Mood Scent 4 Unsung Heroes Perfumes

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It is Mood Scent 4 time again! Where Portia (now on A Bottled Rose), Sam (I Scent You A Day) Megan (Megan In Sainte Maxime) and I write about a joined subject each month, linking fragrance to mood or occasion. This time we picked unsung heroes! Those brilliant perfumes which undeservingly don’t get the attention they deserve.

We have returned to the new normal in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. As some parts of town are too crowded mouth protection needs to be worn in certain streets, markets but not everywhere on the streets. Still a bit strange and getting used too. We were planning to go to Spain in this period but we are staying closer to home visiting the Southern part of The Netherlands, Limburg so I am a bit in a holiday mood for this article too. Back to Unsung Heroes again with Ruth Mastenbroek Amorosa!

Ruth Mastenbroek Amorosa Eau de Parfum – Zest For Italian Life! 

Notes: Galbanum, Violet Leaf, Watermelon, Tuberose, Jasmine, Tiare, Ylang Ylang, Vetiver, Patchouli and Amber Year: 2012  Fragrance Family: Floral

Ruth Mastenbroek Amorosa is an unsung perfume hero which surprisingly hasn’t gotten much attention online. Ruth Mastenbroek is a long time perfumer, former president of the British Society of Perfumers and trained chemist. She started her own perfume brand in 2010 and has created fragrances for brands like Jo Malone (the famous grapefruit candle is her creation) before starting her own brand.

Amorosa was the second fragrance Ruth Mastenbroek launched for her brand. Meaning ‘a woman in love’  in Italian, Amorosa was inspired by her love for Italy. It is a luxurious and classic baroque floral fragrance. Full of abundant creamy flowers (tuberose, jasmine, ylang ylang and tiare), sweet juicy summer fruits, contrasting green fresh garden leaves with a surprising modern twist by the added refreshing watermelon note.

Ruth Mastenbroek created this fragrance celebrating life and happy time spent in her holiday home in green hilled Umbria, Italy. The innovative use of fizzy refreshing watermelon makes this a very interesting Eau de Parfum. It took me several wearings to appreciate the fresh aquatic note combined with the rich classic bouquet of flowers but it was definitely worth a wait. Amorosa is a must try for (White) Floral fragrance lovers looking for something slightly different and original. Wearing Amorosa adds a sparkle to the day and feeling of zest for life.

Ramon Monegal The Essentials Collection Mon Patchouly – Happy Ibiza Jasmine 

Notes: Indonesian Patchouli, Oak moss absolute, Frankincense, Geranium bourbon, Egyptian jasmine and Amber accord.  Year: 2009 Fragrance Family: Mossy Woods/Chypre

Mon Patchouly is another unsung heroes which undeservingly does not get a lot of attention. Although called My Patchouly this is more a fragrance for non patchouli lovers, as it is full of ethereal jasmine. This fragrance stays away from the usual wet earth scent the patchouli leaf is known for and focuses on its lesser known ethereal floral side. Mon Patchouly smells like little sweet sugared jasmine flowers dipped in bitter chocolate powder with some green piney frankincense. I get a gourmand touch as well of very light creamy coconut and whipped cream. This is not a night blossoming faecal* (smelling of excrements and found in small traces in indolic floral oils like jasmine absolute) jasmine but an innocent happy white jasmine flower.

Mon Patchouly is part of The Essentials Collection which was the first Collection to be launched in 2009 when Ramon Monegal started his own perfume brand after working for his family owned perfume and make up brand Myrurgia. The heavy perfume bottle is called Inkwell, not very practical but a beautiful design of Ramon Monegal nonetheless.

Nicolai Parfumeur Juste Un Reve – Cocktails On An Exclusive Tropical Island  

Notes: peach, coconut, jasmine, ylang ylang, tuberose, sandalwood, vanilla Year: 1996 Fragrance Family: Floral Fruity 

Juste Un Reve meaning just a dream in French, is another perfume which does not get a lot of attention. It is slightly reminiscent of tropical floral fragrances like Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess but more elegant plus added sweet fruits. If Bronze Goddess was a summer dress it would a short white cotton dress to go to the beach. Just Un Reve would be an elegant satin silk long dress to go for evening cocktails in an exclusive holiday resort on a tropical island.

Tuberose flowers and tropical lush ylang ylang are very well blended by perfumer Patricia de Nicolai with  light coconut and sweet ripe velvety peach. Juste Un Reve makes an excellent summer holiday fragrance even if you are staying home. I have finished 2 bottles of this fragrance which only shows how much I love this.

Over To My Mood Scent 4 Pals
These are my 3 picks for Unsung Heroes. Have a look on Sam’s blog on I Scent You A Day, Megan’s  Megan in St. Maxime and Portia on A Bottled Rose to read their surprising picks.

I Love To Hear From You
I hope you enjoyed my Unsung Heroe picks which are slightly holiday oriented as well. Hopefully you are able to stay safe, centered, positive and healthy with everything happening around us. Please leave your choices for unsung heroes in my comments or your thought on my choices. I love to hear from you!

Disclosure: all photographs were made by me. The jasmine flower (called Biznaga) on the second photograph was handmade and based on the floral tradition in Malaga, Southern Spain to make these flowers by hand. You can read more about the Biznaga here.  The Amorosa bottle is an older model. The fragrance comes in other bottles now.