Montaigne (1986)
by Caron

Not a full review, but I did want to confirm that the edt is indeed remarkably true to the parfum. I am wearing the parfum on one wrist and a goodly amount of the edt everywhere else and while the parfum is a touch smoother and less effusive,Caron did not dumb it down or cheapen it.I am by no means the duchess this was meant for, but I can wear this.Slightly dark, elegant, very French and one the perks of growing at least a bit older. Montaigne just would not smell believable on a teenager.

Rich, warm and gorgeous! An incredibly beautiful amber and floral scent with a soft powdery sandalwood in the base. I have the parfum and find it perfect for a sophisticated cool weather evening. Though some have called it opulent and feminine, I find it works well on my male skin.

Into my lady's chamber. Seduced by a deep, luxurious yet sober and restrained trail of scent reminiscent of dark brown velvet and old books. But who is this gentleman confronting me there? And why do these distinguished fumes seem to emanate from him rather than from my dear lady Hortense? I draw my swordstick. Simultanously he draws his own. We posture and growl at each other menacingly. Enters Hortense. 'De Charlus, you old ninny,' she cries, 'why are you preening in front of the mirror? And why are you growling at your own reflection? And who gave you permission to wear my Caron's Montaigne?'

Strictly speaking, Montaigne is not one of Caron’s urn fragrances but is considered one of their boutique scents. As I write this review, Montaigne is not mentioned on the Caron web site, but it is most assuredly still in production. It is available in both pure parfum and EDT strengths. This review is for the parfum; my understanding is that the EDT is very faithful to the parfum and is probably more cost effective in the long run. Montaigne was developed on the same aromatic, fruity liquor that revs up Alpona’s engines, only there are enough changes in Montaigne that someone who has trouble with Alpona can most likely wear Montaigne. This is certainly the case for me who “has trouble” wearing Alpona (understatement). Montaigne is an intense fragrance, so apply sparingly; it is also long lasting and at times reminds me very much of the torrid Amarige. Montaigne has notes of jasmine, bitter orange, mandarin, mimosa, blackcurrant, coriander, vanilla and that fabulous Mysore sandalwood which anchors both Guerlain’s Samsara and Ferre’s Ferre 20. There is a hint of an exotic sharpness to Montaigne (probably the Alpona accord) which teasingly plays around the edges but never overbears as it does in Mother Alpona. Very wearable, very luxurious and exotic, very womanly, Montaigne is a modern day classic.