Arpège (1927)
by Lanvin

Oh my goodness, I love this.
To me it seems inspired by L'Heure Bleue, another fragrance I adore, but it really stands alone.

I was lucky enough to find an old set of Arpège. In it there is; a large bottle of the "Arpège Eau De Lanvin" I assume is the EDT, a purse sized 1.8oz little bottle of what I assume is EDP or parfum, a big flask of the talc, & a bar of the soap. I'm not going to try the soap at the moment as I would like to photograph it.

The Talc starts off fishy, yet still smelling of Arpège. In minutes it sofens & then wilts. I can't see using it for much. I hate the feel of talc on my hands & skin. It’s in lovely packaging though, the black bottle in plastic by Armand-Albert Rateau without the godron top. Though still very pretty for display on a lady’s vanity.

The Arpège Eau De Lanvin is just about perfect. It's aldehydes lift the scent up off the skin & makes the air around you so lovely that men can't help but lean into you. On the skin It's powdery without being old maid-ish & sexy yet still restrained. It's soft & classic through the hearts. It's many floral scents mixing create an abstract idea of what a garden smells like. The drydown is summer nights here. Night blooming flowers, wet soil, spicy grass crushed under young bodies, flowers littering the ground & your lovers hair. It's just about as good as it gets.

Then we have the mystery EDP or parfume. Oh my. It's richer, sexier, spicier, dryer, & has a touch of fruit that makes your mouth water. & that’s just the beginning. You enter the garden again but it's overgrown. The flowers are closing in around you & not one stands out. It's a dry day & the scent could almost make you light headed with its beauty. It's as if you are in a dream where the air is as rich as a ripe plum, as dry as prosecco, & the dirt on your gown doesn’t matter. The dry down is so spicy & dry it makes L'Heure Bleue smell sweet. It's sexual, adult, and even bloody. Where the Arpège Eau De Lanvin is a walk at night, the mystery parfume or EDP, is what you smell like after the best moments with your lover.

This is a sophisticated one. I can understand why its name is legend: it is an impressive fragrance, even in its current incarnation. Arpège opens with a smooth and refined aldehydic / floral / peach. I don’t find the aldehydes very strong and they don’t appear to last very long, which is probably good, because their passing leaves a rich and full floral accord with a well proportioned peach. The accord is elegant and even in its elegance boasts a sensual animalic undertone. It does come across as the older fragrance that it is, and that’s a good thing as far as I’m concerned. The middle florals are refined, balanced, and classic and continue the sophistication. The base is strong in sandalwood with touches of tuberose and vanilla – again, a monument to classic elegance. Of all the classic women’s fragrances including those of Chanel, Arpège is my most admired. It’s quiet gracefulness, class, and sensuality touches most deeply.

To me it is sophisticated and timeless. It could be worn by a young, old fashioned girl or a mature woman. There is none of that old grandmother scent here. A scent to be worn when making an understated but flawless impression is needed. It would be a great scent for a long trip where you had to pack light because it will grow on you and is suitable for all kinds of activities.

Arpège is all about the base and it's hard to even think of it as having any floral elements whatsoever. That's what happens on my skin anyway. It smells expensive, stylish, but also a little overpowering, so go sparingly on this one.

By the way, when Arpège was launched, it WAS expensive. I can't believe it is thought of as anything even close to a "drugstore" scent! Consider yourself lucky if you can get this as a bargain.

Warm, smokey but with an underlying crispness that lasts all day. This suits my chemistry. I can possibly get away with it during the day but it's best left for evening as it is a real man magnet on me.

I have to agree with treazurekitten on the leathery quality. Arpege starts strong on me and dries down to a very soft and subtle leather-with-flowers scent. I'm honestly not sure I like it or not. It's a tar-like leather, very resinous and dark, with that clinging sweet waft of floral. It's definitely what I'd call a historic scent and it lasts FOREVER. A dot of EDP put on in the morning lasted all day, through my evening shower and into the next morning.