Top Notes 
Tagetes
Pepper
Blackcurrant
Ginger
Cardamom
Heart Notes 
Narcissus
Carnation
Rose
Tuberose
Base Notes 
Castoreum
Amber
Musk
Patchouli06/19/2025
Mairuwa
72 Reviews
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Mairuwa
Helpful Review
12
Choosing a Book by its Cover (2) - Montana “Parfum de Peau”
What one encounters along the way. I have known Claude Montana's “Parfum de Peau” since my childhood, and I thought it had long been available only at astronomical prices as a vintage. When it was released, I was right in the middle of the first phase of my passion for perfume. The scent, of course, was nothing for me back then (too loud, too heavy, also too feminine, actually out of the question for a prepubescent boy), but the exciting bottle, which still ranks among the best of all time for me (of course by Serge Mansau), captivated me immediately. A very sculptural bottle that, with its spiral shape, appears both geometrically abstract and architectural, like a spiral staircase, but also evokes thoughts of fashion - not of Montana's fashion from that time, which was characterized by broad shoulders and narrow waists, but perhaps of the silhouette of a pleated dress by Issey Miyake. The combination of colors is also brilliant: the milky white, the golden honey tone of the liquid, and the Yves Klein blue of the packaging made of matte textured cardboard, with the name in black. This combination left a lasting impression on me back then and shaped my perception. More than design, not really as a scent. And now? After four decades? Am I now also ready for the scent? One should not judge a book solely by its cover.
The iconic bottle is still available, formally unchanged - anything else would not only have been sinful but also foolish. However, the outer packaging is now just a tired imitation, the blue now glossy and unnecessarily adorned with the gold-embossed silhouette of the bottle as an emblem. As for the scent itself, I read that it has been reformulated, but in its essence, it remains quite true to the original, and above all, it is still said to be of very good quality. Of course, a direct comparison with the original would be appealing, but that is not currently available to me. Perhaps the vintage will unexpectedly cross my path someday.
The scent is very strong. That much is clear. A statement. With rose, tuberose, and daffodil (originally jasmine), it is undoubtedly floral, but the marigold and garden carnation make this floral quality not sweet but very spicy, almost bitter. The spiciness in the new version is further enhanced by cardamom and pepper. The fruitiness of blackcurrants (formerly blackberries) does not really come through for me, but that is more than fine by me. And as the name “Parfum de Peau” suggests, a prominent, albeit subtle animalic note is present: musk and castoreum. The scent is meant to merge with the skin, so the claim goes. A leathery impression that beautifully complements the spicy flowers.
I can appreciate that, but I probably still cannot wear it. Unfortunately, my wife cannot either - perhaps in a few years. So I will likely take pleasure in the bottle, its tactile quality, its appearance, its endless perspectives from which it always appears differently and can surprise. From time to time, I will sniff it and let it mature over the years. It is timeless. It will probably still exist in one or two decades.
Postscript for admirers of Claude Montana's fashion from the 80s: If you turn the cap 90°, you can reveal the shoulders of the bottle. And then it is there. The iconic silhouette. I, however, prefer to stick with Issey Miyake.
The iconic bottle is still available, formally unchanged - anything else would not only have been sinful but also foolish. However, the outer packaging is now just a tired imitation, the blue now glossy and unnecessarily adorned with the gold-embossed silhouette of the bottle as an emblem. As for the scent itself, I read that it has been reformulated, but in its essence, it remains quite true to the original, and above all, it is still said to be of very good quality. Of course, a direct comparison with the original would be appealing, but that is not currently available to me. Perhaps the vintage will unexpectedly cross my path someday.
The scent is very strong. That much is clear. A statement. With rose, tuberose, and daffodil (originally jasmine), it is undoubtedly floral, but the marigold and garden carnation make this floral quality not sweet but very spicy, almost bitter. The spiciness in the new version is further enhanced by cardamom and pepper. The fruitiness of blackcurrants (formerly blackberries) does not really come through for me, but that is more than fine by me. And as the name “Parfum de Peau” suggests, a prominent, albeit subtle animalic note is present: musk and castoreum. The scent is meant to merge with the skin, so the claim goes. A leathery impression that beautifully complements the spicy flowers.
I can appreciate that, but I probably still cannot wear it. Unfortunately, my wife cannot either - perhaps in a few years. So I will likely take pleasure in the bottle, its tactile quality, its appearance, its endless perspectives from which it always appears differently and can surprise. From time to time, I will sniff it and let it mature over the years. It is timeless. It will probably still exist in one or two decades.
Postscript for admirers of Claude Montana's fashion from the 80s: If you turn the cap 90°, you can reveal the shoulders of the bottle. And then it is there. The iconic silhouette. I, however, prefer to stick with Issey Miyake.
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