FRAGRANCE | Massimo Dutti fragrances are now on Philippine shores

The Massimo Dutti sets of three 30ml fragrances.

Last December saw the launch of Massimo Dutti fragrances in their Philippine stores. Before that I never knew they had their own scents, so I was predictably curious. The brand brought in 6 of their eaux de parfum, 3 each for women and men, that come in 100ml and 30ml bottles.

Presentation is quite good. It's evident that there's a touch of "premium" in their packaging when compared to its sister Zara, probably to justify its premium pricing. The uniformly designed bottles are sturdy and each EDP has its own unique cap made of resin. The bigger bottles come with a protective pouch in their boxes. The 30ml ones, on the other hand, are sold in boxed sets of 3 (pour femme and pour homme).

The stoppers are made of resin, each fragrance with its own design.

After some sniffing in-store, we went for the latter so we can properly try everything. Besides, I usually go for the smaller bottle these days if such an option is available. After further wearing and sniffing, here are my thoughts of each fragrance.

Kashbah Sunset pour Homme
This has a sweet, syrupy opening, like some sweet, spicy-floral blend. After a few minutes the spiciness becomes a little more pronounced but there's no resulting sharpness because of that sweet, syrupy coating. A woody undertone starts to emerge. Later the sweetness relaxes and the woodiness shines. The wood is a bit dry despite the sweetness, which weaves in and out of the scene. The result is a scent that's very safe, just a wee bit warm, and not sharp at all.

Kashbah Sunset projects moderately for 1 to 2 hours before softening, melting into a skin scent in about 5 hours or less. The scent can last from morning till early afternoon, give or take. It isn't a particularly unique scent but it's still maybe worth a try.

Island Accord pour Homme
This is a blast of citruses, minty and with a light, fruity sweetness. It's like how oranges and lemons smell—a bit sour and bitter with a tinge of sweetness. It's a little acidic but very fresh. After a few minutes the bitterness and acidity move a few steps forward and then linger. Later the sweetness tries, but not quite successfully, to match the citruses's strength. Nevertheless, it tames all the bitterness and sharpness in the process.

The scent is pretty much linear from hereon. After a rather strong opening, it starts softening after an hour and goes into moderate territory for the most part. Longevity is average, maybe 5 or 6 hours, although it understandably sits close to the skin in its waning hours. Despite its simplicity, I actually kind of like this one. And if you're into citruses, then Island Accord may be something for you.

Sandy Papyrus pour Homme
Interesting name although I have no idea how papyrus smells like on its own. Anyway, Sandy Papyrus has a fresh, spicy-herbal opening. There's just a little bit of sharpness somewhere but the overall scent is otherwise rounded. After several minutes the fragrance "melts" into an indistinguishable blend with a rather soft projection, moderate at most. I don't know, it's like some light wood that I can't place.

The scent turns spicy again, now a little sharp, then a little woody again. Despite these subtle transitions, I find that it lacks character and is easily forgettable. Soft to moderate projection, average longevity.

Manhattan Light
This one for the ladies opens with a sweet citrus-floral combo. Apparently there's peony, which makes for a lovely scent in general. Meanwhile, the citrus tries asserting itself more, revealing a mild bitterness just moments later, along with a little sharpness of course. The peony, though, smooths out most of the fragrance's sharp edges.

The citrus and peony then duke it out, with one coming on top of the other before another round ensues. This duel goes on for quite a while although they eventually settle together. Manhattan Light, like the others in Massimo Dutti's line, isn't much of a complex fragrance but it sure is pleasant. It projects moderately for 1 to 2 hours and starts receding thereafter. It's a skin scent after just a few hours.

Souffle Marais
The name sounds yummy and Souffle Marais has a sweet, almond-like opening to boot. A lipstick-y iris immediately follows. There's also some creaminess in the background, perhaps from sandalwood although there's none of that pencil shavings smell here.

Not long after does everything come together into a cohesive blend, resembling Tom Ford's Fucking Fabulous more and more by the minute. It is, however, not as rich and creamy. It's comforting though not necessarily warm. It projects well, too. It's at its strongest in its first 2 hours or so before settling into moderate territory for the most part. Souffle Marais is probably my favorite of the 6. But if you already have the Tom Ford, then getting this would be a little redundant. Otherwise, it's worth sampling.

Evening Whispers
I see red in this juicy, fruity, and sweet concoction. The opening is just luscious. A few minutes in and something dusty emerges, providing a rather odd contrast to all that juiciness. I realized later that it was rose, a dusty kind of rose.

The fruity accord and the dusty bouquet seem to dominate in alternating fashion, and it's basically like this unto the end. Save for that luscious fruitiness, Evening Whispers doesn't really have much to offer. It projects moderately for 1 to 2 hours and then gradually declines until it's a skin scent. Longevity is average.

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Collectively speaking, I'm underwhelmed with these Massimo Dutti fragrances. No, they're not bad but they generally come off as uninspired to me. Sure there are a few that may be worth trying but overall, they're pretty average in almost all respects. And for around Php 3,500 for a 100ml bottle or a boxed set of 30ml minis, you get scents that are devoid of complexity, let alone performance befitting an EDP. That said, you're probably better off with less expensive ones from its sister Zara. So much for presentation.