Fragrance Review: Carnal Flower by Frederic Malle

Frédéric Malle Carnal Flower explores the sensuality of tuberose rendering white blossoms both as bathed in the sunlight and touched by the evening shadows. In the Victorian language of flowers, tuberose signified dangerous pleasures, while in India young girls were warned against inhaling its aphrodisiac scent after dark, lest it lead them into trouble.

Its herbaceous verdant opening notes interspersed with tart shimmer of bergamot are structured as a crescendo leading to a heady burst of petals. The heart is comprised of creamy tuberose layered with lacy jasmine notes, their richness complementing the unique hot rubber and warm skin facet that hides underneath the white voluptuous petals of tuberose. ...

Yet, before the composition has a chance to assume the Fracas-like buttery character, an orange blossom tones down the intensity. Carnal Flower unfolds like a roll of raw silk, warm and smooth, with the coconut lending a milky sweetness to the sumptuous flowers. The fruity notes are present merely as delicate sweet accents, without a tendency to dominate.

Carnal Flower’s creator, Dominique Ropion, has composed some of the most fascinating floral fragrances, such as Une Fleur de Cassie, Givenchy Ysatis, and Givenchy Amarige. Carnal Flower is likewise interesting in its ability to weave notes into a rich, yet soaring composition. While nevertheless opulent, as a proper tuberose should be, Carnal Flower does not end up as heavy and cloying, and its radiance is sustained even into the drydown.

As compared to my beloved trio of tuberoses, radiant Caron Tubéreuse, shocking Serge Lutens Tubéreuse Criminelle and hypnotic Robert Piguet Fracas, Carnal Flower presents a perfect balance between opulence and elegance. It is more complex than Caron, yet no less sanguine. Its beautiful form includes both the sensual embrace of Serge Lutens and the narcotic richness of Fracas, yet it seems to be less challenging to appreciate.

As for “Carnal Flower”... Juliet was certainly right when she said, “What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other word would smell as sweet.” Still, it does not change the fact that in my mind the composition calls for a more poetic title.

Notes include bergamot, melon, camphor, tuberose, ylang-ylang, jasmine, orange blossom, coconut, white musk. Although currently available only at Barney’s New York, the fragrance will soon be released in Frédéric Malle boutiques in Paris and eventually directly from Editions de Parfums.

Please see other Frédéric Malle reviews:
En Passant
Iris Poudré
L’Eau d’Hiver
Le Parfum de Thérèse
Lipstick Rose
Musc Ravageur
Noir Epices
Une Rose

Comments

[helg]

Dear V ,

you make it sound like a must-try , for sure (not that I wasn't intrigued before...but you know....)

Acually tuberose was said to produce spontaneous orgasms in females (rather doubtful , I think), hence it was deemed a flower of spiritual ruin.
Although of Ropion's most famous creations only Ysatis really appeals to me , I have to say I am intrigued by this new endeavour of his.

Thanks for the heads up!

[mireille]

the assemblage sounds so Asian to me somehow ... Thai, for some reason. lovely description per usual, V. xoxo

[Judith (lilybp)]

Sigh--it sounds absolutely beautiful! I will definitely have to get this one, especially since I adore all of your "beloved trio" and am fascinated by the idea of balancing their features. Your review, as always, is wonderful--but I can't really blame this lemming on you, since I had more or less decided that I needed CF before I saw any reviews; you would have had to say something really discouraging to convince me otherwise. One niggling point (because I'm a niggling sort): Juliet actually says, "“What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other WORD would smell as sweet”--although almost everyone, ironically, gets the "word" wrong (proving her point, I guess)):

[Helena]

Lovely review! I can't wear Fracas because I am allergic to it and I haven't tried Tubereuse Criminelle. I am glad I can finally enjoy your writing without being tempted!

[Katie]

Judith - very funny about the word/name. Heh.

Another lovely review. And yet another scent I will have to add to my Oxford English Dictionary length list of "must-tries."

[Christina H.]

Thank you so much for reviewing this! I have been hoping that this would be reviewed and I can always count on you to review the newest fragrances available! Well, I also adore Fracas so I'll be wanting this as soon as they make it readily available for the mass market.Thank you once again!

[Laura]

Well, it sounds like it will wow all you tuberose lovers!

[Marina]

I've been so curious about this one. Definitely a must try. I always say I don't like tuberose, but out of your 3 favorites, I actually love 2 (TC and Fracas).

Yes, the scent sound much less "carbal" than the name suggests. What would you call it?

[Marina]

I meant "carnal" of course! :-)

[BoisdeJasmin]

E, you are welcome! It is a beautiful tuberose, with just the right balance between radiance and darkness. That rubbery tuberose core is still there, but it seems more subdued than in Serge Lutens. My opinion of Ropion's mastery with florals has only been increased.

[Robin]

Yay, can't wait to smell it. The Caron was a tad too sweet for me so hoping the CF is drier -- would you say?

[Liz]

V: Great review, as always! I went through a heavy tunerose period about a year ago, and I have to admit I'm sort of over it at the moment. However, I wonder how you feel about MPG Tubereuse? Buttery and glowing to the extreme. I haven't smelled the Caron, but of the ones I have tried (Lutens, Jo Malone, Annick Goutal, and of course Fracas), MPG is probably my favorite.

[BoisdeJasmin]

M, that is a great observation. Coconut, camphor, ylang ylang... Coconut is a very nice touch here.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Judith, I am laughing out loud over word/name. Some of these misconceptions are very difficult to root out, and I am guilty of caving in to them. Still, a very amusing point.

CF would surely please a tuberose lover. It is still different enough from my trio to warranty a purchase. I cannot wait to hear your thoughts.

[BoisdeJasmin]

H, I am glad that I did not manage to tempt you. :) Tuberose elicits very strong responses from people, which can be both positive and negative. It seems to be a love-hate flower.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Katie, thank you. On a tuberose related question, I have been sampling Amarige recently, and it strikes me as very different from what I remember it being. It is somehow thinner, with more orange blossom. In fact, it reminds me of Chanel Gardenia! This is odd, because I remember it being a much more expansive, rubbery tuberose. Is there a difference between the EDT and the EDP? Or was it changed?

[BoisdeJasmin]

Christina, you are welcome. Do call Barneys to find out if you can receive a sample in the mail. If you like Fracas, I am almost certain you will adore Carnal Flower, although it is decidedly more modern.

[BoisdeJasmin]

L, yes, you are safe from temptations. It is definitely tuberose focused. :)

[BoisdeJasmin]

M, Carnal Flower is slighlty less edgy than either one of your favourites, although it is no less unique. It is a very sensual composition, without a doubt, but it is more subtle than Tubereuse Criminelle (definitely not as camphorous). At the same time, it is drier and greener than Fracas. Tubereuse d'Or is what it seems like to me.

[BoisdeJasmin]

R, Carnal Flower is greener, especially in the top notes, which toned down the sweetness. I love Caron, but it is definitely on a sweet side for me as well. Carnal Flower's sweetness, in comparison, is more subdued, especially in the drydown.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Liz, MPG is another tuberose I like, although it has a musky element present in most of the MPG fragrances that does not agree with me. Yet, if there is a quintessential buttery tuberose, MPG is it.

[Marina]

Great name! That completely sold the scent to me. Put d'Or in the perfume name and I am there :-)

[parislondres]

Lovely review dear V and I cannot wait to try this.
I am not certain about the coconut bit though. I love coconut in food and hairoil but not in perfumes as it goes too sweet on me.

Do you think I would love this (as you know how much I love tuberose)?

Hugs!

[BoisdeJasmin]

M, I am with you! Anything that evokes a gilded quality is a good thing in my book.

One of my favourite gilded fragrances is Bois des Iles.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Dear N, I think that you will definitely find it enchanting. Coconut lends a certain soapy quality, however it seems to work really well with tuberose, even though I would have imagined the opposite. On the strip, it is sweeter, but on my skin it is less so.

Do you also find Caron Tubereuse too sweet?

[linda]

I don't even like tuberose that much but I really want to sample CF. I love coconut notes. Are they very pronounced?

[parislondres]

Dear V - thanks for letting me know. I will test anyways before buying. ;)
About Caron Tubereuse - it is nice but I prefer it layered with Poivre or even French Cancan. On its own, it is a bit linear and therefore less interesting to me.

[BoisdeJasmin]

L, I notice them, but coconut certainly does not dominate. If you do not care for tuberose, CF may not please you very much, but sure, sampling never hurts. :)

[BoisdeJasmin]

Dear N, oh, I now have to try layering! French Cancan sounds especially appealing, since I would love something to boost its floral sweetness.

I remember that your lady at Caron showed another layering combination: Alpona and something else. I have been trying to remember the other fragrance. Was it En Avion, by any chance? I just recall that it was stunning. I have never thought of layering Carons before.

[linda]

I was hoping it might be a tuberose version of Montale Tiare Intense. It's the only Montale I like but I can only wear it in tiny quantities.

[BoisdeJasmin]

L, oh, they are nowhere alike. Have you ever tried CSP Tiare? It is my favourite coconut/white flower fragrance, however they reformulated it much to my dismay. It was perfect.

[mreenymo]

NEED...TO...TEST...THIS...ONE!!!

Hugs, rsj

[Katie]

V - I haven't tried the edp, only the edt version. Sometimes I find the lotions carry the full body of a scent better than an edt. But the Amarige Silk Body Veil is quite nearly singularly gardenia in character, I must admit.

My older edt Amarige smells tuberosey, slightly smokey, and spicy on me. Not that the gardenia and orange blossom aren't there, they are, but it's not the only thing going on. Mine's now several years old - perhaps this is a very recent reformulation? I haven't really resniffed Amarige at the stores in a long while now. I just presumed no one would mess with such a classic. I need to make a mental note to sniff it at the counters again.

If anyone else can weigh in with their own observations, I also would really appreciate reading your insights!

[BoisdeJasmin]

R, I thought of you the moment I smelled it! :)

[BoisdeJasmin]

Katie, yes, that is how I remember Amarige to smell--spicy and slightly rubbery/smokey. What I have is sweet and floral, with a distinct synthetic thinness. I am very disappointed, however I hope that it is just my bottle. I am going to do some comparisons as well. Like you, I would love to hear other opinions on the difference.

[Katie]

AHA! I knew I had a recent sample of Amarige that I'd gotten with a gift with purchase from Givenchy around here!

It doesn't smell too terribly different, but it does seem less "full." Like you know how sometimes CDs of old albums sound less full than they do on vinyl, even when the record is scratchy or hissy? It's like the ends of the sounds on the bottom and top have been chopped off, even though you're hearing the exact same recording. This newer sample I have is a little like that. It's a tad lighter to me, more white floral than my older Amarige, which is more yellowy floral. I do sniff tuberose, but this does not seem quite as smokey as the older one. Hmmm. I can't say if this is due to some aging that produced this quality in the older, or if the formula has indeed been tinkered with. Perhaps someone keener than I could tell? GRA! Now I'm feeling like I am going to be all irritable over this if it turns out it HAS been messed with. Let's just hope that it's a case of me having a terrible nose for things!

[BoisdeJasmin]

Katie, you could be describing my own qualms with the sample. It is tuberose and everything else the old one had, however it is thinner, more synthetic somehow. Have you seen this at Sephora:
http://www.sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P127400&categoryId=B70

I might make a trip to check it out and to do further comparisons. Perhaps, the sample are made less concentrated? Who knows... I admire Amarige, and I would be very disappointed if it has been changed.

[Anya]

Dear V, thank you for the review. I have been waiting with great anticipation for this new release. Now I see "white musk" and that stops me in my tracks. Is is the same synth galaxolyde as found in Musc Ravageur? Similar to those in the Ormonde Jayne line? In which case, I will have to pass :-( That stuff ruins so many perfumes for me.

PS So what's with using the orchid pic for the illustration? I have tuberose pics galore I could share.

PPS I just recieved the most glorious, soft, unctuous, non-edgy tuberose absolute from a supplier. I must send you a bit to dilute and wear "straight" or layer. It is very sweet, but I'm sure you'll figure out how to put a "green" or woodsy edge on it. It is hypnotic, and those Indian girls would be forbidden from wearing it, I'm sure ;-)

PPS "bathed in the sunlight and touched by the evening shadows." somebody tell Malle's writer that tuberose only has scent at night. In the daytime, everyone around it remains virginal, then boom! lust time after sunset.

[Katie]

AAAAAAA! Out of stock???? Why, why??? I NEED this. Like I need it so bad I need it yesterday. GAH! OUT OF STOCK!!! Either you or Sephora is trying to kill me. I had not seen they had it in yet, and... *sobs*. It should be mine already. Now I'm probably going to end up spending part of the afternoon on the phone and the internet looking for it. So shallow and wasteful, I know, but I must get a bottle of it into my hot little hands.

[Anya]

OK, I made a synth mistake -- the galaxolyde isn't the culprit. Still don't like it, but I can't remember the white one I detest. Lord, I'd never be a proofreader or fact checker.

[michelle]

Everything sounds wonderful except that I see a melon note listed - and melon tends to do strange and ugly things on my skin - and so I am wondering whether it was evident to your nose, or not. Thanks.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Anya, tuberose picture would be too straightforward, and I could not think of a more sensual representations of flowers than Georgia Okeefe's! Do not take me too literaly--the fragrance just has both the dusky and the radiant quality, as if you are experiencing sunrays touching your skin, yet at the same time noticing that darkness is slowly creeping in. I must say though that I have to experienced quite a heady scent smelling tuberose in the morning. The blossoms were only partially open, but the scent was still pronouced. At night, it really does turn opulent and heady. Actually, heady does not even begin to describe it!

[BoisdeJasmin]

Katie, I think that it is not yet in stock (as opposed to already being out of stock). I also want that special edition Amarige, however now I am obsessed with figuring out whether the sample I have is just diluted or whether the original has been changed. If you find out more, please let me know. I promise I am not trying to torture you! :)

[Tania]

No comment on the fragrance (I'm not wild about tuberose) but choosing Georgia O'Keeffe for a fragrance named Carnal Flower is perfect, given the way her flowers always seem to evoke sexual references.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Anya, oops, sorry to miss the musk question. I do not think it is not Galaxolide, or if it is there, its powdery qualities are not as evident. It is really a combination of different musks to my nose, but it does not have the same sharpness as the OJ musk bases. On the other hand, neither does the metallic, starched linen quality (a la Habanolide) dominate.

I am very curious about your tuberose absolute. It is difficult to find good quality naturals, especially when it comes to tuberose.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Michelle, I was worried about it too, however it seems like a rather subtle note. There is a certain juicy sweetness, but it is not the typical bright melon that was popular since the 90s.

[BoisdeJasmin]

T, yes, I was reminded of a few paintings we saw at the MoMa (?), although I could not find the one I wanted (it was a red and white flower, rather abstract). However, I like this orchid painting very much.

[Evan]

I'll go to Barney's tomorrow- you know how I LOVE Barney's- and give this a try. I'm interested, since tuberose is one of my favorite notes. I like the idea of the triumverate of tuberose perfumes: Fracas, Caron's Tubéreuse and Luten's Tubéreuse Criminelle. Each gives a unique insight into facets of the absolute. I'll see if they'll give me a sample, so I can try it against the triumverate.

[Campaspe]

So happy to read this review. I was clutching my credit card right up to the words "orange blossom." But I will definitely try it in any case.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Ah, Barney's! I would be curious to hear your impressions when you compare these four fragrances. They all share tuberose, yet their characters are quite different.