The Frederic Malle Fragrances To Know About
Alongside the famous Eau de Parfums like Portrait of a Lady and Musc Ravageur, you’ll find body washes, body lotions and perfume hair mists so you can lean into the luxurious aromas however you like.
Why we love Frédéric Malle
While Frédéric Malle is a trained perfumer, for his namesake brand, he has created a fragrance ‘publishing house’ in which he plays the role of editor. Working alongside the world’s finest perfumers to bring their visions and spirit to life, rather than keeping the creators in the background (like many commercial brands), he thrusts them into the spotlight, featuring their names on the bottles and boxes of each fragrance they create.With each scent sparked from a conversation between Malle and his perfumers, his level of input into the creative process varies. Sometimes he watches and waits in the background, for others, like Dominique Ropion’s Carnal Flower, they smelled 690 versions before landing on the right one.
Luxury, unique and individual, if you like scents that stand out, turn heads and have a story behind them, you've found your olfactory match. Even the bottles, while subtle in shape and style, are striking thanks to their black and red colour coded labels.
Not sure where to start? We reveal the bestselling Frédéric Malle fragrances in the world…
The Best Frédéric Malle Perfumes
Frédéric Malle
Portrait of a Lady Eau de Parfum, £ 37,20
If you love rose scents, you’ll adore the brand's most popular scent, Portrait of a Lady. With perfumer Domique Ropion briefed to create a new breed of oriental fragrance, it was initially composed without any rose at all. Eventually introduced at a later iteration, the note came to the fore front with a concentration of over 10%, a far cry from its normal concentration of around 0.1%. Nestling next to raspberry and cassis against a backdrop of patchouli, benzoin and frankincense, the result is a sensual, elegant aroma that means business.
Frédéric Malle
Eau de Magnolia Eau de Parfum, £ 55,00
An ode to the complexity of Magnolia, Carlos Benaim's take on the delicate white floral is surrounded by tarty citrus notes. In contrast to the typical take on florals, this seductive blend features bergamot, lemon and grapefruit to add a sparkling luminosity alongside sweet peach and apricot notes. If you lean towards light, fresh fragrances, this could be your idyllic spring summer go-to.
Frédéric Malle
Musc Ravageur Eau de Parfum, £ 62,00
Considered by the fragrance industry as one of the sexiest perfumes in production, perfumer Maurice Roucel drew on the past to make a modern day scent that combines amber, vanilla and sandalwood with white musk. Completely floral-free, it’s a popular unisex scent that is loved by all for its warming, confident and alluring drydown.
Frédéric Malle
Carnal Flower Eau de Parfum, £ 37,20
Another scent from Dominique Ropion, this heroes the night-blooming flower perfumers love – tuberose. Whipped with white musk, it creates a creamy, warming and almost exotic fragrance that got heads turning (in a good way) when we spritzed it at Space NK HQ. Eighteen months in the making and with 690 trials to get it just right, the team also enlisted new technology to ensure the longevity of the fragrance on the skin - a dream if you’re out all day and all night, it eliminates the need for reapplications.
Frédéric Malle
Acne Studios par Frédéric Malle Eau de Parfum, £ 62,00
In this collaboration with Acne Studios, Frédéric Malle wanted to capture the essence of the designer in a bottle. Enlisting perfumer Suzy Le Helley, known for drawing inspiration from natural raw materials then combining them with synthetic notes to create mesmerising palettes, she uses aldehydes in this to create an almost ‘sparkling’ effect. As for the smell itself, orange blossom, notes of peach, white musk and a hint of rose and violet trigger thoughts and feelings of soft and tactile materials that feel luxurious against the skin. Brief; nailed.
Frédéric Malle
Promise Eau de Parfum, £ 37,20
Captivated by the scents of the middle east since he was young, Malle made it his mission to uncover the secrets behind the distinctive yet unfamiliar aromas. A mix of Bulgarian and Turkish rose intertwined with pink pepper, clove, labdanum and the animalistic ambroxan which gives it a musky feel. If you like oud, you need to try this fragrance.
Frédéric Malle
Contre-Jour Eau De Parfum, £ 62,00
As a master of dark, addictive scents, Annick Menardo is no stranger to defying the norm with captivating contradictions. Continuing this mission with Contre-Jour, this fragrance is an ode to the fiercely free souls that refuse to be defined. Centred around the 'Everlasting Flower', a Mediterranean wild flower adored for its exceptional longevity and warm spicy notes, which are amplified by grounding sandalwood oil and intense rose.
Layer Your Frederic Malle Scents
Extend the longevity and depth of your fragrances by layering with our favourite Body Milks, Washes and Hair Mists.
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