Rêve Indien has felt like it's been part of the Fragonard portfolio forever; it has probably been reformulated a few times as well. I am referring to the currently sold version, and these - I mean current versions - are generally considered merely a secondary choice. More on that later.
Many, many years ago, I took home a delightful little box with ten 2-ml perfume vials directly from Fragonard in Grasse, long before my Parfumo days. The version of Rêve Indien from back then was included, but I didn't use it because it seemed too sweet for me. And at some point, I - how foolish can one be? - disposed of the unused vials along with the charming box. What I would give to have them now; almost all the scents have since been discontinued, and the few that still exist have surely been turned inside out and reworked multiple times.
Therefore, it is also difficult for me to decide whether the version back then was really significantly sweeter than the current one; perhaps my perception of scents has simply changed. After all, I have worn all sorts of classic orientals, from KL to the blockbuster Opium to Magie Noire, all with a certain, albeit dusty, bone-dry sweetness.
Back to the current version. Rêve Indien is currently sold exclusively in an Eau de Toilette version with a breathtaking 200 milliliters of content for a moderate 44 euros, placing it - price-wise - at the very bottom of the drugstore price level.
Fortunately, however, only in terms of price. The scent itself is top-notch perfume craftsmanship and absolutely wonderful. The citrus opening can almost be overlooked; our carpet briefly flies past lemons and bergamots (both waving cheerfully) and then glides elegantly into the heart note.
Now it has really picked up speed and sails in lively curves through an oriental market; I smell spiciness (no cinnamon, by the way, and thankfully so), resinous notes, woody nuances, leathery tones, and the driest iris powder - it’s just so dusty. I cannot perceive the flowers rose and jasmine individually; they are perfectly intertwined in the pattern of the carpet. All of this is rather dry and slightly bitter, with only a tiny sweetness (non-sticky, balancing), resinous myrrh, and smoky incense, along with dark patchouli, finely processed.
It has a beautiful, delicate pattern, the carpet, in soft, grounded tones, darkly colorful - but not dark - and with many accents that appear to be antique gold.
Like many Eaux de Toilette, Rêve Indien initially leaves a truly powerful fragrant trail behind it, but quickly becomes more moderate and then remains for several hours with a very agreeable intensity. Longevity is very good in the middle range. P/L, however, is gigantic.
The carpet is not top-notch knotting art. But just below that. It’s not a modern scent carpet; it interprets a very classic and established scent scheme. But it does this excellently, and it can fly, which is something only the very, very few can do.
And that is why (and to return to my first sentence) this, the current version of Rêve Indien, is not a bad choice - regardless of how older versions may have smelled. My cheapy recommendation for lovers of conservatively designed, moderately oriental scents, dry, resinous, a bit bitter, antique gold, warm, embracing - and almost without sweetness.
...
Addendum - simply because Mr. Siebenkäs' note on a specific characteristic of older flying carpets is important and should not go unmentioned (Thank you very much for that!):
Older flying carpets are, as he is quite right, sometimes a bit stubborn. As we all know, you steer flying carpets by taking some fringes from the front edge in your hands and moving them - and thus the edge - either slightly upward (then the carpet rises), downward, to the right, or to the left. A well-behaved flying carpet follows these movements with effortless grace and ease. Older flying carpets could do that too. However, they don’t always want to. They sometimes like to show that they have character and a will of their own and edges.
Just like with this scent: It is not characterlessly beautiful, but beautifully with a little edge; there is the prominent patchouli, the leather notes, the bitter resinous tones. It also has a bit of smokiness. It is, after all, an older carpet.
Updated on 12/20/2022
Top Notes 
Lemon
Bergamot
Heart Notes 
Iris
Jasmine
Rose
Base Notes 
Patchouli
Benzoin
Vanilla
Amber
Yatagan
Ttfortwo
Gandix
INDIA
Heikeso
Stanze
PinkOrchid
Minigolf
FrauMieze
Atalanta89
