Fougeres Marines

I bought Fougeres Marines simply because I read how close this is to Tommy by Tommy Hilfiger. This is also my first experience with Montale as well. Tommy is one of my all time favorite fragrances. I even have 5 back up bottles of the original formulations when they were made in Switzerland and the early NYC production dates pre-2010. I was surprised by how small the Montale bottles are. For some reason they looked like a can of hairspray online, but they are small. The bottle is also a very thin and light-weight aluminum. You cannot see inside the bottle to detect how much liquid is inside and the bottles do not come filled to the top and because it is so light, it almost feels empty in hand. I feel this presentation cheapens the experience and comes across as inferior quality to a thicker glass bottle. The sprayer has no cap, like CK One flankers. Moving on to the scent itself, it DOES smell like Tommy. The closest thing you will ever get to Tommy. This does smell great but IMO, Tommy smells better, especially in the dry down. Montale does not seem to last longer or project much better than current Tommy formulation however. Perhaps, my bottle needs to macerate. If this changes, I will update my review, but so far I would advise you to save your money and just buy Tommy.

I like it. It’s one of the few Montale scents that works for me and doesn’t have one of the typical few drydown formulas Mintale regularly uses. Sweet lavender mostly for me with a slight salty marine vibe on top brightened with vetiver. patchouli to darken it a tad. Comments here saying it’s missable and an 80’s / 90’s retro generic reproduction are NOT unwarranted. The performance regarding Sillage is under par for what it also should be but ironically again I forgive it. (If you read my reviews you would also realise that Montale is one of my pet loathes as a brand). So why do I like it - it’s simple, natural, well crafted (bar Sillage) and just the right amount of refresh for not horrendous money. I also have and class as similar Gendarme EDP, Pierre Guillaume Aqaysos, Mad et Jules Aqua Sextius, Lab on Fire Almost Transparent Blue and Norne Grev. All similar but justifiable to own as they are all different enough - clean refreshing scents - but they cost more and are funnily enough too in your face (not that that is a bad thing) - sometimes you just want that little personal pick me up that lasts a while in summer - this will do it nicely for me...

This is like if Creed had released Tommy in 2000 instead of Hilfiger/Lauder in 1994. I don't smell Fougères Marine as a "clone" of Tommy so much as an alternate universe version of this fragrance, a universe in which Tommy Hilfiger never released their signature masculine, and Creed released this instead—and called it Fougère Marine instead of Herbe Marine. It smells a cut above Montale in quality and composition. Certainly not very "Montale-like" in character. Instead, it's shimmery, bright, rich, yet also kinetic, buoyed by the air around me as I wear it. Imagine Tommy but greener, woodier (a solid vetiver core) and with a sizable synthetic ambergris accord (Cetalox, Precyclemone B) married to its flourishes of sweet apple and fresh laundry musks. Fougères Marine is easily one of the more gorgeous fragrances in my collection, undeniably well done and easy to wear. Backup bottle-worthy. Even my fiancée likes it, and she doesn't like anything.

This one here put the absolute biggest smile on my face the moment I smelled it! If you are a fan of the original "Tommy" by Tommy Hilfiger, then you need to have this in your collection! Waves of nostalgia hit me like nothing before when I first sprayed this, it instantly takes me back to first year high school in 1997 when Nintendo 64 was brand new and I was playing games on it non stop. This actually smells better than Tommy ever did, the quality here is just awesome! I am definitely curious now to try more from this house, but for now this is hands down one of my best blind buys ever made. This is practically a time machine in a bottle and damn does it smell great, almost had me getting all emotional with how spot on it is, but niche quality. Just simply in love with this stuff. Highly recommended as a blind buy even if you're not familiar with Tommy. This is what you call a timeless scent, my personal favorite from the 1990’s.

Okay I’m seriously starting to believe that Montale’s older releases simply focused on the legends of 90s & 00s in an effort to create niche company versions. Wood and Spices (2005) - undeniable similarity to Nikos Sculpture (1995) Santal Wood (2012) - A failed attempt (?) to create CH 212 Men (1999) And this, Fougeres Marines (2007) - similar to Tommy - Tommy Hilfiger (1995) and a maybe a bit vibes from Higher - Dior (2001). The scent is very good though, immediate throwback to teenage years, Millenium, and youth. Very different from most Montale’s known nowadays, and again I think the company made a sharp turn with Oud becoming the thing in western perfumery. If performance satisfies, may consider a full bottle, mainly because of nostalgic feelings it triggers. But currently I’d go for Tommy Hilfiger hands down given the price difference and not much value added.