Buyer’s guide: Thomas de Monaco
Written by Kristina Kybartaite-Damule
Photo: kristinakiiscents
Thomas de Monaco is a relatively new brand, with its first release created in 2020. Thomas is a creative director, photographer and artist, so his fragrances are creative, visual, and slow. As a photographer he captures the moments, and it feels that he is doing the same with the perfumes.
Currently, Thomas de Monaco has 5 fragrances in the collection. Listed by my personal preferences:
5. Fuego Futuro
Perfumer: Maurus Bachmann
Release year: 2023
Price (02/2024): €275
With a fresh elemi resin and mate in the opening, this fragrance goes into woody-smoky direction. Incense, hay smoke, sage create a meditative experience. In the dry down the bitterness is softened with milky sandalwood and cedar. A hint of ashes finishes the ritual like scent. To my nose, leans more masculine. Season: spring/fall
4. Grand Beau
Perfumer: Maurus Bachmann
Release year: 2023
Price (02/2024): €280
A photo-realistic walk by the sea town, where you can smell pines, wandering through dunes with a sound of waves in the background. It’s aromatic, opens with pine, juniper berries, vetiver. Some seaweed appears but it doensn’t make the fragrance too salty or aquatic. It’s just a hint, to keep the mood of the scene. The sharp notes are rounded up with a tuberose absolute and ambrette musk. To my nose, leans more masculine. Season: all year
3. Raw Gold
Perfumer: Maurus Bachmann
Release year: 2023
Price (02/2024): €275
This is the original Raw Gold (2020) reinvented. Lipsticky powdery fragrance, with a generous amount of Orris absolute in the opening. Flowery accords are beautifully combined with woody notes like Cedarwood and Gaiac Wood, and Patchouli. A leathery touch of Suede, and a darkness from Laotian oud are softened with Vanilla and Benzoin. It’s quite heavy and not for a fainted-hearted, but for those who enjoy Orris, this is a unique and very enjoyable composition. Perfectly unisex. Season: fall/winter
2. Sol Salgado
Perfumer: Maurus Bachmann
Release year: 2023
Price (02/2024): €275
Very authentic sweet floral fragrance with strongly expressed Linden blossom. It’s well blended with mimosa, cotton flower, and addictive Heliotrope. It tells the story about the sea again, but in a very different manner than Grand Beau. This one is more sunny, sweet and airy. Added ambergris and salt gives the marine vibe but again, it is not ordinary aquatic scent, and on my skin, it doesn’t go to the wrong direction like most aquatics do. It’s magic of the perfumes of Thomas de Monaco, so if you usually avoid sea-salt fragrances, don’t skip this one, as it smells completely different. The beautiful sunny composition has sandalwood, musk and vanilla in the base, which makes the end of this scented journey cozier and warm. Unisex. Season: spring/summer
1. Eau Coeur
Perfumer: Maurus Bachmann
Release year: 2022
Price (02/2024): €280
Powdery floral fragrance, a joy in a bottle. The bouquet of Magnolia, Osmanthus, and Morrocan Rose is complemented with woody accords, making the composition complex and unique. The strongly expressed Tonka bean in the base is what makes this perfume warm and cozy, gives it more sweetness. Due to the added ambroxan, the fragrance is airy and leaves a beautiful trail, yet is not overwhelming. More feminine leaning. Season: spring/summer