12 Best Montale Perfumes for Women 2022
Updated January 2023
How We Found the Best Montale Perfumes
5 Experts Interviewed
18 Fragrances Tested
Top 12 Picks
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Madison McCord
Diploma in Perfumery Science and Sensory Evaluation
Montale is a French brand that specializes in oriental and Arabic scents. The luxury perfume house was founded in 2003 by Pierre Montale, who had previously made a career of creating fragrances for nobility and royalty in Saudi Arabia. On his return to Paris, he brought back with him the unique aroma of the Middle East. It is the first French brand with a focus on oud, an ingredient found in royal perfumes in the East.
This guide covers 12 of the best Montale perfumes (143 have been released by the brand since 2004).
Summary List
Montale Fragrances Ranked by Cologne Critic
Why we chose it
A hidden gem… Bold, strong and long-lasting.
As you probably know, Montale is a brand that doesn’t shy away from unisex fragrances. Starry Nights is suitable for both men and women, although it is ultimately a more feminine scent than a masculine one.
This perfume was released in 2015 and is suitable to wear all year round, although it lends itself best to being a night-time scent for fall and winter.
Starry Nights includes top notes of apple, bergamot and lemon. These scents open to the heart notes of rose, patchouli and jasmine. It is the base notes which make this fragrance sensual. They include amber, powdery notes, and white musk.
This fragrance has a strong scent that is impossible to miss. An ideal choice for the modern woman who isn’t afraid to be bold and put a confident foot forward into the world.
Be ready to get a lot of compliments from co-workers at the office!
Main Accords
- Citrus
- Musky
- Powdery
- Rose
Our Take
Roses Musk is inspired by the flawlessness of a diamond. It is ‘simply lovely´ according to Montale. It brings together the cleanness of musk with dew-kissed roses to create a unique feminine scent that is airy and light. Roses Musk is a sensual scent for the passionate woman.
Roses Musk was released in 2009 and is suitable to wear all year round. As a floral fragrance, it naturally works better in the spring as a daytime scent, though it can become your signature. It contains notes of rose and musk, with an undercurrent of jasmine.
You’ll get impressive longevity with this sexy fragrance, which should see you through most of the day without needing to touch up.
You’ll like it if you like Intense Cafe (also by Montale).
Main Accords
- Rose
- Musky
- Powdery
Our Take
Amongst the top-rated Montale perfumes is another unisex fragrance. Oudmazing was released in 2016. It has a strong floral musk scent with woody notes.
The top notes include of course oud but also fig, pear, bergamot, and Sicilian orange. These notes give way to Egyptian jasmine, orris, and patchouli leaf. The base notes make this fragrance more unisex. They contain grapes, leather, Madagascar vanilla, and white musk.
This scent is ideal for fall and winter use, either during the day or at night-time. Oudmazing uses an aoud from Malaysia, made sweet by the pear, while the iris and jasmine add a sensual touch.
Main Accords
- Oud
- Fruity
- Sweet
- Vanilla
- Woody
Our Take
Dark Purple is an oriental floral scent launched in 2011. This seductive fragrance uses floral notes, making it ideal for night-time wear during fall and winter.
The top notes of Dark Purple include plum and orange, which give way to heart notes of geranium, patchouli, rose, and red berries. The base notes give this scent its sensuality, with amber, teak wood, and musk. Dark Purple is a feminine fragrance which works best for those who aren’t afraid to wear a sweeter scent.
Its longevity and sillage are fantastic.
You will receive many compliments with this perfume!
Main Accords
- Fruity
- Plumy
- Rose
- Musky
Our Take
Aoud Leather comes from the Golden Selection range of the Montale perfume house. It’s Montale’s best leather scent and is unisex.
It was launched in 2009 and is suitable for wearing all year round, meaning it can become your signature fragrance.
Aoud Leather is a warm scent with notes of amber, citrus, and spices. The blend is simplistic with Calabrian bergamot, Indian pepper, oud, saffron, Guatemalan cardamom and of course leather!
Although it is unisex, it leans more to being a male fragrance than a female one.
It has one of the longest longevities of any Montale perfumes. Impressive performance.
It will remind you of Tuscan Leather by Tom Ford or Godolphin by Parfums de Marly.
Main Accords
- Leather
- Animalic
- Warm Spicy
- Oud
Our Take
Stunning and beautiful! Intense Roses is one of the top-rated Montale perfumes.
As the name suggests, it is a more intense and stronger version of Roses Musk, that is also on this list. It’s a daytime scent that is suitable for all seasons.
Like all the Montale perfumes, you can expect to get an impressive longevity with this fragrance so don’t overspray! It can easily stay on your skin for 10-12 hours.
It contains notes of amber, musk and jasmine flowers, and of course roses that create an elegant allure.
This perfume has a higher concentration because of the depth of the jasmine and amber.
Intense Roses is more sensual than its traditional counterpart.
Main Accords
- Rose
- Amber
- Musky
Our Take
Pure Gold is a daytime scent you can wear all year round, which was launched in 2009. It has a floral and fruity fragrance with top notes of apricot and mandarin orange. You’ll find Egyptian jasmine, neroli, and orange blossom in the heart notes. The base notes are made up of patchouli, musk, and vanilla.
This perfume is a part of the Golden Selection collection by Montale.
Considered as a great alternative to the discontinued “Libertine” by Vivienne Westwood.
Main Accords
- Musky
- White Floral
- Citrus
Our Take
Another unisex fragrance by Montale is Chocolate Greedy, a gourmand perfume which launched in 2007.
It’s ideal for the cold days of fall and winter, lending itself equally as a daytime and night-time fragrance.
The notes list of Chocolate Greedy is fairly simplistic, using bitter orange and vanilla as its top notes. You’ll also smell dried fruit, cacao, coffee and tonka bean in the heart and base notes.
Out of all the unisex Montale fragrances of the list, Chocolate Greedy leans more towards a feminine fragrance than a masculine one. You can expect to get several hours of wear from one spray, with a good projection.
Although this is a chocolate scent, it’s balanced out by the vanilla in the top notes, making it more wearable and understated. A perfect chocolate and vanilla combination.
Beware… it will make you very hungry!
Main Accords
- Cacao
- Vanilla
- Warm Spicy
Our Take
Honey Aoud is a unisex scent with a unique honey accord, launching in 2015. As a warmer scent, it is ideal for fall and winter, along with night-time use.
This perfume is perhaps the most unisex from Montale, feeling neither too feminine nor too masculine. It has a strong projection and gives the idea of an elegant and dark perfume that is impossible to miss.
The heart of the fragrance is made up of honey, patchouli leaves, and floral notes. There is a sprinkle of cinnamon in the top notes, with Laotian aoud, amber, leather, and Madagascar Vanilla making up the base notes. If you want a bold scent which people will remember, try Honey Aoud.
Main Accords
- Oud
- Honey
- Warm Spicy
Our Take
In French, “Soleil de Capri” means “Sun of Capri”. Capri is an Italian island famous for its beautiful sunset.
While some Montale fragrances can feel heavier, Soleil de Capri is fresher with a citrus heart. A great perfume for your next summers spent by the beach.
The top notes contain citrus, grapefruit, and kumquat (an Asian fruit). The heart of the fragrance is white flowers, while the base notes are made up of musk and spices.
Soleil de Capri is one of the most feminine by Montale, with a similar feel to Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue for Women. To be totally transparent, three of the experts interviewed think it smells like Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue but the other two did not agree!
If you enjoy citrus fragrances, this one is for you. It is loud and bold when it escapes the bottle, before settling against your skin.
This is the best smelling Montale scent to throw into your suitcase for a summer vacation in Europe!
Main Accords
- Citrusy
- White Floral
Our Take
Boise Vanille launched in 2007, making it one of the oldest Montale fragrances on this list. It is ideal for fall and winter, being suitable for either daytime or night-time wear.
As the name would suggest, this is a woody-vanilla scent (the word “boisé” means “woody” in French).
This perfume is a classic feminine scent, with lavender and iris giving the smell a sensual touch. Top notes of bergamot and lemon. You’ll also find cedar, pepper, and tonka bean amongst the base notes.
Boise Vanille is a perfume for the woman who isn’t afraid to be loud and in charge at work, who likes her fragrances to have a masculine touch with woody notes.
This fragrance is one to add to your everyday collection to wear for work or when you need an extra confidence boost.
Main Accords
- Woody
- Aromatic
- Fresh Spicy
- Vanilla
Our Take
White Aoud was launched in 2006 and is one of the lightest aromas you can get from an oud. It smells powdery at first sniff before opening into a floral heart with a touch of warmth and spice. Although you could wear this perfume all year round, it’s one of the best Montale perfumes for fall and winter.
This fragrance has base notes of amber, vanilla, and incense. In the top and heart notes, you’ll smell the Damascus rose, agarwood, jasmine, saffron, and sandalwood.
White Aoud is ideal for the woman who wants a feminine fragrance which is lighter than the brand’s Roses Musk.
Main Accords
- Oud
- Woody
- Warm Spicy
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Researched by a team of fragrance experts.