Fleur de Peau Eau de Parfum

Again, I don't know what crazy skin chemistry I've got going on but by gods does it vibe with Fleur de Peau. Each time I wear it, this perfume takes me on an olfactory adventure. The start is, for me, its weakest point. Whatever happens with the first spray, be it a dumping of aldehydes or too much of that vegetal carrot, I am not a fan. Thankfully it passes in just a few minutes and I've come to think of the rest as a kind of ballet of smells. Act one has, among others, a scene where the iris and fresh musk shine through the most, bringing to mind a sense of cleanliness that would come after a luxurious shower at a spa if one was given the world's fanciest soap. You've just stepped out of the jet streams and are drying your skin with this warm, fluffy towel. Another scene evokes the atmosphere of a fancy boutique but it's also the coziest place you could imagine (here the sandalwood and leather become a bit more noticeable but both are warm and supple with years of use, no harshness or dryness to be smelled anywhere). The musk is still there but turns more creamy and powdery. Act two is a parade of surprising permutations of the composition that starts somewhere around the two hour mark. Fleur de Peau fully melts into my skin. It no longer feels like I am wearing perfume. The perfume has become a part of me. Am I the perfume now? I can't even tell you what it smells like at this point because each time I put my nose to my wrist it's slightly different. What it consistently is, however, is subtle, powdery and so well blended it's impossible to pick out individual notes. There might be phases where it becomes more dusty or more woody but it ebbs and flows. Act three, I believe, starts somewhere around the six hour mark. Fleur de Peau is now quite a lot sweeter. It projects just as well as it did in the first three hours after application (that is to say its sillage falls on the upper end of intimate but it's still perfectly noticeable when you're close to me). It manages to be both cozy and chic but also attractive. In fact, I have trouble saying where the longevity ends. I have slept with two half sprays of it (neck and chest) and got complimented on my perfume 15+ hours after application.

Fleur de Peau is a fragrance that feels almost too good to be available for the current price, easily something that could go for twice the price if it were created by less honest brand. It essentially delivers a very smooth and full iris experience while smelling surprisingly natural without being too damp or vegetal. I'm quite certain that what is being used here is carrot seed extract, an interesting raw material full of ionones, compounds that are found in iris extract, which is ridiculously expensive and therefore practically never used in perfumery. Honestly, having sampled real iris extract, it also doesn't really need to be used, because it is honestly not that great, its ashy, waxy, oily, vegetal, and ever so slightly sweet. Master perfumers like Olivier Pescheux seem to known this too and have effectively created these massive powdery musky floral accords that vastly surpass the original material (imo). Fleur de Peau is round, smooth, musky, powdery, buttery, but also slightly cold and vegetal (imo coming from the carrot seed) to still provide the feeling that this could be a smell coming from the root of a delicate flower. All together it feels like a dreamy cloud of pale translucent powder that has stuck to your skin and is staying there for the rest of the day like an invisible sheath. Unlike most iris fragrances it doesn't smell hardcore cosmetic but it is still intensely powdery, too much for me to comfortably wear, aside from in dressed up fancy occasions, but I do appreciate the art and technical ability that went into it. Definitely something to look into if you are into powdery musky fragrances (also Volutes EDP, which has a similar iris accord but microdosed and matched with a warm spicy tobacco accord). Excellent overall, good value for money.

I think the iris note in this is superb, it is carroty for sure. It also has a sort of "inky" violet(?) darkness. The opening feels quite cool & aloof, but as it wears the soft clean musk prevents it from becoming too cold & austere. It also has a little sweetness on my skin as time passes - but much less sweet than say, MMM Lipstick On (for comparison). I don't actually perceive it as powdery (but that's probably just me!). I can pick up leather in the base, but only when I spray heavily. It reminds me a bit of SL Clair de Musc, but with a much more pronounced iris note, & less noticeable aldehydes. Someone further down said it smells 1970's..Maybe to some, but (imho) only insofar as It doesn't have sugary vanilla, any sweet gourmand notes & (biggest bonus to me), it doesn't reek of synthetic woods...So basically it's missing everything that seems to have huge appeal in current trendy perfumes. Initially I thought it was quite weak, but now after several wears I've found that the longevity is quite deceiving. Every so often I still catch a lovely waft of scent, even after several hours. Also people comment on how beautiful it smells, even when I think it's not even noticeable. It's one of those perfumes that wears quietly. I like that, it is subtle & gentle, but still there.. I think FdP is beautiful - the best perfume I've tried this year. Definitely suited to cold weather because it does have some warmth - but also (probably) versatile enough for year round. I'm thrilled with my bottle, it's gorgeous in a quiet & unassuming sort of way. I've found a new love! :) Update Feb 19. I've found FdP really draws a lot of compliments - so it seems to be a very easy to love scent.

A fragrance that embodies whispered elegance and the concept of "skin scent" (the your skin but better trend), Fleur de Peau is probably one of the absolute pinnacles reached by Diptyque., with this masterpiece by Olivier Pescheux: Although the aldehydes are present in the opening, they have nothing of the "vintage" or soapy character of the past. Here they serve to give air and light to the composition. Freshly sprayed, Fleur de Peau is sparkling. Pink pepper and bergamot create an almost tickling sensation, while angelica brings a vegetal and slightly aromatic touch that prevents the fragrance from becoming too sweet. Here the soul of the fragrance emerges. The iris is not overly earthy, nor too much like "powder makeup". It's buttery, velvety and blends perfectly with a hint of Turkish rose, which serves more to add body than a clear floral scent. The real secret lies in the base notes. The use of ambrette seeds and carrot accentuates the silky, almost human appearance of the musk. Ambergris and leather are not heavy, but create a texture that recalls the cleansing of bare skin after a hot bath, wrapped in a fine linen towel. Fleur de Peau is a perfume of contrasts: it is both fresh and warm, ethereal and carnal. It is the ideal choice for those who do not like intrusive or "pleasant" perfumes, but are looking for an olfactory signature that conveys extreme cleanliness and impeccable taste. Many compare it to Glossier You, but Fleur de Peau is definitely more complex, layered and "artistic". It is less synthetic and much deeper thanks to the quality of Diptyque's raw materials.

This smells like a mother’s hug. Fleur de Peau is a very abstract perfume to my nose. I think Diptyque does a fantastic job of capturing and bottling photorealistic florals, but this is not that. This is, however, something magical. People who hate on this perfume like to label it as grandma-esque. I honestly hate when people use this type of descriptor, but I believe those who feel this way are overwhelmed by the powder and aldehydes. Fleur de Peau does not smell like a specific Chanel or Guerlain perfume, but certain aspects of it share a familiarity to old school classics from these brands. There are those who also dislike the perfume due to the strong carrot note in the opening. I find the carrot note charming in that it adds a vegetal warmth. Iris can be cold and aloof, so the carrot, pink pepper, and sandalwood warm this scent up a bit. It's a lovely balance. It's a floral perfume, sure, but it isn't quite that simple. It's complex and smells different depending on the wearer. I find that it also is changes drastically depending on the weather. I prefer to wear this in cooler weather as it can feel stuffy to me in anything over 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Overall, this is signature scent material. It makes me think of a freshly bathed ballerina (is that weird?) with her long hair slicked back in a bun, the soft leather smell of her slippers mingling with her natural body smell and the soapiness from her recent shower. In terms of my favorite clean and musky favorites, this leads the pack along with Chanel 1957 and Narciso Rodriguez Pure Musc.