Let’s talk about Dries Van Noten’s Soie Malaquais. If you’ve spent any time on #FragranceTok lately, you’ve probably seen this bottle pop up on your FYP more times than you can count. The first person who put me onto this scent, was @EniGivenSunday, and then from there, it seemed like every other week someone was raving about this fragrance. And for once, the hype isn’t just social media noise.
Released in 2022, this luxury designer fragrance has managed to do something rare in today’s fast-paced beauty world — it’s actually lived up to the reviews. While other viral fragrances have come and gone, Soie Malaquais has quietly secured its place as that perfume that makes you feel like you have generational wealth, even if your bank account says otherwise.
From the moment I first encountered Soie Malaquais, I knew this wasn’t just another designer fragrance vying to be universally pleasing. The experience begins with its presence – housed in a refillable bottle that speaks to both sustainability and sophistication. But it’s what’s inside that tells the real story.
Picture the lightest dusting of cocoa powder, but not the sweet, gourmand chocolate that dominates many modern fragrances, but something more refined and ethereal. This delicate touch of cocoa intertwines with an impossibly smooth rose note that manages to avoid any hint of tartness. The addition of blackcurrant and bergamot in the opening adds brightness without overwhelming the composition.
What truly sets Soie Malaquais apart is its ability to capture something inherently intangible — the essence of silk. Even though silk doesn’t have a scent per se, somehow this fragrance manages to translate the feeling of running your fingers across the finest silk into an olfactory experience. If you need a visual: I envision this as the scent TLC wore when they filmed the “Creep” music video in their silk pajamas. It’s this that elevates the entire composition from beautiful to extraordinary.
Why I love it: This fragrance has a way of becoming your second skin, but make it luxury. It’s the perfume equivalent of wearing your favorite designer piece – you know you look expensive, but you’re not trying too hard. The moderate projection means it won’t announce your arrival before you do, but its 8-hour wear time (let’s be clear, on my skin) ensures you’ll stop and smell yourself periodically throughout the day to get a reminder on how good you smell. At $365, it’s certainly an investment, but the quality of the experience justifies every penny.
Perfect pairings: While Soie Malaquais is complete on its own, I’ve discovered some layering combinations that create entirely new experiences. Try it with Byredo’s Gypsy Water to amplify the woody aspects and create an even more mysterious aura. For special evenings, layering it with a touch of Frederic Malle’s Portrait of a Lady adds depth to the rose notes and creates an utterly sophisticated profile. And for those days when you want to lean into the cocoa notes without veering into sweetness, a light application of Le Labo’s Patchouli 24 underneath creates an intoxicating combination.
One word of caution — this isn’t a fragrance I’d recommend blind buying, even though it is #FragranceTok approved. Its uniqueness demands a personal introduction. But once you experience it, you’ll understand why it’s become such a steady presence in conversations about modern luxury fragrances.
