Soir de Paris / Evening in Paris (original) (1928)
by Bourjois

The original was aldehydic while hinting to of dark berries, roses and wood. This lovely, iconic and sophisticated fragrance was cavalierly reformulated and now it smells dreadful. It was not even an interpretation of the original. It is a totally different fragrance. Why didn’t they leave it alone, create another fragrance, and give it a different name? Then new version smells like a stuffy discount store cologne, very ordinary and unimportant.

Here is an interesting feature about the original Evening in Paris that I do not think any other perfume can claim -- no matter how old the original Evening in Paris, it stays as fresh as if it were new. I have a bottle my Dad gave my Mother in 1945 and it is still fresh and wearable. I have smelled full vintage bottles of this at antique shows, and the contents are as fresh as when they were purchased.

My grandmother's forever dimestore favorite. She always had some of this stuff, in the little cobalt blue tasseled flacon or the bottle I was always knocking over on the dresser (luckily it was usually capped). If she wasn't wearing Avon something or other, it was this. I received it as gifts sometimes or was the recipient of extra stock she had. Strong and unmistakable stuff...suited her red-lipped, brunette personality. It definitely declares, "Here I am, and you'd better deal with me."