As a beauty editor who specialises in all things perfume and fragrance, over many years of speaking with the best perfumers, working with the brains behind some of the world’s top perfume houses and interacting with fragrance consumers every single day, I have developed some sort of psychic power.
I can sniff out a classic scent from a mile away, I can tell what sort of perfume a person might like after spending just a few minutes with them and, most importantly in my line of work, I can predict what new fragrances will become cult bestsellers before they even hit the shelves—and I’ve just met the latest future icon in Parfums de Marly Palatine.
Key notes: Mandarin, bergamot, pear, violet petal, lavandin, floral bouquet, sandalwood, patchouli, musk, vanilla
What is it that makes Palatine so exceptional (and the reason I know it is destined for greatness)? Well, beyond the fact it ignites conversation with almost every person who crosses my path whenever I wear it, Parfums de Marly Palatine has a number of important attributes that set it apart from other beautiful perfumes out there. Palatine possesses a certain je ne sais quoi that positions it firmly in cult status territory. So much so, in fact, that I truly believe it will be one of the most talked-about perfumes of the year—and everyone is going to want in on it. Here’s why…
The Story
Before we get into exactly what Palatine smells like, it is crucial that you have some backstory on it to truly understand what we’re working with here. For starters, it’s important to know that Parfums de Marly has a history of producing luxury cult fragrances. You might, for example, already be familiar with the brand’s iconic, sweet and moreish Delina—one of the most widely adored and viral perfumes of the past few years.
A big part of Parfums de Marly’s success in creating truly exceptional scents comes down to the brand story. Inspired by Château de Marly – a French royal residence where attendance was reserved solely for the elite inner circle of King Louis XV in the 18th Century, and goings on revolved around audacious pleasure, celebration and fun – Parfums de Marly fragrances celebrate creativity, freedom and noble ingredients, with each scent taking inspiration from individuals or elements of the time. What does this mean for the end result? Fragrances that are filled with a character and creative freedom that feels all-encompassingly endearing.
And it is this bite of brand history that, I believe, makes Palatine so attractive to everyone who smells it. The scent was inspired by Princess Elizabeth Charlotte of Bavaria, aka ‘La Palatine’, who was a free-spirited, key figure at Château de Marly. She was a close friend of Louis XIV (marrying his brother) and was known for her non-conforming ways, meaning that her unconventional manner and outspoken nature really blossomed and came into its own at the château. This won her the adoration of the monarch—so much so, in fact, that the king reserved an entire apartment there for her, right next to his own.
“Princess Palatine was an atypical, offbeat personality. There’s something radically modern about her that reminds me of how today’s liberated young women dare to stand up for themselves just as they are,” explains Julien Sprecher, Founder and Artistic Director of Parfums de Marly. This is, essentially, a story that resonates in every part of Palatine as a perfume, drawing people towards it wherever it goes.
The Scent
The story very much ties into the scent, the thing that really cements Palatine as a future cult classic in my eyes. The focus of the blend is, no doubt, a concoction of violet and lavender—delivering a soft, sweet, powdered scent that delicately veils the skin like a fine organza, rather than a heavy silk or cotton. It is light, soft, moreish and unequivocally comforting.
Truth be told, and without getting too technical on you, violet isn’t a fragrance note that is championed much in 2024. For years, many have considered it too much of a heavy, rich and powdered floral, making any perfume it features risk feeling outdated. But the way in which Palatine leans on violet is new, daring and impossibly modern. You see, over my many years in this job, I have learned that the making of a great classic scent is in taking an old, well-known form and tweaking something in it in a delicate and creative way that speaks to people on a mass scale for the modern day—and that is exactly what Parfums de Marly has done with Palatine.
Forget everything you think you know of powdered floral perfumes. The violet petal note is captured using Firmenich’s ground-breaking Natureprint® technology, which allows the brand to extract the light, fresh elements of violet leaf without having to actually pick it (preserving the ingredient in its natural habitat) and create a new slightly sweeter, tart and gourmand form of violet. Combining this sweet, powdered floral with the mind-soothing, earthier elements of lavandin, Palatine becomes a welcoming, calming tonic.
But if you’re thinking Palatine is nothing more than a sweet floral fragrance, you’d be wrong. With juicy, uplifting citruses and creamy, skin-like musk, vanilla and sandalwood, Palatine becomes the wearable, uplifting sort of perfume that becomes one with the wearer. It is like nuzzling your nose into the neck of nobility itself—velvety soft, florally intoxicating and undeniably luxurious and aspirational.
From the moment I first smelled Palatine I knew it was destined for greatness. The welcoming, moreish sort of comfort that isn’t sugary sweet nor creamy and milky is hard to come by in 2024. Palatine is, in short, a floral skin scent that makes everyone around you go weak at the knees. Every time I smell it on myself, I melt into a ball of easy self-assurance. And as for everyone around me? Well, let’s just say the endless compliments and sharing that I have been forced into gives me a pretty clear steer on the fact I am not the only one enamoured with its beauty.
Trust me, if you’re not yet familiar with Parfums de Marly Palatine, you will be by the time the year is out—I’d be willing to put money on it.
Other Parfums de Marly Classics
Key notes: Rhubarb, lychee, bergamot essence, Damascena rose, peony, vanilla, Cashmeran, musk, vetiver
Like sweet, molton rose petals mixed into a creamy vanilla milk.
Key notes: Bergamot, mandarin, white peach, orange flower, nympheal, vetiver, akigalawood, ambrofix, musk
Like a white cotton shirt that has been freshly washed with luxe, floral detergent.
