By Dane
I've always been more impressed with the concept of Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle than the actual fragrances. There are some very good scents...some of which I've even purchased, but none have truly passed that mark into excellency. Une Fleur de Cassie changes that. Although I've smelled it a dozen times, I think it honestly took me that long to understand what it was I was smelling.
And what was it I was smelling you ask? Well, descriptions of the scent from various sources on the Internet describe it anywhere from wet cardboard to floral to spicy to pure animal. To me, it's all of those things, which really surpasses the complexities you find it the other scents in the range.
While most perfumes have the standard top, middle, and base notes, UFDC comes at you in every direction at any given point-in-time. I've never actually smelled mimosa or cassie in real life so I can't make any comparisons, but I imagine they must be magical creatures. The opening blast from UFDC is strangely erotic with hints of indolic flowers, a faint carnation-cinnamon spiciness, and raw musk. Apparently this is the stage that most have to hold their breath, awaiting the calmer, floral touches to come. For me, this is the best part. Eventually, things settle for a soft buttery sandalwood, reminiscent of the recent No. 5 Eau Premiere drydown.
All-in-all, a true masterpiece of perfumery that is at once weird, unique, and strangely wearable. This deserves centre stage in any collection.
Year: 2000
Perfumer: Dominique Ropion
Notes: Mimosa Absolute, Jasmine Absolute, Cassie Absolute, Rose Absolute, Carnation, Vanilla, Sandalwood
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I am pleased to see that you finally succumbed to this beauty. This scent puts me in mind of Caron's Farnesiana extract. On my first whiff I thought that it smelled exactly like the thorny hedge, of my last address. I knew I had to have it.
ReplyDeleteI fully expected to pass out from sheer delight when I smelled UFDC. I'm in awe of Ropion and just knew I'd love it. Well, after trying this bloody stuff at least a dozen times I simply can't do it. There's something suffocatingly carnal (*clears throat* like female genitalia) in Cassie that reminds me of VW Boudoir (another fragrance I cannot abide). I hear others lamenting over fragrances *not working* for them. THIS one - Une Fleur de Cassie - is the one I'm truly sad about. I wanted to love it but in fact I can't stand it!
ReplyDeleteOh well...
kathleen - I'm totally in lurve...not often I covet bottles this much!
ReplyDeleteabi - I can totally understand the "dirty" associations. Cassie is DEFINITELY a love/hate.
Beautiful on card, minging on skin. I'm still searching for a FM Limited Edition fragrance I can wear. I envy anyone who can wear it - they could stop looking for perfumes after this, grow old and stay in love.
ReplyDeleteI'm Openmouthed with this stuff....
ReplyDeleteYes, it takes time to be understood, and specially to appreciate its beauty: I'm wearing it for 2 months and it still stunnes me every time, some side-effects change (really!!) depending
1.on the part of the body you put it on,
2.if you put it on just after the shower or not (I swear it works nicely with the soft sweat that emerges to cool the skin surface),
3.the clothes,
4.your mood,
etc etc...
real multifaceted, chamaleonic scent!
This stuff is "The Living Skin" (;)
-greetings to the spirit of the E.L.O.-
One of the most a-m-a-z-i-n-g scent symphonies I ever smelled.
Like Dane, my favorite part is the "calmer, floral, (some anised-mimosa/violet!!) touches" of the middle notes, but the opening, ooh the opening! soooooo HOT, isn't it????
nice drydown as well: subtle misty veil that sometimes can make you think that the scent is gone, but don't be wrong: is still 'there', like a whisper.
what more can I say?... highly recommended!!