Favorite Vintage Perfumes

[LaMedicine]

CherryRed, you mentioned Nina Rcci's L'Air de Temp, and I just remembered Ricci has another, Vol du Nuit, which if I remember right, has a muskier scent than L'Air.
It's interesting how some brands that began as couturiers got into the perfume game, and then, later on, cosmetics. I suppose it's their ambition to have the women be able to shop for everything in a single House.

 

[MissQueenie]

Has anyone tried these? http://jpeterman.com/cgi-bin/sgdynamo.exe?UID=!+USID!&HTNAME=\html\jp-products/OM\collection-em.html

I don't know a thing about them other than that they're vintage inspired.

~Queenie

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I haven't tried those, but your post reminded me that Bath and Body Works also has a line of vintage-inspired French fragrances--the Lavender smells delicious!

 

[MissQueenie]

Oooh! I'm surprised, actually. I have to hold my breath when I run past a Bath and Body Works most of the time...brings back horrible memories of high school (all girl's school) when the girls would whip out their lotion and body spray bottles and soak themselves and their friends in the 5 or 6 scents du jour before every class. Individually, they're not terrible, it was just the quantity and variety that was sickening. I hope I never have to smell "plumeria" again

I may have to brave the shop again to take a gander at these new ones, though!

 

[jitterbugdoll]

I remember that--those perfumes were so strong and syrupy! The sad part is, these girls grew up and now do the exact same thing at the office. Yuck!

This is one of the perfumes; when I was there in February, I think there were three individual scents. To me, the lavender smelled very old-fashioned, but in a good way

http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/bro...il_keyword=le.couvent.verbena.eau_de_provence

 

[MissQueenie]

Beautiful packaging! It reminds me very much of L'Occitane's look. They're another great company for skin/hair/body products. http://usa.loccitane.com/index.asp?ck=1

Yuck is right -- I can't help associating the smell of those cloyingly sweet lotions with teenage drama and gym-room horseplay. Too much is just too much. Scent really needs a light hand and intelligent application.

 

[Vanessa]

I've always been a fan of rose or lavender water for every day. Special occasions I used Chanel no.5.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Wild Root~

These look like they might be promising.
http://www.penhaligons.co.uk/ishop/1/shopscr825.html

There's always this one, too:
http://www.fragrancex.com/products/_cid_cologne-am-lid_A-am-pid_1568M__products.html

Alas, men's fragances are not my area of expertise

 

[Wild Root]

Cool! Thanks, I'll check them potions out!

Best,
Root.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

Now we're talking...

Just came across an abbreviated list of fragrances from 1901-1950 that are still on the market today.

Here's the link for the ladies:
http://www.osmoz.com/encyclo/recher...901&ANNEE_FIN=1950&GENRE_ID=2&SS_FAMILLE_ID=0

And here's the link for the guys:
http://www.osmoz.com/encyclo/recher...901&ANNEE_FIN=1950&GENRE_ID=1&SS_FAMILLE_ID=0

 

[Wild Root]

Cool! I'll have to check some of those out. Hey, does any one know if you were to find a bottle of cologne from the 30's would it still be good? does this stuff have a shelf life?

Oh and thanks again Jitterbug!

Best,
Root.

 

[jitterbugdoll]

It depends--sometimes the fragrance keeps, and sometimes it turns. So, it's trial and error with vintage scents.

 

[rubyredlocks]

For men:
I love Pinaud Clubman Talc.
We use this at my salon and everyone loves it.A few have definitely picked it up for themselves.There's also a cologne,but I do not know of anyone that has tried it.
http://www.anyotc.com/browseproducts/PINAUD-CLUBMAN-TALC-9OZ.HTML
http://www.anyotc.com/browseproducts/PINAUD-CLUBMAN-LILAC-VEGETAL-AFTER-SHAVE-LOTION-12OZ.HTML

I have to admit that even if I didn't love the scent I'd buy for the packaging.
Hmmm...I think I need to get this for my hubby.

My Mother uses Joy,Coco,and Shalimar.My grandmother still wears White Shoulders(talk about powdery).
I love anything with a gardenia scent.(my fave flower)I'll have to try the Chanel.

 

[Vladimir Berkov]

So you just shake on some talc on yourself (I assume it is like baby powder) after a shower and it doesn't get your clothes all powdery or get itchy?

 

[Dismuke]

When I was a kid I was introduced to two perfumes that I thought smelled really neat and still remember fondly.

When I was perhaps 10 years old, I went to a rummage sale where I made my very first ever purchase of 78 rpm records. I also bought a few old bottles that were displayed on a table. One was an old Dromedary Pimentos bottle, the other was a bottle with a nut grinder in the lid and the other one was an empty bottle of Bal a Versailles perfume. I think I paid perhaps a nickel or a dime each for the bottles. I was just a kid and did not really know much about antiques and old stuff other than the fact that I was beginning to realize that old things (buildings, cars, furniture, etc) generally looked better than new stuff. Turns out that the brand of perfume only dates back to 1962 which, in terms of the era that I am interested in, is downright modern. At the time, however, I was convinced that the bottle had to be very old and perhaps even valuable in part due to the pictures of 18th century ladies on the label and the ornate glass stopper on top. While the bottle was empty, one could still smell the perfume inside. I thought it smelled VERY nice and, ever since, that has been sort of my ideal of what a ladies' perfume should smell like. In fact, even by the time I graduated from high school eight or so years later, I could still smell the perfume in the bottle. They still make the perfume. See: http://shopping.yahoo.com/b:Bal a Versailles:22442751 I am sure the bottle is probably still in my old bedroom at my parents' house. I will have to check next time I am over there if the perfume can still be smelled after all these years.

Also when I was a kid, my mother had a bottle of a German Eau de Cologne called 4711 that is used by men as well as women. 4711 dates back to the late 1700s and was named after the street address of this building in Cologne, Germany. I was absolutely crazy about the smell of the stuff. I remember whenever I was sick my mother always used to put some on a napkin as a way of making me a bit more comfortable.

It has been years since I have actually smelled either Bal a Versailles or 4711 - but I remember them very vividly and fondly.

 

[Shorty]

My favorite perfume is Miss Dior Cherie. The bottle is made in the 40's style and the perfyme itself smells so good! Only bad thing is a bottle of Miss Dior Cherie costs 75?¢‚Äö¬¨ (about 60-65$) but I hope my husband will give it to me as a birthday present

Here's something I found from the internet:

Miss Dior Cherie Perfume by Christian Dior, A New Spin On A Timeless Classic, Miss Dior Cherie By The Design House Of Christian Dior Introduced This Elegant Modern Fragrance In 2005. The Bottle Maybe New But It's Design Was Inspired By The Classic. An Amazing Blend Of Strawberry Leaves And Green Mandarin Open Up This Scent. Then Blends Into A Violette, Pink Jasmine And Strawberry Sorbet Which Finishes Off With Fresh Patchouli, Musk And Crystalline.

 

[Annalai]

I have never ordered from this place but the parfumes they sell does cost less when I have compared the prices in the shops here in Sweden.
http://www.strawberrynet.com/staticIndex/wfragIndex_1.html
They also sell a lot of the make-up brands mentioned earlier in the powder room.
The cologne called 4711 was used by my grandmother and I also liked the smell when I was a child.

About old perfumes the smell can change and often it does and especially in this old bottles you use your fingers to apply the perfume with. The best thing is to keep the bottle dark and cool and not even have it for display on the table. I guess only a few follows this rule. I do not parfum bottles are too nice to be stored away.

Annalai

 

[Shorty]

I have never ordered from this place but the parfumes they sell does cost less when I have compared the prices in the shops here in Sweden.
http://www.strawberrynet.com/staticIndex/wfragIndex_1.html
They also sell a lot of the make-up brands mentioned earlier in the powder room.

Annalai

Thank's for the tip! I made my order for the Miss Dior Cherie, much cheaper than here in Finland

 

[Annalai]

Does anyone know if it is possible to buy loose atomizers and put them on your perfumebottle. I would like to have one on my desk they look so old fashioned to me.
This is the thing I mean this perfume is only some year old I think. I do not have it nor have I smelled it but the bottle with the atomizer is nice.

http://www.strawberrynet.com/productDetail.aspx?ProdId=40504&CatgId=17

Annalai

 

[rubyredlocks]

As far as the talcum,the only way I've ever used it is to brush the hair off the back of the neck for my clientale after a haircut and rinse.They don't feel as itchy after,so I would say it soothes.
I use powder (of course,not this one)and have always put it on slightly damp skin very sparingly.My job requires us to wear all black in the fall/winter and I've never had a problem with it ending up on my clothing.

Hope that helps!
Of course,it'd probably be easiest just to try the after-shave.