Reviews of Sandflowers by Montale

Sandflowers by Montale (2009) doesn't compare to much, and that includes Montale's own extensive catalog, which is good. One tangential connection is Aqua Motu by Comptoir Sud Pacifique (1993), according to people around the cognoscenti. but it is tangential at best. There is of course, never a zero-percent chance this wasn't inspired by something else that came before it, but so it goes. Overall, this fragrance is a love letter to the ocean, and has very little that could be seen as flowery, soapy, or fruity; all things that are considered hallmarks of the conventional aquatic scent. I am thrown by this one, but I do like it. The least-Montale of all the Montale fragrances I have tried to date, including the ones that dupe popular fragrances at higher concentrations.

Sandflowers is very light for a Montale, which should translate as being normal for just about every other brand out there. The top notes feel a bit ozonic, salty, with hints of muguet, juniper, and something that reminds me of quinine. I'm getting a licorice-like note too that could be anise or anisic alcohol. Overall, the ozonic ocean waves, seaweed and "sand" are communicated by these materials, some mineralic synthetics, and based out with sandalwood, plus a bit of oakmoss. So many materials restricted or banned now in this stuff, I doubt poor Sandflowers sells outside the US and the UAE (besides gray markets), or anywhere the EU's SCCS holds as the rule of law. Performance is in the sustain with this one, not the projection. Don't overspray to compensate or you will be in a world of pain here. I think Comptoir Sud Pacifique and Kenzo are probably source inspirations here, but only in the vaguest.

That said, you shouldn't see this as some divine act of perfume nobility with "the right proper materials" like a lot of these self-congratulating morons that replace science with superstition in these matters, as it is still a fragrance designed to smell like the sea, and that is what it does. Considering the proximity of Dubai to the ocean, and this being released in 2009 (only about 5 years after the brand launched and before they really blew up internationally), I can see the target audience being more local, than the usual terminally-online fragheads that only pretend their perfumes garner compliments because they don't actually go outside. If your vested interest in Montale comes from the wide and quality selection of various oud perfumes, this one is to be avoided, but lovers of "true" aquatic fragrances take note. Thumbs up

It's definitely unexpected - judging the sample by the name, I did not expect an aquatic scent, and I didn't expect an aquatic scent that does not cloy me! So it's kinda spa-like, calming scent. And at the same time kind of boring - not in a bad way, but it's just a nice aquatic-fruity-floral scent in the end.
Check it if you're seeking a calming spa-like fragrance. (You can also check Thalasso Therapy by Tesori d'Oriente that nails this watery, calming spa-like scent idea at a mega affordable price and also does not smell boring. Thank me later)

Thankfully this smells nothing at all like Womanity to my nose. Whereas Womanity has a sense of being 'wet' (over-ripe juicy figs, milky fig sap, salt water and caviar), Sandflowers to my nose has a sense of being 'dry'. That is, I pick up a sense of ocean salt air, dry sun-warmed sand, and dry woods.
There is a sort of fruitiness about it, but I'm guessing this comes from the juniper berries and I don't find it too sweet at all (unlike Womanity's over-ripe sweetness).
I've never smelt Aqua Motu so I'm unable to compare its likeness. I actually find Sandflowers a little similar to 4711's Acqua Colonia Intense Sunny Seaside of Zanzibar. While they don't share many notes at all, I do get a sense of watermelon from the Montale that doesn't seem to be reflected in its notes.
It's definitely 'beachy', but not at all like sunscreen or tanning oil that I would usually associate with a beach type smell.
I've been exploring more and more of Montale's creations and each time (so far) I have been very pleasantly surprised. As others have said it's not very 'Montale' like, but I do seem to get good performance from this.

An ethereal sketch of sand, sun, and air Out of the bottle, it's airy, warm sand smell is lovely. But hitting my skin, it goes floral-sweet. That note seems out of place. It's really a sketch fragrance, and a rapidly dissolving one at that. That can have an appeal, for fans of light perfumes. I wish it were dryer. I bolstered it with Frankincense rivae EO on one arm and Aveda Australian Sandalwood on the other. The sandalwood oil completely blanketed the scent of Sandflowers, but the latter boosted the strength and longevity of the former. The frankincense aired it out, and gave it a hot, resinous top note. Like resin in the sun. Might make a great layering scent, but still not fond of the clunker of a flower note.Pros: Pleasant, non-intrusiveCons: Fleeting, sweet flower note unwelcome

Wonderful "Down at the Beach" fragrance. Salty Aquatic Marine scent. dry down is a bit floral also. Somehow doesn't seem Montale, except for the great projection and longevity

Smells like warm, clean beach sand. It's certainly interesting because there aren't the usual cocunuts and ozonic notes in Sandflowers ( but i was hoping for sandalwood). It's not something I'd actually wear as a perfume though...

Sandflowers is a very light aquatic / supposedly woody fragrance that opens with quite a pleasant aquatic note and then dissolves into nearly nothing. I was expecting the calone and I was expecting the sandalwood: The aquatic calone came through quite well, and a very nice note it is. I didn't get any sandalwood, although there was a pleasant oakmoss background to the miscellaneous texture of the fragrance. Like so many of the Montale non-aouds, Sandflowers comes across as vague but pleasant. It is too nebulous, indistinct, and recessive for me. I guess this, as many of the other non-aouds, was not designed for me…

Although I am guilty of it myself, I normally scoff when a reviewer (or multiple reviewers) claims that a certain fragrance smells "exactly like" something else (e.g., GIT and CW). Take my word for it, though - this is virtually indistinguishable from CSP's Aqua Motu. Even though I like Aqua Motu, I would never agree to pay a 400% markup to experience the same scent rebottled by a more "prestigious" house. What's more, I am under the impression that Aqua Motu preceded Sandflowers, thus making Sandflowers not only laughably expensive but also (*gasp*) unoriginal.Thumbs down.

Much like Fougeres Marine, I perceive Sandflowers as more minty than obviously marine, though it has a dry, mineralic saltiness combined with herbal notes reminding me of Miller Harris' Fleurs de Sel. To my mind, Sandflowers is pretty much an inferior Fleurs de Sel, with an added cool, campherous mint note that I'm not particularly fond of. If you're a fan of mint and prefer fragrances with a sort of transparent "fresh air" feeling to the sunny, earthy warmth of Fleurs de Sel, you might very well appreciate it more than I do.

Montale Sandflowers is wonderful... Sunny, sandy sea air in a bottle, with just the slightest hint of floral sweetness... The sand elements remind me of the sandy/sweet notes in Guerlain's "Rose Barbare" and also of a lighter version of the sand notes in Neil Morris Fragrances "Quest." I imagine Sandflowers will be wonderful in warm weather, though when I first tried it, it was the height of winter, and I felt like I was taking an olafactory vacation!Montale Sandflowers notes: Sea notes from the ocean, juniper berries, sandalwood and oakmoss.

SandFlowers: Nothing to write home about. smells very dry yet has some life..maybe the smell cactus or some flower that im not familiar of. all that associations with Sand is true and it does evoke an image of shrubs in between sand on a very hot sunny day. there is something about the sillage though...it makes you come back to this one, somethign mesmerising in there...although i dont find it spectacular enuff to warrant a full bottle...20ml? yes, definitely. i would give it a nuetral for now...maybe this one would grow on me in time...

a beach in the desert. the cooked desert sand meets the water at the coast.

Oceanic. Smells as "open" as a fragrance can get. Starts out breezy, airy, and spacious. A nice marine note (in the opinion of a person who is picky about marine notes.) Smart pairing of juniper berries and oakmoss create a dry, woody accord that is the best part of this fragrance. As the sandalwood warms, it provides a pleasant sweetness which never overwhelms the salty underpinnings. Juniper berries are rarely found in a women's fragrance, neither are marine fragrances without florals or fruits. That, in particular, is a good reason to try this. I think it is unisex.

Sandflowers is a marine scent, no doubt about it. It contains marine notes from the ocean combined with the coolness of juniper berries on a base of sandalwood and oakmoss for a fragrance reminiscent of sunshine and travels in the East. When I put this on, I am instantly transported to the time when I was little and fishing with my grandfather off the Florida Keys. I was leaning over the boat, holding my fishing pole and just watching the seaweed sway in the crystal clear water. When I smell this perfume I can even feel the sunshine on my shoulders. This has to be one of my favorites in the Montale collection.It opens with a burst of Calone (trademarked by Pfizer), which is the scent chemical that smells like the ocean. In fact, Calone is similar in structure to a pheromone released by brown algae. Yes, this is the smell of kelp in love. Actually, I love it too. Sandflowers has a lot in common with many marine scents like Mare and L'eau d'Issey Pour Homme and New West. The difference here is the simplicity of the scent. For me, Mare is a little too floral and the others can smell extremely heavy. Sandflowers is pure sunlight glistening on the tops of the ocean waves. It opens clear as a bell and the dry down is pretty much the same. This is pretty much a linear scent with almost no development. The sandalwood and oakmoss are handled with a light touch and are very subtle. This lasts easily eight to ten hours on my skin. Sillage is great at first but after about four hours it stays pretty close to the skin. If it gets on your clothes, it will last literally for days. This is marketed to women but a guy could wear this as well. This could easily be worn year round and especially on cloudy days when you need to feel the sun on your shoulders.

Reminds me of a beach. It's a marine scent, but in a beachier sense. It's not got the usual salty air note, but more of a kelp or seawater quality to it, with some light floral notes. It really does remind me of the beaches in So. California. An interesting take on an oceanic scent. Wears close to the skin and longevity is good, especially for a “marine” scent. Not sure I'd want to wear it, but intellectually, it is an interesting scent...