I did not have to think for long which perfume should be reviewed first on this blog. I had to choose my first love, the one that got me into it all, into the fascinating and addictive world of smelling, of niche perfumery – Frederic Malle’s En Passant.

Created by Olivia Giacobetti (of whom I will write a lot, she is one of my favorite perfumers), En Passant is a delicate, yet utterly captivating scent. It can be seen as a soliflore, it’s primary player is white lilac. It is there from the start, soft, wet from dew and so realistic, that you only need to close your eyes to imagine standing right in front of hundreds of lilacs in full bloom. The official notes state cucumber and wheat, I am not good enough yet, to recognize every note in every fragrance, but I smell these, blending organically into the lilacs. It is a pretty linear scent, no brash changes, no radical development, it stays with you like it started out, maybe getting a little softer and warmer, the breadlike wheat note intensifying a little over time. It wears about two to three hours on me, but I enjoy having to spray it on again, close my eyes and breathe it in deeply, the wet flowers after a summer rain, the cool air, the softness of grass beneath my bare feet and the faint smell of freshly baked bread from afar…

En Passant is available in 50ml and 100ml sizes as well as 3x10ml travel spray refills. I hear there is also a wonderful body lotion (which is on my christmas list) from editionsdeparfums.com and select boutiques in Europe, there are freestanding Frederic Malle stores in Paris and New York.

So this is my first post on my first blog. Please bear with me while I find the ins and outs and try to figure everything out. I am not the worlds greatest computer whizz, but I hope to find my way around wordpress soon.

picture sources: cambridge2000.com, peredepierre.com; some rights reserved, thank you!