Soie Malaquais Dries Van Noten 2022

Loads of blackcurrant and bergamot in the initial spray, which then begin an elegant, intertwining dance with chestnut, cocoa, and vanilla. This dance goes on for hours. At some point you notice that soft, silken rose petals have joined the intricate weave, but they remain very much in a supporting role, adding only their additional beauty to the whole.

Rich and smooth, this scent is ideally suited to winter and late autumn. It’s sweet and a touch powdery, verging on gourmand. Longevity is excellent (8+ hours on my skin). Projection is perfect; noticeable but not in any way overpowering. This is definitely a scent that garners compliments.

I'd like to say this scent it's ethereal, but nope. It's not. It's more... material, in a way, but with the same elegance. Its like wearing the smoothiest silk ever on skin, it really makes you feel like a princess - a real one, do not think of the cartoons. The freshness of it It's so different from all the other fresh perfumes I've tried. The currants in the opening give it a juicy kick, and the roses are the delicate ones I can appreciate. It's feminine, but not in a bimbo or vanilla party kinda of way. A kind of feminine scent that requires some elegance. While I don't get much chestnuts, the cocoa enfatises the material spirit of the scent itself. It's almost heavenly in the way its delicate, but at the same time it's... so real I can't put it in the etheral/heavenly shelf. This is something worth a try for sure.

I’m a dessert person, but I find most gourmands sickly sweet. This fragrance was the first to have that bittersweet richness I was yearning for. Nutty, mildly-spiced cocoa. Not saccharine milk chocolate, but more of that expensive semi-sweet chocolate that comes wrapped in wax parchment. It smells expensive. (As it should, if you’re popping three-hundo on a bottle). Warm, enveloping, heady. A dark floral current makes me imagine burgundy, velvet-petaled roses. The chestnut dwells on the skin, even after the cacao and silk has left the party.

Longevity: ~8h, but a silky, dark nuttiness that lingers for over 24h on fabric. (I can't believe I just typed "silky, dark nuttiness").

Mental Snapshot: You’re on your fifth date. It’s at their mum’s sprawling Tudor manor in the countryside. (She’s gone for the weekend). You’re going to get frisky before the fireplace, but you’re still on your best behaviour. The couch you’re cosied up on cost more than your car.

Tl;dr: Michelin-star gourmand.

This reminds me of something I can’t put my finger on… chocolate candy wrapper? With a bit of rose. Need to test on skin. I have a feeling this would do well in cooler climates, I don’t think this is something for me. I live in a hot and humid climate, where I can see this being too much. I wanted to love this so bad! The bottle is STUNNING, the juice is okay.

Soie malaquais really travels through every note and keeps you engaged as it develops on your skin. It does open up fruity and almost freshly clean, but the cacao and chestnuts take over making this a bit dense but silky smooth and giving it a mature edge for me. Somehow, you are also able to catch the rose mixed with a creamy vanilla, very multifaceted.

This is another perfume that reminds me of Mrs. Howard from Abbott elementary— the most perfect hair, elegant necklaces, and nurturing. The bottle depicts the scent really well and though I really enjoy the creativity behind the fragrance, this is not for me as it pulls too chocolatey and suffocates me a bit despite it having low projection imo.