Heaven Can Wait

On the first day I wore "Heaven Can Wait" by Frederic Malle, a chance encounter with a stranger in a bustling café left an indelible memory. As I placed my order, the person next to me couldn't help but lean in and ask, "Excuse me, but you smell absolutely incredible. What fragrance are you wearing?" It was a delightful surprise to receive such a spontaneous and genuine compliment. I shared the name of the fragrance, and they jotted it down, promising to seek it out for themselves. It was a testament to the immediate and enchanting allure of this remarkable scent. Perfume is often described as an art form, and when it comes to the works of Frederic Malle, this sentiment couldn't be truer. "Heaven Can Wait," the latest offering from this venerable house, is a fragrance that transcends time and trends, establishing itself as an exemplar of timeless elegance in the world of perfumery. Scent Profile: At the heart of any exceptional fragrance is its scent profile, and "Heaven Can Wait" is nothing short of exceptional. The scent journey begins with a burst of invigorating top notes that awaken the senses with a crisp iris. It's like the first rays of sunlight on a cool morning, filling you with energy and optimism. As the fragrance develops, it gracefully transitions into a harmonious symphony of floral notes. What sets "Heaven Can Wait" apart is Malle's expert blending, where no single floral note dominates. Instead, you experience a delicate, balanced bouquet that feels like walking through a spring garden in full bloom. It's a celebration of nature's beauty and the artistry of perfumery. However, what truly captivates the senses is the fragrance's base notes. Rich, warm woods envelop you, creating a comforting and velvety embrace. There's a subtle hint of vanilla that lingers, adding a touch of sweetness without overpowering the composition. It's a sensual, inviting conclusion to this olfactory journey. Longevity and Sillage: "Heaven Can Wait" showcases remarkable longevity. A few spritzes in the morning will carry you through the day and well into the evening, making it ideal for both daytime and evening wear. Its sillage is moderate, leaving a captivating trail that isn't overpowering but ensures you'll be noticed and remembered. Craftsmanship: Fredric Malle is renowned for collaborating with the world's most talented perfumers, and "Heaven Can Wait" is no exception. The fragrance's intricate blend of high-quality ingredients speaks to the skill and dedication that goes into each creation under the Malle brand. It's a testament to the artistry of perfumery and the commitment to delivering nothing short of excellence. JCE is a mastermind, no doubt. Conclusion: In a world inundated with fragrances vying for attention, "Heaven Can Wait" by Frederic Malle emerges as a true gem. It's the kind of fragrance that defies trends and transcends seasons. Its versatility, from professional settings to special occasions, makes it an indispensable addition to any fragrance collection. Without a doubt, this fragrance deserves the title of the best fragrance release of 2023. If you seek a fragrance that embodies timeless elegance, "Heaven Can Wait" is your invitation to a world of refined luxury and olfactory artistry. It's a fragrance that lingers in the memory, leaving an indelible mark, and a testament to the enduring legacy of Frederic Malle in the world of perfumery.

If you ever have smelled allspice (pimento), this perfume has loads of it. To me it is mainly the allspice, and the rest becomes a bit more abstract. The perfume reminds me of uncut gem, with this wet-saliva-kind-of-vetiver, but this time pushed into the more aquatic magnolia and dusty iris; and overal made warmer. You get the combination of cloves, which peaks into this allspice scent (which is an idiosyncratic type of smell to me). Jean-Claude as well puts many textures and scent profiles against each other in this perfume, giving you a full range of emotions through the perfume. Eventually you end up with a memory: a musky base. In release video on the perfume Frederic Malle himself says Jean-Claude Ellena wanted to work on warm spices, instead of the cold ones, as he is used to. Frederic Malle metaphorically adds Jean-Claude Ellena is by nature an aquarelist who suddenly changed into an oil painter; but still takes the structured way of perfume making with him. The name itself represents to Jean-Claude the protective sphere into which the perfume takes you. Maybe it can be understood through another perfume named Angel by Mugler, in which the angel slowly descends unto an earthy base, while in the creation of Jean-Claude an opposite effect is happening: we are holding on to the spiced-earthy pleasures. And as the spiced pleasures disappear, the scent leaves this earthly realm into a linguering after-thought, rising ever higher and higher. Jean-Claude himself says a perfume cannot be offensive, it has to be sensual and attractive. It has to bring you closer to the other. In the release video he adds 'I don't I have been that pationate when creating a perfume.' The reason therefor lies I think in the creation of the spicy opening, which can easily repel a person done wrongly. Clearly the search for a balanced spicy opening made him excited. For the people stating in the comments 'this scent is just x-y-z combined, we have seen it all, it is simple' etc. I have one thing to say: it is not as simple. 'They have just added a cheap base and added a bit of this or that.' Why would you willingly downgrade a creation, assuming there is only marketing going on in the Estée Lauder headquarters? As if the creation of a perfumer suddenly is just driven by some random economical reasons. Yes, there are perhaps some reasons, but they are not the only one. If I read Jean-Claude Ellena's book on perfumery, I sense his philosophical mind, he is earnest about creating. Let us then listen to the perfumer himself and Frederic Malle, without any prejudice and scepticism. I don't smell 'Après l'Ondée' of Guerlain at all in this perfume. The impressionistic scent of 'Après l'Ondée' evokes totally different images, the scent profile is totally different and the ingredients. 'Après l'Ondée' is a melancholical scent, this one is sensual and lingering (or as Frederic Malle said 'whispering').

Heaven can't indeed wait. It's already here. Not many people like this, and it seems to be primarily because it wasn't what they were wanting in terms of olfactive expression; many wanted a rich buttery iris but instead got put-off by carrot seeds and the super dry clove. They also seem to be Malle purists that have a bone to pick due to the sale to Estee Lauder and the brand's change of creative direction - which, I do too, to be honest, but I try to be as open minded as possible. The brand is ~25 years old and was sold to a conglomerate: change was inevitable and guaranteed, whether sold or not. Bemoan it, or roll with it and hope for the best. I'm the latter, though EL is not giving me much reason to be. Anyway, onto the perfume, which weirdly for a Malle doesn't quite fit the brief - perhaps part of the criticisms people are levying against it. This is less about iris than it is the rest of it. The opening of ambrette and carrot seeds and fleshy tree fruit is wonderful, a warming orange glow of light. This is Ellena and what he does best, especially when given a lot of latitude by a brand/director. The ambrette and carrot is very rich and photorealistic but, in keeping with JCE's signature style, they have a weightlessness, light filled, and breezy texture to them. Like two separate air particles existing in a cloud it's impossible to see where one starts and the other ends. The orange light begins to dim to reveal a new foreground that maybe many - most? - did not see coming, which is very dry and hot cloves, dried potpourri-like iris, powdered vanilla, and sandy musks. The orange glow at the start has warmed everything up to be almost hot to the touch. But, before you go thinking this is going to be a warming winter spiced latte type scent, this is Ellena, remember. There is absolutely nothing thick, cloying, sweet, looming or large about any of these heart and base notes. The dryness of it allows Elena to stay true to his unique and exquisite style of keeping proceedings weightless and light filled - and he does it so well here. HCW seems to hover over the top of my skin rather than sit on it. I feel like I'm glowing, like the orange light that was cast on me from the start is now making me radiate with a burnished glow. It's powerful without being loud, large without taking up a lot of room, confident without being arrogant, relaxed but focused. It is so effortlessly elegant and luxurious without, at any point, feeling like it's too much or calling a lot of attention. This is absolutely superb, and one of the best things Ellena has made in the last couple of decades.

A new fragrance by our mastermind JCE. Heaven Can Wait 'til another day, but I could not wait to smell this! I'd like to add that my favorite band, Iron Maiden, has a song named 'Heaven Can Wait,' so this fragrance is even more sentimental for me. I am glad that I've managed to get my hands on it a bit earlier than expected... but I had to wait and wear it for a couple of days before I write this review... Since I've already spent about 5 milliliters, I am now 'authorized' to write. It's indeed a great addition to the Frederic Malle line as it's completely unique and new. Not just to the FM line, but I've never smelled something like this before. It's a warm, spicy, woody, and fruity (maybe a bit chypre) scent. It is addictive as hell (or heaven?). The opening is warm, spicy, and woody. You can instantly tell that it's an iris fragrance, but not as potent as Iris Poudre. It's very interesting to me to smell JCE's take on warm spices... usually, it's not something you'd expect from him. You can get some hints of Play-Doh in the background, yes, I know... it's funny. But still, it reminds me of Play-Doh. Musk and vanilla will give you some sandalwoody hints, even though it's not there... the base might be similar to Dans Tes Bras musky base if you have to point your finger at some FM release. It's the smell that you can sense on your tongue too... brilliant and addictive. You can find some peach and plum in the background, but it's rather there to give you fruity/sweet vibes. The drydown is woody, musky, slightly dusty with some vetiver to support it. Projection is solid, aura is beautiful, and it will last for about 12-14 hours on my skin. It's not a beast mode fragrance, but it should not be! Not meant to be. Not designed to be. The beast belongs to Hell, not to Heaven - right? I've already received a couple of compliments for HCW, and one of those was after 7 hours of wearing it, so it's definitely THERE and PRESENT. My wife approved of this one too, which is great. Isn't it? It is indeed a skin-like, warm, lovely, and heavenly smell. Well worth the hype, in my opinion! It's more artistic than a crowd-pleaser type of scent. I'd put this in the same group as Une Fleur De Cassie, Dans Tes Bras, and Iris Poudre. Art! Art! Art! Your private heaven! This is most likely my favorite JCE's release. But time will tell...

Call me a JCE/Malle dickrider if you must!!!! but this is a lovely, elegant, little perfume and I mean what did people expect from Ellena at this point hey? His style is this minimal, simplistic, lightly spicy thing, I'm amazed at the fact he can keep churning out mildly deritive/self aware/carriacture of his own style stuff but somehow bring something new to the table, especially this genre, one he helped to define with L'eau d'hiver looming large in my memory and subseuently spawning stuff like Dior's Bois d'agent, this doesn't really smell like either of those but if you like them then be in store for a treat. So I was told this was heavy, heavy clove and not much else, by several, usually reliable sources, but what a load of old shite they were talking, yes there's a clove note but it's super balanced and understated. This is a nuanced and laid back approach to an orris/iris accord based perfume which I find almost impossible not to enjoy, I mean a potential critisism (if you really must?) could be that it's a bit, boring, beige, whatever, but I think it's pricisely the tone that they were trying to achieve and for me this is something of a safe but return to form for Malle after a couple of duff releases in Synthetic Jungle and the pretty apauling (albeit you might find a favourable review by me on here because I did quite like it at first, but do not any longer) Uncut Gem. I enjoy this. I'm sorry. I'm still impressed by JCE's work, it's not big and shiny rah rah look at me, Orris opulence which again a valid critique might be for this money and Malle Branding it should be, but I' throw back to that, a lack of understanding of the brand/brief and the perfumer here. Mark my words this is a grower, not a shower and time will tell on Heaven can wait.