FRAPIN
CARAVELLE EPICEE

2007

PERFUMER
Jeanne-Marie Faugier

Nutmeg
Coriander

Caraway
Pepper
Chili Pepper
Guaiac Wood

Tobacco
Sandalwood
Amber
Patchouli

‘Caravelle Epicée provides a sumptuous hot and concentrated treasures of the Old and New World, on a sensual base of amber elixir. An ode to spice, mastered by Jeanne-Marie Faugier.’ – Frapin

Frapin is a house that’s generally offering great value for money. Caravelle Epicée is a tad too spice-focused to be a love for me, but a great fragrance nonetheless.

This one sparked my intrigue because of a comparison to Serge Lutens Arabie, which is a favorite of mine. However, Caravelle Epicée is noticeably less sweet and less resinous. Whereas Arabie is pretty much a gourmand on my skin (I have an older bottle, I’m not sure how it compares to current batches), Caravelle Epicée remains focused on the spices a lot more.

That’s not to say that this is an overly dry fragrance; it has a sort of oily texture at first and gets softer quite quickly. Not quite as resinous as Arabie, nor as lactonic as BDK’s Nuit de Sable, but not sharp aside from the first minutes.

Aside from the peppers, I think nutmeg is very prominent in the Frapin. It has a hint of sweatiness at first, but not to the point where it’s overtaking the composition. I don’t really get the booziness that others remarked on in Caravelle Epicée.

As it develops, I get a lovely sandalwood backbone; like sweetened wood shavings that remind me somewhat of the woodiness in Atelier Des Ors Iris Fauve, but more spicy obviously. It ends up softer and more ‘coherent’ and rounded than I imagined at the start.