Mystical Illusion

This is Perfume Parlour's budget interpretation of Estee Lauder Spellbound, Sophia Grojsman's lush 1991 floriental. It opens fruity and spiced - juicy peachy fruit, coriander and a peppery pimento warmth wrapped around orange blossom. The heart is a full bouquet of rose, carnation, lily of the valley and ylang-ylang softened by powdery heliotrope, that classic spicy-floral femininity. The drydown turns warm and resinous with amber, vanilla and opoponax, a whisper of civet adding skin-close sensuality over cedar. The original was famous for projecting like mulled wine on the stove; this dupe renders that arc flatter and more linear, with the expensive spiced-floral facets simplified and the longevity pulled in to a few hours. For the money it still conjures a genuinely romantic, old-school floriental, perfect for cold-weather evenings.