Putain Des Palaces by Etat Libre d'Orange, 2006

I wanted to like this better than I do. The concept of a ditzy floral top hiding a raunchy animal bottom isn't bad, though it's certainly been done plenty of times before. Unfortunately, neither the top nor the bottom are particularly striking or engaging here . The rose/violet top has a weird singed note in it -- over-processed hair? burning mattress? -- that seems like it might develop into something interesting, but ends up fading into the general muddy mess of the base. The face powder note is quite recognizable, but for me it's a smell I've always disliked. The sweaty "animal notes" are certainly there, too, but it's not sexy sweat. It's like the sweat of a heavy, exhausted body. If this is a high-priced call-girl, this is not what she smells like on her way to a date, or even during. This is what she smells like at the end of the night, back in her apartment, smoking a cigarette and too tired to wash her make-up off. Altogether, this scent conjures up exactly what the name implies to me -- something that is supposed to be glamorous and exciting, but ends up a little unhappy and entirely conventional. If that's what the perfumers intended, bravo -- but I don't want to smell like this.