses Petals was the one I like the most as well. I also enjoyed Crystal Flowers. Still have to try a couple of other samples I have. Oh, I tried Attar, and it was uninteresting as well. July 27, 2005 at 9:37am
Victoria: Dear R, I have not tested Skin, but it is definitely on my list now. I really like Nu, and any comparisons with it is a good thing. When I was at the boutique, I liked most of the fragrances from the Aoud line to at least want to revisit again. My favourite so far is Aoud Roses Petale, which is an interesting combination of rose and oudh. Several people already commented positively on it and asked me where they can buy it.
I would at least like the site to have an online order form, which is certainly much easier than fax or telephone order for me.
xoxo July 27, 2005 at 1:45pm
julien: Unfortunately i don’t know this scent.
I know that they are creating a new AMBER scent and i have had the privilege of smelling it in its process thanks to a friend of mine who loves MONTALE and always get very good tips and items from them.
So,the new amber is about to be warm,sensual,powdery,with opoponax…i think we can call it sexual…really.
Well,my favorire ones in montale are crystall flowers,sweet oriental dream,Aoud Ambre and some other ones… July 27, 2005 at 6:21pm
julien: Well i sampled it (the new amber of MONTALE)but in its process,not definitive.
It was so good and sensual i thought i was going to kiss my friend 😉
A kind of mixture in between AMBRE PRECIEUX by MPG and an opoponax scent…
Might be forbidden to wear it because it is too sensual:)
We just have to hope the process won’t disturb what i smelled a few weeks ago because it was perfect. July 27, 2005 at 6:41pm
julien: Well i don’t know…maybe could i try to get more information about him in MONTALE but he seems to be a very secret man.
If i go there soon,promise i would try to have more information.
And of course,if I get them,i would tell you so.
😉
Kisses Dear. July 27, 2005 at 7:28pm
KS: Hi Victoria: I shall wear the Lime scent tomorrow…I’ve had a sample around for weeks but have not gotten to it. (LOVE those dense, long-lasting perfumes.) I did wear Vetiver des Sables and Fougeres Marine this week and found them ordinary…and VERY similar. Their base (WHAT is it?) is the SAME …and has a generic chemical odeur that I often find in the more masculine Bond perfumes. It’s annoying to boot. BUT: I did try Aoud Damascus and it smelled identical to a rose soap my elderly aunt wore ages ago. So I have this vision of Aunt Delia and her army of chihuahuas…all of whom smelled just like her, like Aoud Damascus. I think I’ll get a bottle for old time’s sake! Kevin July 27, 2005 at 9:56pm
Victoria: Oh, I was waiting for you to comment, Julien. I am very curious about the new one, combining amber and opoponax. Let me know how you like it when you sample it! July 27, 2005 at 6:25pm
Victoria: How interesting! Do you have more information on Pierre Montale? I cannot find anything on him. Where did he work before, what is his background?
xoxo July 27, 2005 at 7:20pm
Victoria: Kevin, you made me laugh out loud with your description of Aunt Delia and her dogs. Sounds like a great memory. In some of the fragrances from Aoud range that I have tried, I find the same accord, heavy attar with a hint of medicinal pungency of oud. I usually like attar, but the attar used in those fragrance (save for Aoud Roses Petale) is just too thick and heavy. It suffocates even oud for me, which is a feat in itself. Thanks for your impressions on Vetiver des Sables and Fougeres Marine. They do not sound like something I should rush to try. July 27, 2005 at 10:06pm
Victoria: Julien, thank you! I appreciate your help. It would be interesting to know more about Mr. Montale. July 27, 2005 at 10:11pm
Kathy C: I tried Montale’s new ‘Black Aoud’ and was totally captivated by it. I tried several others in the Montale line, and wasn’t excited (Wood and Spices was unwearable on me), but the dark smooth rose heartnote in BA is bewitching. I have to take Oudwood individually in fragrances. Sometimes I can’t stand it, and then, in Black Aoud, there is a magic. It is reminiscent TMN of ‘Voleur De Roses’, which proved to do poorly with my chemistry. This then, is my answer to VDR. I’m now interested in trying Rose Petals, Aoud Lime and Chypre Fruit (being a chypre person). December 6, 2005 at 4:51pm
BoisdeJasmin: Kathy, I have not tried Black Aoud yet, however your description is enticing. I am looking forward to sampling it soon, and I shall be sure to share my thoughts. I agree that a note as complex as oud has to be explored on a case by case basis. Some compositions are too medicinal, while in others it works like magic. December 7, 2005 at 12:26am
sylbert: where can i buy black Aoud in London thanks November 1, 2007 at 6:42am
Siard: sylbert you can buy black aoud from http://www.luckyscent.com
Im from Holland and bought different samples and parfumes from them.
For me black Aoud was to strong in the beginning , almost gave me a headink , the wood&spices i liked (love wood and i also work with wood 😉 i thought it was really nice , also tried Greylands and liked that one. January 11, 2008 at 10:12am