Montale – Sensual Instinct – A slight resemblance to BR540 from MFK, but very slight. It hints also at one of Montale’s best sellers, Intense Cafe. Sensual Instinct is a rich, creamy gourmand from Montale with notes of Praline, rose, coffee, with a sweet amber, woody dry down. Fans of Intense Cafe should enjoy this one. I wore it in warmer weather, but this is way more suited to the cooler conditions. Not overly original, but well done, and as always expect beast mode projection and longevity. I could still detect it after 10-12 hours.
Mancera – Instant Crush – Now this new release does have many similarities to BR540. The amberwood and saffron are dominant just like in the MFK. However Instant Crush has more going on, in particular a floral rose note that shines through and a burst of mandarin citrus at the open. A long-lasting, (10 hours) distant cheaper cousin of BR540. Worth looking into if you’re a fan of the MFK.
Mancera – Soleil d’Italie – An aquatic citrus that disappears pretty quickly on skin. Synthetic and watery. Gone within two hours. No effervescence, or any sign of freshness here. There are many better options for summer.
Parfums De Marly – Kalan – What is it with the all MFK comparisons to these new releases? Before sampling, Kalan I had read online how it was a clone of BR540. I don’t pick it up. Instead, in keeping with the striking red bottle it is a spicy, peppery, blood orange scent. Perhaps even something slightly medicinal, which I guess is the lavender note. It will win a lot of fans for it’s easy to wear nature, but at Parfums de Marly price tag I expect something a little more. Uninvolving.
Kilian – Rolling in Love – A very nicely done iris, almond, musky combination that teases of an interesting journey ahead, but the journey ends too soon. On my skin it disappeared after a couple of hours. A slight hint of the marshmallow, vanilla vibe of Love Don’t Be Shy. Fans of that scent should embrace this one also. It’s a thumbs up from me, but not one I’d buy due to the poor performance on my skin. Beautiful bottle.
Maison Trudon – Elae – An uplifting, fresh, fruity floral of jasmine, tuberose ylang-ylang (which adds a banana facet), neroli and apple. Marketed at women, and certainly feminine leaning. Doesn’t quite rise to the heights of the initial releases from the house 2 years ago. Perfect for daily wear and to the office, just carry a decant around with you as one would expect with light florals it disappears rather quickly in 3-4 hours. The base of benzoin and sandalwood doesn’t really provide enough backbone to hold it together. I prefer it to Medie, the citrus scent released alongside it. Pleasant enough, but a little boring.
Have you tried any of these new releases? What did you make of them?
Note : Bottle images courtesy of Fragrantica. All samples purchased by the author.
Great reviews! Rolling in Love is also a scent I liked, but felt that it lacks on performance.
Thankyou. Yes Rolling in Love is very nice, but the performance is certainly an issue.