Eau de Magnolia – creamy and lush and elegant

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“Do you want the 50 ml or the 100 ml.” asked the sales assistant at the Frédéric Malle counter.

“The 100 ml. please.” I said.

“Wow” he said, “You must really like this perfume.”

“Oh, I really like this perfume” I said as I handed him my credit card.

“You know, the nose is Carlos Benaïm, the fellow who created the candle you like so much, Jurassic Flower”, he said as he placed my tissue-wrapped treasure in a bag.

“It is?” I said, feigning surprise.
 
You see, what he’s referring to is the fact that I can’t walk by the Frédéric Malle counter without stopping to pick up the Jurassic Flower candle that’s on display there and sniff deeply many, many times. I love the transparency of the magnolia in the candle – it makes me happy, levels the highs and lows and restores all losses. Yet, for all that, I’ve never bought the candle. One fragrance addiction is enough. So, I was especially happy when I learned that Frédéric Malle had introduced a new fragrance called Eau de Magnolia  by Carlos Benaïm.

I love the intense, lush, creamy aspects of magnolia in fragrances, but what I love about Eau de Magnolia is how Benaïm has highlighted the other aspects of it – the lemony, fresh, flora aspects – in a beautifully balanced perfume.

Eau de Magnolia opens with citrusy, sour bergamot. Its aromatic elegance is the calling card of an eau de cologne, as the name suggests. As it blooms, the magnolia – green, light and lemony - comes forward. It’s not the creamy, voluptuous magnolia I’m more used to in fragrance. The magnolia here is light, airy and transparent while still being lush and floral. The magnolia is the star with vetiver and patchouli, breaking through here and there to smooth out the freshness so it never gets sharp and give it a gentle earthiness. At the base, cedarwood, gives it a sensuous woodiness, while amber softly sweetens it.

Eau de Magnolia is fairly linear, with the magnolia present right to the elegant lighthearted drydown. But don’t be misled with all this talk of the ‘lightness’. It is an EdP so it’s deep and lush with considerable staying power.

This might not be the magnolia you know and love, but it might just be the next magnolia you fall in love with.

As of this writing, I still haven’t bought the candle. I love it, but I can’t wear it. Nuff said.

Check out Eau de Magnolia in our Shop.