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Portrait of a lady now for sale

post #1 of 23
11/15/10 at 3:39pm
Thread Starter 
Portrait of a Lady now for sale at The Malle Website.
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post #2 of 23
11/15/10 at 3:59pm
Hmmm I wonder if my local Barney's has it in yet
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post #3 of 23
11/15/10 at 9:33pm
Skins here in Amsterdam are supposedly getting it this week... Can't wait to try it!
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post #4 of 23
11/15/10 at 10:52pm
Exciting - this is one I am anticipating greatly. Looking forward to any reviews !
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post #5 of 23
11/20/10 at 1:15pm
I've smelled it already.

It smells like Stella - roses and white muscs...
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post #6 of 23
11/20/10 at 1:38pm
The Barneys in Chicago has a tester, but no bottles actually for sale and no samples yet. I sprayed some on, and really liked it a lot on me. Per Fragrantica, the notes include Turkish rose, raspberry, black currant, cinnamon, clove, patchouli, sandalwood, incense, ambroxan, benzoin and white musk. The rose was fairly subtle, more an earthy patchouli with spices. I was very much impressed.
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post #7 of 23
11/21/10 at 7:27am
Finally had a chance to sniff this one today. Unfortunately, there were no samples to be had (yet), but I tested it first in the 'scent-tube' and have been wearing it now for about 5 hours or so.
Thus far, I'm very impressed. The dominant note of Turkish rose attar is beautifully rendered. The blackcurrant and rasberry lend some sweetness and seem to work very well with the patchouli base. I can definately smell some white musk too which is very pleasant. As for any sandalwood or incense, well, my untrained nose doesn't really detect much at all. Thankfully, the rose doesn't turn to cat-pee on me as some roses can. Rather, the scent has a very clean, luxurious feel to it. Longevity seems great too.
Price-wise, this is in the same bracket at carnal flower - 115 pounds for 50ml.
So, my first impressions are good.
Would I even consider buying this one though?
No. I can appreciate it as a very fine scent, but berries just don't figure among my personal preferences.
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post #8 of 23
11/21/10 at 7:52am
Very expensive for a Rose fragrance, when it's a note regularly very well explored in the relatively cheaper middle eastern perfumery. But still the notes sound fantastic, I can't wait to try it.
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post #9 of 23
11/21/10 at 1:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Furriner View Post

The Barneys in Chicago has a tester, but no bottles actually for sale and no samples yet. I sprayed some on, and really liked it a lot on me. Per Fragrantica, the notes include Turkish rose, raspberry, black currant, cinnamon, clove, patchouli, sandalwood, incense, ambroxan, benzoin and white musk. The rose was fairly subtle, more an earthy patchouli with spices. I was very much impressed.

I can't wait to get back to the US and try this one. I really.can't.wait!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the impressions !
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post #10 of 23
11/22/10 at 10:41am
There are two Frederic Malle Workshops here in Amsterdam tomorrow, and it seems like Portrait of a Lady is officially launched in connection to those. I wonder if any BNers will attend...?
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post #11 of 23
11/22/10 at 10:45am
You go tott, and report back after!
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post #12 of 23
11/22/10 at 10:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by pelle View Post

You go tott, and report back after!

I am going, will report...
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post #13 of 23
11/22/10 at 4:32pm
The concentration of Portarit of a lady is 12.5% (or maybe 14%....??)
the sillage is good - it's done by Ropinion who is the master of sillage..
I sprayed myself liberally in the shop today and went home. As I entered the room I was asked what I was wearing, because i smelled amazing...
To say the truth , form the first sniff I havent liked it, but now I am thinking of buying PoaL. The same has happend with Dans tes bras - firstly I did not like, but later I bought it.
Portarait of a lady is not very ,,rosy", it's not oily as Une Rose.. It's abstract. The beauty of this perfume opens on the skin - you smell the same warm incensy-muscy accord as in Geranium pour monsieur...Portrait of a lady is not shady as Paestum Rose or theatralic as Rose Barbare. Very light drift of smoke whispers to you it's a sophisticated perfume.
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post #14 of 23
11/24/10 at 2:17am
So, I went to the workshop. We basically got to smell different raw materials and their corresponding Frederic Malle fragrances. It was educational to be able to smell the different ingredients in their pure form and to then pick them out in the fragrances. I already had a good general idea of most of the materials, but it felt good to get my impressions refined and confirmed.

But anyway, on topic: we got to try Portrait of a Lady. It is a big and spicy, woody, musky rose. Huge and very tenacious. I'm wearing Black Aoud today and they definitely have a shared vibe with the big rose and aoud, although Portrait of a Lady feels more sophisticated and sumptuous. Very nice!
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post #15 of 23
11/24/10 at 2:28am
Thanks tott - looking forward to this one arriving here!

The workshop sounds like fun - hope they take this idea on the road too.
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post #16 of 23
12/5/10 at 2:25am
I'm going to find a way to smell this frag. =(
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post #17 of 23
12/7/10 at 8:11am
The name is presumptuous. I mean-Dominique Ropion has to equal the magnificence of the Henry James novel. But, he did create Carnal Flower; does he have it in him to create another masterpiece? Somehow, I don't feel the urge to order... My vim and vigor has atrophied into rigor. Maybe I'm getting too old to be a perfumista. Maybe, I've become jaded and complacent. It doesn't help that it costs a small fortune to order 3 samples from the Frederic Malle Website. So, for the time being, I'll have to remain ignorant where this new perfume is concerned.
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post #18 of 23
12/7/10 at 8:37am
I'm a fan of Ropion & the F Malle line but not its prices...
Btw, would you consider this a 'unisex' or more towards the 'feminine' side?
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post #19 of 23
12/7/10 at 8:43am
It is massively expensive but I promise you that 2 sprays will last you 10/12 hours easily . Definatly unisex , maybe 60/40 feminine but so excessible for everyone I would say , best release of 2010 for me
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post #20 of 23
12/7/10 at 10:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by gandhajala View Post

So, my first impressions are good.
Would I even consider buying this one though?
No. I can appreciate it as a very fine scent, but berries just don't figure among my personal preferences.

Well, after re-visiting this one three times in the past 2 weeks, I may have to eat my words, for it seems I'm not half as averse to the berries as I thought I was. I'm now very, very impressed. The scent is also incredibly tenacious - I can still detect it very clearly on a scarf I wore over a fortnight ago.
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post #21 of 23
12/17/10 at 5:59am
Count me in as a fanboy of both Dominic Ropion and this lady! To me its eveything other spicy woody rose fragrances have tried to do but failed. I agree with the Black Aoud vibe, but there is sooooo much more finesse at work here than in the Montale. And I like Black Aoud very much, but its like drinking a $10 bottle of wine that is very good, but then tasting a $200 bottle of wine and being transported. Bravo Mr. Ropion and Mr. Malle.

Regards,
Steve
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post #22 of 23
12/17/10 at 6:49am
It's a nice perfume, don't like the berries top note, the rose is beautiful but nothing groundbreaking. The main probleme is that incredible price (i still prefer buy a cheaper Rose de nuit bottle ).
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post #23 of 23
1/27/11 at 6:51am
I smelled this for the first time today and loved it... there is a very lovely underlying patch/musk accord which, when mixed with the berry notes reminds me very much of these:



I rather like it!
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