Year: 2006
Notes: orange blossom, ylang-ylang, tiaré, Arabian oud, vanilla, tonka bean, Mysore sandalwood
Aoud Velvet starts out smelling very similar to Bond No.9's Chinatown, with an impressively potent and smooth interaction of orange blossom, ylang-ylang and tiaré (along with an evident and well-behaved oud note). It stays this way for several minutes before the vanilla makes its unmistakeable entrance. By this stage, it's extremely intoxicating and creamy, regardless of the fact that it's an archetypal feminine floral with a delicious gourmand leaning.
And then, somehow, it all goes horribly wrong...
What started off as rather seductive then mutates into something very powdery and rather old-fashioned – this sudden u-turn is just as surprising as it is inexplicable. With a drydown of vanilla, tonka bean and sandalwood, the sandalwood accord itself is drier than the usual creamy variety associated with Mysore sandalwood, further intensifying the disappointment stemming from the anti-climax that went on before.
With impressive sillage and longevity, some may not find this Montale creation as temperamental on their skin. If this is the case then consider yourselves very lucky.
And then, somehow, it all goes horribly wrong...
What started off as rather seductive then mutates into something very powdery and rather old-fashioned – this sudden u-turn is just as surprising as it is inexplicable. With a drydown of vanilla, tonka bean and sandalwood, the sandalwood accord itself is drier than the usual creamy variety associated with Mysore sandalwood, further intensifying the disappointment stemming from the anti-climax that went on before.
With impressive sillage and longevity, some may not find this Montale creation as temperamental on their skin. If this is the case then consider yourselves very lucky.
