New Fragrance Review: Frederic Malle Superstitious by Alber Elbaz (Dominique Ropion) 2016 + Perfume Rituals Draw

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 Gina Litherland Good Luck Painting

In March of this year, Editor-in-Chief Michelyn Camen prefaced CaFleureBon Project Talisman by revealing the superstitious nature of her household as a child.  This we share in common: to this day, I affix red ribbons to cribs, mail them to my friends who've just delivered (so that they in turn can attach them to diapers, undergarments, tiny chubby wrists, cribs, carriages). I wear talismans of all sorts dependent upon my needs of the day: Ma Durga astride her tiger, Quan Yin, the Merkaba, the Hamsa with a chai inserted (part of my given Hebrew name), Ganesha, Lord Hanuman, a giant rose gold Om, the little lotus feet of Lord Vishnu, ad nauseam. 

Photo: Lance Henson

Then there's the old anti-curse: “Keyn ayin hara!” (“no evil eye!”). The spitting three times to ward off Il Malocchio, Le Mal Oeil. Enough said.

Photo of Frederic Malle and Alber Elbaz via Vogue UK©

 "Superstitious is finally with us just months after it was first announced at Israeli designer  Alber Elbaz's Légion D'Honneur ceremony in Paris in 2016. Here, Mssrs. Frederic Malle and Elbaz discuss the journey that brought this modern take on a floral aldehydic into being.”~ British Vogue  

Superstitious bottle drawing by Alber Elbaz via instagram

Aha. According to both Malle and Elbaz, they “have their rituals” – much as the rest of us do. Messieurs Malle, Elbaz and Ropion share common loves, it seems: women and making them feel even more beautiful.

Edmond Roudnitska photo for CaFleureBon courtesy of Michel Roudnitska

Frederic Malle's pedigree hearkens back the House of Dior, where his grandfather Serge Heftler-Louiche, founder of Christian Dior perfumes – first collaborated with Edmond Roudnitska, with whom he created perfume legends: Diorissimo, Diorella, Eau Sauvage and Eau Fraîche. M. Malle's mother later worked as an Art Director for the House of Dior. Posthumously, Michel Roudnitska and his mother Therese gave M. Malle the rights  to market under Frederic Malle's brand Edmond Roudnistka's Le Parfum de Therese.

Alber Elbaz Sketches and swatches via  instagram

M. Elbaz commenced by creating for Guy Laroche and Yves Saint-Laurent, then moved on to the House of Lanvin (and departed there in 2015).

Frederic Malle and Dominque Ropion via Sarah Colton

Prior to Mssrs. Malle and Elbaz's first encounter, M. Malle had been industriously collaborating with renowned master perfumer Dominique Ropion (who created the following perfumes for  Editions Frederic Malle: Carnal Flower, Une Fleur de Cassie, Vetiver Extraordinaire, Portrait of a Lady, Cologne Indélébile, Geranium Pour Monsieur, The Night). They were developing an aldehydic floral.

Models present creations by designer Alber Elbaz during a fashion show in Paris. Photo Francois Guillot/AFP/Getty Images

M. Elbaz savored what he smelled. It was elegant, refined, and exquisite: what he craved was a perfume which smelled like a couture gown. This module portended a satisfying and successful outcome. In my mind there is little doubt: Superstitious smells like a classic right out of the bottle, a pedigreed filly draped in sumptuous olfactory cloth shot through with precious metal.

Grace Kelly in Rear Window

DAZZLING. Superstitious is diamantine, faceted in the manner of a high quality grade round brilliant or princess cut stone. Its clarion blast showcases some of the most potent aldehydes I've smelt in all my born days. More than Chanel No. 22, and that is saying something, aldehydic sillage monster that it is. Chanel No. 22 is sweeter than Superstitious; the latter possesses a completely different floral nature, one which shows restraint when contrasted with Chanel's downy powdery/woody, incense-suggestive white flower exaltation. Superstition resembles a Snow Queen perfume, quickened by the shards of broken troll-mirror which lodged in Kai's eye in Andersen's fairy tale. These are the aldehydes: cold, glittering, sublimely fascinating as Grace Kelly in Rear Window.

Painting of Roses and Peach via googlesearch

We smell a deft touch of peach, but it is the indolic Egyptian jasmine – for me – which basks in the limelight. Turkish rose oil is a delight (when is it not?), but she is an aromatic companion, a tender bedfellow. Amber, as portrayed here – is not a sweet one. It is flanked by a somewhat austere no-nonsense frankincense buffeted by balsamic Haitian vetiver. Despite the absence of patchouli, citrus, or oakmoss (all classical chypre components), the aldehyde/jasmine/rose/amber/vetiver amalgam intimates an aldehydic floral chypre. It is somewhat dark-hued beneath its shimmer: dry, distant, impossibly beautiful. This may be what bestows a modernity, a timeless grace upon it and the one who dons it. Superstitious is not necessarily about curves: it feels as if it is structured around the relationship between angles, curves, and the spaces which breathe in between them. There is no room for sentimentality here; we have been given a perfume which charms with its wit, verve and glamour, always a bit beyond our reach. An intelligent, vivacious perfume which takes no prisoners but keeps its distance.

I would love to smell this on a man's skin; I imagine it would be very seductive indeed.

What are your favourite smells in the world? Asked Vogue UK

Alber Elbez sketch of a dress via instagram

FM: "I live in smells. Life keeps on being mesmerising and a permanent source of inspiration: flowers, forests, wood burning in the night, kerosene at JFK, the glue that we used as children to paste paper at school, the scent of a good dinner, the purity of mountain air – these and 1,000 more never cease to amaze me."

AE: "The scent of a dress."

Notes: aldehydes, Turkish rose oil, Egyptian jasmine, peach, amber, frankincense, Haitian vetiver

Disclaimer: sample purchased on my own.

~ Ida Meister, Senior Editor

Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

Thanks to the generosity of  Diane of the The Perfumed Court  we have a  2ml  glass sprayer of Superstitious ($24.00 value) for 1 registered reader anywhere in the world (don't know how to register? click here). Please sign up for their monthly Newsletter here also to enter. To be eligible, please leave a comment regarding what appeals to you about Superstitious based upon Ida's review,  where you live, if you like BIG floral aldehydic perfumes or what are your own Perfume rituals. Draw closes 6/12/2017.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon  and use our RSS FEED...or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

 

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13 comments

  • Wonderful review! I had a decant and loved her apt description. Diamantine indeed! I live in the u.s. and my perfume ritual is to always wear vol de nuit when getting on a plane.

  • ntabassum92 says:

    I love aldehydic perfumes. This perfume interests me, in that it is missing classic chypre ingredients but still smells like an old world perfume. I am in the US. I do love big floral aldehydic perfumes – White Diamonds and Chanel No. 5 EDT are two of my absolute favorites.

  • Superstitious smells like a classic right out of the bottle, a pedigreed filly draped in sumptuous olfactory cloth shot through with precious metal.
    Beautiful review and I loved learning that Frederic malle was at Dior and met Edmond Roudnitska. I love domique ropion’s Carnal flower
    It sounds almost vintage
    I subscribe to the Perfumed Court and had been eyeing this one

  • Wonderful review! Thank you Ida. I especialy like comparison with diamantine.
    I can not definitely say I like aldehydes- in some perfumes I like, in some-not. My test has been changed during the time- before I did not like Chanel 5, now i like it very much.
    And my perfume ritual is to wear every morning perfume.
    From Armenia

  • VerbenaLuvvr says:

    I love big fruity florals, and peach and Turkish rose are favorite notes. My perfume ritual is to first check the days projected temperature, then consider the events of that day, the season, and the color of my outfit in making my perfume selection for each and every day. I live in the US.

  • NiceVULady says:

    Splendid review as always. Ooooh peach and rose. I do love big floral perfumes, but I have no perfume rituals or superstitions that involve perfume. Thanks for the draw. I live in the USA.

  • doveskylark says:

    I love the idea of developing a perfume to evoke a draping gown–that is a vision of elegance. The peach and Turkish rose notes are so fitting. One of my perfume rituals is to watch old movies while wearing vintage treasures.
    I live in the USA.

  • BostonScentGuy says:

    I smelled this briefly in Barney’s and adored it. This review cements why–those super powered aldehydes mixed with indolic jasmine. I loved how it conjured both soap and naughtiness at the same time. “dark hued beneath its shimmer” perfectly captures my brief experience of it. I love aldehydes and the strange abstraction they lend perfume. No 5 and 22 are favorites (5 for the grassy woody/sweet/grassy drydown after the flower fireworks and 22 for delicate powder). Vintage Arpege has a similar lift to me, but feels more grounded in real and natural ingredients: recognizable wood and white flowers that seem 3D. This one felt somewhere in between the world of Lanvin and Chanel. Thanks for the draw! I’m in the US.

  • MichelleU says:

    Favorite part of the review: “Superstition resembles a Snow Queen perfume, quickened by the shards of broken troll-mirror which lodged in Kai’s eye in Andersen’s fairy tale. These are the aldehydes: cold, glittering, sublimely fascinating as Grace Kelly in Rear Window.”

    I love aldehydes, floral aldehydes, green aldehydes, you name it. Superstition sounds like a masterpiece!

    I am subscribed to The Perfume Court newsletter.

    I am a reader from the EU. Wish you all the best!

  • Hikmat Sher Afridi says:

    Amazing review! One of my friend residing at a distance of 3 furlong from me have full bottle of Frederic Malle Superstitious & he spritzed two spray on me to try, when I visited him last week, instantly fallen in love. If POAL is the father then Superstitious is the mother. Impressive fragrance and is on my want list.
    Thanks for the review & generosity. NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE DRAW.

  • REGISTERED Cafleurebon reader
    SIGNED UP for TPC newsletter & coupons (thanks so much!)

    I love how Ida reviews anything-that wonderful blend of science fact and dreamy fantasy, sprinkled with other fine arts here & there. 😉 This particular review was fascinating to me in how she compared the “sharpness” of the perfume to the shards of broken troll mirror (from the original fairy tale) and how it was “sublimely fascinating” as G. Kelly in “Rear Window”. Enjoyed her litany of talismans and sharing of superstitions as well…

    Very grateful US reader here.

    Big aldehydic florals? Are there any other kind?? *giggles* I adore aldehydes and think an overdose of them (what I have previously referred to as “aldehydeous”) is the best way to experience them! From ANDREA MAACK’s Craft to CHANEL No5 vintage I dig them all!!

    I have limited exposure to EdPFM fragrance;s but of the ones I HAVE been fortunate enough to own (*) or experience (Portrait of a Lady, Angeliques Sous La Pluie, Carnal Flower*, L’Eau d’Hiver*, Musc Ravageur, Noir Epices & Vetiver Extraordinaire) I love Angeliques the most!! Rain AND Angelica???! YOU BETCHA

    Perfume is, in itself, a daily ritual for me-the donning of it (always spritz or dab the same way, same places) not to mention incense burnt when at prayer and smudging before meditation (per fumus and all that…)

    Thanks to Cafleurebon for the great content (as always) and to Diane @ TPC for the generous WORLDWIDE prize offer…and especially to Ida for he unique style and I am just overjoyed that she is “back home” once more.

    Smell swell, be well & brightest blessings to one & all.

  • I’m a big fan of aldehydes in fragrances! This one sounds superb. I’m in Canada and thanks for the draw!

  • Based on Ida’s review, Superstitious appeals to me as “an intelligent, vivacious perfume which takes no prisoners but keeps its distance.” I live in the US and I do like BIG floral aldehydic perfumes. I don’t have any perfume rituals but enjoyed reading the others’.