Dark Purple / Black Purple
Montale (2011)

I have purchased and/or sampled more Mancera and Montale fragrances than I can recall. I recently grew somewhat bored with Montale "Intense Cafe," and Montale "Ristretto Cafe" after blowing through a few bottles. I decided to try a "similar" Montale fragrance with comparable notes as the notes in Intense Cafe and Ristretto Cafe. But I wanted a perfume with a slight departure from the previously two named fragrance, both of which I really like...love, actually.

Dark Purple opens with the unmistakable Montale DNA of aldehydes, florals and musks. I am not a huge fan of super-plummy notes, so I was concerned about the fragrance's opening. Fortunately, an initial plume of rich, thick, jammy plum notes quickly dissipate as the fragrance develops into a lush, floral-rose fragrance supported by a woody base and a bit of patchouli in the dry-down. Dark Purple is NOT a light, airy, fruity oriental fragrance, like so many fragrances that have flooded the market. Dark Purple is definitely a musky, rose-based, mixed floral fragrance with wafts of fruity berries throughout the dry-down.

I LIKE THIS FRAGRANCE A WHOLE LOT! I wasn't expecting much, so Dark Purple is a huge surprise.

Much less oily on the skin than other Mancera and Montale (more so Mancera) fragrances. Less cloying than what the notes might indicate. If you're thinking of purchasing Dark Purple, envision Ristretto Cafe, or Intense Cafe with fewer vanilla notes, no coffee notes, more rose and the perfect balance of musk, amber and woody notes in the drydown.

Glad I purchased a full bottle x 100 ml.

Love it!!

This is a dark, jammy rose with woods & patchouli, the rose more prominent sniffed at arm's length, while up close it's more sharp-woody. Thankfully the plum & berry notes are not obvious to me, but perhaps help to accentuate the jamminess of the rose, while geranium adds a slightly herbaceous edge. There's no real development, although the rose sinks very slowly into the woody background over several hours, & there are still traces on my skin almost twenty-three hours after application.

l confess l tried this one partly because of the name, as l adore purple especially in its darker tones. Plus l've always appreciated the stellar performance of most of the fragrances l've tried from this house, & this one is no exception. One reviewer describes it as a "Goth fruitchouli" & l think this is apt. l'm no expert on fruitchoulis or dark rose/patchouli fragrances, but this does remind me strongly of one l'm very familiar with: Black XS (the men's version) by Paco Rabanne, circa 2006. lt therefore conjures up some very special memories for me, & for that reason l'm giving it a thumbs up.

In the pantheon of Montale's rose/saffron/patchouli/oud/violet perfumes, Dark Purple is their goth fruitchouli.

It's clearly inspired by the Feminite Du Bois genre, featuring that dark, jammy, beautiful sludge that happens when rose, violet, and plum meet patchouli. But instead of Feminite's aldehydes, Dark Purple uses sharp saffron and lightly fecal oud for sharpness on top. As such, it's darker and decidedly more goth than it's sisters.

Personally, in these sorts of perfumes, I find the counterbalance between sparkling lightness and dark to be the most interesting part, and Dark Purple lacks that - it's painted in all dark tones. That being said, for fans of Tom Ford's Purple Patchouli or Noir De Noir, this could be a good fit.

Heavy rose opening with plenty of potpourri florals. Not overly medicinal though, which is good, as there are some pleasant sweet and fruity musks. Heavy projection, heavy scent, not fresh, clean or appropriate for close-quarters.

I find it leans fem, but I'm sure guys could pull this off.

Performance is big on projection and longevity. Two sample sprays last all day.

I smell rose, patchouli, wood, amber, and geranium. I don't get any plum. Bummer. Still -- I do like it for what it is. Dark and brooding.

A nice fruity-rosy combo, Montale Dark Purple hits on a couple of spots in which the house tends to succeed.

A plum opening is a sweet start, a mixed floral heart dominated by rose is most of what I associate with this fragrance, and a woody musky dry down gives it a soft landing place. Pleasant from start to finish.

In Dark Purple, though, I don't feel they've accomplished something all that special but rather created another pleasant entry that, while perhaps suiting some wearers perfectly, very much mimics a lot of their catalog, but as far as adding volume to their catalog, Dark Purple is not an unworthy entry. And as usual with Montales, it's a great performer.

It's surely worth trying, as it might fit the bill perfectly for you, and compared to other niche, is moderately priced (currently only $95 for 100ml on Notino), but I've personally found various other better sweet rose fragrances on the market that I prefer, such as Tom Ford Noir de Noir and Cafe Rose, and Armani Prive Rose d'Arabie.

7 out of 10