Tasteful, refined, and dichotic are the words that come to mind upon smelling this scent for the first time. The olfactory equivalent of a good mood, Montblanc Legend EDP is just an overall fun time. It’s versatile, long-lasting, and attractive, and it combines woods and leather in unison with jasmine to create a daring men’s fragrance I can easily recommend.
Often receiving comparisons to Abercrombie and Fitch’s Fierce, Legend EDP comes out way ahead. While there are similarities, we feel Legend is much more put together and much less easy to grow out of. Instead, Legend EDP will grow with you.
This, we feel, is its big strength — the cologne is less a living entity in and of itself and more something that conforms to what you are. It shapes itself — or lets you shape it — and therefore becomes something more than a simple liquid sprayed onto your body.
In this Montblanc Legend EDP review, I talk about personal impressions, the scent itself, including a breakdown of the notes, when to wear it, who I think it’s for, performance, and whether or not I can recommend it. Hint: I can.
Without further ado, let’s sniff.
Personal Impressions
I’ve smelled both the original Montblanc Legend EDT and Amercrombie and Fitch’s Fierce, so I had a bit of an idea what I was getting into. I’ll start by saying that, while you can definitely draw lines between these three fragrances, one of the first conclusions I made is that Legend EDP is entirely its own.
I wore this a couple of times, in a couple different environments: the first was a cooler fall day. The second was on a trip in a tropical beach climate. About as different as it can get, test wise.
When I wore it during the fall, the woods played prominently in the opening and mids. I also really enjoyed the violet and thought that the jasmine was done very well (besides being very rare in men’s perfume). As the scent dried down, it warmed up and I thought it fit the fall vibes very well. The leather and oakmoss grounded it and added some masculinity.
Surprisingly, when I wore it in the heat, it worked well there too! Far, far better than I was expecting. I got more of the bergamot in the opening, and the woods felt lighter. The oakmoss actually seemed to brighten the base, preventing the leather from getting too heavy. I actually got a compliment on this wear!
Regardless, I found it to be deep, dynamic, and just an overall good time. It’s the kind of cologne that’s simply fun to wear. All this goes to say that I think Montblanc Legend EDP is very versatile, and will show you a different side of itself depending on where and when you wear it.
Now that we’ve gotten that done, let’s take a look at the note breakdown and the actual smell here.
Scent
Montbland Legend EDP is a floral, woodsy scent for men that I’ve found to be both unique and versatile. Here are the notes that make up Legend EDP:
Top Notes:
- Violet leaves
- Bergamot
Middle Notes:
- Woodsy notes
- Jasmine
- Magnolia
Base Notes:
- Oakmoss
- Leather
I’m a sucker for some violet leaf in a fragrance, particularly when done well. I find it adds emotional depth and thoughtful melancholy. In this instance, it provides the perfect counterpoint to the bergamot in the opening, saving this from being a typical fresh-citrus opening. It doesn’t, however, make this feel melancholy.
Around 20 minutes after the initial spray, the woody notes start to develop, alongside the jasmine and magnolia. These two white florals are heavy in indole (read more about indole here), and are very very sexy, appealing to a primal sort of human instinct. You can read more about jasmine and magnolia here.
The heart of the fragrance, I think, is where it really gets interesting. These two florals are rarely found in men’s perfume, helping make the scent unique and interesting. The woods are also very well done, providing a dark and captivating element that seems to wrap the whole thing in its embrace.
In the base, the oakmoss and leather ensure that your nose remembers that this is, in fact, still a very masculine cologne. The leather also serves to add a sensual smoothness, amping up the charismatic elegance.
The overall vibe of this scent is very enjoyable. It’s mature, but doesn’t smell old. Moreover, it’s very much not a perfume for the wishy-washy youth; it takes a bit more focus and depth to pull off. It’s mysterious and fun.
Overall, Montblanc Legend EDP is fantastic cologne combining woodsy elements with some very interesting florals not typically found in mainstream men’s fragrances.
Performance
Montblanc Legend EDP performs very well, especially for this price point. In terms of regular use (just wearing the scent out, not doing any crazy physical activity), I would say that it lasts around 7-10 hours. On clothes, it lasts even longer, with the violet-woods combination still shining sometimes a few days later.
It projects at about arm’s length for around an hour, before settling to a 1-2 foot radius.
Sillage is good too. For the first hour, you’ll have a pretty far-reaching scent bubble, although it won’t be cloying or overpowering. Afterwards, you’ll have a nice scent bubble maybe two feet in radius. Keep in mind that this is with around two or four sprays.
Overall, performance is quite good.
Who Is This Scent Good For?
Montblanc Legend EDP is a fantastic men’s scent for anyone looking for a unique, floral cologne that is above all versatile. One of the best things about Legend EDP is its ability to work in all sorts of weather conditions and environments while still drawing attention and compliments.
If you’re the kind of person who believes in masculinity as an essence, something shapeable and palpably devoid of definition, this fragrance is for you.
If you’re the kind of man who has a strong moral compass, who knows when to stop and smell the flowers, and who takes pleasure in the small, mundane pleasures of life, this fragrance is for you.
When To Wear It
Absolutely anytime you’d like. While it excels on cool days or at night, this fragrance is more than capable of smelling great at any time, regardless of venue or condition. Legend EDP is a great daily-driver, in that it can be worn both professionally and casually, and still bring in compliments.
I can’t see a time when this wouldn’t work; however, there are better scents for clubbing and I can think of better beach scents.
However, if you’re looking for one fragrance that can do it all, Legend EDP is as good a choice as any — particularly because it smells a lot different from other typical “do-it-all” scents.
Similar Fragrances
If you’re looking for a scent similar to Montblanc’s Legend EDP, we have a few options for you to choose from.
- Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gio Profumo is a timeless scent; it’s the perfume version of an upscale CEO. Aquatic citrus in the opening ADG Profumo dries down into a warm, smoky, slightly spicy scent. It has excellent longevity and is very good at drawing compliments.
- Dior Sauvage is an extremely popular fresh-spicy scent for men, and for good reason. Very masculine and versatile, it’s very close to foolproof style. Highlights include pepper, lavender, patchouli, cedar, and ambroxan.
- Club de Nuit Intense Man by Armaf is musky, vanilla pineapple. Fresh, with similar versatility to Montbland Legend EDP, Club de Nuit Intense is another fragrance that is highly complement prone.
- Bleu de Chanel is a very masculine men’s fragrance. Classy and masculine, it is one of the best modern “blue” scents on the market. Opening with minty citrus, Bleu de Chanel dries down to a woody, musky base. Read our full Bleu de Chanel review for more.
- Azzaro Wanted by Night is a great, youthful scent. Sweet and warm, it’s a bit more cold-weather focused than Legend EDP. However, it’s a similarly “fun” scent that is very enjoyable to wear. Read our full Wanted by Night review for more.
If This Was A Color…
It would be a dark purple, lighter in some places and darker in others.
Where To Buy
Conclusion
Overall, we can easily recommend Montblanc Legend EDP as a fascinating floral scent for the man looking for a more unique daily reach.
We hope you enjoyed this review of Montblanc Legend EDP. Happy sniffing!
