Scorched Ground, Memo Sicilian Leather

Do you think that Covid pandemic will permanently change our habits & behaviors? I have been vaccinated with both doses of Pfizer vaccine but still there’s a lot of hesitation inside me when it comes to go back to travelling abroad. For now I’m still staying on a safer side and limit my voyages to the ones within Poland. Especially that the shadow of the 4th wave is looming nearby. Of course I miss friends who live abroad and I miss the opportunity to try so many new fragrances at the perfume shows but it is what it is. That’s why I was happy to see Memo introduce Sicilian Leather – a promise of wonderful trip without leaving home. Does it smell like one of my past summers?

Smelling Sicilian Leather really does bring back memories of my past vacations. On my skin the leathery tones come righ up but they are not the only ones that my nose can pick up. Tangy citrus notes brighten up the opening like the rising sun – a symbol of Sicily. Bitter orange with its mouth-watering juiciness starts an energetic dance when Italian bergamot & lime join this magnificent performance of smells. I feel caught in a vortex of yellow, orange and green-ish hues as my nose registers the hesperidic smells of various type. Some of them are more zesty, the others are more dry like a gin. But at least for me it’s that beautiful orange scent that leads the rest of the notes.

Not much later the bright citrus opening becomes more low-key and at that point some spicy notes become more pronounced. Coriander and cardamom introduce a grainy texture to Sicilian Leather and they make the perfume venture into spicy direction in a way that feels very dry to my nose. When I smell it what comes to my mind is the smell of old paper, old books, parchment but also of the cracked clay ground that has been scorched by the Mediterranean sun. It’s a specific type of smell but to me it’s very pleasant and what I think better defines this new fragrance as “sicilian”.

Over time the character of Memo Sicilian Leather shifts its character towards more aromatic side. Balsam fir is what gives this perfume more dimension as depth by emanating the slightly coniferous smell that I perceive as “warm & cold” at once. It’s warm because the noter per se is quite balsamic and enveloping. Cold because it gives me this weird feeling of solitude in the dark & deep forest. Violet leaf breaks away from this vision as it introduces a fresh verdancy, a crunchy and dewy smell of the flower leaves. There’s something elegant and sophisticated about it, I must admit.

The drydown of this composition is when the leather accord really shines. The leather becomes particularly soft and suede-like in Sicilian Leather but there’s also something a bit rough and austere to it. It certainly does carry the scent reminiscent of tanning and colorants. The scent is rich but not overpowered – and it smells like a brand new bag from an expensive artisan. Cedarwood gives more density while gaiac wood provides an effect that I’d compare with waxing. The scent is woody, deep but also oily, with some heft. Patchouli introduces some earthiness that is a fitting effect for a perfume of this sort. Akigalawood which is a woody-patchouli molecule completes the picture.

I was writing this review on a particularly ugly day – it was raining heavily and the temperature dropped by 10 degrees compared to the previous day. It really made me wonder if the end of summery weather is near. Sicilian Leather from Memo and perfumer Yann Vasnier rekindled the memories of super hot days I spent in Taormina, Palermo or at the hills of Etna couple of years ago. I’m grateful any perfume that has the ability to brighten up the day and make you feel warm when it’s cold. Whenever I’ll want to remember those days again I’ll reach for Sicilian Leather, it’s such a great fragrance. (but Italian Leather still remains my number one among Cuirs Nomades series)

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Flaming Dancers, Memo Argentina

When I was a school boy and when I started getting more plump my parents signed me up for dance classes hoping that this extra exercise through dancing will help to keep my weight under control. By coincidence my best friend at a time, a classmate, became my dance partner. Over a couple of years of attending these classes I learned waltz, cha-cha, rumba and more but to these days I find it difficult to just freestyle when the music plays. I didn’t dislike these classes but today I prefer to watch. I thought that a move “Shall We Dance” was absolutely great & funny, with a lot of dance passion. New one from Memo is meant to make you feel the fire of tango. Ready to dance?

Soft tingle of pink pepper is the first chord we smell & hear when Memo Argentina starts to play. It surrounds the wearer with warmth and with a very gentle, sensual spiciness. Even though technically it’s not a pepper I prefer it to the black pepper which to me is often too harsh, metallic and cuisine-driven. With pink pepper things are more balanced and simply more pretty. Rose, which is the main performer of this fragrance makes an entrance after a few short minutes. Her dress, colored crimson red, has the same shade as rose petals used in this perfume. The material it’s made of is fluid, moving with every step she takes, highlighting the shape of her irresistible silhouette.

The smell of roses in Argentina is very potent, rich and vibrant. The intensity that emanates from the skin instantly makes me think of big flowers with petals that are like a very dark red velvet. This Turkish rose is hypnotising thanks to its beauty and it fascinates the nose just like watching a pair of tango dancers fascinates the eyes when you observe how their bodies get perfectly synchronized, as if in a trance. After some time the rose note becomes more oriental and it also reveals some greener, geranium-like nuances. But the intricate bouquet continues to blossom. Two kinds of jasmine were used here and while I smell their presence to me they only let the rose stand out.

The pace of this dance gradually changes and you can almost feel how every half an hour allows Memo Argentina to soak up the oriental aura. The main highlight of this process is the reveal of oud at some point. I know some of you might roll their eyes reading this but please believe me that in this perfume it’s something out of ordinary. I find oud in this new fragrance to be very toned down & quite resinous, viscous. It definitely improves the perception of the crimson red color of rose petals and these two ingredients are simply meant to be together as they unfold a multidimensional word full of beautiful impressions. I quickly though of this perfume that it’s stunning and worth telling you about.

But it’s not done yet & something’s happening after a couple of hours of inhaling the swooning vapors of Argentina. Rose and oud is already a wonderful combination but at a later point in fragrance development this new creation developed a brand new quality, some lightness & transparency entered this tiny perfume universe. Imagine magnolia sharing some of its silky tenderness with a hint of something lemony. That’s exactly what happens! The perfume becomes brighter, more magical. It doesn’t last long but leaves a lasting impression. Then the scent densifies again as verdant-oily cypriol & caramel-like benzoin carry on with the rose until its bath time.

Argentina, a newest creation of perfumer Alienor Massenet that will join Memo Art Land collection is an example of true fragrance craftsmanship that deserves to be praised. Not many compositions are able to wow me like that at first sampling attempt. Not only is it complex but I also find it to be full of contrasts. In Memo Argentina you can find energy, burning passion, fierceness, but also some innocence and tenderness. Like a clash opposite forces, like hot and cold. And the result is worth trying this new release. Argentina is available in EdP concentration, in 75 ml bottles that feature a gorgeous graphic of two birds ‘dancing’ in mid air & one of them is holding a rose. So pretty!