Une Fleur de Cassie vs Portrait of a Lady
Side by side. Scored honestly.
← Compare different fragrances
No shared notes — these two land in very different territory.
Side by side
Comparing the originals — price, breadth, listed-note depth.
Cassie and mimosa open together in a dense, almost waxy floral push — honeyed and slightly dusty, with a powdery violet undercurrent that keeps things from turning sweet. Ylang-ylang brings a faint rubber-and-cream tension through the heart, while rose adds structure without softening the edge. The dry-down is where it earns its reputation: civet and iris lock in close to the skin, turning animalic and warm, the sillage quieting to something intimate and slightly feral. Projection is moderate; it doesn't announce itself across a room but it lingers. — Best worn in cold weather by someone who wants a serious, unapologetically adult floral with a little danger in it.
Opens with a burst of raspberry and blackcurrant that reads almost jammy before the turkish rose climbs in and takes over — full, dark, and slightly powdery rather than fresh-cut. The heart is where this earns its reputation: rose and patchouli lock together into something dense and resinous, more incense than floral. The dry-down softens into sandalwood and musk with strong sillage that lingers for hours without screaming. Projection is assertive but controlled, a fragrance that announces itself without apology — cold-weather evenings, formal occasions, anyone who wants to fill a room.
How they overlap
Une Fleur de Cassie and Portrait of a Lady share no notes in common — these two fragrances target very different olfactory territory, and the comparison is a question of which direction you want to go rather than which version of the same accord.
The buying decision
Une Fleur de Cassie is the cheaper original at $310 compared to $335 for Portrait of a Lady — about 7% less. Both wear best across the same fall/winter — they're interchangeable on weather fit.
Recommendation
These two land in genuinely different scent territory — there's no "better" answer, just which direction you want to go. Read the scent descriptions above and pick the one that sounds like you'd want to smell.