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Spell Caramel 2023

7.2 / 10 82 Ratings
A perfume by Zara for men, released in 2023. The scent is sweet-gourmand. It is still in production.
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Main accords

Sweet
Gourmand
Spicy
Fruity
Woody

Fragrance Notes

VanillaVanilla Blood orangeBlood orange AmberAmber CardamomCardamom GingerGinger OsmanthusOsmanthus SandalwoodSandalwood TobaccoTobacco DavanaDavana CaramelCaramel

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
7.282 Ratings
Longevity
7.070 Ratings
Sillage
6.771 Ratings
Bottle
6.675 Ratings
Value for money
8.370 Ratings
Submitted by multiple users, last update on 04/15/2025.

Smells similar

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Reviews

3 in-depth fragrance descriptions
Elysium

896 Reviews
Elysium
Elysium
3  
Briar Rose Lay Under The Wicked Fairy’s Spell
Carabosse is the evil fairy godmother from the classic “Sleeping Beauty” fairy tale. We call her Maleficent in the 1959 Disney adaptation of the fairy tale. Carabosse comes from a similar character in another fairy tale, Madame d’Aulnoy’s “Princess Mayblossom”. Over time, the name Carabosse was applied to the evil fairy from Sleeping Beauty, and, as such, she was mentioned in Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet.

Regarding spells, Sleeping Beauty, or Briar Rose, is the first fairy tale that comes to mind. The story tells of a king and his queen who had a pretty little girl that the king could not help himself with joy and gave him a big feast. Among the guests were also wise women. There were thirteen in her realm, but since she only had twelve golden dishes to eat from, one of them had to be left at home. The Magi Women gave the child their magical gifts: virtues, beauty, wealth, and so on, with everything you could wish for in the world. When eleven of them had made their promise, suddenly, the thirteenth entered Carabosse (Maleficent). She wanted revenge for not being invited, and, without greeting or looking at anyone, she cried aloud: “The king’s daughter, in her fifteenth year, will prick herself with a spindle and fall dead.” Without saying another word, she turned and left the room. And, without saying another word, she turned and left the room. But the twelfth, whose goodwill was still a deep sleep of a hundred years, into which the princess will fall.

Back to the perfume, Jordi Fernández is the senior perfumer behind the fragrance, the same as Tobacco Sublime in the same collection and Full Moon over the Desert in the previous one. I’m not surprised that the rating is relatively low, given that the nose primarily works with niche houses whose scents do not appeal to the masses. Spell Caramel belongs to the family of oriental sweets, with a boozy slant, fusing cool cardamom, hot pimento, and indulgent caramel, and opens with a spicy and dense citrus accord. It’s dark like syrup; the blood orange juice is as vivid as homemade freshly squeezed juice. The syrupy nuance is gooey, like molasses, caramelised but not overly burnt. This blend hides spicy and mentholated ingredients with a smidgen of sweet and warm cinnamon. Ginger appears fresh and spicy as its root, while the minty side is due to the green seeds of cardamom. The aroma of these seeds also extends into the heart of the perfume. Initially, Spell Caramel is sweet, then I smell something smokier. The opening is a well-balanced melange of warming spices, more spice drawer than #Spicebomb. However, the perfumer excellently made it, and within a minute, it flowed smoothly into the most realistic gooey salted caramel scent I’ve had the pleasure of knowing.

I need help with caramel representations and other notes that can appear overly sweet. It can make this task even more difficult if you include vanilla. The fact that Jordi Fernández has avoided this in his composition is remarkable. It is entirely due to the salty note of the amber and the sandalwood and tobacco found on top. Fear not, this is not a cheap caramel, rest assured. The caramelised accord here resembles that of creme brulee, where the sugar is melted at the moment with the flame. If I put my nose quite close to the skin, I can catch the bitter and black aura of the liquorice root.

When Spell Caramel approaches the dry-down, it does not change too much. I found it similar to Tender Amber during the initial test on the blotter. But after having worn it on my skin, I still catch the same ambroxan vibe, but Spell Caramel has that smoky tobacco and creamy sandalwood twist on it. On my skin, the caramel is deep and musky. This musk is quite seductive, and I don’t know if it’s my nose, but it smells like dirty musk, not the clean and laundry kind, and the caramel is almost burnt now.

Warm spiciness, saltiness, and creaminess are what make the final trail. I can surely catch the spicy vanilla but immensely miss the powdery osmanthus. There is a smidgen of dustiness, but not as much as I expected. Instead, I get booziness in the opening and a slight woodsy vibe behind the spiced gourmand goodness.

Despite the bold notes, Spell Caramel does not scream and sits close to the skin. It is a personal winter gourmand to be worn by an individual who wants a touch of luxury in their own home. Definitely, for the cold months, evenings fall and all days winter. More for leisure time than office. If projection and sillage are moderate, longevity is average, still detectable the morning after if applied in the evening.

I'm formulating my feelings on a bottle I've owned since August 2023.

-Elysium

P.S. I knew, and I felt it, that with the cold season and the coldest temperatures, this potion would reveal its best. The somewhat medicinal, bitter, and deep accents are enhanced during winter days. Today, December 10th, I wear it and I feel it is so enveloping, mysterious, dense, and intriguing.
1 Comment
Dionysos2022

931 Reviews
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Dionysos2022
Dionysos2022
1  
Met up with a...
... friend in a café on Maximilianstraße. We sit by one of the windows. She orders a latte with cheesecake and I opt for a cappuccino and an orange pound cake. From the bakery, a variety of scents waft into the air.

Upon applying this perfume, one first notices citrus notes combined with the freshness and spiciness of ginger, and cardamom makes its presence felt. The licorice is noticeable. Floral accords mix in. A hint of woodiness with vanilla speaks up with a masculine note. The sweetness of caramel is quite pronounced. Jordi Fernández, the perfumer, has created a beautiful masculine gourmand scent here.

The longevity and sillage are good.

This men’s fragrance can be worn well from the mid-twenties onwards. This gourmand scent is best suited for cold days. It makes a good impression both during the day at the office or while shopping, as well as in the evening at a bar or dinner. Ladies can also give it a try.

Anyone who enjoys a sweet, slightly citrusy caramel scent will have fun with this at a low price.
0 Comments
Duftmolekül

5 Reviews
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Duftmolekül
Duftmolekül
9  
Jordi Fernández goes Zara, again!
Fresh orange opening, then relatively complex, fruit, caramel, vanilla, flowers, wood all somehow present at the same time. An interesting blend that becomes a bit softer over time, interesting edges and corners remain. Osmanthus and Davana seem to play a significant role in this.
Jordi Fernández is the perfumer for numerous major perfume houses and niche fragrances. Here he created a truly affordable Zara scent that aims for the niche direction.
Spell Caramel is a lot of fun and brings good vibes!
0 Comments

Statements

26 short views on the fragrance
4
A bitter debut that sweetens over time. Unburnt amber caramel thanks to dusty vanilla and osmanthus. Mawkish.
0 Comments
3
Slightly redundant the Sand Desert At Sunset does it better. Sticky sweet, some woods in the background
0 Comments
3
Overly sweet and synthetic caramel, that reminds me of Scandal pour Homme by JPG. Sweet, spicy, with some fruity freshness and vanilla.
0 Comments
2 years ago
3
Slightly fruity/warm spicy/synthetic sweet stuff, similar to Al Haramain’s Dètour Noir(PDM Layton). Recommended for autumn season.
0 Comments
2
Sweet af. Thats not bad in the first place, however its a synthetic sweetness which makes it smell kind of cheep in my opinion.
0 Comments
1 year ago
1
It is Zara Unexpected Fresh Spicy in other bottle.
0 Comments
38
33
slightly synthetic opening
a hint of fruity citrus nuances
pleasantly warm tobacco sweetness
caramel magic is quite shy
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33 Comments
12
1
Ultra-squeaky-sticky sweet.
Caramel vanilla with a hint of ginger.
When applied minimally, it's a very delicious gourmand fall/winter scent.
Unisex
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1 Comment
11
2
Sour blood orange, synthetic davana & something sweet that doesn't remind me of caramel at all.
Smells quite cheap.
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2 Comments
9
2
Caramel vanilla with a hint of spice. Reminds me of those cow candies. Of the Zaradüfte, this one isn't my favorite. Still good value for money.
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2 Comments
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