Casmir by Chopard (1992)

by: Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison

This is another in a series of bargain fragrance reviews, scents that may be found online or at discount stores for US $25 or less. Leave a comment below for your chance to receive a sample, shipped anywhere in the world, free!

Summary: Casmir turns 23 this year! Chopard’s polarizing, love it or hate it triumph of the early 90’s almost feels unisex by modern standards with its oriental amber and vanilla. I haven’t worn this in almost twenty years but wow, I forgot how lovely and BIG this is. The current reformulation seems highly successful to me. And did I mention the drydown reminds me of incense and pastry?

Perfumer: Michel Almairac.

Try this if you like: Gourmand incense aromas; vanilla, caramel, amber; peach, apricot, orange, or coconut accents; powdery orientals (Casmir goes to smoky powder in the drydown); spicy cinnamon and resinous benzoin accents; coconut accents; scents that seem to linger forever.

Pros & Cons: This is a caramel-lover’s delight! For those who have difficulty withKenzo Jungle L’Elephant, Casmir might be a gentler option. Though reformulated, the fragrance still retains its magic with sparkles of carnation and cinnamon in the drydown (though neither are listed in the current composition). And wow, that longevity!

Definitely polarizing - might be too sweet and syrupy for some who appreciate more floral or fresher aromas; has been around forever and can be found practically everywhere, still. Some folks have likened Casmir to the scent of plastic toys and dolls’ heads (yes, really). Has been copied and reinterpreted numerous times.

Notes:
“TOP NOTE: mango, coconut, bergamot, peach;
HEART NOTE: jasmine, geranium, lily of the valley;
BASE NOTE: amber, musk, vanilla, sandalwood, patchouli” Chopard.com

Reminds me of: Casmir was a groundbreaker that resembled little else at the time; in many ways it feels as if it could have been an oriental update of Chloe from the 70’s.Hanae Mori comes close in its fruity caramel-ness but has more almond and berries; Fragonard’s Miranda is their version of Casmir; and both Vanilla Fields and Raw Vanilla were surprising, affordable sniff-alikes minus the complexity of Casmir’s drydown. I also find La Perla’s Creation, Cacharel’s Gloria, Rochas’ Absolu and YSL’s Cinema to be distant, fruity-ambery cousins.

Designer’s Description: “Over handsome woody notes of deep amber, lingering musk, rich vanilla and fresh patchouli, comes Casmir - a floral bouquet of fragrant jasmine, sunny geranium and soothing lily of the valley. Heightened by fruity hints of tropical mango and coconut, the citrus of bergamot and the delicious sweetness of peach, this fragrance is at once strong and resolutely feminine.” Chopard.com

Number of times tested: 100+ times over the last 20 years.

Number of sprays applied for this review: 2 sprays to the back of my hand from a bottle I purchased in 2014.

Fragrance strength: Eau de Parfum.

Development: (Linear / Average / Complex) While all the key players are present from the start, there is still an interesting progression of notes from tangy tropical fruit and coconut, to doughy vanilla, to incense-like spices.

Longevity: (Short / Average / Long-lasting) Always impressive; I get around 8-10 hours from only two sprays. Sillage: (A Little / Average / A Lot) Not quite as big as the original Angel, by way of example, but still packs a mighty punch! Might be best in cooler weather. Note about the packaging: Casmir’s packaging has stayed the same – the open lotus leaves etched into the round glass bottle with gold lotus bud cap housed in a red paper box. Where can I buy it? 100ml EDP spray testers are as low as $22 USD on Ebay.

The Bottom Line: I remember the first time experiencing Casmir from a paper strip advertisement in Vanity Fair some time in late 1993 – intoxication. At the time, being used to scents like Escape, Exclamation, Polo Sport for Women, andWhite Diamonds, Casmir was like something from another planet.

Chopard offered folks an opportunity to obtain samples through the mail and in the unbearable heat of a Florida summer in 1994 I started basking in Casmir. And wow did I love the stuff! When I ran out, I had extra samples sent to relatives and friends’ houses just so I could score a few more vials of the magic elixir. I had also just discovered Mugler’s Angel (for women) and Davidoff’s Relax – heavy ambery and gourmand fragrances were my thing that year! And then I moved to England. What was most exciting was rediscovering these scents in the chilly dampness of an autumn London evening. I had just started to become aware of the beautiful interplay of scent and season.

Chopard’s Casmir, like its contemporary, Angel, eliminated most of the floral elements and instead focused on fruit, woods/resins and gourmand notes. Without the ubiquitous florals, I discovered that I actually liked and could wear some of the women’s perfume offerings. I was already wearing fragrances like Molto Missoniand Shalimar, so basically anything with heavy vanilla or amber was welcomed. And as I grew more confident in myself and more wary of socially constructed norms, I happily dedicated myself to exploring all of the magic and mystery of perfumery.

Sadly, I can’t really comment on reformulations as I’m not entirely sure when my bottle was produced. But wearing Casmir today is quite an enjoyable experience; I get almost the same vibe today as I did 20 years ago. Examining the development of today’s Casmir, I’m pleased to add that I detect an array of accents in the drydown that aren’t listed in the olfactory pyramid such as cinnamon and carnation (could it be the patchouli?). More importantly, there is a buttery aspect to the vanilla and amber drydown as well as a smoky powder, quite like my Gonesh vanilla incense, that I don’t recall from past wearings. This new experience with the later stages of Casmir are even better than I remember. If you find the topnotes to be a bit much, just wait for Casmir’s drydown.

I’ve tried over and over again to love Chopard’s multiple other creations and have enjoyed sampling everything from Heaven and Wish, to Casran and Cascade and still find that Casmir is the only Chopard offering I’ve ever loved enough to wear. Now I’m fortunate enough to be able to bring that favorite back into my collection and quite pleased to find it just as wonderful as I remember.