Toujours Moi (1921)
by Dana

I just bought a .5 oz bottle from eBay as a blind purchase and I am very happy with this fragrance! It is the first oriental that I have tried that is warm and inviting on me instead of heavy and cloying. I think this will be a wintertime staple from now on.

22nd December, 2011.

Oh dear. This is LOVELY! It starts off quite rich and deep, as you'd expect from an old, brown perfume, and has a kind of menthol-eucalyptus element over a resinous base, which becomes a sumptuous incense. Not too long after it dries to a delectable, powdery, honey-tobacco scent. So closely did it seem to resemble Habanita, though, that I tried a little Habanita on my other arm, for comparison. Habanita came out VERY vetiver-heavy – sharper and reedier, and surprisingly lacking in the tobacco-nougat aspect that Toujours Moi evokes so deliciously. I definitely get a similarity to Bal a Versailles, too: the same powdery, softly-spicy, close-wearing balsam and vanilla/tonka – sexy yet snugly at the same time. The Toujours Moi, though, lacks the “skank”/old dentures element that you have to get through in Bal a Versailles, which is of course a plus point. I only wish my bottle of Toujours Moi was bigger!

EDIT: I've now added a huge, modern EDC to my little, vintage EDT that can be found in the Art Nouveau-style bottle :-) Incidentally I can't detect any significant difference between the 2, except that perhaps in the ultimate drydown the modern EDC turns to a pleasant cocoa powder. I agree that this is also similar to Tabu, but without the hefty patchouli in the base that Tabu packs.

6th February, 2011. (Last Edited: 9th June, 2011.)

To my inexperienced sniffer, this is a unisex fragrance, much along the lines of Habanita. It's great for men or women and has that 'draw-you-in' quality of Habanita also. But it's softer and a bit more elegant, with a vague whisper of sweetness. I bought it as a gift for a lady and tried it out of curiosity. It's just awfully good for anybody. I think it just got elbowed out of the way over the years as newer, fresher fragrances entered the scene.

What is interesting to me is that some of the older fragrances, such as this one, Monsieur de Mouchoir, Original Tabarome, Jicky, etc., still have a solid kick and are as appealing today as when they were first launched.

2nd June, 2009.

I was with the ad agency that handled Corday when TM was a "name" frag...wore it constantly and not just out of client loyalty...and it still gives me a thrill. But I must agree with FunnyBoy...this new version, as subtle and complex as it is, is not a patch on the original.

But tastes change too...and I'm not sure that the "old" TM would find much of a market these days.

8th December, 2008.

Bought the eau de cologne as my Mum used to wear this fragrance in the 70's when it was made by Corday.
A big difference now ,as I still have some in the original refillable bottle which was an EDP.
This new version is much sweeter.Smells like an Indian oil to me.Definately a sweet musk drydown compared to the original,which was more of a distinctive chypre ,Very long lasting for an EDC but you can tell this has none of the original expensive ingredients.Suitable for those on a budget as an evening fragrance possibly the over 50's age group.

15th August, 2008.

Who said there's no such thing as a free lunch? This inexpensive, complex little Oriental is damn close!

Re-bottle it and slap a niche label on it and few would hesitate to pay a much higher price for it.

13rd January, 2008.