Dries Van Noten Rock the Myrrh Eau de Parfum is certainly an ode to myrrh. It was warm, spiced, and woody with rich, balsamic resins that were sweet, thick, and almost chewy at times. The cypress and pepper were there in the opening, while the cypress amplified the aromatic quality of the composition for the first few hours. It wasn’t a totally linear fragrance, but the difference between the opening and the dry down wasn’t night and day either; it flip-flopped between being more resinous, more ambery to woodier and spicier before becoming more of a soft, spiced amber in the end.

Rock the Myrrh Notes

It is described as “an overdose of myrrh” that is “joined by resins of benzoin and cistus dressed up with cypress and pink pepper.”

• top notes: cypress, pink pepper
• heart notes: myrrh, patchouli
• base notes: suede, benzoin

What does Rock the Myrrh Smell Like?

It opened with fresh cypress, a hint of pink pepper, and thick resinous sweetness. There was a fiery aspect, too, not smoky or ashy, and not quite lit incense. Rock the Myrrh was quite aromatic; warm, spicy, and a little jammy with sweet, spiced woods underlying the gooey resins. After 15 minutes, there was a subtle layer of leather that helped to balance out the balsamic quality of the myrrh.

Through the next three hours of wear, Rock the Myrrh vacillates between warm, spicy, and woody and sweeter and more noticeably thick and resinous. It seemed to settle into a spiced amber-wood base in its drydown that was smooth, warming, and balanced.

Longevity

It lasted for 10 hours until it was a skin-scent and about 16 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within the third hour of wear.

Personal Notes

I did enjoy this one quite a bit, enough that I’ll re-wear at a later date to get a better grasp of just how much I enjoyed! I’m not surprised at all, given the notes are exactly the kind of ones I gravitate toward (which means I do have scents in the same vein already!). I was impressed by the longevity and sillage; the kind of sillage where I can sit at my desk and get subtle wafts every now and again without feeling like I’m choking on the scent.

These are more subjective feelings based on what I like (or don’t like) in a perfume as well as considering the fragrance against other perfumes I own and love.

Testing Methodology

For testing, I used a fraction of a 2ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise.

I purchased my sample as part of a discovery set in May 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime, so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Availability

Rock the Myrrh is available for $305.00 for 100ml or $375.00 for 200ml (refill).

If possible, I highly recommend trying a fragrance before purchasing a full bottle because fragrance can wear differently just because of skin chemistry. Skin chemistry can effect not just the longevity of a fragrance but also what notes are prominent or hidden.

Rock the Myrrh Samples

We recommend trying one of the brand’s discovery sets before investing in a bottle.

Where to Buy

• Selfridges
• Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten Rock the Myrrh Perfume Review

Dries Van Noten Rock the Myrrh Perfume Review

Dries Van Noten Rosa Carnivora Eau de Parfum is one of the more linear scents in the range, as it was primarily a fresh rose framed by lush, aromatic greener, woodiness, and a bit of earthiness overall. The vetiver was one of the more prominent notes through most of the wear with the rose being strongest in the first half of wear and just barely noticeable toward the end.

Rosa Carnivora Notes

It is described as “this rose is not romantic: it is strangely beautiful, real, imperfect and ambiguous.”

• top notes: pink pepper, rose
• heart notes: vetiver, floral bouquet
• base notes: patchouli, cistus

What does Rosa Carnivora Smell Like?

The vetiver was front and center in the opening, before it gave way to freshly-cut roses, in perfect bloom, and dusted with pink pepper–enough to be evoke pepperiness but not enough to overwhelm the rose. Over the first five minutes, the rose sweetened slightly, grew ever-so-slightly heavier, and a woody quality came through. The vetiver had burst onto the scene, then almost disappeared, and then returned to provide a lush, green garden for the rose to emerge from, though the rose seemed to be overtaken by the vetiver.

The addition of patchouli, which seemed more present about a half hour into development and then became more prominent (with the vetiver shifting slightly out of focus), enhanced the dusty, woody aspects of the vetiver. There wasn’t much more development until it really started to wear away and sit close on my skin, then it was more vetiver and less patchouli.

Longevity

It lasted for eight hours until it was a skin-scent and about 12 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within the second hour of wear.

Personal Notes

From reading others’ reviews and experiences, this seems like it may be similar to Le Labo’s Rose 31, which would likely be more affordable (given it would also come in different sizes). The nose behind this scent also was the nose behind several Le Labo fragrances, including Rose 31. (It has been too long since I’ve smelled Rose 31 to weigh in).

I love an earthy rose scent; I love darker, lush green with rosy florals, and I’m totally in the camp where earthy, dirty, and woody can supersede the rose without me complaining. I noted that this was one of the closer-wearing scents from the range that I’ve tried, which may make it a better pick for those who like subtle perfumes. As much as I enjoyed the scent, I don’t know if it’s something I’d reach for often enough to merit purchasing a larger bottle. I will endeavor to use my sample some more to see!

These are more subjective feelings based on what I like (or don’t like) in a perfume as well as considering the fragrance against other perfumes I own and love.

Testing Methodology

For testing, I used a fraction of a 2ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise.

I purchased my sample as part of a discovery set in May 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime, so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Availability

Rosa Carnivora is available for $305.00 for 100ml or $375.00 for 200ml (refill).

If possible, I highly recommend trying a fragrance before purchasing a full bottle because fragrance can wear differently just because of skin chemistry. Skin chemistry can effect not just the longevity of a fragrance but also what notes are prominent or hidden.

Rosa Carnivora Samples

We recommend trying one of the brand’s discovery sets before investing in a bottle.

Where to Buy

• Selfridges
• Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten Rosa Carnivora Perfume Review

Dries Van Noten Rosa Carnivora Perfume Review

Dries Van Noten Soie Malaquais Eau de Parfum began with sweeter florals and citrus blooms, while the first half of wear was primarily subtle rose, fruit and cocoa, and a hint of nuttiness. The latter half of wear was sweeter and vanilla-leaning with the cocoa and chestnut beneath it.

Soie Malaquais Notes

It is described as being inspired by silk dresses, “which gave [them] the idea for a silky, enveloping perfume, a mix of chestnut with sensual vanilla.”

• top notes: bergamot, blackcurrant
• heart notes: rose, silk
• base notes: chestnut, cocoa

What does Soie Malaquais Smell Like?

It opened with fresh citrus blooms, subtly floral and lemony with a hint of sweet peach. While peach wasn’t listed, the fruity quality that came through reminded me of sweetened, lightly syrup-coated peaches. The sweet peach strengthened over the first five minutes, while most of the citrus has evaporated. I detected a richness coming from the cocoa, like a dark chocolate glaze that was waiting to be drizzled over the peaches.

The rose wafted through the heavier concoction of peach and cocoa, adding an airier, floral sweetness that turned the whole composition more jam-like–not so peachy, a little more like a red fruit medley. It was smooth, well-blended, and sweet with facets of floral and fruit. Given another half hour to development, the chestnut and cocoa intertwine to create a darker, richer sweet and chewy mix that had the beginnings of nuttiness.

It was a confection of sweet vanilla, melted cocoa, and a hint of nuttiness and the last remnants of smooth rose-ish florals by the fourth hour, and it became more and more vanilla-heavy for the remainder of the wear.

Longevity

It lasted for 10 hours until it was a skin-scent and about 14 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within the third hour of wear.

Personal Notes

It was one of those scents that was pleasant enough to wear throughout testing but nothing that I’d personally leap for, as it was sweeter and more jam-like than I prefer, but as a composition, it seemed well-blended, long-wearing, and I was able to detect most of the notes listed.

These are more subjective feelings based on what I like (or don’t like) in a perfume as well as considering the fragrance against other perfumes I own and love.

Testing Methodology

For testing, I used a fraction of a 2ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise.

I purchased my sample as part of a discovery set in May 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime, so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Availability

Soie Malaquais is available for $305.00 for 100ml or $375.00 for 200ml (refill).

If possible, I highly recommend trying a fragrance before purchasing a full bottle because fragrance can wear differently just because of skin chemistry. Skin chemistry can effect not just the longevity of a fragrance but also what notes are prominent or hidden.

Soie Malaquais Samples

We recommend trying one of the brand’s discovery sets before investing in a bottle.

Where to Buy

• Selfridges
• Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten Soie Malaquais Perfume Review

Dries Van Noten Soie Malaquais Perfume Review

Dries Van Noten Santal Greenery Eau de Parfum opened with a milky fig with zesty citrus–tangy and fresh without leaning into bitter–that slowly morphed into the crisp, green leaf around the creamy fig, so it was never particularly sweet. Between the subtle fig fruit quality, the smooth, creamy nature of the sandalwood amplified the milkiness of the composition. I felt like the greenness helped to keep the fragrance lighter and more lifted overall.

Santal Greenery Notes

It is described as a balance between “resilient sandalwood with the lively, green leaf of fig.” Here are the notes:

• top notes: bergamot, grapefruit
• heart notes: violet leaves, creamy fig accord
• base notes: sandalwood, white musk

What does Santal Greenery Smell Like?

It opened with a slightly sweetened, creamy fig that was smooth with an undercurrent of acidity from the bergamot and grapefruit, which gave it a lift and a hint of freshness, lightening the overall opening without adding any bitterness. The greenery of the fig played a larger role after 10 minutes of development, which continued to lighten the scent to something breezy, summery, and smooth with hints of sandalwood in the background.

Santal Greenery smelled a lot like it was titled; there was a smooth, creamy sandalwood vibe (that actually reminded me of Le Labo’s Santal 33 at times) with fresher, slightly crispier greenness and a bit of milky fig, just barely sweet and fruity.

The musk crept in after four hours and started off as minimal and then amplified as the drydown was mostly sandalwood and musk.

Longevity

It lasted for eight hours until it was a skin-scent and about 12 hours before it was quite difficult to detect on my skin. The sillage and projection were moderate with the sillage dropping faster than the projection within the second hour of wear.

Personal Notes

Pleasant. That was the word that came to mind; it was kind of what I was hoping it would be, for me: something a little lighter and airier for summer, the milky quality of the fig giving me beach-going vibes (without going full-on coconut), while the green fig leaf kept it from being heavy, sweet, and fruity. The sandalwood was a beautiful backdrop across it all. At this price point, one, I definitely need to work my way through my discovery set and see which scents pull me in, and two, I’m not sure I’d wear it often enough to justify a bottle, but I thoroughly enjoyed wearing this one until the last couple of hours where the musk was stronger (not my favorite note).

These are more subjective feelings based on what I like (or don’t like) in a perfume as well as considering the fragrance against other perfumes I own and love.

Testing Methodology

For testing, I used a fraction of a 2ml sample vial dabbed to the underside and topside of my wrist area. I used an unscented moisturizer prior to applying the scent as I found scent did not hold well here otherwise.

I purchased my sample as part of a discovery set in May 2022; fragrances are known to be reformulated over their lifetime, so be mindful of when a review was made, e.g. a review from 2010 may not reflect what the same-named perfume smells like in 2022.

Availability

Santal Greenery is available for $305.00 for 100ml or $375.00 for 200ml (refill).

If possible, I highly recommend trying a fragrance before purchasing a full bottle because fragrance can wear differently just because of skin chemistry. Skin chemistry can effect not just the longevity of a fragrance but also what notes are prominent or hidden.

Santal Greenery Samples

We recommend trying one of the brand’s discovery sets before investing in a bottle.

Where to Buy

• Selfridges
• Dries Van Noten

Dries Van Noten Santal Greenery Perfume Review

Dries Van Noten Santal Greenery Perfume Review