Portrait of a Lady

I finally got to sample this "masterpiece" from FM !! thooo maybe the experience got a bit underwhelming from too much expectations and from smelling already similar compositions... Learning to love rose fragrances was kinda rough because I never knew how varied rose notes can be from fragrance to fragrance but the worst mistake was probably smelling Delina and calling it a wonderful day to hate rose fragrances with passion <3 I have a vintage YSL Paris, not rlly my favorite as its TOO SWEET but never headache-inducing to my nose but goshhhh Delina... Delina gave me a hell of a migraine which made me despise rose fragrances. Not long ago, I had a small bottle of Paloma which was hard to love at first but it definitely gave a spark of hope in me to give rose fragrances another try (btw I alr sold it and I REGRET SELLING IT. Glad I decanted a good 3ml of it tho) I remembered seeing POAL back when I was just starting my fragrance journey and going feral over it I MEAN TAKE A LOOK AT THAT BEAUTIFUL NOTE BREAKDOWN?! Years later, I got the POAL itch again, so I finally got a sample lol. POAL starts off with the usual jammy rose that's quite overused with any modern rose releases, lychee-like, berry-like--basically the usual juicy, fruity, tart rose. Thankfully, it quickly shifts to a greener stemmy route that reminds me of how oregano smells like. Maybe I got some Delina flashbacks from the first half but I loveeee when rose fragrances doesn't stay jammy which POAL never fails to do !! POAL diverts itself from its jamminess in just a few minutes !! (Which is a loveeee). I really hate it when already jammy rose fragrances develop into an even jammier, almost hell of a syrupy sweetness with suffocating sharp musks (help me). Apart from POAL's jamminess being beautifully grounded with a green herbal oregano facet (which i assume is the patchouli) the jammy rose develops into a dusty rose petal that's about to dry out--same goes for the patchouli !! it starts off fresh but goes dusty and earthier later on. I've seen people saying it could develop an earthy cellar-like dampness from the patchouli but on me it turned more of dusty but not "decaying" way; instead, it's more of a dusty "vintage" makeup way !! The dustiness on me was specifically like the musty-dusty smell you'd get from an overused makeup sponge from a vintage cake foundation, which I think is fabulous despite being such a nasty sounding description. Ofc, we can't forget how people exclaimed how spicy, smoky, and skanky this thing is but it was quite lacking to my nose but maybe that's just bc i've already reached an olfactory plateau where "polarizing" fragrances smell so normal to me now. Maybe the actual horrible fragrances are what'll give me the shock soon such as S.Magnifique, InexEvil, Seminalis, and other more actual horrid stuff but less of that !! The cloves were nowhere to be found but maybe that's because Kenzo Jungle L'Elephant completely obliterated the clove fragrance competition. I also wasn't getting any incense vibes from it but then again maybe that's because incense smells differently to every noses? Sure, POAL was kinda earthy but never skanky to me especially from top to heart; hell, i even think it needs more patchouli. Does that mean POAL is not a dirty fragrance? Maybe it is but only and ONLYYY on the late drydown (skin scent) where u can finally smell the clove with curry-like BO cumin nuances. Most of its wear is just going to be a pleasantly sweet and mildly earthy rose with faint nuances of spiced honey. POAL isn't too complicated or complex like how some reviews claim it to be, to simplify, it just smells like jammy fresh rose at first that instantly develops a mild herbal green bitterness like a whisper of oregano, then it turns just a tad bit spicy, giving the rose an ambery warmth. The dusty vintage makeup powder comes in last with the supporting note of tart raspberry—retaining a bit of the rose’s freshness. As it fades into a skin scent, you get more of the cloves that's reminiscent of BO cumin but not at all funky, it's just the fuzzy sensation at the back of your throat and nasal cavity. Tho that's not going to be a total concern bc it's mostly going to project at its earthy rose stage. It's totally wearable !! trust. Weirdly enough, there's a chai-like base in this one that reminds me of the certain balmy chai from Musc Ravageur??? Tho it's only present when I spray POAL on fabric. Idk what makes it smell vaguely of chai but who knows maybe POAL has an unlisted cardamom note bc I find that balmy chai smell on Gris Charnel and Santal 33. To be oddly specific, it's the creamy smell you get from the original nivea lip balm, which is extremely present in MR. In connection to musc ravageur which had a bomb of a projection and longevity, POAL is weaker with not even a quarter of its strength. But I guess that's on me lol since they're from the same house I expected it to be as strong as MR. POAL is definitely a great fragrance but I think she already peaked. I have the dupe version of Radical Rose from French Avenue called Exotic Rose (which is known to have POAL nuances and I agree !!). I enjoyed that wayyyy more than POAL, it's louder, lasts longer, definitely nose-kicking spicier, and the patchouli does a better job at being a dirty and earthy note but to each their own !! I just think that's crazy for a dupe fragrance, so imagine how well the actual Radical Rose or extrait would easily knock POAL off of her throne. I'm still giving queen POAL the benefit of the doubt bc I think I got a sample of the newer batch and not her prime era formulation which people claimed to be too regal and serious for daily wear but idk she's tame. On the bright side, I think POAL is definitely the fragrance that redeemed the rose fragrance game for me, so she deserves some credit !! As much as I'm still team bitter, decaying, and thorny rose (yes, Paloma will always be bitchier than her.) I'm still looking forward to try more rose-centric fragrances with this DNA !! Eyeing Porpora and RR extrait <3

if a picture is worth a thousand words, how many do you suppose a scent is? gothic roses on beds of herbal patchouli fogged by clouds of incense, portrait of a lady is an intimate landscape of all that makes perfumery personal. it can be fruity and woody in equal proportion; it can be spicy and sweet; it can be brooding and vivacious. every single individual facet of this fragrance is intentionally derived so as to present the most beautiful intersection of the notes and their interplay with one another–a scent like this makes one believe in divine intervention, as if rose was ordained specifically to be paired with patchouli. i do not say this without reason or justification: this fragrance is among the finest ever constructed. i must not undermine the gothic quality of this scent (and not in the way of modern goth–esoteric and edgy). this fragrance pulses and trembles with the weight of secret histories. years of human nature, botany, olfactive practice, and cosmetic addendum exists in the deckled edges of this fragrance's inner realities. in a strangely paradoxical way, this is the most modern fragrance in my collection in that when i adorn it, i feel as though i am adding to its rich history by being the most recent person whose skin smells of it–an aura with a garden-like quality a la Isabel Archer in the titular novel from which this fragrance receives its name. that's it! –this scent makes me feel like the reader of an old novel. "The Portrait of a Lady" is in my lap, and i turn the pages, glancing at the gill sans font with reverence as to just how easily the shape of my being fits into those words of old. i hear Isabel speaking just as readily as i read it–smell the aroma of her process of becoming as easily as i comprehend it. the experience of jumping back in time and reading a novel is not unlike smelling a perfume; one is, thus, deeply ensconced in the almost soporific mists of a life that is not one’s own. perhaps, then, pictures, scents, and words all exhibit an equal value. portrait of a lady is, without doubt, a masterpiece. i like to spray it into the pages of my books–one spray behind each ear–before i leave the mundanities or horrors of this world and enter into the sublime sensations of another. with this scent on, i am beguiled by the weight of the past behind me and emboldened by the future ahead of me enough to act upon the present before me. like forward-thinking ideas in an aging novel, the fragrance does not find itself confined by the shackles of the time in which it was first expounded; it transcends any forceful attempt to snuff it out and burn its mindsets into ash like the pages on which it was articulated. this fragrance hovers in the halls of our future endeavor–as individuals and as a collective–beautifying and attractive. it is prosody–the likes of which i cannot replicate. if it were a novel, i would want it taught to my grandchildren. if it were a painting, i would want it closely scrutinized for generations. but since it is just a fragrance–merely a smell that whiffs past one almost like a memory–i will settle with it being merely remembered. “things are always different than what they might be...if you wait for them to change, you will never do anything.” - Henry James

The notion persists, that a perfume of such stature—a grand parfum like Portrait of a Lady—demands an event. A gala, a premiere, some velvet-roped affair where the air itself is expensive. But the day was a Sunday, and the house was quiet. And the bottle had only arrived two days prior. It seemed a shame to let it languish in its box awaiting some mythical, perfectly-appointed future. So I anointed myself. A reckless, spontaneous act for a lethargic afternoon. And then, equally on a whim, the film. Maria. That new biographical specter of Maria Callas played by Angelina Jolie. One myth rendered by another. I could not have devised a more perfect séance. That initial shock of the scent—a jammy rose, dark as a bloodstain, laced with the clove’s pious spice—was my companion as the tragedy commenced. It held me, that scent, as the story tightened its grip. And as the film unspooled its heartbreak, so too did the perfume on my skin, shedding its dramatic veils, softening into something deeper, more intimate: a musky, honeyed nectar, the scent of a private wound licked clean. It was the very essence of the woman unfolding before me—the divine voice, the profane suffering. The beauty was almost intolerable. The music, that incredible talent, reached not for the ears but for the heart, clutching it like a fist. And Angelina Jolie — ah, her portrayal was a magnificent ruin. She did not play the diva; she conjured the delicate, fragile architecture of a soul. An angelic thing, perpetually misunderstood, perpetually wounded. And all the while, through the soaring arias and the silent, tear-streaked close-ups, the thought circled in my mind, a persistent moth: the enormity of it. The enormity of this perfume, with its Gothic romance. The enormity of La Callas, with her scorched-earth life. The enormity of Angelina Jolie, that rare creature. A perfect trio. Elegance, grace, tenderness—each a different name for a kind of splendid, public suffering.

Revised January 24, 2026. A CAUTIONARY TALE: There are MANY COUNTERFEIT BOTTLES of Malle "Portrait of a Lady" circulating on non-authorized, perfume sites. I reviewed this fragrance on Fragrantica waaaaay back in 2015. I first purchased POAL at Barney’s (for a small fortune) when living in NYC. I purchased my first bottle in 2010, when the fragrance first launched. I remember saving my pennies and paying over $295 USD for a 100ml bottle. I fell in love with POAL and wore it for decades. Come September 2025, I hoped to return to POAL and attempt to recapture its glory. I purchased a full bottle at an okay price from (who I thought was) a reputable seller. And upon spraying the (apparently) "reformulated version," I wanted to cry. Sparing the specifics, POAL wasn't the least bit reminiscent of the original, glorious fragrance (as I recalled). If the spices weren't downright foul and overkill, the fragrance smelled like soured cream and corn tortilla chips mashed in stagnant, dirty bathwater. I should have IMMEDIATELY known something was off. How could a beloved fragrance, even if REFORMULATED, be so gross? I NOW recognize my September 2025 Malle POAL was DEFINITELY a counterfeit. The bottle itself, the label, the atomizer, etc...most significantly the scent and quality of the liquid inside the bottle screamed inauthentic. COUNTERFEIT! I just repurchased from a reputable, online retailer. I paid over $325 USD for a 100ml bottle. The fragrance is as divine as I remember it to be. POINT IS: If a perfume smells afar from the listed perfume notes and the fragrance "just seems way off," YOU LIKELY HAVE A COUNTERFEIT PERFUME. Amouage, Creed, Parfums de Marly, Tom Ford, Memo Paris, By Kilian, Frederic Malle to name a few... These are the most frequently counterfeited perfumes.

Revised January 24, 2026. A CAUTIONARY TALE: There are MANY COUNTERFEIT BOTTLES of Malle "Portrait of a Lady" circulating on non-authorized, perfume sites. I reviewed this fragrance on Fragrantica waaaaay back in 2015. I think I first purchased POAL at Barney’s in NYC for a small fortune in 2010, when the fragrance was first released. I remember saving my pennies and paying over $295 USD for a 100ml bottle. I fell in love with POAL and wore it for decades. Come September 2025, I hoped to return to POAL and try to recapture its glory. I purchased a full bottle at an okay price from (who I thought was) a reputable seller. And upon spraying the (apparently) "reformulated version," I wanted to cry. Sparing the specifics, POAL wasn't the least bit reminiscent of the original, glorious fragrance (as I recalled). If the spices weren't downright foul and overkill, the fragrance smelled like soured cream and corn tortilla chips mashed in stagnant, dirty bathwater. I should have IMMEDIATELY known something was off. How could a beloved fragrance, even if slightly REFORMULATED, be so gross? I NOW recognize my September 2025 Malle POAL was DEFINITELY a counterfeit bottle. The bottle itself, the label, the atomizer, etc...most significantly the scent and quality of the liquid inside the bottle screamed inauthentic. COUNTERFEIT! I repurchased from a reputable, online retailer. I paid over $300 USD for a 100ml bottle. The fragrance is as divine as I remember it to be. POINT IS: If a perfume smells afar from the listed perfume notes and the fragrance "just seems off," YOU LIKELY HAVE A COUNTERFEIT PERFUME. Creed, Tom Ford, Memo Paris, Amouage, By Kilian, Frederic Malle to name a few...

Portrait of a Lady is not just a rose fragrance — it is a statement, a presence, and an attitude. The opening is lush and dramatic: a deep, velvety rose immediately takes center stage, enriched by clove, cinnamon, and a dark fruity accord of raspberry, black currant, and red berries. The fruitiness never feels playful or sweet; instead, it adds depth and shadow, making the rose feel darker, richer, and more sensual. As the fragrance evolves, the heart reveals its true complexity. Turkish rose remains dominant but is now wrapped in earthy patchouli and smoky incense, giving the composition a powerful, almost gothic elegance. Sandalwood and ylang-ylang soften the edges, adding a creamy, slightly exotic warmth that keeps the fragrance from becoming too austere. The drydown is long, layered, and incredibly luxurious. Incense and sandalwood linger alongside amber, benzoin, cedar, and musk, while touches of ambergris and vanilla add warmth and sensuality without turning the scent sweet. Everything feels perfectly balanced — rich, dark, and endlessly sophisticated. Projection is strong and confident, and longevity is exceptional; this is a fragrance that stays with you for hours and leaves a memorable trail. Portrait of a Lady feels unapologetically bold and grown-up — not a crowd-pleaser, but a masterpiece for those who appreciate depth and character. This is a fragrance for evenings, cooler weather, and moments when you want to feel powerful, elegant, and unforgettable.

(I'm a male in his early 30s) This is my first time wearing the fragfrance but I have to jot these thoughts down and then maybe adjust my review later because this is such a commanding scent. I did not have very high expectations and didn't know how to approach thinking about the fragfrance because I don't have a rose scent yet but I do like florals and rose feels like something you just have to have, and because I have Carnal Flower and really like that one - I also got a sample of POAL. To me, the seductive nature of this fragrance is very harsh and heavy and it is so in a very sexual way. I feel like the scent has me at my knees begging for it to stop, even though I don't want it to stop because it is so beautiful and wet and fresh. It's not the "smell" that has me, but the character of the fragrance. It is an aura around me that is scratching my skin with its thorns yet kissing me down my neck with its petals, neither of which are too hard or too soft. I feel like I am getting my face drenched in a fountain of rose water, getting it pulled out and being placed in a rose garden of a massive castle with lukewarm spring rain falling from the sky. I feel as though if I don't comply I am going to get in trouble - a prelude to a long-lasting relationship perhaps? Wow. What the hell. I am scared of this scent and at the same time excited to see just how seductive it can get in different environments. What an absolute masterpiece.

Despite the name, I think anyone can use this fragrance. Portrait of a Lady is an awesome fragrance. I used to hate this kind of rose-dominant DNA because I just couldn't imagine myself wearing this kind of fragrance, and that also includes fragrances like Amouage Lyric Man. I also didn't care about this fragrance at the time. It took me a while to appreciate this fragrance, and the time came when I revisited this fragrance last year while visiting a local store. It was truly a pleasant surprise, as I ended up absolutely loving it (and that means I had to put it on my wishlist). It was probably just my nose, "growing up in taste" over time, but I just realised how complex it is. Don't get me wrong, it is still dominated by rose. But now, I also detected the smoky, spicy, earthy, and even the fruity facets of this fragrance. That smokiness comes from incense, with patchouli and cloves adding some depth. You WILL smell the rose intensely, but this is one of those fragrances that you have to let your senses adapt to it in order for you to appreciate it. Aside from this fragrance, Dominique Ropion also created Frederic Malle's Promise, and that is one of my favourite fragrances of all time. He makes awesome fragrances, and I can't wait to explore more of his creations.

A portrait of a gloomy, sorrowful, woe-eyed lady- in the best way. Anything with prominent cinnamon is usually a big yes for me, even in a rose-forward fragrance- a profile I typically dislike. What a hauntingly beautiful composition: the incense is very well blended, with a subtle creaminess from the sandalwood and ylang-ylang. The rose is honestly stunning- fresh, fruity, and juicy- perfectly balanced with the patchouli. Gorgeous. The last paragraphs of the review below mine, by @dorotaloveslifexoxo, describe it better than I can- yet I enjoy it for exactly the reasons mentioned, since I like the overly melancholic feel it gives me. In my head, this fragrance has a certain “wetness” to it- softly weary, a little teary. It reminds me of that feeling after crying: rose petals falling like the last tears on my face. I realize I was being overly worried- I’m feeling better now, but still sniffling. :) That’s Portrait of a Lady for me, and it’s beautiful. Gothic, feminine, and sexy. My partner wears it sometimes as well, just because he enjoys the smell of it so much. We love it.

There are perfumes you discover - and there are perfumes that find you. Portrait of a Lady belongs to the second kind. From the very first spray, the rose asserts itself without negotiation : Turkish, dense, almost carnal. It does not wait for you to adjust. Within seconds, it is clear you are in the presence of a composition that has already decided everything on your behalf. Then the patchouli arrives - not the raw, earthy kind that lingers like an old coat, but a patchouli heart refined to surgical precision, stripped of every roughness. It does not fight the rose. It carries it, like a dark foundation beneath a deep red light. What makes this composition truly remarkable is the calibration of its tensions. Raspberry and cinnamon soften what could have been a confrontation ; incense, discreet yet persistent, lifts the whole thing toward something almost ceremonial. That kind of balance doesn't happen by accident. It takes hundreds of attempts - and the nerve to stop there.

The absolute best fragrance of all time to me in way it was almost offensive at first to hear people being adverse to it early in my journey. Made me very curious as well and think "what out there could be so much better that it can be talked about as such?". 4 years later and about 20 bottles I deeply cherish added to my collection, nothing checks as many boxes as this does. That's what this has going on for itself. The most dimensional and cinematic scent I've come across even having explored much higher in price value. Thankful now that its price is not driven up like the current "it" scents and baffled that i got to find it so early in my journey but that's a testament to being able to trust fragrance commentary's directions if you respect language. Something about being able to get the layers up close as the wearer smelling yourself too that many other strong perfumes do not offer until many hours in and not without the risk of a headache. Too much to say.

Red rose, velvety incense, earthy patchouli. This is what I wear when I want to get noticed. Not noticed like "wanna make out?", it's the scent that lingers and even forces stiff Swedes to ask what that perfume was. It has happened sooo many times! When I worked at a perfume counter my boss let me know that I couldn't wear it at work because it was far too good. People would ask what it was, and I wouldn't be able to show it as we didn't sell it. That was definitely the smirkiest "I'm sorry" I've ever given anyone. My latest experience was when I went shopping during a recent heat wave, when I bought a pair of shoes the girl who sold them totally lost her seller face and asked me what that FANTASTIC FRESH PERFUME was! Soon I'll have to print some goddamn business cards with the perfume name on it, as often as I get to write it down on napkins and receipts.. ;) I wish to have a bottle of Portrait of a Lady until the day I die. I can't see myself without it.

Terrifyingly fecal opening. At least that's how it is with my over a decade old bottle. You'd almost think that there was a high concentration of oud and civet in the opening. Apparently, none of that is in this, but i digress. Once you get past the opening, the heart reveals itself as one of the most beautiful rose-based fragrances I have ever had the pleasure of wearing. It also lasts an absolute eternity on my skin. I can still smell POAL on the sleeve of my winter coat that touched my skin from ONE spray months ago. POAL is that strong. This is one of those scents that you NEED to be careful to not overspray. Maybe 2 sprays max. Again, this is MY experience with my bottle, which is quite old at this point. I'm sure newer bottles don't perform so aggressively. If you have a bias towards floral and rose fragrances, then POAL needs to be in your collection. You can find decent prices on discounters and forums these days. Never buy retail. Ever.

Majestic, magnificent, regal, multi faceted, stunningly beautiful fragrance. This beauty is all about the rose and the wood. A tiny squirt this morning has developed throughout the day into this beast of a sandalwood and rose all wrapped up in resinous tones and spices. Amazingly this wonderful fragrance gets stronger in time and develops into an olfactory orchestra of wonderful rose which is sweet but is freshened by the musk notes and the undercurrents of resins and sandalwood making this perfume smell Oud like. This is everything that you have ever read about this perfume and more. It really lives up to its reputation. Perfection in the blend, excellent longevity, perfect silage, and it seems impossible to be anosmic to this perfume as it keeps morphing into different notes which keeps fooling the brain into thinking it is smelling different perfumes. Well worth every single penny, this is a total and utter masterpiece!!

Opens sharp zesty red berries, spice, and rose with a slightly camphorous undertone. Super fresh, warm, and touch sweet. Interestingly - after the open I cannot smell this up close on my own wrist, I get a slightly spiced vegetal note, and nothing else. Too much, nose off. What I can smell however, is the not so gentle projection. In that I get rose and clove, patchouli, benzoin and a bit of vanilla. A beautiful rich spiced concoction. The camphorous note still ducks in and out as this dries down but honestly, that's part of the appeal to me, it's very interesting. Creamy, soft, spicy, Rosey, occasionally 'minty', a lot going on at once all the time. Somehow his perfume manages to be big, yet soft. It doesn't beat you over the head like many, it fills spaces but is much more gentle in its dominance. Slightly feminine I suppose, in the classical sense, but I have no issue rocking this. Let's see someone stop me.

My opinion from an old sample I had lying around for at least 5 years before I finally returned to it and finished it off. 5+ years ago, my nose and taste wasn't ready to appreciate this scent. Now, this is my favourite rose fragrance to date. Rose, done the way I like: dark, earthy, deep, mixed with a slight natural sweetness, backed by a boatload of supporting notes that create a mysterious aura that a man can comfortably wear but would not be out of place on a woman who holds a certain gravitas. I came across Tobacco Rose by Papillon before I really sinked my teeth into Portrait of a Lady (POAL). POAL really reminded me of Tobacco Rose but POAL has much more going on and gives you a more fulfilling wearing experience. Also, POAL is a strong performer that really lasts...and it sticks to clothes for days and on my skin, taking a shower really re-activates it after a full day's wearing.

Its been said time again but 100% unisex. Wearing it for the first time today. The blast of Patchouli you smell alongside the Rose on the initial spray. Wearing it as a man wouldnt even make you question that it was called Portrait of a Lady as a non-scent head. The Patchouli eventually gives way but at the opening my nose smells the Rose, the Black Currant, the Raspberry. I dont get too much cinnamon, but the Ylang-Ylang peaks through. The Incense comes in hours later after initial application. You get the base of Sandalwood throughout. A must have Rose to have in a collection and great perfumery from Dominique Ropion. It might be cloying in the Summer but I feel like you could wear it any time. As someone who loves Oud Rose combinations I consider this a bit lighter.

Absolutely addictive scent! A deep and complex scent of rose, patchouli and woods. If you’re concerned that recent batches don’t smell quite the same (like I was on my first spray of a new bottle), I kid you not.. give it a couple months like I did and it seemed to slowly macerate or something and now it’s the exact fragrance I remember trying before. It’s an incredible fragrance piece, one that grows on you the more you smell it. And unlike a lot of fragrances these days that have a beautiful opening and dry down to not very much, Portrait is all about the dry down! It’s hands down my favourite scent of all time. When you research the amount of effort and tests that went into Frederic Malle and Dominique Ropion creating this, you get why it’s so good. Truly stunning!

Enchanting, sophisticated and mysterious if used by the right woman with the right personality and at the right place !! I happen to know someone who uses this fragrance and on her this fragrance smells extremely elegant and sensual !! This fragrance should be called "Kiss from a Rose" or something similar.. Portrait of a Lady is just rose, rose and rose !! It is heavy on the note of rose with little hints of incense.. It smells like a very high quality rose scented incense - like the ones used in South Asian temples.. Highly concentrated good quality rose essential oil would also give off a similar smell !! Put a few drops of the rose essential oil on a warmer and your entire room will smell of Portrait of a Lady !! Trust me, I have tried it !! It smells amazing !!

Starts off very fruity, almost like Japanese lychee candies. Juicy, sweet, then it goes Rosy but it’s not a synthetic rose. It’s a thick rose, like a rose oil followed by a beautiful incense. It kind of brings you to a witchy bookstore with ornate decor. It finishes off musky and divine, smelling like the last breaths of a chic night out in New York City. Dancing, smoke, red velvet booths seated by handsome men and bejeweled ladies. An experience from start to end, one of the most fabulous perfumes I’ve ever smelled. I sampled it at Nordstrom and the man working there told me people say it smells like an old lady, but I don’t see that. It smells mature, there’s no doubt there, but not matronly. It smells regal. It smells expensive, and for the price point it should.

Genuinely, I absolutely hated this fragrance the first time I ever smelled it. I think it was probably one of the worst ones I had ever smelled. I just had a small tester of it so one day I randomly sprayed it again and still didn't really like it, but then I smelled it again after a dried down and I was like... Wait a minute now. Do I like this?? This is definitely a confusing one, and proof that you really have to give a fragrance a chance on your skin for a while before you judge it. This smells like pure old lady when I first put it on, but it dries down into a rich, somewhat sweet, spicy rose. What I imagine a rose would smell like if Sigourney Weaver crafted it. It smells like a rose that wants to kick you a** and I kind of love it.

A jammy fruity-floral rose-chouli through and through, Portrait of a lady opens with the minty green patchouli top note beautifully contrasting dark fruity rose, while also synergizing with the rose's natural fresh floral lift. The cinnamon and clove come in soon after and move the fragrance into the dark drydown filled with smoky incense and resins. It possesses this austere vibe while also having a moreish fruitiness thats' appealing to modern noses. I don't personally find the incense here to be off-putting, but incense notes tend towards either love or hate depending on one's personal preferences and skin chemistry. Portrait also projects for hours even in cold weather, so this lady also gets bonus points for performance.

Wow, this is one of the greatest fragrances I've ever smelled. Therapeutic and signature worthy. I love being in this rose, incense, and sandalwood bubble. Given the current trends, I don't necessarily expect others to love it as much as I do, but I'm enjoying my sample. Opening is more masculine than I was expecting but drydown is a touch sweet, feminine, musky - with the patchy rose. Ugh. It's gorgeous. I'd LOVE this on a man. Edited to add: Oh, boy. I sprayed this on my sweater (I'm not sure if it was the type of fabric that was the issue) but the result was simply awful. It smelled musty/like mildew. I'm sticking to wearing this on skin only! No hard feelings still love her though! ♥️

I got a sample of this in my Mecca beauty loop box and was intrigued to try it due to all the hype but not expecting to love it being a very rose heavy scent. However, I was very pleasantly surprised!! This is definitely not an ‘old lady’ rose but a sweet, without being sickly, almost expensive Turkish delight leaning rose with musky incense intertwined. I gave it a spritz before work and had comments from almost everyone throughout the day asking ‘what is that smell? Is it you? It’s incredible!!’ Both women and men. I have to agree, the dry down is the most sexy, incense forward floral and lasts all day! I just had to splurge and buy a bottle.

Picture this, You took a bubble bath in the most expensive Diptyque soap you have and dropped a home depot bucket worth of rose pedals in there also. After that, you rolled around on the stems to exfoliate and sprayed on 10ml of your favorite white musk fragrance. As a 28yo fella this fragrance makes me feel put together. I am a huge advocate of wear your fragrance whenever and however you want but I like to reserve this for work or when I am not dressed casually. 9/10 Imo if this were a little sweeter that would make it a perfect 10/10 for me but who am I to question the nose of Mr. Ropion.

In my mind’s eye, I see an ancient shrine nestled in a quiet forest clearing, welcoming the soft, fading light of twilight. It carries no sense of dread, only a serene stillness. Inside the main hall, a solitary figure is engaged in a sacred ritual. The air is thick with lingering smoke from burning incense, its gentle fragrance enveloping the entire space. Yet, upon the central altar lies a bouquet of deep crimson roses, so dark they border on black. Their faint, delicate scent drifts through the hall, seamlessly weaving into the sacred aroma of the shrine. I really love this scent.

I loved this at the very first sniff. I actually went back to buy it later, and now I feel like it is my most prized possession in my entire collection. It is the absolute perfect choice for coat weather when there is a chill in the air and you want something that carries a real sense of authority and power. This isn't your usual pretty or simple rose. It is much deeper and more complex than that. If I were a perfume, I really feel like this would be me. It has a presence that feels sophisticated and commanding without needing to try too hard. Longevity 🤝 sillage

I never knew I love rose fragrances this much until I tried this. I already have a few rose patchouli perfumes, but this one really feels like a game changer. I actually went to buy Musc Ravageur since musk is usually my thing, but I’m so glad I tried this instead. The moment I smelled it, I loved it. I ended up buying both the perfume and the hand cream. To me, it’s a very elegant rose and patchouli scent with a slightly dry, almost dusty feel, which I really enjoy. The longevity is amazing too, it lasts on the skin until you wash it off. I really love this one.

POAL smells like a dramatic, luxurious red velvet rose wrapped in incense and dark patchouli. The first spray is deep, jammy turkish rose, slightly spicy, rich and almost wine-like. The magic happens after a few minutes. It becomes mysterious, sensual and elegant. At the dry down, it softens into creamy woods, warm amber and a musky rose skin scent and the dry down is my favorite because it becomes smoother, more intimate and addictive. POAL is not mass appealing and that is ok. It gives me depth, sophistication, authority and mystery.

As a man, the name bothers me. It's one of the most masculine rose perfumes. I think it's more suitable for a man than a woman. The name could have been "Portrait of a Human," politely. Otherwise, while the intense vintage patchouli in the opening creates a rather old-school vibe, it transitions into a gorgeous woody rose towards the middle and end, and it's quite addictive. As someone with a wealth of olfactory experience, I can say this is a wonderful winter fragrance for a man. It ranks as an aphrodisiac for me. 9/10

This is a fragrance of contrasts to me. It’s both bright and dark at the same time. The raspberry and rose uplifting, the incense and patchouli bringing it right back down to earth I doubt if I’d have smelled this years ago I’d have cared for it at all. It’s complex, smells weird on paper and is generally challenging. BUT, nowadays, my God. This is incredibly beautiful. This, MFK’s Oud Satin Mood, Rose 31 by Le Labo and Matiere Premiere’s Radical Rose extrait are all the roses I’ll ever need. 10/10 on every aspect.

If you want to have a rose-forward fragrance to end all rose-forward fragrances, get this one and look no further. She won't be your best friend during warmer seasons, but prominent rose accords/notes are not a spring/summer thing anyway, so stick to it on colder days and you won't regret it: otherwordly performance, intimidating elegance and powerful presence. Plus, the woody notes bring even more depth to the scent (as if the rose was bringing enough depth :) ), which is truly stunning. 200000/10!

I've needed a second sample to be able to decide how I feel about this pefume. At first, I hated the patchouli. The first 15 minutes post spray, that is what you mostly smell and I though it was awful, but as it dries down and develops, everything blends together so magically. What you get is a dark, smoky rose that last the whole day and projects like a beast. The scent is sophisticated, elegant and edgy, just like I imagine Eva Green smells like in Casino Royal.

I sprayed a teensy weensy and I mean a suuuper tiny amount on the back of my hand this afternoon around 1pm...it’s almost 11pm and it’s still here going strong 😅 and yes, I’ve washed my hands several times since... I mean come on, it’s a masterpiece, there’s no doubt about it but phew, it’s nuclear and then some ☢️ I just can’t imagine doing more than two sprays of this because dayum, you’ll smell like this into the next Millenia if you spray more than that 😅

I saw once a rose that smelled exactly of POAL: a white climbing rose with dark green leaves and a cold, woody smell, not too many petals and not creamy or pinkish, just crisp white. I wear this marvel mostly in summer, and I get compliments. Creamy sandalwood, patchouli, rose, powdery sweet, a perfect oud scent - without any oud, actually. As roses bloom in summer, I also recommend to try POAL in summertime, you would be amazed of the beauty of this rose.

I must absolutely always have it on, day or night. Even when I decide to wear something else, I still put it on my thighs. She is sensuous, supersensuous, both elusive and opaque; she is 'Woman Compulsively Overshares But People Still Don't Know Anything About Her'; she is the one to whom he said 'I'll fill my bedroom with roses, and if they wilt before you come to me, I'll buy new roses'. And so he did. Dominique Ropion, what kind of sorcery is in it?

A fragrance masterpiece! Beautiful and fragrant roses mixed with powder and that lipstick/makeup note. The scent is quite alluring and as a man I've gotten compliments from both genders. It has a definite patchouli and amber accord that really makes the fragrance grounded and heavy. This is not a light skin scent so a few sprays goes a long way but it's just incredible. A perfume you can never duplicate and will want to keep replenishing.

A gothic novel that brings me back to medieval times, where i was told my past life occurred (Don't ask lol). This scent resonates with my inner soul the same way a "Deja vu" flash does, except this stays for hours. Not going to go through notes breakdown, but i will say that the signature cloves accord that this house masterfully does across the majority of their lineup is truly what makes this scent even more special to my nose.

I wear this when I have an important day in court: I want to be remembered and to win the case! I always succeed with both ! Some might consider it for an old lady, I would not put it that way, but do no wear it if you are 25-30 and still look for your path in life! Wear it when you are confident and bold! It is for a strong, independent woman who knows what she wants in life and have the meanings to get it all !

This is a long time favourite of mine. It’s a sophisticated rose patchouli that smells expensive and classy. I love it. Love the cloves in here. The patchouli and rose give this a fresh & cleanest vibe !!! I adore this scent. Compliment getter. Also very strong. Super quality!! Has a cool and minty vibe but The cloves make this warm and addictive !! Love at first sniff and still a big LOVE after many many years.

This is my mom's signature scent (whenever she's not wearing Guerlain's L'Heure Bleue). It's a super strong scent, very long lasting. You walk into a room and you can smell her. It smells like dried flowers, mixed with warm spices and a touch of plum. I feel like it's one of those perfumes you either love or hate and I absolutely adore it.

I know that everything about this perfume has been already told here, however this is my tribute to absolute iconic blast of genius creature. Nothing is comparable in any way: not as this deep blended magnetic formula, not eternal longevity. There so many unique perfumes and there is this one. I feel absolutely special wearing it.

A smokey Dark black rose with red berries and patchouli, a Gothic Masterpiece, The performance is great and I would say its unisex leaning slightly feminine I will admit I don't wear this as often as my other perfumes as it is a bit more challenging for others around me and I want it to suit the occasion.

Wow, just wow! Sexed up rose. The best way I can describe it. Someone told me " you smell rich." Longevity and sillage is eternal. Men love this perfume 😍 I've gotten compliments from complete strangers asking me what I'm wearing. Not a typical perfume smell, but in the best way possible.

If you’ve heard the phrase “Come out smelling like roses” this is probably the smell they had in mind. I wear this pretty regularly and I was worried it would lean too feminine for my profile preferences but it’s squarely unisex imo. The rose and patchouli work incredibly well together

I'm not a fan of rose in general, but it's so robust here that it actually blows me away. The depth is mightily impressive. It reminds me of The Moon, but without the oud. Definitely unisex in my opinion. It's stunningly beautiful. Edit: this is the frag that turned me on to rose.

This is the perfume that has brought me the most compliments and requests for the name. I go away from it for a while, but when I go back to it I remember again how much I love it and what a powerhouse it is for sillage and longevity. It inspired a million copies and rightly so.

A little tidbit for those of you who do not care for ylang-ylang: I bought a 10 ml just because I dislike that particular scent and can happily declare that it is nowhere to be found at least to my nose here. I am a lover of rose perfumes and this is a truly wonderful one!

Fantastic balance and elegance. I could wear this any time just being subtle with the sprays in warmer times. Delicate sweet, spicy rose. A little darkness.... The Perfume Gay Oldman wears walking London in Dracula (blue sunglasses!) .... Love this

Adore! It smells like cold, dark, gothic, melancholic rose. It pleases me a lot, but my husband finds this off putting. I wear this for me, I absolutely love it. I have a sample and wear it when i wear all black in cold, misty autumn weather.