I have mentioned before that I spent some time as part of a summer share in a house on Shelter Island, NY. It was a beautiful serene respite from the hustle and bustle of the urban day-to-day. Nestled between the terminal North and South Forks of Long Island we were a ferry ride away from the rarified air of the Hamptons. I always got a weird vibe from our visits there as it felt like some of the worst parts of the city had found a beach home. Which is why I enjoyed being out there in the fall with most of the houses boarded up and only a few hardy people walking the dunes in the chilly air. In the hotel I would stay at during these visits the common room always greeted me with a roaring fire, leather chairs, and vases of fresh flowers. When I received my sample of the new perfumes from Une Nuit Nomade based on the Montauk area of Long Island; it was Memory Hotel which reminded me strongly of these autumn getaways.
Philippe Solas (top) and Alexandra Cubizolles
The creative directors behind Une Nuit Nomade are Alexandra Cubizolles and Philippe Solas who collaborate with perfumer Annick Menardo for Memory Motel. Mme Cubizolles and M. Solas met while traveling and together they decided to make a travel inspired perfume line. The first set of releases were based on their initial meeting in Bali. Now the latest two releases are meant to capture Montauk as fragrance. Memory Motel refers to the place Andy Warhol bought out in the Hamptons. For the fragrance they wanted to capture the moment in time when the Rolling Stones set up shop there to record their album “Black and Blue”. This translates into a warm resinous perfume. Memory Motel is not the stage version of the Stones this is the idea of musicians working out their material behind the scenes. It is subtle with many of the best traits of Mme Menardo’s style on display.
Annick Menardo
It opens with an opaque incense swirling in curls of smoke. It has the slightly silvery essence of good incense. Through the opacity of the resins iris and carnation arise to form a second filter through which to experience this perfume. In the base is where we get the rock and roll as leather, patchouli, tobacco, and vanilla combine in the idea of the band sitting in a room figuring out their new material.
Memory Motel has 8-10 hour longevity and moderate sillage.
I must admit this never quite coalesces as a fragrance of rock and roll. I kept being reminded of my autumn trips to Sag Harbor which is more sabbatical than “Satisfaction”.
Disclosure: This review is based on a sample purchased from Une Nuit Nomade.
–Mark Behnke
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