I have a soft spot for Frapin's rich and boozy fragrances. I can't always tell them apart, but I do enjoy smelling them. The newest addition, Speakeasy, by perfumer Marc-Antoine Corticchiato, maintains the hard liquor theme and infuses it with dark aromas from the speakeasies of the Prohibition era. Unlike the term "Speakeasy" and its hush-hush connotations, Frapin's fragrance is a heavy hitter right from the start. It's noisy and chaotic as the perfume throws almost everything it has at you: herbs and fruit, smoke and syrup-- they party like it's 1929.
Things get smoother rather quickly. The mojito is replaced by a darker and warmer drink. The syrupy sweetness sets the tone for a comfortable old leather, incense, and a rich tobacco. If you dislike immortelle and its burnt maple aroma, there's no amount of Frapin booze that will help Speakeasy go down better for you. Personally I love it, so the sweeter the better in this case. Tobacco truly dominates the way Speakeasy smells on my skin: light and dark, sweet and smoky. I love it, but must admit that it can be too literal. I never smoked and would rather not smell like I've become a smoker in middle-age. It's actually a little disturbing that the remnants of Speakeasy on my clothes remind me of a smoky bar.
Notes: rum extract, Indian davana, orange, lime, mint, geranium, leather, cistus, labdanum, styrax, tobacco, immortelle, tonka bean, white musk.
Frapin- Speakeasy ($145, 100ml EDP) is available from Luckyscent, MiN NY and BeautyHabit.
Photos via annakrentz.blogspot.com:
Hunt Club, a speakeasy, NYC, 1933
Marlborough House speakeasy on the East Side, NYC, 1933
Gaia, as usual, you've hit the nail on the head and broached one of my nagging fears: I really like tobacco as a perfume note, especially since so many other interesting notes have been IFRAed, but whenever I wear it, I worry that people will think I've been smoking! I don't want to offend other non-smokers or get the stink eye. It's a serious perfumista dilemma! ~~nozknoz
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