Creative Director Clara Molloy (R) and Perfumer Alienor Massenet (photo Clara Molloy)

Just in time to help combat the dreary days of February, Creative Director Clara Molloy of Memo Paris and in-house perfumer Alienor Massenet take us to Costa Rica with the newest addition to the “Graines Vagabondes”  collection. Third in the travel inspired collection after Kedu (Indonesia) and Ilha Do Mel (Brazil), Memo Paris Tamarindo is an olfactive journey to an unforgettable beach in a beautiful part of the world.

Playa Tamarindo Postcard Robert H.

The Costa Rican earth, seeds, foliage, and the air itself is a scented memoir of a jungle and sand daydream. Stand on Tamarindo beach in the Pacific coast Costa Rican province of Guanacaste, and you will know why life in this tropical paradise is referred to as “La pura vida” (The pure life). Tamarindo is the latest entry in the “summer-in-a-bottle” category. If you love Tom Ford’s seminal work for Estee Lauder Azurée Soleil or Bond No.9’s Fire Island, then Memo Paris Tamarindo will hit you with all the feels and land you smack dab on a tropical beach. Whenever I’ve been fortunate enough to travel to some far-flung beach destination, the very first thing I’ve noticed upon de-planing and stepping onto the tarmac is always the scent of the air. Mixed with warm tar and gasoline laden breeze, is always the fullness of the air-sweetness; an immediacy of being back in a place where life moves at a slower pace, and one doesn’t need to stop and smell the flowers, their fragrance will find you whether you’re moving or not.

Julie Newmar in a 1968 Coppertone ad

Presented in a luminous off-white porcelain-like bottle, and labeled with a raised copper background tile etched with swaying palms, Tamarindo is a gentle reminder that the cold days don’t last forever, and that soon enough we will put away our heavy socks in favor of bare feet in sandals. Like throwing open windows and doors to the moist and humid air, Memo Paris Tamarindo opens with the bright and pithy zing of citrus and green notes, wasting no time in its effort to pull you into a sandy beach mood.

Léa Seydoux in Vogue Japan 2015 (photo Paolo Roversi)©

A cabana-boy warming sun-kissed skin scent arrives on a breath of pineapple and coconut, redolent of Coppertone© and a fancy tropical fruit drink. Although not listed in the notes, I feel the light nudging of plumeria, likely the jasmine sweetened by the fruit and vanilla, and it is quite a pleasant feeling. The benzoin warms and the patchouli adds its jungle feverish wood vibe but never shrill as patchouli can be on occasion; the vanilla edges in with a sweetness that de-claws the fierceness resulting in a drydown that is long lasting and most pleasing. Memo Paris Tamarindo is a perfume that is an easy wearing fragrance, and makes me both happy and nostalgic and looking forward to warmer days ahead. Notes: Bergamot, green notes, jasmine, pineapple, cardamom, vanilla, benzoin, patchouli

Disclosure: Thank you SO much to Europerfumes (the US distributor for Memo Paris) for supplying my bottle. The  opinions are my own.

-Robert Herrmann, Senior Editor

-Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

Memo Paris Tamarindo via Memo Paris (cropped)

Thanks to Europerfumes, we have one 75 ml bottle of Memo Paris Tamarindo for one registered reader In the USA,  so be sure to register if you have not done so. To be eligible please let us know what appeals to you about Robert’s review of Tamarindo, if you have a favorite Memo Paris Fragrance and the most beautiful beach you have visited, Draw closes on 2/19/2018

We announce the winners only on our website and on our Facebook page, so like Cafleurebon and use our  Blog feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.