Red Island

I feel compelled to write a thoughtful and helpful review about Memo Paris "Red Island" because there is only one other review for this incredible perfume. Gardinette really wrote the PERFECT review about Red Island. Red Island is scarce and not sold (I do not think) at the time of this review in the USA. But I am not a fragrance expert, by any means. So, I don't quite know how, or where to begin. This perfume "Red Island" is absolutely lovely. It is like no other perfume I own, like no other perfume I've experienced, or sniffed. Red Island opens with a warm, spicy and undeniable burst of cinnamon, which quickly merges with the most unique floral note I've ever experienced. I imagine this floral note is longoza. I do not know what longoza smells like. However, I researched "the longoza flower has a powdery, floral accord with nuances akin to cardamon and coffee." Absolutely yes! To my nose, this perfume develops with a spicy, very powdery, slightly nutty, gentle floral accord. The longoza reminds me of a SPICY, soft, dusty exotic iris...if this makes sense. So, the emergent floral note is beautiful and diaphanous. However, I do not consider Red Island a floral-forward fragrance. With its exotic notes, Red Island wears as a warm, earthy, spicy, gentle floral, coffee-vanilla skin scent. If patchouli is present, it is not the thick, heady, or chocolate type but more natural and green. And I do not detect as much coffee accord as I wish. But nonetheless, there is a coffee & milk accord that gently wafts throughout the perfume's development on skin... With all of this said, Red Island is truly an olfactory experience. The fragrance is really gorgeous.

In my TOP 5 Mémo Paris. Dominant Notes: Coffee, Longoza, Vanilla Secondary Notes: 🥕 Carrot, Patchouli, Cinnamon Subtle Notes: Sandalwood, Bergamot, Tonka Bean Inspired by Madagascar, this is the first time I discover red Longoza with its fresh, sweet, and spicy scent. A warm, strong coffee fragrance, supported by a cool, almost earthy yet comforting patchouli. Not a trace of real sweetness, despite a shy vanilla. It has a greenness reminiscent of either fruity Longoza (a wild Malagasy plant with hints of ginger and cardamom) or carrot, enhanced by a touch of cinnamon. The coffee beans are almost toasty when first opened, while as it dries, a creamy sandalwood emerges. It's certainly exotic, and I particularly love the patchouli, which doesn't weigh anything down and refreshes this bittersweet composition, making it more realistic. However, you have to appreciate the dominant coffee note here, which I do, albeit somewhat. I also admit to adoring these new packaging designs with their gold embossing, frosted glass, and blurred edges.

GORGEOUS!!!! I blind bought a FB of this glorious juice and I'm so happy! At first, I thought that it was going to smell similar to Mind Games's Prodigy because of the Longoza note (such an uncommon note to use in perfumery, btw), but rest assured they smell nothing alike. However, I do agree that it resembles Delphinus. But where Delphinus wears smokier and pulls a bit masculine on my skin, Red Island is smooth and sweet. It opens with a very prominent cinnamon note and very quickly the spicy, vanillic notes unfold. It's not loud at all, yet it sits just right on the skin and has pretty good projection and longevity. Quality is top notch and is what I've come to expect from the house. Well done!

I have not written a perfume review in a long time. Mostly because nothing has felt compelling enough to interrupt the quiet. Red Island did, almost instantly. Dry roasted coffee. Not sweet. Woods add texture and carrot seeds add an edge. Bourbon vanilla, patchouli, and tonka wrap close to the skin, sexy and mysterious. It’s not a familiar gourmand coffee at all. It’s not hard-to-process niche scent either. It feels effortless. longevity is excellent, and the transition from day to night is just gorgeous. I would say the dry down is the very best part. It is an instant crush. The kind that lingers. I can already see a love story forming.