Marc Gebauer
Marc Gebauer
244 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Iris arrives first with its metallic, almost carrot-like coolness, immediately challenged by orange blossom's creamy, honeyed persistence. The citruses—bergamot's Earl Grey brightness and grapefruit's bitter pith—create fizzing contrast, but within minutes they're drowned by the advancing floral army.
Violet takes centre stage alongside lily of the valley's soapy greenness, creating this nostalgic powder-compact effect that's simultaneously retro and strangely modern. Jasmine and rose bloom without overwhelming, their sweetness tempered by violet root's earthy, almost dusty quality, whilst the whole composition softens into a creamy, skin-close haze.
What remains is a diffused powdery musk with whispers of woody dryness anchoring the remnants of violet. The florals have largely evaporated, leaving behind the impression of scented skin rather than perfume—soft, slightly sweet, undeniably clean, like silk that's been stored with lavender sachets for decades.
Purple Flamingo is Christian Carbonnel's exercise in botanical hyper-saturation, a fragrance that reads like a maximalist floral thesis written in lipstick and pressed petals. The opening detonates with iris and orange blossom colliding mid-air, the former's rooty, metallic coolness slicing through the latter's creamy indolic haze. Bergamot and grapefruit provide citric scaffolding, but they're almost overwhelmed by the sheer density of white flowers queuing up behind them. This isn't a soliflore—it's an entire glasshouse rendered in liquid form.
What distinguishes Purple Flamingo from standard floral compositions is its commitment to powderiness without resorting to vintage tropes. The violet and violet root create this peculiar lipstick-and-carrots duality that modern fragrance enthusiasts will recognise from orris-heavy scents, whilst lily of the valley adds a soapy, green-stemmed freshness that prevents the whole affair from collapsing into cake-frosting territory. Rose and jasmine weave through without dominating, supporting players in an ensemble cast. The base is where Carbonnel shows restraint—powdery notes and musk create a soft-focus blur rather than shouting for attention, whilst unspecified woody notes provide just enough structure to stop everything dissolving into talcum.
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4.0/5 (117)