Émeraude (1921)
by Coty

I may never have smelled Emeraude vintage in the past, so this is Emeraude 2009. All that comment about how horrible this is for a drugstore scent is undeserved.

As for this vs Shalimar:

I have on my left wrist Emeraude 2009, and Shalimar EDT on my right. It's an hour after spraying. While Shalimar's more rich and concentrated the way you expect a Guerlain should be, I actually prefer to wear Emeraude 2009 as it would be more suited to more variable weather. I can't imagine wearing Shalimar on a warm spring day, but could probably just skate by with Emeraude. Plus keep in mind Emeraude is the same price as Old Spice, so of course my expectations are going to be lower.

PS I don't notice the "poop" angle in Emeraude that I notice in Shalimar, which to me is one fact in Emeraude's favor.

As I was shopping the Super Walmart this morning, I happened by their fragrance isle...couldn't help myself you know?! I was amazed at their full stock. Looks like they carry all of the Coty and Dana products still in production, as well as some current suprises! My eyes browsed through their grocery display of scents, discovering a sample of Emeraude. I readied my wrist and pushed the pump ~ deeply inhaled ~ and was instantly back in my early childhood, sniffing mother's scarf and gloves I was playing dress-up with! To me, the formula still smells virtually the same, although it has been reworked. It's tenderly warm, sweet and a little spicy. Slightly powdery; timeless!

I have avoided writing a review because I am old enough to remember the original Emeraude. It was a lean, mean Shalimar at a far better price! The new junk that Coty is putting out these days is a disgrace to the company's former greatness. You could always depend on Coty to give you wonderful quality for your dollar. Now you can depend only on cheap junk, which has no value regardless of the price. **** for the old Coty products/ *for the junk today

This review is for a vintage (1930's?) bottle of Emeraude. if you had blindefolded me, put this on my wrists, then asked me what I was wearing I would have said vintage Shalimar. No need to describe notes as Vintage Emeraude and Shalimar are that similar. It's a beautiful, spicy Oriental. I haven't smelled the recent drugstore version and judging from some of the reviews I've read, I could do without smelling it. Thumbs up for the old version!

I can't believe the good reviews this has gotten!  They sound more sentimental than anything.  I first saw a tv commercial for Emeraude the beginning of my 8th grade year.  I thought it looked so elegant I couldn't imagine it smelling anything but lovely.  I was also excited about being able to put a full-size bottle alongside my Dune and Liz Claiborne minis.  With no tester to lead my nose, I purchased a bottle, confident of what was inside and so taken with the name and the gem-shaped bottle.  Well, the stuff was horrid, sort of a pine-y, acrid, synthetic hodgepodge reminiscent of cleaning fluid.  But I would have never admitted this to anyone.  This, I learned, is what I got for buying drugstore fragrance and it was the last time I ever did so.  I tried so hard to love it, to even just sort of like it, that I powered my way through half the bottle before admitting defeat.  I just couldn't pretend anymore.  

Emeraude is on my top 5 most loathed smells ever invented. Why they still make this toxic brew is beyond me. It's funny, I was talking to a cab driver and she named all of my most hated smells as her favorites, and Emeraude was at the top -- along with Shalimar, Poison, Tabu (TABU!) and Angel. There are more, but those are the worst!:)