Reviews of Putain des Palaces (2006)
by Etat Libre d'Orange

I think this will turn out to be one of my top favourites of this year. It is a floral but it also has that incense or animalic note from Rien that is just incredible. In Rien it is there with nothing else to make it a little bit prettier and more wearable, it's an aquired taste and hard to pull off on a day to day basis. PdP has the art aspect of Rien, the complexity and art is in there but it is made more wearable by the florals. It is balanced wonderfully well and there is a harmony between the easy pretty side and the edgy notes. I get tons of compliments wearing this as well and for me it'sd a perfect combination between something you can wear daily but that won't bore you either.

I'm not a big fan of the ELOs, but I adore this scent. What surprises me, though, is how no one can mention the lovely, lovely RAUNCH of this scent. Yes, it is powdery. Yes, there are florals. But on me this scent is pure sex, and I think naming it after an elegant whore is an apt description of what it is. Seductive, elegant, and dirty.

That said - weirdly, no one else I've tested this scent on seems to smell the animalic notes, even when they so incredibly powerful to me. Perhaps my nose is just overly sensitive? My partner does especially like this scent -- I wonder if the animalic notes register subconsciously as he describes the smell as "just pretty flowers" but it still does seem to have the desired effect. :-)

If you like your perfumes with a dash of raunch, you will love this magical stuff.

I like how the rose and violet seem to fight for attention in the top notes but the "face powder" note latches onto them and puts them in their place. A nice powdery floral. After a while it becomes a powdery woody leather. The leather creeps in and scares me a little but overall I find this perfume pleasing. As for the name, it's a good thing I don't know that much French.

Just LOVE this juice - the flowers in the opening are fresh and lively - the hint of ginger and leather (!) hover for a while and all settle into a luxurious warm-body cover. Tres luxe!!

Rose, violet and leather, Putain des Palaces reminds me of Armani Privé Cuir Amethyste. PdP is less ethereal, a bit sweeter, but still quite sophisticated. It has a certain "soapiness" and "powderiness" that smell expensive. My favourite from the line, the scent is much more chic than its tasteless name.