Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

Montale Parfums Paris - Intense Tiare EDP Intense Tiare (“Tiare”) is an oriental floral fragrance that was released by Montale in 2005.   The fragrance celebrates the tiare flower; a member of the gardenia family. With Tiare, I don’t get a lot of development.   On me it’s one of those “what you smell is what you get” fragrances.   And what I get it a deep dive into a tropical vacation.   This one is truly intense.   It’s as if every note has been concentrated and then reflected back.   I get a lush, sweet, intense coconut paired with an equally intense blooming jasmine.   The pairing prevents Tiare from moving to gourmand territory.   The ylang-ylang and rose are present but in the background.   Vanilla adds interest to the fragrance.   The vanilla is more of a dry essence than a sweet note.   There is a creaminess to the scent as well.   The creamy element seems to add to the feeling of depth and the headiness overal...

Montale - Vanilla Cake EDP Vanilla Cake was launched by Montale in 2018.   It is classified as an oriental vanilla but it's more clearly a gourmand. So, lets’ start out this week on a sweet note with a little silliness.   Let’s talk about cake.   Vanilla cake.   Deep, rich, buttery yellow cake.   It’s quite possible you’re 5 again and at a birthday party.   Oh and there’s that cake.   The cake has just been baked and frosted.   Cake!   You get that strong whiff of vanilla batter that just risen into the most delectable, moist cake there is.   And frosting.   Frosting whipped and piled high full of decadent vanilla goodness.   Sure, there is a slight creamy almond and a soft twist of caramel, perhaps served on the side as garnish, but this is all about the cake.   Did I mention there’s cake?! Vanilla Cake wears on me for about 9 hours with soft projection. Notes: Almond powder, butter cream, milky mousse, ...

Montale Parfums Paris - Intense Café EDP Intense Café is an oriental vanilla fragrance that released in 2013.   A number of my friends in the fragrance community have spoken highly of this fragrance and, being a coffee fiend (both the note and the beverage) I wanted to try it.   I ordered a sample from Luckyscent and… I don’t even know where to begin with this.   It’s rare that I draw a complete blank when writing a review.   I should say here that I tested this fragrance for four days in a row.   And I am lost.   What I mean here is that I was anticipating a glorious coffee fragrance.   What I experienced on each of my trials was not a coffee fragrance in any way. When I take in the very opening of Intense Café, I get a strong, bitter, somewhat spicy or medicinal floral.   It is not identifiable as a specific flower.   The floral intensity softens after about an hour and in comes a rose.   The rose is mixed with a resinous...

Montale: Honey Aoud I hate Summer. Summers in the Mid Atlantic Region, particularly near DC, are brutal; sweltering heat and high humidity. I find absolutely nothing redeeming about sweating the minute you walk out your door. Sure, being at the water can be lovely but give me that walk on the beach in the cooler months. Fall. Fall is my season. And Montale Honey Aoud has given me a taste of Fall in the Summer. On first spray I get a lightly floral cinnamon. The cinnamon is fairly bold. The honey quickly mixes with the cinnamon and gets that Autumn sweet and spicy vibe. Yet this is not an overly sweet scent. The oud in this is well measured and gives a woody twist to an ambery light leather base. To me the vanilla is vaguely present adding a touch of a vanilla sweetness and a slight cream smoothing the entire juice out. Honey Aoud has a pretty strong projection so a little goes a long way. Top notes: Floral notes, Cinnamon Heart notes: Honey, Sumatran patchouli Base notes: La...