Best Geranium Pour Monsieur by Frederic Malle Alternatives & Similar Perfumes
Geranium Pour Monsieur by Frédéric Malle is a refined aromatic fougère combining fresh mint and geranium with anise seeds and basil for a crisp green opening. Its heart introduces spicy facets of cloves and cinnamon alongside floral lily of the valley, while a warm base of sandalwood, musk, incense, styrax, benzoin, and ambroxan adds depth and subtle smokiness. Those seeking fragrances in this vein should focus on fresh herbal and aromatic accords balanced with spicy and smoky nuances.
Brume Matcha by Marie Jeanne £60.00
- Key notes:
- basil
- cedarwood
- geranium
- mint
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- green
Perfume: Sidonie Lancesseur
A roasty-toasty nose of matcha tea is your entry point to this delightful essay on the joys of the gently-reviving hot beverage. The nutty bitterness is supported by a beautifully calibrated blur of basil, peppermint, geranium and cedar.
Play Green by Comme Des Garcons £95.00
- Key notes:
- basil
- juniper
- lentisque
- mint
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- citrusy
- green
How many greens can fit in a bottle? This edt amps nature with vibrant and herbaceous lentisk and basil, along with head-clearing spearmint and juniper. Lime and vetiver adds treble and bass. You can’t say “Play Green” without smiling.
Perfumer Antoine Maisondieu
Lovebird Special Edition by Zoologist £200.00
- Key notes:
- blackcurrant
- geranium
- kiwi
- mint
- oakmoss
- passion fruit
- Aromagroups:
- fruity
In the branches of a sprawling thorn tree, a boisterous flock of lovebirds gathers, undeterred by the African savanna’s scorching heat. Cheerful chatter fills the air as they flit and weave, playfully hopping from one partner to another. Amid the lively commotion, one pair slips away to a quiet perch. Snuggling head to head, they preen one another, their affectionate chirps muffled against velvety soft feathers. The setting sun captures the intimate encounter, washing the glorious hues of the lovebirds’ intertwined plumage with a golden glow.
Zoologist Lovebird bottles the thrill of budding romance in a single spritz. It opens with a playful burst of kiwi, orange, and passionfruit, as sweet and fleeting as a first kiss. A captivating blend of ylang-ylang, lavender, lily of the valley, and heliotrope weaves an intimate connection, drawing you deeper. Finally, ambrette, musk and amber ignite a sensual embrace, leaving a warm, lingering glow of enduring love.
You or Someone Like You by Etat Libre d'Orange £155.00
- Key notes:
- eucalyptus
- mint
- shiso
- spearmint
- violet leaf
- Aromagroups:
- transparent
- woody
Does Los Angeles have a scent? It’s impossible to say. So Etat Libre d’Orange collaborated with someone who knows all there is to know about perfumes as well as LA: a perfume critic-connoisseur-writer Chandler Burr and a perfumer Caroline Sabas.
You or Someone Like You is a fragrance that an LA woman might wear and it bears the title of Chandler’s recent novel, set in Los Angeles.
The perfume is freshness itself created from molecules one finds in mint, shiso, violets and citruses but not from essenses corresponding to any particular plant.
Call it naturally synthetic or synthetically natural but perumer created something nature hasn't, and it's fun.
***
Scent and Chemistry on You or Somebody Like You:
"The intelligent translation of a story's protagonist, especially one torn apart in cultural and personal identity, into a scent and the unusual shiso–green banana, herbal-vegetal harmonies make 'You Or Someone Like You' to us the most interesting and beautiful perfume of 2017 so far. More than that even an artistic masterpiece. Huge cudos to Caroline and Chandler."
***
Persolaise on You on Someone Like You (a 60 seconds review).
Dragonfly (2021) by Zoologist £200.00
- Key notes:
- basil
- cashmeran
- geranium
- mimosa
- rice
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- green
Giant lotus pads part to make way for buds that pierce the surface of the jade green pond. They raise their faces to the sun, their delicate fragrance floating around them. In the shadow of the flowers, tiny dragonfly nymphs also emerge from the shallows. They spread their fragile wings and shyly take flight, ready to explore a world beyond the water. Shimmering pools of nearby golden rice fields call to the dragonflies. Their long, quivering bodies flit across the cascading terraces to alight upon swaying stalks, sparkling with sunlight caught in droplets on iridescent wings.
Like a lotus spreading its petals, Zoologist Dragonfly opens with a rush of beautiful aquatic florals. Hints of rice, powdery iris, and mimosa diffuse from within a lush shroud of green, beneath the intimate aroma of an imminent summer shower. Dragonfly encapsulates the richness and romance of impressionism, a canvas of florals under a watery veil.
This perfume is a new interpretation by perfumer Celine Barel. The original version, designed by Juan Perez, is discontinued and no longer available.
Rose by Headspace £175.00
- Key notes:
- basil
- frankincense
- geranium
- gun powder
- rose
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- floral
- unconventional
- woody
Perfumer: Dominique Ropion
Master perfumer Dominique Ropion has an affinity for legible complexity, with creations that are deep without losing clarity. Here he offers a deceptively simple rose that plays with contrasts: dry into wet, crisp into voluptuous. In a bit of misdirection, a lean basil and mint twins with rose for an opening that suggests the rest of the journey will be straightforward. That’s until the gunpowder shows up, unfurling its metallic, cold and smoky facets. Geranium shores up the minty rose, while incense, vetiver and benzoin flicker between wood and amber. A dance of beauty and violence.
Koala by Zoologist £200.00
- Key notes:
- black tea
- eucalyptus
- geranium
- oakmoss
- vetiver
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- green
- woody
Perfumer: Spyros Drosopoulos
A perfume transporting you to a majestic eucalypts and mimosa forest full of sunshine. A fun fact: eucalypts can align their leaves in such a way so that there no shade, mimosas just fold their leaf tassels into neat noodles. This protects them from sunburns. Amidst that imaginary animated forest there is the sweet fuzzy musk theme to introduce koalas into the formula.
The perfume is soft, radiant and with interesting interplay between cooling notes of mint and eucalyptus and sweet musk, spicy incense and ambery sandalwood.
Fragrance content: 20%
No animalic products in the formula.
195 A.C. by Agatho £305.00
- Key notes:
- cardamom
- cedarwood
- fig
- incense
- mint
- pomegranate
- Aromagroups:
- fruity
- green
- woody
Rest in the blissful shade of an orchard in the humming city of Pompeii: the year is 195 BC. Inhale the sweet aroma of ripe figs and the local pomegranate leaves heated by the sun; these entine spicy incense being smoked in the nearby temple. So anciently refreshing!
Marrakech Cologne by Mabra £60.00
- Key notes:
- incense
- mint
- orange
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- citrusy
- woody
Inspired by the vibrant soul of Marrakech, this opens with the brightness of orange and the refreshing coolness of mint tea. A veil of black incense lends a smoky, mystical dimension that echoes the city’s ancient Medina.
Blue Flame by Insenf £125.00
- Key notes:
- anise seeds
- benzoin
- coriander
- mugwort
- sambuca
- vetiver
- Aromagroups:
- leather
- spicy
Cool herbs, the sweetness of anise, the warmth of a boozy flame at the bottom of a glass. Blue Flame begins in that glass. It opens bright and bitter, like lemon peel twisted between the fingers. Mint leaves and dry coriander seed steadies it. Then comes sambuca, the anise liqueur that lingers with chilly sweetness, shadowed by bitter/herbal Mugwort. Vetiver and cedarwood trace the outline of dry wood, and benzoin resin adds a low hum. Finally, white musk emerges, turning this cool customer into a warm, languid skin scent, its sweet herbs still held within.
About Geranium Pour Monsieur by Frederic Malle
- What makes Geranium Pour Monsieur distinct from these similar fragrances?
- Geranium Pour Monsieur combines fresh aromatic herbs with a nuanced spice and floral heart, resting on a warm, smoky, and musky base. Many similar fragrances share some green or spicy elements but differ in their balance, additional notes, or intensity of smoky and resinous accords.
- Are any of these fragrances suitable for someone sensitive to strong spices?
- Yes, fragrances such as Brume Matcha, Play Green, and Dragonfly (2021) have a fresher, cleaner character with lighter or fewer spicy notes, making them potentially more comfortable for those sensitive to strong spices.
- Which of these fragrances emphasise the smoky notes found in Geranium Pour Monsieur?
- Lynch aka Smoked Styrax and 195 A.C. highlight smoky and resinous notes like styrax, benzoin, and incense, offering a richer and more pronounced smoky character compared to the balanced smokiness of Geranium Pour Monsieur.









