Amandes Orientales Montale for women and men

This is interesting and those almonds are...yeah...like many Montales...they are "different".
The opening is a bit unexpected with a strange, somehow "organic sweetish note" playing a dominant role for a few minutes. Some reviewers on Luckyscent.com say that they smell "Formaldehyde", rubber or plastic. To me it's more of a body-type odor, almost urine-like and I am puzzled here as it's not completely repulsive...
Anyway, this curious substance is rather quickly gone and next comes a pleasant, warm milkiness, followed by lightly smoky vanilla/woodsy notes. It does evolve (somewhat)and gradually becomes sweeter and darker.
I do enjoy wearing it as it seems to continually change lightly on my skin and that is quite exciting for a fragrance that should be straightforward, however, I have tested some too extraordinary almond fragrances lately to be willing to pay for this one (I adore the almonds in fragrances by Sinfonia di Note, Profumum, Keiko Mecheri or Mazzolari). Still - as I said I do find Amandes Orientales interesting and if I was given a bottle, I would happily wear it.

I have to correct this: after a few hours Amandes Orientales has become sweeter and darker yet and it is now like a warm, smoky wood, sexy, yet soothing and quite fascinating. I think I might very well consider paying for a bottle. :-)

Bitter almonds and sweet vanilla in the background. Can you imagine this combination? Warm and unique IMO. Not my favorite almond scent, but very interesting and worth trying.

this is very almondy-smokey and sweet vanilla fragrance. Sillage and longevity they are both great!

I'm bit biased with Amandes Orientales. The first notes are not particularly pleasing, I get only very strong bitter almond and eye wetting fumes of alcohol. But this phase does not last long. The middle phase is short lived, too, the almond is still very dominant but I would bet that there are some white flowers mixed to it (jasmine... ...no something else, will get back to that when I recognize it) and the smoky, animalic background gives the first signs of its presence.

I have to say that I love the long lasting drydown skin scent of this, on me I get a hint of burnt sugar, traces of almond, very smoky vanilla, leather, perhaps a hint of the sweet aroma of pipe tobacco, some wood (sandalwood, I would guess). Very sexy and well balanced between sweetness, smokiness and something bit more animalic!

On the other hand the sillage is not that good... ...like all the not too pleasant aromas of bitter almond were surrounding me, accompanied by some very blunt wood notes. Fortunately this dimension is not strong. If I could just keep my nose close the skin this would be perfect!

But I will continue testing, there is still something very unusual and exciting in this.

This is something completly different then I expected. This is as grown up as an vanilla could be I think.

It starts with notes of marsipan and I first belived it was going to be too sweet, but that phase only lasted a few minutes, then the vanilla joins in, and the dusty, smoky notes. You can´t really imagine a vanilla being that smoky... it´s like a kind of dark roasted adult vanilla version, if such a thing could excist. This sure lingers around, it a dry, non-foody vanilla-almond. How can a vanilla-almondy perfume be non-gourmand? I don´t know, it´s so strange, but comfy... I love it almost as much as Red Aoud from the same company, but watch out Amandes Orientales could be kind of hard to wear.

Why´s that?

Oh, it´s so dirty. Behind the most innocent of notes as vanilla and almond, hidden in the smoky curls there are something deep, mysterious, animalic, erotic hiding. And yes, it´s THAT kind of dirty... you know like BO, sweat, hot bodies, the bed after... and well, one of the skankiest perfumes I ever smelled and appreciate at the same time.

I don´t want to tell anybody what happens if I wear Amandes orientales at the same time as mu husband wears Black Aoud... some of you maybe can guess? ;)

Loooonglasting and gorgeus, soft, musky drydown.

I do recommend you to try it, but I don´t think it is for everyone.

Smoky almonds, natural, gourmand, but not too sweet or intensive, very intimate and friendly. It's not just a scent, it's like a cozy moment you share with your friends, like pleasant memories...

At the very beginning almonds have their sweet a bit sharp quality, but very quickly they become milky calm, roasted, gourmand, but not sweet. The smoky note pleases me most of all. Smoke outside the house, but near it.

The scent is not very radiant, but long lasting, after 5-6 hours you can't find almonds in it anymore, but very light vanilla.