Dries Van Noten par Frédéric Malle by Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle

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Dries Van Noten par Frédéric Malle Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle 2013

7.7 / 10 288 Ratings

A popular perfume by Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle for women and men, released in 2013. The scent is woody-spicy. It was last marketed by Estēe Lauder Companies.
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Main accords

Woody

Spicy

Sweet

Powdery

Gourmand

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Saffron

Calabrian lemon

Carnation

Nutmeg

Bergamot

Heart Notes

Mysore sandalwood

Patchouli

Egyptian jasmine absolute

Base Notes

Vanilla

Peru balsam

Sulfurol

Musk

Perfumer

Bruno Jovanovic

Ratings

Scent

7.7288 Ratings

Longevity

7.7222 Ratings

Sillage

6.6225 Ratings

Bottle

7.8220 Ratings

Value for money

7.045 Ratings

Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 10/10/2025.

Interesting Facts

The scent was created in cooperation with Belgian designer Dries van Noten.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Bentley for Men Intense

Santal Austral Eau de Parfum

Ambre Nomade

Dionisio

Ani Extrait de Parfum

Bottega Veneta Eau de Parfum

Reviews

25 in-depth fragrance descriptions

03/08/2013

7Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Drseid
828 Reviews

Drseid

Helpful Review 6

Good, But Maybe Malle Should Stick To The Editions De Parfums Line...

Dries Van Noten opens with a sweet, almost creamy saffron spiced gaiac wood and cashmeran accord. As the scent enters the heart stage the saffron-laced cashmeran remains, now joined by subtle sweet sandalwood while clove spice adds depth. As the fragrance enters the dry-down stage the cashmeran recedes giving way to vanilla and tonka bean base that comes off as syrupy sweet. Projection is above average and longevity is good at 10-12 hours on skin.

Dries Van Noten's allure is supposed to be the use of real Mysore sandalwood, but while it is present I doubt there is a lot of it in here. The real star is the cashmeran that gives the fragrance a somewhat soft musky and woody vibe, while the vanilla in the base sweetens things quite a bit, maybe veering into "too sweet" territory. And there you have it, Dries Van Noten really is a sweet, lightly spiced bakery gourmand when it comes down to it. Nothing really stands out as unique or distinctive, instead falling into the "well-done, but been there, done that" bucket. I definitely like the fragrance despite the gourmand genre not being one of my favorites, but find its fairly generic nature a very hard sell at its relatively lofty price tag of $185 for 50ml or $265 for 100ml. Price aside, Dries Van Noten does smell good and earns 3 to 3.5 stars out of 5. Maybe those that love sweet bakery-like gourmand fragrances will find it more appealing than I.

11/10/2014

10Scent 10Longevity 7.5Sillage

MasterLi
375 Reviews

MasterLi

6

A gourmand hymn to sandalwood...

Dries Van Noten is the first in a series of "portraits" by Frédéric Malle of people he admires. In this case, the eponymous Belgian fashion designer. This was actually made as a huge "thank you" note to the designer, who supported Frédéric Malle by selling his fragrances in his store in Antwerp from the very beginning. He also uses an unconventional yet very warm and human touch in terms of fashion style (he famously said he would never make a piece of clothing which could never be sold in a store, so no "haute couture" or "exclusive" collections like most other big fashion labels), and that was also something that Malle admired.

In this creation, Malle's "perfume portrait" of the designer, he took inspiration from the designer's hometown, Antwerp, and the (Flemish) culture of northern Belgium. Essentially, Frédéric Malle here created a sandalwood composition, because sandalwood is warm and inviting when used in perfumes (it's often considered a "second skin" type of scent), and that sandalwood is boosted with vanilla, lots of it, and musk, saffron, jasmine, bergamot and cashmeran, a synthetic molecule which smells like slightly woody, musky human skin (this was used quite a lot in Frédéric Malle's other release Dans Tes Bras, a fragrance which literally translates as "in your arms").

So what do I get from it? Well, to me it comes across as a borderline gourmandish, (very) creamy sandalwood, vanilla, saffron, jasmine, bergamot musk combination. In fact, it has a touch of Shalimar (the jasmine, vanilla & bergamot combination). But to me it's more creamy than Shalimar (it's actually closer to Samsara in my opinion), it's a lot like a pastry. Which makes sense, because Malle also drew inspiration from the sights and smells of Belgium, including it's food. Food such as waffles, crêpes, and biscuits. I find this a very warm and inviting fragrance, the sandalwood here is extremely authentic (Malle lists it as Mysore Sandalwood but it's actually Indian Sandalwood (name: santalum album) grown in Australia). This is not a synthetic sandalwood substitute, this is the real stuff, but obviously enhanced with other synthetic ingredients such as Sacrasol which Malle describes as "an ingredient halfway between sandalwood and vanilla", and ethyl-maltol which is an ingredient used in many gourmand fragrances (ie the "candy" note in Thierry Mugler's Angel).

I think if you like you're scents warm, rich and comforting, you'll like this one. If you like a gourmand twist to fragrances, you'll like this also. It's strong, as in it lasts a long time (8-10 hours on skin, and even lasts weeks on clothes), but it sits very close to the skin after the first 2 hours. But that's a good thing, as the natural sandalwood, musk and vanilla compliments the skin beautifully and really makes it come alive. In my opinion this is a perfect one for cuddling with someone on the sofa by the fire. Perfect in cooler weather, with a wool or cashmere sweater. It's very "comfy" in warm and sexy way.

Some people have labelled this a "safe" fragrance from
Frédéric Malle (who is known for making "unconventional" fragances), but I think this is worth the price alone mainly because of the (very) authentic sandalwood oil concentration, and the way it is used in this perfume (and Malle always uses high concentrations of natural raw ingredients in his perfumes - for example the Vetiver in Vétiver Extraordinaire, or the Tuberose in Carnal Flower). It should be on your list if you live in a place with cool weather as I think this works great on those warm, indoor settings by the fire, with a loved one by your side. I don't see this as a disappointment, I see this as another great creation from Frédéric Malle, this is a gourmand hymn to sandalwood... and I love it!

07/25/2024

9Scent 9Longevity 8Sillage

DrB1414
260 Reviews

DrB1414

Helpful Review 2

A Difficult Relationship

Dries Van Noten par Frederic Malle. Oh boy. My relationship with this perfume has been a rollercoaster from day one. It is a peculiar perfume, to say the least. I first tried it in-store many years back and didn't like it. I took the card home and sniffed it again, hours later and was positively impressed by how it evolved. Over the years I owned small bottles and samples and sprayed it on myself every time I had the opportunity to visit a Malle boutique. I never committed however to a full bottle till I heard it was going to be discontinued. I purchased a bottle and after a couple of years, I sold it. I immediately regretted it and re-purchased it. Now, after so many years of back and forth, we have come to an understanding. I noticed I prefer the newer bottles, post-2016, to the older ones. They smell rounder, less abrasive, less sweet, and luckily, the medicinal patchouli doesn't come out anymore, as it used to do with the more "vintage" batches. I also detect the Sulfurol better with the later iterations, which in my opinion, is the hallmark, and my favorite part, with this perfume.

I remember back in those days, I was during my "Sandalwood Phase," when I found out about Dries. Even then, when I wasn't very familiar with Sandalwood in its pure form and various origins, I never felt this perfume was a good approximation of that. Today, I feel even less inclined to believe so. I would classify it as a Spicy-Woody-Oriental, with a hefty dose of vanilla and balsamic facets. However, the main star of this perfume is the Sulfurol. Once you smell this material on its own, you realize how well it is exploited here, and how much of an impact it has on the whole composition. More frequently used in the food industry, Sulfurol has this nutty, milky, and "foodie" smell. I always wondered what gave Dries this powerful nutty aroma, and the "steamed milk" vibe, because I get both strongly.
The opening of Dries Van Noten is arguably the most difficult to digest. It comes off a bit medicinal, especially with the older batches. Spicy, with plenty of nutmeg and saffron. It lasts a bit before it smooths out and the perfume starts working its magic. Here, is where I was getting that "Monsieur" medicinal patchouli Jovanovic seems to love so much, with the early versions of Dries, and I am delighted to see that part was mended later as it did not sit well with me (the main reason I sold it first and had a hard time convincing myself to purchase a full bottle). Once the fiery opening fades away, you start to get this steamed milk accord, together with a strong nutty quality. This is what makes people say this perfume smells like milk and cookies or speculoos. And I totally see (and smell) that. It's the Sulfurol at play, together with the jasmine, the woods, and the balsams. This part is fully displayed in the heart and as the perfume dries down you start getting more of the sandalwood, or the woody qualities, but that nutty biscuit and steamed milk vibe never leaves. Hence for me, Dries is more of a gourmand affair than any kind of sandalwood approximation, although the latter can smell quite "foodie" on its own. I love wearing this perfume in the colder months of the year but even in the heat seems to work well.

It has a nice debonair and flemish air that feels so classy even though it is clearly a gourmand. A sophisticated gourmand perfume tailored for mature people who like their dessert stylish. I never cared for this genre of perfumes, but Dries is one of the two gourmand compositions I thoroughly came to enjoy. Above all, it is such a unique smell that I can't compare it to anything. That is part of the reason I couldn't do without it. Sometimes I feel the urge to smell it from the cap, that's how much the scent intrigues me. Perhaps is because I have never come across another perfume that uses Sulfurol as a main ingredient, and so well. Maybe, I also enjoy too much that "milk and cookies" accord. Whatever the case, I am happy to own it and pledge not to part ways again.
Another thing I want to mention is the way I associate its scent with the aesthetic of film director Wes Anderson. I always link perfume to other arts, and with Dries, the world of Anderson comes to mind every time. The color palette, the symmetry, the humor, the music, it's all there. Wes Anderson happens to be one of my favorite film directors so maybe that has to play a part in my infatuation with this perfume.

IG:@memory.of.scents

01/24/2014

9Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Oberon21
47 Reviews

Oberon21

3

dries van noten

maybe i didnt understand this frag the first time i wear ,but now i have to say that i honestly like it a lot is indeed a quite well crafted perfume soft and warm in the same time ,creamy and balsamic woody vanilla i would put this one as middle element between shalimar and musc ravageur .
thumbs up for this

04/14/2021

10Scent 10Longevity 10Sillage

FilipMurray
18 Reviews

FilipMurray

3

Gourmand heaven

Sandalwood bomb!

Warm milk, biscuits, vanilla, creamy sandalwood, balm and a little bit of patchouli.
Creamy, rich, cozy, thick, sweet, comfortable and sticky.

It smells like a biscuits and warm milk. It is incredibly creamy and edible.
Dries Van Noten is the only fragrance which is discontinued from Frederic Malle. Hopefully the last one as well.
I did not want to miss this masterpiece by Bruno Jovanović, so I've got myself a backup bottle as well.

I’m not sure that there is better gourmandish sandalwood than Dries Van Noten!

It smells like a luxury.

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