Angeliques Sous La Pluie (2000)
by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle

Wet nettles, crushed coriander seeds , peppercorns. Just. Can only tell this is present by sniffing my clean skin and then keeping going over the scent. I can't justify my perfume pounds on something so ephemeral, so, whilst the scent is fine it's getting a thumbs down .

30th October, 2011.

Fresh and crisp but woefully evanescent. ANGELIQUES SOUS LA PLUIE seems such a fancy name for a scent that reminds me, of all things...the laundry! Oh well, it's perfectly suited for the Emperor's new clothes...

16th October, 2011.

I quite like ASLP and despites the name I think it's more a masculine. It opens with a crispy, bitter and somehow fresh angelica accord that quicklsy settles down turning the whole thing to be a clean and trasparent cedar-musc scent. Minimalistic and not very complex but absolutely pleasant and yet quite distinctive. My only disappointment is for the price. A serious contendant if just cheaper.

26th March, 2011. (Last Edited: 4th April, 2011.)

I’m no fan of this scent’s top notes: an unduly abrasive woody amber distracts from the pleasantly bitter, crisp, stemmy angelica accord. Things improve a great deal with time however, as a warm yet clean musk, some very subtle spices, and the unmistakable herbaceous accent of artemisia (wormwood) emerge to round out and balance the woody amber.

Once this transparent, dry, but oddly refreshing arrangement is established, Angéliques sous la Pluie presents one of the more cogent arguments in favor of Jean-Claude Elléna’s by now familiar minimalist style. So long as it lasts, Angéliques sous la Pluie offers all of this style’s watercolor luminosity, but with far more vitality than Elléna’s emaciated efforts for Hermès have managed.

I say “so long as it lasts” because once the opening woody amber salvo settles down this is an understated fragrance, and I can barely detect it at all after an hour’s wear, no matter how much I apply. Olfactory habituation or transience I cannot tell you, but it’s a fleeting experience for me either way. Still, if you’re looking for a distinctive, but subtle clean-yet-warm skin scent, Angéliques sous la Pluie is worth investigating.

19th March, 2011.

Very nice, very green, very cool. one the best from FM house!

12nd March, 2011.

Jean-Claude Ellena, How can you make a composition so beautiful that only lasts on your skin for an hour at best? This is the cruelest sample I have ever tried. It starts off peppery and vibrant. I smell cedar woods in the background with a dewy garden in the foreground. I have never smelled angelica but the hint of a floral aspect makes this softer than other Hermes compositions I have smelled of Ellena's.
This is really not all that different from the sur le nil in the feeling but I prefer this. Less fruit and less of a tangy transparent musk. BUT, this has half the staying power of sur le nil. Sadly, this is too intangible. Though, If this were double the strength I would buy a bottle and live in it.

3rd March, 2011.