Pretexte (1937)
by Lanvin

I was lucky enough to find a small bottle of this vintage perfume, with its intaglio black glass stopper and art deco lacquer-and-paper box. The extrait itself had darkened to the color of old cognac, and I wasn't sure what to expect. I wasn't disappointed: Pretexte announced itself with a rush of fine leather, followed by a spicy-herbal, ambery warmth. Sometimes, as the scent unfolds, I can detect a floral note, sometimes a whiff of vanilla. It seems very much a fragrance of its time (late 1930s) and place (France) and that's a good thing. For an approximation, imagine Messe de Minuit or Black Cashmere, left to mellow in an expensive handbag, and you might get some sense of Pretexte.