Strada Parfumerie Avenue Montaigne Review (Cyrille Carles) + Virtual Paris Draw

September 15, 2020September 15, 2020

Strada Parfumerie Avenue Montaigne courtesy of Strada Parfumerie

Dubai-based co-founder Mishal Al Marzouqi is a world traveler and has been a perfume lover since early childhood. In 2014 he and his partner Mohamed launched the brand Strada Parfumerie. At that time, they created bespoke fragrances for a private clientele inclusive of members of the Royal Family (Vogue Arabia, Aug. 30, 2020). In 2018 they decided to launch a collection for the public. It took 2 years for them to re-brand, but by summer’s end this year they released four travel-themed fragrances inspired by luxe shopping locations: Paris’ Avenue Montaigne, London’s Sloane St., New York City’s Fifth Avenue and Rome’s Via Veneto (It was in a shop on Sloane Street that Mishal and Mohamed first met.). When it came to selecting perfumers they exercised the same specificity: Christian Carbonnel was chosen for his mastery with exotic materials (both Sloane St. and Fifth Avenue are oud-based); Cyrille Carles, grandson of the great Jean Carles – hailed from a Grasse perfumery, ergo Avenue Montaigne; and the Italian house of Moelhausen was to represent the Via Veneto (reviewed by Samantha here).

Strada Parfumerie Avenue Montaigne courtesy of Strada Parfumerie

I chose Strada Parfumerie Avenue Montaigne to review for many reasons – one of which was that I was curious how perfumer Cyrille Carles would interpret this theme. The only work I’m familiar with is that which he had done for our friend Sarah Barton of The Pink Room; both Darkly Audacious and Parfum Pour Toi were his compositions. I’m also more familiar with that street than the other three.

Image via unsplash

The avenue itself is located in the 8th arrondissement of Paris and dedicated to high fashion, not bon marché or mainstream fare. The likes of Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Chanel, Valentino, Bvlgari and Harry Winston have taken up residence over the years.

Leather gloves image collage by Michelyn

Strada Parfumerie Avenue Montaigne is bold and unapologetic from the start. It smells like extremely expensive leather goods laced gingerly with florals and intrepidly musky, woody elements. In many ways, it reminds me of a brand new high-end automobile interior, say Mercedes Benz or Bentley. Inferred leather assumes the form suggested by burnished bronze/copper-hued saffron, time-honored birch tar and furthered by the raspy woody labdanum-like Amberwood F® (Symrise). This conjures up the enticing, come-hither aroma of luggage and bags by Louis Vuitton, Prada, Bottega Veneta and Longchamp, to name but a few. Anyone who revels in the odor of fine leather will recognize this immediately (I could never walk into Bergdorf’s without a customary frisson as my nostrils quivered: the first thing you smell is all that gorgeous leather!). There is the fleeting introduction of bergamot and well-blended non-indolic jasmines with a soupçon of rose. Fir resin contributes a delicately jammy touch tempered by the dry balsamic nature of cedar. Vanilla seems to play a supporting role, rather sotto voce – while musks feel fleshy, amplifying the existing leathery quality of Avenue Montaigne. The fragrance is well-integrated overall, consistent and elegant. It feels utterly genderless; one cannot help but feel soigné in its sillage.

Notes: bergamot, saffron, jasmine, Amberwood F® (Symrise), ambergris, Moroccan jasmine, rose, birch, fir resin, cedar, vanilla, musk

Samples kindly provided by Strada Perfumerie. My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Senior Editor and Natural Perfumery Editor

image courtesy of Strada Parfumerie

Thanks to the generosity of Strada Parfumerie, we have a 30 ml bottle of Avenue Montaigne for one registered reader WORLDWIDE. YOU MUST BE REGISTERED To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what interests you based on Ida’s review and where you live. Draw closes 9/18/2020

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