Portrait of a Lady Frederic Malle for women

This perfume reminds me of old school style.I really like old school style.Unisex but more for women for me.Longevity and sillage is amazing.Rose and patchouli blend with spicy spices.Great

8/10

I could be wrong and will admit, But as much as I have sampled & been wanting this & MFK Oud Silk Mood Extrait I continue to keep passing on both of them for complete different others knowing I want one, Still & yet something keeps making me want to compare the two & although they’re each different…Something keeps making me compare apples & oranges between these two…I know it seems I’m liking or should I say leaning more lately towards this one..Could be the patchouli..Thing is I felt the opposite way last year lol & Call me crazy but I personally think you can break a sweat in Portrait Of a Lady & It still smells good!! “Just sayen” All I know is that I have too much already to have both….Hmm Decisions Descisions!! lol

There is something I find so addictive with POAL
It’s warm, slightly spicy, sandal wood, and the most gorgeous rose note. Easily an 8-12 hour longevity and impressive sillage so please use sparingly. Yes this is classified a female fragrance but I don’t care and I wear it occasionally to the office and never cease to get compliments.

looking for matte cap or 83%vol

it is Franch fragrance it is strate to the line first you smell it you understand the perfume and what it wants. it is classy and semple but it is very very romantice and makes you fell in love with it

Yes sophisticated, yes a gorgerous blend of rose, incense, and musk which lets the sandalwood and raspberry bubble up to the top of it all and pop wonderfully. The drydown sees a hint of a alcohol-y scent creep in between the warm spice notes before unfolding into a slightly green patchouli, which I enjoyed. Personally did not take me on a scent journey but I greatly enjoyed this oneeeee :D

the best flowery classy fragrance it so romantic and simple at the same sophisticated

I think I have to let this grow on me ..
I don’t know … it is very mature - not girly at all .
It gives me like old lipstick vibes ? I’m just confused with this fragrance at the moment with this . I have a large decant of this luckily . At the moment , I can appreciate it .. but I don’t think it’s for me @ the moment . I can picture someone on the titanic wearing this .
5.8/10

I appreciate the artistry of this perfume but I can't comfortably wear it. When I sprayed it for the first time, I laughed because the fragrance conjured up a very specific image: Mary, Queen of Scots portrayed by Samantha Morton. It smells like the character, and very much a portrait of a lady from several centuries ago. Elegant, regal but too much for a pleb like me.

I like this perfume. It leans vintage and mature to my nose. My mother had a little bottle of rose & jasmine oil in the '90s that smelled like a Portrait of a Lady. It's incense and rose heavy with a clean patchouli coming through in the dry down. Over-spraying this stuff gives me a headache but when applied in moderation it's quite lovely.

Not my favorite perfume but a nice addition to my collection. This is not a safe blind buy – sample first!

I absolutely love this scent so much. I don’t think it leans vintage or mature at all.
Things that I associate with this fragrance: think a chic type of punk like Vivienne Westwood, a sophisticated goth like Tom Ford, badass, sexy as hell, a juxtaposition of smutty with refinement. This fragrance is all confidence and LOUD. It’s a beast. It will project from rooms away and will stay on you for about 24 hours. It’s definitely one of my favorites. It was my first introduction to a rose that didn’t smell old ladyish or powdery, this is a sexy AF rose.
It’s a great unisex, would smell intoxicating on a man as well.
I hate to say the price tag is too high, because yeah it’s a lot of money, but honestly it’s 100% worth it.

hayatımda daha kötü bi sey koklamadım

This is my favorite since it realesed. I couldn’t afford it for some time but I finally managed to buy Hair Mist which is 100$ less. But then… This year I saw that video about the “French Portrait” by Fragrance World and no need to pay $300 anymore! It’s $29 and omg! It’s even better because it smells more like POAL’s dried down phase! Powdery, smoky, rosy! Love love love!

Very classy, subtle, smooth, a bit vintage
rose with incense and cinnamon, warm amber and sweet patchouli
Brough up memories from childhood - when I'd smell perfume silage on adult women... Nothing girly or playful about it, very serious
For mature, confident women
a bit too retro for me

This was a love-at-first-smell fragrance, and every time I smell it, I have no choice but to love it. Easily my favourite fragrance of all time, much owing to my love for rose. A seriously never-ending fragrance that improves my mood whenever I catch a whiff of it. This is definitely a feminine-leaning fragrance, yet I still wear it as a man, not that I would wear it everywhere. Absolutely not an 'old-lady' fragrance. It oozes class and confidence, in my opinion.

A perfume that needs no introduction. Love it or hate it, it is a masterwork signed by the one and only, Dominique Ropion. I have to say that I don't like his style or the perfumes he creates for other houses. But under Malle's supervision, he seems to flourish. Portrait of a Lady is a larger-than-life perfume, an Oriental take on Rose. I don't think of it as a Rose fragrance. It is much more than that. I get lots of Frankincense, tart fruits, and a big Patchouli, with a musky dry-down(white, and not a huge fan) atop sandalwood and benzoin. I hear it got sweeter and more rosy recently, which would make sense, given the market's demands. I would love it if they'd tone down the projection, but I guess that would go against the trend. Copied to death, so it must be good, right? Although, I still haven't smelled a good enough clone. It is a cold perfume, very mature, some would say "old", and I would agree. It is not your average sweet rose girly scent. I only have two issues with it: being ridiculously powerful and the white musks. However, I liked everything else about it and learned to live with those issues. It's one of those perfumes to wear for dressed-up occasions, especially if you want to be the center of attention(and hopefully, you have something to show for it as well).

IG:@memory.of.scents

The first time smelling this I walked into the house and my roommate had it on. She was very excited, she loves it. She oversprays for sure and it just smelled perfumy; a strong generic perfume the type you want to get far away from. I thought well, I'll just have to get used to it. It'll calm down. Walking in the house a few days later I smelled hair dye, like burnt hair that's been dyed. After smelling it on her the past week I realize that is how it smells in the dry down. I don't want to say anything to spoil her fun, but it's awful.

the opening is too harsh for me. All I can smell is unpleasant patchouli and Incense. A shame.

Fellas, don’t be prideful of the name on the bottle, this is one of the sexiest fragrances I’ve put on skin. The spices and incense show up perfectly on my skin, making it sit perfectly middle on the feminine to masculine scale. Check out my collection, it’s full of dark and mysterious fragrances, this is one of the brighter ones that would be easy to wear year around. It’s never cloying or too sweet. It’s a jammy rose, with a citrus / spice top, laying over incense. Do yourself a favor and grab a sample directly from Malle website. 3 for $20 shipped. This stuff is very strong, leaves a massive scent trail. Lasts on me for about 6-8 hrs. 9.5/10 best rose fragrance I’ve ever smelled next to rose incense by Tauer

Gender is a funny thing.. this is not the time nor place to go into that rant, especially because it is (somehow??) polarizing.

This fragrance from a feminine context is domineering, assertive, and confident. Pretty average descriptors and the reason why I really don’t understand why this was marketed as a women’s perfume.

From the context of a man, it completely changes. It becomes innocence on the cusp of destruction. Cheery naivety with something apocryphal and malevolent underneath. From that context, for me, this scent is a masterwork; and so, I let the poorly thought-out marketing slide.

Two caveats: I don’t agree with the general consensus that this is an autumn / winter fragrance. To me, this is summer nights, or maybe autumn evening / night. Second, it’s somewhat overpriced, but I think the entire Fredrick Malle house (despite having multiple masterworks) is very overpriced, not Xerjoff or PDM level overpriced, but close.

Smells like an upper executive lady who likes to assert her dominance, or at least be noticed. This stuff is strong, rosey and very incensey. I feel like I've smelled it before... maybe in a conference setting. You'll certainly make a statement with this one if you choose to wear it.

Excellent tart rose with a hint of powdery makeup behind. Slight civet feel that I don’t love. A makeup rose, very vintage and lush, but not my thing.

This is a sumptuous spicy and fresh rose .The star anise is strong and the black currant is strong too and very jammy in the opening (it reminded me of Amethyst Lalique for a bried second). There is also something minty and balmy to my nose, and I think this is why some people perceive it as masculine.You can smell the expertise of the nose behind this. Perfect sophisticated and elegant fall scent.

Opening like getting hit in the face from grandma's purse but it's the grandma you love. Mature floral stays around but starts to mix nicely with incense, cinnamon and clove. I don't get much fruitiness and the floral bite is intense, I think this probably shines best from a distance. Wife hates it glad I went 30ml I think this will be hard to pull off.

This scent is heavy, dense rose and incense, walking into a fancy hotel dining room/ ballroom late in the evening, mature woman in a ballgown. It’s the kind of smell you wear with a red lip and a smoky eye. I found it too intense personally.

is the sour aspect from the patchouli?

Surely a more masculine rose than the name and marketing make it seem to be. Ropion masterpiece with beautiful heart notes. Reminds me of Mads Mikkelsen in Casino Royale, confident in a game he is about to lose.

I own about 6 or 7 rose perfumes but consider this unique enough of a scent to add to my collection. The blend of spices, amber, and raspberry complements the rose well. Got an Arab perfume dupe

Interesting! Ok so I got to go back to this after not smelling it for about 10 years. It’s not bad, I’m guessing it’s crazy reformulated in 2024 and a lot different. Jammy rose with a bit of powder, light incense and woods. Slightly cold and transparent because of the cloves. Blended perfectly. Not quite as fresh or dewey as some roses but that’s the point with this one. Porpora is easily the closest but has an extra raspberry note.

They reformulated the original formula. This is a shame. It was a very loud perfume but a masterpiece. Now smells similar but not even close to the original glory.

I do not understand the hype? Pro: very long lasting I think, if you are a fan of spicy scents maybe this will work great for you. For me I almost pick up a urine like scent or something that resembles body odor from this. It's not the worst perfume I ever smelt but I definitly do not like it. I personally do not pick up any rose notes in this.

Portrait of a Lady reminds me of different elements of several of my rose perfumes. But the one it reminds me the most of is Estee Lauder Desert Eden but with an added patchouli note and a slight tart fruitiness. A dusty dry down. EL Desert Eden also has a warm spicy accord similar to POAL. In fact the 2 are so similar that they are interchangeable at least enough so that I will pass on POAL. And since EL Desert Eden is the more affordable choice of which I was generously given a backup by a lovely friend I met here I would not need POAL in my collection. I do like POAL a lot it is beautiful but I suspect that the reason I am somewhat underwhelmed is because I have smelled so many similar rose/spice/patchouli/woody combos before and POAL brings nothing new to the table. Now compared to my 2 favorites in that genre, Providence perfume co Rose Boheme and Mendittorosa Le Mat POAL while nice is not up to those 2 in a head to head match up. They both offer a new and inspired take on the rose/spice/ patchouli/woody combo. Sample them for yourself and see. POAL while it is a good perfume it is not worth the asking price since you can get a very similar scent for a lot less from other brands. Probably because immitation is the best form of flattery, this scent profile has been copied a lot. POAL was probably groundbreaking when it first came out but today there are many like it in the marketplace.

Edit: 3/9/24 wearing both POAL and EL Desert Eden and I like Desert Eden better. Desert Eden is more polished and rose focused. POAL has elemi in the blend I can smell it for sure and it gives the fragrance a masculine bite that is lacking in Desert Eden. I imagine the reformulated version (I am sure my samples are current) used elemi to keep costs down in production. It is a resin I don't care for and I have started to smell that it is used more and more in fragrances. I wish perfumers would stop doing this. Elemi is no substitute for frankincense. POAL also reminds me of Sonoma Scent Studio Amber Incense as well. A perfume I sampled but thought to heavy on the elemi and masculine for me.

Ithe dry down is powdery and the opening is weird like a weird musk. It smells mature. A no for me.

I adore this one. Fragrance focused on a rose that is dressed in an attractive, intricate outfit of amber and spices - in the background I smell coffee for some reason. It has a really interesting feel to it - both retro and modern, which to me makes it stand out against other rose-centric perfumes. Makes me feel like I'm in a black&white movie playing elegant, slightly controversive, feminine character. Makes me think of windy, a bit gloomy Paris afternoon, silk scarfs and kitty heels. Longevity is great.

I tried this fragrance for the first time today and i was surprised how no one ever compared it to Tom Ford rose prick. They smell so similar.
Both scent smell gorgeous if you like vintage powdery rose scents (like me) and the longevity is BOMB! you only need 2 sprays or these scents.
I personally would prefer POAL over TF Rose prick if i had to choose 🥀

Jammy Jam jam jammy jammy rose. Jammy jam. It’s not a stemmy green rose it’s a jammy rose. Jam jam(aren’t I original?)Jam rose jammy jam

Well, I finally tried this legendary scent and it's also not for me. I get an excellent tart rose with a hint of powdery makeup behind, plus a slight civet feel that I don’t love. This is a makeup rose, very vintage and lush, but not my thing at all. I can see the appeal, but thank you, no.

When a great perfumer like Dominique Ropion creates a fragrance for the reputable brand Fredric Malle, you can expect nothing less than exceptional. Portrait of a Lady is a fragrance with a lot of intricate details. However, my personal preference did not align with this fragrance. I prefer Rose Tonnerre over Portrait of a Lady.

It's a combination of warm spices with rose on an ambery base. It has an oriental feel.

8/10

Lol smells like a Buddhist temple and a massage spa to me on my skin, I had to scrub it off. Thanks, I hate it 😭😔

So I dropped $20 SHIPPED, on Frederick Malle’s website yesterday morning for a sample of Portrait of Lady, Musc Ravageur, and Uncut Gem, and they showed up tonight, by surprise. I can’t believe I waited this long to try any offerings from the house, I went for this one first and WOW. This is a fantastic rose / incense fragrance. I’m shocked to see that nobody thinks this reminds them of Kilian Incense Oud, but then again that section of Fragrantica is worthless. This is 100% unisex, but leans a little more fem on paper and masc on my skin. I’m about to order this just of my initial impression, it really does remind of Kilian incense Oud, which I ran out of and finding a bottle of that is insane. This is such a gorgeous rose fragrance, best believe I will be back on here when I spend more time with this one.

I love it & wear it 2-3x a week.

At first spray, I loved the idea of it more than the smell of it (it’s quite woody on me in the beginning). But once that rose 🌹 came through in the first hour, it was love.

It’s one of five perfumes that make me feel like me when I wear it. I’ve only tested in the winter, excited to experience it in warmer weather too & see what opens up.

Spicy rose with some woodiness - a real rose dream. My husband loves this one on me.

this is a masterpiece. reminds me a lot of Dior Gris. a long last rose fragrance, that Madonna swears by.

The Mona Lisa of the perfume world. Sheer perfection in a bottle.

As an unconfident shy woman in my mid 40s, I can not describe the sort of power that is unleashed when I spray this untameably sexy clove-heavy rose. It is everything I always wished I could be and secretly knew that I was.

One of the 5 best scents ever conceived by humanity.

Portrait of a Lady
(A21, 50ml. left with box, 100 USD)

I own Portrait of a Lady for a while now, this is my first day decide to go full wear.
When I receive this bottle 2-3 month ago. I do not understand the fragrance. Something to cold bothered me.

Later on, I sniff New Look (2024 by Dior) follows with full bottle of Goutal Encens Flamboyant.
I just notice that there was one aspect of Incense which is Cold Incense, it is aspect I don’t familiar.
It is not balsamic warm cathedral like incense.

Then I understand POTL, this one build around fruity syrup sweetness with prominent rose result in Jammy.
Merge with Cold Incense, and mild tint of warm/natural green patchouli that must sniff quite close to be noticing.

The opening was more sweet before transiting to something more like combination of Cold Incense x Rose.
On bed of sweet fruity aspect.

I am enjoying the scent more than the first day I receive.
I score this 8/10 as this is very silky smooth blend.

Score 8/10
Projection Moderate-soft (kind of linger, don't leave sileage)
Longevity tba
Classification: Unisex (rose + Fruity sweetness + green for Patchouli (no earthy) + Cold Incense)
Summary: The Silky Smooth blend of Patch x Rose for any occasion. (silky smooth blend)

It’s supposed counterpart, Monsieur by Frederic Malle is my signature scent in winter. But I need a bottle of Portrait of a Lady too, as I crave it at times, which ironically I don’t have with Monsieur. Monsieur is very good, POAL is a masterpiece.

this is meant to be worn to be hiding in a garden and being the mysterious lady at a party. it’s so magnetic!

As a rose scent, this is perfect. The notes play together perfectly. It smells more like roses than roses! The longevity is excellent, and you can smell it from a mile away. If you enjoy rose, this is a must have.

But for the price point, its not that mind blowing. Beyond being a photorealistic rendition of rose, it lacks the character that would warrant the high price. You can get equivalent rose perfumes for half the price, albeit most likely with worse performance.

Also, I can't imagine a women less than 30 pulling this off. Its a bit too powerful and domineering. But that is personal preference.

If Musc Ravageur smells like sex, Portrait of a Lady is how to get there

Today, in the opening 30 minutes or so, I was reminded STRONGLY of Féminité du Bois laid as a translucent filter over a bed of deep red roses…a little cumin, stewed fruits, bone-dry woods, and maybe a touch of ISO E super, no? And then perfect ROSES, in plural and caps lock forevermore

My mom used to shop at this furniture store called Bombay and it was filled with dark brown, mahogany furniture. Portrait of a Lady reminds me of that color, and the smell of those wooden drawers when I pulled them open.

POAL seems emblematic as the classic rose-patchouli pairing. It’s lovely and deep and… I loved @easybaymike’s descriptor: monolithic.

Coming from Diptyque’s Eau Capitale, it takes the patchouli further and darker. It comes across as very thick and dense, like the application could have been a brown paste (and I say this as someone who does like the scent!). Sometimes I get the jammy rose, sometimes I get the surprising dankness of what I imagine to be cumin (unlisted here in the notes). But with all that said, there’s still something quite elegant about the entire thing.

Reading these reviews, it's not your noses that need checked; it's your head. It should be blatantly obvious that you are reviewing a fake if your complaining about longevity or projection when other reviews are telling you that your next door neighbors can smell it from inside their own bedrooms that your clothes will permanently smell this way forever even when washed.

The scent is of real rose oil (which smells a little more decomposed and earthy than synthetic) mixed with synthetic jammy rose, and real patchouli heart with a bunch of insence. Expect it to smell incredibly earthy, bohemian, and gothic. This is not like regular perfumes. This has major earthy essential oil vibes, but amplified to 1000× the strength.

An untouchable masterpiece. Work of art. Beautiful.

Red rose in full bloom at an art store. A juicy, fruity cloud of red rose. Very smooth, round, almost monolithic at first until the patchouli dirties it up. A scent to behold as it dries down. Mature, yes, but I can see this working for a confident young French woman. Or maybe she's just a Francophile... Certainly elegant. Undeniably iconic.

So I made a comment a while back saying I didn’t “get this fragrance” so I parted ways with it. Then I smelled it in the store…mmm I have some thoughts about different yearly formulations of this fragrance. When I smelled it in store it was WILDLY different in composition. Originally I hadn’t gotten any rose. Just stale patchouli. Not this time. Jammy decadent rose and clove with that hint of raspberry. So I don’t know what happened but I had to buy it again. And now I love it. That being said

I have zero association with “older ladies” and spicy rose fragrances. My Nonna wore Youth Dew and Cinnabar so I don’t have this issue with rose.
And sometimes that as a criticism of a perfume or even rose really irritates me. As if older women don’t smell great, they do and not even old they smell elegant and done up. In 50 years anything that smells like BR540 is gonna be considered old lady

Buy buy buy. Even if you’re not a rose lover, this does an amazing job at being pure rose but not rose at the same time? It radiates red. It doesn’t smell floral and there’s definitely spices which help in that.

I didn’t love it at first, but loved it after 2-3 times of use later.

You got to smell this. Make sure you’re getting the real scent. One decant i got online was either watered down or fake.

9/10

This one confuses me. It's too strong and sharp and one of the parfumes that literally make me have heartburn while wearing it, like I swallow something so bitter.
I would describe this one like that bitter thing you give to your dogs to not chew furniture, that's how it smells. Like wear it once and then you go back second time and try third time again, but then you never wear it again.

I decided to give it as a gift to my mom. Feeling bad now if she gets heartburn too, headaches or if she feels I gave her this because I think she is too old (btw she is not). 😕😅🤣

I tried this sample and it was ok. Not really my style.
Guerlain Bois Mysterieux or Amouroud Sunset Oud is more my taste. I'm not big on the Rose accord. Montale Infinity has Rose in it that I liked. Mostly surrounded by sweet notes.

Rose and patchouli is a hard accord to beat. This famous fragrance offers one of the more refined combinations, and includes raspberry and incense for a darker rose experience, and it smells absolutely terrific. Given the very high price of this, however, and the fact that there are many other wonderful rose-patchouli combinations that sell for less, I just don't see myself buying a full bottle.

Portrait of a Lady sure has grown on me for the last couple of years. Like many others I initially wrinkled my nose in contempt; rose, eww.
Much like Mugler’s Angel was a ground-breaking patchouli gourmand, Portrait of a Lady is a ground-breaking rose gourmand to me.
”Jammy rose” as description would be sufficient if you only wore it for 15 minutes, its true splendor will evolve with time and leave you dumbfounded. What a marvellous creation indeed!

Jammy rose! Jammy rose! Jammy rose! 😜😜
My goodness fragrance influencers have really influenced all of you to describe this- Once again as Jammy rose! lol yes, it’s a beautiful rose mixed with incense, it’s dark it’s elegant and a bit formal. This is someone who dresses well, and not for the T-shirts and jeans crowd. 10/10

POAL= Sexiness Packaged in a Bottle.

This opens with a beautiful smoky rose and dries down to subtle floral incense. Very good sillage, everyone will notice you because it's so unique. It feels like they bottled up a rose bouquet from old church after some kind of ceremony where they burned incense. Very majestic, adult, I imagine the woman who wears this as a high priestess dressed in regal gowns. I like the opening, but dry-down is way out of my comfort zone, so I'll give this to my mum or grandma.

shaun, if it's a jammy rose it's a jammy rose. try not to let the little things worry you.

anyway, i was looking for something similar to porpora that other people would hate less and i have found it. it has a much sweeter touch (like... jam?) than ms porpora. the sandalwood and clove are a lot less assaulting. porpora makes me feel like i'm in some sort of amplified nightmare of a catholic church funeral. it pulverises me and everyone around me with its frankly stupid sillage. POAL shall be for my less confrontational days, i suppose. i do love it. it is as described. do not underestimate the spice element: that is my only advice to those for whom rose is the draw. love you bye :)

Jammy Rose! Jammy Rose! Jammy Rose! It’s almost if all of you listened to an influencer describe it this way
- then Lazily parrott the same verbiage.

The way my bestie and I would go to Nordstrom just go get samples of this - and the samples would last a good while! I want to be rich just so I can have a lifetime supply of this perfume. It's truly so sexy, and takes me back to that time period when I discovered it. I want to be buried with this perfume.

Smells sweet but mature. I think this is mainly for an older lady, but men can definitely pull this off too with a bit of confidence.

8/10

I found it interesting in my first few sprays then it was kind of spicy for me, something which I wouldn't willingly purchase. I do like the rose with a minimal spicy touch but this is something which gets stronger and deeper within a few minutes although the presence of rose makes it an amazing fragrance.

This patchouli smells almost rubbery, muted and "blunted", for lack of a better word. The rose is ever-so-slightly jammy but very thick. The entire perfume smells "thick", actually, like you're wading through quicksand, but a very delicious, fragrant quicksand.
Interesting.

-

Edit:
Ok so I revisited my decant. Actually, to me, this smells EXACTLY like what you hope your sexy, suit-wearing husband is wearing on a date. Smells edible, not in a gourmand way but in a sex bomb way. I swear, this smells like a man you want to bite into. Why?? What's in this potion??? Lol.

Scent: revised to 9.5/10
Longevity: Average to good
Projection: Soft!
Polarity: Unisex to masculine. Not a feminine perfume imo (i know its marketed "for women"), but as a woman, would still wear it just cos I love the smell so much. UGH.

Woah at first spray I was blown away. It packs a punch of spicy woody notes. The patchouli is very strong in this yet it has a slight spice and floral smell to it too. As it dries down the amber note comes through more and its complexity is unveiled. This is a very interesting fragrance that smells like sophistication and luxury. The wood notes are still at the forefront so it smells like it’s an easy to wear scent that borders on eccentric, still one I wouldn’t reach for daily. Mainly because of the cost!

This is Definitely one of the most interesting fragrance I own. Yet it still manages to tread the fine line between wearable and eccentric. It performed well lasting around 7 hrs with moderate projection. overall I'd give this an 8.5 out of 10
.

makes me smell like a 1980's milf

Gone Girl by David Fincher (2014)

At first spray I thought I'd made a mistake... it's such a strong, almost acrid smell... but one hour later the magic started to happen on my skin. Two hours later I kept smelling the most amazing smell and wondered what it was. it was me. POAL is a very mature scent, but to me as a middle aged woman it's not an old scent. It's the scent of a powerful and interesting woman. It gives me sexy, international travels, money. I feel very expensive and very exclusive when I wear this. It's not a daytime fragrance, but for evenings out.

FREDERIC MALLE
🥀 Portrait of A Lady 🥀
(named after the novel by Henry James from the 1881)
Dominique Ropion 2010
Totally unisex

I wore this one of the best dark rose scent yesterday evening. Straight away after spraying the scent filled all the living room and my husband who was in the kitchen came to say “ wooow, what is this scent, amazing, it’s everywhere here”.

This is always a magical, mysterious and so elegant scent. Dark Patchouli with dark Rose petals together with spices has been done in absolutely perfect way. The blend is intense, so mesmerizing and polished, it’s like a thick velvet which is changing the color from dark burgundy to the darkest green. Rose Patchouli combination is very popular nowadays and I just can imagine how spectacular POAL has been when released but still until this day nothing can beat it in this category. Amouage’s Epic was released just one year before and they have many similarities. Still, especially the base of Epic is more complex with Oud which makes them to stand out between each others whilst Tiziana Terenzi’s Porpora, released in 2017, is very close to POAL.

Portrait of a Lady is a classic and it’s classy. It’s sublime and it’s wafting around you and everywhere you go in attractive way. It’s not joyful but not melancholy either which makes it perfect for formal occasions with dignity and solemnity. It’s respectful scent which makes you feel confident.

You can find many different kind of note pyramids from different sources. This is what make sense to me and (Note pyramid from FM website)

⬆️ Rose essence, Raspberry, Black currant, Cloves (Rose)
➡️ Turkish Rose absolute, Cinnamon, Patchouli (Black Currant, Raspberry, Cloves)
⬇️ Sandalwood, Incense, Ambroxan, White Musk (Patchouli, Sandalwood, Incense) Somewhere Benzoin and Amber has mentioned but honestly I don’t find hints of them which can be as well the result of masterfully blended concoction.

interesting yet inoffensive. well done. i think i like it the more i smell it.

I'm terrible at describing fragrance that doesn't have a clear note differentiation. If you want a better descriptions Rohan has a great one below. What I can tell you is that this stuff is bold, spicy and last all day on my skin. It also projects monstrously off my skin easily filling up the room I occupy. My best description is a dark rose, on base of earthy spicy patchouli. It smells great, and is definitely unique and so well blended I can't make out the individual notes. 8.5 out of 10

I stopped someone at Ikea, and asked him what he was wearing. Wearily, he responded - surely he's been acosted before! Unlike anything I've smelled before, POAL commences its narrative with a dark, gothic portrayal of a blood red rose, with patchouli politely knocking on the door. Within the first half-hour, this rose transforms into a cacophony of a rose/oud/rasberry

As the first hour unfolds, we remember cloves, signaling a dramatic turn in POAL's story. Rose steps back, almost mortified at clove's audacity to share its limelight. One is reminded of Natalie Portman's portrayal of the jealous prima ballerina in "The Black Swan," the rose mirroring her character's possessive and calculated nature

Around the third hour - on my skin atleast - the spices firmly establish their presence, prompting the rose to regain her composure and recall her manners. She welcomes you on stage for a final bow, spices powder and rose at the curtain call.

Though niche fragrances have their special charm, this can capture the heart. The scent left an indelible impression.

I didn't like this so much a few years ago.
I always thought it was very smooth and warm. I just didn't like rose.
Tastes change. I've been enjoying some great oud and rose fragrances from Bortnikoff, Triad is his rose masterpiece.
This is in the same league, without oud.
The pachouli and clove make it somewhat gender neutral. It still leans slightly feminine at least,, because the rose is a bit powdery.

Rating: 8.5/10

Merry Christmas. John 3:16

When I first got a sample of this perfume I freaked out: somebody let an 80 year old lady in my bathroom!! I left it at that. A year later I try it again during winter and I suddenly love it! It's dark and thick with incense but also spicy and flowery. I love leaving it in clothes where it softens up. Not really for warmer months, too stuffy and rich.

Objectively, this is very nice. Just not for me. I guess roses are not my flower - I smell, overwhelmingly, rose Turkish delight. Because of that olfactory association, this is not my scent; I'm not into gourmands, especially not into scents that remind me of very, very sweet confections, though POAL itself doesn't smell sweet, it just smells of a big bunch of roses.

I have bought this and only now I'm seeing that its only for women - I thought it was a unisex fragrance.. despite the name 😅
Well..I love the scent, I love rose - imma keep wearin it😎

Frederic Malle never disappoints. This for me is one of the best rose-based fragrances I own. I love wearing this with only 2 sprays as it is a powerful scent. This has tremendous sillage and projection and lasts forever. I wouldn't wear this to the office but rather after work on any occasion. It was a must-have for me for a long time and finally managed to get a 50ML.

Ah "Portrait of a Lady" by Frederic Malle, I am 13 years late with this one. But this makes you smell so good, even your shadow wants to hang out with you. It's like the perfume version of confidence. Wearing this rose-incense combo is like telling the world, "Yes, I may be broke, but my fragrance budget is on point." (I think this is stupid expensive for what it is). It's the olfactory equivalent of walking into a room and everyone suddenly wanting to know your skincare routine. If "Portrait of a Lady" were a person, they'd be the effortlessly chic friend who always has the perfect comebacks but smells like a million bucks. It's basically a bottle of charisma.

Bold rosy green geranium aromachemicals patchouli eugenol combo, with alot of cashmeran amberwoods animalic musks olibanum resonid in the base, it feels very organic vintage classy thick smokey rose scent ,suits better for women

6/10

Really pleasant unisex rose fragrance. Even as a male it makes you feel very confident and sexy for some reason.

I couldn’t hate a perfume more than this. It’s the HEAVIEST. As much I love the all kind of rose scents it’s big no for me. Too spicy for a mesmerizing lady. It made me nauseous.
Only good thing about this perfume is it last like hell. I washed my wrist twice since i tested and it stick to my skin like a glue.

I disagree with the name as it’s totally unisex, beast performer whether you look for sillage longevity or projection, its all there! Versatile except for hot summer days. It reminds me of Parisian by FDB as they are super similar. The price for value is good. To brief it, its the best piece from Frederick Malle and definitely a safe blind buy!

This is all about the rose! It's undoubtedly the best dark rose fragrance out there. I've had this fragrance for over 9 months now and I've come to the conclusion that as much as I love this scent, it leans more feminine on my skin.

Six months into testing my love for this scent grew but was afraid to put it on. So I started layering with The Night, also by Dominique Ropion. He uses the same rose but The Night is all about the animalic oud. I've found that blending the two results in a gorgeous smoky rose with an animalic punch. Let me also state, I NEVER mix fragrances nor do I layer. In this scenario, the perfumer is the same and both fragrances share similarities in DNA. The combination of the two is out of this world! It is a wearable version of The Night in those warmer months but also a masculine version of POAL.

As for POAL, it is a masterpiece blend. If you love smoky dark rose, this perfume will not disappoint!

Scent: 10/10
Strength: 9.5/10

feminine sexuality embodied in a beautiful musky rose. reminiscent of old hollywood (not an old lady scent in any manner). soapy and sweet. great projection and longevity

I don't love rose but ... oh my God... this is so good. Very spicy on me. Not old lady at all, it's a Lady Macbeth for me. ❤

Rose. Rose. Rose. It's a true love for me. I love the rose in it. As a man, this is my signature scent. Every time I wear it, I spray it on my wrist too and I can't get my nose off my wrist all day long. I cannot express my love in English, now Turkish.
Abartıyorum belki ama bütün dünya böyle koksa, çevremdeki herkes POAL kullansa doyamam kokusuna herhalde. Koku konusunda çevremin geri dönüşü önemli olur genelde fakat portrait of a lady için geçerli değil bu. Çevremdekiler hacıyağı mı sürdün deseler de vazgeçemiyorum kullanmaktan. Üstelik vücut yağını da kullanıyorum. Bazen sadece gül, bazen de diğer notaların etkisinde gül. Acısı alınmış, yormayan harika bir gül. Kullanan bir kadına denk gelmedim ama gelirsem Erosun oku etkisini yapar diye de korkuyorum:)

I think this is mother of Juliette has a gun: Mad Madame and Replica: On a Date. Loud, unapologetic and sexy rose with black currant. Not for an introvert.

But don't get mislead by the name. Portrait of a lady can be hanged in a budoir, but just as well in a gentleman's club 😉

On my skin, POAL smells like a jammy rose grounded in spices. It is somehow both ‘cool’ and ‘warm’ - the rose smells super fresh, but the spices gives it a warmth which makes it perfect to wear for cold winter nights. The notes are perfectly blended, with no harsh edges whatsoever. Obviously a well crafted scent. Just a tiny spray and you will smell it wafting off your skin for hours. This leans feminine to me but can easily be pulled off by the right man.

I absolutely loved it, but my boyfriend wasn’t a fan unfortunately (it probably smelled too ‘mature’ for him). I will simply have to enjoy my sample while I have it!

Still the greatest fragrance ever made, love this and most things from this house

I was so eager to try this and I hate it as soon as I tried it. Very old lady, so awful on my skin!
All I get is a strong musky, sharp incense rose with cloves and patchouli. Something in the middle smells so off ...
Definitely a scent that I would probably like on some else but on me, I had to wash it off....

Class in a bottle. I agree this is thee boss woman scent. Equally I would enjoy this on a man. It gives CEO vibes.

I really wanted to like this – I’ve heard and read so many lovely reviews about this scent, and it has so many notes that I love too, so when I saw it in Mecca Cosmetics today, I jumped at the chance to try it. Alas, on me, it just does not work. At all. Cloves can be a bit iffy on me, so I’m wondering if it’s the combination of the cloves, the rose and the berries, but all I got was a very sharp air-freshener sort of smell. Kinda like an Air-Wick. And it was strooooong. I do have to give it props for longevity though – I tried one spray six hours ago, had a swim in the pool, and I can still smell it, albeit faintly now.

I have close to 700 perfumes. Even if I had double that, without POAL i would always feel like something is missing.
Four years ago I was at N Marcus store, and the sales guy sprayed a single spray on the top of my hand. On the other hand he put a dab of POAL lotion. I remember not liking the initial blast, and literally hating what remained for about 24 hours after, despite numerous hand washing. I suppose I was not ready for it. I wish I was though. I wish I bought it then, because they for sure reformulated this after that event.
In the past years, I kept going to NM store, and I soon realized that the only reason I'm going is so I can steal I spray of POAL. I realized that as a huge rose lover, this actually clicked with me way more than I thought.
Sometime last year, I realized that my collection will never be complete without POAL in it. Purchased a sample, loved it, but was disappointed with the lack of staying power, compared what I've experienced four years ago. So I never really bought it, although I kept whining for it to my husband all the time.
Today we went to N Marcus too. Wanted my husband to try few of the Harmonist fumes as well as Promise. As he is testing those, I grab the bottle of POAL and spray a generous spray on my arm. The sales lady asks my husband if he is buying Promise, and he says no, I am buying Portrait Of A Lady!
So it was!
Finally have her, and despite everything I have in life, this brought tears to my eyes. It was something to remember for sure, there is just something about having to wait for something you really wish for, versus just getting it right away.
This is a special juice. In my opinion, no collection belonging to a real parfumista will be ever complete without POAL in it. If you think you don't like her, learn how to. It will be worth it!

A masterpiece of olfactory art.

Portrait of a Lady by Frederic Malle is not just a fragrance; it's a bold statement in the world of perfumery. Created by the renowned perfumer Dominique Ropion, this scent is often hailed as one of the most accomplished and sophisticated fragrances in modern perfumery. Portrait of a Lady is a fragrance that embodies depth, complexity, and unapologetic elegance.

➡️ First Impressions:
The presentation of Portrait of a Lady is a reflection of Frederic Malle's philosophy of putting the fragrance itself at the forefront , allowing the scent within to take center stage. Upon the first spritz, the fragrance announces its presence with a captivating and multi-layered complexity.

➡️ The Scent:
Portrait of a Lady opens with an intriguing blend of blackcurrant, raspberry, and rose. This initial burst is both fruity and floral, creating an immediate sense of sophistication and allure. The rose, in particular, is a central theme in this fragrance, presented in a way that is both modern and timeless.

The heart of the fragrance is where the rose truly blossoms, accompanied by notes of patchouli and cinnamon. This combination creates a spicy, almost incense-like quality, adding depth and warmth to the floral character of the rose. The patchouli in particular lends an earthy, rich dimension that makes the scent deeply captivating.

As the fragrance evolves, the base notes of sandalwood, incense, and musk come forward. These notes provide a smooth, warm, and sensual foundation that complements the complexity of the top and heart notes. The result is a finish that is opulent.

➡️ Longevity and Sillage:
Portrait of a Lady is renowned for its exceptional longevity and sillage. This is a fragrance that lasts for hours, evolving and revealing new facets of its composition over time. Its projection is significant without being overwhelming, making a statement while still maintaining a certain level of intimacy.

➡️ Versatility:
This fragrance, with its rich and opulent character, is ideally suited for formal occasions and colder months. It is a scent that demands attention and is best worn when you want to make a bold and sophisticated statement. While it may be too intense for casual or office environments, it is perfect for evenings and special events.

➡️ Conclusion:
Portrait of a Lady by Frederic Malle is a true masterpiece in the world of fine fragrances. It is a scent that combines depth, elegance, and complexity in a way that few others do. Ideal for the connoisseur who appreciates a fragrance that is both a work of art and a profound statement, Portrait of a Lady is an olfactory portrait that captures the essence of sophistication and timeless beauty.

To me this is THE perfume. Such good quality ingredients, perfect blend and balance, on a woman, it' s an ode to feminity, but still it will do on men...
Silk
A David lynch movie, Angelo Badalamenti music,
Art deco
a black coat with fox collar
walking in NYC / LA / Paris by night
The woman: wearing a Saint Laurent Tuxedo; the man wearing a simple black suit /white shirt

a true masterpiece
Something better?... hard to find... maybe The Night?

I swear, this smells like a perfume from Lush UK circa 2015 called "Rose" (not "Rose Jam"), which is very nostalgic for me.

The initial application was a straight up punch of rose to my nose, but it dissipated over 20 minutes to more amber/sandalwood. It left behind a soft scent that was sophisticated yet approachable. I wouldn't consider this an everyday formula, but it's something quite special.

It is gloomy, sophisticated and a seductive one! You can love it, you can hate it but you will never be able to replace it. It's a scent that will stay in your minds forever. A very well-formulated, mature and rich fragrance to use it in these winters!

one of frederic malle's most popular fragrances, and for a good reason. one of my longest-lasting fragrances, i could put it on in the middle of the day, and i'd still smell it the next day, even after a small shower. it fills up the room decently but not in an obnoxious way, especially when it dries down after a couple of hours. i remember i got inside an uber and the first thing he said to me was, "what perfume are you wearing? can you text it to me?" which is always nice to hear.

i'm usually not the biggest fan of totally floral fragrances but i love this one, especially with that amber-woodiness (which is what i look for in some fragrances) after an hour or two. my friends love it also, they're always sitting near me to smell it and always compliment it.

probably not a good blind buy due to the high price point but i seriously recommend anyone to try it out with a sample or even their travel size (maybe not for retail but i'm sure fragrance discounters would offer a decent price), it is one of the best scents in this house.

Genuinely the most beautiful scent I have come across.
Portrait Of Lady is a deep rose scent but with the incense it gives a darkness and sophistication. The type of personality I associate this with is a person with a swan like aura. Elegant, untouchable and bold. It’s so beautiful.

I recently wrote a review for Musc Ravageur where I stated: "It's unfortunate (for my wallet) that this lives up to its hype and more, as I was really expecting to go against the grain for this one."

And as it turns out, I can say the same thing for Portrait of a Lady - Frederic Malle has turned my nose upside down in the best way, because until I tried POAL and MR, I truly thought I disliked gourmand and rose fragrances...I now own a full bottle of MR and a 30ml of POAL is on the way... ^^;;

Portrait of a Lady is a 10/10 to me. It's mostly a spicy, incense-y rose with a hint of tart, juicy red berries that slice through to add a tiny bit of sparkle to an otherwise incredibly intoxicating, deep, and sultry fragrance.

I like the rose + incense + sandalwood combo a lot. The dry-down was also pleasant, with touches of amber and musky notes. Not my favourite from Frederic Malle personally, but I can see why people enjoy this one.

Love this perfume. So feminine, I don’t agree that it’s an old ladies perfume though.

This is pure sandalwood soap on me - specifically the Bee & Flower brand my dad used to buy from our local Asian grocery story. Very nostalgic for me, but not at all what I was expecting. No rose, no berries, just soap from an Asian grocer.

More of a dark rose. Very intoxicating, beautiful and nostalgic for some reason. I smell a lot of women wearing this where I'm from especially a few years ago when it was more popular. I thought a lot more people on here would love it but I suppose you have to really be a niche lover to appreciate this one. I don't think this is difficult to wear or too dark but just the right amount of darkness. I understand why it's so popular but I never purchased because I smelled it everywhere. Now that it's less popular I'm considering buying a bottle...

update: I bought a bottle

The worst combination I’ve ever experienced. An old people smell. This patchouli and spice together, smells like an old furniture. It’s overall very unpleasant.

Perfumes containing Rose is mostly viewed as more feminine leaning scent and not always evident for men to wear rose scents. After a long search I thin that POAL is exactly what I was looking for. I have been wearing this for the last 4 days and feeling confident wearing this scent and enjoying every minute. It has a pleasant Rose scent but it's not the only star of this fragrance. The incense, patchouli and spices balance this overall fragrance. It is very unisex in my opinion. Last 10+ hours when sprayed on clothes and at least 8 hours on skin. It does project nicely for the first 2-3 hours. I don't understand how POAL is so polarizing, some hate it and find its nothing special whereas other love it and find it a masterpiece. I guess I am between, its a elegant and sophisticated scent, maybe not a masterpiece but a rose scent that is unisex.

I got a recommendation for this scent when I asked for something sexy but not gourmand - I assure you that this scent is not “sexy” at all. Elegant? Sure. Refined? Absolutely. Never sexy though.

It opens with a ton of clove, but the clove soon dissipates and leaves behind fresh roses. This part of the fragrance is very pleasant, and I was told this the sillage of this was insane (I could be smelled long after I left a room). Then disaster strikes; the incense comes into play. Eventually it just turns into a smoky mess that gave me a headache. I couldn’t really smell any other notes at any time I was wearing this.

I’m conflicted. This scent has potential, and I think it would be great for someone else. It is odd and out of place on me, a stay-at-home-mom and aging metalhead, but it might work on a high powered executive or a chic fashion designer. I can’t see it being anybody’s daily driver though.

Not an everyday perfume for me as the smell of roses are too strong for my taste. However it might work for a special occasion, but not sure this is what I would reach for.

I love many of Frederic Malle’s Perfumes & appreciate his ethics on giving the Perfumers total freedom to be creative with no expense spared but The Portrait of a Lady just didn’t work for me! Fell for the blurb of 400 roses in a bottle with high expectations but on my skin projection was of a dirty rose with some green foliage.Dry down was ok earthy patchouli.
Reading reviews I feel envious of those who had better experience but sadly didn’t work with my body chemistry. Gifted to my lucky best friend & it is absolutely glorious on her. It is all about body chemistry so don’t recommend a blind buy.

Not everyone’s cup of tea but definitely a masterpiece in the fragrance world. I’ve heard about portrait of a lady for years and funny story, went to a department store with niche fragrances looking for something else. The SA’s wouldn’t get off my back and I sprayed about 3 fragrances on myself. As I’m leaving I see the Fredric Malle bar and I instantly ran to finally smell portrait of a lady. It wasn’t my favorite to be honest but I sprayed it once on my arm and ran out. The whole time I’m shopping (5 hours) I kept getting the best whiff of smell ever. I was changing at Zara and thought what the heck is that amazing smell and I could not remember which perfume it was since I previously sprayed so many! The SA at golden goose complimented me and even my last stop at Mac, the SA asked what I was wearing but I laughed saying I literally do not know. After a few days, I saw a great deal of POAL so I took the plunge and bought the bottle. As soon as it arrived and I smelled it, I instantly knew that it was that! So my point is, it may smell “grandma” like or too heavy, but let it sit and see the magic that comes with it!

Smells like dark earthy patchouli, incense, REAL rose, not "realistic rose."

9/11 masterpiece

Quality is definitely top notch... But. This is just too feminine for me. I can't even imagine myself wearing this perfume and walking out in the morning smelling like a hundred roses. This is what I imagine my classy, elderly aunt would smell like on a rummy card binge with her friends. Not manly at all. This gender bender stuff is definitely getting out of hand! A hard pass for me.

10/10 masterpiece. So thankful to smell this. Lovely. The best rose and patchouli I've ever smelt.

Absolutely beautiful.
Elegant and sophisticated.
Out of over 1,000 fragrances, this one would definitely make a top 10 list.
As a 49-yo guy I would love to remain myself to be a guy who can pull off this fragrance for the next 20 years.

Beautiful fragrance. Absolutely stunning, also the bath and body works dark velvet oud smells similar to this, good to layer this with. Or for a cheaper alternative.
Love portrait of a lady, perfect for this time of year.

This is such a complex and intriguing fragrance. She can be sweet and innocent with rose or bold and mysterious with incense. And whenever I wear this people literally sniff my neck and are immediately asking what I’m wearing! So gorgeous and elegant but with a sultry side. Love her.

Bold, confident, sexy, seductress, mysterious, classy. Yes, she is all that. She knows who she is…she doesn’t need your approval. Smooth, velvety dry down. I applied this at 6pm, dance (sweat like crazy) for three - 4 hours and at the end of the night, around 1pm I still received compliments. Unmatched.

Finally, at 53, I've decided to search out my signature scent. As I diligently researched fragrances, perfumers and fragrance houses I discovered Fredric Malle. I spent around 2 weeks thoroughly reading all that I could find and landed on Portrait Of A Lady both as a recommendation and based on descriptive details that appealed to me. Strangely enough, the other 2 fragrances recommended by the house happened to be the exact same two I also took an interest in. I ordered each in a 2 ml sample spray and received them much sooner than expected. The very second I sprayed Portrait, I fell in love! It is somewhat bold in the beginning but quickly dries down and softens without losing any of the intensity that I desired and appreciated in this scent. It remained detectable to me throughout the entire day while out about town and the evening too. To me, I felt my best attributes... Being confident, classy, sexy, sophisticated, educated, discerning and successful had been captured in a bottle and enjoyed every minute of "wearing" these qualities and being subtly reminded of them each time I caught my own presence on the breeze. I almost hated to shower it off before bed. I knew at once and still haven't wavered on my choice for Portrait Of A Lady being a front-runner in my race to pin down MY scent. I did enjoy the others, Carnal Flower and Musc Ravageur, though both were somewhat overwhelming at first. Each transformed into lovely scents but were not lasting. Honestly, I am pleased to have my fragrance be detectable to myself without clearing an elevator of gasping passengers. Portrait Of A Lady is exactly what this lady needed as a new addition to my dressing room.

I'll always remember the first time I tried this scent. High quality, potent, empowering... I went looking for a perfect rose scent and the trip ended when I came upon this. Such a gorgeous dark rose mixed with incense and patchouli. I love it so much that it kinda became my signature scent and depending on the occasion 1-2 sprays are enough. Projection and longevity are amazing. This fragrance just makes me feel so safe and so me, it's so comforting. Highly recommend everyone to try this one at least once in your life even in the current formulation which is still amazing. A masterpiece!

Good dry-down, Quite strong and very mature smelling, to me it smells like it takes itself too seriously, like a bad cop movie scene from 1979 with a dark villain seductress. Dry it smells sweeter and rosy, like the innocent sister of the seductress out for a date in a high class restaurant with a billionaire date. This is what I imagine a female Patrick Bateman wearing if they had a little more feeling. Unisex-leaning Feminine, white-collar-businessman-with-a-date masculine. Should sample this first unless you are a smelling genius. I will end this off saying that I am a filthy amateur when it comes to fragrance and I am pretty young myself so my tastes might change.

All I can pick up from this is the incense, that hits me as soon as I spray it on, and some rosewater later on....nothing else, I don't really get the hype over it. I like incence, IF that is one of the notes I pick up....and I need to feel the rest of the notes to be able to like it. As a consequence it is quite a boring one for my taste.

This is sooo overhyped, it's laughable lol Extremely nothing special, don't waste money on this mediocre, nonsensically and shamelessly overpriced stuff, better buy Guerlain Habit Rouge or Van Cleef & Arpels if you want a dominant rose smell, but made with class and style. POAL has just longevity and nothing else.

6/10

Yet another masterpiece by one of my favorite perfumers, Dominique Ropion. I thought it would be too feminine due to the 100 roses in this 100ml bottle, but the roses blend perfectly with the woody and smoky notes, giving it masculinity.

It is perfect for formal settings with suit and tie with its sophistication and class. The longevity exceeds expectations by miles. You can still smell it weeks after a couple of sprays on clothes. Wish i could have it as signature scent, but too expensive for that.

11/10

Not sure if my tester wasn't right, as I'm not matching up with other reviewers here? Rose scents can be hit and miss with me, with heavy ones being far too sickly, but this is a hit as it isn't too intense; to me, it's more rosewater? But I'm not getting much else. It's pleasant and clean, the scent that I think Chloe wanted to be, but it's pretty much faded to a mild fruitiness after just an hour or so (realised the dry down reminds me of Fields of Rubus by Kerosene, but much milder). It's nice, but that's all.
Ps- why are all 'lady' perfumes associated with roses?? There are other 'ladylike' flowers. I'm pretty sure ladies in the past didnt ALL live in rose bushes and may have dabbled with other flora!

I am positively ADDICTED to this scent. I have tried so many, and interestingly when I first tried it I didn’t think that much of it. Now I think this is quite possibly one of my favourite smells which is rare for me as I can’t seem to stick to anything. I’m not sure I have encountered a scent that I find so thoroughly enjoyable since I was a child. I can only think it must be due to the high quality ingredients? Who knows. I hope I never tire of it. One thing though I don’t get the massive sillage and longevity people speak of. It has a delicate and lovely trail but not a big one. I do sincerely wish I could have tried this when it came out.

Why are people writing reviews for a clone of POAL on the POAL page? Seems like some of the newcomers to the fragcom need to just save up for the real thing, or at least get their review URLs right. :)

POAL is a unisex rose patch beast. Masterpiece in my book.

Dry cumin/clove/saffron effect warms juicily up to become a fruity-musky rose scent. I can’t believe this is the rose perfume that has so many people starry-eyed. It’s pretty and punchy, yes — but I think the elegant name has done most of the legwork for making this is a bestseller. In the early stages it’s a mash-up of La Fille de Berlin and Agent Provocateur but with all the edges smoothed out. Late into the drydown it smells a lot like Lipstick Rose: a sweet, ambery, powdery rose with the sweet-tartness of raspberry lingering. Sadly, I am done with PoaL before it is done with me. The next day it is still glued to my skin with ambroxan as thick as paste. The coolest thing about it is a phantom sun-tea note that comes and goes with temperature fluctuations. No self-proclaimed tea fragrance has left me wondering where the tea scent was coming from as many times as PoaL!

I hated this for the longest. I spritzed it on to try it again and I can’t stop burying my face in my arm. Now, I need it!

PlEAse if anyone reads this
Is this perfume still a monster in 2023? I keep reading reviews that its not as strong and has been watered down compared to older batches

This fragrance is an exquisite blend of precious amber and rare roses, evoking a sense of elegance and romance. With each spray, it's like burying your face in a bouquet of flowers, a gift meant for the love of your life. The rich amber base and velvety rose notes create a lasting impression that embodies your deepest feelings.

It is a masterpiece, and my all time favorite. I own two bottles, an older one, which is more potent , and a newer one, which is still great. The best rose/patchouli/incense combination ever. One of the few fragrances that is fulfilling to the point where you don’t feel it is missing anything.

Checkmate by Mind Games smells a lot like this. Like A LOT. This came out before Checkmate, so... However, Checkmate will always have my heart. Not only is it cheaper, but the bottle is gorgeous. This is beautiful as well. I love it. It's a spicy, rose scent that comes off smelling like champagne.

For me, I'll buy the body cream for this and the perfume Checkmate from Mind Games and layer them together for an extra kick x

'Inspired by the Victorian novel'. That's the last thing I would associate with Portrait of a Lady. It's straight-up oriental in a Middle Eastern way, though it isn't their typical. In 2010, ME frags/scent profiles weren't booming in the West just yet; they wouldn't have advertised this one like that because who would buy it for that concept?

I've been forever on the fence about buying this fragrance, not because of the masterful scent or how it marries my skin so harmoniously and divinely but the fact that when I visited the shops, there were always people telling me this is 'the most' complex scent ever...which I disapprove of.

On the paper, it's a cold, dry wood and amber, incense & melancholy rose. However, I love it even more on my skin as what I get is entirely different; this is obviously a quality of exceptional perfumes, generally speaking. 'On my skin', it's less about rose or wood; I get tons of balsamic, incense smoke, and spices. It doesn't overlap that Victorian era, goth, vampire, graveyard, or something pretentiously artistic to me, not even a little. This can totally be worn all year round.

My boyfriend gave me a 100 ml bottle of this for my birthday. I've had some samples of this over the years and always wanted a full size bottle of it, so you can imagine the joy!

For me, this scent is a "bad b*tch" kind of scent. Best worn with boots, leather jacket and smokey bold makeup. It's rebellious to me! Of course it's also really good for dressed up situations as well as it's still classy, but I associate it more to a rocker chick not giving a single f*ck. To me it's really empowering and bold. It will stand out in a crowd for sure! I have never smelled anything like this before, I think it's very unique. It's really confidence boosting!

Something that happens on my skin every time I try a Frederic Malle fragrance so far...I love the smell, initially. And, yet, they all end up mostly as one-note (at best two-note) powder on my skin after the first few minutes. I lose any and all complexity. This wouldn't be that bad if the scent was cleaner, but I have an incredibly adverse reaction to powder- heavy scents because they usually make my nose itch all day. This particular fragrance fades into a two-note rose drenched in baby powder on my skin and never evolves past that. Very old lady. Not in a good way. Bummer. At least I can smell the rose? This might be a skin chemistry problem between me and perfumes that have, especially, the combination of musk + incense. I tend to gravitate toward anything but musky powders. Just putting that out there in case you are like me - this might not be the perfume for you. For what it is worth, I liked Iris Powder more and the powder note in that was not just itchy-nose baby powder, but something weirdly cleaner. I think if your skin does better with the base notes in here, or you like other Frederic Malle perfumes (which have never performed well on me), this is most likely a wonderful fragrance so don't take my review here too seriously. On my skin, it's a 6/10.

عطر يغلب عليه ريحة الامبر مع التوت
والزهور
العطر جميل للجنسين
مسائي او في الاماكن البارده المكيفه
8.5/10

One word - a masterpiece. I loved it since the moment I smelled it. It has everything I wanted, it is so elegant, mature + it lasts so long. Just wow!

What would Henry James think of this long, strange tendril of a literary legacy? His pen pal and confidante Edith Wharton might wear this. Her heroine Lily Bart would eat it up. James' own Isabel Archer might refuse it in her contrary, confounding way, only to return to it later, as it returns to me; dried and transfigured on last night or last week's outfit, complex as a pivotal memory and vivid as the story I tell myself about it.

What more can be said about Portrait of a Lady? Don't tell Mr. James about the Costco discount.


EDIT: Massive shout-out to whoever wore this to the IB Technicolor screening of North by Northwest at the New Beverly in defiance of the ironic-tee-and-cargo-shorts-dude crowd. Paired well with Eva Marie Saint's ravishing onscreen wardrobe.

A masterpiece. It has everything I could wish for.. sublimely tuned notes, exceptional duration and trail. I wear it and my mind is brought before a red rose, not yet fully blossomed, bathed in dewdrops. The roses then become many, and I feel an absolute sensation of well-being given by their aroma, but I also believe by the sandal that I like so much. Wearing it I feel good, beautiful, safe. I don't see it as a perfume to be worn only on special occasions, but for every day. It has generated beautiful sensations in me, it will never be missing from my favorites

Real mature classic red rose. The best or top 2 in the brand.
Rotation with "Noir de Noir" in cold days is interesting and enjoyful to me.

My first experience with POAL was very disappointing, and I even left a review...But came back to un-say everything I said before.

I've been looking for a spicy, warm rose and I decided to give it another chance to POAL...Bought a 6.5 ml sample from a private seller (the official échantillon by the brand). It arrived yesterday, I immediately dabbed it on my wrist with not much expectation. Then I started my afternoon class. In just a few minutes I felt such a warm, sensual hug all around me. I couldn't believe it.

Now I'm so, totally in love.

I had bought a bottle before, and not sure if there is a difference in formulation or if my body chemistry reacted differently this time. This house knows how to deliver roses. Rose Tonnerre is another absolute favourite rose fragrance of mine.

I had Amouage Lyric on my wishlist, but it is too silent on my skin. I think I will get a bottle of POAL instead.

POAL becomes my favourite spicy rose along with Coco Chanel. Bewitching, sensual, poetic and romantic. Exactly what I have been looking for.

This is WELL dandy. A man could easily pull this off. Gorgeous Rose, Patchouli and Berries. Approved.

Underbar ros med lite sötma. Den påminner om nått annat som jag inte kan peka ut.

One of my favorite scents. Unique, mature, elegant

When I saw this perfume had notes of: clove, cinnamon, rose and incense I knew I had to have it! Those are some of my favorite notes. I almost wish it had carnation in it too! This scent reminds me of a haunted victorian home with it's pale dusty rose scent and incense. A very beautiful gothic scent. Also mature---not in a grannyish way. In a refined, sophisticated, "I've been through hell and back", sort of way. A great scent for Autumn/Halloween.

A funeral parlor also comes to mind, if that is your thing!

Ah, verily, this fragrance, once a cherished muse, doth perplex my senses. There existeth two versions; one, of a smartly delightful nature, and the other, swayed by a profusion of Rose, which doth leave me ambivalent. Howbeit, I found myself enchanted by this aromatic marvel, though its name belies the expectations of masculinity that society hath imposed upon me. A quest spanning eons did I undertake to encounter this elusive concoction, yet the whispers of its allure didst finally draw me near. And lo, what a revelation it didst unfold!

Portrait of a Lady, by the venerable Frederic Malle, stands as a true masterpiece in the realm of scents. Dominique Ropion, the grand maestro of aromatic symphonies, hath ingeniously orchestrated a harmonious composition of notes, a beguiling blend that left me intoxicated like a love-struck pup amidst the vernal zenith.

This elixir hath captivated me unlike any other, for its unmatched quality doth grace my olfactory sojourn. Verily, a long-lost marvel rediscovered, ensnaring my senses with unwavering finesse.

But alas, my heart doth bear a cloak of disappointment, for the insatiable hands of Estee Lauder have laid claim to this niche treasure. Oh, the impudence! To besmirch the sanctity of such an artistic work, all for the pursuit of profit margins. Alas, is there nought sacred in this modern realm of avarice and excess?

Masterpiece! It does start with a strong musky note, like an antique oak-leather treasure chest that has been safeguarded for a long time; inside the chest there are aromatic incense sticks and sweet spices, the opening also reminds me of a gothic church during Easter, it dissipates maybe in 15-20min, what comes next is the most delicious realistic rose aroma ever, it's like sinking your face in a 100 red roses bouquet, delightful! The smell stays with you for 24 hours, and if applied to your clothes, it will only go away after you wash them, this is the definition of nuclear. At £188 per 50ml , it does smell like an upmarket, high standard, upper class, snobby, old money, refined perfume; I wish it were cheaper, but the premium price reflects the calibre. This is a special occasion perfume, I feel I would only wear it to go to a summer evening Opera, a fancy winter wedding, or in an Autumn stroll during a city break to Vienna, Prague, Florence etc. Love at first sniff.

I just bought poal today so I'm assuming I bought the watered down version (thank god). This is the most potent fragrance I've ever worn. I pick up a beautiful jammy rose note but also at the bottom I get a strong BO smell and I hate it! Poal is like Mugler Angels way older genius aunt that teaches a yoga class at Equinox that hasn't worn deodorant in 40 years. I'm currently wearing this to sleep and I can't stop sniffing my pj's... I kinda like it but I hate it too. I'm so confused.. :/

Alright coming back to this, since I bought my new formulation.. few months later in the wine fridge and I can tell it has been developed. What has changed?

Well it’s more unisex now! Rose water has been replaced by a very earthy dark patchouli opening with some rosey touches.. while developing on my skin, the patchouli gets relaxed and amped down a bit but never disappears, while the rose and incense are projecting crazy off my skin.

The deep drydown and that’s 6 hours later is very comfortable with some raspberr, some spices and rose water with that very shy patchouli base who keeps everything with each other in balance. So my final thoughts on the new formulation, is that it’s almost as good as it was! The rose and patchouli however in the older formulation where more stronger in the base. And with that I mean even in the deep drydown you could feel the presence more, and the rose was a little bit more jammy to me. But however if you are afraid of the new formulation.. don’t be afraid the performance is slightly less .. but common 12+ hours still and sticking on fabrics for weeks is still pretty ok right?

It’s completely unisex as I don’t find rose feminine perse. Matured and dressed up for sure, or sometimes like me a chill day at home to give your nose a deep joy! Oh and for those who compare this to main oriental rose perfumes.. gosh I wish your noses are getting better in the future. This is very deep, smooth and well blended. You can smell all of the layers (3) you can tell them apart and feel the vibe of elegance very good with this one.

As for my orientals this one together with ombre nomade and amber aoud are the better ones in the game for me.

Chilly weather craftwork. Mature and unisex. Beautiful, harmonious blend. Subtle but dank patchouli base. Earthy without being soily or mossy. Roses, cloves and currant. Well dressed.

The cloves resonate a little too much for me. It's too spicy until it dries down, then it's too stuffy. So 🙂, not 😍.

Strong ambroxan, watery rest of notes.

It's OK but it's not a masterpiece. Maybe it used to be.

Also, I get more geranium than rose, with that specific mintiness that ofren comes with it, although geranium isn't listed.

Lasts forever if you count the residue of ambrox-chemicals as perfume lasting.

I own the vintage formulation and i consider it a masterpiece. However most people purchasing this nowadays will be getting the diluted Estee lauder version which is absolutely atrocious. Estee lauder and L'Oreal, and LVMH really know how to destroy a good thing.

@jumpcannon lol in a decade this thing will be nothing but water. These new batches are already so diluted compared to the vintage that it won't even be worth it to purchase it in a decade.

This is a grown-ass woman perfume. This perfume says “I know what I’m about.” Not something I’ll pick up a full bottle of now at the age of 27 but I see myself coming back to this in a decade and loving it

I’ve tried this a few times and it’s actually grown on me, I tend to gravitate toward spritzing this on if I’m in a store that has it. The rose, cloves and raspberry really blend to give a tart rose and altogether the fragrance I now find to be a little addictive. Amongst all the similar smelling roses I find this one is done the best. Very overpriced, and I suspect this must have had more sillage when it first came out as the sillage is nothing amazing now when compared to older reviews below. I would say it’s intimate to moderate and not lasting more than a couple of hours.

Very usual rosy woody perfumy perfume.

I smelled this on someone at the gym and I would presume it was leftover from a day of work. The scent caught my attention but I knew immediately it was not something I'd be able to pull off. It wasn't overpowering but it was certainly smoky, spicy, rich and pleasing on her. She named this fragrance.

When I put it on, my husband sneezed in the next room. haha he’s not a fan of this and i am unfortunately over spicy floral bombs at this period of my life.

think i might not be a fan of the clove though and i couldnt smell much else other than that its a floral that seems somewhat bitter but mature.

not sure if it’s because im in a hot country or that i like to think im younger than i am.

if i can compare to others i consider within this category, perhaps i prefer a rounded mature floral fragrance like Acqua di pharma Iris Nobile or sweeter bombs like Narciso Rodriguez For Her.

So sad to hear they reformulated my signature fragrance! I have a bottle of the older stuff that will last several generations since you need to apply it by the scantest drop. Absolutely the strongest fragrance I have and the one that brings me the most compliments (though I sometimes suspect its because people feel the need to remark on it because its hard to ignore). A raspberry colored rose in full technicolor. It's funny how much I love it because I find patchouli an itchy, oppressive kind of scent, but here it offsets the jammy rose to beautiful effect. Just an absolute stunner.

After reformulation it's like water with little smell. Its not more powerful Portrait of the Lady. Its better to buy cheap arabic perfumes and efekt will be better.

The older I get the harder it is to find things worth my time. Portrait of a Lady is worth my time. I have Nahema in my collection - the pure parfum, ten years ago version. When that runs out I'm switching to Portrait. I love a peppery, nuanced rose that plays in the shadows and isn't afraid to announce it's presence. A big thumbs up on this one.

Incense rose on top of juicy fruit and patchouli. Incredible.

I hold this perfume on such a high pedestal that I’m not sure I can even try to explain it. It’s complex, romantic, delicious, and just beautiful. I become my highest form of self when I wear it, and must be well groomed or else it would be wasted. So, I wear it to church.

I wouldn’t even wear it to church if the church I didn’t go to wasn’t beautiful, that’s how serious I am about it… But it is an old, romantic, and gorgeous church with an organ that is known for its wonderful music. I find that going to a church like this brings me closer to God.

So I wear my beloved POAL and we sing hymns and pray and it really is a visceral experience. My husband says it even makes church better for him because he can smell it too.

I think I will wear it for Christmas as well, and other occasions which demand or inspire my highest self.

This is not a feminine smell at all, leans masculine a lot for me. I had to test it, since it's been out there a lot and talked about. However, I hardly smell the rose. Frankly all I smell is incense, deep musky smell and maybe just a little patchouli. I wouldn't even like it on a guy. This perfume doesn't have this addictive qualities that I like that would make me want to smell my arm over and over again. But it was fun testing it.. certainly one of a kind.

EDIT: I was told to test it in winter, which I will. Perhaps it will play differently on my skin.

Maybe my expectations were too high but I really expected more from this legendary perfume.

The raspberry is delicious and the transitions are smooth, but for my money I’ll go with the Diptyque.

Orchestrated by the patchouli, PoaL is reminiscent of pungent sweat on a bad day. On a good day, my nose picks up the berries, providing the heart, which is satisfactorily dark due to the spices, with some warm and fruity sweetness. PoaL would be dark green if it were a colour, embodying a mature and rich quality. Overall, it's a nice scent that certainly does not punch above its price lol.

Update: It's been 3 months, and I'm certainly taking a painfully deserved L with this blind buy. I implore anyone who is reading this to never make such a mistake. Always sample. I was honestly coping way too hard in June and July, to the point of delusion. It's mid until the unsubstantial dry down for reasons I cba to explain. The value that I place in my fragrances is not at all derived from how other humans receive them. However, PoaL did solicit my first ever compliment from a stranger, so I'll make an exception and give it bonus points for that!

Long lasting mature rose.

Unfortunately heavy on the ambroxan, which is choking me (lady vengeance from juliette has a gun shares this similarity).

For this price point I would expect more natural ingredients.

As if it was designed for me!
POAL, my beloved fragrance, is the embodiment of a mysterious, abstract rose. It balances light and dark, sweet and naughty, feminine and masculine. It remains surprisingly clean with charming gothic qualities. This is not just a portrait of a lady; it is the essence of a graceful angel. This perfume is my greatest love, it makes every day feel like a special day. A transformative scent that oscillates between sweet and warm, dark and powerful, strong and masculine, cold and seductive. Crushed wet roses and nostalgic incense create a vintage charm, while patchouli adds a moist, earthy touch. The rose itself shines in different ways, sometimes bright and shimmery, sometimes matte and velvety. When I wear this, I feel like the best version of myself - the confident, unapologetic queen.

This really is how you portray yourself and how your personality is expressed through your smell. An explosive rose in the beginning, quickly followed by an earthy, dirty (in a good way) patchouli, and an anchor of incense, benzoin and musks. I wear this when out in social gatherings mostly. Lasts 10 hours on skin, 12+ hours on body hair (arms, chest) and weeks on clothes. A very special scent which hardly is seen when going outside.

Having looked pretty closely at a GC/MS analysis of Portrait of a Lady, I have some fun facts to share. Who needs a note breakdown when you can bust the fragrance open and see what's inside?

The concentrated fragrance of Portrait is 11.6% Ambroxan. If you remove the odorless solvents it's 14.7% Ambroxan. Most of the formula is musks (26%) and there is some sort of fractionated or molecular distilled patchouli (8-10%) with a lot (6-8%) of pure patchoulol crystals. Other naturals include ~1% olibanum resinoid and a trace amount of benzoin, clove bud, and cinnamon. Dominique Ropion once said that Portrait has 2% Turkish Rose, and if it's in there the rose accord is still fairly standard, with an overdose of Rose Oxide (0.24%) and Rose Crystals (1.2%). The Rose Oxide gives it a watery effect and the Rose Crystals give it a fruity effect, boosted by noticeable Raspberry Ketone (0.23%) and Damascenone. If there is blackcurrant then it is present in a very trace amount. A hint of Javanol gives a creamy sandalwood touch.

Personally I cannot stand the clove combined with incense, but I can see why this is so popular. I do appreciate the complexity of the scent. The spicy notes transport me to someone’s living room in the Middle East or India, waiting to have tea in a room full of spices and old furniture.

I was recommended this perfume when I took an online perfume diagnosis. So I got a small jar.

It has a beautiful Turkish rose and patchouli scent.
It's not for young girls.
At least I feel it's not for the 20's.
Even in your 30s, it can be difficult.
I feel that this is a fragrance for grown-up women in their 40s and above who have experienced a lot in their lives and who have acquired perfect elegance along with failures, successes, and a kind of resignation.

I feel the pressure akin to a vintage Hermès Caleche.
As for myself, I don't think I have enough experience yet to make this fully my own. I'm not yet elegant enough to wear them perfectly.

But it's a very beautiful scent.
When I want to borrow elegance and confidence, I sit up straight and wear this fragrance.

Portrait of a Lady is one of Frederic Malle’s most popular scents, and for good reason. It opens bright and fruity with a prominent rose accompanied by raspberry and blackcurrant, with a slight spicy touch coming from the clove. A strong heart of earthy patchouli and smoky incense then begins to develop, blending beautifully with the rose and clove.

The base is comprised of an ambiguous musky amber accord, which only provides an added depth to the overall scent profile. Throughout the life of the scent, the patchouli and incense are the most prominent notes, with the rose providing a gentle feminine touch.

This fragrance has fantastic quality and smells divine, intensely creative and alluring. One of my favourite patchouli perfumes and a definite must-try from the house.

I was loving this scent, but after 45 minutes a sweat odor started to emerge... And it was not me... I don't know if it's the pachouli that got dirty or what in the world is happening, but I dislike it a lot. It's like a rose covered with sweat. Before the bad smell, this scent gave me Oud Satin Mood vibes, after the sweat note, not at all. Not a good dry down on my skin. I was trying Lady Vengeance in my other arm, and that one did not got any bad notes. I'm glad POAL didn't smell good since it's so expensive. The initial aroma is to die for, by the way.

I'm glad I was able to sample this notorious fragrance that has become a bit of an icon in the niche space. It's a powdery, vintage rose that turns into a seductive incense cloud after 20ish minutes. I will admit that I'm very iffy on rose scents; it's rare for me to find a rose perfume that I actually enjoy. Though I can appreciate the artistry behind POAL, I feel like I'm wearing a costume with this on...or trying hard to be a woman that I'm not. It's almost a gothic, boudoir-style scent for a woman (or man) who exudes mystery and elegance. I prefer scents that are a bit more light-hearted and POAL is too intense for everyday wear. Reminds me of Oud Satin Mood by MFK a little... I could see Dita Von Teese pulling this one off. Sadly, it's not for me.

Portrait Of A Lady is a rather sensual perfume that's worth exploring. While I would say it leans more female than male, it's definitely a perfume that can be rocked by a confident man in a smart suit. Either way, this one is not for the wilting flowers and those who don't want to be noticed or make an olfactory statement!

The opening is nice - cinnamon underneath rose and raspberry and blackcurrant. The sillage is strong. Half an hour in you can really smell the clove and incense underneath the rose and berries, along with a hint of musk. 45 minutes in and you get hints of sandalwood and a whiff of patchouli joining the party. An hour in and you can detect a little bit of benzoin in the base.

At this stage, the development can go in different ways, and, oddly enough, do so at the same time on different arms. So, two hours in, one way is for a rather Turkish Delight smell to be dominant and the other way has more of the spice and wood instead of that Turkish Delight jamminess. And around two hours in the sillage begins to turn down slowly. Four hours in and the division between the two ways is more pronounced. For some reason, one of my arms likes the Turkish Delight rose-raspberry whereas the other one really favours the sandalwood-musk-cinnamon. This is a most curious split! The sillage continues to turn down slowly for another hour or two until it becomes a skin scent by seven or eight hours in and fading away around twelve hours in.

This is a perfume for someone confident and elegant. It's your best suit or evening dress out for this one. I wouldn't wear it during the summer but it'll work pretty much any other time of year. Yes, it's pricey, really pricey ... but it has to be sampled.

I've already left a review, a long one, which is directly below this one but I had to come back to say I absolutely adore this perfume now. Now that I know what to expect with the initial blast of sharpness, I don't even really notice it anymore. Now it seems to go straight to the beautiful, classy, elegant perfume that it is. Me being me, I'd wear this on any day, hair up in a messy bun and wearing sweatpants and a hoodie but what I picture someone wearing with it is either a sexy but smart black cocktail dress and black tights, in a upmarket wine bar, waiting for her rich handsome date to turn up. Either that or a really chic woman in her mid 30s, wearing a stylish navy blue blazer, simple vest top and jeans with an expensive handbag and hair in a messy bun that actually took 20 minutes to perfect. The latter is me, or what I try to be anyway 😂 the handbag isn't expensive, the blazer is from Shein and I'm certainly not rich but when people walk by me they would think I was. This smells so good. It's mature smelling, but not old fashioned, more timeless classic. I can see why it's got it's place as one of the big names of niche fragrances. If you only like things like La Vie Est Belle or Lady Million etc, not that there's anything wrong with those, you probably won't like this. Realistic rose, patchouli, dark fruits and reminds me of dry red wine almost. It's got the "texture" of dry red wine infused with spices, but an expensive one that's been aged in a barrel of the finest wood that was stored in a room full of burning incense sticks. I find it even less unisex now after initially thinking it smelled more masculine. Now I feel it's far more feminine leaning but if men are wearing br540 then a confident guy could definitely pull this off. Stunning. So glad I ordered a sample of the real one and not just the dupes so I know for sure how it smells. I'm over the moon with both of the dupes too though, I can't tell them apart. Oh, and I think my mother WILL love it too. I was a bit worried at first but I think she's gonna be chuffed with it on her birthday. I would highly recommend ordering a sample to try. Mine was only £9 on ebay.

Update, my mam absolutely loves it. She's been wearing it all the time since her bday in June. I could smell it on her from the second I met up with her the other day, all the time I was with her right up till she went home.

Woah, what a roller coaster of thoughts I've had about this one this morning. This perfume is the epitome of don't judge it on the opening. The beauty of this takes a little while to show itself.
So, I didn't choose this for myself. My mam had heard some celebrity mention she was wearing it when a posh lady told her smelled divine and when I was telling her about how good some of the dupes I've had recently are she said would I look for a dupe of this. I knew I'd seen it on all the sites so I said I know I can get you one. So I did, but having never smelled the original I thought I better order a sample of the proper stuff just incase and so she could tell how close it was. I ordered one from Eden perfumes and French Portrait by Fragrance World and thought I'll give her whichever one is best and keep the other. The Eden dupe came yesterday and the sample and FW one came today. They're identical so I'm talking about all of them.

First thought was, don't like it, smells like an old fashioned men's aftershave, too citrusy and sharp. Few seconds later I thought it's actually not too bad. Few minutes later, I think I really like it. I'm glad I got two dupes, one for myself.

It's very pungent at first, almost sour and very heavy on the patchouli. It smells like something I've smelled before but I can't think what. It's definitely not a blind buy and I'm not 100% confident my mother is gonna like this with her favourite perfume being JPG Classique and back in the day she wore stuff like Poeme and Miracle. She hated Posion and Alien when I wore them. I said this about Black Orchid by Tom Ford but POAL totally smells like a hippie shop. It smells exactly like this tiny little shop I got my nose pierced in at 13. A combo of all the incense sticks and essential oils in there. The dry down is much, much, nicer than the opening. It's much more feminine than the initial spray. It has a slightly pissy smell though. I think it's the rose, it's a very realistic rose, but the more it dries down the softer and nicer it is. It's on that border of smelling really expensive and really cheap. I think people could mistakenly think you were wearing something that cost a couple of quid. It's a strange one. I do like it though, but I like really heavy, bit weird smelling, not fresh and light floral types of perfumes. It's kinda repulsive yet addictive. Definitely a polarizing smell. Some people would absolutely hate this. I don't know if I'll ever get through the whole 100ml bottle of the dupe I'm keeping, I'd have to be in the mood for this, and I might end up getting my mam's bottle if she hates it 😂. She's planning on wearing it to a birthday meal so I'm taking over a few of my designer, safer, perfumes just incase coz this could go either way. On a different note though, Eden perfumes seem alright as a dupe company, this one is bang on. I'm gonna order the Boudoir by VW one next time. I would have used Divain but they send it from Spain, this one arrived the next day coz they're based here in the UK. Lattafa and Fragrance World are killing it at the minute with all the niche dupes though.

Okay, so it's had plenty of time to dry down and I think it's beautiful, it doesn't smell cheap (even the ones that were cheap). It's still an acquired taste, and I think you need to be confident to wear this as not everyone is gonna love it, but for me this is really lovely. You also need to be a little bit patient to get past the opening, unless you immediately love it. Deep, complex and unique. It won't be my signature scent, although it could be in 20 years time, but it'll definitely have it's place in my life. I won't be splashing out on a fb of the real stuff, I don't see a need to but if money was no object I would.

Heavy patchouli with rose

Heavy, nauseating, boring. No one should blind buy this.

NOT BLIND BUY SAFE, TRY BEFORE !!!!
Cloves and rose.

This was love and first sniff. To me this is perfect. Some reviews class this masculine. I think this is a feminine to unisex fragrance, it just depends on your skin chemistry. Lasts forever on my skin. This is my signature fragrance I can rock this most days apart from hot summer days. Otherwise I would recommend sampling it as some people might find too mature from the incense note here.

was surprised to learn this is for women and not unisex. I love it, its simple, and elegant. I was initially worried that this would be too strong as many of the reviews indicate it performs a little too well, but on my skin it creates a nice scent bubble the projects just enough for my personal taste. It doesn't fill up a room as many suggest, nor is it spicy as some of the negative review would suggest. my only problem is the pricing point, I do believe this is overpriced for what it sets out to do, but I got mine as a gift and am happy to have it in my collection

Am i the only one who doesnt like this? its pungent and very mature smelling, the scent itself isnt anything mind-blowing either,- it reminds me of the “xerjoff more than words” family which is another pungent mature rose that harassed my nostrils…i know theres no age threshold in perfumes but idk why anyone in their 20s would voluntarily wear this 😀 maybe im exaggerating rn cuz it didnt live up to the expectations i created for it after seeing all the hype…yes this is elegant, womanly, statement making, but it lacks the addictive factor that makes u want to keep smelling it…I feel like everything in the mature lady spicy rose-patchouli department always smells somewhat like this on the surface and im not gonna nitpick the tiny details that make this different to any of those- i just smell something ive smelt countless times before and for alot cheaper, so im not mind blown.

Furthermore as the review below states, this scent profile is SO common in arab fragrances, I’ve definitely blind bought random arab cheapies in the past that turned out to be exactly like this, even better in most cases- and we all know arab juice is beast mode, so if you enjoy this scent profile ur really just getting ripped off by FM unless ur a huge fan, sorry not sorry

However if you like it im happy for u, frederic malle is a great house and the quality is 10/10

Save your money on this one. There’s so many rose + spices/Oud/incense fragrances out there that are more unique in my opinion. If you enjoy these notes, then there are so many affordable Arab perfume brands that have this kind of scent.

I can somewhat see the appeal of Portrait of a Lady. It’s a very special scent. However, to me it smells like a bad camping trip. The spicyness reminds me of old sweat. That, in combination with the eartyness and the hint of mosquito spray I’m getting…it’s just an awful scent imo.

Super confusing how people think this is more feminine leaning ... Girls be careful if you wanna blind buy it because you think it's very feminine, it is NOT !

Spicy Rose. Keeps its blend throughout with certain notes taking center stage and then backing off for others to shine. For a minute it almost smelled a bit like fragrant pot on me. Seems like a fragrance that everyone dies for...and it is beautiful but too spicy for my skin. It is super pricey so not a blind buy - too risky. Sample it first to make sure it works for you before making a FB purchase.

This certainly leans male to my nose. The only notes in this that are feminine are the rose and the raspberry. Everything else just smells of incense, patchouli, cloves, cinnamon and amber, in that order.

This scent is incredibly overpowering, incense-y and sour to my nose and I'm not here for it at all. I want a dainty, realistic and feminine rose perfume, but this is anything but that.

I don't know why one of the sales women in Mecca thought that I might like this?! The only rose perfume that I have smelled and also owned that smells like actual roses is Eau Rose EDT by Diptyque. À la Rose by Maison Francis Kurkdijan isn't too bad, either.

But this? Headache inducing...

POAL is a lovely fragrance but am I the only male who thinks it’s a bit too feminine? I’m all for Rose and Unisex fragrances and have quite a few but I bought this, tried it and immediately passed it to across to my, very happy, wife!!

Deep, dense, and rich rose with spices and patchouli. There isn’t much more to say about it that hasn’t been said. Not everything lives up to its hype, but it sure is lovely when something does.

This is absolutely intoxicatingly amazing. From opening to the dry down all the notes are present at all stages, but with a spotlight shining on different parts of them along the way. But Portrait of a Lady isn’t linear, it’s kaleidoscopic. A masterpiece for sure.

Dramatic, boudoir rose. It's beautiful but for me it's like a heavy evening gown and the trick is to choose one that, despite its grandeur, will not wear you instead of you wearing it. And so is the case with this fragrance ... It's a creation for the right person or for the right moment. A woman with a certain charisma and personality. More than on myself, just out of curiosity, I would like to smell it on another person who fits this gown beautifully and most importantly can tame this beast. I know I'd be impressed :)

This is my favorite perfume. The rose and berries sing through the most beautiful, dark echo of incense and patchouli. Or perhaps it's the other way around?

In the beginning of my fragrance journey, I always sampled the more intimate or subtle scents because I am not a loud person, and I was also afraid of anything with rose in it. I tried a bunch of Frederic Malle perfumes before I even looked at this one. But then gradually I gravitated towards it.

To me this isn't a loud perfume. It's big, but it doesn't shout. It's deep and warm and instead of suffocating a room, it just makes that room bigger, warmer and darker.