Portrait of a Lady
On request
Dark rose, pepper, an illusion of oud
Promise is the second volume of Frederic Malle's Desert Gems, a tribute to Middle Eastern perfumery that Dominique Ropion composed in 2017. He recreates the pull of oud as an illusion, with cypriol and Turkish and Bulgarian rose, and the house links it to the strongest bonds between two people. Rose and cypriol are a bold pair, and a 10 ml decant lets you meet it quietly.
On request
A decant is not an official brand sample: no box, no original bottle, and we are not affiliated with the brands. Read how we fill your sample
Want the full bottle after testing? Frederic Malle Promise Eau de Parfum (50 ml) at NicheGems
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I really appreciate that I found a shop that has a wide range of authentic perfumes,fast delivery,great communication and very good prices. Thanks for everything!
The composition
The curve shows the order in which the notes come forward, not their strength.
On the skin
Three notes sit on top: pink pepper, rosemary oil and an apple accord. Pepper gives a dry spark, rosemary a green herbal bite, and the apple something bright and faintly tart. They start the scent with energy before the roses arrive.
Bulgarian rose oil and Turkish rose absolute stand side by side in the heart, with clove oil next to them. Both roses get room, and the clove adds a warm, dry spice so they do not go soft. This is where the idea of strong bonds gains weight.
The base lists patchouli heart, ambroxan, labdanum and cypriol heart, and no oud at all. According to the brand, Ropion recreates its allure as an illusion built from cypriol and rose. Labdanum brings resin, ambroxan a smooth skin-warm backing, and patchouli earth.
Testing it
Promise is dense and dry, so apply a small amount to clean skin and give the roses and cypriol time to unfold. Cool evenings and indoor settings suit it. Test it at a long dinner or a quiet day at home, and compare how it feels at the start and later in the day.
People who like rose with a dark, resinous backdrop, and who enjoy the idea of oud without a literal oud note. It suits those who respond to scents with a story attached and want formality for evenings and special occasions. The house shows it on its women's and men's pages alike.
Rose and cypriol is a strong pairing, and an oud illusion may please you or fail to convince you. Concentration and richness make a mistake costly in a 50 ml bottle. A 10 ml decant is a measured way to see how this dark rose behaves on you.
What you receive
We start with a full bottle of the perfume. Nothing is diluted, mixed or added.
Filled by hand into a clean glass spray vial of 2, 5 or 10 ml and closed straight after filling.
Our own label names the brand, the perfume, the concentration and the size.
A decant is not an official brand sample: no box, no original bottle, and we are not affiliated with the brands.
Samples are filled to order and cannot be returned. Is something wrong or damaged on arrival? Contact us and we solve it. To the contact page
Read how we fill your sampleQuestions
10 ml of Promise Eau de Parfum, filled by FragranceGems from the original bottle into a glass spray vial and labelled by us. It is not a brand sample, and Frederic Malle is not involved.
The pyramid lists none. The brand says Dominique Ropion recreates its allure as an olfactory illusion, using cypriol together with Turkish and Bulgarian rose.
Rose is central, but it is a dark, spiced rose: pink pepper and clove give it a dry edge, and patchouli, labdanum and cypriol anchor it.
A series of four perfumes by the house, composed by Western perfumers as a tribute to Middle Eastern perfumery. Promise is the second volume.
The brand
Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle opened in Paris in 2000 with nine perfumes and one idea: the perfumer is the author, so the name goes on the bottle like on a book. Dominique Ropion, Maurice Roucel, Olivia Giacobetti and Jean-Claude Ellena work here with complete freedom, time and materials. The results are generous, often extreme in one direction, a rose pushed to its limit, a tuberose in very high dose, which is exactly why a 10 ml decant beats a quick sniff in a boutique.
Pick up where you left off
Reviews of FragranceGems (shop and sample reviews)
DecantGems is new. These are reviews from FragranceGems customers about the shop and about the samples they ordered there. Collected by Judge.me.
4.7 out of 5
1,200+ reviews on Judge.me
Reviews of FragranceGems, the shop behind DecantGems
I really appreciate that I found a shop that has a wide range of authentic perfumes,fast delivery,great communication and very good prices. Thanks for everything!
Timely info when item was back in stock. Some confusion with info about shipment updates on gls app but what is important: perfume came in perfect condition!
incredible fast delivery l. the fragrance itself its magnificent, the dry down woody base, is intoxicating. it last on me 10 hours plus. great service great fragrance
Good experience overall. Fast shipping without any incidents. Prices are good as well.
Really happy of my purchase. Serious seller, quality products, fast shipping, large catalog. I will order a lot of more !
Shipping was 5 days to Finland. Customer service was very good. Happy with the product also. Will shop again. Only thing I hope is that you guys would negotiate better price for GLS shipping to Finland. But I know that is not always possible. And I noticed the prices were lower than the competitors so the steep shipping price was not that big of a deal. Good job all in all.
Great shop with a fantastic selection and fast shipping. I was very happy with my order. It would have been a nice touch to receive a little sample, especially as I ordered two full-size products. ;)
Placing the order was very easy. Shipping was very fast. I am completely satisfied.
Plenty of perfumes and very good perfumes. Fast shipping. One negative. Expensive shipping from Netherlands to Greece
A selection of recent reviews in proportion to their star ratings.

From the house of FragranceGems
DecantGems is part of FragranceGems B.V. in Zoetermeer, the Netherlands. We fill every sample ourselves from the original bottle into a glass spray vial and label it ourselves. Behind it stands the same team that handles every FragranceGems order.
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