Parfums d'Elmar
Parfums d'Elmar
112 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Cardamom crackles first, sharp and almost medicinal, immediately joined by waves of fresh black pepper and ginger that create an almost aggressive brightness. Mandarin orange cuts through with citrus snap, whilst saffron weaves beneath like a golden thread, earthier and more austere than the spices above it—this is not a warm hug, it's a challenge.
The spices gradually soften as clove and cinnamon emerge with darker, almost resinous warmth, whilst lotus and jasmine bloom into the composition with unexpected elegance, bringing a creamy, almost floral-woody dimension that counterbalances the spice perfectly. Passion fruit and almond add an oddly savoury-sweet layer that prevents the scent from ever tipping into purely gourmand territory, keeping everything in sophisticated tension.
Gaiac wood and benzoin take the stage with subtle smokiness, anchoring the caramel and white chocolate into something far more refined than simple sweetness. Sandalwood and vanilla emerge softly, whilst musk grounds everything in skin-like warmth—the composition resolves into a gentle, almost whispered amber-vanilla-spice cloud that feels intimate and deeply personal.
Momona announces itself as a thoroughbred spice-forward composition that refuses to be pigeonholed as either masculine or feminine—it's simply *itself*, a kaleidoscopic turn around a carousel of warm aromatics. Christian Carbonnel has constructed something genuinely plural here: the cardamom and ginger open with urgent, peppery brightness, but they're immediately shadowed by saffron's dusty, almost metallic earthiness, creating a tension that keeps the composition from ever settling into predictability.
What makes Momona particularly compelling is how it leverages its heart as a genuine battleground of competing personalities. The clove and cinnamon push toward spiced-cake territory, yes, but the lotus and jasmine introduce a silky, almost creamy restraint—they're not floral in the traditional sense but rather act as fragrant ballast, preventing the composition from tipping into dessert-like excess. Passion fruit and almond add a peculiar sweetness that feels almost savoury, as though you're smelling candied fruit wrapped in marzipan rather than straightforward gourmand.
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3.8/5 (239)