MEMO PARIS
Inverness

2023

PERFUMER
Nadege Le Garlantezec

amyris
mate absolute
orris
sandalwood
cedarwood
guaiac wood

‘It leads to deep forests, bare moors, wooded valleys, mossy reliefs, waterfalls, meadows, castles, ruins or other manors. And to a lake where the unknown ripples. It is called Inverness, and this Scottish town at the mouth of the River Ness knows all that nature can, knows all that it owes her. Time flows here, dense and discreet like Amyris wood. It fills the space, and with it, sandalwood, cedar, guaiac, a touch of mate absolute, and a powdery orris accentuate its luminous and enveloping presence. Memo’s fragrance guided by a deep and subtle woody conviction, which keeps its mystery intact, to which we return, as if magnetised.’ – Memo Paris

Inverness is an interesting release. Mostly woody and very powdery at first, but more and more fruity in a fig-rhubarb way as it goes along on my skin.

The opening reminded me of liquorice a bit, with some leathery touches, but it soon becomes wood and surprisingly acidic.

It’s powdery, but also rather sweet. The whole thing reminds me of immortelle, but sweeter. There’s a roasted, slightly fiery and charred quality to the woods, like the smoky palo santo from Maison Violet Abime. I found this fragrance a lot more substantial and rich than most Fragrantica reviews seem to state.

As it dries, I get more and more hints of Marc-Antoine Barrois Encelade from Inverness. It’s not as nuclear and it has a different kind of woodiness than the vetiver from Encelade, but that smoky fruity fig-like core is very similar.

Quite pleasant and easily one of the better recent releases that I’ve tried from Memo.