Our take
What does Mon Parfum smell like?
Paloma Picasso, the jewellery designer known for her work with Tiffany & Co., launched her first perfume in 1984. Francis Bocris composed it under her direction. The black egg-shaped bottle and the red and black box echo her look: dark hair and red lips. The opening is bright with bergamot and lemon, but hyacinth and clove harden it fast. Angelica adds a slightly bitter green edge. Rose rules the heart. Jasmine and lily of the valley surround it and iris dusts it with powder. Then comes the real subject, the chypre base. Oakmoss, patchouli and vetiver lay down a dry and earthy floor. Castoreum and civet warm it up. Next to Guerlain's Mitsouko, another benchmark chypre, it feels denser and far more animalic. Later reformulations have softened that base. Richard Avedon shot the original ads.
When to wear it
An evening scent for cold days and dark clothes. One spray is enough, and the extrait is better dabbed than sprayed.
It belongs to the Floral, Chypre family. Mon Parfum is one of 2 creations by Paloma Picasso in our encyclopedia.