Montale: the Paris house of oud
The raw materials have specific origins: the oud comes from Cambodia, India and Laos, and the roses from France, Bulgaria, Turkey, India and Saudi Arabia. The aluminum bottle takes its cue from the aluminum vats in which Grasse perfumers left their concentrates to rest, and it shields the fragrance from light.
The fragrance families of Montale
Arabians: oud, leather and tonka
The Arabians collection is inspired by the "King of the Desert," a black horse. It includes Arabians Tonka, which opens with bergamot and saffron, has a heart of rose and oud and a base of amber, oakmoss, tonka bean, leather, cane sugar and white musk. The house describes it as a powerful, spicy scent that is fresh and warm at the same time. The original Arabians centers on leather, oud and lavender, while Arabians Musk shifts everything toward musk, with orange blossom and tonka.
Roses and florals
The house's signature rose is Roses Musk, a clean, airy rose with lemon and rose petals, amber and white musk. The extrait Intense Roses Musk adds amber and jasmine, and Oud Fool Roses reworks it with Taif rose and oud. Then there is Starry Nights, with bergamot, rose, jasmine and patchouli over a base of vanilla and white musk, which also comes as an extrait, Intense Starry Nights. Among florals other than rose are Intense Tiaré, built on tiaré flower, a variety of gardenia, and Crazy in Love, which pairs dog rose, violet, saffron and vanilla.
Gourmand: coffee, vanilla and cocoa
Intense Cafe pairs rose with coffee over a base of amber, vanilla and white musk, and Ristretto Intense Cafe has the same pairing of rose and black coffee. Among the vanillas, Dark Vanilla is spicy, with pink pepper, cardamom, leather, oud and sandalwood, Vanille Absolu is dry and deep, and Sweet Vanilla is fruity, with apricot and Madagascar vanilla. Chocolate Greedy plays on cocoa, coffee and bitter orange, and Mukhalat on wild strawberries. Coffee also appears in Sensual Instinct, which joins roasted coffee and rose with amber, cedarwood and oakmoss, and in Dallachai, inspired by traditional Arabic coffee, which opens with clove and cardamom.
The ouds
Among the ouds is Black Aoud, which pairs oud with a velvety rose and leathery labdanum and also comes as an extrait, Black Aoud Intense. In Honey Aoud the oud is joined by honey, cinnamon, patchouli and vanilla, Aoud Purple Rose matches it with rose and saffron, and Oud Tobacco with tobacco and tonka. Aoud Forest combines lemon, grapefruit, rosemary and marine notes. Wood on Fire brings together oud wood, sandalwood and burnt vetiver roots in a smoky accord with vanilla, amber and labdanum. Finally, Oud Pashmina is a dark oud, woody, leathery and ambery, with vanilla, gray musk and rose, and Nepal Aoud opens with nutmeg and Kashmir saffron, has a heart of Bulgarian rose and amber and a base of leather, white musk and vanilla.
How to choose a Montale perfume
If rose is what you are after, start with Roses Musk as an eau de parfum or Intense Roses Musk as an extrait, or pick Intense Cafe if you want it with coffee, and Black Aoud or Aoud Purple Rose if you prefer it with oud. For an extrait, besides Intense Roses Musk, there are Black Aoud Intense and Intense Starry Nights, the extrait versions of their respective eaux de parfum. For summer there is Cedrat Lova, which the house presents as a reinterpretation of the summer fragrance, opening with Sicilian citron, bergamot and lemon. Lovers of woods will find Red Vetiver, built on vetiver, Santal Wood, based on sandalwood with a spicy accent, and Wood & Spices, which brings wood and spice together.
Body creams and candles
Several fragrances also come with a matching body cream, including Arabians Tonka, Intense Cafe, Black Aoud, Dark Purple, Vanille Absolu and Intense Tiaré. The creams for Intense Cafe, Intense Tiaré, Vanille Absolu, Dark Purple and Black Aoud are rich and enriched with marine elastin and ginseng extract, and those for Arabians Tonka and Intense Cafe contain silk proteins, which the house offers for a silky finish. For the home, there are candles in Arabians Tonka, Intense Cafe, Rose Elixir and Black Aoud.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Montale, and when?
Montale was founded in Paris in 2003 by Pierre Montale. According to the house, Pierre Montale first encountered oud while traveling in the East and, once back in France, built his house around this wood, together with rose, leather, musk and amber. Today Montale presents itself as a family-run house.
Which Montale musk perfume should I choose?
It depends on the kind of musk you want. White Musk is a clean musk with violet and ylang-ylang, and Holy Musk evokes freshly washed linen, with Damask rose and Tahara musk. Black Musk is spicy, with amber, guaiac and sandalwood, and Musk to Musk is a resinous musk with nutmeg and oud.
Why do Montale perfumes come in aluminum bottles?
The aluminum bottle protects the perfume from light, and the house explains that it was inspired by the aluminum vats in which Grasse perfumers let their concentrates rest. On its website it also suggests three ways to apply it: on a single spot on the skin, sprayed as a cloud, or with a few dabs.
What are the notes in Montale Arabians Tonka?
Montale Arabians Tonka opens with bergamot and saffron, has a heart of rose and oud and a base of amber, oakmoss, tonka bean, leather, cane sugar and white musk. The house presents it as a powerful, spicy fragrance that is fresh and warm at the same time. The same scent also comes as a body cream and a candle.
What is the difference between Roses Musk and Intense Roses Musk?
Roses Musk is the eau de parfum version, an airy, light rose with white musk, lemon and amber. Intense Roses Musk is its extrait version, with a hint of amber and jasmine added to the rose. Oud Fool Roses, on the other hand, takes the same rose and adds oud to it.
Which Montale coffee perfume should I choose?
The Montale coffee perfume is Intense Cafe, with rose and coffee in the heart and amber, vanilla and white musk in the base. Ristretto Intense Cafe has the same pairing of rose and black coffee. Coffee also appears in Sensual Instinct, with rose, amber and cedar, and in Dallachai, inspired by Arabic coffee.
What is the difference between the Montale vanilla perfumes?
Among the Montale vanilla perfumes, Dark Vanilla is spicy, with leather, oud and sandalwood, Vanille Absolu is dry and deep, Sweet Vanilla is fruity, with apricot, and Vanilla Cake is openly gourmand, like a pastry. Vanille Absolu also comes as a body cream.
What accords go with oud in Montale perfumes?
In Montale perfumes the oud is paired with different materials depending on the fragrance. Honey Aoud has honey, cinnamon and Madagascar vanilla, and Aoud Forest has lemon, grapefruit, rosemary and marine notes. Black Aoud has velvety rose and labdanum, Dark Aoud Indian sandalwood, and Oud Tobacco tobacco and tonka bean.
Is there a Montale summer perfume?
Yes, Cedrat Lova, which the house presents as a reinterpretation of the summer fragrance. It is not a light citrus or a sporty scent, but a perfume built on Sicilian citron, with bergamot and lemon in the opening, whose freshness turns into warmth on the skin.
