Review Interview Style: Frederic Malle Le Parfum de Thérèse

Being Gemini carries some baggage with it. First, I get bored very easily. Second, I need lots of variety. I suppose most people could force their astrological description to fit their lifestyle even if at first glance it does not. However, in my case it fits so perfectly that nearly every life choice I have made supports it. My career that allows me to change scenery every day, my hilarious and oh so not boring, always surprising husband, my decisions to move, and move, and move again, my nontraditional wedding and lifestyle, my desire to travel as much as humanly possible, and my attempts to wear a different fragrance every day. Therefore, it seems no surprise that I have become bored with my typical review format. I will go back to it because it serves many purposes and you have no doubt become accustomed to it. However, today, just because it is Friday and I am bored, let us try something different. What do you say?

Today's review highlights Frederic Malle Le Parfum de Thérèse in free-floating thought, question and answer format:

Mrs. TMH, what was your first impression of this fragrance?

Wow! Green! Lush! Clear! Zesty! Where has it been all my life?

What was your second impression?

Eh, not so much. Something in the heart is bugging me, but without knowing the notes I cannot quite put my finger on it. Melon maybe? I loathe melon in fragrance and much prefer to eat it rather than smell it ... so that might explain my apathy.

How about a third impression?

Oh, I love the dry down! That melon stinkiness has disappeared and now all I get is French girl pretty, like how Carla Bruni, the French President's girlfriend, would smell. The ambience is very floral yet clean, light and cool, like sitting on the earth in the middle of a luscious garden. It strikes me as a rich girl's scent, with its multi-layered progression and refinement. If I had no perfumes left in my collection and could only buy one bottle for the rest of my life, this fragrance would be in the running, although Carnal Flower might win out.

What makes this different from other fragrances you have tried?

Frederic Malle's fragrances are so beautifully composed. Le Parfum de Thérèse really is no exception. This one is simultaneously cool and clean, with fruits and florals, but it never crosses the line into "sweet" like the plethora of scents today. That is why I think of it as refined, as in classy without trying too hard. There is something very stately about it, a little hard to get and distant but familiar at the same time ... a lot like the vibe I get from Chanel Bois des Iles (although completely different in notes). And there is something a little dirty at the bottom, to compliment the cleanliness and keep you guessing. I love fragrances with contrasting elements!

Is there anything about Frederic Malle Le Parfum de Thérèse that disappoints you?

I wish it lasted longer. It disappears on my skin in a few hours. Oh, and it lacks sillage (the ability for others to smell it). Something this good should last and waft.

If you had to describe this fragrance in one word, what would it be?

Expensive

What do you picture in your mind when you smell this scent?

Lush gardens and orange groves, cool and refreshing drinks like cucumber water, bare skin and damp earth, in that order.

Would you purchase a full bottle of Frederic Malle Le Parfum de Thérèse?

Considering the cost, probably not. But I would purchase a large decant after I empty the bottle of one of my current fragrances.

How would you summarize this fragrance?

Excellent and beautiful composition, full bottle worthy for those who can afford it, uplifting and cool with some dirtiness, perfect for days that you want your fragrance close to the skin and reminds me of beautiful people in beautiful clothes.

I looked up the notes in the fragrance after writing the latter. They are as follows:

mandarin, melon, jasmine, pepper, violet, rose, plum, nutmeg, cedar, vetiver, and leather

I am thrilled that my nose is becoming more discerning. (I guess it is a by-product of discussing and testing so many fragrances?) The cedar, vetiver and leather explain my love of the dirty drydown. What do you think of this one?


Frederic Malle Le Parfum de Thérèse can be purchased at Barney's and Les Editions de Parfum. A 3.4 oz. bottle retails for $160.