Signature Work Scents, Part 3 - Individuel by Mont Blanc

[freakyzeaky]

This next #fragrance could easily fit into my Men's Fragrances with Sexy Mass Appeal series, as this one is a surprisingly good compliment getter, both ladies and men love it, but yet it works so well for the professional setting, whether at the office or on the go. It is the sensual, fresh, and probably the biggest bang-for-your-buck fragrance out there -- Individuel by Mont Blanc.

NOTES

Top Notes

Rosemary,

Pineapple,

Coriander,

Cinnamon,

Lavender,

Juniper Berries,

Mint,

Bergamot,

Cardamom

Heart Notes

Orange Blossom,

Violet,

Jasmine,

Geranium

Base Notes

Sandalwood,

Amber,

Patchouli,

Musk,

Raspberry,

Vanilla,
Dark Chocolate,

Oakmoss,

Vetiver

Holy notes Batman! Let me tell you right now that most of these notes aren't easy to pick up in this scent as they work together in tandem so well. There are only a few notes that truly shine in this composition -- raspberry, juniper berry, sandalwood, cardamom, and sandalwood. The rest do play a very transformative role, which we will get into in a bit.

INFORMATION/BACKGROUND

This fragrance comes in two main sizes, the 1.7oz (50ml) and the 2.5oz (74ml). It is difficult to find the 1.7oz bottle online or in stores, but the 2.5oz runs around $21USD. It is rarely even found in most high-end department stores, as it is available at big box stores like Walmart and Target. The price is so low, the price is about the same as retail on grey market websites.

The scent was launched in 2003 and the fragrance was created by perfumer Pierre Bourdon. The bottle was designed by Franzrudolf Lehnert. It is classified as a "Woody Oriental".

The presentation is the classic flask style bottle, but it does have a unique profile; sleek, tapering off at the sides, creating this thin diamond type of profile. The bottle has a silver trim across the top of the bottle, with a silver cap that snaps on quite nicely although removing could be smoother. The clear glass reveals the icy blue juice inside. The sprayer is quite nice for such a bargain fragrance.

SCENT/SITUATION

The opening is heavily dominated by juniper and mint, which immediately gives the impression that this is an astringent "green" type of scent. It almost smells like wormwood (a major ingredient in absinthe), which to my nose comes off like Elmer's glue. However, that fades very quickly. What you are left with after about a minute is a cool, fresh, minty citrus courtesy of the mint, bergamot, and coriander, with a touch of spice from the cardamom. The florals begin to blossom into the skin and soften it down. As many reviewers comment, it does remind me of a fabric softener or even like a dryer sheet; airy and lightly floral. This is in no way feminine though, as the spices are there to remind you of the direction this is headed in.

The laundry basket?

After about a half hour or so, the citrus dies down, the mint falls back, and that airy quality carries with it the essence of sweet fruits. The fruit scents aren't juicy, they don't come off completely natural, but extremely pleasant never-the-less. While I do detect the pineapple and the orange blossom, the raspberry accord is the star of the show. This is especially true as the dry down continues over the span of a few hours. This fragrance really transforms on my skin. The cardamom stays strongly layered over top of the fruits, and kind of plays tag team with the raspberry; one minute it is soft and clean with a touch of raspberry, and the next the cardamom with hints of cinnamon come charging forth. Brings me images of a young high spirited couple horsing around outside among the clothesline, getting their white sheets all dirty when they should be folding them.

Eventually, after about another half hour, the raspberry sticks around, glowing among a vanilla, amber, woodsy backdrop. The sandalwood is so nicely done here. I love sandalwood, it is my favorite incense note. The sweetness never gets cloying, as that juniper lingers around to keep things in perspective. I kind of detect some vetiver, some fresh green grass, but it never gets so green as to ruin the impression of snuggling up with clean linens.

Can't we stay in bed today?

But wait a second...

The scent changes yet again! The spices almost completely recede. That dark chocolate note comes forth to greet the raspberry in a loving embrace. It is a sweet serenade, tender, but not too clingy. Then just as I thought the spices were gone for good, they come right back again, but this time the musk makes an appearance. This thing keeps coming and going in waves; so complex and alluring, playful and inviting.

This is a year-round fragrance, and as I said from the beginning, although this is on my signature work scent list, this could easily be a low price versatile scent. Any age can pull this off, any season, and any occasion besides maybe high-class formal events.

PERFORMANCE

For the price, this has unbelievable performance. 12+ hours with amazing projection and sillage. You may want to watch the sprays. What I like to do is start with 1 - 3 sprays. Let it dry down for a few hours, then maybe do 1 or 2 more sprays more depending on the season and if I am going to be outdoors or indoors. It isn't cloying at all, but that opening can be harsh if you over apply.

RESOURCES

http://www.basenotes.net/ID26122536.html

https://www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Montblanc/Individuel-4193.html

VIDEOS

Redolessence Review

Dracdoc Review

Jim Quantrell Review

THOUGHTS/REVIEW

Although Jeremy Fragrances doesn't have a review video for Mont Blanc Individuel, it frequently makes many of his top 10 lists. He has the perfect description of it, "Fresh fabric softener, with a raspberry touch." That is this fragrance in a nutshell. Some reviewers claim that it smells just like Creed's Original Santal. I haven't put my nose on it so I can't comment, but some of these same reviewers claim there is no need to spend the $300+ dollars on Santal when Individuel is just as good and has even better performance.

This has got to be the best value you can find in a fragrance besides maybe Davidoff's Cool Water. Wonderful scent, better performance than it as any business having, the price makes this a no-brainer for fragrance heads. 10/10 easily for me. It isn't my favorite frag by a long shot, but the value alone puts this in the upper echelons of fragrances. With this price tag, you could wear it to work every single day and smell fresh to death, no need to switch it up. If you don't like sweet fragrances, this might not be a blind buy for you, but I might remind you that this isn't cloying and not nearly as sweet as many other frags like Joop! which this is frequently also compared to.

And let us not forget, this is a sexy fragrance too. Work or play, this one does the trick.

The love is real, but it is a complex one.

[Anonymous]

Nice take