Since I am relatively new to the niche perfume world, my boyfriend and I have ordered quite a few samples so far. We also acquired the recently released set of all TNB samples. We had already tested a few fragrances when my boyfriend finally sprayed "Avenue Montaigne" on a test strip - two larger sprays, as other fragrances in the line do not project as strongly.
What can I say? I smelled the fragrance immediately. However, since my nose was already a bit overwhelmed, this scent was an absolute overload for me. Not a bad fragrance, but way too much. The intensely dry, powdery opening with the iris and this slight fruitiness was too much for my nose. And not only that: even an hour later, after we had disposed of the test strip, the living room still smelled of this fragrance.
So I had initially written it off. For me, it was a headache fragrance. Or so I thought.
My boyfriend always has to leave for work very early. So when I entered our hallway yesterday morning (which is right next to our storage room where we keep our perfumes), a wonderful scent wafted into my nose. In the "dry down," it reminded me slightly of Montale's Arabiens Tonka, but somehow a bit rounder, lighter. I immediately had to know what my boyfriend was wearing. To my surprise, it was "Avenue Montaigne" - the fragrance I had actually resolved never to wear. However, since I was so excited, I dared a cautious spray on my wrist.
Apparently, my usually reliable nose had played a trick on me. After the one spray, three more followed on my neck and the other wrist, and I was able to properly test the perfume again yesterday.
Right off the bat: for me, it is not a daily all-rounder; it is too special for that.
In my opinion, Avenue Montaigne is yet another one of those fragrances with a unique scent DNA. I can't think of any fragrance that smells quite like it (though I haven't been at this for long).
While the first spray begins with a beautiful powdery iris (and also a very subtle fruitiness), a very soft leather note quickly joins in. This makes the fragrance spicy, but not harsh - the green notes provide a subtle freshness.
I actually think - and I really don't know which notes these could be - that I sometimes smell freshly baked bread. I would be interested to know if others have this association too.
The fragrance gains depth from a beautiful tonka bean and a pleasant sweetness from the oak moss and vanilla.
Avenue Montaigne accompanied me all day; it disappeared from my skin after about 8-9 hours (though I didn't spray much), but I can still smell it intensely on my sweater a day later.
The fragrance truly smells to me - as has been said in other reviews - of elegance and wealth. I imagine a chic Parisian lady (not in a summer dress, but in business attire) who knows what she wants. I also find the fragrance well-suited for men; I really enjoyed smelling it on my boyfriend.
As I said, the fragrance is not necessarily something I would wear every day. With this scent, you definitely stand out. The fragrance gives you a certain maturity, and I feel that you are taken seriously with this scent. For me, the fragrance was definitely a boost for my self-confidence, which is why I like it very much.
