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Malabar Crown Perfumery 1919

7.6 / 10 45 Ratings

A popular perfume by Crown Perfumery for women, released in 1919. The scent is floral-spicy. The production was apparently discontinued.
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Main accords

Floral

Spicy

Oriental

Woody

Powdery

Fragrance Notes

Blossoms

Oriental notes

Perfumer

William Thomson

Ratings

Scent

7.645 Ratings

Longevity

7.936 Ratings

Sillage

6.930 Ratings

Bottle

8.837 Ratings

Submitted by Chemist · last update on 05/01/2023.

Source-backed & verified

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

№1 (1989) Eau de Parfum

Reviews

12 in-depth fragrance descriptions

02/15/2014

8Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Tessa
83 Reviews

Tessa

Helpful Review 6

The Ugly Duckling

I have a penchant for the perfumes falling under the label " Nobody wants me". I buy them and most of the time I have amazing surprises, as the case of Malabar.
And now, to make a short story long, lateley, I started purchasing the still available perfumes from Crown Perfumery, both the masculine scents ( my husband deserves some, right?) and the feminine ones. I read about Crown Perfumery history, about its special recipies for perfumes and its sad ending.
With every and each perfume from this line I came to appreciate the good composition , the good quality of the materials used , the great longevity of the scent and-something I usualy do not take into account-the elegance of the flacon (bottles).
And now, to make a long story short, Malabar is a formidable oriental in the genre of Mitsouko , a little bit more powdery, with impressive jasmine and white flowers, without sugary addings, a scent well done and rounded, with good longevity and delicate sillage.
Nobody was ready to buy the last few bottles of Malabar. Now they have a loving home .

06/19/2014

jtd
484 Reviews

jtd

Helpful Review 1

woody floral

Crown Perfumery Malabar is a perfume originally composed in 1919. Crown Perfume is now defunct, having been bought and unceremoniously dropped by Clive Christian. Apparently, he just wanted the crown image/bottle. I find it a little tough to draw a bead on Malabar not for its old-fashioned tone, but because what I sniff today might have nothing to do with the original version. Also, I know virtually nothing about 20th century English perfumery.

I was expecting something explicitly floral. Rosy, sweet, comfortable. My thought was that this would be a perfume to suit a prim, well turned-out English girl of some one of the British upper classes. But then again, 1919. WW I. Spanish flu. Perhaps not the most optimistic of years. But as it turns out, Malabar ignored my expectation. It’s a woody-floral, more precicely a woody-floriental. It doesn’t have the heady, voluptuousness that I associate with French perfumery’s approach to florals in the 20th century. Malabar is more, ‘Hhhmmm… interesting’ than it is come-hither. Malabar has the virtue of drawing attention to the person, not the perfume.

And here is precisely where Malabar seems old-fashioned. It uses beauty to express aesthetics, not to entice. It doesn’t lead with sex. Being interesting or compelling are not attributes targeted either by the focus group or the perfume brief. Not enough exclamation points and capital letters. Hard to capture in a sound bite.

Qualitatively, Malabar strikes an almost dissonant set of top notes. It’s not dissimilar to two often maligned perfume: Estée by Estée Lauder and Jean Patou 1000. They’re called old-lady perfume, bug-spray. Classic Woody-florals have a sharpness that appeals to me. And the best woody florals are built for the long hall. The top notes are often sharp and astringent. The top notes aren’t so much dry as tacky, like drying paint. The Patou and the Lauder both have this quality. But in the heart-notes and dry down all three have a particular characteristic of aloofness. When talking about a person, aloofness implies a standing back, not participating. But it also suggests observation, consideration, reflection. The allure of the woody floral is that it takes you in close enough to the wearer to wonder and to be intrigued. These perfumes strike at a very specific range, close, but not too close and suggest a distinction often missed—the difference between allure and tease. Malabar, 1000 & Estée don’t play with you. They aren’t coy. They’re complex.

Volume, sillage, duration. Theses are a perfume’s tools. They are the settings, the control panel. A ‘pretty’ perfume doesn’t leave you wondering. A bouncing floral bouquet shows you happiness in all its shine, even if the strain of happiness shows through. Most fruity florals tell you at 30 paces exactly what they tell you when you’re standing next to them. It’s the smiley face of perfumery. The neo-aquatics of the Cool Water school also tell you the same thing at a distance that they do up-close. Masculine, normal. It is un-nuanced and quite deliberately so. The person who wears this wants no mistake to be made about his gender or his place in the pack.

As far as nuance, revelation and affiliation go, the masculine aquatic couldn’t be more different than the classic woody-floral. The woody-floral eschews notions such as the immutable first impression, or the hand-in-hand notion that expectability is a virtue and ambiguity is a sin. Ambiguity isn’t uncertainty and mystery isn’t simply something you don’t know.

02/08/2011

8.5Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Turandot
841 Reviews

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Turandot

Top Review 18

Nostalgia

When I smell Malabar, I once again feel sorry for all the beautiful things my grandmother, born in 1892, had to leave behind during her escape from Silesia. Aside from the suffering she endured from the loss of her homeland, there were many precious items that could tell stories from the past today. Unfortunately, there are only a few photos showing my grandmother as a young woman. She wore dresses made of lace or with piped seams, still in a corset, and the carefully pleated blouses had a high standing collar with a ruffle.

I can well imagine that she would have worn similar scents to Malabar. Although I suspect she probably couldn't afford it. Malabar radiates that nostalgic mood that grips us today when we discover lace, old precious fabrics, or similar items at a flea market. Things from a time when the word "design" didn't even exist.

I initially perceive Malabar as a subtle floral scent; the opening almost reminds me a bit of L'Air du Temps. I suspect white flowers, but I can't pinpoint rose, for example. However, as it develops, Malabar briefly becomes fine, soapy, almost herbaceous, but then the restrained oriental note comes to the fore, making the scent warmer and more powdery. I don't envision a scene from 1001 Nights; instead, I see a sunrise in the desert, an oasis with palm trees, perhaps olive trees, but no spice bazaar. Malabar remains reserved and almost a bit veiled.

If Malabar has indeed been discontinued, I would find that very unfortunate. This scent once again tells of the past perfume culture. Both the name and the beautiful bottle harmoniously complete the presentation of this perfume.

Updated on 10/20/2017

06/10/2011

7Scent 7.5Longevity 5Sillage

Florblanca
1166 Reviews

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Florblanca

Very helpful Review 14

At a very special request...

I dedicate this comment to Medusa00 and Turandot. Medusa00, because she has been asking me for an Oriental "finally," and Turandot, because she inspired me to purchase this fragrance with her comment.

Malabar is an Oriental, and indeed an Oriental to MY taste. No punch, but everything an Oriental must have.

Right at the beginning, I perceive very fresh, sweet-green notes. I assume it is Petit Grain and Bergamot, as there is also a certain bitterness present. This green-bitter impression lingers on the skin for quite some time, although the sillage already allows for a wonderful, soft, almond-like note to be perceived from 50 cm away.

Even though the fragrance was created so long ago, I find it has LOST NOTHING in terms of attractiveness. On the contrary, this subtle presence of flowers, which exude a floral scent like a lush garden, combined with the warm and sweet almond note that fits very well, is a dream for me.

Malabar has no heaviness at all and also lacks that sweet stickiness that I often experienced with Orientals. It is sweet, but this sweetness integrates very well into the overall impression. No patchouli and no musk, but something light and beautiful in the base fully embraces the almond note and is very, very long-lasting.

It's a pity that I have only just discovered this little masterpiece and a shame that it is said to be discontinued soon.

Otherwise, I would recommend Malabar to anyone who finds Shalimar too intense. Even the bottle with the crown cap is a feast for the eyes, but the fragrance itself is a full delight for the senses!

10/25/2017

8Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

Serenissima
1238 Reviews

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Serenissima

Top Review 10

Visit to a Fine Older Lady

She greets me at the door: what a picture of a lady!
She is no longer young; no, quite the opposite. But she is what one would call an "eyecatcher" today: a woman who attracts attention without being loud!
Kindly, she invites me into her realm and I have time to observe her more closely:
Her fine light gray hair is styled into a loose chignon, showcasing the beauty of her delicate face. Every wrinkle tells a story.
Eyes that shine with zest for life, a knowing mouth!
Oh, if only I had the time and opportunity to listen to her stories!
The high-necked cream-colored lace blouse elegantly embraces her; adorned at the collar with a beautiful classic cameo.
The calf-length godet skirt in light gray sways with each of her steps.

Like her, the room she leads me into is stylish, yet cozy and warm!
Soft music, delicate and lightly "dripping" (harp, along with flute sounds?), floats in the background.
Where have the angels hidden who perform this musical fairy tale to perfection?
Furniture that matches her and the room, lovingly maintained: the wood radiates satisfaction.
And flowers, content flowers, that thank her care with growing affection.
The fine china on the table laid with old lace, the noble silver cutlery, napkins that naturally belong: an arrangement that certainly deserves closer inspection.
Just thinking about it makes one forget the everyday life and also - unless one is a glutton! - the elegant porcelain tiered stand with the surely very delicious petit fours.
We take a seat, she pours tea with long-practiced movements and finally begins to tell with a silvery voice.

This enchanting person in the fitting ambiance is surely "Malabar".
Our dear Turandot has packed me a very special fragrance package - thank you so much, my dear!
And last night, the right moment for approaching "Malabar" finally arrived.

An exceedingly graceful scent that awakens longings with its magic.
Fine soapy and floral: that is my first impression.
These are certainly not artfully cultivated plants; no, I rather suspect the completely naturally left flower.
A quiet, delicate lilac violet, perhaps a lily of the valley... a sprig of jasmine?
Turandot thinks she doesn't smell a rose; I, on the other hand, perceive a hint of the soft scent of a yellow tea rose.
Who still remembers this little rose - back then in bright pink or soft yellow - that was tied with gypsophila into a bouquet, belonging to almost every invitation?
Or the "Biedermeier" bouquet: tightly and roundly bound, short-stemmed, mostly pastel flowers, surrounded by a lace paper sleeve and often still adorned with a pink silk ribbon in my time.
These images are painted for me by "Malabar"!
But not only that: I think I perceive a hint of beeswax (as found in well-cared-for furniture).
In the background, to give the floral delicacy some support, I suspect a little of the well-known "Malabar" pepper. Not much, just a pinch!
With this scent magic, nothing is proven, so our personal feelings can develop completely freely.

Thus, "Malabar" seduces me on a journey that aims for longing and tenderness, warmth and kindness.
Of course, it is a child of its time, an era that is long past.
If we are honest, none of us wants to have it back.
But the magic remains. A timeless magic!
I feel, very distantly, a "Shalimar" stripped of all might, still searching for itself.
And the hint of a fragrance being that would be completed more than forty years later, enchanting me: "Madame Rochas"!

Dear Turandot, once again, thank you very much!
This "Malabar" is a welcome addition to my fragrance world!
It immediately embraces me tightly and lovingly and surprisingly stays with me for a long time.
Sprayed very carefully last night, it greeted me again this morning: with a fine smile and a friendly wave!

Updated on 07/22/2021

More reviews

Statements

6 short views on the fragrance

Anarlan

6 years ago

8Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

7

2

Lily-of-the-valley-jasmine soap, quite powdery, turns into a bold, guaranteed sugar-free spicy oriental. Sepia instead of Insta, babes!

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Serenissima

8 years ago

8Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

7

2

A fragrant memory of a bygone era. Elegant like fine soap with a rich floral heart: leaving a quiet longing behind.

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Gold

6 years ago

7.5Scent 8Longevity 8Sillage

6

1

Lovely scent, very ladylike. I don’t find it particularly “oriental,” more aldehydic. Starts off like luxurious jasmine soap, with spice in the background.

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