Perfume Review: Montale Jasmin Full
 There are very few white floral fragrances that do not make me feel uncomfortable in my own skin, there are even fewer Montale scents that don’t leave me completely indifferent. So it came as a surprise that I liked Jasmin Full, this lush white bouquet by Montale, as much as I did.The first accord of Jasmin Full paints an alluring image of dazzlingly white flowers illuminating the pitch-black, tropical night. The image is not even from this day and age. The unselfconscious voluptuousness of the jasmine-orange blossom  accord, its unexpected, sensual, candied aspect, make me dream about times past and fictional times at that. It evokes my favorite Agatha Christie novels set in exotic locales, Evil Under The Sun, A Caribbean Mystery... When I wear Jasmin Full, there is romance, malice and mystery in the air around me.After a while, the sweet intensity of the scent subsides, it becomes soft and pleasantly fresh. The watery, airy and at the same time earthy and green freshness of the later middle stage and the drydown makes me think that vetiver might be present in the blend. The less rich and less intense drydown does not disappoint, because it seems as logical and as expected here as the dawn with its fresh breeze that follows the sultry night. The passionate trysts have happened, the murder has been committed, the bright tropical morning has come. Jasmin Full is available at Suravi Online, $122.00 for 3.4oz. The image of the bottle is from Suravi Online. |
posted by Marina |
12:03 AM
37 Comments:
sounds lovely, but not something that Arlena Marshall would have worn.
Just as an aside, I think that the movie is actually an improvement over the book; Diana Rigg and Maggie Smith trading barbs in the Adriatic is sooo much better than the book's setting on the English coast...
I realised that I was being cryptic- I was referring to "Evil Under the Sun", which is worth adding to your netflix queue.
But what would have Arlena worn? Jungle Gardenia? My Sin? What was out in 1941?
Huh. Interesting. You don't really hear a lot about this one like you do some of the other Montales. So it gets the full PST thumbs up then?
lovely review from a fellow agatha christie reader/admirer ;)! her books often make me wonder what some of her heroines would wear... like Linnet Ridgeway from Death on the Nile or Elinor Carlisle from Sad Cypress. also Arlena Marshall...
back to the perfume-sounds very nice, I love tropical jasmine. and it must be a special white flower scent if you like it, M.
Brilliant review! And such a perfect last line! I've never seen that cover for A Caribbean Mystery, but it was the ideal pick for this scent. I agree w/ Tom, though, that Arlena in "Evil Under the Sun" wouldn't have worn this. Maybe she'd have worn My Sin as Tom suggested or Narcisse Noir or Fracas. Although, maybe she'd have gone for something leather, like Scandal (not sure when it was released).
Beautiful review, but--I don't know what it is with this scent: I usually like jasmine (all white flowers in fact), I love the Montale Aouds, all my scent cousins love it--but this is just terrible on me! Really foul. And I almost never feel that way about a fragrance. The only way I saved it was in Ina's combo with KJ--and I used a LOT of KJ. Sigh. More for you, I guess:)
This is not one I'd have predicted you would like! It's probably the skank in there that's working for you ;-)
I am not a huge fan of heady white florals either, but this was an exception, as was my recent, joyous discovery of Divine.
Tom,
I bow to you. Not only do you know the books but you know the movies too.
*feels happy she is not the only nerd out there* :-D
PS Arlena would have worn something like Fracas, I think.
Tom,
I am thinking something very heady...and if the book took place in the late 80s, she would have definitely worn Poison.
Katie,
Full PST thumbs up to Jasmin Full. :-)
Tina,
Ooh, interesting...for Elinor -something cool and aloof but at the same time deep and full of feeling ... The first thing that come to my mind is Violette Precieuse by Caron...
Elle,
Thank you! And that's what I am thinking to, Fracas for Arlene...Scandla could work too, or even Rumeur :-)
Judith,
There are scets that I can never understand why they don't work on me. POTL. Chergui.
Which part of JF was foul on you? I perceive it as consisting of two parts, and they very different from, the first one is heady and sweet, the second one is fresh, almost earthy. Was it too sweet for you?
March,
I don't really get much or any skank here, but it is still great :-)
Do you mean Divine as a whole perfume line or Divine by Divine?
The first part is definitely too stinky-sweet for me! Now you know I usually like stinky, but there is something here that just turns me off. I don't know that I have ever made it to the second part. I am trying again. . .(less for you:)
...waiting for the verdict...
Sorry--all I know is that the sillage is making me queasy and that I need to take a shower if I am to get any work done:) I am NEVER affected like this; felled by a flower!! More for you!
(Please delete at least one of my earlier identical posts--I don't know how that happened)
Well then..more for me :-D Although I did sincerely wish that the sceond try would be lucky for you!
What a tempting review!
How naughty of you to use the word "voluptuous", and infer a vintage quality...two things that trigger me in a big way!
I will have to get my paws on a sample of this-
Thanks for illuminating this one for us...
I agree with the Fracas, Scandal, and Rumeur...maybe Shocking, too.
I can totally see the "pitch black tropical night" association. It's such a deep, lush scent. Sensual. What I love most about it, I think, is that it's not heady. Most jasmine scents are too heady for my tastes.
Chaya,
I am not affiliated in any way, but I suggest you check out Suravi online...they are very nice and might hook you up with a sample! :-)
Ina,
I agree, and the lack of heady-ness is a big plus for me too. JF manages to be lush but not heady, which is great.
I've been wanting to try this one. How would you compare it to SL's A La Nuit? I've just bought that one and I can only deal with the tiniest dab (but it's a wonderful dab). From your description Montale's sounds a bit less hard to handle...
carmen,
I have to go on my memories of A La Nuit, since I don't own a bottle...I *think* Jasmin Full is slightly sweeter (in the beginning at least) and slightly "thicker" and yet it is a little less heady that A La Nuit.
I hope somebody would comment who could do a real comparison!
Divine by Divine? Ina sent me three or four, I'd never tried them before. *hangs head in shame* I hear the others are lovely as well...
Well, I do have some A la Nuit, but I am not much use to you, b/c I don't find it hard to handle at all, while Jasmine Full . . . well, there is just something in here that disagrees with me, and it seems to be idiosyncratic. Trying them briefly side by side (the things I do for science). . .hmm A la Nuit smells like jasmine:) Nice! I don't know that JF is sweeter, but it seems sharper and thicker, and paradoxically, less jasmine-y to me. There is actually something in it that strikes me as vaguely sour. But pay me no mind. I clearly have an unusual reaction to this perfume. V. would be the best person to compare them, but I think she is very busy now!
March,
So which of them did you like so much>?
Judith,
Thank you! The things we do for science, indeed :-)
Beautiful review Colombina.
Jasmin Full from Montale was the one of the first scents from Montale that I ordered for the store for retail. I went through all the samples and this one is my favorite in the non-ouds.
I will tell you the first thought that came to my mind after smelling this "If a woman walks by wearing this, I would follow her all around the world , even if she puts me on a leash :)."
V,
Ah! Wow...you know, you should put it on your site next to the photo of Jasmin Full. The sales will go through the rough. :-)
Sorry -- my head is like soup today, 101 degrees, ugh. I've only tried the Divine by Divine. I am savoring my new toy rather than rushing in, particularly given the upcoming trip to NY. I have my expectations all built up for the others now... do you like them? PS The Divine was delish layered with Wenge AND Jasmin Full. Heh heh. Not for amateurs.
PS Will post a link tomorrow to your blog for the big reveal.
March,
I have and kind of like some L'Ame Soeur, but I don't remember Divine at all :-( That mixture of yours sounds...voluptuous.
PS. The Big Reveal is all written and ready to go tonight. Are ya scared? Are ya very scared? :-) (you shouldn't be)
Patty,
I missed you too, come back home already! :-)
Maisonstinky's comment does it. I'm off to smell Jasmin Full (after all, brag-brag, I *am* only 20 minutes away from the Montale shop). I used to wear a pair of zebra-skin stilletos that I called "my shoes to make new friends with" ("mes chaussures pour me faire des nouveaux amis")because every single time I wore them a different man insisted on giving me his phone number. Not that I'm on the market, but if Jasmin Full has that effect it'll be quite entertaining to wear (and thankfully it won't be the same kind of kinkiness...).
Carmen,
Jasmin Full is sort of a perfume equivalent to those zebra-skin stilettoes :-D Definitely! I would love to hear what you think about it!
Jasmine Full is one of the frags that Montale has at half price, so I ordered it, unsniffed, and am eagerly awaiting its arrival in the post. By your description, I think I will like it.
Evil Under the Sun was one of my Mom's favorite campy movies, and we watched it regularly. Sometimes she'd refer to me as "Thelma Snatchbow."
Kathy,
I got it too...now anxiously awaiting it. :-)
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