Favorite Vintage Perfumes

[TheRedHead]

Mitsouko

if you're interested in Mitsouko, the following comes from Guerlain's website:
head notes : bergamot
heart notes : peach, jasmine, may rose
base notes : spices, oak moss, vetiver, wood

Mysterious
Balanced
Sumptuous

i also found some helpful reviews on basenotes.net

 

[StaceFace]

My favorites -

Houbigant Quelques Fleurs (I use this daily)
Chanel No. 5
Chanel Coco
Guerlain Shalimar
Cacharel Anais Anais
Coty Jungle Gardenia (discontinued, sadly)
Chanel Gardenia
Agent Provocateur ($$$$$!)

Jovan, owned by Coty, has an Island Gardenia! I posted this in the " Vintage CHEAP dime store perfumes" already, but meh.

 

[Tourbillion]

Number 5 reworked? Oh no!

I know the Vermont Country Store sells Evening in Paris; I've always wondered what it was like.

Has anyone worn it?

The old No. 5 is still available, they just released an updated version, a bit like Coco vs. Coco Mademoiselle only with less re-working.

Yes Soir de Paris/Evening in Paris is a rose-violet on a amber-powder base. It is a bit strange to me, but wearable. I am referring to a vintage bottle though, it may have been reworked by now.

Anyway, the difference between Chanel's Cuir de Russie and Tabac Blond is pretty big. Cuir de Russie is a soft and sweet leather scent (with aldehydes), and Tabac Blond has a strong and heavy floral/vanilla note and is much less masculine than all the reviewers make out IMHO. It has a strong leather note, but I don't find it mannish at all.

If you want something mannish, try Habanita, it is leathery and smells like cigars. It was supposed to evoke Cuban cigar girls, and does so really well. The oppoponax top note takes getting used to though.

There is also Bandit, which is the least sweet women's leather perfume I have. It is a bit naughty, a dry leather scent (aldehydes, leather, civet and a slight touch of carnation) that evokes new leather jack boots, so not exactly sensual in the traditional way.

 

[I'mSuzyParker]

Tourbillion - excellent point. Bandit is the most mannish of the "leathery" scents. Tabac Blond is heavy, though. I think much heavier than No. 5. Just my opinion, but I'm "smell sensitive". I just had to have it because it is Caron and I love the way the bottle looks on my vanity.

 

[Viola]

What's a good, green or light floral vintage scent that's not really expensive? I was recommended Chanel No. 19 but that's a bit steep so I'd be interested in alternatives.

I was thinking something with vanilla or tuberose or bergamot or something. Not really heavy floral. But not citrus. I'm willing to try sort of a beginner's musk (like a kitten heel I guess, hehehe!) and pretty bottles are nice too.

You all are the ladies I trust!

 

[I'mSuzyParker]

Emeraude by Coty had a bergamot vibe to it. It was in the inexpensive camp. I'm sure if you google it, it's available somewhere.

 

[Tourbillion]

What's a good, green or light floral vintage scent that's not really expensive? I was recommended Chanel No. 19 but that's a bit steep so I'd be interested in alternatives.

I was thinking something with vanilla or tuberose or bergamot or something. Not really heavy floral. But not citrus. I'm willing to try sort of a beginner's musk (like a kitten heel I guess, hehehe!) and pretty bottles are nice too.

You all are the ladies I trust!

Fracas fits the bill since it is tuberose, it might not be what you want price-wise. To me anything vanilla or tuberose is really heavy though.

You could try White Shoulders too, though I personally consider it really heavy.

Maybe you could try Arpege (1927). It is not too expensive today, and is a light aldehyde floral with the notes you like.

 

[ladygaga]

Chloé by Chloé has a lovely vintage smell.. very rose-y.

 

[Laura Chase]

I just bought L'Heure Bleue by Guerlain and it's simply wonderful! Warm without being too sweet, the anise and tarragon are really there, which makes it so interesting. The floral notes are not that floral and not tangy at all. Instead it's more of an abstract floral accord. It's simply out of this world dreamy.

Top note: Bergamot, Star Anise / Chinese Anise, Tarragon
Heart note: Cloves, Orange Blossom, Rose, Tuberose
Base note: Iris, Vanilla

Is there any musk in L'Heure Bleue?

Tourbillion, I looked for Cuir de Russie but the Chanel shop here in Copenhagen did not have it. I'm looking forward to smelling a leathery perfume.

I also tried Shalimar and Mitsouko. I did not like Mitsouko, it smelled really sharp on me. When I first put on Shalimar it smelled really bad on me but now that the top note is gone it smells nice, but very sweet. I will have to go to the shop and give it an extra smell soon.

 

[nico demouse]

Emeraude by Coty had a bergamot vibe to it. It was in the inexpensive camp. I'm sure if you google it, it's available somewhere.

I was out shopping yesterday and Emeraude was on sale at my local Walgreens. I picked up a bottle for only $5. Not a bad price to try something new!

 

[VintageRed]

Found this article on a blog about Emeraude vs. Shalimar.

Very cool back story, thought you all might like to read it.

http://thevintageperfumevault.blogspot.com/2008/12/coty-emeraude-vs-guerlain-shalimar.html

I don't have any vintage perfumes myself, but I'm all kinds of intrigued now!

I only wear two scents;

azuree soleil by Estee Lauder
Poison by Dior (some might consider this vintage; it came out in the early 80's. lol )

Great thread, lots of wonderful info.

~D.

 

[CherryRed]

Jovan, owned by Coty, has an Island Gardenia! I posted this in the " Vintage CHEAP dime store perfumes" already, but meh.

I LOVE Island Gardenia. It is my summer perfume. I see now that Jungle Gardenia is at Vermont Country Store. I wonder if they smell the same?

I scored a set of my signature L'Air Du Temp on sale at Walgreen's before Christmas for $17.50. Over an ounce of the perfume plus lotion and shower gel. A very good deal for that size.

 

[Lillemor]

I need help to find a vintage fragrance that's still in production that can meet my current needs.

My body chemistry used to prefer the girly fruit/floral/vanilla fragrances, then the spicy/floral/woodsy/musk/vanilla fragrances - generally heavier, and now I can't wear anything that has vanilla, spices, (the musk?) or sharp florals in them.

I wanted to store the ones I have upside down in their boxes but I guess I must've thrown the boxes away. I'll try to spritz into the air and walk through the mist method and see if I can get them used up that way within this year if I don't find a vintage sollution.

I've got Dior Dolce Vita, EL Pure White Linen, CK Euphoria, and EA Fifth Ave. After Dark. I just got the last one for my birthday on the 22nd Dec.08 after begging for it for over a year. I got Dolce Vita and Pure White Linen the previous bday/X-mas. I feel so guilty.

I was Euphoric about Euphoria at the end of Fall and through December. It's been colder than Fall/Winter 07-08 so it wasn't too overpowering. I'm a homemaker and it's just fine when I'm out walking in the cold but now I can't stand it on me but it's still fine in the bottle and dito the other fragrances so it may be a body chemistry change? I still have 3/4 of it left. I can't even wash Euphoria off now.

 

[DancingSweetie]

I just received a bottle of Joy for Christmas from my sweetie. I just LOVE it. I like light floral scents (mostly gardenia and tuberose). I was able to find a sample of Chanel Gardenia on Ebay and am waiting for it to arrive this week. I think I will try Fracas next.

 

[kyda]

I wear Tabu every day, I don't know what is about this perfume but I can't help it I am addicted. I wear Anais Anais - made by Carcharel, there was a article done in an Australian magazine and this was in the classic section the same as Tabu, I know Tabu came out in the 30's and was for woman "liked adventure". My latest perfume was brought for me by my DH for christmas, it is Magnifique - made by Lancome.

I am sorry to say ladies that I could not tell you what these smell like because I was always told that you should not be able to smell your own perfume when it is on, if you can you have to much on.

 

[Laura Chase]

I just got a few decants from The Perfumed Court and here are my initial reactions:


Tabac Blond by Caron (pure parfum)
Oh my, it's very tobacco, very smoky. My immediate reaction was that it smells too much like cigarette smoke, but after 10 minutes, as the top notes wore off, it really softened and started to smell like pipe tobacco in stead - much nicer! Let's see how it develops from here. I have to get used to the top notes if I'm going to wear it. No leather smell, though, which I really expected. Howcome?

Cuir de Russie by Chanel (eau de toilette)
It's quite flowery, especially the top notes. The leather is there too, much more than in Tabac Blond.

Angelique Encens by Creed (eau de parfum)
Wonderful, just wonderful! The notes are supposed to be angelica, tuberose, bergamot, amber, incense, vanilla. Unfortunately, my unexperienced nose doesn't really know what angelica and tuberose smell like, but they must smell wonderful because this perfume does have a lovely sweet note that I cannot identify. But I am sure that the bergamot kicks in at fist and after that the flowery notes mix with the incense and vanilla and make it sweet and mysterious.

When the spicy heart notes kick in, it actually reminds me a lot of Calvin Klein's Obsession (the notes here are vanilla, amber, orange blossom, oakmoss, oriental spices). At offset, they are very different, though. Whereas Obsession becomes spicy very quickly, Angelique Encens stays flowery a tad longer, which makes it less heavy and sweet.

Oh, and I don't know what amber smells like either. If someone can explain the unknown notes to me (tuberose, angelica and amber), I would highly appreciate it!

Narcisse Noir by Caron (pure parfum)
My first impression was that it was one of the most remarkable scents I've ever encountered. The top notes are very sweet and candy-like. I have trouble smelling the orange blossoms, but I'm sure it's just my nose. The civet is really there though.
Edit: Maybe I need to try Narcisse Blanc, the civet is becoming revolting on me. Too bad.


Unfortunately, The Perfumed Court forgot to send me Jicky, so I'm looking forward to more civet there.

 

[Lillemor]

Isn't tuberose a quite sharp white floral? I can't currently wear sharp florals or anything with vanilla. Chemistry incompatibility. I hope it passes. I make it sound like an illness.lol

Viola, have you tried Tendre Poison? I like it but many don't.

 

[Laura Chase]

Isn't tuberose a quite sharp white floral? I can't currently wear sharp florals or anything with vanilla. Chemistry incompatibility. I hope it passes. I make it sound like an illness.lol

Does that change over time? I hope I can wear Narcisse Noir some day, it smells heavenly from the bottle, but on me it's just revolting civet.

 

[Lillemor]

Does that change over time? I hope I can wear Narcisse Noir some day, it smells heavenly from the bottle, but on me it's just revolting civet.

Some people can wear the same fragrances, all the time, over many decades. Some unfortunate people such as myself experience chemistry changes every 2 years, or so - it seems. Highly annoying.

I take season, time of day, occasion and mood into account as much as it's possible with four fragrances. I can't afford a fragrance wardrobe. I'm trying to watch what I eat and use for moisturizers to see if that has any influence on how a fragrance smells on me.

My skin is naturally very dry but I've actually been able to keep a very good moisture balance this winter. I wonder if that's why the heavier ones are a bit too heavy on me?

 

[imported_miss_molly]

Do any of you know/ use the perfume arpege?
I was browsing the web for some more unusual/mysterious vintage perfumes and came across this one. However, it is rather expensive and I don't normally like buying perfumes without trying them first. The only problem is that there is nowhere near me that sells vintage perfumes, so online stores are my only option.
I was therefore wondering if any of you ladies think it is worth buying? (Or if it smells absolutley vile? lol )