Frederic Malle • Angeliques sous la Pluie • Fragrances

CobraRose on 4/3/2013 9:19:00 PM more reviews by CobraRose

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I grew up in a "Mad Men" household (my stepdad was a radio DJ), so this scent is immediately evocative of gin. The herbal snap of the topnotes is quickly succeeded by a greenish musk. The drydown acquires a buttery quality on my skin, as some musks do, but still remains light. Overall, it's interesting, but not something I want to go around smelling like.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Gother on 3/26/2013 7:11:00 AM more reviews by Gother

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Violet    

This is my olfactive rendition of the colour green: sage green, to be exact. In this fragrance, nose Jean Claude Ellena managed to build the image of Angelica stems made wet by a warm morning rain. There's an interesting frame of spices built around the flower: pink pepper and coriander, plus the interesting and slightly sharp addition of juniper berries, which gives the impression of a spring garden.
The overall effect is wet, wet, wet, and it verges on the masculine side a bit, but in an innocent, unoffensive way. The musky base is very solid and tames all the spices down.
I think that the best interpretation of angelica so far is Annick Goutal's Vanille Exquise, where it plays such a spectacular, fundamental supporting actor to Vanilla to the point that it steals the scene at times.
This one comes close second.

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*TOP REVIEWER* amlang on 3/13/2012 12:43:00 PM more reviews by amlang

Age: 36-43   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Green    

Tricky / trickster herbal green. For me, this one needs heavy application and a lot of time to sort out. Otherwise, I dismiss it as "musty," which is a mistake. If I'm patient with Angelique, the reward is very good.


Starts with a blast of juniper. Gin and tonic. Interesting, but I don't like smelling as if I've sloshed my drink all over myself.


Then for the next half hour, it seems, Angelique goes through a roll call of notes. Yes, I get the angelica and the coriander. I also get something salty, something mineral/tangy, maybe something like rain in the city (very different from rain in the woods, or rain in the desert).


Finally it settles down into something pretty and soft. Pretty without florals. Soft without vanilla. Angelica dominates. Herbal. Maybe a faint bit of pepper in the background. The scent is more cool than warm.


It's not quite like anything else I have. Green, but no moss, no hemlock, no grass. Contemplative, but no incense, and the woods are silent background players. I like that it doesn't go for the obvious.


Still, I liked Angelique Encens better, and if I could own only one Frederic Malle, this wouldn't be my first choice. It's something I'd wear when I'm working at home all day, and I need all of its different phases as little sniff breaks to keep me alert.

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*TOP REVIEWER* zeynepd on 8/6/2011 8:01:00 AM more reviews by zeynepd

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Red   Eyes: Hazel    

It's very clean but somehow opaque and pretty warm on me. Like, it's not angelica flowers after the rain but violets three hot days after the rain. If I wanted a fragrance along these lines, I would opt for Penghalion's Artemisia.

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*TOP REVIEWER* ccspringer on 5/10/2011 12:56:00 AM more reviews by ccspringer

Age: 19-24   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Angeliques sous la Pluie is so fresh and so young. The first whiff is the scent trail of a young girl in the garden. In the opening, there is a fresh mix of juniper berries, green flowers, and something incredibly dewy and light - hedione, a chemical Chandler Burr calls the smell of pure light. The drydown is perfectly clean, a musk that stays shower-fresh without getting soapy or stale.
After a while, Angeliques sous la Pluie is almost distractingly sweet and tender. A little bit of woods thrown in keeps it elegant, so it doesn't cross the line over to children's perfumes. However, to me, it is such a fleeting scent and so fresh and gentle that it feels wrong for me to wear it. This isn't me! I am not an aristocratic young girl playing in her garden! Angeliques is a fantasy perfume, and like a fantasy, it disappears too quickly.

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*TOP REVIEWER* tessture on 4/16/2011 4:35:00 PM more reviews by tessture

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Peppery floral very like a cross between Blanc and Apres Les Ondee. Light, sheer springy floral. The only good word is ethereal. Not sweet, over-flowery or sugary in any way. A dreamlike garden scent. Might not seek because I have and love Blanc and Apres Les Ondee already, but is still lovely

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whitecountess on 9/19/2010 11:19:00 PM more reviews by whitecountess

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Blue    

This fragrance is so exquisite, just like its name: "Angelica Flowers After the Rain".
With notes of angelica, juniper berries, coriander, musk and cedar, its as if you put your head on the shoulder of a beautifully scented woman holding a perfect gin and tonic. It has a shadow of violet, seen also in Apres L'ondee and from the gorgeous indie perfumer Soivohle's Violets and Rainwater. It captures the idea of new beginnings after the rain, but with this perfume there is a touch of naughtiness, a reference to the past one might be trying to forget!
I would give this five stars except that it disappears almost immediately. Otherwise, I would put it on and never take it off!

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*TOP REVIEWER* stephhamilton on 6/24/2009 7:36:00 AM more reviews by stephhamilton

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

starts out as a pleasant citrus (a lot like cologne bigardee) but then very quickly in a matter of minutes it goes all mosquito repellant. As it dries down it gets some cedar (not a note that I can wear well) and soapy. Its okay not a scrubber so I will use up my sample but not full bottle worthy for me

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*TOP REVIEWER* essija on 1/1/2009 5:12:00 PM more reviews by essija

Age: 30-35   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Red   Eyes: Blue    

Why does this smell so much better in the bottle than on my skin? In the bottle is a soft powdery and so lovely, like cashmere or something. On my skin its citrus bugspray, yuck and then it turns to pepper... Just not my sorta scent.
would love to try others by him.. I can see this being more of a mans scent then womans.

As time went by I learned to love this scent. Still cannot tell you why, but this is a pretty fragrance for any woman.. Give it a try or two..

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vdn on 11/26/2008 6:17:00 AM more reviews by vdn

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

Cool and lovely, like a fleeting visit from an angel. Jean-Claude Ellena again!

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*TOP REVIEWER* condesadepitimini on 10/6/2008 9:16:00 AM more reviews by condesadepitimini

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair, Warm   Hair: Blond, Fine   Eyes: Green    

Does anybody out there remember the men's cologne Drakkar?(by Guy Laroche, the original one, not the Noir that was so "bold" and mainstream.
Dated back in the Eighties (or even earlier) I loved it as a teenager and I recall having purchased a bottle for myself, for I loved it so much.
That said, when I first sniffed Angéliques sous la Pluie the other day, what came to mind was "these are Drakkar notes". Basically, à masculine Fougère (oakmoss, woods, vedtyver).
But suddenly these notes disappear... is it good or bad? good, so that the Drakkar illusion vanishes and leaves room to a fresh, wet fragrance.
It reminds me (fairly correctly, given that name!) of rain. The following notes are subtly musculine, musk, coriander. I feel fresh in it, clean also.
What I dislike is the staying power: no longer than half an hour on me. And this is a real pity, as this frag is a little jewel.

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*TOP REVIEWER* mushymamma on 4/21/2008 2:08:00 AM more reviews by mushymamma

Age: 36-43   Skin: Very Dry   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Blue    

Crisp. Fresh. Bracing. Clean. Classy. The wearer of Angeliques Sous la Pluie *definitely* took a shower today. And yesterday. And will tomorrow, too, most likely. This person also balanced their checkbook recently, and is a whiz at remembering phone numbers, dates and appointments. ;) That said, I adore this sort of thing. Perfect for day and office wear. This is a no fuss, no muss little beauty. On initial spritz, it can be a little medicinal and sharp. Sort of screams "ANGELICA--up your nose, STAT!" The drydown, however, is wonderful. Once it calms down and mixes with your own body chemistry it's really refreshing, leafy and green. I can smell the coriander, cedar and musk other reviewers mention below. Wears well all day long, too. I have a great many scents in my collection, but wear this fairly often now that the weather is warmer. It is expensive, but I tend to have great luck with the Malles overall--moreso than some of the other more revered niche houses. Plus, I don't want to smell like everyone else. It makes me feel pulled together--and as a harried commuter and mother to two toddlers, I can use all the help I can get. A dab of great lipstick and a spritz of gorgeous perfume and I'm out the door and running, thermal coffee mug in hand. :)

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Busyblue on 4/10/2008 9:47:00 AM more reviews by Busyblue

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

It took me a couple of days to figure out what I thought of this. I liked the top notes - they were fresh, light and sparkly. But as it settled down, it just reminds me of aftershave or men's cologne. I don't mind a good unisex scent and like some men's colognes, but this one just came across as "cheap" smelling to me (which is amazing given the actual cost of this stuff!). Another reviewer mentioned it smelling like the cologne of someone's "pervy uncle" and sadly, I have to agree. I may revisit this, but as of right now I won't be purchasing.

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*TOP REVIEWER* King_of_England on 12/9/2007 5:43:00 AM more reviews by King_of_England

Age: 44-55   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Blue    

I like this,as a man, it's fresh and different. I am slightly reluctant to splash out for it though because the scent is very similar to angelica roots oil. Although expensive, a good grade of this oil is still cheaper than the Malle product.

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*TOP REVIEWER* KelseyP on 11/19/2007 9:49:00 PM more reviews by KelseyP

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

While I enjoy all of the Malle collection, I find this as one of the most lackluster of the bunch. I do get the sparkling tonic notes, but then there is barely a whisper of anything else. It sparkles in the opening, and then fizzes out. Maybe there is not enough depth in my chemistry to carry the rest of this scent, which is sad because I tried over and over to discover it. But all I get is a brief gin and tonic experience :(

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*TOP REVIEWER* Meg2005 on 6/16/2007 1:52:00 PM more reviews by Meg2005

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

A walk through a dewy garden - early dawn in a bottle! In this day and age, when so many scents wreak havoc on our sensiblities with chemical warfare, a scent that smells like a replica of God-given good earth is to be hailed as a star among countless pebbles on the beach.
Clean, refreshing, immaculate, and my favourite FM so far.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Funkly on 2/21/2007 6:40:00 AM more reviews by Funkly

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Polished angelica with coriander and some pepper. The coriander is quite prominent on me on the opening. Gin and tonic did not immediately come to my mind as I read in other reviews, although the fragrance is spritzy and refreshing, crisp and green. Cedar and musk are the base notes, but unfortunately I don't get much of a drydown, all of a sudden it vanishes on me (after 3-4 hours so not too bad). Very elegant, light and transparent, not goundbreaking but not boring either. I imagine it would be perfect in hot humid climates.

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*TOP REVIEWER* SensualSusanna on 1/30/2007 5:58:00 PM more reviews by SensualSusanna

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

This is an effervescent scent... it's bubbly and alive. Like rain on a hot day- it's refreshing. I personally wouldnt buy a full bottle as it is very light and barely there, nevermind expensive. But if a bottle came my way I certainly wouldn't return it. It's pleasant and refreshing; I think it would be really nice for Summer.

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*TOP REVIEWER* oubliette on 12/2/2006 5:32:00 PM more reviews by oubliette

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

What a lovely name for a fragrance, but it's mostly pepper on me. Masculine heavy pepper in a celery haze.

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*TOP REVIEWER* veruska on 11/1/2006 1:47:00 AM more reviews by veruska

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

i only got a sample of Angelique and i'm in a constat thinking about wether i neede to have it in my permanent collection.I like how green and spicy it is,how earthy and a bit celery likefrom angelica and i like the intense cedar drydown although i detect some white musk also that i don't really enjoy.I need to say that i think it's apreatty neat linear scent and i like it especially when the angelica is more pronounced.Well maybe one day i buy a fb

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