Une Fleur de Cassie

Malle’s vision of giving us perfumes of the past redone by today’s masters for today’s world wasn’t just a mandate, one gets the feeling it was an insatiable drive - he had to do it or he could not live. It’s therefore not a surprise how much he focused on florals at his brand’s launch and for the years to come, given that modern perfumery’s life has been dominated by florals, and he succeeded in his raison d’etre. Where he didn’t quite follow through on this vision seems to be Une Fleur de Cassie, which is in my top favorite Malle perfumes and yet also high on the list of ones I wear the least (for some reason). It is one of the most criminally under-appreciated perfumes from the brand, and I think that’s because there’s nothing modern about it. This is the big, grand, symphonic floral Malle seems to think was missing from yesteryear when big, grand, symphonic florals were the perfumes to make. It is decidedly and confidently old school. The Cassie Flower is also doing a lot more than giving us the scent from the humble sweet acacia plant. Why it is named this, I don’t quite understand, since sweet acacia is just one section of this massive symphony. One experience everyone should have at least once in their life is to sniff a proper flower bouquet built by a master florist. A master florist will build a bouquet to a precise vision: the arrangement will be visually striking, each flower placed in a precise location; the flowers are of the highest quality and chosen for their ability to contrast with each other and work in tandem to deliver an overall accord; the number of flowers of each type determined very judiciously to make sure the accord of the bouquet has the proper balance. That is Une Fleur de Cassie. Like a bouquet by a master florist, Dominique Ropion has created what might be his signature bouquet - yes, POAL lovers, I honestly think this might be the best perfume he’s done for Malle. Perhaps why it’s called Une Fleur de Cassie is to emphasize different aspects of Vachellia farnesiana via other florals. Sweet acacia is a funny little flower. Acacia bark is often used as a tannin ingredient for leather, and makes good dark inks; it’s high in protein and a great forage food; it smells honeyed, yellow floral like mimosa, and a touch balsamic. So, dear reader, the odds of me getting all of these complex notes/accords of the perfume identified, and correctly attaching them to an aspect of sweet acacia, is a daunting task very low in probability. At the top there are plenty of yellow and white florals, what seem to be acacia, mimosa, jasmine, and maybe lily or carnation. It’s heavily aldehydic, but the effervescence and sparkle is tempered by the deeper honey notes that each of the florals naturally carry in spades. An interesting note of cumin, quite mild but nonetheless still sweaty and dirty, strings from the top into the heart to link up with sweet acacia’s deeper and more animalic and musky qualities thanks to roses and violets. Finally at the base are evocations of sweet acacia’s deepest and darkest notes thanks to musks, vanilla, and the balsams of cedar and sandalwood. I said something at the beginning, symphonic, that I need to call back to. When an amazing orchestra is dialed-in and ready in a perfect venue, the bass section reverberates the walls and your seat, the middle frequencies make your flesh and bones tingle, and the treble rings in your ears into your teeth. With Une Fleur de Cassie, these orchestral sections are playing the chord of the cassie flower - yellow, honeyed, animalic, and balsamic floral - loud and clear in a sound check to make sure they don’t blow your eardrums out, but that the walls and seats still reverberate, your flesh and teeth still tingle, and your ears ring. I’ve failed you, dear reader. All of these incredible materials and notes overlap with each other so seamlessly that I’m finding it nearly impossible to detect where one begins and the other ends. But that’s the point, I think. For me to sit here, in my plush chair studying this perfume on my skin and a blotter, is reductive. Just enjoy it. The symphonic orchestra needs all of its sections. The bouquet has been put together by a master florist as a work of art, but you’re still going to give it to someone you love who doesn’t know that, who is going to give it a big sniff and maybe not recognize the mastery but will certainly recognize the exquisite beauty, and look back at you with loving and warmed eyes in thanks for giving them the experience and the thought. That’s the part that matters. For being able to dissect a sweet acacia flower, and reconstruct it in a way that gives us not only olfactory beauty but emotional beauty as well, Une Fleur de Cassie is one of if not the best in the Malle line.

Une Fleur de Cassie, composed by Dominique Ropion for Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle, and part of the original lineup since 2000. What a perfume! To me, this is a masterwork floral composition. A piece of olfactory art that needs to be studied and looked upon by all future generations of perfumers. There is so much emotion embodied in this creation. Retro, and old-world smelling. It plays on the duality of love. The maternal love, and the one of your lover. Mimosa and violet are used to suggest the first, cassie flower, jasmine, and musks for the latter. Cumin acts as a bridge, to instill the carnal embodiment, and breathe life into it. For me, these two themes are always suggested and interplay at all times. Ropion doesn't just create a perfect animalistic floral, he roots deep visceral emotions to it. The opening is an assault on one's senses. The juxtaposition of cumin, violet leaf, cassie, and musks emerges to create a salty, wet cardboard accord. Brutal right from the get-go and unlike anything else. It is curious, and so you keep on sniffing. It soon tames down to reveal the floral bouquet. Yellow strokes on an Oriental canvas. Mimosa and cassie flowers dominate the floral cortege. They are related, both in smell and appearance. But just like the maternal and your beloved, they call to different emotions of belonging. I adore the Cassie Flower absolute. It is among my favorite floral materials in perfumery. Unfortunately, there are very few compositions making use of it. And none like this one. It smells much like mimosa but everything is amplified, especially the animalistic quality. Heated love. The scent of your beloved's sweaty-salty skin. The base is infused with a generous amount of sandalwood, vanilla, and musk to complete the Oriental theme, and to provide extra warmth. A scent of deep mystery and lust. A perfume for introverted intellectuals with a dirty mind. Unfortunately, this perfume seems to generate polarizing reactions, and for reasons beyond me, it flies under the radar among others from the house. To make things worse, over the years Lauder took care to cut off some of its flair. Nonetheless, in my books, this will always be Ropion's most artistic work, his diamond in the rough for the bypassers and his most precious jewel for the true connoisseurs. IG:@memory.of.scents

This is like crawling into a hammock under some flowering trees and being breathed on by someone who's just spent the afternoon taking a really satisfying nap. It's totally uncanny and off the wall. I almost never want to wear another perfume again. EDIT: This is my favorite, I need to do a little bit better than the above... Une Fleur de Cassie is about real flowers still on the tree, and it spares no part of that experience. In real life, walking down a street lined with furiously blossoming trees can be overwhelming. Ask anyone with allergies or who has had their heart broken in the springtime. It's pervasive and over the top, and the person walking down this flowery street doesn't get to pick and choose which facet of this scent is currently blowing in their face. Flowers are sweet, but they are also about sex and death and pollen and synthesized weather systems and waste, and this is part of what they smell like. Anyone walking among a whole lot of blooming flowers must surrender fully to every part of the fragrance. UFdC is the same deal. I do not recommend spraying it if you are allergic to flowers or have just had your heart broken. The opening is a sharp, almost acrid burst of mimosa and white flowery sweetness. I do smell the wet cardboard thing, although not unpleasantly, along with some vanilla-inflected wintergreen or root-beeriness. Mostly, though, this is that walk down a springtime lane lined with heavily flowering trees. As it dries down, I smell sandalwood, and what's more I smell real mysore sandalwood, like in old bottles of Samsara. Don't ask me how that's possible; I don't know, but this is what it smells like to me. This sandalwood imparts a smooth oiliness that underscores the floral notes until it starts slowly sucking them under and into itself. What's left on the skin after a couple of hours is a wholly incorporated smooth-oily sweetness that smells unmistakably spent -- like flowers are spent after blooming, like bodies are spent after sex, like falling asleep is a surrender to a well-lived day. Obviously I love this, but I can see how it can be off putting to some. It doesn't smell like diapers or p**** to me, but it does smell like it knows its way around being embodied -- sex and decay and languor are part of its fierce beauty.

To understand Une Fleur de Cassie, it's prudent to make the distinction between the two acacia species used in perfumery. First, there is Acacia decurrens var. dealbata, the mimosa tree, with its clusters of yellow inflorescences. From this tree, the absolutes and extractions for the classic mimosa note are derived. However, there is another tree in the family, Acacia farnesiana, the Sweet Acacia (also known as Vachellia farnesiana and formerly known as Mimosa farnesiana, to make matters even more confusing). This tree has bright yellow pom-poms growing individually rather than in clusters. It is from this tree that Cassie absolute is extracted, and in Dominique Ropion's composition, it is rumored that it uses one of the highest percentages of the material in a modern perfume. Cassie absolute is one of my favorite perfume materials, mysterious, dark, complex, and quite tenacious. It displays a rich, radiant, honey-sweet, floral, powdery-spicy odor. Deep into the dry down, it mellows into a deep, balsamic, woody, violet-like note. Its arguably more unisex and "dirty" that its cousin Acacis decurens var. dealbata. It forms the crux of Caron's legendary Farnesiana, but here with Une Fleur, it is overdosed to a dramatic effect. The composition is one of myriad textures: powdery, dusty, creamy, unctuous, earthy. While the note is not listed, the cassie seems supported by narcissus, reminding me much of the curious scent of Narcissus poeticus. Pastel animalic violet and the slightest indolic jasmine are also detected, with a lingering pollen-like quality, reminding me of the thick, bright orange pollen on the anthers of a lily. The dry down has an ever more undulating texture and becomes muskier (on the verge of dirty drawers but not full-on) and more skin-complementary. Ropion clearly was given absolute artistic license to explore a material so unabashedly and unyieldingly, and the results are both thought-provoking and sensual. I do not find it at all challenging⁠—I am smitten with it, but I would hazard a guess that this is one is not for everyone. Be that as it may, every fragrance fanatic should give it a sniff if for nothing else, reference. A compelling and brilliant composition and my favorite from the Frederic Malle house.

First of all, like many perfumes on this site that for whatever reason someone chose to misrepresent, this perfume is a shared perfume for men and women alike according to the creator. Back about 15 years ago I bought Gal Violet soaps from the Duty Free shop at the Madrid airport and fell in love the the tart violetty sparkly andahydic scent which even their own violet perfume did not have and vowed that if I even found anything similar that would be my signature scent. Well, one sniff of Une Fleur de Cassie and it was clear I had found it. I have always been totally in love with the violet-orris ionene-irone smell but this smell is a fresher perkier and a but more tart of a scent. And it seems to have the sparkle of andehydes. To me if there were such thing as violet sweettarts this is what they would be like. From start to finish I find this perfume to be sweet in a effervescent and refreshingly clean and invigorating way. As a perfumer I know the overall effect is there as a result of mimosa, cassie, carnation, rose, sandalwood, black locust, vanilla and car rant leaves but I find they are so well blended I cannot begin to smell them apart from each other. As far as I can smell Ropion as taken total command of his raw materials and has interwoven them so tightly that from beginning until it fades away a good 6+ hours after application we smell acacia flowers and nothing else. The sillage is a good distance that most anyone in your general vicinity will smell you but it is gentle and subtle enough that it is sure to be in a pleasing and gentle way. It is a very specific smell and I feel there will be a lot of lovers and a lot of haters and not a lot of people who feel impartial. Yet, for all those around you the smell is pleasant enough that even those who don't care for it will not run for the nearest source of fresh air. So my advice is that if you like mimosa, acacia, and/or violet-orris to try a sample or even better a decant and see how you like it. Even though this is not am absolute favorite perfume and now my signature scent, I can certainly see why it is not for everybody. But for those of us who love it, it is a real masterpiece unlike any other perfume on the market, well worth the hefty price.

Une Fleur de Cassie may be one of the most underrated perfumes from Frédéric Malle. It is a wonderfully textured aldehydic floral that explores the multifaceted and rarely-used acacia flower. When I first heard of UFdC, I assumed its name referred to cassis/blackcurrant. Instead, it is this mimosa-like yellow floral note, Acacia farnesiana (thanks to @alphairone below for the name of the particular species used here) that this scent concentrates on. Enhanced (maybe predictably, but to perfection) by a sweet, powdery mimosa note, the acacia is the true star here. Alternatingly powdery, sweet, shimmering and hazy throughout, this multifaceted flower is firmly placed centre-stage throughout - given a rare chance to shine. However, UFdC is not a crowdpleaser - it is an artistic perfume that requires contemplation. UFdC's opening is akin to wet cardboard as @brokesta911 below puts it so perfectly. I was initially unsure about it until the bright-yet-uncharacteristically-soft aldehydes emerged, providing the perfect backdrop for the florals to unfurl on. Thereafter, it is all about the yellow floral accord. The acacia is soft, developing slowly to reveal its powdery, polleny sweetness. Almond-like mimosa enhances it to perfection. I am much more familiar with the scent of mimosa, but as far as I can tell here, the acacia is similar, but is more dry - almost dusty - and has a hint of green smokiness. It becomes sweeter as it develops, helped by some restrained clean, sweet jasmine and powdery rose. I get a hint of powdery iris later on. This bouquet is as hazy and dreamlike as it is unusual. To me, it is like L'Eau d'Hiver's summer counterpart. As it dries down, soft, quiet woody notes emerge, and restrained vanilla prolongs the floral sweetness. The remnants of the floral heart remain until it fades, becoming a sweet, musky skin scent. On me, sillage and longevity are moderate. Creative and intriguing, UFdC is a beautiful spring/summer floral scent. It is vintage in style, yet feels utterly original. A quiet, understated thing of beauty. L'Eau d'Eté. 4.5/5.

Fragrantica describes Cassie or mimosa, as the aroma of childhood, and a mother's embrace. It does remind me of the smell of clean skin. So there is this intimate facet that's nice. The name Cassie is another name for mimosa; I was confusing it with the cassis note here, which is the black current leaves. The mimosa is naturally sweet, the cassis is green. The cassie flower, are the blossoms of a thorny shrub that grows mostly in warmer climate zones. So living in the North East, I have never seen them in the wild. This is very calming floral, that's not very girly. I'm a guy who can't wear many unisex florals, and some florals for men, such as "Lyric Man" are too feminine for me. The mimosa here is an almondy, child-like, soft, cucumber-ish floral. The jasmine discreetly brightens it up, a touch of rose and aldehydes freshen it up. And I love the cassis that is amazingly green and earthly. There is something dewy or watery about it, reminding me of violets. Its so beautiful and natural smelling. The Jasmine/ mimosa accord is stunning. Its is so beautifully floral, jasmine, yet it's so green and natural, feeling totally gender neutral. This fragrance is the most that way, than any fragrance I have tried: being mostly floral, yet gender neutral at the same time This is a winner! This is a beautiful uplifting green floral. It is very Diptyquey; If you like the natural, earthy Diptyque fragrances, this is along those lines. I do get the indolic jasmine that gives it a bright floral, somewhat feminine touch, but the mimosa brings it down to an earthy plane. All in all, its very much to my liking. Im enjoying it on a warmer Winter day, allthough its best in Springtime I think. This is marketed for woman only, while Frederic Malle Lys Mediterrenee is marketed as unisex? Lys Med. is much more girly, but the marketing is trying to draw in some guys; While Fleur Cassie is much more gender neutral, but is wanting not to loose woman buyers by marketing it, for woman only. That's the house strategy on it, I think. Rating: 9/10 God bless. John 3:16

Dominique Ropion is a unique perfumist which I love because I really enjoyed it all works for Malle, nobody is currently working floral fragrances with the skill with which he does, from his brutal and hyper realistic Carnal Flowers to the offender "New Romantic "Fleur de Cassie sexy tremendously. It seems confusing, but in French literature of the eighteenth and nineteenth century cassia flower with mimosa was confused, so in this paper, is still maintained that sought confusion of old and queen of this floral bouquet is the yellow and fragrant flower mimosa Australian, as does the French writer Merimee to describing Carmen of which soon would become famous opera. The aroma of this cuddly feel powerful, bright and warm as the winter sun, golden like gold, sensual lips as Carmen. Ropion mimosa retains all its facets more features: honeyed and very dusty, colored by flowers like rose, jasmine, and a spicy note provided by the carnation, all topped off by the note of all of Cassie or yellow flower cassia, leaving impacting timidly like a forbidden glimpse and carnal love. The striking woody drydown is soft sandalwood becomes rubbery and animal to dramatize and emphasize the carnal, the sexual passion of Carmen that primarily feels free from bondage and possessive touch. Fleur de Cassie is a scent that is contracted to himself in search of freedom, transgressive because it is a different, unique aroma, where the root is taken from fragrances of the past but with a very avant-garde results. The duration is very good with a moderate but fairly accurate projection, with excellent qualities in terms of essences. The fragrance is the closest thing to wearing a couture dress, is a compact set, studied as a colossal work of engineering, very glamorous without being pretentious, is refined elegance, and though you do not like floral fragrances, not I do, because I love them, you have to surrender to works of art so compelling and unique as this Fleur de Cassie. Rating: 9.7

Paris in the 1930s. Springtime, retro luxury. It’s almost tragic how little this fragrance sells, a fact proven by how easily vintage bottles can still be found in nearly every perfumery that carries Frederic Malle. Just a few words on the difference between the vintage and the current version. The vintage is undeniably superior. The key distinction lies in the opening: in the vintage, you immediately sense my favorite aspect of the fragrance an uncompromising, indolic animalic note in full force. The newer version opens much drier, with that animalic facet significantly toned down. An attempt was clearly made to recreate its impression using alternative molecules, but it ultimately fails. From the drydown onward, the two versions are essentially identical. However, my favorite part is precisely that opening, the one the vintage possesses and the new version lacks. After the initial phase, the scent transforms into a powdery, yellow-floral composition: dry, soapy, immensely rich and impeccably rounded. A sophisticated powdery veil follows, leaving an almost physical aftertaste in the throat, as if the senses are experiencing it on a deeper, more visceral level. This is, without question, my no.1 Frederic Malle fragrance. Anyone who already owns perfumes from this house and decides to purchase this one should consider it the crown jewel of their collection, at least, that was the case for me. Frederic Malle is an institution when it comes to floral perfumery, and this fragrance represents the very pinnacle of that identity. It is the brand’s calling card, a perfect example of what Frederic Malle truly stands for. My surroundings have never been particularly fond of this perfume, but that has never concerned me. This is not a fragrance meant to please others, it is worn purely for personal enjoyment. I believe that many are not worthy of it, and that many simply do not understand it.

(UPDATE: I have 2 different samples of this and neither smell even remotely the same. My review was based on a sample from The Perfumed Court. The official Malle 5 ml sample smells very peculiar and nothing like what I described in my review. I am wondering if they put the wrong fragrance in my vial from the PC or if the Malle sample is bad. I wish I knew what it was because I like it a lot more than the real Cassie. :( Makes you wonder how many unfair reviews are out there based on bad samples.) If someone blind folded me and had me sniff the opening then asked me who I thought made it, my immediate thought would be Chanel...but a Chanel I had never smelled before. It is like a Chanel with a TINY splash of very diluted Joy. The little twang that you smell in Joy that makes it a little dirty smelling (but in a good way). It settles down into a much gentler fragrance, a much softer, cleaner somewhat sweet floral. To me, it is basically like two completely different perfumes with two totally different feels. A beautiful fragrance that reminds me SO much of something that I just can not place. This is an old school retro smell but not in an outdated way. It is a reflection of past "big" fragrances without smelling just like them. A softer version. It reminds me of something a child would dab on when her mom wasn't looking. It has a very "adult" vibe to it. I think this is a very elegant fragrance that would reflect refined taste. This is definitely a "dress" scent to me. And I mean an actual dress, not "dressy". Something you would smell on someone in a more formal setting. I like this very much and I can see where it would be a love for some. It is a beautiful mixed floral.

It should be noted, that I tested a very minute amount from a sample vial. I imagine that a full spray would be much stronger, so I can't accurately comment about projection. I should also note that I tested this on one arm, and at the same time Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur on the other. It was actually a nice combination. MR had more projection considerably, but I also used more from the MR tester. That said, this is gentle, innocent, soft, and joyful. As odd as this may sound, it smells like a clean, powdered child in the sun. It evokes feelings of peace and serenity; as if everything will be alright in the world. Yet, it is also intriguing and sexy in a subtle, confident, and very classy way. It is not overt, and although it smells like child-like, I feel this would be more appropriate on a woman over 25. As it opens, aldehydes intertwine with a very realistic and heart-stopping mimosa that really makes me swoon. At the moment the mimosa note wins over the aldehydes, I wish I had more lung capacity to breath in this heavenly scent. Beyond the aldehydes, which are not even listed as a note, and the mimosa, I can detect a bit of creamy sandalwood and vanilla, a touch of cassis. Perhaps a hint of jasmine. I have tested hundreds of perfumes, due to an insatiable desire to want to smell EVERYTHING. I enjoy variety, and I haven't reached for the same perfume bottle from one day to the next in over five years. That said, I love Une Fleur de Cassie so much that it has SIGNATURE potential! I could imagine wearing it for any occasion, all seasons, day or night. To sum it up, this is magical.

Une Fleur de Cassie is a golden cloud of mimosa, light as air but thick with pollen, as if the whole tree shook itself awake in the morning sun. Fluffy, powdery, but not in the irritating antihistamine-requiring way—this is the kind of powder that lingers in the air, that clings to skin like the softest dusting of yellow petals, non-allergenic but nose-tickling. It’s of a mellowed sweetness, but not of yellowed syrupiness. Like traces of honey trapped in warm wood, hazy and of soft mood. I'm starting to rhyme—very indicative that Cassie is giving me a good time. For those worried about cat-pee nuances, I will admit that cassis at the start is rather prominent, a fleeting bite of something dark and tart, but it doesn’t stay on the forefront for long, perhaps fortunately. It fades into the background soon enough and remains pretty invisible for the rest of the scent, mimosa taking over completely—airy at first, like the wind carrying its nature-embedded scent through an open window, then denser, richer, with a quiet hum of sandalwood underneath. The rose is barely there, just a few crushed petals pressed between the pages of an old book, more memory than flower. Less like walking through a garden peppered with the yellow floral, more like finishing your makeup in the middle of a forest, brushing on loose powder as the scent of warm, sunlit wood curls around you. It also shouldn’t be edible, but somehow, it kind of is. A terribly lovely scent, stunningly suitable for all events.

As soon as I put Une Fleur de Cassie on I knew - this is it, I have finally found F. Malle perfume for myself, but only until I experienced drydown I was totally and utterly in love. Today I wear a different perfume, but I cannot think of anything else but Une Fleur de Cassie, so it must be love. The smell of yesterday remained all over my son's T-shirt and it's been calling me across the room the whole day today, magically, as if it's Sauron and I am Frodo, the poor ring bearer, trying to resist the calling... only the calling is beautiful, not dreadful :D Another interesting thing is that I cannot bring myself to over-analyze this fragrance. I can only say it smells as retro as something a grandma could wear (violet, carnation), but at the same time it is daring (cumin, cassis), it is passionate (cassie, black locust, jasmine), full of emotions (rose) and warmth (sandalwood, vanilla, musk). It is dirty, spoiled, compromised, it is pure, innocent, sweet, it's womanly and childlike. It is a wild, complex fragrance with the most touching, angelic drydown and the amplitude and the range of emotions it is capable of stirring is simply amazing... After initial blast the sillage is moderate on my skin, but longevity is great; it wraps around me like a gentle, warm hug. I don't ever want to be without it (OMG I really sound crazed and in love LOL). *Thanks to a lovely fellow Fragrantican for this fantastic olfactory opportunity.*

Dominique Ropion is a genius of a perfumer. He is also a sorcerer. Une Fleur de Cassie could have been formulated during a full moon on the midnight hour. In a hidden back room of an apothecary in the Dark Ages. Its ingredients forbidden, sourced from the deepest recess of a forest where even the brave dare not tread. Amongst them, black locust, which if it were the insect rather than the flower, I'd actually be more inclined to believe to be true. Enigmatic and cyptic, this is a floral that's more pollen than flower, herbal without the presence of herbs and has a strange bitterness that you don't just smell but taste - permeating beyond the nasal cavity into the mouth and coating the tongue. All is not as it seems. And yet..it's so utterly bewitching. Like the car crash you just can't avert your gaze from, this will have you inhaling deeply again and again, intoxicated by something that doesn't feel quite right, but powerless to stop. It will confuse, frustrate, lurk in the shadows and do its utmost to resist revealing its secrets. But it will also ensnare and beguile you. Un Fleur de Cassie is a mirage in the Malle line, the outlier, the one you perpetually overlook at the perfume counter for no discernible reason, the one you never get round to testing from your various sample vials. Once you do, however, you'll never forget it. I don't want a bottle; I need a bottle.

Wow! I am speechless. This might just become my favorite Frederic Malle. This one is so unique, weird and lovely at the same time. Hard to describe. Many people say this one is funky, animalic, and indolic. I just don't get that. To me, it opens up really harsh. For the first 5 minutes or so smells really chaotic, salty, bitter, dry, wet cardboard. Insane! However, after it settles down it becomes the most beautiful floral I've ever smelled. A huge floral bouquet with mimosa and acacia in the lead, laying on a bed of vanilla, musk, and sandalwood. I would say it is a floral oriental. The acacia gives it a very interesting twist. It has a unique pasty, musty, waxy, buttery accord. It's also powdery, sweet, reminds me of pollen and honey. At times it has a bit of saltyness to it. It makes me think about many things. It makes me picture spending the day in our school art class studio, with the canvas and the oil paint smell, the window open and the breeze of spring coming in the room. It makes me think about the salty-sweaty skin of a beautiful woman smelling of mimosa. Overall it is a gorgeous and unique composition. It is a very personal scent. It performs really well for what it wants to showcase. Stays really nice around yourself with an elegant sillage and great longevity. Never expected this one to be such a beautiful surprise.

I am a huge Frederic Malle fan, and all my top three FM perfumes are Dominique Ropion creations (Carnal Flower, Une Fleur de Cassie, Geranium pour Monsieur). Une Fleur de Cassie is my favorite fragrance of my entire collection. I ́ve been hesitating to write a review on it for that reason, I can ́t possibly do it justice with my petty little words. Still going to try though, so here we go. It ́s breathtakingly beautiful. The first times I tried Une Fleur de Cassie, I was put off by the aldehydes in the opening. But this one you have to give time, after the opening stage Une Fleur de Cassie reveals the secret that lies beneath. Perfection! Thick, yellow, floral, sensual. Not going to go into detail on the notes as other reviewers do that better than me. Besides, I don ́t think it ́s important in this case, it ́s all about the creation as a whole. It ́s like a summers evening after a hot day, like a bumblebee full of sticky, yellow pollen. It ́s like standing in the golden sunlight in a forest glade, peering into the dark green shadows of the forest. Skin and fur. Melancholic and warm. Intimate and comforting. I ́m just going to stop now, this review is not getting any better.. Une Fleur de Cassie is a HUGE love for me, but it ́s not a safe blind buy, and it ́s not for everyone. If you try it, remember to give it time.

This is a clean, soft skin scent, totally adorable and easy to wear, but everyone is different. Let me say for a start that sprayed is different than dabbed (i dabbed mine). And on skin you get totally different reaction than on cardboard. On cardboard it a bit *nasty*. I get some chemical note, like rubber, but it must be the aldheides. But not unpleasant. On the skin, I smell a lot of violet, although its not listed, and I immediately thought "this is next of kin to Dans tes Bras" (another Malle that I adore). But then it evolves. I get a LOT of iris in its rooty, earthy tone, the same Iris you get in Iris Pallida or Après l'Ondée. But Cassie is mainly powdery, to my nose. Again, on a cardboard the jasmine emerges, but I do not find it too indolic, it is pleasant. On my skin, jasmine does not develop (and it is a note that I adore, and I'd love to smell it). The drydown is soft, powdery, resinous, warm. The iris is not so cold anymore. No detection of sweet mimosa (too sickly for me), or probably it is a mimosa not interpreted the usual way ! But I do smell sweet lilac (again not listed but it could be a different rendering of the mimosa). To me this is a fantastic scent; abolutely soft and not overpowering. Lasting power is not more than one hour, alas.

MASTERPIECE! If you love Mimosa flowers and aldehydes, you HAVE TO try this one. It is marketed as a woman's perfume, but I am a (daring) dandy man and I love it. Initially I was confused by the name and thought of the also yellow flowering Cassia plant, but it is an abstract perfumery creation of the flower of Cassis, the black currant plant. Correct me if I am wrong, but I cannot imagine the Cassis flower (that are rather unspectacular doldrums of mini greenish/ white flowers on the bush). The berry fruits as we know however have very potent olfactory qualities and so do have the leaves. (The fruits have tons of vitamin C by the way. More than any other European fruit, I believe). Locust and Mimosa form the powdery and powerful top of the bouquet but you can also make out a lovely soft rose and a very faint jasmine. The soapiness, triggered by aldehydes and perhaps the dry sandalwood note, perfectly juxtapose and balance the initial sweetness. A joyful, enticing pleasure to wear this time of year in early spring if you want something strong, yet sharp and unusual. Try also AMOUAGE "Library Collecton OPUS III" which is a similar direction yet much sweeter and wetter and warm-woodier. Cannot rate this highly enough! 10/10

First off, thank you @alphairone (see below) for explaining some of the different facets of mimosa scent. I love your reviews in general, and how you specifically explained that Une Fleur de Cassie uses the Sweet Acacia in this composition. Mimosa is one of my favorite florals, in all its different distillations, origins and forms. Une Fleur de Cassie is comfort in a bottle. Une Fleur de Cassie opens fresh and with an animalic undertone. It’s not off putting, but there’s a nice dose of skank. I wanted to point this out as I didn’t pick up as much of this “dirty underwear” smell in the dry down as alphairone did directly below my review. This all mellows within the first hour to something softer and rounder... fuller if that makes sense. Sweet, pretty and powdery. Performance was respectable, lasting several hours while lightly projecting. I’m at the end of a sampling binge, trying to get through another dozen or so scents in two days. I liked this one so much that I decided to wear it for the remaining day. I’ll binge my way through the rest after I’ve had time to luxuriate in this scent for as long as possible. I don’t say masterpiece often but that’s exactly how I feel about this perfume.

Creamy, animalic, dirty and musky mimosa with Cassie, sandalwood and a bit of vanilla. As Ropion said: "Cassie is like mimosa but stronger and more mysterious." The smell of this fragrance is dirty and mysterious. That's true. Une Fleur De Cassie is one of the fragrances with the highest percentage of Cassie absolute in it. According to Ropion, it is very difficult to work with Cassie and he has reached maximum for this piece of art. I have to say that this is one of the most challenging perfumes from the entire FM line to accept and love, but when you "click" - that's it! Definitely not a fragrance for compliments, this is a masterpiece that you wear for yourself. Several years ago they have stopped Une Fleur De Cassie production for a moment. Frederic and Ropion were not satisfied with the current quality of Cassie Absolute on the market. So there is no need to worry about the year of production, each bottle is of pure quality. I'm glad that current quality of Cassie is good and that this fragrance is not discontinued. I've managed to get the Vintage version, but the new one is almost equally good - don't worry about it. New formulation: 81% Vintage version: 84.5%

If your dirty underwear smells like this you must be an angel or something (in response to other reviews below). I blind bought a rather expensive 10 ml tester. I tested it on paper and was really not sure .... Something was too strong in there ... I was disappointed. Then I tested it in my hair and neck a couple of days after and this is heavenly. It's a realistic yellow floral perfume. It's not the perfectly clean and super pretty floral we are used to in female perfumery these days. It's the raw and natural thing. I can smell a bit of dirt of pollen in there. It's the country girl version of a designer floral perfume I'd say. It has the vibe of a not so clean florist shop, the ones full of scrap of flowers in the backstore (living in a NYC borough there's plenty of these near my apartment). Yes it is a mimosa perfume but the real thing and not a perfumery interpretation of clean-girly mimosa. 2 sprays in my hair and I'm good to go for indoor occasions. Longevity is quite good. I am sold. That perfume fits my temperament. The good thing is it still being sold at ok prices because it is not super popular so I can easily get a FB soon.

I need to be in the right frame of mind to pull off wearing this perfume; like when my evil doppelganger makes an appearance and I am suddenly feeling like a mischievous, sexy trickster, up for fun. My two favorite perfumes from Frederic Malle are Carnal Flower and Une Fleur de Cassie. To me they are like twin sisters; one light and one dark. Carnal Flower is fresh and light; like being in a light-filled greenhouse full of creamy dreamy tuberose. Une Fleur de Cassie is like being in a mysterious greenhouse at night, by the light of the full moon, with silvery snakes in the grass and spiders weaving glittery webs. Thoroughly gorgeous, but a little dark, mysterious, complex. It's the fragrance to wear when you live life like a giant adventure, when it unfolds in ways you could never have expected. It it's an embodiment of the Hunter S. Thompson quote, “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!” -Hunter S. Thompson, "Gonzo"

I've had this fragrance for a long time and had worn it only a few times in the past, but never with the intention of really "wearing" it or getting to know it. I just reached for it when I wanted to wear something different. It's bright, sweet, feminine, and makes me feel VERY happy when I wear it. The first time I wore it, I swear I felt more friendly, more pretty, and like I couldn't stop talking. This is actually the first fragrance that I've experienced with mimose taking on a leading role and I like it. It's sparkly like soda. Warm like the sun, and sweet like...(i don't know you fill it in here). This is a very, very, very friendly fragrance. I applied it before boarding a flight from LA to NY with a ridiculous layover and it lasted about 9-10 hours. This along with Apres L'Ondee are two fragrances that I use sparingly because I don't want to run out. I teeter between this being a show-stopper and just an interesting scent, but it's one that I plan to keep in my collection for a long time!

Powdery with a nutty undertone and the leathery sweetness of mimosa is quite different and nice. I smell violets wrapped in leather and sandalwood. The almond note and the violet smell is heaven. I love this as soon as it hits my skin all the way through to the heavenly sandalwood dry down, musk mixed with sandalwood never fails. Its creamy and classy, sweet and astringent , classic ! Fragrantica fails to list the most important aspect of this beauty, aldehyde. Same with lipstick rose ( another one of my favourites) and iris poudre all have plenty of aldehyde which is not listed here. Very misleading for the ones that love it or hate it. As it's such a huge part of this fragrance. Notes on other sites include bergamot, Rose, violet, aldehyde, Cassie,mimosa,Jasmine ,clove ceder wood sandalwood and musk , And that makes way more sense. I smell the violets , the ceder and the cloves and Lots of aldehyde. Notes here are wrong . Excellent review bellow by Christiane1

To keep up with the generation Z colloquialism, this is the perfect perfume for Dark Academia. For those who hold the belief that this perfume is too mature for the younger crowd, I’m afraid I may have to differ. There’s something romantic and chic about a young woman wearing perfume as nostalgic as Une Fleur de Cassie going about this curious world. Her perfume acts as an anchor to her memory of comfort; the smell of her mother gave her conviction in her every bold move. Alas, her mother was her age as well when she was wearing something like this. Yet it is her first taste of luxury, for the price of mimosa absolut of this quality is unheard of. Perhaps it’s because this perfume shines like well polished vintage gold. It’s not a crowd pleaser but then nor is she. She’s the sole wearer of this scent in the room and for that it gave her quiet power. This is not her day to day scent, but one that gives her comfort and intuition when she needs them.

This is magnificent! Such a unique creation and yet there is something so familiar about it, reminds me of old times and perfumes from the 60's. A pure vintage masterpiece. I don't really get the all "pissy" comments because before I got into niche perfumery, everything with leather in it smelled like TF Hombre Leather + shoebox. Basically my nose palette could not comprehend anything complex and was just grasping for any familiar smell the perfume is triggering in my mind. Also, people often read the notes and go "Oh well, this says it has musk in it, so that's probably cat pee". So combine that prejudice and poor experience with true niche brands (if you only try brands like Parfums de Marly, Creed, Kilian, Initio, Le Labo etc) you're not really venturing into niche, you are just tiptoeing around overpriced crowd-pleasing section. This could definitely be a signature scent for someone, it's that original. Hats off to you mister Ropion. Bravo!

Starts off a little heady then becomes an incredible powdery yellow floral with hints of pink. The balance of each note between the aldehydes, florals, sandalwood and musks. OMG think Dominique Ropion meets Wagner’s Valkyrie. All the cylinders are firing all the time and in continuous synchronicity yes they adjust up and down but the meticulous attention to detail and note perfect is beyond words. If anyone needed further proof Dominique is a genius please behold Une Fleur De Cassie. The sheer technical skill is mind blowing. It is chic, elegant and sophisticated. I would definitely dress this up to match the retro feel and do the scent justice. Haute couture here. Mr. Salmon at Amouage and whoever the hell is managing creative direction at FM please take note. The audience is there for original creations. We don’t need to buy a paco rabanne style fragrance in a FM or Amouage bottle. We the connoisseurs of the community can tell the difference.

I just happened to recently buy a bottle of the pre-estee lauder acquisition version of cassie. It still has the 6 digit batch codes I also have an official recent sample so i can compare with confidence Its very different, the almost “plaster” smell that is in the new versions is not there in the original formulas. The beginning is more “alive” not necessarily animalic but absolutely more interesting and lends a sort of slight muskiness to the beautiful polleny mimosa/cassie. Its like you have peak springtime on your wrist. The impression is very “yellow flower” and it lasts for a very long time, i still got the scent pretty nicely after 8 hours and my skin usually eats floral notes for breakfast (read:they last for 2 hours max) This experience and subsequent wearings made this rise to a top 5 scent for me, i really recommend getting your nose on a early formulation as i believe it may be malles best

Composed by Cominique Ropion, it was part of the original launch of Frederic Malle The composition rotates toward cassie absolute that may resemble mimosa, but it is deeper, greener, and perhaps heavier and sourer than the former. In Une fluer de Cassie, you will smell some the anised facets of the absolute, its warmth and honey powdery undertones. It is cleary the completion of Amarige Mimosa composed by Ropion for Givenchy. Une Fleur de Cassie is all at once powdery, dusty, creamy, unctuous, and earthy. There may be my beloved narcissus at play, rendering the drydown animalic when it joins a pastel quality violet (more of an impression) and the slightest indolic jasmine. I have a feeling of flowers replete of pollen. The drydown is deep, balsamic, and woody unil it gets muskier and muskier with a hint (a tiny hint) of dirtyness. My favourite from Malle! Consider me following on IG @alexolympia6

Noir Epices, Dans tes bras and Une Fleur de Cassie are the most misunderstood and worst selling FM products (The market is full of that trio in Vintage forms) Dark warm and deep hard core retro floral, very polarized and challenging for some. Opening part is a bit in your face, dusty and animalic (rather indolic) while drydown smells more powdery "yellow" and easy going. Luxury, sophisticated, concealed seductive and comfortable. Remember, this "work" different on a different weather conditions. Wearing it on a 40c is like a body cream you put on skin after long day on a beach, creamy, salty and "healthy". Cassie is a great example of what is Frederic Malle about. If you want to understand FM as a house, first try to understand this fragrance. I have no doubt, this is the best floral so far!

There is a wonderful project behind this juice: it seems that a 80 or 90 years old (relevant!) know- how with the aim of charming people while putting a scented spell on them is here really achieved! I personally consider this fragrance a bridge between the most intriguing fragrances of the past with their rich complexity and the modernity of those of today. As usual Mr Ropion with the class of a real, great artist, has 'organized' this 'picture' adding also a deep sense of joy. Beautiful since the very beginning, evolution without any bad surprises. Good longevity and majestic sillage. I can only agree with all your positive reviews! ; ) For instance I've been wearing it from noon up to now (20,25 p.m.) during a very hot Italian summer day!

I tried 'Une Fleur de Cassie' some months ago and somehow it didn't 'sit right' for me then. I've grown to love it though. It expresses spring and early summer for me in a way that's very unusual. I definitely think the Cassis and jasmine add the subtly animalic edge that make this feel 'outdoorsy' - there's a touch of wilderness or at least grassy meadow here, even a bit of horse hay and saddle perhaps! Yet it's still a 'perfume' - i.e. pretty, sophisticated. My only complaint is how quickly it fades. The sillage is good for an hour, then it disappears after a couple of hours on my skin, sadly. Lovely, unique and classy. I'd wear this for a daytime garden party - or any occasion that calls for a summer dress and being outdoors.

Just received a full, second hand, seasoned bottle of this beauty and I’m just in love with it. The juice has darkened and it is just gorgeous. I tried to look up to see what year it was but it looks like an older bottle based on the color, compared to my sample. It has more depth and strength than the sample I ordered. The first two minutes of the opening which I fear most people judge is a tad animalic then it settles into the most addicting, yellow floral, powdery, high end body lotion type fragrance on my skin. It’s so addicting. I could not help but smell the back of my hand all day. I am tempted to buy a new bigger back up bottle, but I fear that it won’t be as good as this one. 10/10

A true, sublimely blended mimosa, true to the flower! I've had two tiny bottles of mimosa oil over the years, based on curiosity from a reference in the 1940's film The Uninvited in which the heroine/ingenue's ghost mother announced her appearance with the warm smell of Spanish mimosa. One tiny vial was from ca. 1977 and the other recent from Artisan Aromatics. Both have indeed been warm, "plump", slightly animalic, drily sweet, leathery. Une Fleur de Cassis is dead-on mimosa with little supporting cast. It's drying down softly with maybe a bit of wood and a gentle spice note. Glorious! Je vous aime, chér Dominique!!!

As Dr b14 points out. There are confusing terms of the notes here. Cassis and Cassie. This fragrance has both, and they are different. This is Predominantly a mimosa blossom fragrance. Mimosa is the yellow blossom of the Cassie tree. Cassis, is the green leaf of the black currant bush. So the name Fleur de Cassie, correctly highlights the main note, the flower of the Cassie tree, Mimosa. I was enjoying wearing this today. It's unique and vintage classic smelling. For me about the best floral that I can wear as a guy. It is gender neutral. Mitsouko extrait and Areej Grandinia are my other 2 favorite florals.

Beautiful fragrance, but just so light. I purchased a 10ml travel sprayer and had to use quite a lot in order to get any sort of silage from it. I had the same issue with Iris Poudre and En Passant too. I guess these light florals have their place in our wardrobes, but I would have preferred if this were a little stronger and longer lasting. Other than that, I like this so much more than the other two I mentioned that I might overlook that little defect (for me) and purchase a bottle. It really is a gorgeous perfume. Edit - I don't get anything dirty, skanky, or animalic on my skin.

When I first smelled this I was like "meh". It was okay. Nothing to write home about. Was I mad? This stuff is absolutely glorious, floral from the gods, a balance of chic and dirty, of formal sublime florals combined with a casual earthiness that I can't quite put my finger on. It's beautiful with an edge....like a combination of the Queen and the King's mistress. There is something tawdry mingling with the elegance. It's like wearing an evening gown on a bus. I'm so thankful I didn't give up on Cassie or write her off. This stuff is exquisite.

Blimey, where to start. Yes it's skanky and dirty, sort of wrong, a sort of pudendal funk that arrests the senses, but it works. Nothing else compares to this. I'm not sure where I'd where it, but then when I've felt that way about other perfumes I've come to realise it doesn't matter. You just wear it when it feels time, and wear it with pride. Update: just discovered I'd smelt the 2016 batch, then I tried the recent formulation, and found it horrifying. It smells like wet farts, very very wrong indeed and I couldn't wait to wash it off.

This is simply brilliant. A great example of what real perfumery is. A perfect machine where all the parts work meticolously, in their own place, with an incredible timing, in the right way. Une Fleur De Cassie is the total oppsite of minimalism but is so well orchestrated that all you can do is take your hats off and appreciate it. A dirty-floral composition almost animalic with a pretty usual pyramid but with an unique smell. If this is not skill, you tell me what it is...A masterwork and a must try for everybody. Rating: 9/10

Frederic Malle Une Fleur de Cassie (2000) - mimosa aldehyde - Of all the Malle’s, this perfume by #dominiqueropion is one of my favorites and also has a vintage inspired flair. Go beyond the wet cardboard smell at the start and it develop and let the warmth of your skin paint the journey. From there, I get powdery Mimosa, animalic notes, Jasmine, dry Iris amidst sparkling and waxy aldehydes. The perfume with its well-constructed musks and amber accord make the perfume radiate off the wearer like second skin.

I fell in love when i smell it for the very first time. It' simply amazing old school scent. I enjoy every second of Cassie, and don't feel sorry for the persons in my personal area which didn't like the smelling traill of itself. To be clear, this is higlhy polarized hard core floral fragrance. Creamy sandalwood, soapy aldehydes and powdery yellow florals. Extremly sophisticated yet nostalgic. My no.1 floral scent so far.

I am very happy to get 50ml bottle of this masterpiece. I tested it every day for a week and ... only on paper. Erotic animalic from opening through the journey is mixed with pretty yellow flower. It is certainly challenging, but addictive with welcoming fluffy. Vanilla in the drydown is a nice touch, underneath but recognizable, which helps prolong the sense. One of the masterpiece of Dominique Ropion.

Frederic Malle said this perfume was for the connoisseurs. And he is absolutely right about that. The smell of this perfume is unique, elegant, sophisticated, retro but at the same time modern. Performance is really good, and it was created by no other than the king of Florals, Dominique Ropion. A MASTERPIECE in capital letters. 10 out of 10 in my book, one of my all time favorites.

Fleur de Cassie est " mon " EDPFM. Je le trouve terriblement addictif. Il est, de plus, empreint de beaucoup de nostalgie car il me fait inévitablement penser à une poupée que j'avais reçue en cadeau à Noël . Sur moi, UFDC me rappelle l'odeur quand j'ai déballé mon cadeau. J'aime le porter au printemps quand le soleil réchauffe ses notes florales absolues et lumineuses.

If Musc Ravageur is for extroverted, attention seeking people and clubbing, Une Fleur de Cassie is for mature, sophisticated, and poised individuals with a dirty mind. For all of you beautiful intellectuals who love and appreciate this perfume, I would also suggest that you try Masque Milano Romanza. Different scent profile, but a very similar vibe and structure.

It opens with old fashioned floral notes, including iris-like touches that recall classic Guerlains such as L'Heure Bleue and Après L'Ondée. After 10 or 15 minutes, it turns more animalic and soapy with the beautiful florals still projecting. There’s a melancholic, nostalgic quality to it... a vintage feel that much of modern perfumery lacks. 8/10

This is my all time favorite. I have never ever loved a perfume as much as this one..I become addicted to this beautiful mimosa-carnation dream that has the strangest powdery creaminess I come across. Ok, this smells like dramatical-retro happiness, being happy and sad at the same time..like a beautiful mimosa sitting in the scar of a smile..

I'm not sure I can do a good review so will just say I love it, it's sultry, exotic and sexy. Feels like a tight black dress with black cherry lipstick and shiny curls, in a 1950s club. I don't get the cumin, just the sweetness of the cassis, the vaguely might blooming flower and some underlying heady musk. Yum.

This is the golden standard fragrance which has higher percentage mimosa and Cassie absolute that I can smell from beginning to end. All the ingredients in extraordinary harmony as well. Une Fleur de Cassie is not typical floral fragrance for sure. Romantic, sensual and mystical.

The words not enough to describe this. Un Fleur de Cassie is full of melancholy flowers, artistical, stuck-up, unique! This is an example of modernt art in perfumery.It is an expropriator shadow for degenereted perfume world. This is why I really love Malle's work. Sypmhonic!