With the constant whirlwind of new perfume launches that blows through department stores, it stands to reason that some fragrances won’t get the attention they deserve. After a year or two sitting on the counter at Nordstrom, they’ll be relegated to perfume discounters or discontinued. Surely, among the hundreds of perfumes that don’t make the long haul are some pretty terrific scents, some to be had at bargain prices. But which ones?
Eddie Roschi from Le Labo was quick to identify two underappreciated scents: Cologne de Mugler and Yves Saint Laurent M7. For Cologne de Mugler, whose scent Eddie called "truly outstanding", he guessed that the scent’s marketing alienated many potential buyers. With the name "cologne", people expected a classic citrus scent, not the "flashy green mixture" shown through the bottle. Eddie said "The scent itself is addictive, an offbeat interpretation of a cologne, fresh yet very soapy and musky". As for M7’s lack of popular appeal, Eddie said, "The scent seems unfinished, raw. I think people have been used to smelling so many super facetted scents that this one throws them off. This scent has an amazing signature and to my opinion is one the most magnetic woody orientals".
At the Perfume House in Portland, one of the saleswomen said that Anne Pliska and Worth Je Reviens don’t get the attention they deserve. She likes Je Reviens for its "softness", but says that a lot of perfume shoppers pass it by, thinking that it’s old fashioned. Anne Pliska, which she likes for its warmth, isn’t advertised and so isn’t well known. The other sales person at the Perfume House pegged the Balmains in general as underappreciated — Balmain de Balmain and Miss Balmain in particular.
Some of the underappreciated fragrances recommended were from niche perfume houses. James at Henri Bendel said that L’Artisan’s L’Eau du Navigateur isn’t as well known as it deserves to be. He said that it "smells like a man — tobacco, coffee, leather — men shouldn’t smell like citrus or chocolate". He said that L’Artisan Parfumeur in the United States has new owners that have brought it back to their SoHo boutique. Henri Bendel also carries it. For women, James said that Antonia’s Flowers Tiempe Passate is too often overlooked. "It smells like a beautiful woman," he said, "the combination of amber and sage really works."
Attique at Barney’s also honed in on Tiempe Passate as an underappreciated fragrance, and he added Gendarme Carrière to the list, too. He said that he likes Carrière "because it doesn’t smell like perfume. It smells clean, like you’ve just come out of the shower".
Not everyone I asked was able to come up with an underappreciated fragrance. One sales person at Bergdorf said simply, "the classics!" At Aedes, the sales person waved his hand toward the Maître Parfumeur et Gantier shelf, saying that the line in general doesn’t always get the respect it deserves.
For my underappreciated perfume candidate, I submit Niki de Saint Phalle, which I recently rediscovered. It has mint, marigold, peach, and a tiny bit of grapefruit up top; jasmine, rose, clove, and iris in the middle; and it dries down to a chypre with cedar and sandalwood as an assist. It has the depth and rainy forest feel of Jacomo’s Silences, but is more intriguing to me. It’s also remarkably versatile and can handle warm and cool weather, afternoon meetings, and happy hour martinis. I’ve seen it at discounters for as low as $9.99 for an ounce of eau de toilette.
This post just grazes the tip of the iceberg of underappreciated perfume. What’s yours?
Note: image via Parfum de Pub.
I think some of the eau de toilette Creeds are underappreciated – Santal Imperial and Acier Aluminum, for example. They're always forgotten about even by the SAs who usually push the BIG 3 – Imperial, Green Irish Tweed, and Silver Mountain Water. I once asked to smell Acier and the SA had to think twice. Then she said “Nobody ever asks for that.”
I also thought Coriolan by Guerlain was underappreciated and then they discontinued it, why I'll never know.
L'Anarchiste by Caron is another one. I recently saw it on a shelf at Nordstrom and once again, the SA had no idea what it was, had never smelled it, and didn't even know it was on the shelf. There wasn't even a tester for it. I think it's a magnificent scent.
I agree that Anne Pliska is underappreciated. Victoria from Victoria's Own was nice enough to share a sample of that with me. She also shared the Niki with me, and sadly, that turns to vinegar the second it hits my skin. I tried it several times and finally gave it to a friend. *sigh*
I think Chanel Nos. 19 and 22 don't always get their due–they're overshadowed by No. 5 and the Rue Cambon scents.
I really like the Creed Vetiver, too. I've never tried Acier Aluminum (such a modern name for Creed). These are great suggestions, thanks!
Too bad about the Niki! The top notes are almost tannic (if a smell can be tannic), and I can see how if your skin doesn't burn through them they'd get in the way of the rest of the fragrance. As for Chanel, I think the Chanels for men are pretty great, too, especially Egoiste.
Dear James at Henri Bendel, I agree that L'eau du Navigateur is underappreciated (by its creators first of all, who discontinued it, crazy people) and smells like a perfect man that doesn't exist. *sigh* But, dear James at Henri Bendel, I think men smelling of citrus and/or chocolate are hott. 🙂
As for what I'd nominate as the most underappreciate perfume or actually perfume line…I will agree with the sales person at Aedes and say that for some reason MPG gets no respect. And, with gems like Or des Indes, Iris Bleu Gris and Fleur des Comores, it deserves lots of respect.
Thank you very much for the wonderful article, Angela!
Have to butt in and 2nd Caron L'Anarchiste: absolutely great fragrance, and perfect packaging to boot.
And it's a bargain at discounters…
I'm surprised that Creed Vanisia isn't better thought of, and I'm always puzzled as to why l'Artisan's l'Eau d'Ambre is rarely mentioned.
James seemed to think that the Navigateur had only been temporarily discontinued, and that it was back. I hope so, but I'll have to follow up and find out. And I've yet to try Or des Indes–another one for my quickly growing list of scents to try, thanks!
Very true. I wonder if it's because there are so many vanilla- and amber-based scents? Come to think of it, I don't hear much about L'Artisan's vanilla scent, either.
Your reviews are always food for thought, dear A! Wholeheartedly agree about M7 – it is stunning, but it does (sometimes) come across as raw/unfinished. Not that that spoils it for me 🙂 Another underappreciated pour soul is Declaration (am wearing it now and enjoying every whiff I catch), at least where I live, where new&trendy are the operative words. Sad, isn't it?
i had a teeny bottle of niki when i was a kid– it most likely belonged to my mother– and i'd totally forgotten about it until i saw that graphic! i wonder where it is now…!
excellent post!!
Lacroix Tumlte Pour Homme. Only found online at Strawberrynet. Really gorgeous unisex incense/cedar at a price point that's gentle on the wallet. The bottle ain't so bad either. On a par withh – to my nose – Passage d'Enfer and the CDG Incenses, but at nothing near the pricetag.
It seems that “new&trendy” is the catch phrase everywhere, so I'm glad you're wearing Declaration. I didn't include it in the post, but the SA at Nordstrom said she thought the Cartiers as a whole were underappreciated. She said she can't wear Panthere and cross a room without getting compliments.
I really like the bottle for Niki. You can buy the EdT in bottles with your astrological sign, too–assuming you know it in French. Those bottles are called Eau Defendue (“forbidden water”, kind of funny), but the scent is the same.
Now, there's a tip! I'll have to try it, since I adore Passage d'Enfer and would buy at least three of the CdG incense scents if I had the cash.
I second the vote for Cologne de Mugler. I adore the light, crisp clean soap scent of this. Short sillage, moderate persistence and little ad campaign probably tanked it. In my top ten of all time.
That's a strong recommendation–in your top ten. I can tell I'm going to need to order a bottle.
Loved the column today. Actually, many days…I love this place.
Another vote for Anne Pliska, and I would consider Bulgari Omnia underappreciated. Weird bottle, though. I've been meaning to buy a bottle of Anne Pliska since I received a beautiful and unasked for sample from lusciouscargo.
The Omnia bottle drives me nuts, but I like the scent, too. I have a sample of this around somewhere. I'll have to put it in the queue for the next few days. I'm glad you like this site–so do I!
Oh my, Angela! this is an outrageous attempt at diggin'up the bargain gems in our collections!!!
I will only give up four….
Minotaure de Paloma Picasso: Hard to find and unique.
Chemistry by Clinique: Sexy as hell (at least on me 😉 ) but hard to find outside the states and also not lasting in dry skins. But believe me… if this “catches on” on you, get ready for some action.
And for women I would add:
Quartz by Molyneux, sexy, refined and the easiest on the wallet.
Phantasme by Ted Lapidus: Discontinued but still you can catch a bottle. This is a WOMAN's perfume…not for little girls, but you wouldn't expect your gramma to smell like this either. 😉
Oh, Niki! I'd totally forgotten it… I went through a bottle in college (I was in my Louise Brooks phase, veeeery dark and sophisticated.) I'll have to go dig some up now, I can barely remember it. I bet I'd still love it.
I'm not sure if underappreciated is the right word, but… I never see Guerlain L'Heure Bleue named anywhere. I think it's just the most stunning smell, more interesting (to me) than my beloved Apres L'Ondee, but less of a pill than beloved Mitsouko…
As soon as I read your comment, I grabbed my pen and jotted down the names…I can't believe I haven't tried any of them! I'm especially intrigued by Minotaure. Is it anything like Paloma? Thanks for the recommendations!
Do find that bottle of Niki, and if you can't find it let me know and I'll send you some. I'd love to know what you think of it now.
As for L'Heure Bleue, I know just what you mean. It has such a particular scent, very present but haunting, too, but it's almost that it's familiar enough that people pass it by for something they don't know yet. And you're so right about Mitsouko. Love it, but it really is a pill.
Oooh, I love this topic. I agree that Acier Aluminum is fab. The name suggests cool but the scent is warm and rich. Reminds me of MPG Or des Indes, which I also think is underappreciated. I also love Diesel Plus Plus Masculine with its dusty-spicy-milky softness. L'Orientaliste makes a superlative musk, and their sandalwood is like no other, full of smoke and dried leaves. Claudie Pierlot Mon Premier is a must-have for spice lovers. I think Frank Los Angeles is an outstanding citrus, bright yet round. I've always wondered why more people don't wear it. One of my all-time favorite ambers is Ambre d'Or (or some such name; it's at home and I'm at work) from the Scent of an Open Book series by Imaginez. It smells like amber and cold fireplace ashes. Very romantic and autumnal.
All terrific suggestions! Thank you.
Just out of curiosity – which astrological sign would be featured on YOUR bottle, Angela? 😉
Aries (aka “Belier” on the Niki bottle). Cancer rising, Sagittarius moon. Does anyone do perfume horoscopes?
L'Anarchiste is great and has a superb bottle.
The house of MPG is underappreciated too – I recently created a thread on the house at Basenotes.com “MPG – Respect is Due!”
Many YSL fragrances arent appreciated, atleast in the US – Kouros, Live Jazz, and M7 are all unique and outstanding.
The house of Creed in general gets little attention on the online blogs and website outside of basenotes.com – I think sites like NowSmellthis, boisDeJasmin and PerfumeSmellinThings have like 2-3 Creed reviews each; this from a large catalog which in my opinion is one of the most distinguished around.
Minotaure is a man's scent, but I think it could work on a woman without any trouble at all.
It is very sweet, not similar to paloma at all , IMHO.
Nicole Miller for men was an interesting Minotaure “clone” ans nowadays “Hugo Bottled” is what smells similar to it.
Anyway, try them all.. I am sure you will fall in love with quartz.
Naw, don't do perfume horoscopes. I used to dabble in horoscopes when I was younger, could even do a natal chart manually, y'know calculate the planet positions and house cusps using logarithms. Of course, the process is nowadays so much easier with computer programs, but doing it by yourself is more fun, and strangely rewarding.
Yours is a great combination of star sign, risin sign and moon – two fires and a water, like me 😉 — Leo, Sagittarius rising, Scorpio moon. Surely that accounts for my love of amber and deep, rich orientals 🙂
Great points. I do like YSL and have bottles of Yvresse and Nu and my eyes set on others. Creed is a line I know I need to explore further.
Hmm. I'll have to give more thought to the horoscope-perfume connection. It could be an interesting (or really silly) future post.
I've already done my research on Minotaure, and Quartz is definitely on my list now. Thanks!
Yes, do that! Silly or serious, it would make an interesting post alright. I did a similar post on Basenotes two years ago and people took great interest. So I say, go with it!
dusan– wicked! i'm a leo, sag. rising and scorpio moon too!! (actually, my moon is on the cusp of libra/scorpio– but only about 8 hours into scorpio). i've met my twin! 🙂
No way! How wicked is that 🙂 I have a twin, yey! Seriously, tell me that you were born on 25 July 1977 and I'll swoon!
John Oakes has a book called the Perfume Zodiac. I t makes delightful reading, and his descriptive reviews of fragrances are really charming. It was available in Australia a few years ago very reasonably, and is published by Harper Collins.
Great topic, thanks Angela!
oh! about a year off. i'm aug. 1, 1976. ps, i think us leos get such a bad rap of being too melodramatic. when people ask my sign and i say leo they always grin and say, oh hi drama queen! no no no…! 😉 i think it's jennifer lopez and madonna who've made their mark… do you ever hear that? i don't really feel too leo-y. :p
This is just cracking me up – you share a birthday with my g-friend! 😀 Go figure.
When I was younger, I did use to be a bit of a drama king :), and I know quite a few leos who take life too seriously, hence the drama, I guess. I wouldn't call myself melodramatic, mind you, but I can understand people defining you or me by the one or two things they've picked up about leos or any other sign, for that matter. Just goes to show that people will make generalized assumptions about you mostly because they haven't got a clue about such things as natal charts. On the other hand, you can just smile next time someone brands you as a drama queen, because astrology is, after all, for me at least, great fun!
Interesting! I'll certainly look it up, thanks.
Yes to Mugler Cologne. Definitely yes to Niki (it's a lovely and unusual scent in a gorgeous bottle, people ought to be fighting to get their claws into it). And my beloved, much maligned Chopard Madness which nobody but me seems to adore. Two of the first Guerlain Aqua Allegorias, Lavande Velours and Winter Delice. Guerlain Chamade, which is heartbreakingly lovely. J'ai osé. And three gorgeous ones which for some reason always earn a haughty sniff from the perfume community: Dana's Tabu (in my opinion, it's like the ad for Fisherman's Friend pastilles: if it's too strong, you're too weak), Coty's L'Origan and Emeraude (yes, even in their present incarnation, mere shadows of their former selves. Just think what they must once have been like!). Yes, Virginia, beauty can bloom in drugstores.
this conversation is adorable. yay! i've been interested in astrology since i was a kid and get a kick out of being able to correctly guess people's signs. 😉 rock on, fellow leo/sag/scorpio and see you in the scented pages…!
I tried Chamade in parfum a few months ago, and it was a transforming experience. Delicious. I have a bottle of Tabu, too, and I think it's time that I decant some into a pretty bottle so that I wear it more. And Chopard Madness goes on the list to try! Thanks so much.