Flambeau by Fabergé (1955)

I was at a paper ephemera shop a couple weeks ago in Berkeley and found an interesting perfume lying in a glass cabinet in the corner of the store.

It was a gold roll-on perfume, and even though there was little left, what was inside intrigued me. It was Fabergé's Flambeau. I ended up getting a cheap bottle on eBay, and even though I can't find out much about it, nor do I know the notes, I'll do my best to describe this sexy little firecracker of a perfume.

A flambeau is a burning torch, and Flambeau perfume by Fabergé is a candied floral Chypre/Oriental with facets of burnt sugar and a spicy, creamy-vanilla, gourmand dry down. It's like a cross between Baghari (1950) and Intimate (1955), but with more spice and fewer inhibitions. (If you've taken a whiff of either of these perfumes, you might be a little frightened. It would be like finding out that Angelina Jolie has a sister who makes her seem conservative.)

The Perfumed Court describes Flambeau as a white floral, and Basenotes reader underglass says that it's "a pretty and autumny chypre" that is "warm and creamy rather than fiery and woody...Later on, Flambeau reminded me quite a bit of (Jacques Fath's) Canasta, which, by the way, was in itself, a very finely made and delicate chypre."

Warm and creamy is right, but I would argue that it's also fiery. (It is called Flambeau, after all and was marketed as "torrid and torchy.")

Wild guesses for Flambeau's notes:

top notes: aldehydes, bergamot (its opening is very bracing); heart notes: gardenia, ylang-ylang, rose, jasmine (very sensual, indolic and sweet flowers), orris (for its soft, velvety powder effect); base notes: vetiver and/or patchouli and/or sandalwood and/or oakmoss(for spice), musk, amber, vanilla (for gourmand heft) and maybe benzoin or castoreum for creaminess, plus civet for that sexy ummmph.

I'm now carrying a torch for Flambeau (POW! POW! POW!) and welcome any comments from those who remember this perfume or can provide more information on it. I'm going to do a little more research on Fabergé, the cosmetics company that hired Cary Grant (yes, that Cary Grant) as creative consultant and then appointed him one of their board of directors. And stay tuned for reviews on other Fabergé fragrances, including Woodhue, Aphrodisia, and Tigress (rrreow!).

UPDATE: Here is Octavian's fascinating Flambeau post (his favorite Fabergé!) on 1000Fragrances. "Flambeau is a floral aldehydic perfume with a light green chypre note." Here are his notes on the notes: Aldehydes, rose, jasmine, peach, lily of the valley, vetiver, sandalwood, amber, oakmoss, orris, vetiver

 

 

Comments

[Olfacta]

Flambeau was one of the four classic Faberges as you say; they were often sold in sets. In the Sixties they were a drugstore brand; not so terrible, as there were some very good scents sold in drugstores then. I think the company was traded around a lot. Not sure i Grant actually ran it or if he was hired as a glamour-lending figurehead. Most of the four are pretty easily obtainable on Our Favorite Auction Site, but I don't seem as much Flambeau as I do the other three. Maybe that one got worn more while the others sat out on the dresser top? I remember actively disliking Aphrodisia, which means I'd probably like it now. Tigress was one of those worn (much too heavily) by someone I didn't care for. My mother wore Woodhue. I don't remember ever actually smelling Flambeau -- your description is enticing!

I looked and looked for information on who the perfumer was for Woodhue. I remember finally finding the name of an Irish woman, otherwise unknown. This is all back in the dark history of my blog; I'll try and hunt it up.

[Perfumaniac]

Thanks so much for the information, Olfacta! Flambeau is complex, beautiful and somewhat trashy at the same time. My kinda fragrance. It smells dated, but I love it. (I modified the info on Cary Grant; I got carried away with the idea he was running Fabergé!) I've gotten Octavian at 1000Fragrances on it, so in exchange for decants he's going to give us the notes. (This isn't going to stop me from taking wild guesses, though, because it's too fun! I'd love to take a course on guessing notes/facets in perfumes; my dream is to take one with the Grain De Musc writer at the London Fashion Institute.) Anyway, I can't wait for the rest of the fragrances to come in, and I may end up extending my Fabergé interest to include Straw Hat, Babe, and the worst named perfume ever...Touch of Class. :)

[Cheryl]

Yes please! More info on these Faberges. These were before my own era..but they are seemingly in endless supply on Our Favourite Auction Site. I've always been interested, tempted, and then chicken. I like vintage fragrances, but about half I investigate aren't particularly wearable...which is still a great batting average...right? I've always been curious about Straw Hat..it seems very uncommon and expensive..and may(?) have that baking hay note I crave.

[Perfumaniac]

Hi again, Cheryl. If I bought only vintage perfumes I found wearable, I'd have only a fraction of the perfumes I have now! Some vintages smell too dated for the outside world, but I certainly love wearing them just for myself. But yes, stay tuned: the other Fabergés are comin' up, and maybe someone has a sample of Babe, Straw Hat or Touch of Class they'd like to contribute? Let me know!

[Anne]

Yes, it's perfectly fine to collect vintage fragrances even if you don't find them wearable. It's still important to know what they smell like - that's how you learn. Same with books, movies, whatever. I don't much like the old Chanel No 5 EDC that I own but I keep it for reference. That said, I have vintage Chamade EDC arriving at my place any day now and I SOOO hope that that is wearable. I want it to be much more than just 'for reference'!

[lucinda]

I can still experience the best time of my life with just the word FLAMBEAU. I was 13 and in love. Christmas of 19??. My grandmother had made me a beautiful emerald green velveteen party dress. I had new black suede heels and new emerald green eye shadow to match my dress. I had a lovely Coro bracelet with emerald glass stones to wear with the dress. I was going to a Christmas party at the home of the most popular girl in our class and my beau was going to be there. For Christmas he gave me a gift box containing Flambeau powder and perfume. The scent, the deep red color of the packaging, the thrill of my first Christmas gift from my very own beloved...I'll never have such excitement again. I married him six years later. We have now been married 44 years.

[Perfumaniac]

Lucinda, Thank you so much for sharing that story. Perfume so often becomes associated with particular loves, but the fact that Flambeau is connected to someone you knew at 13 and ended up being married to for 44 years — I doubt too many of us can match that one. How romantic! Do you still have a bottle lying around? Do you even remember what it smells like? You should get yourself another one if not! Thanks for stopping by and telling us this wonderful perfume tale.

[Marilynn]

Does anyone remember Xanadu by Faberge? I wore it in the early 1970's during my 'purple period' (purple suit & hat, purple suede shoes & bag). I had a small perfume flask with a silver cap that came in it's own purple satin draw-string bag. How I loved that fragrance!

[Perfumaniac]

Hi Marilynn,

I've seen it floating around eBay. I loved the Xanadu movie starring Olivia Newton-John! I think that's where my love of purple came from. What does Xanadu smell like?

[jenny]

I am just clearing out my drawer full of 70's stuff and found my xanadu faberge purple bottle with silver top. Nostaglia is holding me back from throwing it out - Thought I'd google to see if anyone remembered it. Unbelievable ...

[Perfumaniac]

Dont throw it out!!!!

[Carol Merfeld]

I would love to find Flambeau. Does anyone know where I can buy it? Not only do I love it, bur it was my mother's favorite fragrance. How I would love to give some to her before the Lord calls her home. She is 92 and going strong and we talk of Flambeau many times. Can anyone tell me where to get some? It would be an exciting day for me.

[Carol Merfeld]

Me again. I see there are some purchases available for Flambeau on eBay, etc., but does that mean that what I purchase will be so old that there will be no fragrance left other than alcohol? I guess I was hoping to find on the Web somewhere I could buy a fresh bottle of Flambeau - be it from Paris or wherever it is/was manufactured. What has been anyone's experience with receiving these old fragrances?

[julie]

At the start I get the citrus/clove(or maybe sandalwood) thing that the Fabergés have in common then—wham!—some indolic white flower, narcissus I think. (btw, I can't bear to grow paperwhite narcissi indoors; a single blossom opening might cause one who didn't know better to call a plumber). Drydown is mossy, earning the chypre chops.

This was my 4th Fabergé decant in 5 days. These are siblings of a common accord (citrus/spice/wood/amber) as Guerlians are to the Guerlinade; what to call it—Fabergeoise? Faberjouissance? Or maybe just Faberjuice?

[Lorraine Ferringo]

I wore Flambeau as a teenager.It is still my all-time favorite fragrance. Then, when Uninhibited (Cher) came out, it reminded me strongly of Flambeau. Of course, Uninhibited is no longer available, either. I just ordered some old bottles of Flambeau from our favorite auction site and a bottle of Unhibited from Etsy, so when they arrive I can see how good my memory actually is.

[faye riddle]

It was my favorite fragrance sad when they quit making it Beautiful by Este Lauder is similar but it is heavier I wish someone would revive the old fragance

[Perfumaniac]

Faye, There are so many beauties in the perfume world I wish could be revived! Flambeau is a very beautiful one.

[G K]

Although my all time favorite "Drug Store" perfume is TABU, I would love to smell Flambeau again. Like Lucinda, Flambeau was the first Christmas I ever received from a boyfriend. It was Christmas of 1970 (I was 14), even though the relationship has ended long since, the memories, like the perfume, are warm and sweet.

[Dianne Lee]

The Flambeau I have gotten on EBay, was still good as long as it was a full bottle. But, when I bought a partial bottle, it was nice but not the same mind blowing beautiful that I am accustomed to. Once I ran out of what I bought when they were selling it, I had made do with whatever I could find that smelled a bit like Flambeau, but of course never really right, until EBay. Now, I buy full bottles and soap whenever I can. And, I have some bath salts that I plan to save for my funeral. There has never been another perfume as beautiful as this. I spent years trying to find one, and it doesn't exist.

[Perfumaniac]

Dianne, youre making me want to smell this again! I love that you plan on being buried with it. That would actually make a fantastic post idea...! I recently smelled vintage Bandit again and blurted out, I want to be buried in this!

Sent from my iPhone

[erin]

Does anyone know the year Xanadu was made?

[Dyna]

I have been trying to find Xanadu too. I remember my Mom had it in the late 60's or early 70's, and wouldn't let me wear it because it was "too sophisticated". So when she was gone...