In the third part of our series on Fort & Manlé, I would like to introduce you to All the Queen’s Men and Honiara. I’m really looking forward to these two creations because I really liked the Harem Rose, Fatih Sultan Mehmed and Amber Absolutely that I tested so far. My two previous reviews of the brand I link you below:
- The Fort & Manlé Collection – Made in Melbourne
- Fatih Sultan Mehmed and Amber Absolutely by Fort & Manlé – Oriental Fragrance Dreams
All the Queen’s Men – the Queen’s People
My first thought about All the Queen’s Men was, of course, a tribute to the recently deceased Queen Elizabeth, because Australia – the previous home of Fort & Manlé – is also part of the Commonwealth, the United Kingdom, and thus Queen Elizabeth was the head of state of Down Under until her death, now followed by her son King Charles. But I am completely wrong with this assumption, as I quickly realize when reading the press text, because the said queen and her men must be a queen bee and her people.
They are consecrated to their majesty and are born to hold their post. They are raised and fed until they are ready to gather the dust of nature and turn it into liquid gold. Striped and ready for the many tasks to secure the castle, they gather and carry out their will.
The fragrance notes of All the Queen’s Men paint a thoroughly appetizing picture of eau de parfum: dried fruit, honey, rum, vanilla, cinnamon, fir balsam and woods.
Hum, hum, hum
“Glorious” is the first word that comes to mind about All the Queen’s Men. Spicy and fruity notes meet. The nuances of rum resonate. Honey flows in lush golden yellow. Vanilla and cinnamon provide lovely spice accents infused with a subtle spiciness.
Light, powdery, woody and reminiscent of beeswax, the eau de parfum is a fragrance that you need on cool autumn and cold winter days. Rum warms the soul, even if it can only be perceived olfactorily. Dried fruits preserved in delicious spices do the rest. Added to this are the sometimes dark coniferous notes of fir balsam, which give the creation depth and grounding.
There seems to be a good mood at the Fort & Manlé bee colony, because the fragrance comes up with gourmand liqueur notes, which are determined by honey, spices and woods. And by rum. A lot of rum. A golden scent that warms and comforts, reminding me of a twilight afternoon on the sofa. Without rum, but rather with a cup of tea, perhaps also a hot chocolate, if you prefer. Outside, the storm sweeps around the house, raindrops patter against the window. A fire blazes in the fireplace. All the Queen’s Men sweetens my afternoon like a gourmand spicy treat.
Honiara – Welcome to the Solomon Islands
Northeast of the Australian mainland, located in the South Pacific Ocean, is the archipelago of the Solomon Islands. They include about a thousand islands. Just over 0.5 hectares in size is the main island of Guadalcanal, where the capital Honiara is located. The Solomon Islands are also part of the Commonwealth, but have not been part of the United Kingdom since the late 1970s.
This unadulterated fragrance sits
Like a treasure of colors
Surrounded by the richest shades of blue
Your white sandy beaches
Invite the world to pause
Breathe in and feel
Paradise on earth.
A tropical island is the source of inspiration, so I expect something exotic, maritime. Rasei Fort combines in Honiara the ingredients juniper, pine, citrus notes, bergamot, amber, melon, frangipani, oakmoss, patchouli and vanilla.
Welcome to paradise
A fresh breeze blows through Honiara. Cool, airy and citrusy is the opening of the eau de parfum, in which juniper provides sparkling accents. Clean-looking coniferous nuances with greenish speckles join in. Melon provides gentle and fruity marine associations thanks to its subtle aquatic notes.
Tropical flair evokes the creamy floral facets of frangipani, while thanks to amber the warming sun rises. Delicate and white sandy beach powder meets cotton-soft vanilla clouds blown over the islands by the gentle sea breeze. Patchouli and oakmoss lend creamy, woody notes to the base, slowly fading the fragrance.
Honiara dances for me a bit out of line in the collection of Fort & Manlé, who have played rather with gourmand-spicy and opulent-oriental notes in the previous creations The composition with the name of the capital of the Solomon Islands, on the other hand, is a maritime, fresh and incredibly airy fragrance, fruity and citrusy, of course, also a bit spicy, but everything in a completely different framework than in the last four eaux de parfum. For me, the green colour of the label is reminiscent of the lush forests of the archipelago, which cover two-thirds of the island’s surface. A rather spring-summer creation, but like all other fragrances by Fort & Manlé, it is absolutely suitable for office and everyday use.
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