We are enjoying the last days of summer right now, and here at the Baltic Sea the holidays are also over by now. Everyday life has us fully back – with school and daycare. And so I’m very pleased that I can still dream a little far away with Melody of the Sun and French Riviera by Mancera, in warm climes, and olfactorically bring back the sun even in bad weather.
The press texts of both creations refer to similar inspirations. While Melody of the Sun is supposed to be “a sun-kissed reminder” of the heat-giving and dazzlingly bright celestial body above our heads, which first showed itself here too often this summer and then suddenly made itself scarce, French Riviera – the name suggests it – is a holiday reminder of the Côte d’Azur.
Melody of the Sun – Sunny Melody
As I just mentioned, we haven’t had much sunshine in the last few weeks: The sun has only made an occasional appearance at the Baltic Sea, giving way to more or less motivated rain clouds, which has made August rather damp here. Even though many an excursion literally fell through due to continuous rain, our garden looks as lush and green as if the drought of the previous months had never happened.
Melody of the Sun by Mancera hopefully manages to olfactorically replace the missing sunshine hours of the last weeks. The fragrance notes of the eau de parfum definitely sound enticing, fruity and spicy-floral: lemon, grapefruit, pear, black currant, lavender, cardamom, green tea, jasmine, osmanthus, cedarwood, amber, mate and musk.
Melody of the Sun was inspired by the sun. Melodic, seductive, like a fragrant sunrise. (…) A sun-kissed memory that makes you smile. Inspired by Provence, but also by the feeling of joy and well-being that comes with spring and lasts until the end of summer, this fragrance draws its energy from the contemplation of the sun.
Summer without end – Melody of the Sun
Provence is supposed to be the source of inspiration, and so I’m not surprised that lavender is also included in the creation. But first, the eau de parfum reveals distinctly citrus components. Tart and refreshing, Hesperides scents me, soon underpinned by softly juicy pear and creamy, greenish, flowing water nuances that I would spontaneously attribute to green tea and a handful of jasmine blossoms. Subtle lavender herbaceousness and the green freshness of cardamom shimmer in the background of the composition.
Airy and transparent, Melody of the Sun shines like a summer greeting carried by the breeze. Clean cedarwood and powdery fruity osmanthus underscore this impression, providing bright woody and velvety accents before Mancera’s creation finally fades out slowly with under the warming sun of ambergris and on fine sandy musk powder.
Melody of the Sun is a calm, relaxed and light summer fragrance that smells of citrus, hints of lavender, creamy fruity florals, flowing green tea nuances and light-clean woods. A sunny, transparent and unexciting creation that is absolutely suitable for the office and everyday life. Perfect for those who are looking for a pleasant and uncomplicated unisex fragrance companion for any occasion and would like to dream themselves back to the sun even on cooler days.
French Riviera – Magnificent South of France
The French Mediterranean coast is known to be a popular tourist destination and also a popular source of inspiration for fragrance compositions of various perfume brands. Not only the landscape is said to have inspired perfumer Pierre Montale to the creation, but also a film from the late 1960s called “La Piscine” – The Swimming Pool – starring Romy Schneider and Alain Delon. The recently deceased Jane Birkin also starred in this play, which is set in a villa in Saint-Tropez and centres not only on tragic interpersonal relationships but also on the eponymous swimming pool.
The ingredients are mandarin, orange, lemon, ginger, black pepper, maritime notes, tiare flower, cedarwood, mimosa, vetiver, fleur de sel (sea salt), amber and white musk. I had already guessed spontaneously on mimosa, but is in the area of the famous route of mimosa, which runs up to Grasse. Citrus fruits also fit nicely for me, maritime notes as well, which hopefully don’t smell too much like a swimming pool, in other words: overly aquatic.
French Riviera by Mancera is a vacation memory. A sea breeze blows over the mountain slopes of the Esterel Mountains and the freshness of the high altitudes draws to the coast flooded by the Mediterranean sun. The Côte d’Azur is an invitation to “laze”, when the heart comes to rest and time stands still.
The sweet idleness
A cool breeze sweeps over warmed, pine-clad rocks. The salt of the sea is in the air, with which the tangy notes of ripe citrus mingle. From afar, the wind carries the golden sweetness of mimosa and creamy white flowers, which combine with hesperides and salty marine nuances to create a beguiling melange.
French Riviera remains in this state for quite a while, dozing in the Mediterranean sun, indulging in sweet idleness and letting us share in its beautiful fragrance, before light-woody and discreetly ambered nuances slowly combine with powdery musk to gradually fade the composition.
A light, quiet and salty sea fragrance that combines sunny citrus fruits with creamy blossoms, embedded in a softly soapy, woody-earthy base. Summery, dreamy, relaxed and incredibly serene, the creation is finely balanced and extremely harmoniously composed. A maritime eau de parfum to my taste that is also an absolute all-rounder. Perfect for all those who prefer transparent marine fragrances with subtle salt notes and fine citrus fruit. 💙
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