SpellBound

Guess who now owns a vintage bottle of the increasingly hard to find Spellbound EDP, full 3.4 oz??? This girl, that's who. Awesome sauce. Guess how much I paid for it? It was a steal! Not literally...I don't get down like that but I happened across it in a dusty old pharmacy (hasn't the ubiquitous dusty old pharmacy become the perfumista equivalent of the used car lot little old woman from Pasadena car who only drove it to church on Sundays? No, but really it was an ancient pharmacy). Anyway, I spritzed a bit on my forearm...no wait. Today I wore my new fave Grey Flannel so I did not want to mess up my violet iris revelry with any other frag. Instead I spritzed a bit in the air of my bedroom (I know sacrilege, how could I waste a drop?). I went about my business. Now my bedroom is in the back of my home. I went out to the garage and came back in...WHOA! One spritz of Spellbound in my back bedroom had traveled all the way to my living room and into the family room and in my kitchen. I was almost afraid of this stuff. I finally tried it on late in the evening once I was home for the night. Spritzed a bit on my forearm and it becomes this caramel sugary lollipop sweet. Now before you run to the hills, keep in mind that I don't mean American candy sweet where it's just pure sugar overload. Instead I mean the very embodiment of the word "dulce", which when translated is just the Spanish word for candy or a sweet. However rarely do mere translations communicate context and culture. The confections of many Spanish speaking countries differ from American or European because there's always the addition of spice. Sometimes just a bit, sometimes a great deal, but whatever the amount the spice is supposed to act as a counterpoint to the decadent sweetness. Spicy candy? Yes. Candy and sweets are not viewed as mere simplistic succor for the young but expansive gustatory experiences where each portion of the tongue is left satisfied. I say all of this to say that Spellbound is not a gourmand in the way that we are used to in terms of pure sugar. It is no Pink Sugar nor is it a Flowerbomb. It presents an entirely different point of reference for sweetness. I expected an incense bitter spice but instead, I got a palerinda or even a cinnamon rich vat of dulce de leche. I'm loving it and it reminds me of my childhood growing up in the central valley of California. I want to lick my arm where I sprayed and I'm so happy that I came across this find.

I prefer this variant more than the reformulation, because it is deeper but also more uncontrolled. But let's face it, it's a boudoir scent, not a street scent. It is indeed the boudoir scent of a strong woman, not a housewife, not a "luxury pleasure lady", but it is still a perfume of negligee. To give you an idea,imagine a feminist woman from the 90's coming from work, where she held a leadership position, late at night, she is dress in a dark power suite, with her hair caught sober, she enter her house, only a few lights are on in the house and it's a grave silence. She closed the door slowly behind her, and set her bag and work files on the floor, she takes off her oxford shoes and her black long velvet coat, she releases her hair and runs her fingers through it, she opens her lapel shirt close to her bust and takes off her pants belt, she advances to the marble stairs in the middle of the hall, from the small wardrobe next to the first step of the stair take out a bottle of Spellbound or of it relative Cinnabar, she sprayed with it and go upstairs. She enters the matrimonial room, sees her partner in bed reading wrapped with a duvet up to the neck, the partener see her, fix her with the eyes and wait, the woman moves lightly and felinistically to the bed, grabs the book and throws it down,she tangles her fingers in the consort hair and fix the eyes. They start kissing and she throws the blanket away and then....you know exactly what happened then 😏, anyway this arr the Spellbound or Cinnabar, two perfumes created for boudoir pleasure for powerful women. In my opinion, with the risk of putting the crazy fans in my head again, both are much better than Shalimar, or the classic Opium or Bal a versailles or others, at least for a powerful woman and that because yes it's sensual, and tumultuous, deep but in the same time is elegant, sober, strong and has something cold-mysterious in it, like a velvet back suit with a dark red satin blouse with long neck on which you put a vintage gold brooch with a big red ruby.

The following review is referring to the first edition: Personally I do believe that Spellbound, represents if not the zenith in Sophia Grojsman creations, a very high level of her ability: a huge number of ingredients from fruit notes to flower ones, from resins to woods, from animal notes to herbal ones: nothing is missing and for me all the ensamble seems to work perfectly. It is a sort of well-done experiment, while using 'dissonant' notes but gaining a beautiful music to play in exchange, only a genius could do it. Of course it is a winter frag as its opulence can match no skin during the hot season, BUT on the other hand this is also a very difficult perfume to wear: not only because it could be overwhelming - not too much indeed - but this is the kind of perfume that can take you for a walk and not the contrary! Not many people make a real justice to Spellbound but when it matches your PH, the result is great! This fragrance is not so simple to tame but for me, this is one of the best frag in E.L's large family. Unfortunately and probably due to its many (some of them very expensive!) ingredients its 'not-so-easy-wearability' (it belongs to many different olfactive families!) and blablabla, it has been regarded as a sort of Cinderella (do not forget some bad reviews also, T.S., for instance!) either by customers and by the same producing industry, although for different reasons. In Europe, it hadn't been available for a long while, but when it finally reappeared it was just a little bit 'modified'....... perhaps too rich and complex for the large market it was thought for, I believe. As many reviewers have said, it is better to handle it with care, the lasting power is typical American: from morning up to........showers included! ; )

This feels like gorgeous pressed flowers trapped in glowing amber. Everything is so well blended within the amber that no single note is stealing the stage, it feels very harmonious. It’s not overly spicy or loud but it is deep, like a thick goo you could sink into if you’re not careful. It’s just sweet enough, resinous and very very smooth. It’s well named because it’s magnetic and bewitching. This is a smell that I can picture Nicole Kidman as Gillian Owens in Practical Magic wearing with her feminine earth tone clothes and copper hair. this is the scent of a mysterious beguiling person with hidden talents, a green thumb and is just at home being the center of attention at a bonfire party or reading a weathered book on a wraparound porch with a cup of honey lemon tea. It’s earthy and witchy without being dirty or heavy or an incense/musk/spice bomb. instead it is creamy and clean while remaining deep and alluring. This is the smell of skin glowing in candlelight and warm sweet night air full of fireflies. A sturdy well balanced foundation for different smells to mingle with and play across, herbal tea, cooking, potting soil, bouquets, gardens, clove cigarettes and old books would all harmonise with spellbound if they crossed your path while you were wearing it. it's a scent that's meant to set the stage for whatever your night has to offer. I can easily see this being someone’s signature as this isn’t just a scent it’s a concept and a character as well. Perfect for fall, and definitely a night bloomer. projects well but isn’t suffocating or obnoxious and lingers on skin for quite some time. Instantly in my top tier of amber fragrances in my collection.

Having not wore this scent since the early 1990s , I gave it a generous testing in Boots the other day. WOW!! This is a SILAGE MONSTER !!! My main gripe with modern scents is the terrible quality , so many I will test and although I like the scent ,it is gone after ten mins. ................. None of those problems with this heavy hitter vintage gem ! I simply must own this as my next purchase. So glad I randomly tested it as I couldnt remember much about it from my former wearings all those years ago, except that i liked it. This is so sweet in a classy floral way, not a synthetic candy way.The notes that stand out to me ( this is prior to checking if they are actual listed notes) are carnation , a heavy STRONG CARNATION on me which I love , violet , white musk , a powdery iris , a touch of somnething carnaly dirty ...... Some soft sweet spices , maybe cinnamon ? The overall affect is a beautifully scent that is complex , and hard to define. It changes on my skin between sweet/spice/floral/musky. Just amazing . The silage and longlevity are off the scale. In a sea of modern EDPs thathave little more strength than a toilet water , the quality of this is just perfect !! Im thinking this would make a lovley gift for a lady of any age , but it would be especially perfect for a young lady who loves sweet and loud scent , and is looking for something that one doesnt smell on every other person. A forgotten gem ...So happy they sre still making this.

Just incredible - I've loved this since it first came out when I was in my early 20's and I'm 50 in a couple of weeks so it's a very long love affair, and I'm the most fickle person I know. First of all, the opening clove is a little overpowering but give it a minute and beautiful notes fill your nose with pure heaven. If I were to choose a perfume to wear for this rest of my life, it would be Spellbound. No doubts about it. It's so different to any other fragrance I've ever tried. It's in the same vein as Beautiful which opens with a tobacco note which then fades to reveal a stunning fragrance. Classic Sophia Grojsman. I adore her creations. When this first came out I was in my first proper job and there was a sample in Cosmo. I fell in love with it instantly and until I could afford some, I left for work early every day and walked through the perfume hall so I could have a spray. I often went back at lunchtime and again on my way home. I was beside myself when it was discontinued in the UK. A couple of years ago I saw a bottle on a shelf in another perfume hall and I was amazed it was £50 for 100ml. I just wish I'd bought two... I allow myself one spray at a time because this is so precious to me. I saw a similar bottle on Amazon for £200 so could have made a lot of money selling mine but no chance of that!

I'm wearing the pure parfum now. Feel myself lucky to have got a vintage mini of this on eBay. I don't wear it often , and it's so oily and luxurious you do not need a lot. Even the current modern EDP is nuclear strength and longevity. I don't wear it a lot as it's a special occasion perfume for me. Seductive , sensual, erotic , narcotic , addictive. Tonight is a wet Wednesday in cold northern England, on lockdown ... Needed a cheer up so I'm just say here enjoying the hell out of it even though I'm going nowhere. It's super complex, the main standout notes to my nose are carnation (I love some retro sexy carnation , Boudior is another carnation heavy fume) white floral tuberose , cardamon and powdery heliotrope....all on that gorgeous super complex base with a bit of everything in it. That note list.... wow. Popular modern perfumes with 5 notes of which 5 are aroma chemicals can't compete. LOVE SPELLBOUND!! The modern version is excellent . Unlike some of my other old school faves like Poison and Lou Lou where I need the vintage (or the copy which is closer to the vintage than the branded!!! Shock horrors but true!) , Spellbound has not been ruined , watered down or ruined. Gorgeous spellbinding stuff indeed. Very sexy

Oh my Lord! (this is the moment I close my eyes and exhale) Spellbound is definitely a very classy and charming fragrance; it is on heavy, rich, sensual side, it is a silage mammoth. And on my scarves it litreally lasts forever! I must say that nearly all Sophia's creations appeal to me but Spellbound is the very top of the top shelf so to speak. It is rich and offers brilliant olfactive experiences throughout the day. If you are put off by initial spray, give it 10-15 minutes and I bet you will be gobsmacked as I was this morning. At first I thought I was going to smell oldfashined but as I was putting my stillettos on and leaving for work, I suddenly realized that the fragrance beautifully evolved and entwined my senses in a way that I wasn't really able to focus on watching the traffic as I was driving, I just kept sniffing my scarf, my wrists.... I felt like hypnotized. And this is a gourmand and fruity lover speaking here :-) What is it about this rather heavy fragrance that appealed to me so much I cannot tell you... What I can tell you, however, is that Spellbound stays with me until the end of winter. Perfect winter warmer and a glorious evening fragrance for a self confident and mature lady. Le top. 10/10

I have the vintage and I have also tried the new version and believe me when I say that there is no difference in the two. Sure, the old formulation may have better longevity, but I got hours out of the new one and great silage too. So how does it smell? This is a magnificent 'big' perfume! Think of Ungaro Diva or Ralph Lauren Safari and you get a sense of the genre and power of this fragrance. It's hard for me to describe notes in words, but if I had to I would say that this is sweet, spicy floral. There is a note in the composition which stands apart from other notes and I can't put my finger on it. It's strange in a very addictive and compelling way. Utterly beautiful! I try not to be sexist or ageist in my descriptions of perfume, but this one is for the older lady. It's very 1980's. It is a powerhouse and reminds me of those glory Dallas days of big hair, big shoulder pads and big jewellery. I absolutely adore the smell of this perfume! I am thinking of making it my signature scent. Don't hold back from buying this if you think the formula has been changed, it's a very beautiful scent but it's not for the faint hearted!

I can't believe I wore this massive heavy hitter in high school, circa 1992, as a preppy, cutesy, cheerleader in a GAP blazer. I initially fell in love with it when it showed up as a magazine strip in the 1991 prom issue of Seventeen. We all know how deceiving magazine testers can be! It was gorgeous and sophisticated. Grown up. As luck would have it, my bff's mom was a chemist for Estee Lauder and had a bathroom of perfume and bath and body works stuff (somehow connected to EL labs at the time). She gifted me this and I took it happily. Very heavy, loud, powerful. When I think the "end" of the 1980s heavy hitters I think if this. Crazy projection. Look at all those notes! It's certainly complex to my nose...and yes, spicy. Never settles down. Carnations dominate and then cloves. Lots of cloves like pomander balls my mom made with oranges and cloves in the 70s. Syrupy rich, dark. Represents the late 80s, early 90s. A time of Revlon models (Cindy! Claudia! Linda!), Toast of NY lipstick, Pretty Woman. Bold! I discovered with time (as we all are wont to) that I definitely prefer soft, simple, subtle. The opposite of Spellbound.

Once again, I have to disagree with Luca Turin. I believe he gave Spellbound a fairly dismissive review and I cannot understand why. I was lucky enough to be able to test this today and, my first thought was, "This is a cinnamon Tresor!" Looking on Fragrantica, of course, it was composed by the superb Sophia Grojsman. I tend to like almost everything she ever created. Spellbound is peach heavy but warmed with spices. It's almost reminiscent of mulling wine on the stove. Warm but with a breeze the carries the fragrance and keeps it from being dowdy or stale. I'm assuming it's the combo of hyacinth, oakmoss and LOTV that keeps this an alive perfume. The best descriptor I can come up with to describe this is "full." It is not alcoholic, thin, or screechy. Love, love, love!!! I was only able to sample the reformulated version from the Estée Lauder counter in those dreadful new bottles. The bottles are the height of tackiness, in my opinion, but the scent inside is a treasure. I only spritzed a delicate amount on my arm, so I can't comment on longevity or projection as I applied much less than I would usually wear.

I first tried Spellbound back in 1996 and fell in love with it. I was a teenager and I had a very outgoing personality so this spicy bombshell was right up my alley. No one else I knew was wearing it, especially not in my age bracket. It quickly became my signature back then and remained as such until a couple of years later. I rediscovered it about 5 yrs ago and bought a bottle of the vintage pure perfume, which I still use to this day. Now that I'm more mature, I have come to realize that Spellbound is not an everyday kind of fragrance. It is strong, spicy, sassy, sexy, exotic, fiery. I adore the carnation note in it. Just fabulous! Using the pure perfume, I don't have to use very much at all. The longevity and sillage are very good. It's so easy to overdo it, so I usually prefer to dab the scent onto my pulse points using my fingertips. I also like to layer a dab with a spritz of Untold by Elizabeth Arden when I'm wanting something between soft/warm and bold/fiery. This fragrance doesn't attract attention, it demands it. A big scent. Test before you buy because it's not for the faint of heart.

I loved this perfume back in 90s. Then I got kind of used to it, but still loved it. Then, recently I saw it in a store and I observed that the liquid is not as yellow as it was in the past. It was a light yellow, almost transparent. Hmm, reformulation, I thought. I tried it. The initial spray was identical to the familiar scent I had used back in 90s. But then...the horror. The ex-sillage killer with the weekly longevity faded in 3 hours the maximum and I could hardly smell anything. Oh my god, so dissapointed. As for the rest, the previous version that I adored was starting with a spicy touch of carnation, fruits and flowers. I could swear that there was cinammon, but it is not listed in the notes. Then it was giving way to tuberose and jasmin, which by the way I am not that big of a fan, but I believe it was the right ammount on this perfume. It was sweet and classy. Well, for girls over 20 definitely...but still. Anyway, the reformulated version is nice in the sense that it does remind the older version, but it doesn't last that much and it doesn't have very big sillage.

Beautiful heavenly perfume! I absolutely absolutely adore it. It's the most gorgeous vanilla, which is the most prevalent note for me, with glorious rose, lily of the valley, cardamom, amber, sandalwood, apricot, carnation and orange blossom, all blended in such a perfect way as to make me swoon all the day long! It's divine!! So rich and strong, incredibly long lasting, soothing and comforting, very sensual and alluring, extremely feminine, and totally intoxicating!!! So beautifully spicy and exotic. So so so gorgeous. I douse myself in it! I love it so much! And for me, the new bottle is magical! SO much more beautiful than the old one, and suits the gem that it contains, to a tee. It is elegant and feminine, and classy and sensual, pure, pristine and gracious. I love it. Spellbound......well, I certainly do feel that a magic spell has been cast on me when I'm wearing it, and even when I'm not!! - because I can't stop remembering the divine smell of it! It is a truly TRULY magical perfume!!!!!

My mom gave me a set of Estee Lauder EDP splash miniatures back in the 90s for Christmas, and one of them was SpellBound. I loved it, which doesn't surprise me. I like most of Sophia Grosjman's fragrances, and I like carnation as a note. Such a wonderful sophisticated sexy Amber Floral fragrance for cold weather! I used up the miniature, but I didn't buy more because I'm fickle and like to try different fragrances. I really loved the Tuscany Per Donna miniature in the set, and I did buy a bottle of it, and my mom also gave me a couple of bottles as gifts. I think somewhere around the same time, I also started wearing the original Lolita Lempicka in rotation, so I guess SpellBound sort of got lost in the shuffle. Maybe it's time to revisit it when I use up one of my cold weather fragrances! Although judging from some of the other reviews, it sounds like this has been reformulated, and not for the better. Possibly to meet European Union standards as has happened with so many fragrances.

Today I'm wearing this for the first time in about 20 years! After reading reviews here, I dug out my vintage bottle of this, fully expecting it to be "off"...but amazingly it's still (almost) perfect! Strangely though it doesn't smell quite as "sickly sweet" as I remember it, but it is very, very lovely. Soft, warm, feminine and perfect for this time of the year. I love the gorgeous carnation/clove that is layered so beautifully over the rose & spices. I haven't had the chance to test the new version, I hope that it's faithful to the original, because the original is fabulous! Edit.. I've just treated myself to 50ml of the new version..and I have to say that I can so far find very little if any difference to the original..except that the staying power is slightly less. My only issue is the new bottle, which is awful compared to the original..I get that EL is going for a "uniform" recognisable bottle ( a la Jo Malone, Serge Lutens etc.) but for me its not a good change..

(This review is for the vintage pure parfum in the mini squat bottle with the gold stopper.) One of my favorite vintage perfumes. Powdery carnation, salty amber, silky apricot. So slinky, and warm, and retro. A lot of clove. A cloud of smoke from a crackling clove cigarette. I'm surprised clove is not listed here as a note. It smells so magical and powerful, and it smells mysterious and contradictory, like a moonlit sun. Like a nocturnal garden full of the hum of golden insects. It feels like a big hug from days gone by. That's not to say it isn't still relevant today. I've gone through a few vintage mini bottles. Most of them have still smelled very wearable and almost just the same as I remember--the ingredients tend to hold up well and maintain the integrity of the scent, unlike many other of my vintage and discontinued favorites that I've had to give up on. I haven't tried the modern version of Spellbound.

I have (and am in fact currently wearing) the EDP. SpellBound on me is the thick, fruit-laden syrup of an apricot cobbler baked with cloves, but devoid of any sugar-sop sweetness or definite nods to gourmands. I get just the slightest hint of carnation, which I actually really enjoy here (I'm not a carnation fan). I feel it fills in any "sweetness" gaps and creates a lot of interest in this fragrance. Strangely enough, something about it also reminds me of the sauna at my gym. Probably the resin, sandalwood, cedar hanging out together. I would invite floral fans who feel a little intimidated by orientals, but are interested in trying them, to give SpellBound a chance. I feel it is a perfect "in between" fragrance. I wouldn't call it a white floral at all, but it's not quite an oriental either. In any event, it's warm and lovely and just glowing in that wonderful amber way, and I think it's utterly enjoyable.

Wow this is memories in a bottle for me. Early 90’s I was getting married to my first husband who I got rid of 4 years later....actually no hard feeling we just weren’t compatible. I have an unreformulated bottle and it smells floral rich and woody! EL know how to do fragrances right in the 80’s and 90’ oh wait 70’s too my grandma wore Youth Dew! This boss lady floral you will be smelled before heard on this scent. Its longevity is powerful and you will definitely leave a huge trail after you! I can see everyone wearing this floral fragrance to me it’s genderless and timeless for that matter. It’s beautiful woody floral and such a rich creaminess! Highly recommended 10/10 try and see if you can get an older bottle! You will love it if you are into florals! This fragrance screams EL from the late 80’s and 90’s!!!!!! Funny, I didn’t realize the person below me had an ex husband too LMAO

The 80's and the beginning of the 90's was a magical and powerful time for perfumes. Some of the best. Spellbound is no exception. Somehow this one passed me by, but I know now that it shined on top with the best of them. Masterly crafted, gorgeous all the way through to the drydown. To me this is the best feminine spicy oriental powdery...so very powdery... boudoir perfume ever, vintage style...ultra sexy for a night at the opera, and a champagne nightcap afterwards... I think maybe this is what I have always been looking for...the perfect powdery oriental. Not to cloying, not to sharp,or spicy, not to anything. Blended perfectly. Yes, this is perfection, sophistication, and high class This is one gal that's got huge personality My hats off to you,Sophia Grojsman! Edit: Sillage is AMAZING on this one! Longevity is good too, oh but the sillage...