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

Taking inspiration from the oldest breed of horse that originated from the Arabian peninsula, Montale Arabians EDP is an elegant amalgam of airy florals, tasty spices, seasoned woods and clean musk. Surely, the majesty of this fragrance rests in its floral bed, particularly the lavender, which smoothly blends with the traditional rack of cardamom and red thyme in its opening, unleashing an almost minty cool barbershop resonance to a heartbeat consisting of rose, patchouli, and vetiver, that digs its hooves into a base of leather, Malaysian aoud, amber, and musk, with aplomb. The top aromatic rendering of lavender, thyme and cardamom brightens, what could have been a potentially heavy bit of rose, leather and aoud, into a mellifluous, decorative swoon that is full on sexy. Not saccharine, not fruity, not chocolaty, or stuffy like most in this convention, Arabians EDP is a galloping stride of beauty; a refined, luxuriously crafted accord of sex appeal, gender-bending and accessibility, suited for both work and much play. Absolutely, an uplift for those cool temps that dangle a mood... Worthy!

One of the easy (in a good way) scents of Montale’s. 100% masculine IMO, and somehow it did not come as unique to my nose, I’m pretty sure I know something similar to this one. Too bad nothing mentioned in “reminds me of” section too. To me this is a spicebomb of aftershave or barbershop smell. Dont get me wrong, definitely not in the lines of powerhouse barbershop scents, but it has that vibe whilst staying on the thick warm spicy side. Performance is nothing to be concerned about, all good there, if that's your thing. But as I often feel like, I would rather pay established perfume houses like Chanel, Dior, Hermes etc. instead of these "who the heck these brands are?" type of brands.

Definitely NOT “The one” but I loved it so much I wear it anyway. I wear it when I don’t care about anyone else. Like at home or to bed. Because The smell is phenomenal and I love it🥰💕 Edit: someone said “something smells like an Arabic house (like a rich sheik a loaded religious figure or royalty we later clarified) and I was like yep it’s Arabian! Like literally The NAME is “Arabian” lol, I told her and later showed her The bottle. She was like I know smells EXACTLY like an Arab person’s house. A rich/loaded one. Well now we know their secret :). Oud and more Oud, lol. That, and these Perfumes;)

My good sized decant arrived today. It's worthwhile, but it's a whole lot more femmie than I was expecting. Mercifully it's not sweet, but there isn't much rose. I guess I expected a rose/vetiver/oud bomb and didn't get one. I can't put my finger on exactly what's missing with it, but it's like they managed to make an acceptable mainstream perfume that has plenty of leather, patchouli, and oud in it. The decant is worth buying, and I'll probably use it up. But I probably won't spring for a while bottle, and no way will it replace their Dark Aoud.

Surprisingly nice, refined, easy to wear woody-floral-aromatic fragrance! It doesn't smell like most of the fragrances it is compared to above, except for maybe Burberry London: you could say this is a niche version of the Burberry with some notes switched up but has a very similar vibe. I smelled Arabians Tonka first and that one was just your typical Montale's synthetic rose-oud combo but this one is great!!! PS Opening is a little off with some animalic notes coming through but that goes away relatively quickly (15-20 min)

Fantastic fragrance by montale. Im starting to like this house because of the quality of the juice and also the price. It opens up with a blast of oud to me. Oud is one of the strongest notes in fragrances. Patchouli and cardamom. Yes i can detect the rose in this one. kinda got me that vibe of lyric man by amouage without the oud. Not a huge fan of rose unless its mix up with other notes.This one is really nice. Last bout 10 hours in my skinn or more depends how much you spray. Dry down is phenomenal.

The best of the Montales. It’s luxurious, sensuously inky and smooth. This is certainly not just another Montale oud. It has enough complexity and distinction that it is a fully fledged stand alone fragrance. It deserves the name Arabians. This is up there with Fahrenheit and LIDGE, in its potential mass appeal, while maintaining a niche, individualistic distinction. This handsome and bracing odor radiates a resinous, slightly herbal golden spicy warmth above the base of an oud leathered elixir.

I think Deelecto summarised this one quite well. I got this as part of a tester set; and it was love at first whiff. The opening has that slightly medicinal Oud but it dries down into something quite delectably inexplicable, a melding of rose, various florals, leathers and trailing woods hits my olfactory zone and I find myself uncontrollably blurting joyous expletives about how good it is. If you know, you know. This one’s a full bottle affair.

This was love at first sniff for me. I got a sample and had to get the full bottle. It has a smooth spiced semi rosey oudy warmth, there’s a comfortable earthy quality to it that comes off more natural than dirty, and the overall blend of notes is done so well. It’s becoming very addictive to me. Very nice one from Montale! This instantly moved up the list to one of my favorites from the house. Top tier.

second review: this now belongs to the man of the house ... he kept borrowing it and I had to admit that it is much better on him... There is a masculinity in this perfume that just can't be ignored; this is truly fantastic on a man. On him this is a very attractive, well balanced spicy,woody scent with phenomenal longevity and perfect silage: it's noticeable but not suffocating. I love it even more now.

This is great. It's linear for me and well blended. I detect some of the montale staple notes like oud, rose and patchouli here but it's blended so nothing in particular stands out. It is a fairly realistic leather scent. Leather scents don't always work for me. Aoud leather and TF Ombre Noir are kind of harsh on me but this one is smooth. It's extremely long lasting.

So I was waiting for a Gucci Guilty Absolute. But I got something that could easily be produced by Xerjoff...I almost can feel the Xerjoff signature in this...so...yeah. Im confused. Lavender...Cardamon...Rose feeling...with calm drydown...great for winter... Not agressive, not cloying...very noble...very high-end...mid focused...bright and happy.

So the image on the bottle is a horse, this has a lot in common with historical arabian culture. Now the smell: it really resembles the smell you get from a horse or stable. Maybe it's a fantasy horse smell but it definitely smells like a horse.... in a good way. Smooth rose, oud and cardamom. Elegant, nothing pungent.

Very good warm leather scent. I get the same warm leather vibe I get from Memo African Leather. Longevity is pretty good... It's staying around on my skin for a while. Not overly sweet... This is a great blend of ambery sweet leather, some oud, cardamom, and vetiver in the background. A winner in my opinion.

Another sleeper by montale. genuinely this smells EXQUISITE. like real oud, straight from the middle east. my only and biggest issue is the sillage is horrible. you get maybe 30-1 hr if lucky then it becomes a skin scent. very disappointing because it smells so goddamn sexy.