frederic malle – This Side of Perfume

Portrait of a Lady: Take 2

September 30, 2017

Fragrance reformulation is a huge topic of conversation in perfumeland, and for good reason. Everything is eventually reformulated these days. Even if the original composition is both IFRA-compliant and a best-seller, brands are always looking for ways to produce their compositions in a less expensive way, and tweak the formula accordingly.

Reformulation came up when I was discussing Portrait of a Lady with Undina. PoaL is a dear favorite of hers, but I had only recently tried it (I wrote about it here last November). Undina kindly sent me a small sample from her PoaL bottle so that I could test it against my own more recent sample and report back the results.

I was curious if the two versions would smell different immediately at first sniff. The answer is: they don’t. That beautifully spiced rose is there. It’s clearly still the same inherent DNA with both versions. I find the difference lies in the patchouli heart and in how the two develop on my skin. I originally thought the patchouli was rich and bold in my sample. In trying Undina’s PoaL, there’s even more of a richness to the patchouli. It’s not overpowering, but there is clearly a depth in the development that my sample just doesn’t achieve.

I also find my sample more powdery (something I mentioned in my original write-up) but there’s none of that in Undina’s PoaL. The rose is balanced in Undina’s. It’s fully developed, and has a softness to it at the same time. But it doesn’t come across as powdery to my nose. In fact, when wearing the two on each wrist, the powderiness of my more recent sample is really striking. I’m not sure what the FM team could have added (or subtracted) from older formulas to create that, or why they would want a more powdery effect? Of course, it could also be a strange fluke of my skin chemistry.

Reformulations can be a real frustration, and the bane of some perfume-lover’s existence. It raises some interesting questions though. If brands continue to reformulate their compositions on a regular basis, can there be a “definitive” version of a fragrance? Does that make the original batch the “truest” version of a fragrance?

One of the reasons I bought Gabrielle was to own a bottle from an early batch. In waiting years to test Portrait of a Lady, did I wait too long? I think my recent sample is lovely, but I’m really grateful I got to test an older composition as well. Like I said, it’s still recognizable as the same fragrance. It still has the same inherent DNA, but there are differences. Undina’s PoaL gives me a different experience with that truly full-bodied patchouli. It’s just a gorgeous perfume, and even more worthy of Isabel Archer.

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A huge thank you to Undina for letting me test out her gorgeous PoaL!

Photo taken by me.

Dries Van Noten par Frederic Malle

November 13, 2014

Notes: sandalwood, gaiac wood, tonka bean, vanilla, saffron, jasmine, musk, bergamot, lemon, nutmeg, cloves, patchouli, woody notes, and Peru balsam.

I was excited when I first heard that Dries Van Noten was getting a fragrance, but I assumed it would be along the typical mass market lines of something like Viktor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb. But Monsieur Van Noten himself has apparently long been a fan of Frederic Malle’s Editions, and this collaboration between the two men (plus the nose of the fragrance, Bruno Jovanovic) is a somewhat unique product. It is part of Frederic Malle’s line, while also reflective of Dries Van Noten and his designs.

Dries Van Noten is a Belgian designer who is notable for his use of rich prints and textures. There is also his cerebral, yet somewhat relaxed approach to fashion. He doesn’t show haute couture, instead preferring to stick with ready-to-wear collections for men and women. I look forward to his collections because he always shows interesting and well thought-out work, even if I wouldn’t personally want to wear each and every garment.

Sandalwood is the focal point of Dries Van Noten the fragrance, automatically putting this composition in the warm and woody category. In other reviews, people have found this fragrance overly sweet and might classify it as a gourmand. For me, this is not the case. I’m the self-professed queen of gourmand scents, but Dries Van Noten reads quite dry on me. Despite the vanilla and tonka bean, this is not a creamy, dessert-like sandalwood scent for me. Obviously your mileage may vary!

Even though I don’t find this fragrance to be particularly sweet, I do still find that it gives a lot of warmth. It’s a rich fragrance in that the sandalwood and other woody notes (helped by patchouli) have a lot of depth and staying-power. But the dryness gives a somber effect, which I actually find appropriate since this composition is based around a Belgian winter. Don’t worry, the somber mood doesn’t mean that this is a dreary perfume, but I wouldn’t characterize it as a bright or lively affair.

The citrus notes ensure that there is a much-needed touch of lightness in this composition. The bergamot and lemon together give the impression of coming in out of the cold for a cup of earl grey tea with lemon. It’s nicely warming without being too heavy. Indeed, for a scent with a lot of depth to it, Dries Van Noten wears in a surprisingly light manner. This might be a good time to talk about the projection, which is low. This is a quiet scent that stays close to the skin. I find that makes it very wearable and approachable, but if you’re looking for a scent with more projection, cross this one off the list.

There is some development in this composition, as the dry down ushers in a musky effect, layered with hints of jasmine. But the development is subtle, and the dry sandalwood remains noticeable all throughout wear time. In the end, Dries Van Noten is a lovely, but slightly odd fragrance. It’s a little bit sobering, and content to stay mostly quiet on the skin. But in this quietness, it is perhaps a nice reflection of Monsieur Van Noten’s own cerebral approach to design. And of course there is an elegance in the perfume’s subtlety, and it’s probably one of the most wearable fragrances for cold weather. I don’t yet own a full bottle of any of the Frederic Malle line and, because of the wearability factor, I could see this being the one for me.

Dries Van Noten par Frederic Malle is available from Barney’s New York. Samples are available from The Perfumed Court, which is where I obtained mine.

Image and info on the notes are from Fragrantica.