It's Tuesday. Birthdays today: Johnny Mercer, Alan Shephard, Margaret Atwood, Wilma Mankiller. What fragrance are you wearing?
I am still out of town, and commando other than my DIY ylang and sweet orange lotion. The vintage fragrance I was thinking about this morning: my long since used-up, very old solid compact of Piguet Fracas, which was a nice, close-to-the-skin way to wear a sometimes overwhelming big white floral. Somewhere I also still have a mini of the Parfum, if it hasn't turned by now.
Reminder: on 11/21, wear a favorite vintage fragrance and tell us why you love it (and if you like, tell us about any memories it might conjure up for you). If you don't have a favorite vintage fragrance, wear something you think you'd still love 20 years from now. (Adapted from a suggestion by DeniseH.)
And for those of you who like to plan ahead, see Scent of the day ~ Friday community projects 2025, where I'll try (but usually fail) to have the next five or six weeks mapped out in advance.
Note: the Lino Sabattini Modernist Teapot in silver plate for Christofle, circa 1960s, is $1200 at 1stDibs.
I am in a vintage Organza Indecence, a glorious wood pudding.
Yum!!! Such good stuff.
One of my top 5, absolutely ❤️ this one!
You smell great!…I may have a small spray of that which I need to unearth.
We were almost twins, as I wore this on Monday. We really smelled great in it!
Ha Glannys I love that description. I know that ‘pudding’ refers to any dessert in British English, right? But I love the idea of a jiggly soft creamy pudding of OI.
Yes, it’s about a dessert. But I did not invent “wood pudding” – it’s an unofficial perfume subcategory, and you can read about in Robin’s artilce: https://freebox.it.com/2017/01/24/5-perfumes-wood-pudding/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Fascinating! And I thought the trademark for wood pudding was real until Robin clarified she was kidding. Glannys, remarkable recall on that phrase!
I am enjoying the remaining wafts of Caron’s Parum Sacre this morning, one of my ‘go-to’ bedtime scents. I believe this is still made by Caron but my vintage bottles are the 30 ml EdT in the slim rectangular bottle (which I wore last night) and the EdP in the ‘lyre’ shaped bottle (rounded with a very tapering top). I highly recommend these two styles for anyone hunting down the vintage. The mixture of rose, incense, spice, and myrrh is glorious. I have not tried the current formula.
I still remember when you could go to Caron in NYC and have your bottles refilled from the urns 🙂
Me too 😩
Me three.
And buy their face powder and but lavished with samples
Yes! I remember going with a group as a stop on one of the Sniffapaloozas. I felt so sorry afterwards for the store manager because it was something of a disaster. She let everyone get their own samples from the decanters, and a lot of people had trouble with it and were spilling left and right. I felt obliged to take her aside and let her know she had to get in there and stop the mayhem. 😱 I’m pretty sure that that was the first and last time Sniffa was invited there. So sad.
I don’t know if a fragrance from this century really qualifies as vintage, but it’s long discontinued and completely unavailable, so maybe? I’m wearing Comme des Garçons Carnation, from 2001, because I was in the mood for that spectacular savagery. It pulls no punches.
That was a good one, you smell wonderful. It ought to qualify as vintage anyway since you probably can’t make it now, or at least, make it the same post-IFRA etc.
A common definition of “vintage” (on Etsy, for example) is something at least 20 years old, so a perfume from 2001 would qualify.
Thank you 50_Roses!
Robin, I’ve had many Fracas bottles over the years, including those cute little clear glass 4 ml vintage ones, and I’ve never had one go off, for what it’s worth. I’ve got one now, matter of fact, because I keep trying to love it but usually end up swapping them away because Too. Much. Tuberose.
I do love it, but I do know many people find it hard to take so I liked the solid so I didn’t gas out the rest of the populatiion 🙂
I love that teapot, and I love this day because I am wearing vintage Lauren! A fantastic person who posts here sent me a package, out of the blue, with some beautiful things she thought I would like. I love everything very much 🙂
This version of Lauren is exactly what I remember from 37 years ago. I will never understand why this was discontinued. I wanted it more than anything but could not afford it. My aunt had a bottle and I would sneak some of hers. It’s just beautiful and my mind keeps going back to when I first smelled it.
Perfume people are the best, aren’t they?
Inspired to be your scent twin today!
I am wearing Guerlain Shalimar EDT and drinking a cup of Earl Grey tea.
A most excellent pairing.
Hello.
Sotd is Rahat Loukoum.
My bottle is around 15yrs old. Not yet vintage but definitely a “grown up”. I bought a new back up bell jar recently and I think it still smells the same, so if there were any reformulations, SL did a great job.
You smell wonderful! One of my favorite memories from my one and only trip to France years ago was time spent at the SL salon. At that time everyone was raving about Chergui but I didn’t like it at all but instead fell in love with Rahat. I still have some left in my original bell jar.
I’m in vintage-ish Bel Ami from an adorable cocktail shaker mini. With some lovely smoke added by the dregs of the Holy Oak I wore yesterday afternoon. It turns out that if Holy Oak is sprayed over a light layer of body cream (scentless) it develops a smokiness that wasn’t very noticeable before. Who knew? The experimentation continues.
You are enjoying Holy Oak very much!
I am! It’s so satisfying when you find exactly what you’re looking for. 🥰
I am in Apres l’Ondee extrait from my ~30 y.o. bottle. I’m never sure it is quite “me”, but it is undeniably beautiful.
It must be wonderful – I’ve only smelled the 90’s versions of the EdT, and they were lovely.
I hate to break it to you, Ann, because I have a hard time reconciling this myself, but the 90s were 30 years ago so what 50_Roses wore was probably what you smelled before!
Really?!? When did that happen?
😂
Ha. I’m having so many moments of “you know you’re really old when….”
It’s not all bad, though. ☀️
❤️
Seriously, I always have to stop and think about how long ago things were. It gets harder to make sense of it all as every year passes.
House Twins!
Love your SOTD
You must smell marvelous.
I’m wearing Crabtree and Evelyn Extract of Mysore Sandalwood(1970) . The bottle belonged to my dad and I’m guessing her had it in the 70s or early 80s. I don’t like it a great deal and I’m beginning to wonder if it has turned. It has a small plastic plug/ stopper. It becomes better after thirty minutes so maybe only the top notes have suffered. Once it has faded I will wear a sample Gaynor gave me Orizia Le grand Apotheosis m which is a strange bird of a perfume: ( almost-raspberry) sugared eucalyptus.
I used to have that one and wore it a lot, although I could never decide if suited me. It had a hint of barbershop to it.
A sugared eucalyptus sounds pretty awful–like a nasty cough drop.
I am debating on if I should wear vintage Mitsouko or vintage BaV for Friday since I have a rare Friday off this week. I am about to walk out the door to deal with legal stuff in regards to my mother. Wearing an unhealthy amount of BDK Gris Charnel today.
I hope all goes well, Dawn.
Good luck Dawn!
Good luck, Dawn and yay for an unhealthy amount of perfume! 😉
Fingers crossed your meeting went well today.
Post shower a wee bit of YSL Opium from 1986/87?
I bought the bottle in Saudi Arabia and the name is marked out.
The govt. did not allow for Opium or Poison to be named on the box.
That’s hysterical about the bottle name.
I was close to hysterics all the time I was there.
I love my vintage Fendi by Fendi edt, but not always all day on me. It’s very earthy and mossy. So I sniffed it this morning and then put on CdG Avignon. 🙂
I can totally relate about the Fendi-I have several perfumes like that. In the vintage world, one that comes to mind just now is Sheherazade by Jean Desprez. I do prefer BaV, but I love Sheherazade as a carnation-and-resin-forward style scent. I have an edt version. Perhaps I will dare to wear tomorrow. Hey, SP: is there a CP idea here? 😸
Maybe: A perfume we love, but find is not always wearable? Or?
Morning commuting vent: The train was packed on my way to volunteer this morning — wall-to-wall people and exactly zero personal space. I spotted an empty seat next to a woman who had her dog in her purse (yes, inside the purse) on the seat next to her and politely asked if I could sit down. She stood up with maximum dramatic flair and then proceeded to give me the full Paddington hard stare, as if I’d personally insulted her, her ancestors, and her handbag dog. Honestly, the dog handled it better than she did.
I am fully in my Shalimar era — no half-measures! I’ve been wearing all things Shalimar lately: the shower oil, the body lotion, the powder, and finally the pure perfume on top. I feel like I should be gliding into a 1930s ballroom… when really I’m just going to the New York public library. And yet? It still feels absolutely right.
I have a huge long drive every day, and I would love a train trip-so I thought, before I read about this 🙂 You must have smelled incredible-sorry about the hard stare 🙂
Nothing better than Shalimar at this time of year.
I think I will do Shalimar all week!
I was thinking about it too, but not the older versions. The new iterations are what I have at my house.
Mass transit in NYC is quite the experience.
It is. But she didn’t have to get up. She could of put her purse dog on her lap
Yay for taking the empty seat!…people can be odd.
And yay for your Shalimar era! I’m in my Shalimar era and all it’s derivatives era too.
I have a few vintage minis that I’ll save for the evening, but I’ve got plenty of choices for recent versions of older perfumes. I’m wearing one of those today, Jean Patou’s L’Heure Attendue.
I am not going to manage vintage until Friday so you’re doing better than me 🙂
Hello, Fragrant Ones.
I’m all in for the CP today with 1970s Shiseido Koto pure parfum. It is very, very lovely (leather! aldehydes! florals various!)
I also have a much more recent bottle of the cologne, which I think is still in production. It is pretty, but more of a greenish floral and there’s decidedly less leather in there.
Hey, spiderplant, you smell gorgeous. I had a set of the cologne and body powder a few years ago, but I think I sold them. Sounds like it was reformulated. Too bad!
Hey there AnnE – good to see you!
Truly I do smell gorgeous : )
I think the cologne may have been reformulated, but I don’t have an older version to compare it against. It could just be my nose of course…
I should do a side-by-side test parfum / cologne and see how it shakes out.
The side-by-side sounds fun! Let us know what you discover.
I’m not wearing vintage today, but ELDO Une Amourette Roland Mouret. When I went to Paris, I went to their shop and I smelled everything (Secretions Magnifique is not as awful as you’ve heard). I bought Remarkable People but I think I should have also gotten this. It is so wearable and has a lovely pink pepper note.
I agree about Secretions Magnifique. I could almost wear it myself.
Whereas I found it exactly as described and never put it on skin a second time 🙂
Actually this makes me wonder if the overall effect is dependent on aromachemicals that not everyone can smell.
I’m in Sublime eau de toilette from Jean Patou. The ingredients listed on the box are alcohol, fragrance, and water, so I guess it counts as vintage.
Glad for the break in the rains today. And the puppy is, too.
That’s a beauty!
I had a bottle of that when it was brand new and I really wish I had it now! It was truly a gorgeous scent. Sigh.
Sublime, a truly ‘golden’ scent. I love to wear this in autumn when the trees are at their peak fall color.
Jean Patou, gone but never forgotten.
I’m wearing a dab of vintage L’Origan. I don’t know what formulation it is, but I think it’s pure parfum. I bought a set on evilbay many years ago of 3 identical, tiny bottles nestled in their individual “beds.” It was an adorable presentation. I hope I still have the other two somewhere.
Tea of the afternoon is a mint tisane since my stomach is a little off today. I’m hoping it will help ward off a possible flu.
Cold and bright here today. Have a nice afternoon, everyone!
Another favorite fall scent of mine for many years. You smell wonderful!
Thanks, Laila!
Feel better soon, AnnE!
Thanks, Jalapeno.
Hope your mint tisane cured all!
Thanks, springpansy. I’m feeling better already. 😉
That vintage Fendi sounds intriguing. Earthy…..mossy…. Yes!
Hope you are feeling better, you certainly smell divine, I have a little, don’t remember if it’s 10 or 15ml PDT.
Thanks, Aurora. The PdT formulation was often the best of many vintage frags. I had a big bottle of Nahema that was gorgeous, just swoon worthy. Unfortunately, it went off and broke my heart. Haha, that sounded like a C&W song!
SOTD = Serge Lutens Borneo 1834
Lovely! I don’t have much left although judging by my flighty perfume choices, it could last me another 10 years or so. The label on the bottle is one where the shop is featured and that’s really my only guess as to its vintage-iness.
I did some financial transactions yesterday, mainly having to do with my stock portfolio. I decided to not reinvest my dividends and to sell 59 shares of stock. I was originally going to sell 359 but the proceeds scared me so I decided to strike out the 3 and still …
As to my ongoing appeal with New York State, I got the highly anticipated letter but, as with the previous one, it was NOT clear what my next steps are. I called and the conciliation manager answered the phone and he basically said to just wait because once the 15 days are up, he will give it a few more days and send me another letter with instructions. Okey dokey.
I have almost no words for how you smell today.
This bell jar is one of the loves of my life.
Borneo is beautiful. I love the older 50 ml bottles with the smaller labels-the new 50 ml bottles with the much bigger labels don’t please me aesthetically at all.
At least you are smelling good during all the crazy financial stuff.
A common refrain for me:
At least I smell good…with my flat tire
At least I smell good…while cleaning up broken glass from a bottle I dropped
At least I smell good…working on my insurance forms, etc, etc.
LOL!
Best refrain EVER!
Happy Tuesday!
A gorgeous respite from the rain with a golden sunrise set against the teal sky and smoky lavender clouds this morning. I’m a night owl but that beauty almost made me a morning person.
Because of the shadows and variations in the clouds the Sotd is TF Ombré Leather 16 with its ozonic and smoky aspects. Does 2016 count as vintage? I was going to wear Mom’s Liz Claiborne Realities in its amazing bottle with a teal topper to commemorate the clouds, but alas freesia in it so I had to pass.
Freesia is a note that tends to take over everything, doesn’t it? I have a Diptyque Freesia candle and it really fills a room. Loved the image of the sky in your area, LesLiesse.
Carole I have developed an intolerance to tuberose, freesia, gardenia and general lilies but not lily of the valley (at least not yet). I’m extra aware of the note now. Sometimes if there’s enough of other notes in a scent I won’t have a reaction. Previously I like you found freesia to be a bit of a pushy scent el owing out of the way more subtle ones.
Realities was one of my favorites when it came out. I haven’t tried the current version.
Mom has an original bottle.
Glad to hear that you got a break in the weather today.
I can’t imagine getting a sensitivity to certain perfume notes. That sounds nearly as bad as anosmia.
Yes, no one in my family has this issue and it developed late.
That sucks. Wonder what aromachemicals are at fault?
Whatever unites tuberose, gardenia, freesia and lily!
You have painted a gorgeous word picture of the sky!
Thank you sp!
It got colder overnight after a week of very mild weather but there was sun all day long. I’m no longer feeling blue about the end of my vacation and having access to a large amount of perfume is such a bonus. I wore vintage Loulou for the CP to the bank and I could smell it all around me, it definitely packs a punch. Tonight I wanted something more intimate and I am in vintage Jovan Musk.
Thanks for reminding me of LouLou! I will wear it this week!
😀
Vintage Loulou is so good! Plus the bottle seemed to be ahead of it’s time.
Agree😀
You smell fabulous-like lillyjo, I’m adding Loulou to the week’s wearings!
LouLou had an amazing bottle for the parfum back in the day.
I remember like an Aladdin lamp, I have it as a mini.
It’s still so hot here that it’s challenging to select perfumes that seem seasonal appropriate, if you think of “November” as a season, that is. I’m following Denise H’s lead and wearing Parfum Sacre and enjoying it very much. My bottle is an EdP but I have no idea when it dates from. My guess is that I bought it in around 2000. I haven’t worn it much, I’m not sure why. It’s pretty heady, and I like both the florals and the spices. I’m trying to detect the myrrh in here but am not sure I can. I notice a LOT of cinnamon!
You smell so good!
I’m claiming partial points since I’m wearing an homage to classic perfumery, Nostagie from Sonoma Scent Studio, from a lovely NSTer. It has the classic vintage perfume structure with moss in the base and a bit of a cold cream note, gorgeous!
Tomorrow I’ll wear something really vintage.
Nostalgie is beautiful. I should pull out my travel spray of it soon.
Wearing a dab of vintage Chloé Parfum from a beautiful little bottle I found at an estate sale. It’s still smells lovely and I can imagine how gorgeous it was at its peak. It’s one of those kitchen sink fragrances in the best way possible.
Smelling glorious allo!
I thought of you when I put it on this morning, knowing that it’s one of your favorites!
Chloe was a favorite for me back in the day. I think I drained two bottles!
It would be easy to do, it’s so lovely and perfect for any occasion.
Cloudy, chilly damp and dreary with occasional rain all day, but it’s my birthday and I’m celebrating all day🥳! Mr. Laila surprised me this morning with tickets to Paul McCartney’s final concert 🎵 in his U.S. tour next week + an overnight hotel stay downtown. Made even better since my son has taken over Thanksgiving duties this year so I don’t have to worry about that! Several other pleasant surprises from dear friends have made it a really nice day!
I had planned to wear a favorite vintage fragrance I always wear on my birthday but changed my mind this time. Red is my favorite color; last night I painted my nails a deep red and am wearing a deep red fleecy sweater today so, of course, I had to choose Hugo Boss Deep Red as my SOTD. Another fall favorite of mine, I just ❤️ the blood orange note in this.
Getting ready to go out to dinner, then finish the evening with our monthly Green Drinks get-together.
Sending peace ☮️ love ❤️ joy😊and hope🤞to all!
Happy Birthday Laila🎂, have a blast at the concert.
Happy Birthday!
What a fabulous gift!
Happy Birthday, Laila! 🎉🎂🥳 May your day end as wonderfully as it began! ⭐️
Happy Scented Birthday, Laila! 🎊🎁🌹😸😽😻 Deep Red is Good Stuff.
Happy birthday! Enjoy the concert!
Happy Birthday!
Happy birthday!…can’t wait to hear about the concert!
Happy birthday to our Lady in Red Red Red!
https://youtu.be/T9Jcs45GhxU?si=L7JJ_1-PLcpnGbRh
Have a deeply joyful time!
How lovely, happy birthday!!
Thank you all for your good wishes. Will definitely report back on Sir Paul! And LesLiesse, thank you for the Lady in Red Video, love that song. Only wish that I could be half that glamorous!
Happy Birthday, Laila!💐 Mr. Laila has really outdone himself!
Happy belated birthday! What a nice, thoughtful surprise from your husband.
Inspired by Carole, I found my vintage Lauren and am enjoying it very much. My college roommate gave me her bottle because I loved it and she preferred Opium (which did smell great on her).
Sounds like you had a wonderful swap with your college roomie.
What a great story😺
Two great scents! What a fun story.
The kids and I have been sick since the weekend. I pretty much spent the whole day resting. I finally have a working furnace. Installed yesterday. Woo-hoo!
I had a quick meeting late this afternoon and sprayed on Zara Fleur de Patchouli.
Gosh, you’re not getting a break lately, are you? Sending hugs, and cheers for the new furnace!
So glad to hear that you have a new, safe furnace now! But ARGH, everyone is sick?
A new furnace! That’s fantastic. But sorry you’re all sick.
Hope you all are feeling better! I think you will love getting a new furnace. We were able to notice how improved they are “these days” when we got a new one.
Yay for your working furnace! I am relieved for you. Work has been busy this past week so I didn’t post but I was following your posts. Hope you and your family feel better soon!
Get well soon Lillyjo, it’s been a string of yucky days for you.
Sorry about the illness! So happy your furnace is working! Get well soon lillyjo!
Gosh. At least the new furnace is a mercy, right?
Gorgeous teapot today Robin!
One more day of temperate weather and blue skies here, then the weather takes a turn on Thursday and Friday. Definitely going to be cooler. There are rumors of a potential rain/snow mix on one of those 2 days. We shall see.
Vintage perfumes: I figure I have a few bottles that are between 20 and 25 years old in The Perfume Stash. What I wear will depend on the weather, since some of those scents are heavy hitters in every sense.
SOTD = enjoying the far drydown of CK Truth on my shirt sleeves today. There’s a reason I have gone thru 2 bottles of this one.
Do you have the current version of Truth? I recently saw it at Marshall’s for a good price.
No, my bottle is at least 10 or 15 years old. I haven’t been able to find a batch code on this one. I didn’t save the box from it.
Smelling good.
Thanks Aurora!
Isn’t that a cool teapot? Nothing would make me buy a teapot I had to polish, but it’s sure sharp looking.
Such a cool, futuristic design! But yeah, polishing silver is an utter pain.
I’m in vintage(ish) Balmain Ivoire. It was a favorite of mine a long, long time ago. So happy to still have a bottle in my collection.
IIRC, you have the same style of bottle and box that I do.
They may be close. Sadly, I never kept the box and my bottle doesn’t seem pressurized. (IIRC, yours was pressurized?)
Kept my box, because I was paranoid about light getting to The Precious!
Yes, my bottle is pressurized. I got it in the late 1980s.
For some CP points, I stayed in a remnant of Avon’s Timeless as I had an early dentist appointment. It involved replacing a very old silver filling and it was the first time in many years that I had to wince a bit during the process. Waah thanks for listening to my whine. As I was leaving I stopped to look at a curio cabinet that I’d walked past for the many years I’ve been a patient. It made my day to see that my dentist (who was in practice with her father until he passed away) had on display a boxed “Dentist Barbie.” So cute with a patient in a chair, a chair with features, and even a tiny Crest tube. A note on the box said that toy made “real gurgling and brushing sounds!”
Ouch, sorry about that, Timeless is a smashing perfume.
Been there done that…I think I’ve had 4 replaced so far. You have my sympathies.
Oh yuck. That sounds Not Fun!
I might have to have that done sometime in the near future. Not looking forward to it.
I have had that done
Smelling fierce in Le Lion today! 🦁 I may have purchased a hajusuuri size sample from the nicest seller ever on evilBay! They included all kinds of extra samples and I recommended NST as a wonderful blog to visit and opine perfume buying, not buying and reformulation all from the comfort of your home! Amazing, fragrant times we are living in, friends! 🥰
Yes they are!
Wow! I want to know this seller