1993 was the year that E. Ungaro released the third and final scent of what was to become the trilogy. It became this in hindsight and not long after Ungaro III was available, it was turned over for reformulation. The news of this was an utter disappointment for fans of the superior rose masculine that is Ungaro III. The original release of III was "Made in France" and the reformulation was "Made in Italy".
Having owned the original and sample worn the re-release, I admit that the original was the best. Actually, I have sampled a "few" of the reformulations and they differ slightly to one another, yet they are still a worthy purchase.
Ungaro III is all about a different interpretation of rose. It is implemented on a backdrop of fresh and oriental ideas. Ungaro III opens with a citric blast that's dark, woody and spicy. It somehow maintains an air of buoyancy that's in opposition to what erupts out of the bottle.
The lavender in the top accord is interesting and at odds with the spicy citrus, yet they fulfill the saying that opposites attract. Rosewood is present from the very beginning and teams up with the floral heart. These players make for an enjoyable 10 minutes or so before order is restored.
The rose note in Ungaro III is very dense and moist. I don't find it a conventional version at all, but I have always liked it and still do. It's as if it's a hybrid that's been bred for masculinity. The fresh quality is inexplicably still present, but has shrunk toward the back of the pack by this time.
The base is oriental in nature, but Ungaro III never reverts to being obvious about it. The base doesn't have an easy time getting out from under the top and heart accords. They are never unveiled completely on my skin and I've worn this enough times to notice. It does succeed however in becoming more leathery than anything else. The wood, van-amber, moss, musk and patchouli quietly enable Ungaro III to maintain that "full" quality, but it's a subtle leather that comes to the fore in the drydown.
Sillage is very respectable and longevity is better than average. No doubt Ungaro III gets a thumbs up in spite of me becoming melancholy over the fact that this one will never return.
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