Montblanc
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Violet leaf punches through with green, peppery intensity—almost stem-like in its herbaceous bite—cutting through any softness before the synthetic base can establish itself. The fresh accord dominates immediately, sharp and almost aldehydic without actual aldehydes, creating an austere first impression that feels more like a conceptual statement than a welcoming gesture.
Clary sage emerges with surprising spice, turning the composition slightly warmer and more complex as it mingles with the violet leaf's residual greenness. The synthetic quality becomes more apparent now, lending an almost laboratory-like precision to the herbal mid-development, whilst the woody notes begin their patient ascent beneath the green canopy.
Cedarwood settles into crisp, linear clarity, accompanied by vestigial hints of sage and that ever-present synthetic whisper. The fragrance becomes increasingly abstract and skin-like, retaining its woody-fresh character but diminishing to a whisper—unsentimental and undemonstrative in its departure.
Explorer Platinum announces itself as a fragrance for those who've grown tired of the tiresome binary between fresh and woody. Bruno Jovanovic has constructed something deliberately austere here—a violet leaf opening that carries neither the indolic plushness nor the dewy prettiness you might expect, but rather a green, almost peppery sharpness that immediately feels architectural. The clary sage in the heart refuses to soften this framework; instead, it doubles down on the herbal precision, lending an almost medicinal clarity that prevents the composition from ever settling into comfort.
What's most intriguing is the synthetic quality that permeates the entire structure (76% of its DNA, apparently). Rather than feeling cheap or dated, these synthetics function as scaffolding—they amplify the woody and fresh accords into something that feels deliberately constructed rather than naturally derived. There's a faint spice lurking beneath (64% spicy accord), likely from the clary sage's peppery underbelly, which provides just enough warmth to prevent this from becoming an austere skin scent.
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3.3/5 (231)