Faberge Flambeau

Flambeau is the last I am reviewing of the Faberge quartet I've been journeying through. This one is a beautiful, well-structured fizzy rose, beautifully balanced and sublime with oakmoss and narcissus featuring quite prominently. I don't find this firey as the name might suggest, but it's elegantly sultry, much in the way a vintage Chanel EDT might be -- smooth and lusciously golden with sparkling aromatics silkened with orris. Too bad Faberge is no longer making perfumes of this calibre. Acquisition by Unilever in 1989 has seen an end to that, and the birth of toiletries brands such as Brut, Axe and Impulse. Fortunately these vintage beauties are available at an affordable price -- keep your eyes open at estate sales and online auctions for the best value olfactory trip back in time!

One would think that a perfume named,"Flambeau"(French for "flaming torch") would be a real hot mama number: intense, smokey, a bit dangerous. It is, in fact, one of the most ladylike of fragrances. "Flambeau" is silky roses. There are some green notes that give a sweet, sparkling quality rather than a fresh coolness. The overall effect is smooth and creamy. That such a captivating scent fell out of favor is hard to believe. For that matter, it's hard to believe that a house like Faberge, which made so many exquisite perfumes, went out of business.

i actually bought the pure parfum from ebay.it was still sealed.when i opened it,it had'turned'.it smelled like an old sour mop.i love this fragrance and would love to find one similar or maybe a vintage bottle with the fragrance in better shape.and btw this brut parfum company doesn't list flambeau,i sure wish it did.i'll just keep the search going.love to you all,cocola

I was fortunate to find a bottle that the fragrance was intact.it is SO lovely,just as I remembered from when I was a teen

I got this as part of a lot I bought on EBay. I didn't know anything about it when I bought it, but I've been enjoying it. In the opening, I don't get any lily-of-the-valley or peach, but it reminds me of many chypres of the era. It just smells vintage, if that makes sense. The middle smells strongly of orris. It reminds me a little of Givenchy Le De, but more floral and less powdery. Later, I smell amber with a hint of sandalwood, and then the oakmoss comes out. It's much longer lasting than I expected, based on what I've read about it, but the scent does stay close to the body. I don't think I'll have any trouble using up the bottle I have, but I am not sure it's something I'll seek out again.