The story of Mancera
Having launched Montale in 2003, Pierre Montale created Mancera in 2008. It is neither a secondary line nor a simple rename: the house has its own catalogue and a distinct identity, with glass bottles where Montale favours aluminium. The two brands nonetheless share a Paris boutique on rue Pierre-Charron and the same taste for Middle Eastern-inspired materials. Mancera positions itself in a sweeter, more wearable register, where woods and spices are wrapped in vanilla and musks. Cedrat Boise, in 2011, quickly became one of the house's best-sellers, loved for its blend of citrus, blackcurrant and leathery woods. Instant Crush, in 2019, confirmed this ambery, saffron-laced vein. The house has become a family affair, with a new generation involved in its artistic direction, and it now sells well beyond France, particularly in the Middle East and the United States.
An olfactory signature
Mancera cultivates wearable opulence. Bright citrus opens most compositions, bergamot, lemon and mandarin, before a rich base of woods, vanilla and musk. Cedrat Boise pairs lemon, blackcurrant and patchouli with cedar, leather, sandalwood and vanilla. Instant Crush layers saffron, ginger and citrus over rose, jasmine and amberwood, on sandalwood, oakmoss and vanilla. The result is generous, warm and highly diffusive, the kind of trail that gets noticed. Subtlety is not the goal.
Which Mancera perfume to choose?
Cedrat Boise is the most versatile way in: fresh at first, then woody and leathery, it works all year round. Instant Crush is for lovers of saffron-laced, floral ambers, sweeter and more present, ideal for evenings and winter. Both are powerful, so go easy on the sprays and let them develop on skin.