Perfumenetes

When I first received a sample of Ganymede, I was aware of all the hype surrounding it, but I wasn't particularly eager to try it, just curious. The funny thing is that I received the sample as a complimentary gift with another fragrance purchase, and I ended up liking the sample far more than the perfume I had actually bought.

Ganymede is surprisingly difficult to describe. Once you become familiar with it, it can almost seem deceptively simple, especially when compared to other resinous, oud-heavy bizarre creations. But it is anything but simple. It is unmistakably metallic and spicy. Many people compare it to curry, and I can certainly see why. If not curry, then perhaps cumin. I suspect the immortelle is responsible for that distinctive aromatic profile.

The metallic facet, I assume, comes from akigalawood, Quentin Bisch's famous signature ingredient. Yet it isn't a cold or harsh metallic note. At times it feels warm, while at others it even takes on an almost mineral-aquatic quality. It's fascinating to think that this molecule is actually derived from patchouli.

Then comes the leather, or rather, suede. Soft, refined, airy, and incredibly elegant. It adds texture without ever becoming heavy, giving the fragrance an effortless sophistication.

Ganymede is a perfectly chosen name. It instantly evokes images of stars, outer space, and the cosmos. It smells undeniably synthetic, but in the most beautiful way: as though it were an ode to science, futuristic technology, androids, and artificial beauty rather than an attempt to imitate nature.

Ever since I first tried it, Ganymede has been my favorite fragrance of all time. It is elegant, opulent, magical, and endlessly evocative. It feels equally at home at a formal event, in the office, or simply worn for yourself. A true modern masterpiece, and an absolute must-have.

PS: The title of this review is a reference to Ayreon. If this fragrance were a band, it would undoubtedly be Ayreon.

I’m a bit stunned with the reviews and the high score of this fragrance.

Yeah, oud can be challenging, especially when it has fecal and animalic nuances. I’m not a fan of that myself, but I do find these kinds of fragrances interesting from a connoisseur’s point of view. I enjoyed Oud de Burgas and L'Oudh: they are undeniable animalic, yes, but they offer a wide range of nuances and evolve beautifully into earthy and woody accords. They may not be wearable and yeah they stink, but they have something addictive and pleasant underneath.

But Erba Oud… what the hell is this? It doesn’t smell like oud at all. There’s no complexity, nothing to reflect on: just stinky poop. But not “regular” poop, it smells exactly like the explosion you make in the toilet after eating an expired kebab.

To make things worse, they added this awful synthetic sweet fruity accord on top of it, so the whole thing ends up smelling like someone pooped dramatically and used some cheap air freshener to cover up the disaster.

Honestly, this is probably the worst perfume that I have ever tried.

I’m usually a bit skeptical when it comes to new brands. I hadn’t heard of Feuas before, but after seeing so many positive reviews here and other similar places, I decided to give it a chance, and I can honestly say it was a great decision!

When it arrived, my first reaction was simply “Wow.” The opening is quite powdery, with an iris-like note reminiscent of Gentleman Givenchy Réserve Privée, combined with something that recalls the immortelle in Ganymede Eau de Parfum (that slightly curry/cumin-like nuance). As it develops, the fragrance becomes sweeter and more resinous. That “curry” impression gradually turns into a subtle smoky leather while keeping a warm spicy edge with the subtly sweet tobacco in the base.

Overall, the scent feels elegant yet cozy, warm, sensual, and sophisticated. If you enjoy the fragrances I mentioned, this one should be a safe blind buy.

The bottle is pretty nice. Reminds me of the cubic bottles from Carner Barcelona's creations, but with a peculiar (and big!) cap, quite "artistic". They say it's artisanal and looks like concrete or something similar.

Longevity is excellent: I tested it on my skin in the afternoon, it was very noticeable in the evening, and the next morning there was still a gentle leather trace lingering.

Sillage is also good, not overpowering (which I prefer), but noticeable enough. I catch whiffs of it when I turn my head, and it projects nicely for the first couple of hours before settling into a very pleasant personal bubble.

As for the price of the full bottle, I have to be honest: €230 for 50 ml feels a bit expensive, even though the fragrance smells natural and well-blended. I bought it with a 50% discount, which is more fair.

An obnoxious tribute to the worst aspect of the Spanish culture: bullfighting. If you ask the brand why they did this homage to such a cruel act, they will try to convince you that you are getting the metaphor wrong, as it's just "a tribute to brave and seductive people".

If you don't get fooled by them, and you take a look at the marketing around the perfume and the imagery, you'll find that indeed this is an obvious tribute to the worst kind of barbarism that most of us Spaniards are ashamed of.

Yeah, bullfighting is condemned by most of the Spanish society. There's no politics here, but it's only a matter of empathy, civic spirit, and not being a complete psychopath against innocent living beings.

As per the perfume itself, another inspiration of Oud Maracujá that is overhyped by the typical Youtube and Instragram influencers. Another bomb of this leathery molecule that can be found already in the base of other well-known and successful perfumes like Ombre Nomade or Oud Maracujá, combined with a fruity note, in this case a somehow odd pear/apple accord.

So, it is not only an awful reference but neither offers anything new to the overcrowded “leatherbomb+fruit” panorama that we already have.

Definitely, Monegal has lost a lot of clients with this release. In my case, I removed every scent from my wishlist, and I'll not spend any Euro on their brand. Olé, Siesta, Flamenco, and other dumb Spanish clichés were OK, I guess, but this has gone too far.

If you don’t care and you like scents like the ones mentioned, I guess you can have it a try.

I can’t understand the bad reviews on this one, but I guess that’s the magic of perfumery!

To me, Egnaro smells exactly like a candied orange, the ones that we usually use for desserts. It’s definitely not a photorealistic orange, we have much better options for that case out there, like Arancia La Spugnatura.

I’m not able to detect any animalic note here, and it surprises me that people categorize this fragrance as an animalic one. May be my nose, of course, but for me it’s just sweet and citric fruit, with a touch of ginger and this feeling of a candied fruit.

Great for the Summer and Spring, really refreshing, uplifting and joyful scent. The duration and projection is also very good.

For me this one is a must if you like the orange note.