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headshot – :
I’m not really into Rose Based fragrances, but guys, this is different and I mean it in a nice masculine kinda way. Well done mr Ropion !!!
EnnVal – :
vinyl and paint thinner…very weird and sexy!
gorobets63 – :
Even though Promise is oud based fragrance, it is not typical Arabic ouds on the market which is bored me. Maybe it is the most artistic one that created so far. I found this composition is dark, gothic and complicated. Enormous sillage, good lasting. Love it!
dreamos7 – :
Love or Hate
for me it’s Love
paint thinner/ acetone opening
then a burst of leather, vinyl and latex
wild animal kind of vibe
heavy duty performer
A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE!
alcyone – :
I am in the “Love It” camp with this one, and I am really happy I bought without reading any reviews first. To me, it is rich, exotic and BIG. One spray will last at least 12+ hours on me. While the start is chaotic, what really attracted me is that I haven’t really smelled anything like it. I totally get that this can be polarizing – there is something acrid and sweet that may not appeal to everyone – but I couldn’t be happier with my purchase.
vova-96 – :
Remind me of a cheap overpowering candle.
n20110601n – :
The great experimentation of Frederic Malle is appreciable. In this case he has reconcile the bitter of cypriol oil with the sensuality of the rose. A difficulty that must be rewarded. Ropion great perfumer.
Пятёрочка – :
تحمست كثيرا لتجربة عطر دومنيك روبين
للاسف لم يعجبني ابدا
رائحته ليست سيئه وسيعجب الكثيرون
لكن توقعت الافضل من السيد دومنيك
6/10
Zmei55555 – :
I love it when everyone’s sense of a perfume are so divergent it looks like they are smelling totally different scents! Often that kind of ‘fume is for me, like this one is! First off it is a real shape shifter, smelling different on my skin for the 20-30 minutes that I was in the store. I am not really stuck on a top middle base note progression of a scent, nor do I often like a scent with very little progression, but I am certainly intrigued by something that bounces all around like this does. And it has a kind of warm/cool contrast that I am always hoping for but rarely find.
To me it is a kind of deconstructed Fougere with a surprise apple facet that weaves in and out, a green apple to be sure, in keeping somehow with the dark green Fougere vibe. The much heralded rose in Promise is a funky green rose, really more like narcissus to my nose, which is probably why I can love it, not a fan of Red Rosey perfs ….. Now after 5 hours the drydown is still very much with me, and I miss the apple but I am perfectly happy with the kind of tarry stemmy elixir on my skin.
Did I say that this stuff is BIG? Barolo Big! A quality I adore as my skin eats up lots of otherwise noteworthy scents …. totally in love, but def try before you buy, it’s not for everyone!
reewCheefly – :
FRéDéRIC MALLE. éDITION DES PARFUMS. DOMINIQUE ROPION’S ‘EL WAAD’. “PROMISE”
this is without a doubt one of the heaviest, headiest, dense, thick, syrupy, intruiguing, inknifingly deep, mystiquely intense perfumes I ever bought, destined to either love it or hate it nothing inbetween and I love it. that said it nevertheless stands in a tradition of other intransigent perfumes which derive their heritage from diverse calling yet nevertheless form an illustrious group of code 4 alarmist aromacide fluids which may lay very near to either poison (as the historic herbaceous stuff that kills people) as well as a weapon (of love, no doubt). then yes this perfume with majestic (sinister) sillage as also projection does have a (heteromorphous) family in what first comes to my mind, connaisseur of perfumes since 1975, the hookerperfumes of the 80s all of which (witchingly) influenced me deeply and irreversibly. poison-giorgio-obsession-coco-opium [1977] knowing-moschino parfum de toilette- boudoir-angel-gale hayman beverly hills-giorgio beverly hills ‘red’ [all, 90s] bijan-fred hayman 273- bob mackie-oleg cassini-nahema-oscar de la renta ruffles-youth dew [50s] but also the much older narcisse noir de caron-shalimar-l’heure bleue-cuir de russie-creeds fleur de bulgarie-jasmal-jasmine d’impératrice eugénie-tubéreuse indiana and still in 2000 mahora and later the oudh infested dusita’s oudh infini-diverse montales. enough namedropping. I was never a fan of demure aquatic either or under the radar refined non-perfumes like noa-anais anais-even l’air du temps and nichiste laboratorial overedited unsmellable intellectual perfumes. ZOOM, BANG, did my soul last evening on 6pm when already opening the whole day (from 4am) awaited ‘PROMISE’ and what superrefined (yes you read it well) smell of perfume throughout and already out of the box and still out of the unopened flacon met my eager nose as such were the powers assembled within the chic packaging. before reminescing about this dramatic start with all fabulosity and sultry mysticity I want to give a small impression of what the perfume did oh, roughly twelve hours + later. it still sat unmistakenbly on my pulse and I could smell the cypriol was easing a bit up and there were the finest, most beautiful and still also as fragile as vile smelling turkish and bulgarian roses clearly discernable within the still very presentist perfumial cloud, layed out on the bed of castoreum proving, that they have always been there and that is what I smelled yesterday with the initial spritzing and smell now again on another day’s adventure with this hi-octane ‘on steroids’ perfume: is it most likely the cypriol plays an enduring role one can nevertheless detect the soft as alchymic onslaught these concentrated roses cause this perfume to be a veritable masterpiece along with the outerplanetary almost military (weapon) resilience the jus has on ones’ psyche, first, as well as on ones’ environment: it is fabulous and masterful. I tend to like Dominique Ropions creations and here we have no omittance. one feels immediately special in wearing, or to be worn as with poison and giorgio, (by) this extraordinarily strong perfume. reducing this perfume by the unbelievable presence of the cypriol oil has a certain poignancy but when I awoke the roses were omnipresent. the common denominator between these two notes is their intricate bond with the earth, both in smell (the tarry smell of cypriol, enhanced still by [at the site:] “clove oil, pink pepper, rosemary oil and patchouli heart”) as the eartbound basality of the rose, which, vegetatively, unites this rather basic earthiness with its, poetically, molecularly, spiritually, mystiquely, smell of its flowers, the quintessential flower as it is it is a hermetic fleur clôche as well as a hookerflower at Las Vegas’ Wynn or Mirage, Jet or Sapphire, Cheetahs or the Crystals. If there is an absence of oudh here there certainly plays a reference to it and that is why this perfume in almost disturbing presence made me think of Dusitas ‘Oudh Infini’. people then often think you mean similarity or still more definite: identity. but no I think these perfumes are both heavy, heady hitters using a third very earthy material in Dusitas case: Laotian oudh Palao, plus civet, to create foundation for the most lush louche Rose de Mai. I would like to end with the ‘democratic’ comparison with PROMISE and the 80s’ witches particularly poison and giorgio and Oudh Infini the juxtaposition of which isn’t detrimental to neither divine if somewhat sinister or hauntingly beautiful perfume.
klaidas1978 – :
I’m a Malle fan so deriding one of his offerings is not something that comes easily. The opening of Promise is NOT a promise of things to come. The opening is terrific and it takes a nasty turn for the worse about 15 minutes in. Yes, the longevity is amazing but I can’t stomach the drydown and had to scrub it off. It’s a mishmash of labdanum and patchouli and it doesn’t work, at least not for me. A rare big miss.
zenka – :
Hello everyone! I’m new on here so please forgive the inadequate review of the promise. I was simply astounded and Blown Away by the scent of the cologne. Absolutely amazing and definitely mixes with my body’s own natural chemistry. Upon wearing it for a first date and before my first date showed up, I had 5 gorgeous looking ladies compliment me on how great I smell. Within about 45 minutes with my blind date we were already making out! So in a lot of regards this is simply sophisticated and brings perfumery to a new level that I have not personally experienced since first trying Acqua di Parma. Thank you for your consideration on this review.
Karatel – :
Promise : not only is this quite a ridiculous and pretentious name for a perfume, but the FM marketing for this overpriced juice smacks of old school orientalism. Just the read the description on the FM website.
As for the juice itself, the description of the note is quite misleading. Yes there is a bit of a fruity opening (apparently an apple accord) and some rose follows up later in the dry down. The FM description of the juice makes it sound like some rose bomb a la « Une Rose » or « Portrait of a Lady » from the same house. None of that is true. In fact, the rose is very shy and actually smothered under a thick heavy duty nebulae of cypriol oil. In fact, cypriol oil is the real star in this juice. If you’re unfamiliar with cypriol, here are some descriptions from family and colleagues that ought to give a good picture of that nasty stuff :
« Smoldering still in smoke gun powder »
« Headache inducing stinking gas station »
« The smell of a gas chamber »
« Dusty kerosene on steroids »
You get the drift. That stuff has the longevity of plutonium and the sillage of a supernova. While I usually look forward to these qualities in a perfume, in this case, you’ll never scrub it off your skin fast enough. And boy that horrible liquid lingers on !!! It’s difficult to believe that this hell-in-a-bottle abomination is the work of the grand master who’s given us the sublime ‘Carnal Flower’ and yet there it is.
This is by far one of the worst perfume ever ! I say avoid at all cost otherwise you will regret it forever. That I can promise.
nort1 – :
One of my favorites. Lasts all day. I will definitely buy another bottle.
mvm – :
Seriously, this is the type of scent smells better when you’re anosmic.
The first blast is jammy-boozy feeling created by thick patchouli-rose. For a newbie like me, it easily comes off as oud-rose.
Perhaps because of the jammy notes are so strong, my nose went numb to it pretty fast, and the rest of the perfume gradually reveals itself:
It starts to give out this…fresh mugwort leaves notes. Perhaps that’s what cypriol oil smells like. That along with a green apple overtone brings an unexpected verdant crispness.
I mean, really, who’d have thought a perfume created by Ropion, with an Arabic name, will have a crisp facet?
Of course, from time to time I get a waft of the warm-woody base tone. It even comes with a charred edge.
The final stage of drying-down has an obvious paper-pulp-y side.
batay61 – :
I can’t wait to get home and wash this off….
pdi012Diobtetty – :
Oily, stinky, dirty patchouli and labdanum. It conjures up the juice squeezed out of leather in the tanning process. Not pleasant. The rose lies buried beneath this dense layer of sweaty grease. It’s like someone took Portrait of A Lady to the zoo and sprayed it around the camel pens.
I don’t understand this Middle East aesthetic. Not for me.
Alisher24 – :
So much wise expert words…so little to say.
For me: I LOOOVE this stuff. PERIOD.
This is after the Night and Portrait of a Lady another BIG HIT from Mr. Ropion
for Frederic Lauder…oops Malle
I am glad Mr. Ropion is not good in being retired ;))
baryta – :
The opening of Promise hits me with a virile, but still quite convincing “oud” accord, the kind of nutty, leathery smoky smell of cypriol that is often used to reconstruct oud. The rose reaches out from the shadow very soon, along with a sour, almost fermented fruity note. The later sour note combined with the leathery cypriol, smells very much like ripened goat cheese to me.
The ripened cheese impression gradually dies down during the first hour, but the oud accord is still the driving force and maintains its leathery, animalic aspects. The rose thankfully does not automatically take on the sugary prune-like purple fruitchouli with the appearance of patchouli in the base. Instead, it keeps the soft honeyed floralcy of a true rose material. The initial fermented, sour note is also replaced by a bright, crunching green note that pops up around the 2-hour mark, albeit very subtle.
Up til now, I enjoy the plush rose note in Promise, the ripened cheese-like oud accord is also as challenging as it’s original. However, it also has a fairly noticeable dose of a certain harsh, dry note, either from popular woody amber aromachemicals, or an unpleasant facet of cypriol? Either way, it’s a note that I find heavily employed in many niche masculine or oud offerings to evoke the kind of virile, rugged image, which is an aesthetic that I personally do not appreciate.
Once Promise hits the dry down after about 5 hours, the fragrance becomes a skin scent dominated by these woody amber aromachemicals and an abstract clean patchouli-soft rose touch. The sillage is initially moderate, and retreats to be skin scent in the dry down. The longevity is almost 12 hours.
While I enjoy a few aspects of Promise, the unsubtle woody amber aromachemicals is a dealbreaker to me, even though it’s not as forceful as many similar fragrances. If you happen to be looking for a virile rose-“oud” and don’t have issues with woody amber aromachemicals, Promise might be an interesting fragrance to sample. But do not be fooled by the apple in the note list, as it’s very different from a conventional pretty fruity rose.
dimakirichenko – :
Imagine a rose version of Parfums de Marly Layton that still maintains Layton’s masculinity and maybe even amps it up. The rose in this is not jammy or feminine; it is piercing, thanks to the green apple note that is very present. The patchouli backdrop is also quite noticeable on my skin and makes this very wearable for men. Maybe I am imagining things, but i also sense the presence of vetiver. In terms of rose fragrances that men can wear, this is the best I have smelled so far by a mile. It smells like it could be a Roja Dove creation, it’s that good. I see it being worn in winter and spring by meticulously groomed and sophisticated men with facial hair, and i don’t picture it being worn casually or being worn by women. I can also definitely see this as a clubbing fragrance, as long as the club in question is upscale
polin123 – :
عطر مميز لعشاق التميز، طبقات العطر متنوعة وهادئة، يشعرك بالتفرد، وهو بدون شك عطر نهاري لما يحمله العطر من بروده، انصح بشرائه،سعر العطر 1450درهم في الامارات
olegoleg4490 – :
Definitely unique, definitely not for blind buy.
This perfume is not a crowdpleaser and way more edgy than its stepsister The Night (edgy enough already). The latter is a sharp young woman which turns to be a warm sweetheart after showing her cool face. Promise, however, stays cold till the end.
Promise feels like entering the school during summer holidays when nobody’s inside and it smells with freshly painted walls waiting for the next year. Though it is hot outside, you feel cool in the empty classes and corridors. Then you leave the school and smell roses in the yard while still having a scent of paint and book paper in your nose. Not dewy petals but dry dusty roses. Later that day you eat a sour apple jam and start remembering paint and rose smell, as well as strange coldness of the school.
Yes, Promise is quite chemical, cypriol smells like kerosene here. Can imagine it being sexy on males. The apple note adds a feeling of strange innocence bordering with indifference. Somehow it is more suitable for day than night – I guess due to its coldness and dryness without any sweet notes.
What does it promise? To give you one of the best patchouli in the drydown. And, of course, it keeps.
UshakovPavel – :
This smells like burning kerosene, nothing more. I love Une Rose and Portrait of a Lady and had high expectations for Promise. It is a sad disappointment which, unfortunately, won’t scrub off.