The fragrance was born from the cologne that the Nose had created for himself, he was convinced by Malle to reproduce the more masculine version
Frédéric Malle Éditions de Parfums – since 2000
Frédéric Malle created Editions de Parfums in 2000, a line of quality perfumes. Since then, Malle has been working side by side with the most famous perfumers of our times, to help these ‘authors’ for the creation of perfumes. Its role is to help compose perfumes and encourage them to signature fragrances reinterpreting the classic structures of perfume in a modern key. It ranges from the role of co-author to the simple edition of independently composed finished perfumes. In both cases, Frédéric Malle collaborates with perfumers, leaving them full freedom of creative expression for perfumes, always trying to be faithful to the brand’s DNA: they have the best raw materials at their disposal and all the time necessary to create the luxurious perfumes available on the market today.
The Editions de Parfum Frédéric Malle publishing house has always been synonymous with elegance. While leaving total creative freedom to his collaborators, Malle has always been capable, as artistic director, of maintaining a certain general sensitivity, historically refined but with acute attention to innovation, reinvention and interpretation.
The raw sex appeal of men’s cologne – Uncut Gems, Cologne indelebile
Named after Uncut Gems, the Safdie Brothers’ 2019 cinematic hit starring Adam Sandler and Julia Fox, Frédéric Malle wanted to play with the obsolete codes of masculinity, drawing on their ancestral strength to create something beautiful and irresistible. As an artist, he has always liked to walk the razor’s edge. He always knew that, in hands sure, a dash of ostentation can have more power and glamor than anything more understated. Hence his research for what he describes as «an almost obvious, unmistakable fragrance». Uncut Gem is a straightforward approach to good taste:raw in its sex appeal without forgetting the subconsciousness of why we wear fragrances.
It evokes a versatile and fragrant wardrobe. Think Elton John—or Richard Gere, at the time of American Gigolo, or even the opening scene of Clueless— a different dress for every mood; with tie or without; buttoned up or casual; in serge or in velvet; professional or dandy.
A reinterpretation of Maurice Roucel’s personal cologne
Uncut Gem is a reinterpretation of master perfumer Maurice Roucel’s personal cologne. Malle has always been fascinated by this fragrance, a composition that Roucel had created exclusively for himself: «There was something strong but also irresistible, especially that overdose of ambrocenide. with lots of natural, fresh and musky notes».
Malle considers Roucel a force of nature: intelligent and full of humor and love for the people. «I’m not the only one who thinks he was wearing a good perfume, but I’m the only one with whom he would work to transform his perfume from a simple sketch to something grand and I am honored because it is autobiographical and personal».
After five years of persuasion, Roucel agreed to create, for the first time, a unique fragrance that would become Uncut Gem, capable of telling the story of today’s man between fresh and decisive, captivating and direct notes. The result needed to be «an almost-too-obvious, in-your-face cologne», akin to an actual uncut gem: rough around the edges and uncompromising in its make. The mix of contradictions that envelops the skin and enhances its natural personality.
The initiator of the magnolia perfume – Maurice Roucel
Maurice Roucel, entered the world of perfumery in 1973 and since then, he has been a self-taught perfumer, interested in the idea carried on by a fragrance. His olfactory writing wants to let the essentials of the formula speak for themselves as sensual, opulent, enveloping and generous notes. Roucel is one of Malle’s first collaborators, trusted friend and author of many of its most iconic perfumes, including Dans Tes Bras and Musc Ravageur, recognized today as the Sistine Chapel of the soft Amber tradition.
A masculine fragrance, but for everyone: Uncut Gem
Cheeky yet delicate, hard yet soft, rough yet refined, Uncut Gem is a paradox, a dialectic between extremes. Malle describes Roucel as a masculine guy and because it was born from his scent, he sees Uncut Gem as rugged and manly. But like all the Editions de Parfums collection, Uncut Gem is technically genderless, although Malle admits that it’s probably one of the most ‘masculine’ scents he has ever made: «We have never labeled perfumes as masculine or feminine, people are free to see themselves wearing them or not».
It goes against the general trend of increasingly feminized men’s fragrances. «We didn’t have a spicy-dry amber» Malle said. It is more vigorous, built on contrasts, frank and at the same time enigmatic. Uncut Gem includes, retained from the original, the juniper, angelica and mandarin while adding in a product of Symrise for which Maurice Roucel works. Ambrocenide has a powerful and lasting amber woody scent that amplifies the citrus top notes, gives volume to the floral ones and enhances the musks.
It offers classic notes of bergamot and mandarin, enhanced with Madagascar ginger and nutmeg, before deploying in the heart its scents of angelica roots, pink peppercorns and magnolia. In the heart of the composition the agreement of vetiver, incense and leather creates the right balance between sensuality and delicacy, loaded with amber and musky notes.
Maurice Roucel
Maurice Roucel is a Master Perfumer. During his work he has been recognized with numerous accolades and awards. He’s one of Malle’s friends and trusted collaborator and author of Uncut Gem.
Frédéric Malle
Frédéric Malle is the founder of the House Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle. Since 2000, he has been creating the highest quality perfumes in collaboration with the most talented artists. Uncut Gem, his latest creation, is born from the idea of Maurice Roucel’s personal cologne.
