Frederic Malle`s Fleur de Male: Geranium pour Monsieur

08/05/09 14:26:14

By: Mark Behnke, Guest Contributor and Michelyn Camen

In the year 2000, (prior to the advent of bloggers, perfume critics and a name for category known as “en niche”), a French entrepreneur, with a fascination for perfumery had what was: either a stroke of genius or one of the most brilliant fragrance marketing concepts of the millennium.

Simply, since painters, musicians, composers, and writers sign their masterworks, why shouldn’t nine perfumers who had been responsible for some of the 20th century’s most brilliant perfumes, enscribe their name on their Art. Inadvertently, Mr. Frederic Malle pulled back the ‘iron’ curtain of the perfume industry and exposed that designers, brands, couturiers, and celebrities did not in fact, create their own fragrances.

Fast forward nearly a decade; many of the original nine perfumers that Mr. Frederic Malle introduced through his brand Editions De Parfums Frederic Malle - Edmond Roudnitska, Jean Claude Ellena, Michel Roudnitska, Maurice Roucel, Dominique Ropion, Olivia Giacobetti, Pierre Bourdon, Ralf Schwieger, and Edouard Flechier have achieved ‘rock star’ status (sometimes overshadowing the brands they helped create). These are the questions I asked Mr. Malle in preparation for this review of his recently released fragrance Geranium Pour Monsieur the 18th perfume since the brand‘s inception.

(For those who read my fragrance writing on a regular basis, perhaps my ‘interviews’ are the most memorable. I always endeavor to use the words of the perfumer or brand owner to tell the story of the perfume).

What is the process between Frederic and the perfumer?

Frederic Malle: There is no one process per say. My job is to adapt to each artist. My level of intervention depends on what they want and on my level of intimacy with each of them.

What inspired you to put perfumers’ front and center?

Frederic Malle: A sense of justice, as I always found unfair to hide them. To me it was common sense. I am always amused by the fact that I reintroduced the concept "Perfumes made by perfumers”.

What are your feelings about the state of contemporary fragrance and how do you think the industry must evolve in order to stay relevant to an oversaturated market?

Frederic Malle: Contemporary fragrances are an exact match of contemporary life, one can
find the best and the worst in it and there are still great opportunities for independent minds.
Perfume, as usual, is a mirror image of the rest of the world. My view is that there are very interesting things coming out in every product category: design, cinema, art, food etc... and that most of the mass products are very mediocre because they try to please too many people. In other words, the world today is divided between mass and more interesting products that can be as good as the classics of the past.

One can find very good perfumes if he is curious and independent thinking. Also, one should not be too systematic in his search, there is a handful of good creative products in the mass world as there are monuments of mediocrity amongst the so called niche products (this question and Malle’s answer was from my article Burning down the House, 2008).

Michelyn Camen: I will let you be the judge of the ‘quality’ of this interview, compared and contrasted with the luminous stories told by two of his remarkable perfumers, Mr. Michel Roudnitska and Mr. Jean Claude Ellena, (For me, Un Parfum De Therese by Edmond Roudnitska is the greatest fragrance of the 20th century (created in 1960). My other favorites from Editions De Parfums Frederic Malle Une Rose, L’eau De Hiver, Noir Epices, and Une fleur de Cassie) and I know you have your favorites as well. Suffice it say that Malle’s superb fragrances speak with resonance.  

I called upon my dear ‘friend in fragrance’, Mark Behnke, who is a chemist by day, and has spent the past five years as a knowledgeable perfumisto and men's grooming specialist. Mark is a member of Fragrantica (aka Somervill Metro Man) and a born writer with a distinctive voice all his own. It is with my pride and pleasure to present his unedited review of Geranium Pour Monsieur.

Marke Behnke: One of the most anticipated scents of the first half of 2009 was Frederic Malle Geranium pour Monsieur. This was the first scent by the resolutely unisex line to actually go ahead and name a gender on its label (note while French Lover aka Bois d’Orage was created as a masculine, no where on the label does it specifically say this).

That the scent was designed by Dominique Ropion who had previously designed Vetiver Extraordinaire and Carnal Flower which are two of my favorites only increased my personal anticipation. The next thing I saw was the note list and there my anticipation came to a screeching halt because there it was right at the top, mint and not only mint but peppermint to boot. My anticipation plummeted to the floor.

Every time I’ve smelled mint in a scent I’m reminded of my morning ablutions with a toothbrush and that is not the way I want to smell on any given day. Cartier Roadster was the latest scent to remind me of this. I always experience a scent for the first time on a strip and here my concern about the mint really intensified as on the strip it was all that I could smell.

There were other things there but they just couldn’t push that darn mint out of the way. With very little anticipation left I cautiously sprayed my wrist and if there was ever a scent that needed to be worn on skin to appreciate, Geranium pour Monsieur is it. The mint which had smelled heavy and turgid on the strip transformed on my skin into an icy, vaporous beauty that filled my sinuses and went from horrifying to delightful.

The last time I got this kind of effect was with the camphor at the top of Comme des Garcons Monocle Scent One: Hinoki and I find it equally enjoyable here.

On the strip the mint never let go but on my skin the promised geranium comes in. If you’re expecting a floral transition you’re thinking the wrong end of the geranium as M. Ropion instead uses the leaves and, instead of floral, Geranium pour Monsieur turns deeply herbal and green. This is a completely appropriate progression as it grounds the vapor trail of the mint in an earthy, herbal heart. All through this early development Geranium pour Monsieur has a great deal of sillage but that all changes as we move into the base.

Geranium pour Monsieur transforms into a sheer musky skin scent with hints of sandalwood and incense. This transition can seem abrupt and even a little jarring. On my first wearing of this scent I thought the ride was over after the geranium and mint had faded away but this last stage lasts for hours and is like a fine ‘digestif’ after the intensity that preceded it. I have worn Geranium pour Monsieur a number of times now and every time I come to realize how well constructed a scent M. Ropion has created.

The more times I wear it the more I come to appreciate the lasting calm of the musky drydown over the olfactory fireworks of the mint and geranium. If you’ve only tried sniffing this on a strip I urge you to give it a chance on your skin I think you might come to find a special scent. I know I have.

Michelyn’s Note: thank you Mark Behnke, you struck the right accord. We await with pleasure more reviews on male and ‘shared fragrances’ from you.

Other members might be interested in this very articulate youtube video produced by Mr. Malle:

Images: Editions de Parfums

Michelyn Camen (memechose)
Fragrantica Member

is New York City based fragrance writer and specialist. Michelyn is a Senior Contributor for Fragrantica. In addition, she is the Fragrance editor for www.fashiontribes.com, a top ten beauty blog, and the Fragrance Columnist/Diversions for http://www.uptownsocial.net.

Michelyn is the former Senior Contributing Writer for Sniffapalooza Magazine, New in Niche Columnist for Basenotes and Editorial Director/Fragrance Editor for Beauty News NYC & LA

Ms. Camen is the owner of Fifthsense N.Y.C. which provides personalized fragrance consultations based on body chemistry, fashion and lifestyle and consults for luxury, media and fragrance companies.

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