Ramon Monegal Heritage Drops is from the new Kaleidoscopic collection
I have been always been fascinated by heraldry and how it perfectly and seamlessly binds together blood ties, history, and art. Poetically described as “the floral border in the garden of history”, it has gradually shifted through the ages, from the battlefields and its sheer military utility to a more and more personal and symbolic tie to one’s heritage, achievements, and aspirations.
“A lion, for instance, which in nature is not a very distinctive object, was portrayed, for greater distinction, with its leonine attributes, its fierce expression, frightful claws, lithe and lissome body all vastly exaggerated, so that indeed it looked more like a lion than did ever any lion of nature. In this wise, by turning away from true representation and adopting a character all its own, was the ‘heraldic lion’ born, and with it came also the manner of depicting all the other beasts and forms and patterns which are so peculiarly heraldic.”– Sir George Rothe Bellew
Looking at the inkwell in my hands, I heard the roar, smiled, and sprayed the fragrant ink on my wrists. The story unveils…100 years, 4 generations, one name, one bloodline, one passion.
Ramon Monegal Nogués via official Monegal Facebook page
It all started with him. It was the turn of the 19th century and Ramon Monegal Nogues was an entrepreneur with an ambitious business plan and a vision way ahead of the time. He opened a drugstore chain all over Spain, first selling beauty products, then precious perfume oils and various raw materials.
Esteban Monegal Prat picture, via official Monegal Facebook page
Enter his son. It’s 1916 and Esteban Monegal Prat, an artist soul, with an artistic vision grandiose enough to meet his father’s business flair returns home from Paris. He unites the word myrron (myrth in Greek) and urgia (industry in Greek) and founds Myrurgia. Mixing his charm and artistic sensibility with his father’s resources and marketing genius, they begin producing fine fragrances and luxurious soaps on a larger scale. They soon became purveyors of the Spanish Royal family and their products crossed the borders, becoming sought-after luxuries in Europe, South America, and the USA.
Esteve Monegal Bofill picture, via official Monegal Facebook page
The company grew with the times, one fragrant story after another, drawing inspiration from the gardens of Alhambra to the passion of the flamenco dance, with beautiful bottles and names that ignited the imagination and weaved magic around the “Spanish dream”: Maderas de Oriente, Maja, Joya, Flor de blazon, Suspiro de Granada, Lilas del Rey – to name but a few. Forward in time to 2000, when Myrugia was acquired by the fashion and fragrance giant company Puig and Ramon Monegal, after a few years of managing all the brands under the new umbrella, decided it was time for a new chapter in the family history. And so a new page was written.
Ramon Monegal, photo via official Facebook page
“When I look back, I see years of passion, effort, and dedication. But above all, I recognize those who before me were brave enough to begin the journey that I follow today.” -Ramon Monegal
I don’t consider myself to be a romantic, but I am drawn to all stories that involve the bonds of blood that transcend generations in that love-declined form of immortality we are given, through the love of our ancestors and the love of our children. And when that combines with art and family quests driven by passion – then we are in the presence of the rare stories that move and transform the world around them, rippling in circles that touch many and expand through the years. Like a heraldic symbol, knotting in its intricate design tales of love, passion and craftsmanship.
A note from the brand on Ramon Heritage Drops: “Not all jewels are made of gold. In 1919, the first perfumer in the Monegal saga created the family’s private perfume. Since then, each generation has modified it by adding its own personality. For the first time, the formula of our private perfume crosses the doors of our atelier.”
Midjourney AI generated art and photoshop editing of Ramon Monegal logo
Heritage Drops felt like visiting an ancient castle and, through a strange turn of events, having visions of its heydays, superimposed onto the frames of the present, like sepia prints melting in the colorful waters of the past.
Starting off sharp, bitter, and astringent, a rush of adrenalized citric juices sizzle awakes the senses, with bergamot, lemons, and mandarins that sparkle cheerful, accelerated, like the first rays of the morning sun, caught in the glimpse of the silver coat of arms, guarding the entrance. Descending the stairs to the kitchen, you sense the ginger shavings, spicy and fresh, mix in with the greens of the aromatic herbs mixture, waiting on the table for the prey to be brought back from the haunting grounds. See the sap melt into petrified Drops in the pile of freshly cut woods waiting to be thrown into the fire of the ovens. Then up the stairs again, now on to the library, where the smell of leathery bound tomes, freshly dusted mix in with the air entering the large windows. Aromatic lavender and the cold breeze of the Mediterranean, bringing in its unique cocktail of herbs in wafts that seem to color the light in blue and green. There is humming, like an iridescent layer of freshness, a green iridescent lung that breaths in and out, in the rhythmic cadence of an ancient clock, ticking counter clockwise.
Ramon Monegal Heritage Drops is an elegant atemporal construction with a fresh zing. Feels like traveling back in time, as it nodes from all angles to the timeless classical structure of perfumery, yet it has the comfort and nonchalant aura of a modern perfume.
Notes: Top notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Mandarin; Middle notes: Petitgrain, Thyme and Rosemary; Base notes: Geranium, Amber and Neroli.
Nicoleta Tomsa, Senior Editor
Please check out Karl Topham’s Invisible But Cool Review
Also, check out my reviews of Ole, Kiss my name and Hazy Rose
Disclosure: Sample kindly provided by Ramon Monegal, opinions are my own
Ramon Monegal Heritage Drops, official image
Thanks to the generosity of Ramon Monegal we have a 100 ml bottle for one registered reader in the EU, UK and USA ONLY. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Nicoleta’s review and where you live. Draw closes 9/22/22
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