Montale Jasmin Full

Marlen at PerfumeCritic just did a review of Montale Jasmin Full earlier this month, but in the comments to one of March’s posts recently, two people chimed in about it being an awesome jasmine. So I –had- to get it. You people (yes, I’m looking at all of you) are responsible for my kids’ college education winding up spread around the world in some perfumer’s coffers.  Again, Suravionline came to my rescue with a sample of the swoonworthy Jasmin Full. 

 jasmine.jpgA blend of jasmine, orange blossom and honeysuckle, this is definitely not one for the floral hatahs. I happen to love heady florals, especially jasmine, orange blossom and honeysuckle, so as you might imagine, spritzing this on made my eyes roll back in my head in bliss. 

Many years ago, I used to have a great big Newfie, Crosby, and he was just a joy and a love, but he was also about 150 pounds and destroyed my backyard, which was quite small. Cros had a heart defect and died when he was 2.  My dad died about four months later, right before Christmas, of congestive heart failure.  Once I had my backyard again, I decided to make a fragrant oasis in memory of my dad. I didn’t want pretty flowers, though they would be welcome, I just wanted smelly ones, the kind that he and I both loved.  

An inch of dirt and weeds had to be scraped first just to start cultivating. Then the planting started — the hardy survived, the ones that did not thrive on benign neglect just died or got taken over by something else. Did you know that in a fair fight a swamp rose will take a wisteria?  Surprised me too. I planted a sprig of honeysuckle by the back door, next to the Swamp Rose, and they loved each other and grew happily alongside. Allegedly in Colorado there’s some bug that keeps getting into the honeysuckle and destroying it, but I think that bug doesn’t like me because my honeysuckle grew when it shouldn’t have, was just this huge bushy thing filled with blossoms.  Every spring I would  bring out the pots of Star and Arabian Jasmine that I had sheltered all winter.  Growing and keeping jasmine in Colorado is really not for the faint of heart.  It can be done, but at great personal labor, which I am normally averse to, and I did give up on keeping them going last year.  Before I got lazy, the jasmine would be out in the late spring in pots, with the honeysuckle and carnations nearby, and the cool of early morning and early evening would have the most magical perfumed smell.  No orange blossom available, but I can say absolutely that Montale Jasmin Full is the closest I’ve gotten to that beautiful smell in nature. So thanks to Marlen and Ina, and any others that chimed in on the praises of this lovely creation, this is my new favorite jasmine perfume.  Just 1000% gorgeous.  All jasmine lovers need this in their perfume wardrobe.

shy buddy.JPGSeveral of you have asked for Buddy snaps, and I do try to convince Buddy to get his picture taken, but he spazzes out every time we try. He’s a little camera shy and lays down, turns away and has been known to crawl under the chair and hide. Sneaking up on him when he’s been sleeping is really the only way to catch him, but even then, he’s still pissed, and no picture I have taken of him captures his joy, and even less so when he’s slunking off hiding from the camera (all three pictures there on the left were him just barely tolerating the picture-taking).  I have no idea why picture-taking upsets him so much, but it does, he hates it with a slobbery passion.  But I hate people chomping on food when we are on the telephone, so I figger he’s entitled to this eccentricity. This is the most joyous, happy dog on the face of the planet, but cameras and wind and light sabers (not wimpy light sabers, the good ones that light up and make the noises — love these things, we have light saber fights daily in my house) do the same thing to him — turn him into a hiding, shivering goober.  I love him, though.  Has anyone read Marley and Me?  I read buddynothappy.JPGit last week, and Marley was another yellow lab that really was rotten — rotten like Buddy is –just a thieving, exhuberant, shedding, drooling mess of yellow fur.  Reading that book made me appreciate all that Buddy has taught me in the two years I have had him. 

Buddy went to doggie boot camp a year ago because he was even a worse misbehaved mess, and they did a great job with him — he walks on a leash great, heels, stays, etc.  They also taught Buddy about barriers, that he has to stay out of places or in places unless he gets the okay, and he does all right with this most of the time. Cats can go by, he stays put.  Cats buddy pissed.JPGcome up to the door to the office and tease him, and he whines and keeps pouncing at them, but he stays on the right side of the line.  One of my sons or my husband walk into his line of sight, he vooms over that line like it never existed, leaping and bounding and butt wiggling and panting and smiling… even though he knows I am going to Bad Dog him in about 2 seconds when I get aholt of him. He doesn’t care, it was worth it, he got to say hi to his beloveds.  He is simply willing to do the time for the crime.

This is how I feel about perfume. I can behave myself about most everything else in my life, but give me a beautiful perfume, and my butt is wiggling, I’m panting and leaping and bounding for my credit card, like for Jasmine Full.  On this point, Buddy and I understand each other. 

  • Lynne says:

    I just recieved my bottle,,,oh man oh man this is a good one! I love it way more than Creed Jasmal and more than *gasp* my SL A La Nuit. It`s clean, fresh (a tad soapy on dry down) and just young and wonderful. I don`t get any indolic feeling, but my cats sure do love it!

  • Cheezwiz says:

    Awww… Buddy is so adorable.

    Its so funny how some critters just “know” you’re trying to get a picture, and won’t cooperate. I volunteer sometimes at an animal shelter, and when we try to take photos, the pups will either turn their heads away, or they’ll be so eager to approach, all you get is a picture of a giant wet nose.

    I just read “Marley & Me” – I laughed my head off when after many many failures Marley finally passed an obedience class. When his human proudly displayed the diploma, Marley promptly gobbled it. Hee! :d

  • Katie says:

    Buddy is a handsome fellow, P. In that second shot he looks so tired, as if his people have exhausted and worn him through for the day.

  • sariah says:

    lovely post Patty, now I see why they call you P-dawg with all that wagging.

    Thanks March and Cait for the info on indolic / animalic, 6 months ago I would have never thought discussing stinkyness could be so interesting.

  • Patty says:

    Kaye, your cat sounds perfect! I’ve had my share of feral cats before, and they do develop some odd quirks.

  • BBliss says:

    I am enlightened! Thank you March and for linking to Cait’s fantastic pudeur piece! And I obviously swing animalic rather than indolic – but than again, there *are* things I like with jasmine in them – maybe I like it balanced with animalic elements or softened with other florals??? Well, anyay, this helped me a lot!

    As an aside: I accidentally layered Andy’s Le Maroc (too *something*/indolic? for me to wear comfortably) with his new leather Lonestar – grabbed the wrong vial and YOWZAH – I think I am smelling really, really good! But, I haven’t been in public yet. I’ll see what kind of looks I get…

  • patchamour says:

    Hi March,
    Thanks so much for the explanation. This clears up a couple of things that have been puzzling me. Cait’s discussion is very clear also. Patch

  • March says:

    Okay, I’m not the expert (I would defer to Victoria F or Cait here) but will take a stab at the indolic thing, in my own way. I apologize, I am trying to find a way not to gross anyone out: Indoles are an organic chemical compound and are compared to the smell of rotting fruit, garbage, and feces. They are found in small quantities in flowers such as jasmine and orange blossom. They are what take the edge off of what otherwise might be an overpowering sweetness. They smell, obviously, a little dirty. Montale Jasmine (P, I got your pkg, I am stunned by your generosity, BTW) I just put on and it IS indolic — it is stanky, in the best possible way — I would describe it in the rotting fruit/garbage direction. But only a tiny, tiny bit — not enough to ruin anything. But obviously there is a degree of personal taste and perception going on here.

    When I use “animalic” I am thinking of the opposite end of the Stanky Spectrum. To me animalic is, well, animal-like — think civet, think anal glands (sorry, folks.) To me Jicky parfum and Musc Ravageur are animalic rather than indolic. I cannot think of any other way to describe that smell than a whiff of unwashed nether parts — again, just the tiniest bit, to offset the florals or whatever else is going on the fragrance.

    I’m going to confuse things now by saying I find most of the Patous (particularly Sublime and Sira de Indes) to be animalic rather than indolic — their skank is animal-like. BUT when I look at Patou, there’s a lot of jasmine floating around in there, so perhaps my distinction is a false one. I am going to try to stick a link in here to Cait’s excellent discussion of “pudeur” (stink) on Legerdenez:

    http://legerdenez.blogspot.com/2005_12_01_legerdenez_archive.html

    Perhaps we can lure her or Victoria F over here for a more informed discussion of indolic vs. animalic…

  • Patty says:

    Robin, thank you!

    Oh, I’ll tuck some in for you, but I’ll wait until my bottle gets here. I think you’d like this one. The Chypre Fruite sounds wonderful. I love it when there’s a line I’ve ignored and then I start going through them one by one, like a closet full of unopened birfday presents!

  • Patty says:

    Victoria — you and me both! Perfume and animals just go together. Warren tells me my dog has warped sense of smell because he is exposed to so many different smells on a daily basis. Poor puppers!

  • patchamour says:

    Awww, Buddy is so great. Love knows no boundaries with these guys, does it? Our cat doesn’t like the camera, either, but he was a feral cat up to about eight months, so he’s “different” — growls at certain mailmen (from safely behind the door screen), doesn’t like car keys, likes my son’s German Shepherd, thinks I’m his mother, etc.

    I can’t wait to hear about the indolic thing. Jasmine oils and perfumes often have that “overripe” or almost rotting note for me, too. Bellodgia has it also. Patty, you’ve sent me out to find some Jasmin growing — may not be possible this far north.

  • violetnoir says:

    Patty, just as I think your blog can’t get any better, it does. I love this post and your analogy of your boundless crazy enthusiasm for beautiful perfume to Buddy’s boundless enthusiastic doggy behavior. You are right on point! *-:)

    I have a couple of Montales, and they are pretty good, especially the Chypre Fruite. But this one sounds heady and gorgeous…just like I love ’em, too.

    Hugs!

  • Victoria O says:

    Great review! But then I’m a sucker for anything tied to an animal story.
    :O)

  • Patty says:

    BB, I don’t think you would care for Jasmin full. Indolic or no, it is very sweet and very jsmine.

    But I’m glad I’m not the only one who doesn’t get the indolic thing! Maybe I just haven’t smelled a nonindolic jasmine. I have heard Le Maroc is indolic.

    Chemistry… I’m definitely not your gal in that area.

  • BBliss says:

    I don’t really get wearing Jasmine straight up (I’ll go into hiding now) – it hurts my stomach. Maybe it’s the wrong ones, or it’s too sweet. I do like the smell of the flowers, though.

    And anyone that sheds light for Patty on indolic vs. non would help me too. Is TDC’s Jasmine de Nuit indolic? Is Le Maroc?

    Somehere I read that the jasmine smell molecule is close to the “rotting flesh” molecule (Turin?) and that made sense that maybe my subconscious gets it and my body rebels. I could have that twisted up in my mind, or maybe it was a nightmare – so if anyone didn’t just “squeak by” in chemistry please set me straight!

  • Ina says:

    OK, trying again. 😉 I totally LOLed at the last paragraph. Glad you love Jasmin Full. It’s one of my favorite jasmine scents.

  • Patty says:

    Ina, it’s you and Marlen’s and Vijay’s fault. 🙂 Thanks!

    It is a stunner. I don’t know what I expected, but putting it on is just a treat, it smells like all the best things I know together.

    Now, is it indolic? I really need to understand this indolic thing or just decide if my nose doesn’t read that.

  • Patty says:

    Pam, thank you! It wouldn’t be the same without all of our other perfume friends that comment and at other perfume blogs. Such a great community.

  • Patty says:

    Marina, you are going to have to wait until Ina shows up or March gets her sample, I think Ina has this, or must not understand indolic, or I don’t smell it, one of the two.

    It’s when it’s got that almost overripe smell like crap? I just don’t think I can smell that, jasmine always just smells like jasmine for me! :d

    Tell me two jasmines that I have, one that is not indolic and one that is, and I’ll see if I can figure it out from that.

  • Patty says:

    March, absolutely nothing will kill a swamp rose except root killer, though I haven’t tried that. Who would want to kill one? They are just one of God’s little glorious fragrant pests.

    Grapevine will kill ivy or at least make it wish it were day. I know. I’ve got grape vines on the pergola and ivy on the back of the house and some essential electrical and other wires in the 10 feet between them. It is a weekly task to keep them away from each other.

    I wondered if you were getting drowned in that mess.

    yes, there is some Jasmin Full in your package, Vijay put in one for you with my sample.

  • Ina says:

    LOL at the last paragraph! I so relate. Glad you love Jasmin Full! I think it’s just gorgeous.

  • Patty says:

    Elle, swamp roses are amazing critters. This one has been cut back almost to the ground twice, both against my wishes, and came back even bigger than it was.

    Do you think it’s some Dog thing about thinking their little souls will get snatched by the camera? We were having a “little fun” with the Budster last night, and we found out that if you point any object at him that is nonfood, he reacts the same way. LIght saber, camera, remote control. He was pretty irked after about 30 minutes of our “testing.” :-b

  • Pam says:

    Patty, yet another wonderful post. The mix of wit, humor, information and just plain fun that you and March put into your posts is why I visit this blog daily. PS: Buddy is hilarious.

  • Marina says:

    ((((Patty))))

    This much jasmin might be too much for me…or it might not, it depends…Is it indolic? I’d love that…

    Another hug to you just because and for the great post.:x

  • March says:

    Rock paper scissors

    I’m trying to think of something that’ll kill a swamp rose, other than a vigorous application of herbicide and a ride-on mower.

    Wisteria will beat honeysuckle. English ivy beats wisteria (and most trees, keep that dang ivy out of your trees, people!)

    We are stll drying off from the Great Deluge — I think second in rain only to Hurricane Agnes. Growing fins over here. A bunch of the roads and parts of Metro are still closed.

    Lord, I am hoping you dropped some of this Jasmine into my pkg.

  • Elle says:

    To beat a wisteria that swamp rose has to be one tough cookie. That garden sounds absolutely ideal to me. Jasmin Full really is pure, heady floral heaven. My canine child is as reluctant to have his picture snapped as Buddy is. I think he believes the captured images may compete on some cosmic level w/ him for his food – the ultimate evil. Your last paragraph had me LMAO because I so relate.