Memo Paris released Ithaque in 2023 as a tribute to Ithaca, the mythical island home of Ulysses. Perfumer Marypierre Julien built it as a modern chypre: sparkling citrus up top, a tart berry and floral heart, and a restrained cedar base. Community reception is genuinely split. The brand’s own page shows 92 percent five-star reviews, Silloria users score it 4.2 out of 5, yet Scentbird voters average just 3.7 across nearly 200 ratings. That gap tells you this is a fragrance people either click with or shrug off.
What Does Memo Paris Ithaque Smell Like?
The opening hits hard and fast. Bergamot oil, bitter orange and mandarin arrive together, sharpened by pink pepper, Sichuan pepper and black pepper. The effect is bracing, almost effervescent, like coastal light over open water. Some noses find this phase too sharp, so test on skin before committing to a full bottle.
As the top fades, the character pivots toward fruit. Blackcurrant bud absolute leads, backed by redcurrant, juniper berries, raspberry and a clean dose of Egyptian jasmine. This transition surprises people who expect a linear citrus scent: the tart, green berry accord reads more like crushed currant leaves than jam. It is fresh but not aquatic, fruity but not gourmand.
The drydown is short and simple. Texas cedar and Indonesian patchouli settle in with a faintly earthy warmth. There is no vanilla and no amber, which is exactly why the finish feels composed rather than loud.
Performance
Realistic longevity runs six to ten hours on skin, with the first hour projecting about an arm’s length before pulling back to a close-wearing scent. Reviewers consistently describe the sillage as moderate and note it is no room-filler. Two practical caveats come up repeatedly: it fades faster on dry skin, and it loses most of its presence in winter cold.
Value is where consensus turns critical. Community reviewers flatly label it overpriced near the 340 dollar retail for 75ml. Discounted 30ml bottles have appeared around 117 dollars, and at that level the math becomes far more forgiving.
Best Clone Or Alternative
Perfume Parlour sells Odyssey Isle 0560 in the UK as an explicit Ithaque dupe for about 14 pounds per 30ml. It follows the same pyramid: peppered citrus over currant bud and jasmine with a cedar and patchouli base. In practice it captures the tart, green personality well, though the blend is thinner and longevity often drops to four to six hours.
If you want the Ithaque vibe for everyday rotation, the clone is an easy call. Buy the original if you care about smoother natural materials, better diffusion in the early hours and the bottle itself. A sensible path is trying the clone first and upgrading only if you reach for it constantly.
When To Wear It
This is a daytime fragrance first and foremost. Community voting rates it excellent for spring and summer days, moderate in fall, and not ideal at night or in winter. The citrus and berry brightness handles warm mornings well, while the cedar base adds enough body for cool autumn afternoons. It suits the office, casual outings and relaxed daytime dates because it stays polite and close to the skin.
Who Should Buy It
Ithaque fits anyone who wants a fresh, unisex citrus chypre without sweetness or heavy amber. If you like tart fruit handled in an adult way, or you found classics like Terre d’Hermes too earthy, this occupies pleasant middle ground. Fans of Creed Aventus and Louis Vuitton Imagination often shortlist it for the same bright, woody-fresh lane.
Who Should Skip It
Skip it if you judge fragrances strictly by hours of projection per dollar, since community sentiment already flags the price. Skip it if you prefer sweet or dense scents, because there is almost no sugar here. Skip it as a signature for cold climates and evening wear, where it underperforms. And skip the full-price bottle if you are merely curious: sample it or start with the clone first.
Final Verdict
Ithaque is a well-made, easygoing citrus chypre with a distinctive currant heart, a clean woody exit and a sharp opening that divides opinion. Its weaknesses are modest performance, weak cold-weather showing and steep retail pricing. Hunt down a discount, or lean on Perfume Parlour’s Odyssey Isle 0560 as a budget stand-in, and you capture most of what makes this fragrance appealing without the premium tax.