Émeraude (1921)
by Coty

I loved this SO much as a teenager, and I miss it. Sad to hear it's been wrecked, like so many others. I wore mainly Woodhue during the week--sometimes Wind Song to school--and Emeraude to church, a concert or the opera. Yep, it was clearly conceived as an inexpensive alternative to Shalimar, and it was a good one. Previous reviewers have done a great job of parsing the similarities and differences, so I won't get into that. Suffice it to say it smelled great on skin and even better_en sillage_.

27th October, 2011.

Whatever it may have been, it is no more. Émeraude in its current incarnation is little more than a sharp and nondescript chemical-green blast up front, followed by a powder-puff granny-esque drydown. Synthetic, cheap-smelling, and truly vile.

30th June, 2011.

i have some emeraude from the 30s; absolutely love the green stuff. if i were to visualize what its scent evokes in me i would have to say silk velvet opera coat lined in ermine with a russian egg with imperial osetra caviar in one pocket, a dacquoise in the other.

17th May, 2011.

I've got vintage Shalimar EdC, Shalimar Light, and the Parfum de Toilette version of this (Imperial Decanter bottle), I'd guess from the 1960s. This is lighter than Shalimar Light and not as abrasive as Shalimar EdC. There is a sharp greenish note kicking around that I'm not sure I like, but it's not something that ruins it. In fact, I may grow to like it (only wore it once). There is also an animalic note that is a bit different from any other I've smelled, but the closest thing I can think of is Habit Rouge. Perhaps it is the combination of orange blossom and "dirty" jasmine. Otherwise, it's quite nice and lasts well, with good projection/"sillage" once you get to the drydown. Instead of spice and old/worn leather, like Habit Rouge, this goes in a vanillic/powdery, dry incense direction. I like this better than HR, not just because I like the notes better but also because it is more consistent throughout, whereas HR is very strong up top and considerably weaker in the drydown (I've only tried the new EdC of HR).

28th March, 2011.

I am finally ready to write the strangest review of all...

Emeraude is delicious. I happened upon what is probably a mid--nineties or older mini, Chernobyl green liquid (like the absinthe I'm drinking. That's actually funny.), cylindrical white cap, cologne formula. The smell?
Sweet, whipcrack tangy, lightly powdery. If English Leather and Envy for Men married and used a time machine to adopt a little girl fragrance of their own (since they can't procreate) and raised her to be just like them she would grow up to be Emeraude.
She would then be older than the both of them and possibly contribute to their own existence, thus creating a time paradox. Thanks for the migraine, Coty. And this wonderful fragrance.

27th March, 2011.

If you can find a sufficiently old bottle on ebay, this is worth having. I have a bottle that is small, rectangular with a gold top. I'd guess from the late 1970s or early 1980s. I also have a 1960s art deco style bottle in green. Both are quite nice and brings back childhood memories. Of the two bottles that I own, the 1960s bottle is most Shalimar-like ... and if truth be told, I like Emeraude better than Shalimar.

26th March, 2011. (Last Edited: 26th September, 2011.)