Manoa Memo Paris 2010

Perfume is allegorical by nature.
We may all, allegedly, smell the same thing but we do, undoubtedly, interpret it in our very own special way.

Manoa was inspired by the Inca’s Island of Gold.
They must have had the Mother of all spice markets there, because all I get is ginger and resins.

Love resins … Not so keen on ginger in fragrances.
So here goes the now (to me anyway) legendary “Memo note that kills it”.
Due to the nature of the beast, a very reasonable longevity and projection are to be expected.

Unfortunately, smelling like a spice bazaar is to me, as enjoyable as wearing a rubber suit on the muggiest of days.
Cloying beyond belief, and prompting an urge to take it off.

"Could be" enjoyable worn in fractional amounts, but then again, what’s the point in doing this?

I wouldn't have thought either that I would have such a smell experience.

It starts sweetishly mustily. I cannot recognize seasoning and lemon.
The flavors swing quite abruptly; I am in the hospital (?), preferably in the treatment room.
I have recently stayed there, this, however, isn't a smell which I would preferentially like to have around me or which must be liable at me eternally.
No disinfectants or excrement smells are meant with that! It works medically and reminds me to the linoleum ground at the same time.
Do I just try to describe a perfume?

I have looked. Opoponax seems antiseptic when filling with smoke. We would be in the medicine there again.

I have taken a seat in the clinic chapel by now since Myrrhe and incense find the way to me.
Yes, I find protection and warmth here.

The smell is in the base too serious (danger with headaches) in which I would keep the option of a rattling cold day open. I simply can imagine him at a male creature better.

Sweet, resinous citrus odor. „Boeeeee” – that was the opening for me. I think, ginger resonates with sweeter notes like a too effective weapon of war, havocing wearer and innocent victims as well.

Later on some cocoa aroma comes, maybe tonka bean, singing false songs. I could incriminate it with oud as well, but would be surprised, if the tip would be correct. In this stage MANOA is powdery and sweet, shouting so loud, that 3 other fragrances on different places on my hand were left without word. This roar is two-toned, one of them is a beatiful brown song, mild, strong, healthy, another one is reagent filled with loathing.

Finally it is wonderful, that I am wearing on my skin. This scary, pretty and ugly perfume is like a kitty in the litter, scratching and purring. How could I resist such a challenging, provocating odor??

- Sillage: stronger than it would be salubrious.
- Longevity: just perfect, but at the beginning you are scared, how long does it want to torture your olfactory.
- Gender: does not mutter, but must be brave.
- Season: summer, when you need something pertinacious.
- Occasion: when you are going to appreciate, that you are a peccable normal human being, with controversial feelings, love and hate, calm and upset periods.

Who is creator of MANOA? I would like to congratulate.

... and indeed on the inside! Sorry, a pleasantly citrusy top note does not reveal itself to me here. Manoa hits hard with all the mustiness one can imagine. Smells like an old gentleman with slight fecal incontinence who has never heard of moist toilet paper. No iris! An old long-sleeved pair of underwear that has been turned inside out but not washed. No trace of the South Seas. Pubs and mothballs. EP forgive me, I can’t take it any longer. Creepy.
11:23 PM. Fragments of the base have survived today’s scrubbing session and they are even tolerable. A slightly medicinal and dusty note is still present. But if I have to fight my way through such a drastic head and heart note that only brings me horror, then I cannot write a nicer comment, even at the risk of becoming unpopular again, sorry. One good thing about Manoa: it lasts like a rock! That’s why it gets 100% for longevity!
09/29/11 Note: I am a pediatric nurse and retired OR nurse and have worked in elderly care for a time. I know what bodily excretions smell like. The turned underwear is still harmless compared to that.

This morning, after spraying on a scent strip, I thought I had to write a counterstatement to Medusa's and Lila's comments. I perceived Manoa more like Ergoproxy. Spicy, warm, cheerful with a few green sprinkles. I don't recognize any citrus notes either.

So I sprayed it on my skin and first did a scent accounting. But then Manoa changed for me as well. Not into Medusa's unwashed laundry, but a very distinct animalistic aura is spreading. The green flashes have disappeared, and now Manoa becomes powdery, soft, and cuddly with a lot of skin feel. Iris and tonka are quite evident here.

While this is not really my usual preference, I don't find the scent unpleasant. On the contrary, I can definitely imagine enjoying it at home on a cold, uncomfortable winter day. When we search the scent descriptions of Opoponax online, we repeatedly encounter terms like wrapped up, protected, and feeling secure. I can certainly endorse that. However, Manoa is not an evening or everyday scent for me.

The longevity on my skin is very good, and even during the dry down, the powdery cuddly factor remains. So, those who use the scent not as a generously sprayed all-day scent but rather intentionally will surely find joy in it.