New from Memo Paris: Ilha do Mel

by: Jodi Battershell

Memo, the Parisian fragrance house founded by John and Clara Molloy in 2007, offers world travel by scent with its three fragrance collections: Les Echappées ("The Escapes"), Cuirs Nomades ("Nomadic Leathers") and Graines Vagabondes ("Vagabond Seeds"). Memo's signature line encapsulates the theme of the house: "The journey is the destination."

The brand launched two scents in 2014, Cuirs Nomades' French Leather and Kedu, the first scent in the Graines Vagabondes collection. Graines Vagabondes takes its inspriation in the humble seed, which holds in its tiny package the power of life and which shares Memo's passion for tribulation and movement. Memo has announced its newest scent, which will be the next edition in the Graines Vagabondes collection: Ilha do Mel.

"Let us sow the seeds of felicity on Ilha do Mel, that island in the shape of a sugary whale. For just the two of us, here is the honey, the mandarin, nothing can separate us: a moon of juniper and vanilla intertwined. Then come the waves of broom, drifting on the surf of my pillow, I have the whole beach to unravel you. Sheltered beneath the rose and hyacinth cover of the Encantadas caves, reason lost in the labyrinth of Camoes. Rays of honey soften the jasmine of my awakening. This sweet, syrupy liquid gives me a musky fever, as the palm trees gently rock your devilish smile. King Vetiver, I'm off to swim in the bubbling waters of joy, come swirl me in your eddy, orange blossom. Alone without iris, I long for your tropics."—Memo press release

Inspired by the beautiful, little-known island just off the coast of Brazil, Ilha do Mel (Portuguese for "Island Honey") features key notes of juniper, broom (genet) and vanilla, supported by mandarin, hyacinth, iris concrete, jasmine absolute, orange blossom absolute, vetiver and musk.

The "seed" motif of the collection is embodied by juniper in Ilha do Mel, which adds mystery and contrasts with the honey-floral bouquet of the scent. Juniper and broom are not plants or aromas traditionally associated with Brazil, but Memo's house perfumer Aliénor Massenet describes their use in Ilha do Mel as part of the fantasy quality of the fragrance.

"Ilha do Mel is a fantasy, a kind of fantasy island like the one in that television series from my childhood, where all dreams could be fulfilled, or like Peter Pan's Neverland," notes Aliénor. "I went in search of flowers that would best correspond to this imaginary landscape; it wasn't a matter of producing a realistic painting."

The fragrance is an Eau de Parfum available in a 75 ml spray atomizer with a woven rattan-like pattern in Memo's signature gold-and-black colors, packaged in a white and gold box. Ilha do Mel will launch in May 2015 online and at select shops and boutiques around the world including Memo's newest distribution partner, Bergdorf Goodman, in the United States.

ABOUT MEMO

Memo was founded by Clara (left) and John Malloy, who met on a chair lift in 2005. Passionate and experienced travelers, the two set off on a long-distance journey together which would eventually lead them on a creative journey and the birth of Memo Paris. Clara, a publisher and fragrance writer, today serves as Creative Director of the house, having met house perfumer Aliénor Massenet while interviewing perfumers for a book.

Memo offers personal fragrances, home fragrances, bath products and bespoke perfume services. It has also published three fragrance-related volumes to date. From the small boutique in which it launched in 2007,Memo has since grown into a world-class luxury brand sold in the finest department stores and boutiques of 22 countries around the world.

Please visit the official website of Memo Paris to learn more, purchase or find a local retailer near you.