Malachite

The immediate image that appears upon spraying and inhaling Malachite is of a cool, clean, serene, magical pool, deep inside a beautifully dark, mossy forest. The floor of the pool is composed of rocks, so the feeling is of water that is quite clean, but not overly 'fresh' and somehow earthy, rather than dirty. I can sense the roles of all of the listed notes in Malachite. The water hyacinth as the water, of course. The green mango supplies the green and the bit of tropical nuance. The peony lends a cool, sleek feel almost like a stone- I've experienced peony similarly before, in Kate by Kate Moss, where it 'feels' a bit like cool porcelain. The musk/ vanilla/sandalwood collaborate skillfully in Malachite, to bring the feeling of clean, calm skin, just bathed and moisturized. The black pepper grounds everything and gives the clean-yet-earthy facet I enjoy so much about the composition. It is extremely rare for me to rock anything green or aquatic, and Malachite is so... both of those... but, I am pleased to say, I can quite successfully wear this one! Most of my collection is made of bold orientals, fuzzy musks, spicy roses and sticky gourmands. I think Malachite works so well for me because its green is cool and clean, rather than aggressively fresh, vegetal, sporty or other characteristics that can take an odd turn on my skin- characteristics typical of notes like grass and geranium. I do love mango in fragrance, so perhaps 'green mango' brings the green in a way that is wearable for me. When I have been able to wear aquatics, it has been because the notes responsible for the aquatic feel were floral- I'm thinking of violet leaf and lotus, mainly- so I can see how water hyacinth works in Malachite to achieve this watery effect. I have noticed that when florals are used to give the sense of 'water', the result is a cool, placid aquatic, rather than a cold rush of surf. No need to reiterate how handsome (and relevant to the juice inside) the bottle and the wooden box are. Sillage is just shy of arm's length, on me. I applied liberally last night, and am still wearing Malachite enough to smell it without really trying, this morning. Of the Banana Republic fragrances, I have so far collected Rosewood, Alabaster, Republic of Women and, now, Malachite. I love them all, for vastly varied reasons. I am joyfully surprised to find Malachite, in all its green, aquatic glory, right at the top of that list.

I love this. It's very green and fresh. I don't get floral really at all. I would happily make this my work signature because it is cool and calm. Hopefully it would influence me and give the impression that I am composed, confident, and professional (haha). If my lawyer was wearing this I would trust her implicitly :) It also makes me think of Hawai'i. Although not sure why. Possibly the torrential rain that I happened to be in one day on the Big Island, refreshing the air and pounding the lush greenery. It is a nature's laundry-type clean scent. Gorgeous. Longevity poor and sillage/projection not great but it's not vastly expensive so reapplication would not be a huge issue.

I won Malachite in a fellow Fragrantican's giveaway. This is not something I would have purchased for myself, because I associate the store Banana Republic with yuppies and preppies, whom I generally dislike. However, this is NOT a perfume for yuppies or preppies, and I LOVE it! Malachite is a mysterious semi-aquatic oriental fougere, with a sort of "barbershop for ladies" vibe at times. The pepper adds a spicy, bold aroma that blends well with the watery florals and musky incense. The mango creates a note that is similar to Polo Black, but with a touch of feminine vanilla. Longevity and sillage are good. This could be an "office-friendly" perfume if applied lightly.

I have loved the bottle, the name, the idea of this fragrance for some years but for some peculiar reason never bought it until recently. First spray and I could not stop sniffing my wrist. How come this is so wonderful? Delicate watery flowers (not Calone watery, more like the smell of flower garden during rain) and spices, fresh but soft. The spices and the sandalwood become more prominent as it dries down.

Wow, I like this?? I didn't notice the resemblance at first spray.Today, after a shower I applied and then it came to me.Alfred Sung "Sung".A fragrance I owned in the early nineties.It is a wet tart floral. The hyacinth, sandalwood and vanilla really tie these 2 perfume together. I had to give up Sung during my pregnancy in the 90's-I could NOT stomach it! It appears hyacinth and I are friends again!