Reviewed: Frédéric Malle’s Portrait of a Lady

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As a beauty editor, I’ve tested hundreds—if not thousands—of perfumes, but I only keep a few on my dressing table. They’re the chosen ones—aka the bottles of various shapes and sizes that I’ve deemed worthy enough to be there. You see, I rank my fragrances by the location I keep them. If a fragrance is good, I keep it in a storage box in my wardrobe, so I can access it on occasion. If a fragrance is great, I keep it in a designated drawer for even easier access. It’s only when a fragrance is truly exceptional that I place it in prime view, right atop my dressing. That’s the case with Frederic Malle’s iconic Portrait of a Lady (£290).

Frederic Malle

Portrait of a Lady Eau de Parfum

The History

I was extremely privileged to connect with the master perfumer who created the iconic perfume, Dominique Ropion, who’s so well known in the fragrance world, he’s been dubbed “the master of flowers” due to his ability to create exceptional floral scents.

Interestingly, the genesis of Portrait of a Lady began with another Frédéric Malle fragrance: Géranium pour Monsieur. Ropion says Malle imagined a feminine version that would retain its amber and balsamic base. “From this foundation, I had the idea of adding an exceptional quantity of Turkish rose absolute and essence. By pairing it with a chypre touch, it gave the fragrance incredible elegance and a lot of character. It was an instant revelation.”

Although this perfume was originally launched in 2010, it’s as timeless and elegant as ever. I’m not the only one who thinks so. Celebrities like Madonna, Catherine Deneuve, and David Beckham are even fans of it. To celebrate its 15th anniversary, the brand released a limited-edition bottle in red lacquer—the Maison’s signature colour, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on one.

The Scent

Portrait of a Lady is a chypre fragrance. Chypre is a category of fragrances often described as complex, mysterious, and alluring. These scents typically feature citrus top notes, floral middle notes, and mossy or earthy base notes. Portrait of a Lady certainly encompasses the complexity, mystery, and allure of the chypre category—albeit uniquely so. And the secret lies in its almost unbelievable concentration. Apparently, 400 flowers go into a single 100ml bottle. But don’t think that means it’s heady and overbearing. In fact, it’s quite the opposite—elegant, enigmatic, and surprisingly androgynous.

This is one of those rare fragrances that works just as well for a twenty-something as it does for someone in their fifties, sixties or beyond. “The timelessness of a fragrance,” Ropion says, “[is] a secret every perfumer wishes to unlock! In my view, the key is to create with heart and emotion, to follow intuition rather than trends. Sometimes, this is what allows a scent to resonate more deeply in the collective unconscious. Portrait of a Lady is all about noble materials—true haute parfumerie! At Frédéric Malle, both the ingredients and the story behind the creation are equally essential, each as important as the other.

The Review

“This perfume has something hypnotic about it—a fierce sensuality with a lot of character,” Ropion says. “The charm of Turkish rose is elevated by a heart of patchouli, nuanced with sandalwood and incense. Very ambery and woody, Portrait of a Lady easily avoids gender categorisation despite its name, as the skin of the woman or man who wears it does not react any differently.”

And it should come as no surprise that this iconic scent is loved by our editors on both sides of the pond.

Frederic Malle's Portrait of a Lady EdP

(Image credit: Who What Wear UK)

Who What Wear UK beauty editor Eleanor Vousden says, “This is a perfume with a capital P. It’s a voluptuous, mysterious rose that blooms on the skin for hours on end and commands any room you walk into. For that reason, it’s not for the faint-hearted—this is a scent that gets you noticed. It’s the type of fragrance I can imagine being worn by a sophisticated woman who oozes confidence and French exits at parties. This isn’t your nana’s rose perfume, but a blood-red rose with dark, velvety petals that you’d find on the vanity table of a femme fatale. It’s a little spicy, while the patchouli gives an earthiness that makes it all the more addictive next to the jamminess of the rose.”