Fleurs des Comores (1988)
by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier

Fleur des Comores opens with vanilla, but a sharp blackcurrant supports it. The whole bush - dark, tart berries and added greenness of leaves and stem.
Florals join in as the fragrance gets richer. Ylang-ylang provide a rich headiness, and a little bit of funk to the smell. But always, the vanilla is present.
It closes with a hint of musk added to the softer vanilla. The fragrance wears very close to your skin at this point.
Vanilla, but a very interesting vanilla it is. This is the only vanilla fragrance that stays in rotation all year long, but especially in spring and summer, where it light yet rich scent makes for a great evening wear.
I adore this fragrance.

2nd June, 2011.

Vanilla plain and linear. But I certainly applaud the characteristics of this vanilla—not sharp or overly sweet or in any way cloying. This is a mature, creamy, smoky vanilla—one that can hold interest without becoming boring or obnoxious. An elegant vanilla. A vanilla for all seasons. The fruit notes round out the sweetness of the fragrance and give it more depth without overloading or interfering with the vanilla element of the fragrance. There is a nice green note in there that counterpoints the vanilla in a beautifully discreet and supportive way. And the florals are light and warm and minimal. The base is warm and continues with vanilla being the dominant element but with a balanced support from the musk. Every once in a rare while I find a potent vanilla fragrance that doesn’t send me rushing to the washroom to scrub it off. PI is one of them—this one is the other. I’ll stick with PI because I find this one to be quite feminine. Lovely, lovely, lovely fragrance.

Originally submitted 24 May 2007

10th December, 2010.

L'Artisan Vanilia and Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Fleur de Comores Comparison Review

Vanilia Notes: ylang ylang, vanilla bean, amber and sandalwood (from www.nstperfume.com, NowSmellThis)
Fleur de Comores Notes: blackcurrant, passionfruit, leafy green, vanilla, orange blossom, jasmine, ambegris, vetiver, musk (from luckyscent.com)

I have been wanting to compare L'Artisan Vanilia and MPG Fleur de Comores ever since I read in the guide that they were both composed by the same perfumer (Laporte), FdC being a sort of "Vanilia II" which was created after Laporte left L'Artisan.

Vanilia starts sweet, woody and balsamic. As the top notes burn off, a hint of incense lends a smoky metallic tang and the fragrance becomes increasingly powdery. Vanilia stays in this stage for quite a long time, its subtlety keeping it from becoming cloying despite being linear. The drydown is a pretty vanilla-prominent amber with a little tonka bite and smoky woods.

Fleur de Comores' opening notes are massively boozy, with fermented overripe passionfruit (which seems to be a blend of apricot and cherry not unlike "Hawaiin Punch" fruit drink) and sharp, almost urinous blackcurrant bud. FdC develops more slowly than Vanilia, but eventually starts to turn more powdery as well, with indolic florals coming forward as the fruity top accord fades. The florals eventually settle on a base of woody, smoky green (vetiver).

Overall, I find FdC to be slightly more sophisticated and complex, and I find Vanilia more charming and easy to wear. In my book, this is one contest where simplicity wins--Vanilia is one of those fragrances that is so pleasant that it is adaptable to many occasions and age groups.

I suppose I can understand a kinship between these two. Both are what I would classify as relaxing, unpretentious fragrances evocative of summer holidays. However, looking at the bigger picture, if I were to name a successor to Vanilia, it would probably be L'Artisan Havana Vanille which takes the same idea more towards woods, resins and raisiny tobacco. Regardless, both Vanilia and FdC are worthy of sampling.

9th May, 2010.

Once the flourish of green floral opening notes subsides Fleurs des Comores settles down to a straightforward vanilla. It’s not a thick, warm foody vanilla, but rather a crisp, clear, perhaps even slightly metallic vanilla accord that comes across as cool and refreshing rather than snuggly-comfy. It’s also quite linear for its modest duration, during which it gently subsides into a (you guessed it) vanilla skin scent. While I find many straight vanilla fragrances overly sweet and oppressive in warm weather, Fleurs des Comores is one I can easily see wearing during summer. All told it’s a solid, useful, and appealing scent, if not a terribly exciting one.

17th December, 2009.

I've been completely captivated and am totally enamoured by this exotic elixir! First off, yes ~ it does seem very much like L'Artisan's Vanilia. But the initial impression is truly the only commonality. Fleurs des Comores is full bodied, whereas Vanilia comes off thin and weak. The longevity and sillage of FdC are remarkable as well, leaving L'Artisan's creation waaaaaaaay behind. The vanilla, floral and green combo here is exquisite, delicate (but not at all weak)and is very wearable for most occassions. I must also tell you about the magnificent bottle and spraying mechanism...the bottle is heavy, thick, and shaped well to the hand. As for the sprayer ~ it gives the perfect wet mist. Generous too, not dribbly or sparse. The cap is a tad 'bling', sporting a giant faux diamond, but it's not too cheesy! For my finicky nose, Fleur des Comores satisfies and delights!

12nd October, 2007.

I must agree with the others that Fleur des Comores captured the vanilla very nicely with a lot of leafy green undertone. It is a very comfortable non abtrusive scent with great sweet sillage. It is not too gourmandy and perfect for the tropical weather!

I read that the composition of Fleur des Comores includes: Vanilla, jasmine, blackcurrant, green leaf.

6th April, 2007.