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.
Elysium
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