Paloma Picasso
Paloma Picasso
281 votes
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The aldehydic blast hits immediately, sharp and almost astringent, with bergamot and tarragon creating a herbal-citrus shock that smells vaguely botanical and considerably harsh. Coriander adds a spiced-earthiness whilst galbanum keeps everything green and slightly metallic, preventing any softness from emerging.
Geranium and lily of the valley arrive with a powdery, slightly soapy character, whilst jasmine and rose add mentholated freshness without warmth. The florals possess a crystalline, almost austere quality—they're present but never luscious, creating a middle that feels more architectural than indulgent.
The base attempts resolution with tonka bean sweetness and sandalwood warmth, yet the musk remains uncommitted and spectral, never fully enveloping. What lingers is a faint, powdery amber-vanilla that feels skeletal and disappears rapidly, which perhaps explains the fragrance's notorious poor longevity—it seems engineered for evanescence rather than permanence.
Minotaure arrives as a peculiar beast—Michel Almairac's 1992 creation feels simultaneously refined and feral, a fragrance that doesn't quite fit any conventional category, which is precisely its charm. The opening barrage of aldehydes collides with bergamot and tarragon, creating a sharpened, slightly herbaceous citrus that feels almost aggressively fresh rather than invitingly bright. Yet beneath this astringent opening lurks something distinctly sweetened: the galbanum provides a green, almost vegetable-like counterpoint whilst the fruit notes—likely blackcurrant or plum from the accords—add an unexpected jammy dimension that prevents the composition from becoming austere.
As the heart settles, the geranium-lily of the valley-jasmine trinity emerges, and here's where Minotaure reveals its paradox. These florals possess a soapy, somewhat powdery character—almost indolic without crossing into creamy territory. The geranium, often peppery and sharp, plays against the rose's slightly mentholated edge, creating a floral accord that smells neither traditionally feminine nor conventionally masculine, but rather anthropomorphic. It's cerebral rather than sensual. The fragrance wears like an intellectual interested in classical perfumery but perpetually questioning its own choices.
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Adolfo Dominguez
4.2/5 (160)