Frederic Malle likes to keep us waiting for each new fragrance.
Well, this is so worth the impatient finger-tapping.
The revered Dominique Ropion (below) – one of the world’s top ‘noses’ – created this very innovative launch for Editions de Parfum Frederic Malle. And for anyone who dismisses the blink-and-you-miss-them genre of Colognes as being altogether too fleeting, this has all the pleasure of a Cologne – yet morphs into something altogether more intriguing.
First, though, the freshness: a burst of classic eau de Cologne notes: orange blossom, orange zest, neroli, lemon and bergamot. A wonderful sense-awakener, for the morning. That in itself lasts for an age, compared to most Colognes, but s-l-o-w-l-y gives way to a heart of narcissus, adding floral touches.
The muskiness takes a good hour or so seamlessly to come through – but then it really hangs around: warm, sexy, animalic (and really addictive), with little whispers of Frederic’s come-hither masterpiece, Musc Ravageur. (Read about that here.) When you can’t stop smelling your arm (we couldn’t), that says everything. It’s sexy and clean, all at once – and so intriguing, as a result.
Longer-lasting Cologne? Will 24 hours do for you…? Because that’s how long we could still smell traces of the musky base, on our skin…
And if there’s one thing we’re hoping for from the new partnership between Frederic and the Estée Lauder empire, it’s that we don’t have to wait so long for the next unveiling.
Cologne Indelebile from £110 for 50ml
Buy it at Les Senteurs
Written by Jo Fairley
