Marc O'Polo Woman Marc O'Polo 2001

What a surprise - how is it possible that this fragrance has remained so completely unnoticed? was the astonished thought that crossed my mind when I decided to wear the original version of Marc O’Polo's "Woman" again after a long time and was curious about what the community had to say about this scent.

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not even a fragrance pyramid exists. Oh dear - this couldn't stay that way, so I first took a look around the internet in search of more detailed information about the components of this "Woman".

For discontinued fragrances that apparently weren't overly successful during their lifetime, it is somewhat difficult to obtain information, but eventually, I was able to find the following pyramid:

Top notes: Freesia, Apple, Mandarin, Black Currant
Heart notes: Violet, Jasmine, Peony, Rose, Peach
Base notes: Vanilla, Musk, Amber

Immediately after spraying, my personal impression of the scent is: grape sugar. Sweet, slightly powdery, and at the same time fruity, "Woman" begins to envelop me - the otherwise typically noticeable alcohol note is completely bypassed, Mandarin and Black Currant are distinctly and authentically perceivable, even the Peach has pushed its way forward from the heart notes and contributes juicy sweetness to the slightly tart fruitiness.

Even at this stage, warm components are an important part of "Woman" - it must be the Amber that gives the fruitiness a slightly animalistic undertone, thus clearly rejecting the classification of "fruit basket".

Gradually, the composition becomes more floral - a fully bloomed Peony stands next to a Tea Rose, Violet and Jasmine can only be sensed in the background, having no chance of a more prominent role next to the more dominant components.

As soon as the Roses make their appearance, the less sweet Vanilla and a hint of Musk do not take long to follow, although the warmth is predominantly provided by the Amber, and the other protagonists mainly serve to refine this impression without further influencing the fragrance direction.

I would classify "Woman" as a Floriental - the composition is very well balanced and feels cozy and warm like a cashmere blanket, yet is by no means heavy and definitely not "cheap". Sillage and longevity are very good over several hours.

The subsequent versions of "Woman" seem to fall short of the original, judging by the statements I have read so far, and even though I lack comparison options, I do believe that Marc's first woman has certainly not deserved to be sent into the desert.