Mukhallat Montale 2008

Some time ago, I felt the urge to dive back into the wonderful world of books and sought out a small dusty esoteric bookstore in my city. I was immediately welcomed by clouds of incense, meditation music, and dream catchers hanging from the ceiling.
This time, I chose the magic corner and immersed myself in the world of witches and wizards. It felt like a little self-meditation because I forgot the here and now for a short time.
Suddenly, I noticed a sweet note in the incense-dominated air. This mixture smelled interesting and somehow attractive. Completely intoxicated by the books and dazed by the impressions of this bookstore, I turned to the side and saw a man standing right next to me, who, like me, was almost devouring the books on magic and tarot. Meanwhile, he kept sipping from his can of Redbull, which he shamelessly pulled out of his jacket pocket. I had never been a fan of energy drinks and rather despised those mixtures. But at that moment, the image was different. Cautiously and inconspicuously, I scanned this mysterious reader beside me. He looked daring but well-groomed. His nose was deep in the books. At some point, he noticed my interested glances, smiled at me, and said, "Oh, it looks like we have the same taste. These books are dangerous. Once you choose them, you can't stop reading because they are so exciting. Books put me in a state of euphoria at night. That's why the Redbull..." We chatted for a while longer. This communication among like-minded individuals would stay in my memory for a long time.
"Mukhallat" by Montale brings back the encounter with the mysterious stranger. To me, Montale's blend smells neither like plastic Barbie, rotten fruit, nor nail polish remover. Rather, it has the scent of those American Valentine's heart candies, fizzy powder, incense sticks, shisha, and Redbull, but in an interesting way. I believe this fragrance is among those with the most extreme negative reviews. That's probably why it sparked my rebellious curiosity. Fortunately, tastes differ, and one shouldn't be too discouraged by others' reviews but always make one's own impression.
The opening is quite extreme and synthetic, but by no means off-putting or toxic. The wild strawberry is quite present and reminiscent of candy shops. The Peru balsam takes away the kitschy sweetness and gives the fragrance a special depth and slight balsamic resinousness. After a few hours, the scent becomes softer, quieter, and the vanilla emerges.
Overall, very extravagant and special for special occasions or rebellious days to get lost in other thoughts. Either love or hate. There's no in-between :D