Aoud Lime
Montale (2005)

Rose and oud - a theme not unexpected from Montale - with both of about equal prominence. Never intrusive. This is rich up with glimpses of lime jelly, which at times has the characteristics of like confiture.

The drydown introduces a minimally powdery green iris with a touch of saffron, and a smooth and comparatively bright patchouli; I don't get much harshness there. The saffron is pushed aside by the other notes soon after having arisen.

The base adds a light and bright amber, which is underlined by a woodsy impression, including touches of sandalwood.

I get moderate sillage, excellent projection and eight hours of longevity on my skin.

This autumnal scent is quite agreeable, without any originality. Whilst it is never intrusive and is one of the Montales suitable for the office, it is a bit too generic and synthetic to entice. 2.75/5.

I've had a 100ml for years now. Bought blind along with Black Aoud. Dare I say this one is stronger. I never got much lime... more of a rose, maybe not a virtual juicy big red as in BA, but primarily a rose, synthy oud scent just the same, and somewhat less attractive. Rubs me rather neutral. Strong and interesting is OK but upon a wear if I start wondering whether I'd appreciate the experience moreso if I'd sprayed it on my ankles under socks rather than the torso... well, there it is.

I do not like this but I'll go neutral because the lime in the opening is a nice twist to this rose-dominated, heavy incense fragrance. Like other Montales I've sampled all are extremely potent in projection and longevity, so temper your sprays with restraint.

Aoud Lime is the second Montale fragrance that I have sampled. Like Black Aoud, the opening of Aoud Lime is extremely sharp, although the rose note seems softer and less abrasive than in Black Aoud. The synthetic nature calms down fairly quickly, and unlike Black Aoud, becomes tame and enjoyable. The second time I wore Aoud Lime, I moderated to a single spray at the wrist, which greatly reduces the opening punch. At the hour mark, I found Aoud Lime to be even elegant and mysteriously enjoyable. The rose note is a light and summery, and the accord with the Aoud was not all that bad. I like this one better than Black Aoud, and could possibly put this on my wish list after my sample is used. All Montales open strong and sharp, and I believe once I understand their development stages and application limits, I would enjoy wearing them tremendously. Aoud Lime and Black Musk seem to be the ones I enjoy most right now.

I'm giving Aoud Lime a Thumbs Up.

Not my scent, the rose does not come out to flavor,perhaps too much sandalwood, not sure but do not like. I am developing my loves in Montale, Black Aoud is still the choice for me !

I had serious issues with this one for awhile. The oud note felt present, but hollow, but still slightly overwhelming. And the lime contingent...well, who even knows if there's any lime in it? Sometimes I feel like I get lime so strongly in this one, as if it's front and center, vying with the oud for star of the show. Then I smell it another time and slap myself for ever having been so silly to think it was there. To me, it boils down to this: The lime is incredibly difficult to pinpoint, until you do, and then it messes with your head because it seems so plainly apparent. This scent is a rotten little minx.

But what a minx it is! After many wears, I have to say, unequivocally, that this Montale is a winner. This scent embodies Montale's modern approach to oud scents. The oud and rose are thinner, almost "plastic-y" in nature. The lime may exist more in theory than anything else, and I'm ok with that. I get the sense putting lime in the name of the scent possibly has more to do with its psychological sway than its use as an olfactory note. And maybe it works that way, because it gets me thinking about this scent through the lens of a chypre.

The rose comes out more and more throughout the wear, but while this rose is right up front, it helps comprise one of the more restrained aspects of the scent. This glammerpuss of a rose shines like a fading starlet, all class and beauty quietly surrendering to the ravages of time.

A study in contradictions, It's at once dirty and clean, deep yet approachable, and quite unlike most everything else. As startling as this might sound, this has become an office scent for me...one that almost instinctively knows its place in the world and has the ability to approach almost every situation and environment with just the right amount of bombast. It's a crash course in the proper blending of seemingly disparate notes; an utterly compelling fragrance that showcases a studied, heroically balanced sense of traditionalism and modernism.