I finished my vintage (2006) bottle today and I can't tell you how good this smells... Getting better with age, the similarity to Coriandre is evident, I realized today. However Agent Provocateur has a much more modern, superb, distinctively boudoir tone which perfectly reflects the best and most sexiest lingerie designs on earth: AP itself... In that, the perfume deserves its name 100% and fulfills its promise. Apart from that, can something with a dirty undertone smell so regal and royal? Yes... Can a smell relax and comfort you so much and at the same time conjure an image enough to make one weak in the knees? Yes... This is it. It has been turning heads since 2000. This long-lasting parfum has considerable sillage since the portion of essences is very high. Most eaux de parfum have between 15-20%. Floral-woody-musky combinations, such as this one, are reminiscent of the woodland pairing wild forest flowers with more earthy tones for a very natural-smelling result. Captivating Forest Air So how to describe this scent. Well, I'm not normally a huge fan of rose, and so that initially threw me off. The rose in here is bright, sharp, and a bit skunky. Sort of like Perfumer's Workshop Tea Rose, but not as bad as that one, I don't think. Or maybe this is just blended better. But at the beginning, the rose definitely dominates. Later that note mellows out into a lovely true bouquet of roses. After having a mini years ago, I was impressed that even that size came in a porcelain bottle with an actual atomizer. Apparently the use of porcelain & quality was scarified in newer bottles, so I read. Heartbreaking. This perfume conjures such a juxtaposition of imagery for me; equal parts Virgin Mary purity, encircled in a halo of holy roses & the most sophisticated, well-read, soulful, naturally buxom brunette bombshell sitting high on a hotel balcony overlooking a glittering Eiffel Tower in the distance, drinking pink champagne, with strawberries & creme, living a most epic-yet-simultaneously-cozy & quaint life. It smells of dreams. Of highest self. & Like a woman who takes the boudoir very seriously. I am so happy to have it in my collection again, reformulated or not.

I am a geneticist and understand that odour receptor genetics mean we all judge scents slightly differently so it's likely that some people just smell this fragrance differently to others, but this is a "no no no" and "glad that it spilt in the mail" from me! It was never going to make it onto my dressing table.

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This is a little, weird pink egg with something outstanding inside. To sum it up easy - it's a rose scent with some wood and smoke to it. The problem is, it's far from being "easy" or a "rose scent" how we define it today (f.e. Chloe Chloe, Parisienne, Stella, Tresor Midnight). I get what people say about it being very retro, classic, etc. It simultaneously grabs from the vibe that vintage 50’s rosy, powdery scents have, as well as from intense, loud fragrances of the 80’s. I wouldn't classify this as a floral scent, even with the dominant rose. The softness and powder that comes in the drydown doesn't come off as especially floral to me. It could be masculine to the right nose, but it's definitely a STRONG woman (or man) who wears this.

The other aspect of perfume is its animalistic accords. For me now it smells group post coital. Very heavy. This note may sound rather masculine.I love me some rose. Stella, Paul Smith, Noir de Noir, Ghost, and even Portrait of a Lady which I initially hated and found very challenging (I now like it a lot!). AP's particular brand of rose is super interesting! I don't know whether I like it or hate it. It is sort of repelling and attracting me, simultaneously! It feels like a suffocating warm hug from your fave elderly aunty who loves heavily scented talc, but there’s this delicious masculine feel to it that is old school but very sexy? It’s a weird combo for sure. It is such a nicely blend rosey powder perfume, not a complex one though, which relaxes my mind tbh. I remember my mother wearing it in Moscow in 2010! Its not sweet, not ambery, not warm, I decide to wear it in the colder seasons. Then one day I saw a bottle on a relative's dressing table, bubbled over with excitement and begged her to let me try it. She just shrugged, said sure, it's nothing special and I did the usual two squirts onto my left wrist, wafted it around in the air and then the scent hit me. I’ve worn this perfume since its launch date in London, when it was made by the original founders and they had one store in Soho. It was one of the first blind buys I had ever made, and I remember opening it at my desk at work when it was delivered, and it blew my mind!

These are different, but there are similarities with the spicy MiddleEastern leaning rose. Portrait of a Lady is warmer and richer, while AP is more fluffy & musky.If you love FM's Portrait of a Lady, but find it difficult to wear, or you want a less pricy alternative, this is the perfume for you. It is less nuanced overall, but far more affordable and it still smells lovely.