FilipMurray
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FilipMurray
Heaven Can Wait
A new fragrance by our mastermind JCE.
Heaven Can Wait 'til another day, but I could not wait to smell this!
I'd like to add that my favorite band, Iron Maiden, has a song named 'Heaven Can Wait,' so this fragrance is even more sentimental for me.
I am glad that I've managed to get my hands on it a bit earlier than expected... but I had to wait and wear it for a couple of days before I write this review...
Since I've already spent about 5 milliliters, I am now 'authorized' to write.
It's indeed a great addition to the Frederic Malle line as it's completely unique and new. Not just to the FM line, but I've never smelled something like this before.
It's a warm, spicy, woody, and fruity (maybe a bit chypre) scent. It is addictive as hell (or heaven?).
The opening is warm, spicy, and woody. You can instantly tell that it's an iris fragrance, but not as potent as Iris Poudre. It's very interesting to me to smell JCE's take on warm spices... usually, it's not something you'd expect from him.
You can get some hints of Play-Doh in the background, yes, I know... it's funny. But still, it reminds me of Play-Doh.
Musk and vanilla will give you some sandalwoody hints, even though it's not there... the base might be similar to Dans Tes Bras musky base if you have to point your finger at some FM release. It's the smell that you can sense on your tongue too... brilliant and addictive.
You can find some peach and plum in the background, but it's rather there to give you fruity/sweet vibes.
The drydown is woody, musky, slightly dusty with some vetiver to support it.
Projection is solid, aura is beautiful, and it will last for about 12-14 hours on my skin. It's not a beast mode fragrance, but it should not be! Not meant to be. Not designed to be. The beast belongs to Hell, not to Heaven - right?
I've already received a couple of compliments for HCW, and one of those was after 7 hours of wearing it, so it's definitely THERE and PRESENT.
My wife approved of this one too, which is great. Isn't it?
It is indeed a skin-like, warm, lovely, and heavenly smell. Well worth the hype, in my opinion!
It's more artistic than a crowd-pleaser type of scent. I'd put this in the same group as Une Fleur De Cassie, Dans Tes Bras, and Iris Poudre. Art! Art! Art!
Your private heaven!
This is most likely my favorite JCE's release. But time will tell...
Heaven Can Wait 'til another day, but I could not wait to smell this!
I'd like to add that my favorite band, Iron Maiden, has a song named 'Heaven Can Wait,' so this fragrance is even more sentimental for me.
I am glad that I've managed to get my hands on it a bit earlier than expected... but I had to wait and wear it for a couple of days before I write this review...
Since I've already spent about 5 milliliters, I am now 'authorized' to write.
It's indeed a great addition to the Frederic Malle line as it's completely unique and new. Not just to the FM line, but I've never smelled something like this before.
It's a warm, spicy, woody, and fruity (maybe a bit chypre) scent. It is addictive as hell (or heaven?).
The opening is warm, spicy, and woody. You can instantly tell that it's an iris fragrance, but not as potent as Iris Poudre. It's very interesting to me to smell JCE's take on warm spices... usually, it's not something you'd expect from him.
You can get some hints of Play-Doh in the background, yes, I know... it's funny. But still, it reminds me of Play-Doh.
Musk and vanilla will give you some sandalwoody hints, even though it's not there... the base might be similar to Dans Tes Bras musky base if you have to point your finger at some FM release. It's the smell that you can sense on your tongue too... brilliant and addictive.
You can find some peach and plum in the background, but it's rather there to give you fruity/sweet vibes.
The drydown is woody, musky, slightly dusty with some vetiver to support it.
Projection is solid, aura is beautiful, and it will last for about 12-14 hours on my skin. It's not a beast mode fragrance, but it should not be! Not meant to be. Not designed to be. The beast belongs to Hell, not to Heaven - right?
I've already received a couple of compliments for HCW, and one of those was after 7 hours of wearing it, so it's definitely THERE and PRESENT.
My wife approved of this one too, which is great. Isn't it?
It is indeed a skin-like, warm, lovely, and heavenly smell. Well worth the hype, in my opinion!
It's more artistic than a crowd-pleaser type of scent. I'd put this in the same group as Une Fleur De Cassie, Dans Tes Bras, and Iris Poudre. Art! Art! Art!
Your private heaven!
This is most likely my favorite JCE's release. But time will tell...
Love it!
Uncut Gem is amazing and it something which you would not expect from Mr. Roucel.
Deep, rich, woody, citrus with some good amber elements. Is it bigarade or is it grapefruit? It is definitely bitter and bold.
It is strong. It is refreshing, but deep and rich as well. There is a lot of incense which makes me happy as I am a huge incense fan.
It is definitely "something new" and I think that you'll like it as well.
Even though I think that FM is completely unisex, this one is a masculine scent and it is very loud and present in the air.
It is musky, but not MR or DTB musky. I really love this one.
Maurice Roucel - welcome back!
Deep, rich, woody, citrus with some good amber elements. Is it bigarade or is it grapefruit? It is definitely bitter and bold.
It is strong. It is refreshing, but deep and rich as well. There is a lot of incense which makes me happy as I am a huge incense fan.
It is definitely "something new" and I think that you'll like it as well.
Even though I think that FM is completely unisex, this one is a masculine scent and it is very loud and present in the air.
It is musky, but not MR or DTB musky. I really love this one.
Maurice Roucel - welcome back!
Noir Epices - Black Spices
Black Spices indeed.
Noir Epices is one of Frederic Malle's pioneers. It was published back in 2000 with the first line-up of the EDPFM collection.
It is interesting that along with Noir Epices from Michel Roudnitska, Le Parfum De Therese made by his father Edmond Roudnitska (made for his wife and Michel's mother - Therese) also came out in the same line-up.
Old school perfume made with the idea of being and remaining old school. I believe that this fragrance could be the "old lady smell" for newcomers of our dear hobby, as well as for the audience that did not try too many Frederic Malle fragrances or niche in general.
The opening is based on a very realistic sweet orange. Kind of more syrupy and bitter-sweet than a fresh orange as we can find in summer/citrus fragrances. In addition to a strong dose of orange, there is a good amount of black pepper, cinnamon and a lot of slightly animal cloves. There is also a gentle touch of geranium to soothe the blow of black spices.
Throughout its life, this perfume has a thick creamy, slightly bitter note of nutmeg, which in some moments actually gives the impression of a regular full-fat walnut.
After 30-60 minutes, we'll have a well rounded fragrance full of spices, orange, with calming geranium on a woody base of sandalwood and a modest dose of patchouli.
It's a very interesting experience, never linear and never boring to follow from start to finish and special enough so that people will always ask you what it is...
It's unisex, do not be afraid to wear it!
I have to mention that I managed to get an older/vintage bottle of Noir Epices (80% formula) from the time before FM was sold to Estee Lauder, so my version is not reformulated, and the spices are a bit stronger because IFRA approved them back then, especially cinnamon and cloves. I have also tried a new version several times, which is almost identical after 45-60 minutes. The main difference is in that stronger and more animalic opening. Don't worry about the production date of the bottle - every bottle is great and the performance is the same.
Same IFRA regulations back in 2015/2016 toned down Musc Ravageur (some would say destroyed, although that is not true) because of musk, cinnamon and cloves bans.
Longevity is great, as with most FM perfumes. 12h + on my skin, then a couple of more as a skin scent.
The projection is solid... it's around you all the time. I'm pretty happy with how it works under all conditions. Although you can link Noir Epices with a mulled wine, and therefore with the winter - it works great on hotter days because of orange and geranium. It's great for all seasons and for almost all occasions.
Noir Epices personally knocked me off my feet when it was over 30° Celsius while I was with my wife in Paris, and because of that, in my book - Noir Epices is for nice weather, good days and even better memories.
Noir Epices is one of Frederic Malle's pioneers. It was published back in 2000 with the first line-up of the EDPFM collection.
It is interesting that along with Noir Epices from Michel Roudnitska, Le Parfum De Therese made by his father Edmond Roudnitska (made for his wife and Michel's mother - Therese) also came out in the same line-up.
Old school perfume made with the idea of being and remaining old school. I believe that this fragrance could be the "old lady smell" for newcomers of our dear hobby, as well as for the audience that did not try too many Frederic Malle fragrances or niche in general.
The opening is based on a very realistic sweet orange. Kind of more syrupy and bitter-sweet than a fresh orange as we can find in summer/citrus fragrances. In addition to a strong dose of orange, there is a good amount of black pepper, cinnamon and a lot of slightly animal cloves. There is also a gentle touch of geranium to soothe the blow of black spices.
Throughout its life, this perfume has a thick creamy, slightly bitter note of nutmeg, which in some moments actually gives the impression of a regular full-fat walnut.
After 30-60 minutes, we'll have a well rounded fragrance full of spices, orange, with calming geranium on a woody base of sandalwood and a modest dose of patchouli.
It's a very interesting experience, never linear and never boring to follow from start to finish and special enough so that people will always ask you what it is...
It's unisex, do not be afraid to wear it!
I have to mention that I managed to get an older/vintage bottle of Noir Epices (80% formula) from the time before FM was sold to Estee Lauder, so my version is not reformulated, and the spices are a bit stronger because IFRA approved them back then, especially cinnamon and cloves. I have also tried a new version several times, which is almost identical after 45-60 minutes. The main difference is in that stronger and more animalic opening. Don't worry about the production date of the bottle - every bottle is great and the performance is the same.
Same IFRA regulations back in 2015/2016 toned down Musc Ravageur (some would say destroyed, although that is not true) because of musk, cinnamon and cloves bans.
Longevity is great, as with most FM perfumes. 12h + on my skin, then a couple of more as a skin scent.
The projection is solid... it's around you all the time. I'm pretty happy with how it works under all conditions. Although you can link Noir Epices with a mulled wine, and therefore with the winter - it works great on hotter days because of orange and geranium. It's great for all seasons and for almost all occasions.
Noir Epices personally knocked me off my feet when it was over 30° Celsius while I was with my wife in Paris, and because of that, in my book - Noir Epices is for nice weather, good days and even better memories.
A rose without a rose
You're not a fan of spicy and dark rose fragrances?
Even though Malle is famous for his spicy and oriental roses - there is a fresh and green rose offering from the house of Frederic Malle!
It is actually a rose without a rose. Geranium will make you think that you are smelling the best wet rose petals on a woody base.
Opening is peppery and green rose. Fresh and clean. More masculine than feminine.
It is a bit citrusy, but there are no citruses in it! It's citrusy because of the Sichuan pepper.
Just after a couple of minutes, your lungs will get an enormously high dose of blackcurrant. Green and calm.
Then, your nose will be able to detect a whole rose. Petals, stem and thorns. Vetiver and cedarwood will give you a vivid feeling that you're smelling a freshly picked rose from a garden.
I can pickup the idea of leather, but it is not that prominent. It's more like a chypre leather rather than a leather fragrance. Leather is here to give us some kind of a deep 3D feeling.
It is very long lasting and projection is great. It will do the job for the whole and it is a great performer even on a hot summer days.
Rose & Cuir is definitely JCE's strongest fragrance he did for FM.
Even though Malle is famous for his spicy and oriental roses - there is a fresh and green rose offering from the house of Frederic Malle!
It is actually a rose without a rose. Geranium will make you think that you are smelling the best wet rose petals on a woody base.
Opening is peppery and green rose. Fresh and clean. More masculine than feminine.
It is a bit citrusy, but there are no citruses in it! It's citrusy because of the Sichuan pepper.
Just after a couple of minutes, your lungs will get an enormously high dose of blackcurrant. Green and calm.
Then, your nose will be able to detect a whole rose. Petals, stem and thorns. Vetiver and cedarwood will give you a vivid feeling that you're smelling a freshly picked rose from a garden.
I can pickup the idea of leather, but it is not that prominent. It's more like a chypre leather rather than a leather fragrance. Leather is here to give us some kind of a deep 3D feeling.
It is very long lasting and projection is great. It will do the job for the whole and it is a great performer even on a hot summer days.
Rose & Cuir is definitely JCE's strongest fragrance he did for FM.
French Lover
Very interesting ''old school'' perfume.
Frederic Malle asked JC Ellena for a stronger and more intense version of Angelique Sous La Pluie. JCE worked on the formula for several months and he almost finished it - however at the time he signed the contract to be the exclusive nose for Hermes. So he was not allowed to give his formula to Frederic or to work with Frederic anymore.
Malle called JCE and asked him if he could advise him on who could do the job instead of him and JCE recommended Malle's longtime family friend - Pierre Bourdon. Malle asked JCE to share the initial idea and concept of the formula with Bourdon so that he could complete it and put his “final touch”. And here we are... we've got the French Lover.
It's not a secret that French Lover was kind of a collaboration and that the inspiration was ASLP. The story is verified from a Frederic Malle book I bought in Paris.
If you are in the USA, you will find French Lover under the name "Bois D'Orage".
Another interesting fact is that this is the last perfume that Pierre Bourdon created.
French Lover might be one of the safest picks from the house.
Woody, slightly spicy, wet and cold smell of the forest after the rain - when the aromas start to evaporate from the soil. It is quite green and vegetal. It’s not a classic woody perfume you'd expect to smell when you see the notes.
Very natural scent of cedar wood.
Quality should not be mentioned when it comes to Frederic Malle. It's always top notch.
Projection and longevity are probably one of the weakest from the house.
It projects for an hour or two, very moderate...
Longevity is solid, definitely over 10-12h. But just slightly stronger than a skin scent.
But if you want your perfume to "dominate" from you - then you might need to skip this perfume.
Frederic Malle asked JC Ellena for a stronger and more intense version of Angelique Sous La Pluie. JCE worked on the formula for several months and he almost finished it - however at the time he signed the contract to be the exclusive nose for Hermes. So he was not allowed to give his formula to Frederic or to work with Frederic anymore.
Malle called JCE and asked him if he could advise him on who could do the job instead of him and JCE recommended Malle's longtime family friend - Pierre Bourdon. Malle asked JCE to share the initial idea and concept of the formula with Bourdon so that he could complete it and put his “final touch”. And here we are... we've got the French Lover.
It's not a secret that French Lover was kind of a collaboration and that the inspiration was ASLP. The story is verified from a Frederic Malle book I bought in Paris.
If you are in the USA, you will find French Lover under the name "Bois D'Orage".
Another interesting fact is that this is the last perfume that Pierre Bourdon created.
French Lover might be one of the safest picks from the house.
Woody, slightly spicy, wet and cold smell of the forest after the rain - when the aromas start to evaporate from the soil. It is quite green and vegetal. It’s not a classic woody perfume you'd expect to smell when you see the notes.
Very natural scent of cedar wood.
Quality should not be mentioned when it comes to Frederic Malle. It's always top notch.
Projection and longevity are probably one of the weakest from the house.
It projects for an hour or two, very moderate...
Longevity is solid, definitely over 10-12h. But just slightly stronger than a skin scent.
But if you want your perfume to "dominate" from you - then you might need to skip this perfume.
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