Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady

The newest fragrance from Frederic Malle is Portrait of a Lady created by Dominique Ropion.  Named after the Victorian era novel by Henry James, this gorgeous fragrance features top notes of cinnamon and raspberry; middle notes of Turkish rose essence and rose absolute, sandalwood and incense; and base notes of amber and patchouli.  It is an Eau de Parfum, EdP. 

REVIEWS

Theperfumedcourt - 5 Stars - 10/29/2011
"Cannot even begin to describe how utterly LOVELY this is."

Theperfumedcourt - 5 Stars 7/29/2014
"Very baroque with many layers of scents displayed like arppegio. To my nose, it smells oud and incense mostly. Strongly reminded of YSL m7."

Theperfumedcourt - 5 Stars 4/1/2014
"You need to get a sample of this stuff. It's such lovely combo of jammy raspberry roses and rooty patchouli. Ugh if I could swim in this stuff I totally would."

Theperfumedcourt - 5 Stars - By Jermel on 1/14/2013
"Such an amazing rose/incense fragrance. However the name is unfortunate because it is certainly a unisex fragrance. I received three compliments from the ladies when I wore this out. Fellows...do not let this one slip under the radar."

Theperfumedcourt - 5 Stars - By Richard on 6/14/2012
"Opens with dark, damp rose, fruity raspberry, and minty geranium. It then fades with incense, woody resins, powdery patchouli, amber, a tea-like note, and of course, more rose. Hideously expensive, but one of the most truly beautiful and unique rose perfumes ever composed. Despite my more frugal instincts, I will be buying a full bottle of this masterpiece."

From Bois de Jasmin - "The creator of Portrait of a Lady, perfumer Dominique Ropion, is renowned for his ability to engineer powerful fragrances, the kind that leave a mile long sillage and yet still don’t push into the realm of “need to be banned from restaurants.” This comes from adjusting the elements of the composition in such a way that the heavy, rich effects are interspersed with the lighter, brighter ones. Portrait of a Lady is a good example of his technique and his ability to add nuance even to the heaviest and richest scents."

From the Malle Comprehensive review at Perfume Posse - "Every time I smell this, it takes my breath away with how audacious it is. Rose that slaps you hard, then curls around you and shows you how very essential it is to your continued existence.  Dominatrix Rose."

From Persolaise - "Whether you’re a man or a woman, try this astonishing new release and let yourself be transported to an empty church in a country where Christianity and Arabic culture happily exist side by side, a place like, say, Lebanon or Syria. The outside world is locked away behind heavy doors. The lights are low. The silence is complete. You sit down and see a polished, brass censer hanging from the ceiling. Emerging from the holes in its lid is a heavy, scarlet smoke, cascading to the ground like endless ribbons of iridescent fabric. Close your eyes and just wait. Before too long, you’ll be enveloped by the magic and completely trapped in its heady, floral spell."

From Olfactorias Travels - "It is definitely a perfume that needs time. Time to be appreciated in its entirety, not one of those you fall for at first sniff. At least for me."