The rose-jasmine-hyacinth-aldehydic note over a silky sweet vetiver base, so characteristic of Arpège (Lanvin) has been first reinterpreted in the perfume from Le Galion. Flambeau adjusts the balance using modern ingredients with less opulent richness and less floral absolutes. Rose oil dominates the top woven with a rich jasmine, a fresh but strong classic lily of the valley base, all over the distinctive drydown of all floral aldehydic perfumes (vetiver, sandalwood, orris, a light ambery note and a very light chypre effect). What was new inside this perfume was its relation to Miss Dior, a chypre green animalic perfume. Flambeau doesn't reproduce the Miss Dior effect, it simply evokes its youthfulness, an idea based on aldehydes-gardenia-galbanum (the accord is based on 4 ingredients), previously found in Ma Griffe. Enriched and in a very new context, the same idea would appear 10 years later in Y (YSL). Flambeau takes the inspiration from several great perfumes of the era and beautifully manages to express all of them without strongly emphasizing one obvious direction. Light balsamic notes, vanilla and musks provide the soft finish to the beautiful contrasts inside the fragrance, where rose and aldehydes dominate over the silkiness of the jasmine peach orris accord. The perfumer has reworked the balance of a classic floral aldehydic perfume (Arpège and Aimant) giving more accent to the lightness and freshness of the rose over a woody powdery base with orris and vetiver, adding also a light chypre facet, a theme that became essential since Crepe de Chine (Millot). This idea, a fundamental fingerprint of the French perfumes in that era (with an original strong interpretation in Baghari Robert Piguet), would be soon reinterpreted with a good dose of natural ingredients in a perfume from Nina Ricci. Flambeau (Fabergé) shows the evolution of the floral aldehydic theme, as generated by Arpège, between the 30's and the 60's and between the rich couture creations and the more affordable luxuries.
Not so much advertised and without a very catchy name, Flambeau is the most alluring perfume from the classic Fabergé line. Its delicate muskiness surrounded by a soft powdery veil is of an extreme classic refinement.
I wish to thank Barbara for the Fabergé samples she sent me and read also her review on YesterdaysPerfume.
I wish to thank Barbara for the Fabergé samples she sent me and read also her review on YesterdaysPerfume.
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Fragrance is the 8th Art - Octavian Coifan - Le Parfum est le 8ème Art
