Born into a family of esteemed perfumers in 1951 it was only inevitable that Ramón Monegal would take the reins and carry on this creative tradition. Established in Barcelona in 1916, his family created Myrurgia, a renowned perfumery company that was a proudly appointed supplier to the Spanish Royal House. Ramón began his training in 1972 at Myrurgia, intently absorbing every facet of this highly artistic process. His training continued with numerous mentors and perfumers around France, enriching his knowledge and building his expertise. This natural direction in life wasn’t to be his only creative outlet and alongside his perfumery path, he also studied architecture. Ramón then created his first fragrance for Myrurgia in 1979 which became hugely successful. He continued to create fragrances for them up until 2007 when he left his position and set out to create his very own fragrance house.
In 2009 this dream came to life and Ramón Monegal released his cherished fragrance collection and opened his signature showroom. There are currently five collections available; Spanish, White Fantasy, Musks, Don’t Touch My Ouds and Essentials. After receiving a very unique and stunning sample box of their Spanish range, I was instantly hooked and couldn’t wait to discover more of this fragrance house. Though all the fragrances have their captivating characteristics, I gravitated to their newly released fragrance, Faïsa, described by Ramón Monegal as Pure Joy and who doesn’t need that just now.
You only have to take one look at the presentation of this fragrance to see that design runs through Ramón’s blood. The outer cover gives you a little taste of what you can expect from this fragrance with its bright yellow colour and shimmering pattern. The fragrance is housed in a heavy black lacquered box with a metallic motif opening up to reveal a mirrored interior and a tied golden pouch. It’s very impressive and even after the fragrance is finished I can see the box being used for many purposes. The bottle itself is elegant, contemporary and again exudes a beautiful yellow hue which adds to the whole journey of what this fragrance is about.
The main inspiration behind Faïsa is the sun and that is quickly evident as you spritz it onto the skin. On the first spray, it immediately embraces you like a ray of sunshine, bursting with energy and full of effervescent aromas. Sparkling lemon tingles on the nose before giving way to the fruity floral nuances of Ylang-Ylang. Its heady notes hang in the air for a while as if the warm sun has encouraged its petals to open fully and release its scent. A continued warmth ensues with the inclusion of Anise and Cinnamon, but what comes to life is the exotic aroma of Saffron. The saffron laces its way through the notes, bringing a rich, sweet and soft leather-like aroma.
The golden hues are translated through the notes with the addition of Mimosa, releasing its warm powdery qualities along with a delicate touch of sensual jasmine. A voluptuous shroud of raspberry bursts onto the scene, its juicy sweetness along with notes of rose is reminiscent of a sweet summer sorbet. It is here where oud starts to make an appearance, one which doesn’t overtake the whole composition. Instead, it is a smooth, mellow and smoky rendition helping to give weight to the fragrance and acting as more of a supportive role.
Fruitiness gives way to a carpet of powdery sweetness as if the ripe flesh of the raspberry has been baked in the warmth of the sun. A tantalising combination of Caramel, Tonka and Vanilla weave through the base like a smothering of dulce de leche. Amber continues to take that warmth to the very end and believe me when I say, that end takes a while to arrive. This fragrance has impressive longevity and just with a few sprays, it will last long into the day. Faïsa is a multi-faceted fragrance that impressed me profusely from start to finish. Its bright cheerful nature is exactly what I needed just now and this joy-filled scent has been added to my top Blu Blazer Guy fragrances to take me into summer.
Notes
Top: Lemon, Saffron, Anise, Cinnamon & Ylang-Ylang
Heart: Mimosa, Jasmine, Rose, Raspberry and Oud
Base: Amber, Vanilla, Tonka, Caramel & Sandalwood
Blu Blazer Guy Rating:
Presentation 4.5/5
Sillage 4/5
Projection 4.5/5
Longevity 4.5/5
Fragrance Concentration: Eau de Parfum
50ml £180.00 – Available from ramonmonegal.com
Also available from Harrods.
*PR Sample
BLU BLAZER GUY 