New Perfume Review: Bogue Profumo MEM (Antonio Gardoni) 2017 + Lavender Field of Dreams Draw

Photo, Shutterstock via Google search

Jicky and Habanita walk into a bar. The air is thick with hookah smoke. After knocking back a few bourbon geraniums, they head off into the night to do some very naughty things with honey.  MEM, by self-taught Italian perfumer Antonio Gardoni of Bogue Profumo, is what follows: a sexy ooze of linden syrup, cherry pipe tobacco, and the most multi-dimensional lavender I’ve ever smelled. It is decadently, dizzyingly gorgeous.

Wonderland, 0 2, photo by Kirsty Mitchell©

One of the most remarkable things about MEM is its use of four different lavenders. The first note rises like the aroma of dried flower crushed in your hand: minty, piney, anisic, almost turpenic. Give it a few minutes and then second lavender – the scent of the flower warming in the sun – comes through. In contrast to the cool grey of the first lavender, this succeeding lavender is warmer, fruitier, and greener. Next, loamy, sweet tobacco comes through, like with the pipe bowl smell I’ve caught in the corners of a London gentleman’s club. The smoky-earthy aspects of tobacco and lavender work seamlessly with each other, each playing off the other’s herbal and sweet aspects.

Wonderland, 03, photo by Kirsty Mitchell©

But then, in the middle stage, the real magic happens. A succession of voluptuous notes emerges and leans into the lavender accord, enveloping it in a lover’s embrace of linden blossom, ylang ylang and animalic honey. These rich aromas come out in a slow progression, like the trickling of sap down tree bark. Now, MEM becomes a fugue of repeating lavender notes that weave in between and out of the honey and linden: as deliciously rich as lavender shortbread dipped in syrup. And yet, at no time does MEM dip into saccharine. The tobacco and aromatic notes hold the saturated sweetness in perfect balance.

Wonderland, 01, photo by Kirsty Mitchell©

In the dry-down, which lasts well into the night, the honey-lavender-tobacco note softens and coalesces into a gourmand floral. MEM’s artful and seductive blending of honey and floral notes reminds me of Delrae’s fabulous Amoureuse, but with lavender swapped for tuberose, and cardamom changing places with sweet tobacco leaf. I can still smell the coniferous sharpness of dried lavender mixed in with the rosemary-herbal of the fresh blossom. The linden and woody notes move into the background where they remain humming mellowly.

Field of Dreams Photo by Alexia Sinclair, via Imgrum, Dec 2016©

Imagine the purplest hue you can think of, lay it on a bed of honey, add a touch of smoke and leaf, and then transmogrify it into perfume. That is MEM. It is one of the most unusual, sexy, delicious lavender scents on the market.

 I hear Jicky is more than a touch jealous.

Notes: Petitgrain, mandarin, grapefruit, lavender (4 different species), ylang ylang, lily of the valley, white champaca, jasmine grandiflorum, rose damascena, bourbon geranium, vanilla, peppermint, laurel, Siam benzoin, rosewood, sandalwood, Himalayan cedarwood, labdanum, ambergris, musk, castoreum, civet, amber.

Disclaimer: Sample of MEM provided by Bogue Profumo – many thanks. My opinions are my own.

— Lauryn Beer, Senior Editor

Antonio Gardoni with Bogue MASK handcrafted by artist FaustoSalvi and MEM

Thanks to Antonio Gardoni we have three generous samples of MEM for three registered readers in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Be sure to register, or our comment won’t count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what appeals to you about MEM based on Lauryn’s review, if you have tried any Bogue Perfumes, and where you live. Draw closes  July 4, 2017

Available at luckyscent.com here

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS FEED … or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

 

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22 comments

  • Thank you Lauryn for beautiful discription of perfume, especially about versatile sides of lavander in MEM.
    I’ve never tryed Bogue Perfumes!
    USA, DE

  • Kind of you for this giveaway
    Haven’t tried any Bogue Fragrances so
    Interested in this. Thanks ✌

  • It sounds like I need this in my life. This should be right up my alley. I will definitely be checking this out one way or another!! Hopefully it will be as awesome as it sounds! I’m in the United States.

  • BostonScentGuy says:

    What a beautiful and evocative review! Besides being a huge fan of Maai, the two classic scents mentioned (Jicky and Habanita) are some of my absolute favorite vintages. One thing that especially appealed to me about the review was the description of how multi-faceted the lavender is in Mem! I love how lavender can smell herbal, sweet/grassy/coumarinic, and, yes, kind of piney as stated above. That combined with honey…sounds delightful! I love the dirty/clean nature of lavender with animalic notes. I love Maai; wish I could try O/E! Thanks for the draw. I’m in the US.

  • “Jicky and Habanita walk into a bar.” The appeal of MEM starts right there and makes it a must try. I love the tie-in at the end of the post too. I have not tried any Bogue Perfumes but have heard great things about Maai and, sigh, Gardelia. Live in the USA.

  • Thank you to Lauryn for the review, her words make MEM feel kaleidoscopic and enthralling. The accompanying photos create an enticing mood. I adore Amoureuse. MEM must have a similar hypnotic beauty. I’m confident MEM is stunning. I have not tried anything from Bogue Perfumes. I am in the US. Thank you to CaFleureBon and Antonio Gardoni for the generous draw.

  • Excellent review! Jicky plus Habanita is such and evocative description, I may try that combo out this weekend. Maai was such a triumphant creation, I am eager to try Antonio’s latest! I am in the US.

  • I love love love Jicky soooooo this review really had me wondering. Plus lavender is a favorite personal note. 🙂 US

  • Wow she makes this fragrance sound sexy and delicious. Lavender has always felt sexy yet relaxing and calming to my nose. I like Jicky and love Habanita. I also did not know that there are some many different kinds of Lavender. This is definitely on my to sample list. Thank you for this review. US here 🙂

  • zazazelle says:

    Wow, “multi-dimensional lavender” blended with cherry-tobacco smokes, how could I resist?! Sounds like a fantasy gourmand fougere… I like Jicky and Habanita, but I want to find something more contemporary. Please, count me in, I live in the EU.

  • doveskylark says:

    I have become a bit obsessed with finding the perfect lavender since I’ve used up my ancient bottle of Yardley’s. I also love linden and drink the tea when I have insomnia. I have tried Maai from this house and it’s a fine fragrance, a real intense storyteller. I live in the USA.

  • NiceVULady says:

    I love Jicky and Habanita, so this should be love at first sniff. I’ve tried Maai and loved it. Traditional lavender has made me wary in fragrances, so I’m looking forward to trying this nuanced approach. Thanks for the draw. I live in the USA

  • Oh! You had me at “after knocking back a few bourbon geraniums, they head off into the night to do some very naughty things with honey…” Plus the conjuring Jicky and Habanita. I have a small decant of Maai and admire it very much, although I’m not sure I’m able to pull it off, as some people say. Thanks for the draw! I’m in the U.S.

  • ntabassum92 says:

    Mmm, I love sexy lavender (like Jicky) and have never found anything that smells quite like it (except maybe Lovely by SJP.) This one sounds amazing, and maybe a bit sweeter and easier to get along with. I have not tried any Bogue Perfumes. I am in the US 🙂

  • I think what appeals to me most is the interplay between the ingredients emphasized in the review like honey and lavender, but also those which are listed at the end of the post like peppermint and three of my favorite base notes – benzoin, rosewood, and sandalwood. I have not yet tried any Bogue perfumes. I live in the United States. Thank you for the review and the draw!

  • Oh, how I love Gardoni way of working!
    This new MEM, with his whirling around lavender, seems very promising to me!
    His MAAI, in my opinion, is one of the masterpieces of contemporary artistic perfumery.
    I live in Italy.
    Thanks for the draw!

  • I can’t resist this draw! I love lavender in all its guises and this one sound fabulous, especially the middle with the sweeter accord. I will have to seek this one out. Thanks for a lovely review as always, Lauryn. USA.

  • RoseMacaroon says:

    I’ve yet to try a Bogue perfume, but this looks like the place to start! Lavender, honey, and tobacco are major affinities for me, so I’d love to try this and get the first-hand hit of “the smoky earthy aspects of lavender and tobacco playing seamlessly off each other” — sounds A-MAZING.
    thank you so much,
    I’m in the US.

  • I absolutely love lavender scents, so this totally interests me. Great read on this gem. Thank you for this wonderful draw and I’m in Canada

  • I love the fragrance of lavender and, based on Lauryn’s review, I’d like to wear “one of the most unusual, sexy, delicious lavender scents on the market.” I live in the US and have not yet had the pleasure of wearing a Bogue Perfumes