Monserrat

As with other Fazzolari scents, the Fragrantica note breakdown is missing some elements, most notably osmanthus, a.k.a. kinmokusei. As others have said, this is a fruity-floral. Landshark's description of this one is dead-on -- apricot is the main player for me as well, although it is not overly dominant. I also definitely get a tea note. Of course, the scent of osmanthus is famous for combining apricot/peachy and tea facets, so presumably the tea note here (and part of the apricot) is just an aspect of the osmanthus. I do not get the plaster note. I'm fairly anosmic to musks, so if that plays a role in the plaster accord, that would explain why I am not detecting it. I also don't get much of the carrot seed here, which I think also is part of the plaster accord. Perhaps for that reason, for me Monserrat is all "a day at the beach," in JTD's words, with none of the "undertow." This is my fourth Fazzolari try, and so far I completely agree with Luckyscent's gender-meter ratings of his fragrances. Five and Lampblack lean masculine, Room 237 is neutral, and Monserrat leans feminine but is still close enough to neutral that a lot of men would not mind wearing this. Five is still my favorite by a long shot, but for me Monserrat might even nip Lampblack for second place. It's just such a beautiful, pleasing aroma. EDIT: I have worn my sample a few more times, and I like Monserrat more and more. I think that it makes a perfect companion scent to Five. Both are (to my nose) unapologetically bright, optimistic and utterly unpretentious fragrances. They share this core personality, but (as noted above), Five leans slightly masculine while Monserrat leans slightly fem, so I could easily see them as a his-and-hers combo.

At last, a very dry chardonnay I can wear. A fabulous, full-bodied citrus that starts with a bit of a bite to let you know it's not like all the other citruses. It's tart and warm at the same time. I swear I can smell a touch of fermentation and that's my favorite part, it roughs up the citrus a little and I guarantee you will never mistake this for a bottle of Pledge. 5 hr longevity (crazy for a citrus on me) Maybe 2 ft radius on sillage. I don't know, I don't have a lot of friends:) The price is a little steep. I'm quite surprised by the small number of reviews. More people need to try this. Edit: Typos, additional observation I see dry plaster listed as one of the notes (per Olfactif website). I have a hard time actually smelling these quirkier types of notes, but perhaps the plaster is the "fermentation" aspect I'm getting. Either way, it's the heart of this perfume for me. Try this!!!

In my search for a summer fragrance with some lasting power, featuring citrus that isn’t headache-inducing, I immediately loved this. It has high quality presence and strength for the type of scent it is, and I definitely get peach/apricot *skin*, as it isn’t too syrupy sweet or ripe smelling. The combination of bright grapefruit, soft apricot, fresh green notes and the papery/powdery plaster and musk is so lovely and balanced to me. It does lean feminine to me, but not overwhelmingly so. This is a beautiful summer perfume to wear to a picnic and a trip to the museum, rather than a beach day or tropical vacation. Someone in another review described this as “Call Me By Your Name in a bottle” and I completely agree. The cinematography of that movie is how this perfume smells—soft, fresh, sun-dappled and colorful, evoking something timelessly artistic.

S-T-U-N-N-I-N-G grapefruit . Was somehow underwhelmed 1st time I sampled this in the discovery set but now.... Holy shit it’s so beautiful 🤩 🥲❤️🙏. I subscribe to the avant-garde niche perfume brain virus but can we collectively STFU and just praise and enjoy this for being NICE? No burning forest/seaweed/halitosis/thunderstorm/xerox toner/beaver hole/squid ink pasta/rare flower/blood/exotic animal piss/plastic blah blah blah blah* *for once I give zero shits about how this has no #freaky #notes - it’s just beautiful - shows up, does an honest job, and promises no more than that. And I think I’m in love? Ignore the “wet plaster” note. Maybe it’s there? maybe it’s not? Who knows and maybe we could all care a little bit less... Unironically swooning over this RN.

This is a perfect unisex citrus for someone who loves green notes and doesn't want to smell sweet. There is a burst of sour grapefruit that falls into a fresh green note that feels very clean. It brightens and uplifts. Then there is a fruity note that evokes the skin, not the pulp, of the fruit. And there is a whisper of the jasmine/floral, but the musk and "wet plaster" at the bottom emphasize its unisex nature and keep it mysterious. I had a sample that I loved so much I wasn't using it so that I could save the last precious drops. So I finally bought a full bottle and cannot wait to wear it all summer long.

I got a sample of Monserrat in the portfolio set that Bruno Fazzolari sells. I highly recommend getting it so you can try all of his fragrances. It is similar to Bruno Fazzolari's Five fragrance. Like Five it has a strong citrus smell. Monserrat has more of a floral smell behind it. I enjoy wearing it at home, but I feel that it is a little too feminine smelling for me to wear it out.

Monserrat is a fuzzy, impressionist grapefruit splash. Quenches my thirst for a joyful fruity fragrance without being overly sweet, and my colour association neurons are screaming. I searched for the oil paint Monserrat Orange, and this fragrance is EXACTLY that shade. Perfect for outdoor celebrations and for summertime socializing.

This has to be the most underrated best niche citrus out right now! Beats bergamot 22 lets just say that, there's more out there than Le labo for niche citrus offerings .. This stuff is so well balanced and just perfect. Not to sharp and not too dull or fruity , amazing and worth the sniff Full bottle worthy Blind buy worthy 9/10

Like snacking on an apricot while strolling through an art gallery, knowing it's a warm summery day outside. This perfume makes me think of the atmosphere of the movie Call Me By Your Name -- stone fruit, green grass, sunlight, leisure. Unbelievably, the plaster note does not render this unwearable.

Smells like a warm 85 degree day and you have a busy day planned for a Saturday that involves seeing family or friends and going to a pool. It’s so refreshing. Grapefruit is a very pulp packed scent here im in love

This one is amazing...this starts as the brightest, natural smelling citrus and then develops...the green notes and musk hide out from the citrus until the far drydown...this may be MY summer perfume...fabulous...

I've liked the two Fzotic fragrances I've tried so far; this one and Au Dela Narcisse, which I have worn out a couple times, and I love it's vintage-inspired chypre theme. Monserrat initially struck me as pretty universally pleasing with a touch of uniqueness due to the wet plaster note. I read someone's comment that said it smelled like the shower, and at the time I didn't exactly agree. But the first time I wore this I was walking up to a friend's house and an Amazon delivery person walked by me and said "You smell good! You smell like a shower!" :-l So after that I started to realize yeah...it kinda smells like the shower. Just not the showers I take because I don't use fruity shampoo, but it does remind me of showering at friends' or relatives' houses in my youth with like Loreal kids or something. It's still pleasant, of course, but it might take a discerning nose to make out the wet plaster, not that it's my favorite note, but it is what this fragrance was leaning on to make it interesting. I might have to add this to my ever-growing pile of discarded samples.

Quite enjoying this one, with it's apricot, "plaster," and (unlisted here) osmanthus notes. Quite surprisingly, several hours in, the very green/yellow grapefruit makes an appearance in an "inverse pyramid" sort of way. It's bitter, but that's OK, playing off the osmanthus, which tends to go bitter on my skin also. If I'd not known beforehand, the very interesting plaster note would just have read as something light, earthy, and dewy. Clean, not dusty. The harmony of this note against the fruity ones is very unexpected, yet perfectly fitting. The apricot used here is the only way I'm able to wear it―green. Ripe apricot and peach notes smell fermented when I wear them. The jasmine, barely perceptible, is not indolic, and is green and sweet, also. It's wintertime, and I'm indoors. It's lasting very well tonight. I've worn this offering before, in summer, and my experience of the scent is basically the same, except that the green aspects are more pronounced in winter, and longevity is much better than it is in hot weather.

This has the same effect as Imaginary Authors the Cobra and the Canary. It's takes me somewhere.. Refreshing, summery, grapefruit joy, with a strange note i can't put my finger on..Bruno Fazzolari does that..he puts in a note that's slightly off to make a scent perfect...must be the wet plaster note. It reminds me of walking barefoot down the blacktop streets in the summer, towel over your shoulders, off to the lake with friends, walking under a canopy of trees buzzing with cicadas, happy carefree moments we take for granted. Definitely a summer scent. The drydown is spectacularly good.. The artistry is there..and I'm here for it. I do think I would love it more on my guy but I may buy this just for me. It's a delightful journey.. Really nice performance.

Monserrat is very light and fresh, like a springtime day. The beginning is very similar to Acqua di Parma's Fico di Amalfi with a tart citrus, but the fruitiness gradually becomes sweeter and eventually smells very peach-like. Then florals are incorporated, which make it very pretty and powdery. For such an airy scent, it lasts for a while - somewhere around 7 hours on me. Other than the AdP top notes, Monserrat is a very beautiful unique fragrance and, though I don't think it fits me, I can see myself loving it on someone else.

Feels like a word that’s on the tip of your tongue. A grapefruit opening is a cheat way to take my heart, but then it rolls into a dry, green bite with that surprisingly smooth plaster note. I fell in love with the creativity of this fragrance. I purchased it not necessarily because I liked it on myself, but because I liked it period. Finished my bottle but would prefer it on a man, I think. He's gotta be slightly sweaty. Can't explain it.

A joyful summer perfume that smells appropriately corally-carrotty in color. The opening is pink grapefruit and fresh apricot skin. Has a cheerful bubbly muskiness to it, like a white wine spritzer. The plaster dust note is perceptible, and helps ground the fragrance. I found it feminine on my skin (unlike Five and Lampblack), and work-ready. One of my favorites in the discovery set.

This smells amazing, definitely the best in the line. It somehow comes off masculine leaning unisex perfume. The notes are well-balanced and beautiful. I definitely fell in love with this but I need to spend more time to analyze a sample or so. But the longevity and sillage are definitely good. Brb.

I did not get any of the weird notes, Monserrat was pleasant from start to finish- I can still smell it 24 hours later on my clothes. I especially loved the opening, with the burst of grapefruit.

fresh, a little sweet and very tart. reminds me of my time in southern europe

pleasant fresh and slightly musky but sort of forgettable.

The first Bruno Fazzolari composition that I have really found unappealing this is a floral musk with a distinct strong chalk accord. The perfume opens with notes of grapefruit and carrot seed and moves to a heart of jasmine, apricot and fig leaf type of green note. The base contains musk, amber and wet plaster. Abstract, feminine leaning with moderate to strong projection, sillage and good longevity this may appeal to lovers of fruity floral musks. I found it strangely unwearable. An easy pass for me. Enjoy!

Fresh/salty sweet apricot-y thing. Might work well on a woman, but I can hardly see a man pulling off that one, if I can be bluntly honest. Interesting, but that's pretty much it. Imo, JSP Selperniku delivers better in that category (and is priced half the price of this one).

Fresh women’s shampoo/conditioner like. Pretty passable and boring imo. Stays completely linear

I really do not like this. Smells like hand soap and synthetic tobacco scent to me

It is clear from the get that Monserrat isn't going anywhere. It has an underlying oily quality that smells like it's coming out of your pores rather than sinking into them, like it's going to STICK. I absolutely get the wet plaster and apricot. It smells like gallery night at the Unitarian church I worked at as a teenager, when all the rich hippies who have absolutely no artistic talent bring their professional-grade materials and slap shit together while they gorge on organic fruit and compliment each other's "abstract paintings." I hate to be the bump in the road of these glowing reviews but I find this disgusting. Yes, it's fruity. Yes, it's bright. And yes, it's...gooey. Eugh.

A huge, bright, fruity floral. Sounds horrifying doesn’t it? It’s really not. Monserrat’s a BIG scent. Upon application, it feels as though it’s expanding on your skin. A massive jammy, fruity floral combo hits you right away, and these notes are going to be with you for at least the first hour or so. If it were sound it’d be a gong, as, following the initial clatter, Monserrat mellows into a series of concentric waves, developing into something quite different. Some swift googling reveals that Monserrat is an area just east of downtown Buenos Aires. However, add an extra “T” to the name and you have Monsterrat—a sort of salmon colored oil paint. But to me, the scent smells more like a bright pink than it does dusty salmon color. But then again, images of the Buenos Aires neighborhood aren’t forming any real connections for me either, so I’m probably better off making up my own associations. The scent starts off with a massive, leaf-and-grapefruit accord that discloses the trace of indolic jasmine and something that smells a little bit like peach. In other words: big, flowery, fruit. Yet this all comes down a notch or two fairly fast, and you’re left with something that smells a little musky and even a tad dry. This musky dryness reveals a delicate hint of an industrial product—a sort of plastic-y resin of some kind. Yet this effect is largely backgrounded, and really what you’re getting here is a scent that feels as if it wants go full-blown tropical but is hesitant to commit. It all changes again after just a short while. It starts to dry out a bit: the fruits become less sweet, the florals kick back, and what sneaks in is more of a chilled violet leaf. This seems to be the leafy note that’s detectable upfront, but its buried for the much of the initial phase. At this point, the gears are switching once more, and the result is slightly musky, leafy, dry jasmine. The grapefruit somehow manages to stick around far beyond what its capable of. As is the case with Lampblack, it’s always there, yet it’s tucked out of the way. Monserrat gets quiet after an hour, but it’s still quite detectable, and the final stage is probably the most interesting as that’s where the bulk of that opening clang has since decayed, revealing instead notable waves of musk. Ultimately, Monserrat isn’t my thing, but I can appreciate what it’s doing—especially its transition from something so huge and buoyant to something far more reflective and restrained. At the outset, it reminded me a little of Sonoma Scent Studio’s new Yin and Ylang—that same kind of vivid, yet measured density. But what it transforms into is really where the action is. Monserrat offers an intimate and intriguing dry down that’s hard to pinpoint concretely, but it’s strangely familiar at the same time.

Monserrat is an easy wear, but not an easy read. It is unashamedly a fruity-floral, particularly in the topnotes, which have a sunshiny, Doris Day vibe. Of course this is where a chill strikes me. Doris Days always scared the shit out of me. That blond, chirpy, starched-crinoline celluloid image was unnervingly untroubled. It's as if she cast no shadow. Fazzolari makes a great case for the fruity-floral. It's not an intrinsically faulty genre, just one that's been saddled with the low aspirations of the perfume industry. An obvious approach to tempering the genre would be to make a slightly less sweet version, but Monserrat, for all its vivacity and buoyancy, is hardly obvious. A juicy, sweet/tart grapefruit lights up the composition and gives the touch of acidity that cuts any risk of syrup, but Monserrat is flagrantly sweet. The fruity topnotes end in a sugar-sweet violet tea. Fazzolari lists osmanthus as a note, and the aromatic profile is there, but Monserrat seems to model osmanthus's form more than its scent per se. Osmanthus is its own fruity-floral perfume. The flowers have a recognizably peachy sweetness underlined by a woody tea note that aerates the scent and keeps it from cloying. Monserrat has a similar inclination, but the fruit and flowers are modulated by the scent of carrot seed, a very particular note that is woody, dusty, putty-like and matte. Carrot seed reins in the luster of the fruit and the flowers and creates a finely grained olfactory texture. This texture matches the 'fantasy note' of setting plaster that Fazzolari cites. Carrot seed neutralizes the reach of the flowers and create a push-pull balance in Monserrat. The balance is not the stationary point between two objects, but the active grapple between opposing forces. Monserrat's breezy demeanor only partially disguises a shady undercurrent. Up top, Monserrrat is a day at the beach, but below is the undertow. This touch of menace puts Monserrat in line with two other Fazzolari perfumes, Lamblack and Room 237. All three hide something vaguely unsettling behind a facade of normalcy. Call it what you like--subtext, camouflage, lure--but each one carries a hint of danger. Monserrat is beautiful. Gorgeous, really. But it is also chilling, haunting. Lamblack is the dark and Room 237 is the fear of the dark. Monserrat is the fear in a handful of dust. (from scenthurdle.com)

I sometimes call myself a fake synesthete. I do not have the ability to smell colors but because color and scent are both very important to me, I like to imagine a palette each time I sniff something. Mr. Fazzolari is a true synesthete and an artist and while there's only a few of his scents that speak to me, I think he is a brilliant perfumer. I would love to meet him someday. With this work, the palette is set for you- a gorgeous peachy coral and light green and yellow but then he also goes and throws in texture as well with crumbly, chalky plaster?! Brilliant. Monserrat is my favorite creation of his and one of my favorite scents of all time. As noted below, Monserrat has elevated the much maligned "fruity-floral" in such a respectful, mature, and unique way and as an unabashed lover of fruity-florals, I thank him. I find it to be perfection from opening to ending. Starts citrus-fruity with grapefruit/guava. And then that medicinal/bandage note that doesn't last too long on me but is definitely present. For me, it's a "weird" smell I enjoy and I think it's so fun against the bright opening but I can see how others would hate it. And then I get the most lovely apricot-jasmine tea that gets freshly sweet and floral. I love apricot/osmanthus and I love tea but I rarely get it to come together as well as this does. And in the background, there's an almost fizzy dry chalk that tempers any sweetness and keeps it from becoming too cloying (like I've found with PdN Fig Tea). It's a little strange but it's fun. I will say that anybody I tell about the plaster note cannot detect it but I definitely know it's there. It lasts a good 5-6 hours on me before quietly slipping out in some musk. It's quite feminine to me- I wouldn't say "girlish" or "childish" but youthful in the best way. It might not be the most unusual offering from him but I think it brings a unique edge to an otherwise easy to wear fragrance. It is just delightful in the spring and sunny fall days and I think it works particularly well in places that have a bit of humidity because it is balanced by the dryness of the plaster while the fruit remains lush. I tried this in the desert as well and it was fine but didn't come alive as much. Instead, his "Unsettled" fragrance really came alive there. Thank you Bruno Fazzolari for giving me something so intriguing and delightful.

Very abstract scent. I wore it a couple times without any knowledge of what it contained or what the concept was and the only unmistakeable note is grapefruit which is a huge note in the opening and then it impressively attaches itself to a floral musk so that it can continue to convey grapefruit for a solid 4 hours. I agree with alot of the reviews below that mention something sinister or unfriendly that lurks within this, beyond the surface of this sunny citrus-fruity floral. There is a sharp, green, medicinal layer buried in here that, at times, makes me question whether or not I like this perfume. This is definitely one that you have to wear several times to feel it out. The plaster effect, to my mind, comes from a chalky white floral accord in the heart phase that makes me think of bitter, green lily of the valley perfumes more than plaster. The later drydown is clean but somewhat melancholy and it still echoes a ghostly grapefruit. Altogether, this is a great niche perfume in that it offers up something different to try. I’m enjoying trying all of Bruno Fazzolari’s scents because they have the great taste and quality of high-end fragrance but with the odd experimental twist of amateur, independent perfumery.

Bruno Fazzolari's Monserrat is another mostly-fresh entry with an apricot dominance and contributions from jasmine and citrus, specifically grapefruit. Neither committed to the fruity nor the strictly citrus, it's a blend that indubitably seems geared toward warm weather wearing but does't fall into the citrus-dominant lot. For me, it mainly comes down to whether the wearer likes apricot or not, as it's the standout for me, with the jasmine and grapefruit serving familiarly and well-blended enough in the background. I'm not a huge fan of apricot but I'm pleased with its tempered use in Monserrat. Still, this is not a fragrance I would reach for much, even if I had a free bottle. Five still remains the preeminent warm weather option of the line, over Monserrat and Room 237. Monserrat was a nice try, as usual, and not a terrible performer, though certainly not meriting the price ($110 for 30ml, same as the others) on performance; you'd really need to love the scent in order to buy it. 6 out of 10

it does smell like the namesake paint color. it has an artsy quality. it makes me think of a freshly reset gallery between shows, or a working studio with paint and thinner and ink and stacks of paper lying around. evokes ART kinds of spaces, for sure. like "doing my summer residency in italy, where i am wearing a lot of linen." still, it's light orange, sunshine on stucco, rows of cypress trees, etc. the fuzzier, lighter, more plein-aire cousin of lampblack. that said, especially if your associations for paint-y smells are not so positive, i can totally see how it would be polarizing.

The apricot is just *too* much. It's more than I could take. The citrus elements, the floral components, all other bits and bobs were in perfect harmony, it's just that peach is TOO much. Kiste can sometimes be that, at times, but with this, I gotta say, it's just more than I can handle. Everything else is quite pleasant and something I could wear, but with that peach, my goodness, it kinda ruins the whole feel, I believe. If the peach was a little less pronounced, then it would be a HELL YES from me. But that peach! OMG.

This is a lovely bursting grapefruit in the top with jasmine in the mid and the interesting plaster note in the base. I don't think I could identify that note as such without the description but I get it. The fragrance reminds me of the smell of an artist studio with an air of optimism and creative juices flowing. It definitely leans feminine and reads warmer weather, not very strong, would make a great daytime scent or something fun to wear to an art gallery.

The apricot and plaster I immediately associate with the St. Ives apricot facial scrub I used as a teenager. The pink-cheeked cherubs which seemed to hover in every fresco I studied in my first Art History classes also make an appearance in my mind. I bought a full bottle: it's fresh, with clean bright fruit, and cheerful. After I saw Call Me By Your Name, this could be its official fragrance: Italian sun drenched apricots and adolescence.

So Mediterranean summery. The apricot note is like fuzzy apricot skin. It's clean and warm and a very nontraditional citrus imo! Something about this is slightly soapy on me which is a bummer bc it's otherwise the perfect summer scent. Could even fly in 100+ degree weather without making anyone nauseous. EDIT: I was wrong this is the greatest perfume in the world Where to wear: white lotus s2

something about this is so intriguing and nostalgic to me, its like showering when you were little after the beach, its also like when you would get tea samples from teavana at the mall, and someone said it reminds them of call me by your name which is why I got it and I can totally get that. youthful and fruity and unique

Tart, pungent, sour guava juice in the opening. Then a hospital. To me, this is how bandages, sanitizers, and asthma inhalers really smell, not what you smell in BR540. It's not unpleasant, I liked it, but it triggers very distinct memories and associations.

Beautiful fresh masculine scent. Top quality. I've struggled wearing many so-called "unisex" scents as they tend to sway far too feminine; however, I agree with "smellagent" that Monserrat leans masculine. Light, airy, transparent and delicious.

I could never wear this. Salty citrus on me and if wet plaster has a chalky note then yeah I get wet plaster. Imo more masculine then feminine from start to finish. Has a late eighties early nineties vibe.

Very fresh and green, the grapefruit takes a backseat but you can definitely pick up on it. On my first smell I cannot pick up on the apricot at all but that might change once I actually wear it.