Molinard
Molinard
121 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Coriander bursts forward with sharp, almost lemonic spice, immediately shadowed by thyme's slightly dusty herbaceousness and myrtle's green whisper. These aromatic herbs create an unexpectedly fresh and slightly savoury topnote, almost herbal-cologne in its initial directness, before the amber's creeping warmth begins its insistent presence.
The herbs recede into elegant framework as labdanum blooms with its characteristic tobacco-amber sweetness, harmonising with frankincense's smoky, slightly bitter resin to create a meditative quality. The composition settles into something deeply warm and resinous, where the amber genuinely shines, enveloped in incensory wisps that transform the fragrance into something approaching a skin scent with unexpected depth.
Vanilla and tonka become increasingly prominent, marrying seamlessly with the woody base of sandalwood, cedar, and patchouli into a creamy, almost suede-like finish. Musk and styrax ensure the amber's golden sweetness never quite fades, leaving a subtle, comforting embrace that hovers just above skin temperature—intimate rather than absent.
Ambre Molinard announces itself as an unapologetic celebration of amber's honeyed richness, filtered through a distinctly herbal lens that prevents it from tipping into cloying sentimentality. The opening herbs—coriander, myrtle, and thyme—establish a Mediterranean sensibility, their slightly peppery, green-tinged character providing ballast to what could otherwise become a one-dimensional gourmand. What makes this composition compelling is how labdanum and frankincense in the heart transform these humble culinary herbs into something more solemn and contemplative, introducing a subtle incense-like quality that sits somewhere between a church censer and a spice merchant's drawer.
The base is where Molinard's vision truly crystallises. Vanilla and tonka bean weave through a foundational architecture of patchouli, cedar, sandalwood, and styrax, creating a complex woody-resinous bed that feels almost creamy despite its earthy components. This isn't vanilla as dessert; it's vanilla as adhesive, binding everything into a cohesive whole that smells simultaneously warm and slightly austere. The musk provides a subtle skin-scent aspect, pulling the composition closer to the body rather than projecting aggressively outward.
Add fragrances to your collection and unlock your personalised scent DNA, note map, and shareable identity card.
3.7/5 (178)