Frederick Malle Decants

Trying out two classics from Frederic Malle today - Portrait of a Lady and Carnal Flower.

Portrait of a Lady - A very complex dusty rose with a generous amount of patchouli, spices, and incense. I generally enjoy rose + patchouli and this is no exception. My current favorites in said category are YSL's Rouge Velours, which has my #1 favorite rose opening of any perfume, and Serge Lutens' La Fille de Berlin, which is jammier with a unique metallic undercurrent. This is different with the added woods, spices and incense, making it more mature and complex. It's an elegant, beautiful, dark, brooding perfume. The projection is very good. 10/10 for the artistry. I am not sure when I would wear this, as it seems rather serious and formal, but I do like it a lot.

Carnal Flower - I am the biggest tuberose fan so this one has been on my sniff list for awhile. It is a very green tuberose - not overly sweet, and very natural, with a hint of coconut and unripe melon. Much greener and less sweet than I was expecting. I would find more occasions to wear this than POAL, but I already have Diptyque's Do Son, which I *think* I enjoy more. I will have to do a proper comparison in the near future. A beautiful scent but only if you love tuberose! 9/10