Memo Paris
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The bergamot and lemon strike first with citric brightness, but the ginger immediately transforms this into something warmer and more unsettling—almost peppery. There's a sudden dryness creeping in from the cypress, like inhaling the air inside a cedar closet, before tonka bean's sweetness starts its gentle interference, creating an oddly balanced friction between spice and softness.
As the citrus fades, Manoa reveals itself as a resinous amber-spice composition of considerable depth. The iris and cypress create a sophisticated, slightly powdery undertone whilst the tonka and vanilla emerge more prominently, turning what felt austere into something warmer and almost gourmand—though never saccharine. Labdanum and opoponax add a subtle smokiness, as though you're standing near a smoldering incense stick.
What remains is predominantly vanilla and tonka bean, softened by amber accords and that persistent resinous-woody base. The spice mellows into a gentle warmth rather than fading entirely, creating a skin scent quality that feels intimate and personal—sweetness tempered by the lingering suggestion of cypress and labdanum smoke.
Manoa arrives as a paradox—a fragrance that simultaneously bristles with spice and settles into honeyed warmth, as though someone has trapped the steam rising from ginger root in a bottle lined with amber resin. Aliénor Massenet has crafted something deliberately contradictory here: the opening ginger and bergamot possess an almost aggressive brightness, yet they're immediately tempered by cypress absolute's dry, almost medicinal earthiness and tonka bean's creamy sweetness lurking beneath. This is not a fragrance that chooses a lane; it occupies several at once, shifting between the austere and the indulgent depending on your skin chemistry and mood.
The spice-resinous accord dominates throughout—comprising 88% of the fragrance's DNA—creating an almost incense-like quality, though never cloying. There's something vaguely botanical and slightly smoky about Manoa, a quality that labdanum and opoponax reinforce as the composition ages on skin. Vanilla and tonka bean prevent it from veering into medicinal austerity, instead lending a caramel-tinged softness that makes this wearable for those seeking depth without heaviness.
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4.3/5 (108)