PORTRAIT OF A LADY - FREDERIC MALLE
Portrait of A Lady – Frederic Malle
📆 Launch Year: 2010 💧 Concentration: Eau de Parfum 🌹 Olfactive Family: Oriental Floral 👃 Perfumer: Dominique Ropion 🧬 GCMS Club Collection – Archives Gilbert Bendoni 🧮 Number of Ingredients: 49 📌 Note: Rose oil or absolute was not conclusively identified by GC-MS. A trace addition could enhance naturality.
🎩 The Baroque Empress
Portrait of A Lady is Dominique Ropion’s magnum opus — a fragrance that redefined the modern rose. It’s opulent, intellectual, and unapologetically grand. Built around an overdose of patchouli and amber, it’s a symphonic composition that evokes velvet gowns, candlelit salons, and whispered secrets.
The opening is rich and spicy: Patchouli Oil dominates with earthy depth, supported by Ambroxan and Ethylene Brassylate for a warm, resinous glow. Raspberry Ketone and Cassis Bourgeon Absolute add a fruity lift, while Olibanum Oil and Elemi Absolute bring incense-like mystery.
The heart is floral and textured: Rose Acetate, Rose Oxide, and Geranium Oil China suggest a rose accord, even if natural rose wasn’t confirmed. Citronellol, Phenylethyl Alcohol, and Geraniol 900 contribute to the illusion of blooming petals. Chamomile Oil and Lavandin Super add herbal nuance.
The drydown is musky and enveloping: Muscenone Delta, Macrolide Supra, and Tonalid create a soft, sensual trail. Benzoin Siam Resinoid and Labdanum Absolute add balsamic richness. Vanilla notes from Ethyl Vanillin and Vanillin Crystal round out the warmth, while Cyclamen Aldehyde and Damascenone lend subtle floral sparkle.
✅ Patchouli overdose: earthy, smoky, and magnetic ✅ Rose illusion: rose acetate, rose oxide, geranium, citronellol ✅ Ambered depth: ambroxan, benzoin, labdanum ✅ GCMS transparency: a masterclass in oriental floral architecture ✅ Frederic Malle signature: intellectual, opulent, and timeless
For lovers of complex florals, baroque elegance, and fragrances that feel like a literary heroine’s signature scent. Ideal for evening wear, introspective moments, and unapologetic self-expression.