Hiya Posse Peeps, A few years ago one of my besties was in London and happened to be trawling the Selfridge & Co beauty and fragrance floor looking for inspiration and just loving being back home in the UK for a moment. She was greeted warmly by an SA at a counter for a fragrance line she had never heard of, and to be fair neither had I. It was the Mancera line and Alice was so swept up in the girls friendliness, knowledge and enthusiasm that she bought me a bottle of The Aoud. Then she got on the phone at great expense and told me she’d bought my birthday present and NO she wasn’t going to tell me anything other than bought at Selfridges. I love it, wear it often and the whole story makes me smile every time I think about it. Seriously, how freaking lucky am I? So let’s talk about another in the line that’s caught my fancy, Wave Musk …
Wave Musk by Mancera 2011
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Grapefruit, black currant, grass
Heart: Sea notes, orange blossom, sea salt, driftwood
Base: Seaweed, white musk
The Mancera story goes: Built for the Middle eastern market. Large European style fragrances with an oud speciality. Using the same crew that brought us Montale, which they do resemble.
Photo Stolen WikiMedia
Sharp, sweet, green and salty opening that is deeper and richer than the aquatics of the 1980s but definitely references them and builds upon their legacy. Can anyone say Grapefruit Margarita? Definitely a party fragrance. It’s nice: fresh and herbal. It has a lovely ring of the old stately cologne but with a bad ass saltiness that turns it slightly sideways. A very similar heft and thickness to the scent that is so popular with Montale fans I think it will be a hit with anyone who likes their UN-oud offerings like Sandflowers and Soleil de Capri. Which I adore.
The Wave Musk grapefruit manages to last well into the heart giving the salt and orange blossom a zingy and sweet sheen. As the woods float in they are only very slightly warm and around much the same time the seaweed arrives. It reminds me of the seaweed wrapping on Gimbap, like Japanese Nori Rolls. Sea-ish but clean sea, dry and zero of the under boardwalk stench. That raspy, dry first bite of a roll with the sugar and vinegar rice is a nice analogy of the layers of scent in Wave Musk.
Photo Stolen Wikipedia
Wave Musk is a very interesting player, it should be barely wearable and so retro as to be unwearable in 2015 yet it manages to be refreshingly new and fun. Imagine if Womanity had used grapefruit instead of fig? You get the picture. As with all Mancera’s lasting power is eternal.
First In Fragrance has €82/60ml and samples
If you liked this then come on over to AustralianPerfumeJunkies and continue the conversation there.
Do you have an aquatic favourite or even one that torments the living shit out of you? Has the Mancera line tickled your fancy at all?
Portia xx
My daughter, a budding young perfumista at 15, declared undying love for Aoud Cafe and wanted to wear it to prom last year! I did not buy her the bottle but may get her a decant one day soon – . Glad to hear others love it. I am a big Montale fan myself.
Hey Alison,
She would have been noticed. Good for her having out there choices.
Yes, a decant is a sensible option. Much like once upon a time my Mum would get me minis (remember when they gave them out instead of samples?)
Portia xx
I purchase the Luckyscent perfume sample back in July (I think). I really like Mancera Rose Vanille, Roses & Chocolate, I still do not know if I prefer Roses & Chocolate over Guerlain Gourmand coquin but yes it is that good! Also a great discovery is Aoud Café even if I do not really like aoud, the coffee scent is out of this world, I mean if you like the scent fo the brewing coffee each morning go and smell this! I barely tested Aoud Violet and Aoud S, my initial thought were their was to much aoud and not enough of other notes could barely smell the violet in Aoud Violet, and i love violet way more then rose so that was a bit of a let down.
Hey there Valerie,
I think Mancera needs to be work like the fragrances of old. Their longevity is so good that you do get interesting changes and the oud in most softens off after the first 30 minutes to give the other notes some breathing space. I also find they are a house that needs to be spritzed for full enjoyment. Aoud Cafe you say? Next on my list. thank you
Portia xx
Howdy, dear! Can you believe I have not tried one — not one! — from this line?!! This Wave Musk doesn’t have any oud in it, does it? 🙂 BTW, another perfume pal raved about a Mancera scent with chocolate in the name, so guess I need to get busy trying this line, if i can find it anywhere around here. Thanks!!
Luckyscent have that line and yes Roses & Chocolate is divine! 🙂
Ann,
It’s no surprise. There are THOUSANDS of new companies jumping on the niche bandwagon. How can you get to them all unless you live between London, NYC and Paris. And have 24 hours a day and unlimited skin.
They have some at Surrender To Chance.
Portia xx
Aquatic bugs the living crap out of me more often than not. Probably because I smell so much of it here. Amouage Reflection and En Passant are watery but I do like those. But I haven’t tried anything from this line but there is a lot I haven’t tried. So little skin, time and money. I think my book habit is much cheaper!
Hey Eldarwen22,
No one is going to argue that this is a cheap hobby. Though I have also spent a small fortune on books in my lifetime.
Aquatic seems to be becoming a fave of mine again, first time really because I never liked sport scents much through the 90s.
Portia xx
I bought Sand Oud from this line and I love it. The scent is long lasting and beautiful, so glad you like it too.
Hey there Shirley,
Sand oud sounds wonderful. I love how well these fragrances last too. Spritz in the morning and go gorgeous all day. Where did you find yours?
Portia xx
I found mine in Miami Beach on,Lincoln Road in,a very small shop called Babalu.