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Ciel de Gum Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2013

7.8 / 10 134 Ratings

A popular perfume by Maison Francis Kurkdjian for women, released in 2013. The scent is floral-spicy. It was last marketed by LVMH.
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Main accords

Floral

Spicy

Sweet

Powdery

Creamy

Fragrance Notes

Amber

Pink pepper Vanilla

Vanilla

Jasmine

Perfumer

Francis Kurkdjian

Ratings

Scent

7.8134 Ratings

Longevity

8.0116 Ratings

Sillage

7.2116 Ratings

Bottle

8.2128 Ratings

Value for money

6.623 Ratings

Submitted by Freeestyler · last update on 07/29/2025.

Source-backed & verified

Interesting Facts

The scent was released on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of Russian warehouse GUM, Moscow.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Reflets d'ambre

Dior Addict (2014) Eau de Parfum

Roma Eau de Toilette

Royal Elixir

Gaultier² (2005)

Dior Addict (2002) Eau de Parfum

Reviews

6 in-depth fragrance descriptions

07/29/2025

ClaireV
969 Reviews

ClaireV

1

Lusciously creamy, softly spiced jasmine oriental

Ciel de Gum is a very smooth floral oriental revolving around a civet-soaked, ambery vanilla that smells about 70% the way towards Jicky, with the remaining 30% tipping its hat towards the self-consciously rich leathery indolic floral of Oud Osmanthus. It's nothing too challenging or artistically "out there" but it has a pleasantly fat, nostalgic feel to it that renders it instantly legible to fans of big, civety, plush florientals. Didn't Luca Turin refer to Shalimar in terms of red velvet and the lights of the Eiffel Tower? Well, Ciel de Gum is plenty red velvet and Eiffel Tower.

A smooth, rich mass of ambery vanilla dosed heavily with cinnamon and civet lies at the heart of Ciel de Gum. A thread of indolic, naughty jasmine floats up through the scent but does not define it - even Samsara has more of a jasmine presence than this. It is as if the darker, dirtier facets of jasmine have been plucked out especially for Ciel de Gum - a light seasoning of jasmine over a custard, not a flavoring. The floral-civet mix settles slowly over a bed of smooth, ambery resins and vanilla, mixing with pepper and cinnamon to create a slight Musc Ravageur vibe. There is a golden, fuzzy aura to this fragrance - very heavy, but smooth, opulent, and gilded like the light from a Tiffany lamp in a dark study. Surely something to look forward to at the end of a long hard day.

If you, like me, have a weakness for slightly dirty, ambery floral orientals with a lit-from-within, yolk-yellow luminosity, then buy with confidence. Ciel de Gum rides proudly in the same car as Jicky, Shalimar, Jasmin de Nuit, Oud Osmanthus, and Musc Ravageur. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but for me personally, it doesn't have to - it's already pushing all of the right 'Claire' buttons.

04/24/2020

9.5Scent 8Longevity 6Sillage

Emorandeira
395 Reviews

Emorandeira

JPG2+JASMINE

Ohhh what a surprise i had with this perfumes!. It remember me a lot to Jean Paul gaultier 2, one of my favourite perfumes of all times but now dissapeared. It is a bit softer and more flowery but also lovely. The opening is very very close to JPG2 but during the dry down the Jasmine gets a more importante Rolle. It makes me think also think of a softer grand soir.
The longevity is quité good while the sillage only moderste-soft. Perfect for summer nights ir daytime use un winter. Unisex although probably more liked by women

Scent: 9.5
Longevity: 8
Sillage: 6
Quality/price: 8
Versatility: 8
Originality:6
Global: 9

12/01/2016

9Scent 9Longevity 7Sillage

Terra
646 Reviews

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Terra

Top Review

More Rubber than GUM

Ciel de Gum is too complex for a statement, but too quickly explained for a long comment. What else can I do but insert meaningless filler sentences like this one ;).

I absolutely agree with MissKitty's statement. I know that the name here does not refer to rubber, but in the top and heart notes, there is for me a very clear rubber, vinyl, or latex note, whichever you prefer. This may sound difficult to wear, but it makes Ciel de Gum a very beautiful fragrance for me, as it does not come across as too sweet, too tame, or generic. It is merely a contrast, as from the very beginning, this authentic rubber note is embedded in a delicate vanilla-amber fragrance. In the initial phase, the rubber note dominates, but the base notes easily reclaim dominance after a while. In the end, what remains is a velvety-soft vanilla scent with a slight cinnamon note and a subtle, buttery-soft amber. It is truly more vanilla than a typical amber, although Ciel de Gum clearly becomes ambery. The amber feels far too clean and clear to do justice to what is typically considered amber. In the base, there is really only a hint of this rubber note left; a very light, background suggestion; which fits in wonderfully.

I don't know where the impression of rubber comes from, as I don't smell any pepper or jasmine here as I know them. But it doesn't matter - Ciel de Gum is a great, cozy fragrance that I can really imagine on both men and women without exception. Despite its warm scent notes, good longevity, and sufficient sillage, it does not feel overwhelming but rather relatively transparent. I find it somehow sexy. Highly recommended for testing.

06/13/2016

8.5Scent 9Longevity 9Sillage

Schakaa
71 Reviews

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Schakaa

Top Review 11

Sensual

Sensual, I would say, is how I would describe this fragrance in just one word.

It is warm, cuddly, lovely, fine, and delicate in its own way.
Oops, I'm starting to rhyme again, no need to worry.

The comforting amber dominates this fragrance from beginning to end.
After spraying, the pink pepper is clearly noticeable, but only close to the body. When smelled directly on the skin, one perceives a certain sharpness that lingers for several hours. From a distance, it blends into a well-seasoned, very delicious amber note. The deliciousness can surely be attributed to the vanilla as well.
You simply smell well-groomed plus that certain enchanting something that makes this fragrance very interesting.

Vanilla, as well as jasmine, rose, and cinnamon, merely round off the scent; they work more in the background.

The sillage is fine but also well perceivable from a distance; it is not a loud fragrance but still very present. It can be room-filling but never intrusive.

The longevity is very good; even after a shower, it is still clearly noticeable directly on the skin.

A very finely composed, well-balanced fragrance like the Russian soul, warm and heartfelt, and also a bit melancholic.

06/05/2016

7.5Scent 9Longevity 6Sillage

DonJuanDeCat
2047 Reviews

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DonJuanDeCat

Very helpful Review 15

Fragrance for Russia

Yes, yes, as soon as you read the word Gum, you either think of rubber or chewing gum (well, at least I do…). However, the word has nothing to do with these mentioned terms, but rather refers to the GUM department store in Russia, which is a prestigious shopping venue, and this fragrance was exclusively composed for this store.

I am not yet familiar with Maison Francis Kurkdjian (this name is incredibly difficult…) fragrances, so this is my first comment on a scent from this brand… but my impression is already quite good!

The fragrance:
The beginning is oriental sweet with strong amber and spicy pepper. Light, floral notes also seem to waft in the background, but I couldn’t identify them more precisely. The fragrance remains heavy, the amber radiates well, while the pepper pulls back a bit.
From the heart note, vanilla and cinnamon slowly emerge, with both initially seeming equally intense, but ultimately the vanilla prevails. The pepper seems to come back afterward and radiates just as strongly as all the other fragrance notes here.
Everything smells natural and well-balanced. Only the rose I could perceive less. The cinnamon fades into the background over time. By the way, the cinnamon does not make the fragrance feel Christmas-like.
All in all, the fragrance remains somewhat heavy-sweet, lightly spicy, and floral due to the amber. And all of this with a slightly powdery-soft radiance. Much later, the fragrance is almost simultaneously sweet and peppery.

The sillage and longevity:
The fragrance has above-average strength. It will definitely be noticed by others and could, if applied generously, even be quite room-filling. However, it does settle down quickly; I think if you don’t overapply, you won’t overwhelm anyone.
The longevity is quite good, lasting more than fourteen or sixteen hours (more or less depending on the dosage) on the skin. If sprayed generously, you can even smell it the next morning.

The bottle:
The fragrance is filled in a rectangular bottle, which tapers slightly pyramidally towards the neck at the top. A white label with a gilded frame is affixed to the front. Apart from the name and brand, there is hardly anything else on it, making the label appear extremely simple.
The cap has a cylindrical base and is rectangular on top.
A nicely made, but also somewhat simple bottle.

I find the fragrance successful, even though I don’t usually like scents with pepper that much. Here, all the fragrance notes smell very natural and, as mentioned above, are well-balanced. At first, the fragrance seems somewhat heavy; it won’t be a fresh scent, but it loosens up a bit over time, so it could be worn in spring as well as on cooler days, aside from summer.

It should be clear that the fragrance is not a party scent. Rather, it fits well for more elegant or quieter occasions, like a nice dinner or a cozy gathering. Additionally, it can be worn well by both genders at the same time, as it is neither too floral, too sweet, nor too spicy.

Ciel de Gum is a very successful evening fragrance that, while not extraordinary in itself, is still worth trying if you see it somewhere or come across a sample. It’s worth “sacrificing” an arm for that.

Oops,... I just realized that this is already my second MFK fragrance... but I still know far too little about this brand. But,... that will change. I will surely get to know more fragrances over time so I can keep bothering you with comments :D

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