Frapin: Caravelle épicée

First, a short introduction for my first perfume review. This is some scary business honestly. :) Especially after reading so many different and wonderful bloggers doing this perfectly and sounding poetic at the same time. I'm not even sure I can do this since I have no experience reviewing anything, the scope of my feelings and ideas is usually, I like it or I don't. So, I'll try this and hopefully won't fail miserably. In any case, this can be a good presentation of how someone calling themself a budding perfumista sees the perfume world. :)

Before I go on to the perfume in question, I have to share with you how this came about as the first review, the only reason not being I like it very much. :)

The other day I was putting some order into my closet and I found a bottle of cumin essential oil which I bought when doing my own massage oil variations. Honestly I don't think I smelled it before the other day, but when I did a new world opened. Now I know I've smelled it already in several perfumes and can put a name to the note. It made me really happy. And the thing is, it is one of the notes I smell in Caravelle épicée.

OK, so here I go. As you could already have guessed, I like it very much. I'm totally into spice lately and this one works perfectly for me. After spraying it, you get hit by a spice bomb (I mean it feels like you entered a cloud of spice, it is everywhere). Unfortunately for me, that doesn't last long, just a few short minutes before the cloud dissipates. What I get initially is something sweet I still haven't had success in completely figuring out but guess some of it is nutmeg and at this time you can smell cumin already. Barely hints of pepper if you try (and I really tried for my first time). Honestly, those first minutes are the ones I enjoy best beacuse it feels like a feast for my spice starved senses. I get a whiff of what a good cognac smells like to me, I guess it is a combination of nutmeg and something else but I'm still too new to know what combination might achieve that wonderful whiff.

After the initial spice blast, the scent calms down considerably and stays close to skin smelling still sweet but in a dry way, smoke finds it's way to the surface and if you really inhale, you can feel it's sting in your throat (that was definitely a surprise). The cumin can still be traced but maybe I feel it so strongly because I have learned the way it smells and I'm just obsessed with the fact that I can recognize it. :) Although, once you smell it, it's kind of unforgettable. ;)

The rest of drydown is smoky and sweet at the same time (in a nice woody way) and I believe the little trace of cumin that I'm obsessed with, makes it feel a bit warm to me (luckyscent described it as cashmere comfort and I would have to agree). I absolutely love it.

I think this might work good in the summer as well, but I'll let you know once summer arrives.

I was lucky enough after contacting Frapin to ask where in Croatia can this be bought, to get contacted by our wonderful new perfumery in Zagreb, Institut Parfumeur Flores, to let me know they have it. Now I have it. :)

They have many more wonderful things, that's why I'm trying not to visit too often.

Luckyscent lists the following notes: Coriander, nutmeg, hot pepper, pepper, thyme, Gaiac wood, patchouli, amber, tobacco, sandalwood - but after sensing the cumin so strongly, I looked around a bit more and found clove, cumin and cardamom listed as well. I also found that it is listed as a masculine perfume (my boyfriend is going to laugh at me again - this is I believe a third one in the last month and a half that I fell in love with and is listed as a masculine). Humph!

Ok, so this is it for the first time. Besides learning I have a thing for 'masculine' scents, I decided to buy more essential oils I never before smelled just for learning purposes (although they will eventually end up in a carrier oil).

Image: metropoliten.rs