Hope by Frederic Malle

I fully agree with Lechu; I acquired Hope mainly because of the similarities attributed to it with Promise, which is currently my favorite fragrance. Meanwhile, I saw them tearing it apart in reviewers’ videos: it lacks character, it’s a copy, it’s very expensive (that’s true), and an endless list of other criticisms. I didn’t let that influence me; with the favorable experience I’ve had with the house Frederic Malle and mainly with the creations of Dominique Ropion (Promise, Y, La Nuit YSL, and hundreds more), I decided to order it during a long and risky trip (where I reside, it’s very complicated to acquire niche perfumery). It was worth all that effort; I got 50ml of this perfumery gem. Its opening is spicy, with certain reminiscences of ‘The Moon from FM’ drying down, but also as it progresses, a pleasant dry and smoky wood is appreciated, plus the oud that emerges in its fullness and accompanies it until the end. I would rate it, just like Promise, as a masterpiece as a whole; although they may share some similarities, during their evolution they take different paths: Promise is bright with a fresh ethyl apple, accompanied by that castoreum that fell in love with me from the first day, it has already earned a place in my heart (from which it will never leave), but Hope, with its dry wood and smoky sensation, non-animal oud, overflowing with warmth and elegance, with a duration of over 12 hours on skin and projecting to 2 meters without problem for more than 4 hours, a trail that leaves no one indifferent, has everything to be valued on its own merits. For me, both creations are a 10/10; it may be my very subjective perception and you may not agree with me. But that’s how it is. Promise will always be in my heart, it cannot be dethroned, but I consider that Hope could be someone else’s ‘first love’, having everything to deserve its own space in some receptive heart to shelter this perfumery gem, which shines by its own merits in this vast world of aromas.

Totally agree with Lechu. I bought Hope because of its resemblance to Promise, my favorite fragrance. While people criticize it in videos for lacking character, being a copy, or being too expensive (that last part is definitely true), I didn’t let that influence me. With my positive experience with Frederic Malle, especially with Dominique Ropion’s creations like Promise, I decided to order it during a long, risky trip since niche perfumes are hard to find here. It was worth the effort: I have 50ml of this gem. Upon spraying, it’s spicy, reminiscent of The Moon’s drydown from FM, and as it develops, a pleasant dry, smoky wood emerges, along with the oud that appears in its fullness and stays until the end. I’d rate it just as Promise: a masterpiece. Although they share some points, they evolve differently: Promise is bright with a fresh ethyl apple and that castoreum that fell in love with me from day one and earned a permanent spot in my heart, whereas Hope, with its dry wood, smoky sensation, non-animal oud, overflowing with warmth and elegance, lasts over 12 hours on skin and projects to 2 meters without issue for more than 4 hours, with a trail that leaves no one indifferent. It has everything to be valued on its own merits. For me, both are a 10/10; it might be my subjective perception and you might not agree, but that’s how it is. Promise will always be in my heart, unseatable, but I believe Hope could be someone else’s first love, having everything to deserve its own space in a receptive heart that embraces this gem, shining by its own merits in this vast world of aromas.

I haven’t left a review in a long time, but I think this time it deserves a comment to avoid confusing users looking for information. What are the notes that stand out most in Promise? I’d say cypriol is the most important note, followed by green apple, then leather and rose. How is it possible for people to say it’s a copy of Promise when 3 out of the 4 most important notes aren’t shared? I have Promise and I like it a lot, but recently I had the luck to try Hope and I like it much more. What a pity about the price… I hope more users can try both fragrances and share their comments.

Nothing new under the sun, like thousands of other Arab perfumes with that oud-rose-vanilla vibe that already smells boring and you can find it even in the cheap ones. The price is an insult for such a mediocre composition. Anyway, I conclude that perfumery is in crisis.