Snuff (1977)
by Elsa Schiaparelli

If this were released today it would be a niche unisex fragrance. It starts with an icy, martini-like blast of alcohol, then settles down immediately to a rich cedar woods with hints of sage that is reminiscent to my nose of Serge Luten's Cedre or a more rich Tam Dao or some of the Ormonde Jayne fragrances.I also get a hint of leather.

This isn't overly sweet to me, nor does it smell like the tobacco it's supposed to evoke.

But then I cannot vouch for the quality of the vintage manufacturer's sample I've got. It's scrawled in cursive "Snuff de Schiaparelli.

I've never smelled the earlier women's version so I have no basis for comparison, but my sample has good longevity and has bloomed nicely in the heat.

It's a pity that Schiaparelli couldn't have held on to producing this for awhile, because this would have found a new appreciate and market today.

7th September, 2010.

I don't understand the history of this fragrance, since it originated almost 30 years before 1977. I assume it must have been reformulated then. I just received a mint bottle from e-bay. It reminds me of Rafale (Molinard) and Monsieur Lanvin: spicy and woody. Its linear, old school, and cloyingly sweet. I'm a big fan.

4th March, 2009.