The daily lemming

Posted by Robin on 20 October 2018 11 Comments

In case you need a new bottle of Frédéric Malle Carnal Flower, En Passant, Iris Poudre, Portrait of a Lady, Musc Ravageur, Lipstick Rose or Bigarade Concentrée. "A foray into the fascinating world of synesthesia, this limited edition of seven classic perfumes by Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle blend scent with colour. Inspired by the work of legendary architect and glassmaker Carlos Scarpa, our iconic 100 mL flacon is transformed by artful daubs of translucent colour; an omnisensorial portrait of the perfume within. Smell in vivid colour." $280 - $390 for 100 ml, available now for pre-order at Neiman Marcus.

Frederic Malle Outrageous ~ fragrance review, with a quick poll

Posted by Jessica on 6 July 2018 24 Comments

I occasionally have a week when I just can’t keep up mentally with all the new fragrance releases, or I’m running short on time and haven’t ordered any samples or visited any stores lately. This was one of those weeks. However, I did share a much-needed coffee catch-up with an old friend, and she surprised me by handing me a little bag of Frédéric Malle samples that she said she longer needed (!). This serendipitous gift seemed like an opportunity for my next review topic, especially when I realized that a few fragrances in the range are still relative strangers to me.

Spritzing on some Outrageous, described as “a cocktail of clean sex appeal” with notes of bergamot, tangerine, green apple, cinnamon, musk and ambroxan, I realized that I’ve never really spent time with this scent before. It was developed for Malle’s Editions des Parfums by perfumer Sophia Grojsman and was originally released in 2007 as an exclusive to Barneys Co-Op, the younger, edgier spin-off of upscale department store Barneys New York. It was then called Outrageous! (with exclamation point, shown above left) and had special, snazzy blue-and-orange packaging…

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Frederic Malle Music For A While ~ fragrance review & quick pineapple poll

Posted by Kevin on 16 May 2018 61 Comments

Allure irrésistible. At a party on Paris’ rive gauche (where the ‘intellectuals’ with black AMEX cards study…party and shop) a woman’s fur coat (SO 80s, SO démodé) is lifted from her bare shoulders, exposing her neck to the candlelight (what about her face?…tiny candle?) Aware of many eyes upon her (“What a NECK!”), she pauses, smiling to herself, before emerging like a conqueror from the shadows. (Doesn’t take much! Sounds like Kim Kardashian, doesn’t it?)

Delete the bold type and this is how Frédéric Malle PR describes Music For A While,* the brand’s latest perfume. I grunt and roll my eyes as I read the fuddy-duddy copy, but as often happens with this brand (its backstories annoy l’enfer out of me), the fragrance makes me smile and present my (non-black) American Express card at Barneys New York…

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