Some time ago I bought some perfume samples from Yesterday’s perfume, but for some reason I haven’t got around to review them. Here are a few of them.
Arpege by Lanvin (1927)
Top notes: Bergamot, neroli, aldehydes, peach.
Heart notes: Rose, jasmine, lily of the valley, ylang-ylang.
Base notes: Sandalwood, ambrein, vetiver, musk.
Top notes: Bergamot, neroli, aldehydes, peach.
Heart notes: Rose, jasmine, lily of the valley, ylang-ylang.
Base notes: Sandalwood, ambrein, vetiver, musk.
I wanted to like this one very much. It’s been called one the three best known perfumes, Chanel No 5 and Joy. And it does smell nice. Very nice. I put it on and I think of how nice it smells. And then I forget it. Completely and totally. I have tried this one several times and apart from that fleeting “nice”, it makes no impression on me, whatsoever.
Tweed by Letheric (1933, but some sources says that it was launched in the 1920’s.)
Top notes: Bergamot, cinnamon and geranium.
Middle notes: Ylang-ylang, jasmine, lavender and orange flower.
Dry Down notes: Oakmoss, patchouli, sandalwood, benzoin, vanilla and vetiver.
I really like this one! The name makes it sound like this is a gentleman’s cologne, and there are, indeed, Tweed perfume for men as well. And I think that this perfume could be worn by a man, though it gives more a hint of male perfume. This is a very understated perfume; perfect for daywear and its name suit it very well. You can very easily imagine yourself in a well-fitting tweed suit, perhaps for a nice walk in the country side. You wouldn’t want something overpowering and heavy for a walk, would you? This perfume works more with the scents of nature and wouldn’t disturb. I don’t think it would ever disturb, I think it would consider it Just Not Done.
Sirocco by Lucien Lelong (1934) A perfume created by Jean Carles who also was the nose behind Shalimar.
Notes: Lavender , magnolia , rose , jasmine , amber , coumarin , benzoin , incense ( opopponax ) , sandalwood , patchouli and musk.
Of these three perfumes, this is the gem. Far from being an “in your face” perfume, it still makes itself noticeable for a long time. Perhaps the flowers have gone due to age, but I can’t detect and rose and jasmine and I’m not at all unhappy by that. My first impression is of vanilla- I guess it’s the benzoin, very soft, but the softness if firmed up by the lavenders and, I think, the coumarin, which stops it from being cloying. As I have said before, patchouli very easily smells old lady on me, but here it smells just plain nice. It’s a very cozy scent- I caught myself sniffing my wrists over and over again, but I would rather wear this perfume to bed, when I’m tired and go to bed early. Very comforting and warm!
(Picture sources: http://pzrservices.typepad.com/vintageadvertising/vintage_cosmeticsperfumetoiletries_advertising/page/20/
http://parisatelier.blogspot.com/2009/06/lovin-lanvin.html
http://sheepandchick.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-presents-from-1930s-that-you.html
http://vintage-ads.livejournal.com/1184556.html)
Tweed låter som något jag skulle älska, men en kvick sökning visar att de har ändrat den helt och att folk tycker att den nya luktar urin. Suck...
ReplyDeleteEmma: Usch! Ja, det tycker jag verkligen inte att den luktar! Som sagt, jag fattar inte varför man ska in och pilla på ett bra koncept! Fast i och för sig, oakmoss är förbjudet numer och vad jag förstår så är den syntetiska motsvarigheten inte bra alls. Om du följer länken till Yesterday's Perfume så har hon fortfarande prover av Tweed att sälja. Jag fick mina prover snabbt och bra. :)
ReplyDeleteThere's a perfume they sell in Boots called Tweed, but I'm not sure it's the same one. It's in the aisle as all the other "retro" perfumes such as Yardley Lavender, Lily of the Valley and L'Aimant by Coty.
ReplyDeletePopbabe7: I think it is, though re-formulated. Emma here commented in Swedish that people have likened the smell of the new one to urine, which doesn't sound very tempting...
ReplyDeleteI have a sample of Arpege and I completely agree with your review. It's nice, just nice. My husband says it doesn't suit me, because I usually wear spicey scents or men's scents, but he doesn't hate it. He has hated most other vintage scents I've tried.
ReplyDeleteI think vintage Tweed pops up on auction sites and the like rather frequently, and it's not one of those vintage fragrances that go for an arm and a leg, if I remember correctly. Sounds really nice, as does Sirocco.
ReplyDeleteArpége bored me too. Nice, well-behaved florals often do, but I'm kind of working on that. Also, I'm sort of thinking that we should get together and sniff things some day! I have a few unusual vintage fragrances, and a lot of other stuff.
Andrea: Funny, my darling's comment on Arpege was "Soapy". :)
ReplyDeletepimpinett: Yes, I like it a lot, even though it's not a va-va-woom perfume.
Florals rarely works for me, I'm more a vanilla and ambergris girl. Though this last year I have fallen more and more for leather. And I think it would be great fun to meet and sniff! I'm sure we could find other stuff to talk about than just perfume too! :)