Favorite Vintage Perfumes

[CherryRed]

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

That's a great one. I like how they give you the history on them.

 

[CherryRed]

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

Yes, my Mom had it too.

 

[MissTayva]

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 ($$$$$!)

 

[Kay O'Hara]

Chanel No 5 was the very first parfume I ever wore...... and nothing has changed!!

Kay oxxo

 

[Ms.Casino]

I know this is an older thread, but I see that Lancome has re-introduced 3 "vintage" perfumes. One is from the 50's called Magie "An amber floral fragrance created in 1950 with delicate yet enticing notes of jasmine, violet, musk and amber." I haven't seen it yet, but sounds promising.

 

[Kathleen Klein]

vintage perfumes

Capricci by Nina Ricci.
Oh bring it back. Please!

 

[mysterygal]

shalimar....I used to wear that! it was actually one of the first bottles of perfume I got. I've now got eternity, but not really crazy about it, that's one of the problem as getting something like this as a gift! I think this thread has gotten my bravado up to go to the mall....those counters are scary for me as well

 

[Skari Spice]

Hi!

I just recently discovered Narciso Rodriguez at Nordstrom (the link provides a great description & review of it). My first thought was that it smelled quite vintage. Sort of that spicey CoCo scent. It's made with Egyptian Musk and is extremely sexy. I'm wearing a sample of it today. It might be a bit too dark & peppery for me, but it's worth giving a sniff at your local department store if you're looking for a new signature scent.

~Kari

 

[Caledonia]

Got a 40s bottle of Joy. Will take a picture and post soon. It's the cutest bottle. The question is - to open, or not to open? It is unopened and sounds and feels almost full. Can't see because it's a black bottle. Obviously it's evaporating through the cork so I can smell it at the neck, but oh what to do. I won't open it till I'm going to use it (and I've got a fair bit of scent to get through yet), but if I open it, I've kind of broken something that's been perfect for 60 odd years. If I leave it unopened, I've only got a dressing table adornment. What would PR ladies do, what have you done, and what was the result for you with your perfume of choice? And I've got a similar Arpege problem. This has been gnawing at me for weeks.

 

[Lady Day]

Im not one for flowerly sents, or musky like sents as well. I also wear a body powder, and dont want a perfume getting in the way of that siimple clean sent.

I tend to wear a vanilla musk body oil everyday for my sent. Gotten many compliments on it too. Its light, and can linger on my clothes and leaves a very yummy tone behind.

http://www.auricblends.com/perfume-oils.html

Most perfume after a while irritates my skin, so I try to avoid it.

LD

 

[AllaboutEve]

Got a 40s bottle of Joy. Will take a picture and post soon. It's the cutest bottle. The question is - to open, or not to open? It is unopened and sounds and feels almost full. Can't see because it's a black bottle. Obviously it's evaporating through the cork so I can smell it at the neck, but oh what to do. I won't open it till I'm going to use it (and I've got a fair bit of scent to get through yet), but if I open it, I've kind of broken something that's been perfect for 60 odd years. If I leave it unopened, I've only got a dressing table adornment. What would PR ladies do, what have you done, and what was the result for you with your perfume of choice? And I've got a similar Arpege problem. This has been gnawing at me for weeks.

Hi Caledonia, it's a bit scary isn't it. Generally perfume lasts better in dark/opaque bottles but even then there is no real guarantee.

I would LOVE to know how your vintage Arpege smells, I am a HUGE Arpege fan. It would be the original formula too which (if time has been kind) may be quite an experience. The formula took a bit of a nose dive towards the end of it's life in the hands of Lanvin apparently this was due to market competition as the ingredients of Arpege are very expensive and complex. L'oreal bought it out in 1996 and restored it to it's former glory. There are those who claim that the original stands alone..........

Like you say it's whether you want an ornamental unopened bottle or if you want to break it open and explore.
I have no idea how they will turn out, depends how they have been stored.

Can't wait to see the pics of your "Joy", I think I would be brave and carefully open it.....

Hope it's gorgeous if you do.....

 

[Caledonia]

Thanks Eve. When husband brings the camera back I'll take photos. The Arpege bottle is either 30s or 40s I'd guess from the box, note insert etc, but I'm not sure. It's certainly not earlier. I tried the modern Arpege recently and wasn't too impressed, for my chemistry that is, but the oldie is sitting there calling me! I'm pulling towards agreeing with you about opening it. Let's face it, if it's gone off I've still got the ornament!

 

[Shimmy Sally]

It won't last forever, USE IT! Or as the song goes "Don't save it too long, it won't do you no good"
I had an opaque bottle of 30s lavendar perfum which went bad. I'm not a big lavendar fan anyway, so I wasn't too broken up.

 

[Caledonia]

lol lol . I can see where this is going to go! I may just have to ditch the Chanel for a few months and indulge!

 

[AllaboutEve]

Thanks Eve. When husband brings the camera back I'll take photos. The Arpege bottle is either 30s or 40s I'd guess from the box, note insert etc, but I'm not sure. It's certainly not earlier. I tried the modern Arpege recently and wasn't too impressed, for my chemistry that is, but the oldie is sitting there calling me! I'm pulling towards agreeing with you about opening it. Let's face it, if it's gone off I've still got the ornament!

That's the way I would look at it, and if you are never going to sell it then you may aswell enjoy it.
I've only got the modern Arpege, I still haven't splurged on a vintage version yet.
Looking foward to your pics...

 

[Caledonia]

Have you tried Ma Gryffe? Only have the modern, but it is gorgeous. I think the 70s Rive Gauche may have been inspired by it. And tried Chanel 19 the other week. Beautiful - fresh cut meadow grass. Jitterbugdoll has some fabulous recommendations earlier in the thread which I've noted and am trying to find. Shalimar doesn't work for me I'm sorry to say, but I'm going to try Tabu for my example of risque vintage scents. Haven't found Bandit yet, but hopeful. I'm not picky about whether the scent is old or the modern version, but my ideal would be to have a half dozen vintage scents that become my signature across the seasons and either have a true vintage bottle of them and then/or find vintage bottles and decant the modern version into them. The Joy bottle would be a joy to do that with. Here's hoping husband hasn't drowned the camera again!

 

[Tourbillion]

Caledonia, I love Bandit, but you might find it a bit "challenging." This is one of the least sweet fragrances ever. The main notes are leather and aldehyde, and not much else. If you have a good nose you might smell the carnation (I don't always smell them) and the castoreum (not usually a good smell). It is my bad girl on a rampage scent.

Here is my abbreviated list of favorite vintage frags:

Narcisse Noir by Caron 1911: beautiful and intoxicating.
N'aimez que Moi - Caron 1917: I wear this at least once a week, violet rose and vanilla beautiful, bought a new bottle in Paris this year.
Tabac Blonde - Caron 1917: made for the androgynous flapper type. tobacco and leather notes, sweet and beautiful, but not ordinary.
Narcisse Blanc Caron 1922: sweet and gentle version of narcisse Noir, I have a sample, very pretty.
Nuit de Noel Caron 1922: Very popular scent, some aldehyde but soft, available at Vermont Country Store.
En Avion Caron 1929: A homage to the aviatrix. A nice woody scent, I love this one, but don't wear it much
L'heure Bleue - Guerlain 1912: wonderful scent
Mitsouko Guerlain 1919: named after a Japanese princess, peach and oakmoss much beloved by everyone but me.
Gardenia Chanel 1925: Lovely gardenia scent
Cuir de Russie Chanel 1924: nice soft feminine leather and jasmine scent. I wore it all the time until I misplaced my bottle.
Bois des Iles Chanel 1926: one of my favorite Chanel's.
Emeraude Coty 1921: I haven't worn this in years, but it is still out there.
Liu Guerlain 1929: I tried this one once, it is interesting modern.
Habanita Molinard 1921: peach and oak moss, but much better mix than Mitsouko
French Cancan Caron1936: leather and roses, I love this one. It was originally considered too much for Paris, only released in America.
Angelique Encens Creed 1933: One of my all time favorites. It was designed for Marlene Dietrich, incense and amber, strong though and expensive it is only sold in $300 bottles, I have a little decant.
Crown Heliotrope Crown Perfumery 1939: lovely scent but discontinued
Tabu Dana 1932: Nice scent for the money
Vol de Nuit Guerlain 1933: very classy and moderne
Vega Guerlain 1936: odd scent, mine reminds me of bubbles
Coque D'or Guerlain 1937: I tried this is Paris, really nice girly scent.
Joy Jean Patou 1930: My mom still wears this, classy
Farnesiana Caron 1947: This is one beautiful scent, amber powdery
Or et Noir Caron 1949: amber and rose, another favorite from Caron
Miss Dior Dior 1947: my favorite Dior
L'air du Temps Nina Ricci 1948: lovely, make sure you get a vintage bottle
Bandit Piguet 1945: leather, get out your whips
Fracas Piguet 1948: Tuberose, I can't wear this one, nice on the right person

 

[AllaboutEve]

Have you tried Ma Gryffe? Only have the modern, but it is gorgeous. I think the 70s Rive Gauche may have been inspired by it. And tried Chanel 19 the other week. Beautiful - fresh cut meadow grass. Jitterbugdoll has some fabulous recommendations earlier in the thread which I've noted and am trying to find. Shalimar doesn't work for me I'm sorry to say, but I'm going to try Tabu for my example of risque vintage scents. Haven't found Bandit yet, but hopeful. I'm not picky about whether the scent is old or the modern version, but my ideal would be to have a half dozen vintage scents that become my signature across the seasons and either have a true vintage bottle of them and then/or find vintage bottles and decant the modern version into them. The Joy bottle would be a joy to do that with. Here's hoping husband hasn't drowned the camera again!

I have never even smelt Ma Gryffe! I will have to go and investigate...

Last year I spent a long time researching perfumes as the one I had been using for years suddenly had a "remarket" and everyone started to wear it including my partner's ex-wife! So I decided a change was in order.

I wore Guerlain's Nahema for a while but even in the pure parfum version this doesn't seem to linger long on my skin.

Anyway I discovered that I'm apparently an "Aldehydic Floral" type , as most things I sniffed and liked were in this group.
So there I was last Christmas in the Selfridges department armed with my list of the 3 I had whittled it down to and Arpege won hands down even in it's modern blend.
The other 2 finalists were Guerlain's Chamade and Joy.
Wasn't Marilyn Monroe a fan of Joy?

 

[LizzieMaine]

My ex was allergic to perfumes, so I could rarely wear any for a long time -- when I was younger, I was fond of L'Aimant by Coty. I also liked Shalimar, but it was out of my price range in those days.

I keep meaning to treat myself to a nice vintage fragrance -- these days I mostly just smell like Fels Naptha.

 

[Caledonia]

lol I tried L'Aimant too, quite nice. I think I prefer L'Air du Temps from that kind of range though.

Agree with you on Mitsouko Tourbillion. It was recently voted the best perfume of all time, but for the life of me I don't know why. It smells confused, old, and like it's been lying in a stagnant puddle for days - or maybe that's me! Great list though T. Some I hadn't heard of. Now it's going to take me even longer to whittle down to my 6 best.