Arabians

Montale ... I know I know, they had that one scent you liked, but then the next five Montales you smelled were identical to the first ... and that other scent you hated but couldn't wash off for three days, like you'd been cursed by an old crone while wandering through a lesser Stephen King plot ... and the series of fragrances named "X & Y" that you sought out because those notes sound like they'd be so good together but then you found yourself fooled yet again, like it's called "Lemon & Cream" but it smells like cedar bark and yoga mats with nary a whisper of citrus or dairy ... Phew. I hear you. I share your caution. But hear me out - Arabians is a scent of grace and subtlety. Its greatest disadvantage is actually that you'll want to respray after about 4 hours. I'll give you a moment. OK if you've risen from your swooning couch, put down your smelling salts, and fully recovered from any trace of the vapors, let's carry on. Arabians has a gorgeous, slightly medicinal oudy opening. If you've tried Floris' lovely Leather Oud, the opening is very similar, however where LO suffers from a simple linearity, Arabians evolves, losing some of the medicinal quality and gaining sweetness. It is very well-blended, hard to pick out individual elements which actually makes it hard to describe or even fully understand, but it radiates a regal sillage and a gorgeous presence from start to finish. I would say that on my skin it maintains leathery and oudy elements, while on my partner's (see her review above) it develops more honey and gourmand notes, however it is an absolute winner on both of us. As mentioned, the only drawback is a less-than-nuclear longevity, however I think that's a fine trade-off for the subtlety and development of the fragrance - you'll just want to respray once during the day. Quite different from any other Montale I've tried. Granted I've only tried what's humanly possible from their near-infinite and daily-doubling list, so I'll keep exploring. But in the meantime we picked up a full bottle and we're giddily overspraying.

This fragrance is a perfect example as to why I sometimes take reviews with a grain of salt. I see so many agreeing with the notes that have been voted on and mentioning what stands out to them being inline with that, however, the strongest note in this fragrance for me is the MUSK note! The same note that's in Musk To Musk, Aoud Musk, etc. And that makes sense, seeing as how it's a base note... but before my votes, it was literally the lowest ranked note according to votes! I just don't see how... That aside, there is a very clean dry medicinal oud note throughout, but I notice it most in the earlier stages and tend to forget about it in the composition after the 30 minute mark or so. The musk has my attention and the rose accentuating it sometimes peeks through just enough to separate itself for a whiff. As a whole, it smells very middle eastern, in spite of the notes appearing very western, aside from the rose and oud of course. Believe it or not, although I can pick out just about every note that's in this scent, it still reminds me of frankincense and myrrh, although it's less sweet (it's not really too sweet at all). It's a very unique scent for me, and I'd agree with the other reviewer who described this as barbershop-like, although this is absolutely not really a barbershop scent. Mostly, it's musk, rose, and oud. Every other note in this fragrance is simply supportive in my opinion, however all of the other notes are strong enough to keep this scent VERY far removed from Montale Aoud Musk, Roses Musk and etc. The opening is very harsh (as ALL Montale's with this musk note are), but after 5 minutes, it smooths itself out very nicely. Performance is a standard Montale Paris affair - no need to even question it, it performs perfectly. Two sprays will give you ultra long lasting performance with perfect projection. Definitely worth a try! I'm still wearing this one myself to really dissect and understand it, but I liked it from the first whiff.

I’ve been trying to pin this perfume down for a little while now. I love it, but I can’t quite figure it out. I’m hoping that writing this review will help me to articulate it. See my partner’s (Deelecto) review below to see what he thinks of it - he has a way with words and an encyclopedic knowledge of perfumes. I think what I smell are 2 blended components. 1. Medicinal leather that’s heightened by the lavender and thyme on the top 2. Warm sweet oozing quality that must be the cardamom but that I experience as a vanilla honey on the base The rose and patchouli are well blended and I can’t pick up those notes on their own. It’s supposedly inspired by the beautiful golden Arabian horses - all I can connect to this is a leather saddle on the horse and the warmth you feel when you brush a horse with your bare hands. The medicinal quality which some might experience as a cleaning solution fades after the first hour and you’re left with that deep, warm, sweet and smooth quality. I love the opening. I wouldn’t have thought myself a huge leather fan for my own perfumes, but I keep respraying it to get that medicinal note. The longevity isn’t as great as other Montales like my Roses Musk but it’s still decent with the base faintly smelling after even 4-5 hours. Nothing lasts all day on me anyway (except for Shaghaf Oud). But I care not, as I end up respraying 2-3 times throughout the day to get the opening anyway. I think this is completely unisex as both my partner and I wear it and love it. I’ve been reaching for this more and more and it’s quickly becoming a signature scent for me.

Wow!!! Just wow!!! I got a bottle of this yesterday and I couldn't be more happy with my purchase and more surprised with myself for choosing something so different of what I usually wear. I was looking for a new perfume for some time now (almost three weeks) and I discovered this just yesterday?! Arabians is a totally unisex modern "noir" oriental if that makes any sense. First impression is of something quite familiar- after all there are a few perfumes with the same theme but this is so well blended and rounded that even in it's loudness isn't in any way annoying. It lasted for more than 20H during which it kept projecting and I know because this morning (and I shower at night before going to bed) husband said without being asked that he could still smell it even though I couldn't. The oud and the rose are the protagonists here and they never leave the stage but the supporting notes are making this perfume so special. I find this very sensual, seductive, mysterious but at the same time cozy... This could definitely work on a man, that same husband tried it yesterday at the store and it was great on him too: less sweet, with stronger oud. I believe I'm going to enjoy wearing it during winter and maybe longer... The only thing that I don't really like is that I may have to share it... Anyway, do try it, you may find it surprisingly good!!!

Montale Arabians seemed to be one of the bigger releases from the house of late, no doubt in part due to its bottle design, which departs from the straightforward, but its reception has been somewhat mixed as I perceive it. Still, in finally trying it out, I love it. It's a mix of leather, oud, patchouli, rose, lavender, amber. It has the earthy, animalic, acerbic side but also a floral, bright, and sweet side. I don't get so much rose specifically--the lavender is the single biggest floral standout. Even the amber doesn't factor in a ton except for being the likeliest source of the sweetness. It reminds me of the smooth blend of Burberry London, though instead of a sweet/spicy tobacco, Arabians is more sweet/spicy oud/leather/woody mix with a touch of cardamom and florals. It's a robust performer, strong on projection and longevity as most cold-weather-leaning Montales are, though admittedly not as strong as the strongest Montales. The retail pricing ($170 for 100ml) might still be a high ask since it has a bit of synthetic vibe (again, not uncommon) but I'm sure there are deals to be found on it. A very nice Montale entry that I'm pleasantly surprised to love. 8 out of 10