MEMO PARIS
Zante

2023

PERFUMER
Sophie Labbe

petitgrain
mandarin
bergamot

neroli
rosemary
lavender

patchouli
amber
white musk

‘Oracles of freshness and sensual delight are leading us to Zante, as a citrus breeze gently carries us over a current of musk. If you are lucky, as you arrive from the Ionian Sea you may catch a glimpse of Navagio Beach lying in the shadow of an elegantly sprawling, languorous cliff. In the sky, the sun is as full and inviting as a bergamot. A musky cloud floats, tempering the mandarin orange fire. This is an eternal island for a solstice fragrance.’ – Memo Paris

I wore Zante alongside Ithaque, which shares some of the same vibe. Whereas Ithaque is the more eccentric, more intriguing scent, I do prefer Zante, which feels like a cleaned up, gentrified take. Actually, Zante is one of the better Memo fragrances that I’ve tried.

The opening is pretty heavy on the petitgrain, which is usually a bit of an allergy for me, but it quickly softens enough to stay pleasant. It adds a bitter, green leafy touch to what mostly smells like an orange blossom fragrance to me (orange blossom isn’t in the notes, but the lighter neroli combined with a bit of the amber base makes for an orange blossom experience to me).

There’s some tinges of dry hay. I don’t get as strong of an aromatic component as I would’ve expected overall. Instead, the drydown feels rather soft, body-lotion-esque, with soapy qualities that neroli often has. When the harshness of petitgrain fades, this becomes a simple, but beautiful lotion or hand soap, that wears nicer than has been my experience with most fragrances from this brand. Not too shabby.