Putain des Palaces
Etat Libre d'Orange (2006)

I'm glad I have it, there's something I love about this scent. At first sniff, the amount of make-up powder truly overwhelmed me but also made me smile - I found it strangely comforting even though I don't use make-up much. Perhaps it was a memory of days spent with my girl friends when grownup life was still very new to us and still carefree.

Later, I can smell flowers, and yes, there is sweat, for real. Putain des Palaces won't become my everyday fragrance, it's a bit too weird for that 🙂 But I like it.

The opening is a truly lovely blend of sweet violet, rose & a touch of leather. The floral notes are fleeting, however; over the first few minutes the leather quickly takes over, there's a little spiced citrus & a woody note, before a wonderfully labdanum-rich amber comes to the fore. There's not much development from this point, except for a powdery aspect around two hours in, & l don't notice any animalic note. lt all settles into a skin scent after seven hours, but is still going softly after thirteen.

l tried this one from a dab vial, but next time l'll transfer it to a spray vial, in the hope that that lovely floral opening chord might be sustained for longer. While l very much enjoy a good dose of labdanum, l'd love for that sweet violet to stick around & mingle with it for a while. l think the combination would be heavenly!

Addendum: having now tried it from a spray vial, l can report that the experience is different. l don't notice the citrus or wood at all, there's less of the leather, & more of a make up/ cosmetic vibe. Happily though, the floral notes are indeed sustained for much longer, lasting around ninety minutes before the labdanum takes over. Very nice!

The notes listed in Putain des Palaces are absoloutely gorgeous and when blended together, they create a sensuous, classy old hollywood vibe with a fresh touch but with my skin, it developed into a leathery, and powdery floral mess. It smelled like Ava Gardner, on a night out but it's 4am, and she had too many cigarettes and whiskys on the rocks. A leathery powdery velvet and musky fragrance, it just smells really good like a modern classic fragrance made for today. Almost a retro feel.

The leather is so warm and mimimal (stronger in the beginning but then fades to a soft suede). Violet is sweet creamy and powdery. Amber and musk deepen the scent making it a well-rounded composition. There is nothing overtly spicy or animalic about this scent. It is like a poison that tricks the body into summoning a heightened state of functioning. It's sexy, but cold, a look-but-don't touch perfume. Easily can be a signature scent.

Putain des Palaces is a floral amber, centred around an accord of violets and rose. Opening brightly, the floral notes are slightly candied, and accentuated by a hint of leather. In the soft, powdery dry-down that follows later, the floral notes with the accents are sustained. On my skin it lasts several hours with a close but consistent scent cloud, based on a liberal application.

Putain des Palaces is firmly in the same olfactory family of the rose-violet "lipstick/makeup accord" as explored in Lipstick Rose, and later in Misia. Lipstick Rose is more rosy, bold, and vivacious, while Misia is more abstract, cool and aloof; by contrast, Putain des Palaces is comforting, warm, and perhaps more approachable.

Putain des Palaces is less quirky than it name would suggest, and is an easy-to-wear versatile perfume that works particularly well in warmer climate. If I forget the brand, the name, the 'concept' and simply smell it - here is a beautiful contemporary perfume, nostalgic beneath the cheerful veneer, and immaculately crafted from start to finish. It's one of the best ones from Etat Libre d'Orange.


4/5

Seems like this good time gal has been overdosing on Haribo and violet creams, and has returned from the palace somewhat sticky and grubby, and maybe a little nauseous.

I found this fragrance to be thoroughly unpleasant; loud, synthetic and chemical. If there is any Rose absolute there I cannot smell it. I can smell lots of Ionones however. I suppose it could be used to cover even more unpleasant smells although it is difficult to imagine what they could be.

Of course it is very strong and lasts forever. It bloody would do, wouldn't it?

I get an impression of Shalimar-ish powdery vanilla-amber at first, and I like it, but it gets soooo overpowered by bubblegummy and sugary notes that it becomes overly sweet and starts reminding of more powdery and less smoky and way subtler Pink Sugar more. I get zero leather, a bit of powder and a lot of candy-bubblegum. Some say they get something dirty underneath, to me it smells clean and girly, a bit powdery and sugary. It's okay, wearable and likeable and cheery, but I'm not a fan.

You know the comedy Mean Girls? There's a scene where a friend remarks to the main character: "You smell like a baby prostitute." Well, this could be that.

Winter is here, and I am, happily, buried, in my seasonal loves–vanillas, ambers, gourmands, and les grandes parfums, vintage and otherwise. The last thing I am usually thinking of, in my favourite perfume season, is violets, and, yet, here I am, doused in a cloud of Putain de Palaces, a violet perfume rich enough to stand up to the challenges of another three months of cold air, bare branches, fierce winds from our lake, cashmere sweaters, thick scarves, and leather boots.

This is not a naked, shivering little violet, not a bright and fresh one, meant for summer frocks and sunny climes. It is a fine cosmetic violet, in the most classic sense, powdered, and with a bit of rose, and the powder is enriched with vanilla, gradient enough to suggest the presence of iris. It is fluffy, but not frivolous, a down comforter or fine wool coat, rather than ostrich feathers, powder puffs, or silk. It also has an animalic warmth in its bones, possibly from labdanum, a material I have rhapsodized over enough elsewhere–a scent of intimacy that has a particular affinity with skin, suggestive of the aroma of toasting bread, the scent of a cat that has been sleeping in the sun, and the sweetness of baby animals, human and otherwise. The hint of animal is what carried me over the threshoid with this one, from like to love.

I have smelled ambered violets before, but none have the lightness of mein I have encountered with this one. It has a touch of Serge Lutens' Bois de Vanille, without being overtly gourmand. It seems like an almost impossible thing, a perfume centered around the freshest of spring flowers, without drowning their appealing bright quality. It doesn't smell like outrageously expensive ingredients, but I don't hold that against it. It is the third excellent perfume I have found from this daft house with its silly names, and I cannot wait until my full bottle arrives, so I can continue to spray it to excess every evening, until the warm weather comes, and even then, I might continue to do it, especially since my boyfriend, who is used to all kinds of scents emanating from my dressing area, commented on it with unusual enthusiasm. I don't only wear perfumes that please him, but it's nice to know when he likes something.

I almost forgot, to mention its performance. PdP casts a lovely radius, just arm's length, and it really sticks to skin for at least 12 hours, long enough for an evening's wear, with enough left for a lazy morning wakeup afterwards. I have praised it as a traditional boudoir perfume, but there is no hour it won't suit, as its fresh top and middle are great for day, and its amber and vanilla for night. Like many of Etat Libre's perfumes, it has a relaxed personality that fits a t shirt and denim, and it also smells inviting enough for dressy, date, or evening wear.

If you like cosmetic perfumes, like Lipstick Rose and its bevy of relatives, or warm-hearted violet perfumes like L'Heure Bleu, or floral ambers of any sort, I highly recommend seeking out Putain de Palaces. It might appear to be exclusively feminine in its intentions, but its gourmand and animalic qualities would be attractive on anyone–even the manliest of fellows would benefit from its friendly charms and cozy demeanor. Etat Libre d'Orange sells it in their handy and economical 30ml size, a great value, for its quality. Four rock solid stars, and a rose-gold-polished thumbs up.

There are many people today in Versailles .- “yes, many people” who remembers Asia Argento as. Madame Dubarry in Marie Antoinette , sees what I smell here. She is beautiful but In a very touchable , carnal way. You smell her: powder, fragrance , lipstick , rather a tad too much, a bit too loud. But pleasant. Attractive in a very down to earth way. The scent is sensual , physical , a bit dirty. This woman knows she is beautiful and she uses it to her advantage. She is not poised or ethereal but witty. She laughs too loud, talks too much, dances too fast, her hair uncontrollable just as her temper. The violet , pepper, rose, powder... it all mingles together as she drags the king onto her bedsheets

Reminds me a lot of 1740 Casanova except PDP has more musk or animalic notes. Slightly powdery at first with a peach (notes say mandarin) note, until the leather and more potent notes kick in. 7/10

A comfortable powdered prettiness, which makes its name another ELDO smile.

I'm not a fan of the way a lot of fragrances deal with amber, particularly monolithic ambers, blocky and impenetrable. For the most part, it tends to stops the lilt of a fragrance and becomes about the amber. If a fragrance incorporates it into the composition so it becomes a team player instead of asserting itself as amber, it can be a real asset and add any manner of warm, agreeable, comfortable types of approachability. But when something starts to dry down to amber, well, you just better like the note.

I like the subtle easy-going amber quality in Putain des Palaces. The powdered lipstick violet/rose accord can be a cool one, and the amber adds something warmer, more casual and pretty, without overpowering it. I find the combination balanced and nice-smelling.

It flirts with a hint of leather, but all that powdered sweetness makes it more a winsome edge than anything else. But that slight edge saves this fragrance for me, taking it out of a two-dimensional prettiness and giving it another layer. Yet it doesn't succumb to giving it real ‘edge', which I think is tempting but isn't in keeping with this fragrance's character.

I have a glitch when I find a fragrance like this that's instantly likeable and nice-smelling. I think it's very approachableness means it's too simple, from an idea I have to work for my fragrance reward, that it takes time to unlock the facets of a good perfume. I had this problem with 31 Rue Cambon also - I dismissed it at first because of its immediate pleasant accessibility. I find now I like going with my gut reaction, later seeing if it has any further rooms.

So, I like Putain des Palaces. It has an innocent sensuality I always find a pleasure to wear, that you enjoy smelling on yourself. I ordered a decant immediately after sampling.

4.5 stars... Rose & violet right from the start. Instantly smells like a powdery scent. Face powder, indeed. I get only a hint of leather and orange, in the heart. Amber makes itself known. The violet stays strong. Later it kind of resembles freshly made paper.

I'm a sucker for these powdery scents. I'd collect them all, if I could.

Powder! As soon as I put this on I felt like I had just powdered a babies bottom and spilled most if it on the floor while applying bright red lipstick. Maybe it is just my skin chemistry but the dry down is a bit like salt water taffy with flowers and powder. I am not sure I like it but I don't hate it either. Love the name palace whore. 😜