There is a veranda surrounded by an untamed garden. You are seated in a chair, hair combed back. Languorous. The white marble emits an ethereal glow in the lazy midday sun. Your straw chair creaks mildly, the sound dampened by a plush cushion. The leaves of a nearby orange tree flicker despite the stillness of the vapid air. A few wispy clouds trail through the expanse of blue above you, unraveling as fresh, unwoven cotton. A few vines have slunk their way around fluted columns, tendrils caressing the unblemished stone. A thin scent of something baking escapes from an opened kitchen window; it is sweet, but fleeting. There might be a cat draped over the arm of a chair in the distance, or perhaps it is just a shadow.
You are wearing Jean Paul Gaultier Fleur du Male.
Initially shocking, the bottle of Fleur du Male is a man’s unclothed torso. Perfectly white and smooth, the more intimate parts have been smoothed out and now resemble a well sculpted Ken doll. With the perfect V-chest, the bottle is an easy pleasure to hold, all curves and angles melded together. While modesty may discourage some from leaving it out on display, I appreciate the artistry and proudly place it near the front of my collection. If nothing else, it certainly does spark interesting conversations.
Listed as being composed of petitgrain, orange blossom, coumarin, and fern, Fleur du Male certainly is a predominantly floral cologne. Upon the first spritz, the fragrance opens with a woody, earthy, orange accord, hearkening more of the small, almond-shaped leaves than the blossoms of the tree. The opening is a tad bitter, but not in an unpleasant way; I find it invigorating. The bitterness quickly smooths into what must be the orange blossom. It is soft, languid, and aeriform. And it actually smells of orange. Not synthetic, cleaning material citrus, but true, powdery, slightly acid fresh orange blossom. As the scent progresses, slightly sweet notes enter and mingle with the powdery blossoms. They bring to mind hazy images of a country home, aged straw, and butter cookies laced with a sweet liqueur.
As it settles into its base notes, Fleur du Male retains the orange blossom and gains a subtle mossy tone similar to freshly turned earth tumbled loosely at the base of a shade tree. A hint more powder emerges, resulting in a very fresh, clean finish. The sweetness of the middle notes have mostly gone by now, leaving only a pleasant vestige of their presence behind.
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