Soir de Paris / Evening in Paris (new) (1991)
by Bourjois

The fragrance now being sold as Soir de Paris, has nothing in common with the classic it once was. This one is harsh, sharp, not well rounded, smells almost chemically at times. If there is a natural substance in this scent, they have done a magnificent job obscuring it under all the synthetics.
It is worth seeking out the original formula, it is the complete opposite of this mess. It is rich, warm, floral; sweet yet not cloying, elegant but not too over the top. A real treat to experience.

The new fragrance is a huge letdown. The original used to smell a little aldehydic, like cherries, roses, light woods and amber. If rubies were a flower, they would smell like (the original) Evening in Paris. The new fragrance is dull to the point of being unpleasant, tobacco-y and excessively powdery with NONE of the old "pearls and black cashmere" excitement. Could they not have had the decency to give it its own name – like Evening in Old Socks? Evening in Paris used to make me think of dressing up and going out to dinner during a summer’s evening rain storm, romantic and mysterious. Now it smells stuffy and ordinary and unimportant, with no magic in it AT ALL, like a run of the mill low-end drugstore perfume. For aficionados of the original Evening in Paris, I found another fragrance that seems a tiny bit like it It is Chanel 5 Eau Premier.

My grandmother used this for many years (old version). The new version is pleasant but the old version brings back many fond memories of her. Why do these perfumers change a "good thing"? Even though the fragrance has been updated a bit, the name still remains the same. Of course, people know it is something from days gone bye. Then, why bother to change the original fragrance at all?

I love it, I can smell a spicy carnation in this perfume.

This is yet another scent that suffered from an unfair change and rather unfortunate reformulation, falling victim of the "modern times".
Having smelled the avenue of elements and sensations that is the original formula, this new version is more of a small Rue with some musty flowers that fell to abandon.
Not entirely bad, this scent is still better than most new-and-cute-and-soft fruity scent, but it's a slap in the face for fans of the old one.
And that takes away some of the beauty of this formula.

This is a post WWI era that was discontinued in 1969. It was, supposedly, at one time "The Most Famous Fragrance in the World" and worn by more women than any other fragrance. Since its reissue, I doubt either of those claims could be substantiated any longer. I did not have the honor of smelling this before, but as it stands now, it is sickening sweet, harsh, and cloying. I purchased it from the Vermont Country Store, sprayed once, and sent it back to them. Absolutely horrible. Nice bottle, though. And the history is interesting, but whichever company has reissued it has done it zero justice, I'm sure. I would be interested in someone's opinion who HAD used it in the 50s and 60s to see if the reissue is true to the original. Somehow, I doubt it.