A Parfum

I promised myself not to do any more blind buys, but when this fragrance was announced I just had to get it as soon as it came out. The Belgian fashion brand is one of my favorites and I love the style Ann has perfected over the years. I don't think she had anything to do with the creation of this fragrance, but it does seem true to the brands dna. It has a quiet, dark and fascinating sophistication. Almost an old-fashioned 20th century perfume, but with enough tar and spices (especially cumin) to steer it into this era. It starts off with a lot of vetiver, then citrus and leather. After a while it becomes more grounded, woody and spicy. I think Ann Demeulemeester did a wonderful job expanding its brand this way and creating such an outstanding fragrance. If you want a reference to fragrances that sort of smell alike, though not nearly as good: Le Labo Vetiver 46 and Binet Papillon No. 10 Malt Night-Fighter

A dark floral leather chypre - heavy on the birch tar, but also a lot of jasmine to my nose (it's jasmine season in LA and I feel like I'm smelling jasmine everywhere right now.) There's an interesting rosewood note in there too. It also smells very natural and somewhat "wild" - like a cottage in the woods that's been reclaimed by vines and shrubs. It's nice! I really like it. But it's also mildly forgettable. That's the thing with chypres - there's a lot of nice ones, but since they all kind of do shades of the same thing, they can start to blend together. A Parfum is a good, slightly goth, leather chypre... but probably not worth the $400/75ml they ask for it.

I sprayed this on my wrist in a department store in Tokyo out of curiosity and thought “oh, I’ll regret this” given its strength and my usual sensitivity to chypres and dislike of most “classic men’s colognes.” Instead, the scent clung to the cuff of my jacket for the rest of our trip and I became more and more obsessed with it. Moss, patchouli, leather, yes, but the spices, lemon, jasmine, and rosewood unlock a harmonious, more dark creamy apothecary symphony than “beast mode” (yuck) migraine screecher. More Serge Lutens or (vintage) Santa Maria Novella than Creed. It is expensive but gets better with age and I think it will be with me for many years.

We all love Ann, and we all want to own and love her perfume. But you can't buy samples, and its only available to sniff in ANTWERP. To borrow a phrase from Gen Z - "Make it make sense!!"

The opening is great albeit very strong, I love the citrus and cumin smell. The dry down becomes quite powdery though in a way I didn't like too much, and the citrus and cumin turn sour and it becomes a sweaty/musty smell, which is erotic in a way, but because it's so strong it's less subtly erotic and can be more offputting/pungent. It's a great fragrance but I ended up selling my bottle like two years ago because it had one too many flaws for a 400 dollar fragrance. One day though I'd like to try it again as it feels more in line with my tastes now than it did then.

Same vibes as the rest of her brand - dark, gothic, a little vintage but always innovative All in all this is a beautiful fragrance. It’s very incentsy and earthy rather than classically animalic, reminiscent of an old gothic cathedral or some kind of magical forest in the rain. The performance is incredible; its very spicy and complex while remaining smooth. Although the price is a little insane (£280), you really only need one spray to last days so one bottle of this will last longer than two bottles of a standard £140 fragrance (girl maths = this is cheaper) *note: I hate patchouli but she makes it work (there is no hints of BO or curry)

i tested this throughout 2024 in multiple stores in france, italy, belgium and went from being shocked by it to loving and wanting it badly. its so polarizing, unique and long lasting that you can’t stop thinking about it after you try it. i finally found the perfume on resale for a more responsible price and can’t be happier! at first it feels very dark and pungent but soon transforms into a cozy herbal and creamy leather scent with a sweet note to it. VERY strong performance, i just need one spray to last all day. and as someone has mentioned, the atomizer is beautiful with a fine, dispersed mist.

A modernized 70s style leather chypre: think bitter-green IBQ, saddle soap and mossy drydowns. I usually struggle with these type of perfumes (like Bandit or Rien), but this is wonderfully revised to today's standards. It feels familiar but nothing I've smelled before.

I wonder who's the lost soul who gave this perfume a 1 star rating without smelling it. These parasites ruined Fragrantica. Anyway; I always liked Ann's "dark" and unique style, and I'm really looking forward to smelling her first ever perfume.

I just read an article online from Vogue that talked about this fragrance from this artist & designer & the development of how this came to be. It sounds wonderful from the notes & I look forward to sampling this someday soon!

Ok, Ann Demeulemeester entered the world of fragrance. Good, I just missed a new addiction. I must have it.