frederic malle: 26 posts

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Frédéric Malle Une Fleur de Cassie inspires a comparison with espresso–the initial bitterness serves as a prelude for the caramelized and nutty undertones. Similarly, the dark powdery opening of Une Fleur de Cassie hides the warmth of violets and rose wrapped in mimosa. The fragrance also has an odd wet paper note before it takes an unexpected twist into the almond and violet. It’s an acquired taste, but once I acquired it, I fell in love with Une Fleur de Cassie’s juxtaposition of accords and tonalities.

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Lys Mediterranee is a lily in the floral bouquet of Frédéric Malle Editions de Parfums, which includes two lush roses (Lipstick Rose and Une Rose), indolic jasmine (Le Parfum de Thérèse), rain drenched lilac (En Passant), elegant iris (Iris Poudré), sensual tuberose (Carnal Flower) and powdery mimosa (Une Fleur de Cassie). Woven by its creator, Edouard Fléchier, from several different lilies, it shines like dew drops on a large white flower floating in a bowl of water. Its heady sweet aroma is underscored by the succulent verdancy and aquatic transparency, giving a sensation of a cold waxy petal and golden pollen that spills leaving a dusty trail.

The linear nature of Lys Méditerranée and its static crystalline beauty are liable to leave me cold. On the one hand, it makes me think of lily symbolizing purity and, on another, of its funereal associations. Lily as a dominant theme has an effect of a cold crispness, which I find lovely but distant, wishing for a soft velvety touch to balance out the chilliness. …

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

“The icicles, which seemed to have been deliberately hung in different lengths from all the eaves, were incredibly beautiful and looked like waterfalls of crystal,” writes Sei Shonagon in The Pillow Book, a beguiling example of the classical Japanese prose from the 10th century. The silvery glitter of ice, the sparkling expanse of whiteness with an occasional glimpse of bare black branches, the metallic taste of snow on the lips–winter instills serenity and melancholy in the scenes that ordinarily would strike one as quotidian. The chill of winter in fragrances is usually expressed through the usage of the icy notes of iris, the white musk accords marked by the radiant metallic freshness as well the touches of ozonic elements to create the crisp effect of cold air.

Jean-Claude Ellena’s Frédéric Malle L’Eau d’Hiver (2003) and Paul & Joe Blanc (2003) are often compared, however while there are similarities, the fragrances are sufficiently different that a predilection for one would not necessarily mean liking for another. Yet, they both share the white powdery accord woven into the arrangement. Jean-Claude Ellena cites Après l’Ondée as his inspiration for L’Eau d’Hiver, which took the classical structure of the Guerlain classic, refined it to the essential features and added a scintillating hesperidic top. …

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Frédéric Malle Carnal Flower explores the sensuality of tuberose rendering white blossoms both as if bathed in the sunlight and touched by the evening shadows. In the Victorian language of flowers, tuberose signified dangerous pleasures, while in India young girls were warned against inhaling its aphrodisiac scent after dark, lest it lead them into trouble.

Its herbaceous verdant opening notes interspersed with tart shimmer of bergamot are structured as a crescendo leading to a heady burst of petals. The heart is comprised of creamy tuberose layered with lacy jasmine notes, their richness complementing the unique hot rubber and warm skin facet that hides underneath the white voluptuous petals of tuberose. …

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

The orange opening Frédéric Malle Noir Epices is dark and dimly lit, as opposed to sparkling like a handful of glitter. Touched by the soft apricot notes, rose begins to unfold gently, wrapped in a foil of velvety green and herbal notes. The moment the orange sweetness is dimmed, the transition is akin to throwing open a door into an idealized vision of a souk, where spices are displayed in colorful mounds.

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