Let's Talk About: Montblanc Legend

Montblanc Legend was initially released in April of 2011 as a scent for "inspiring, virtuous, and self-confident men who are courageous  passionate, and authentic." Whatever that means. I feel like the key to creating a successful cologne description is to throw together some power adjectives and make the cologne sound like it embodies the same qualities as the consumer.

But that's besides the point...

In today's post I'm going to be reviewing Montblanc Legend as well as its flankers, Legend Spirit and Legend Night. Montblanc Legend is, hands-down, one of the best office scents I have ever experienced. It is smooth, refined, and classy as hell. From the sleek bottle design to the powerful juice inside, this stuff is one-- or three- scents that you need to try out. 



Montblanc Legend (2011)

Somewhat ironically, the original Legend was actually the last one I bought. I knew what it smelt like because I have used the shower gel, but I never actually owned the EDT spray. So when I finally did get my hands on it, I wasn't overly excited to try it out. 

Honestly, I was expecting maybe six hours out of this one, but its performance blew me away. Even more surprising is that it is really a citrus-heavy scent, and as you know, citrus-based scents don't usually last too long.

Montblanc Legend EDT (100ml)

The composition of the original Legend is super nice. We have lavender, pineapple, bergamot, and lemon verbena at the top, oakmoss, apple, dried fruit notes, rose, and geranium in the middle, and sandalwood and Tonka beans at the bottom. When I initially apply this one I immediately get a strong burst of citrus with the pineapple, lemon and bergamot. As it begins to settle on my skin, I get a subtle hint of lavander and sandalwood, which becomes more prominent as the fragrance dries down. 

I would definitely say sandalwood is in my top three favorite notes. It just has a really nice, calming effect on me

I never really get any of the floral notes in Legend though which isn't too big of a deal to me.

In terms of performance, I got a solid nine hours with an hour of pretty good projection. Legend leaves a very nice scent trail; it is definitely more subtle than other in-your-face kind of fragrances. I think that's what makes it a great office scent.

Montblanc Legend goes for $92 retail price for a 100ml bottle, but you can find this one for much cheaper at discount outlets like fragrancex. I bought a 100ml for $39! That's a $53 difference. I would definitely recommend you take a look at discount sites for this one, but if you insist on buying retail, I do think $92 is a very reasonable price!

Overall, I would give this one a 9.5/10. Its composition is really nice, and I love the sandalwood in it, but it loses half a point for the projection factor. 

Legend Spirit (2016)

Montblanc Legend Spirit takes the original composition and transforms it into a blue fragrance. In addition to adding aquatic notes, it includes pepper and cardamom which give it a subtle hint of spiciness. 

Montblanc Legend Spirit EDT (30ml)

The composition for Legend Spirit is simpler than that of its predecessor, but as you may know, a lot of times the simpler a fragrance the better, and this is one of those times. At the top, we have bergamot, pink pepper, and grapefruit, in the middle there's lavender, cardamom, and water notes, and at the bottom there's oak moss, white musk, white woods, and cashmere wood. When I first apply this, I get a blast of the water notes fused with the bergamot and grapefruit. Similar to the original Legend, as Legend Spirit dries down, I get a lot of the lavender mixed with some of the spices and eventually the musk.

What I love about Legend Spirit is that it projects on and off throughout the day. So while I get a solid hour of nice projection at first, it continues to project sporadically throughout the life of the fragrance. And it's a really long life! I get twelve hours when wearing this one! Albeit, the majority of that time is spent as predominantly a skin scent, but like I said, it will just randomly start projecting again for short intervals.

Legend Spirit, in my opinion, is the king of office scents. While it's less refined than the original, it smells very professional. It's definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a new office scent.

So how much is this one going to cost you? At retail, the same amount: $75 for a 50ml, $92 for a 100ml, and $120 for a 200ml. I bought a 30ml bottle from Marshalls for $30, but you can buy a 100ml from fragrance discounters for $40. Trust me, when I run out of Legend Spirit, I'm definitely going to buy a bigger bottle from fragrancex. 

Overall, I would give this a 10/10. It really doesn't get any better than this!

Legend Night (2017)

The newest Legend flanker, Legend Night, definitely stands-out from its two predecessors. I'm not sure if Montblanc was going for a different kind of fragrance with this one, but it is almost nothing like the first two. In my opinion, Legend Night is more of an intimate scent perhaps best worn at night for a date or other intimate gathering. It's definitely not an office scent though. 

Montblanc Legend Night EDP (30ml)

The composition is still pretty nice though, don't get me wrong. At the top, we have bergamot, clary sage, mint, and cardamom, in the middle there's cedar, lavender, apple, and violet, and at the bottom there's vetiver, black vanilla husk, patchouli, and musk. When I spray this one on I get the vanilla, mint, and sage. As it begins to dry down, I get a lot of the lavender and some of the fruity notes. The problem with Legend Night is that it dries down way too quickly, becoming a skin-scent after only 30 minutes. 

Fragrance reviewer, Max Forti, has referred to this one as a darker version of Versace Eros which I do somewhat agree with. It has the mint, apple, and vanilla that Eros has, but in terms of performance and projection, it does not even come close to Eros.

Performance-wise, it lasts nowhere near as long as Legend and Legend Spirit. I get a solid 6 hours, which definitely isn't bad, but it's only half the longevity of Legend Spirit. Legend Night is a great example of an EDP not performing as well as an EDT. A lot of times, people will assume that the higher the concentration the better the fragrance, but that's not always the case. Legend Night proves it.

The one thing that is certain with a higher concentration is that it is going to cost more. Legend Night costs $96 at retail value for a 100ml bottle. While it only costs $4 more than the other two, I just don't think the quality of Legend Night is worth that much, so make sure you check-out discounters for this one. It is pretty unique and pleasant, but unless you can find it for $30 or less, I wouldn't spend the money. 

Overall, I would give this one a 6/10 solely for the unique composition.

Conclusion

While each Montblanc Legend is deserving of its own merits, I have to say that my favorite is Legend Spirit. It was actually the first one I bought and it has done very nicely for me. I love the pineapple and sandalwood notes in the original and the vanilla/mint in Legend Night, but there's just something indescribable about the aquatic essence of Legend Spirit. It's one of the few fragrances I would call perfect. Now, that's not to say that it's ideal for every situation, but for most, I think it's just a great choice.

Montblanc, being known for their expensive pens, really surprised me with their line of fragrances. I was expecting maybe the same performance you would expect from a celebrity scent, but I was pleasantly surprised with what I got. I definitely think you should check out this line. You won't be disappointed...unless you just buy Legend Night, then you might be a little disappointed.

-Ryan S.

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