Embruns D'Essaouira by Montale

This scent was so terrible that it made me feel physically sick to smell. Everything about it smells wrong, and it nearly gave me a gag reflex. Even more repulsive than Sequoia on my skin. Had to scrub off immediately. It smelled like someone took some twigs, algae, maybe some mold, threw it in a pile, then covered it liberally with iodine. Oh, and then forced you to smell it. Do not want, two thumbs down.

Fine aroma... Fresh and sensual

I think I must be anosmic to something in Embruns d'Essaoira - I can sort of sense it rather than actually smell it. I get hints of grapefruit, soap and salt, which add up to something much softer and milder and rounder and sweeter than it sounds like. The little I smell is pleasant enough.

I didn't love it but it definately has the Montale high standards. I really don't get all the negative posts on this one. The only bad thing about it IMHO is that it starts really similar to the gorgeous Vetiver des Sables and has a drydown very similar to L' Eau d' Issey. Thus a "thumbs up" from me tabalance things out :)

Montales Embruns dEssouira is a refreshing marine/algae scent that I enjoyed very much. My first thought upon sniffing was thank goodness it was not another faux beachy scent, ie. another variation on the smell of Coppertone Sun Tan Lotion (Yoohoo- Bobbi Brown Beach, Philosophy!). In contrast, Embruns dEssouira smells nearly exactly like the smell you experience when you are at the ocean sitting on the sand at the edge of the water, and the waves rush up around you tinged with green algae. It is also a much lighter style than I am used to seeing from Montale (another plus), and I thought it was pretty interesting and wearable. Finally, Embruns dEssouira was good on me but I think it would really rock on a man!

Here are the notes, as gleaned on the internet: Iodine from the water of Essaouira, Moroccan Atlas sandalwood, spices, musk, Yemeni Oud, Oman olibanum pearls, frankincense, Egyptian balsam, Cystus ladaniferus and amber.

Weak! Iodine? Yuck! What a waste. Don't even try this one, not worth the effort.

Certainly different smelling: a blend of iodine, sandalwood, spices and musk. But different is not pleasant (iodine seems to be central here) in this case and of the Montale fragrances I have tried to date, this one is the least pleasant of them all. I would not want to smell this on anyone. As of this writing, a "perfect" record - 5 out of 5 thumbs down!

A light, delicate herbal / incense fragrance billed as unisex but I really cant see it as acceptably masculine. There is a bit of iodine in the mix, but not enough to please me. I barely get any incense, and the musk smells a little weird IMO. The sandalwood is not at all like most fragrance sandalwood it is a bit too much empty of character for a sandalwood lover like me. Finally, the longevity is abysmal: My first response to this fragrance was This cant be a Montale Its too weak. After that, poof! where did it go? Maybe its just me, but where is Embruns DEssaouira?

I'm with Vadim; I tried this one for about a month and just didn't see what it wanted to be or what it wanted to do. Is it fresh, is it green, is it spicey? It is sort of all of them... and none. Nothing much sticks out, nothing much lingers, it's just sort of... THERE.

If this were an inexpensive, easily obtained scent, it would be fair enough to wear on rare occasions, but for $135 and in such limited distribution, there are MANY others that should be tried first.

Of course the Aouds get the most attention, but there are other Montales that are worth the effort. Patchouli leaves is wonderful, Chypre Vanille is odd but compelling, and Greyland has a citrusy kick that is very unique. Try those and leave Embruns on the shelf.

Iodine, spices and musk. Brother of Montale's Sandflowers, cousin of Profvmvm's Aqua di Sale and relative of some of L'Artisan's creations. Equally thin and pointless, and more feminine than unisex.