Promise by Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle
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7.9 / 10 309 Ratings
Promise is a popular perfume by Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle for women and men and was released in 2017. The scent is spicy-woody. Projection and longevity are above-average. It is being marketed by Estēe Lauder Companies.
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Main accords

Spicy
Woody
Fruity
Floral
Oriental

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
AppleApple Pink pepperPink pepper RosemaryRosemary
Heart Notes Heart Notes
Bulgarian roseBulgarian rose Turkish rose absoluteTurkish rose absolute CloveClove
Base Notes Base Notes
CypriolCypriol LabdanumLabdanum PatchouliPatchouli CastoreumCastoreum AmbroxanAmbroxan

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
7.9309 Ratings
Longevity
9.2292 Ratings
Sillage
8.8290 Ratings
Bottle
8.2285 Ratings
Value for money
6.8162 Ratings
Submitted by Franfan20, last update on 23.05.2023.
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Reviews

13 in-depth fragrance descriptions
9
Longevity
8.5
Scent
JacSi9
Translated Show original Show translation
JacSi9
JacSi9
Top Review 21  
Of uncanny scent memories and the shade of the apple trees
There's a mystical, spooky thread running through my perfume days. It comes out of nowhere. There he is apparently waiting for me, while the earth is turning before him and the days go by. When he opens the door to my consciousness, he rings with the self-evidence of a DHL messenger. Then suddenly a scent appears on the cognitive screen that I haven't smelled for months. So I order a sample for a new test, and not infrequently that composition makes it into my collection as a bottle or larger filling. I smelled Promise briefly in a department store last winter. That's it. And now it stands as 10ml travel spray next to my other fragrances. The mystery thread has struck again with full force. No defense.

Promise starts with an apple. Not a sentence that would win any literary awards, but at least it's true. Not a fresh, crunchy apple. Not green and crunchy, not part of Edeka commercials. It had already been lying near the trunk of the apple tree for some time, deep red and in its ripeness well on its way to the apple beyond. But it can still be eaten. Why people experiment with wood varnish near an apple tree, I do not know. But that is the situation - I am only the rapporteur here. This somewhat pungent metallic smell lingers in the background and recedes in intensity as the scent progresses. Just like the apple I mentioned.

The sun has long since retired. There is nothing cheerful, nothing sweet and certainly nothing Tutti Frutti. There are already indications of what will be important later: A dark, heavy carpet of earthy woodiness makes its way through the opening. Wafts of smoke drift through the air on the horizon. Something alcoholic resonates. There could also be a wooden barrel hidden in the immediate vicinity, in which an apple brandy was stored for a long time. Perhaps too long.

The start is in my opinion the most challenging part of Malle's promise. Maybe one reason for the rather restrained reviews here on Parfumo. Objectively speaking, I would have rated them higher - as objectively as one can look at something like that. The complexity of the scent is comparatively limited. Which does not detract from the complexity of the fragrance. In my opinion, the latently fermenting fruitiness of the apple in particular withdraws and makes room for an oud-like impression. The earthiness of patchouli coupled with the dark woody scent of cypriol and the slightly animalistic edge of beaver's horehound are responsible for this. Labdanum lends rather restrained warmth. I think this is a very smart solution. In comparison with Frédéric Malles The Night, 100ml will cost "only" 275 Euros instead of the 1,100 Euros. And the best: I like it much better.

After the aforementioned main development, the dark, smoky, somewhat bitter oud impression remains with a good deal of stamina. I do not perceive the rose components separately. With this fragrance one can expect a good deal of depth. The "fruitiness" resonates as an echo. A certain smokiness remains, but fits in willingly. I perceive the fragrance as very broad, with high volume, almost a little juicy.

The dose makes the poison here. Low doses, perhaps under textile, Promise is well wearable for those who do not feel disguised with it. Primarily in the evening and at night. Cold temperatures are not only welcome here, but part of the job description. My Travel Spray will last a long time thanks to the power and special nature of the fragrance. The application possibilities are limited, but there must also be scents for special moments. Although I am not a great expert when it comes to Arabic scents. But here I have the impression that marketing really goes hand in hand with the product. The fragrance shows edge, leaves the terrain of the western habit and stops.

I like Promise best after the 30-minute mark and I can only recommend to give the fragrance time. Just as the haunting thread gave me time to prepare myself subconsciously. For pome fruit lying in the shade of the apple trees, saying goodbye to our reality. For wood varnish experiments. And to one of the most interesting oud impressions I've seen in a long time.
5 Replies
6
Pricing
6
Bottle
9
Sillage
9
Longevity
8
Scent
Basti87
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Basti87
Basti87
Helpful Review 12  
There's something about
For once, a comment on a fragrance I neither own nor will eventually acquire. Happens rarely. I deal quite rarely with fragrances that do not really fit into my Beuteschema or that I do not consider. This one, however, I find quite exciting artistically, as it's kind of completely out of the ordinary and already kind of special. Have I accidentally discovered only because I got a sample of this fragrance with a purchase.
The brand seems to have quite high quality, if you believe the reviews. Next to this Promise, I tested the Musc Ravageur, which is really hyped (including by the good Jeremy). Both are very high quality in my opinion what I also expect from this price category.

As that is just with samples that you do not choose: The Gafhr is always great that you get a style that does not suit you. Happened here. But I find times quite good to test something that so times does not fit into the Beuteschema. Here star perfumer Ropion has created a very unusual creation. But I must say: I find somehow cool. Nothing for me to wear, but artistically I find the great.
In the main role is Rose. In the pyramid is soagr two again: Bulgarian and Turkish. This rose note is very present from the beginning and really authentic. Nice earthy notes make this rose seem freshly dug up instead of just smelling the blossom. On top of that, there is a stark ethereal spiciness. This ethereal spice is really powerful and needs to be dealt with. For some, this vibe could already give you a headache. On top of that comes a completely unsweet apple, almost caramelized. Cypriol and very earthy patchouli are also very present. Overall, very gloomy and thus rather almost exclusively a fragrance in the dark.
The performance is really strong, which would often be a disadvantage with this DNA. Who likes to tick off and stand out can get here but big eyes. Notice you will definitely with this fragrance, this is but an anti-crowdpleaser. Character is definitely present. It has a dark and mysterious appearance. Sillage is room-filling and durability is clearly 10hours+.

I wouldn't know what to do with 100ml. Not even 30ml. Artistically, I still find him very interesting and he gives the wearer quite something
1 Reply
7
Bottle
9
Sillage
9
Longevity
6.5
Scent
Insa
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Insa
Insa
Helpful Review 7  
The tree's cut down.
Since I am currently trying to test my nose a little bit, I have been trying to sniff the ingredients of various perfumes for some time now.
So:
Without looking at the fragrance pyramid, I ordered a bottling and then smelled it on my arm
My first impression:
Whew! It's really loud
A woody-resinous scent can be perceived.
Paired with something green and floral in the background. I don't realize that it is supposed to be Cypriol, Rosemary and Rose, but my nose is also not yet so well trained in such complex scent compositions.

I'm going to smell my arm again Somehow it also has something slightly fruity, which gives the fragrance a certain sweetness.
But only very tentatively and therefore also difficult to identify.
It's probably the apple flavour. But I wouldn't have recognized it.

The 3 main characters are in this fragrance:
Resin, wood and patchouli.
You can smell it clearly.
I would've guessed Amber by now by smelling her Actually, there's Ambroxan in it.

So now to the conclusion.
I see this scent more in men and not overdosed.
It reminds me a little bit of a big, beautiful tree, which was cut down and cut open.
Now the resin is running out of him.
The wound is stuffed with patchouli and now the whole forest smells of it.

I think there will be many a hiker who is fascinated by this smell, but at the same time it can also polarize.
However you feel about this fallen tree. It will lie there like that for a long time to come.
(This pictorial representation is representative of the durability)
0 Replies
7
Bottle
6
Sillage
9
Longevity
6.5
Scent
StellaDiverF

213 Reviews
StellaDiverF
StellaDiverF
Helpful Review 4  
Virile Rose Oud
The opening of Promise hits me with a virile, but still quite convincing "oud" accord, the kind of nutty, leathery smoky smell of cypriol that is often used to reconstruct oud. The rose reaches out from the shadow very soon, along with a sour, almost fermented fruity note. The later sour note combined with the leathery cypriol, smells very much like ripened goat cheese to me.

The ripened cheese impression gradually dies down during the first hour, but the oud accord is still the driving force and maintains its leathery, animalic aspects. The rose thankfully does not automatically take on the sugary prune-like purple fruitchouli with the appearance of patchouli in the base. Instead, it keeps the soft honeyed floralcy of a true rose material. The initial fermented, sour note is also replaced by a bright, crunching green note that pops up around the 2-hour mark, albeit very subtle.

Up til now, I enjoy the plush rose note in Promise, the ripened cheese-like oud accord is also as challenging as it's original. However, it also has a fairly noticeable dose of a certain harsh, dry note, either from popular woody amber aromachemicals, or an unpleasant facet of cypriol? Either way, it's a note that I find heavily employed in many niche masculine or oud offerings to evoke the kind of virile, rugged image, which is an aesthetic that I personally do not appreciate.

Once Promise hits the dry down after about 5 hours, the fragrance becomes a skin scent dominated by these woody amber aromachemicals and an abstract clean patchouli-soft rose touch. The sillage is initially moderate, and retreats to be skin scent in the dry down. The longevity is almost 12 hours.

While I enjoy a few aspects of Promise, the unsubtle woody amber aromachemicals is a dealbreaker to me, even though it's not as forceful as many similar fragrances. If you happen to be looking for a virile rose-"oud" and don't have issues with woody amber aromachemicals, Promise might be an interesting fragrance to sample. But do not be fooled by the apple in the note list, as it's very different from a conventional pretty fruity rose.
0 Replies
10
Pricing
10
Bottle
10
Sillage
10
Longevity
10
Scent
FilipMurray

16 Reviews
FilipMurray
FilipMurray
8  
Promise!
The Night, Dawn, The Moon and Promise.
I think the appropriate name for Promise would be Darkness.

The opening is like a freshly painted laboratory with some crazy alchemist drinking an apple brandy.
After just few minutes, that vibe disappears and then you can smell apples, roses and Nagarmotha.

Drydown is full of labdanum. It literally suffocates how strong it is. I'm an oversprayer, but I can't do more than 2-3 sprays without consequences - nausea and headache.

This scent is the definition of a dark scent. I can imagine Sauron, Voldemort, Darth Vader and other villains smelling like this perfume.

Great oriental fragrance from my favorite house and from my favorite - Mr. Ropion.

Longevity: one week
Aura: 800 meters

Now seriously, 3 sprays are enough for at least whole day and everyone who has a nose in the room will smell you.
1 Reply
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Statements

10 short views on the fragrance
MrFumejunkieMrFumejunkie 5 years ago
opening was 'promising'. then all fell apart when the nuclear combo of cypriol/patch took over. half hour later i was gulping 2 ibuprofens.
0 Replies
HermeshHermesh 6 years ago
8
Bottle
8
Sillage
8
Longevity
8
Scent
Smells like kerosene in combo with rose & apple. Plus some oud. These different notes fit yet relatively well to each other. Self-confident!
0 Replies
BoBoChampBoBoChamp 3 years ago
9
Sillage
9
Longevity
8.5
Scent
Initially green spicy-fruity, this rather boozy and floral earthy-woody Winter fragrance settles to a dusty leathery base. Beast mode!
0 Replies
CaineCaine 3 years ago
7
Bottle
9
Sillage
9
Longevity
8.5
Scent
Quite complex, with tons of cypriol and a prominent bitter apple. Very different from anything else. It needs some time to get used to it.
0 Replies
ShemsmellerShemsmeller 26 days ago
5
Bottle
6
Sillage
6
Longevity
6.5
Scent
Un des meilleur de la collection orientale FM.frais et a la rose il me rappelle l autre oud de Lancôme.parfait pour le printemps unisexe
0 Replies
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