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Trance 1988 Eau de Parfum

8.7 / 10 19 Ratings
A popular perfume by Ellen Betrix for women, released in 1988. The scent is sweet-oriental. Projection and longevity are above-average. The production was apparently discontinued.
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Main accords

Sweet
Oriental
Floral
Spicy
Animal

Fragrance Notes

AmberAmber Fruity notesFruity notes Spicy notesSpicy notes

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
8.719 Ratings
Longevity
9.014 Ratings
Sillage
9.312 Ratings
Bottle
5.317 Ratings
Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 10/19/2025.
Variant of the fragrance concentration
This is a variant of the perfume Trance (Eau de Toilette) by Ellen Betrix, which differs in concentration.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Trance (Eau de Toilette) by Ellen Betrix
Trance Eau de Toilette
Poison (Esprit de Parfum) by Dior
Poison Esprit de Parfum
Tenue de Soirée by Goutal
Tenue de Soirée

Reviews

5 in-depth fragrance descriptions
Drseid

828 Reviews
Drseid
Drseid
Helpful Review 2  
I've Fallen Under Trance's Spell...
Trance opens with a slightly sweet deep, jasmine spiced fruity hybrid pruned plum accord with a vague woody undertone. Moving to the early heart, the spiced pruned fruit melds with the woods as co-stars, with smoky amber joining in support. During the late dry-down the majority of the fruit vacates as slightly powdery remnants of the amber join the jasmine spice and wood through the finish. Projection is outstanding and longevity excellent at well over 12 hours on skin.

Trance is one of those obscure discontinued late 80s compositions that have fallen under the radar of most perfume enthusiasts. It quite frankly would have done the same for this writer had it not been composed by Edouard Flechier of Parfum d'Homme, Havana, Une Rose, etc. fame... Oh yes, and of course there is also his mid-80's blockbuster, Poison, which actually is what Trance most reminds this writer of. Indeed, as soon as one sprays Trance on skin the tie to vintage Poison's jasmine and plum is all too apparent. In the case of Trance, Flechier takes a lot of his winning Poison formula and tweaks the plum to a more dried prune-like fruity aspect, while adding in some vague but far from synthetic smelling woods. Trance's late dry-down goes in a different direction than its predecessor, with a gorgeous combination of the woods with the remnants of the floral jasmine spice proving an intoxicating combination. So in short, while the original vintage Poison is a masterpiece and needed no alterations, Trance really proves equal to the task, providing for yet another winner among so many others in Mr. Flechier's vast repertoire. The bottom line is the long-since discontinued and extremely rare Trance may have significant ties to Flechier's own earlier masterpiece Poison, but it proves that similar to how he changed Montana's great Parfum d'Homme into the equally great Havana by Aramis, with a bit of tinkering vintage Poison's formula works yet again in Trance, earning it an "outstanding" 4.5 stars out of 5 and an extremely strong recommendation if you can find a bottle or sample (and yes, it is definitely worth the effort to do so). Chalk up one more masterpiece for Mr. Flechier!
0 Comments
Chanelle

752 Reviews
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Chanelle
Chanelle
Top Review 14  
Finally! The German Poison!
Now Parfumo has finally added Trance by Ellen Betrix, the most bombastic scent of the 80s. I don't know if many people miss it. I would love to smell it again today to know what these 20+ years have done to my sense of smell.
Trance was a drugstore fragrance back then, but quite expensive for one. And for good reason. It was created by people who were also involved in Poison and aimed to outdo Poison in terms of intensity. However, the loveless gray-purple packaging and the boring bottle design likely deterred wealthier customers, as the fragrance did not stay on the market for long.. but those who have smelled it once are now paying up to 150 euros for a 25ml size because they became addicted, numerous posts online confirm this.
I didn't buy it back then, just tested it, because I was already poisoned enough and didn't want to lose my last friends as well.
In fact, the scent wasn't bad, just too sweet and too heavy. Honey, cinnamon, and vanilla in overdose, incense, amber, and sandalwood in abundance, but too much rose, opoponax, and heliotrope.
So a subtle, lovely little scent for the office.
If oud had been a topic back then, there would have been a pound of it in there too.
I still want to smell it again!
9 Comments
Schnupper

62 Reviews
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Schnupper
Schnupper
5  
Sugar from the Bottle
... a long time ago it stood in our bathroom, and the scent was for dabbing. Immediately it feels like a sugar shock, very sweet, cherry-like and dark. Back then, I couldn't get enough sweetness, so I dabbed it daily in large amounts everywhere. Trance was also well received by others, but I was told that it seemed too strong and cloying. I haven't smelled it in a long time, but in my memory, it has remained like sugar water, probably still wearable when applied sparingly.
2 Comments
Lia

13 Reviews
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Lia
Lia
Helpful Review 3  
I have rediscovered it..
..in my collection. I have been passionately collecting fragrances for decades. Unfortunately, my priorities have become a bit scattered over time.

Recently, a friend contacted me whom I hadn't seen in decades (it was two). We talked about the past.. and somehow.. all of a sudden, this fragrance appeared before my inner eye. I set out right after the phone call and searched for it. And indeed: in the farthest corner of my old perfume cabinet (where I keep one or two "treasures"), it looks at me. Excited, I reach for it and open the cap. The scent rushes towards me completely unchanged. I spray it on my wrist and spend the rest of the day blissfully happy, filled with dozens of beautiful memories of times gone by.

I would describe it as spicy-sweet. Slightly chypre. Unfortunately, unlike my predecessor, I can say less about the individual components. I can clearly smell the vanilla and the sandalwood. I would personally lean it towards "Opium," although the sweetness plays a more prominent role.

In any case, it is and remains something very special for me and surely for many other fans of past times as well.
1 Comment
Playtecci

16 Reviews
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Playtecci
Playtecci
4  
Why was it discontinued
I used to wear this scent daily, probably to the dismay of my coworkers. But who cares at 20. Trance is a very sweet fragrance, with an exceptionally decent sillage. It starts off spicy and then quickly becomes very sweet.

P. S. Today I wore it again after I repaired the spray system, as nothing was being pumped up anymore. I removed the spray head. Took a syringe with a needle, pulled the plunger all the way up. Inserted it into the spray tube, pushed down with some force, and then pressed the plunger of the syringe down. After that, I pulled the plunger of the syringe back up. Immediately, some liquid flowed into the worn ring of the bottle. Reattached the spray head and the bottle is ready for the fragrance experience again.
1 Comment

Statements

3 short views on the fragrance
14
12
Betrix, it's been a while. Opulent, fruity oriental, sweetened with vanilla + resin. Demands a lot of attention. Watch the dosage.
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12 Comments
3 years ago
4
1
Edouard Fléchier, the creator of Poison and other 80s bombshells, made a sort of dupe of the original for Ellen Betrix. Crazy!
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1 Comment
5 years ago
7
The scent of my youth. I miss it painfully. This is how the 80s smelled. Sweet, opulent, a bit too much. Beautiful.
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0 Comments

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