Frederic Malle's Une Fleur de Cassie

Frederic Malle's Une Fleur de Cassie

Frederic Malle's Une Fleur de Cassie, a wonderfully modern composition by Dominique Ropion, is at first blush disarmingly girlish and lush.  My initial impression is of a powdery floral bouquet, harkening back to a mid-century lady's perfume, but reimagined in a distinctly contemporary way. I'm drawn in by a developing complexity between the innocence of the mimosa flower and the sensuous quality of the cassia absolute.

Perfume Shrine describes mimosa's scent as:

"that precious trait of innocence we associate with childhood, the sugar-spun scent close to heliotrope without the almondy nuances, soft like a cloud, dreamy like the first ray of spring sun on the February tree branches, lively and luminous like a promise of happiness."  

Perfume Notes praises Une Fleur de Cassie as the "gold standard mimosa," and Fragrantica's Elena Vosnaki delivers an incredible description of the relationship between mimosa and acacias, from which the essence of cassie is derived,

"Acacia is this enigma: a floral, seemingly innocent component but nuanced with human warmth, comforting yet with an almost too intimate facet if you give it enough attention."  

While mimosa is jubilant and sweet, cassie is mysterious, nuanced, and carnal.  These two emotionally complex notes are draped in rose and jasmine, played against the counterpoint of carnation, and grounded by a base of vanilla and sandalwood.  Spicy, peppery carnation, as a counterpoint to florals, is now considered somewhat old-fashioned and reminiscent of a different era of perfumery.  Perhaps it is that, and the refined note of bergamot, that give this scent its retro appeal, yet cassie's bold allure is my final takeaway.  However classic the construction, its sum total is decidedly modern.

a perfect scent for FKA Twig's concert tonight at the Regent