FREDERIC MALLE
ANGELIQUES SOUS LA PLUIE
2000
PERFUMER
Jean-Claude Ellena
juniper
pink pepper
bergamot
angelica
cedarwood
white musk
‘A watercolor sketch of angelica flowers tinted with spots of juniper, pink pepper and bergamot, on a vibrant base of cedar and white musk. Nuances of purple and grey bleed into one another inaccurately, as if blurred by the rain, in a fragile picture of dewy, spicy freshness.’ – Frederic Malle
For some reason I never gave Angeliques Sous La Pluie a real good wear until writing this review. Style-wise, it’s a simple perfume, but I think it’s a beautiful and enjoyable to wear rendition.
Angeliques is mostly centered around juniper. An often high-pitched, sharp, greenish scent. Woody, but in this case also very powdery and spicy from the angelica.
When I think juniper, the first fragrance that comes to mind in my frame of reference is Acqua di Parma Ginepro Di Sardegna, but it’s not a great comparison. Angeliques feels more powdery, more easy going, less masculine leaning.
There’s something beautifully textured and soft about this fragrance. Quintessential Ellena. It smells very bright, crispy, sort of green citrussy, but it doesn’t feel like that; it feels like petals and cashmere to me.
Moving into the drydown I get a lot of (soft) pencilshavings. The spiciness can be a bit off-putting to some I assume. It has a slight body odor type of quality, but it’s very subtle on my skin.
Angeliques Sous La Pluie is often compared to French Lover, but I personally prefer the scent of Angeliques. Unfortunately, the downside of the softness is the performance. This behaves like a pure citrus scent and will need to be reapplied within no time to be noticeable. The trade-off may have been worth it though.