Spellbound

Spellbound, inspired by Estée Lauder SpellBound (1991)

Apricot gives SpellBound a ripe, velvety fruit note at the top, wrapped around rose and a touch of lemon. The heart is busy and spiced: carnation with its clove-like bite, cardamom, tuberose and orange blossom, plus heliotrope for powder. As it settles, a dense amber base takes over, sweetened by vanilla and opoponax (a sweet, balsamic form of myrrh) and given an animal depth by civet.

About the original

SpellBound launched in 1991 and is credited to Sophia Grojsman. The vintage version is remembered as a dense, powerful floral amber of its decade. Estée Lauder later reissued it in The House of Estée Lauder heritage collection, dated to 2014, and the reissue is generally considered close in style but less intense. It is currently on sale from Estée Lauder in the US and France.

Our version

Ours is an independent eau de parfum made to evoke the same character. It is not Estée Lauder stock, not an official relaunch and not the original formula.

Who it suits

A statement fragrance, it wears like one. Anyone who loved the big ambers and spiced florals of the early 1990s will recognise it immediately. The carnation spice, powder and animalic civet make it too much for anyone who prefers light or fresh scents.

Notes of the original fragrance, as listed in fragrance references.

Top notes: Apricot, Fruity Notes, Rosewood, Rose, Lily-of-the-valley, Lemon

Heart notes: Carnation, Tuberose, Cardamom, Heliotrope, Narcissus, Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Lily

Base notes: Amber, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Opoponax, Benzoin, Civet, Cedar, Vetiver, Musk

Apricot and rose lead, with rosewood, lemon, lily-of-the-valley and other fruity notes around them.

Carnation and cardamom give the heart its spice, alongside tuberose, narcissus, orange blossom, jasmine and lily, with heliotrope adding powder.

Amber dominates the drydown with sandalwood and vanilla, deepened by opoponax and benzoin, with civet, cedar, vetiver and musk underneath.

Is Estée Lauder SpellBound discontinued?

No. Estée Lauder sells SpellBound Eau de Parfum in The House of Estée Lauder collection. The original 1991 bottling is no longer made; the current version is a reissue generally considered less intense.

Is this based on vintage or current SpellBound?

Our version is inspired by SpellBound as a fragrance and its documented notes. We cannot promise it matches any particular year's bottling.

Is it animalic?

Slightly. Civet in the base gives it a musky, skin-like depth, but amber and vanilla are more prominent.

Inside the EU, delivery is free on orders of €49 or more. Below that it is a flat €4.99. Outside the EU, delivery is a flat €4.99 on every order. We send every order in 1 to 2 working days. It arrives in 3 to 7 days across the EU and in 7 to 14 days outside the EU. You have 14 days to return an unopened bottle.

Estee Lauder and Spellbound are trademarks of their respective owners, and all rights remain with them. Parfumour is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Estee Lauder in any way, and no business relationship of any kind is implied. Our product is an original interpretation created to evoke a similar scent profile, and the trademark names are used purely for honest, descriptive comparison, so that you can quickly identify the style and fragrance family you are looking for. We make no claim to sell the original product, and we do not use the same ingredients or formula. Any similarity lies in the overall impression of the scent as interpreted by our own perfumers, not in the source materials.