Here is a collection of quotes accumulated from other threads regarding any and all experiences with regards to MPG formualtions. I have listed the quotes by scent. There may be some overlap and repetition of quotes when they apply to more than one scent - I tried not to take things out of context and so have included all or most of the original quote.
Regarding the long thread title, I apologize, I am just trying to make it easier to find when searching by title.
Azsmells: Sadly my favorite Santal Noble has been reformulated. I have a small amount left of the old and compared it to my new bottle and they are really different in the top notes especially. Much weaker and that coffee note is missing and I smell more of a chocolate note. Some websites still have the old 90 ml bottles listed but I ordered from one of them and they sent me the new 100 ml bottles. I wish I could find old bottles of Santal Noble and Amber Precieux. Anyone know where I can find them?
NSamadi: I have Santal Noble in the newer style bottle and can say, it's the same as the old stuff. I'm guessing they didn't reformulate it right after the bottle style change.
I'll take that back. After spending some more time with my new bottle. Yup, there's a difference. It's not as intense smelling either.
Buzzlepuff: Santal Noble is the biggest disappointment to me. The new version is definitely changed and does not have the coffee note at the outset. If its there, I can not smell it. It is a very nice gentle sandalwood fragrance with a noticeable cedar note, but it has lost all the darkness and character of the older version. It is still a very good sandalwood fragrance but it is very different from the old one.
So the new formulas have changed for all of these MPG's. The Eau d' Iles and Parfum d' Habit have not changed much - just subtle differences. The Ambre Preciuex and Santal Noble are much lighter and therefore have lost some character. Santal Noble seems to have lost the coffee note altogether and is a nice sandalwood, but a completely different fragrance with much less darkness. The old sample decants will show a very different fragrance than what comes in the bottles now of Santal Noble.
AromiErotici: I know Santal Noble's reformulation isn't quite as good as the original since I have it and bought it solely on my sampling the original. The coffee replaced with fig and the sandalwood not as deep.
SculptureOfSoul: The coffee note and some of the dryness (which I suppose could be interpreted as stuffiness) has been removed from the new formulation of Santal Noble. It's sweeter, too.. it shares that same sweet note that Bois de Turquie has but it is toned way down in SN.
While I respect the older formulation and think it's more interesting and smells of higher quality, I like the newer version better in this case but it seems just a bit too similar to BdT now (they still smell different but whereas in the past every MPG seemed to have its own identity, now it seems many share a lot of DNA).
Schachman: Sorry to report, that I have now confirmed (at least to my nose) that MPG is doing something to their formulas. I compared Route du Vetiver, Santal Noble and Iris Bleu Gris - each both new and old, and there are differences. I can't say that they are worse (yet), but they do seem different. Or is my nose (and brain) just fooling me? I tried it blind, and I could always pick out the new batches - even after several repeats.
Buzzlepuff: The biggest changes seem to be in Santal Noble and Route du Vetiver. Santal Noble has lost most of the coffee note at the opening and is lighter and cut with a bit of cedar - but still probably one of the best sandalwood fragrances there is. Ambre Precieux seems to be lighter with less strong myrtle or green notes up front and more subtle, but still the mostly the same scent and very nicely done.
Azsmells: The top bottle is the old 90 ml bottle, the bottom one is the new 100 ml bottle. I owned the 90 ml and now the 100 ml and I really smell a difference in the two. The deep coffee note is much less in the newer formulation and the sandalwood isn't as nice. Some people swear they don't smell a difference. The new stuff is still a great fragrance.
Mudassir: Azsmells is right. Although I must admit, I smelled the difference (especially in the top notes) because I was trying really hard to find differences. Another thing to note is that they might display the older picture while having the newer ones in stock (happened to me with 3 websites and I had to return them).
Ruggles: The newer version, to my nose, has a different quality of sandalwood and is more or less, a lighter sent.
AromiErotici: Went back to look at the website showing the newer bottles and the listed accords are different also. The newer bottle is listing fig tree leaves,ivy greens and cedarwood. The older accord lists sandalwood,precious woods, vetiver and coffee. I'm not quite sure I want the reformulation.
Delmar: From what I've read about SN, including what Luca Turin has written about it, it is my impression that the sandalwood used is not of the Mysore variety. I don't think we're looking at a dramatic difference between the two formulations (such as Mysore sandalwood in the earlier version vs another variety in the later one).
Delmar: I just did a blind test. I have a couple samples of SN from about two years back - one from Les Senteurs (UK) and the other from Lucky Scent (California). The Lucky Scent sample and the Les Senteurs one are virtually identical. But I can easily notice a difference in the Beauty Encounter version - enough for me to consider it a different (albiet related) scent to the "older" SN version. The funny thing is that I can't quite make up my mind if I like the newer or the older version better. The sandalwood in the newer BE version, although there, is less pronounced (noticeably more in the background by comparison) and there is light floral dimension (not particularly in a feminine sense) with something slightly animalic about it - a dimension that actually appeals to me. (Could that be the "fig" you're referring to?) The "older" samples are dustier and dryer and the woody "sandalwood" dimension seems more pronounced in the forfront with a kind of "nuttyness" about it - to my nose. So I guess this sort of contradicts what I said above
AromiErotici: I've recently received the reformulation and it's good. A bit different than the original and IMHO, the original is better, but not by much. I feel like I'm splitting hairs and can understand some thinking the newer version is better.
All in all, a great scent regardless of the bottle.
Teflondog: The new reformulation is a nice woody scent, but there's more than just sandalwood in it. Like others have said, there's a cedar note that gives it a rougher edge. It's also not as heavy as the original.
The old formulation smells more edible IMO. The sandalwood and the coffee notes have a "doughy" quality that makes the scent more of a gourmand.
SculptureOfSoul: Finally wearing them both side by side. Definitely a difference in the top notes. The differences are less noticeable after about 5-10 mins but the new one seems everso slightly 'fresher' and more vibrant and alive. I've only had them on about 15 mins but I'm liking the new one better tbh. It's not quite as deep/dark, but actually seems richer, in a sense.
Dullah: Sent back a newer bottle. It's not a gigantic difference for me, maybe it is for other scents. That said, I've smelled the argyle Santal Noble, and the newer Santal Noble, and the new one had more of a certain note I associate with "old woman" that is both powdery and has a velvety olfactory texture that reminds of dark purple velvet. The old one had more beige/brown/vanilla in it's powdery notes. IDK how to explain it. All the other notes are intact to my nose.
Buzzlepuff: Ambre Precieux is different from the older version in that it is lighter and not nearly as potent. Other than strength of formula it appears very similar to me. A problem with the lighter version is that the effect of the myrtle and its interaction with the amber elements changes in the lighter formula. The net result is ambre precieux becomes more a generic nice gentle amber formula. The cold/warm contrast of the myrtle and amber is gone from the new one because at the lighter concentration, the myrtle is much less noticeable.
So the new formulas have changed for all of these MPG's. The Eau d' Iles and Parfum d' Habit have not changed much - just subtle differences. The Ambre Preciuex and Santal Noble are much lighter and therefore have lost some character. Santal Noble seems to have lost the coffee note altogether and is a nice sandalwood, but a completely different fragrance with much less darkness. The old sample decants will show a very different fragrance than what comes in the bottles now of Santal Noble.
BuzzlePuff: The biggest changes seem to be in Santal Noble and Route du Vetiver. Santal Noble has lost most of the coffee note at the opening and is lighter and cut with a bit of cedar - but still probably one of the best sandalwood fragrances there is. Ambre Precieux seems to be lighter with less strong myrtle or green notes up front and more subtle, but still the mostly the same scent and very nicely done.
Strollyourlobster: I'd say that RdV is less big and dirty, a significant loss. Still a beautiful frag but no longer the sharp, earthy experience it was.
cpk: The only MPG I have experience with the old and new version is Route du Vetiver but the reformulation is so radical that I think MPG should be sewed for using the same name in so opposite developing scents. The old formulation is a top and mid of roots being pulled off wet earth and a drydown of cool vetiver. The new has lost the earth component and replaced it with jasmin!
jlros: As a person dedicated to RdV I am very sad to say they have changed the formula. It is so different that it hardly should don the same name. I am not sure if this was a cost cutting issue of otherwise but if you are dedicated to this scent quickly go to your local retailer and buy the old formulation if you will be sad without it. If you have never purchased it but want to I would hurry.
jlros: I went to Aedes to buy a bottle and they said it seemed more watery. I smelled it on a card and didn't want to spray it on as it smelled wrong. They sprayed it on and WHOA it was a totally different juice. Less earthy, less dark, more transparent and bright. It was just totally different.
Having not sprayed it on my skin I did not have enough of a real impression to distill the notes in my mind.
kdo: [when you read the rest of his quotes you'll see he is talking about the new formula here]Just tried a sample of RdV (from lessenteurs), and I actually did like it, although it was not exactly what I expected after reading all the reviews.
I expected something raw earthy, powerful, in-your-face. Instead it was "tame", very rounded, and pleasant. Not warm though, rather cold. Thankfully, vetiver was without its medicinal edge.
Also it was not very strong, and didn't last very long on me.
Do you think it is the new formula that I tried?
kdo: [regarding the new formula] Alright, received a sample of RdV from theperfumedcourt today.
Well, maybe it is all my imagination, but I think it was different this time.
I still wouldn't call it "in your face". Perhaps I expected too much from it. Here it is:
Now it started with a raw pungent burst, very brief just for a few seconds.
Then for a while it was distinctly vetiverish. For a moment I even thought: "Hey, where is it going? acrid medicinal?" But soon it was diffused and subdued in the enveloping earthiness. I'd even say some kind of "oily earthiness". It doesn't smell of the "earth" to me, but I can see how it could be called "earthy" in a broader sense.
At the same time, it still remained quite Strong and Rough. Cold and green.
Placebo effect? Power of expectation? I don't know.
Just sent the emails both to theperfumedcourt and lessenteurs and asked where did the samples come from. We'll see how it plays out.
P.S. By the way, I think MH Vetiver Bourbon still wins over RdV in the "raw earth" department.
kdo: Well, well, well....
Have received lightning fast replies both from theperfumedcourt and from lessenteurs, and... what do you know!...The theperfumedcourt sample was the original - from the old 90ml bottle, and lessenteurs sample was new formula - from the new 100ml bottle.
Precisely what I suspected.
Curiously enough, the guy from lessenteurs (in reply to my suggestion that the new RdV might be somewhat different) said he also noticed that the juice from the new bottles was, I quote, " RATHER DIFFERENT..! "
Oh, and it is comforting to know it was not just my imagination.
The new RdV is not the same as the original.
Schachman: Sorry to report, that I have now confirmed (at least to my nose) that MPG is doing something to their formulas. I compared Route du Vetiver, Santal Noble and Iris Bleu Gris - each both new and old, and there are differences. I can't say that they are worse (yet), but they do seem different. Or is my nose (and brain) just fooling me? I tried it blind, and I could always pick out the new batches - even after several repeats.
Mudassir: I just applied both of them. I can tell right away the opening of older one is more herbal than the 100ml bottle. How the rest plays out, I don't know yet. Watered down it might not be though, as the 100ml bottle one is still pretty strong.
Mudassir: I am one of those who found Santal Noble to be a bit different. Parfum d'Habit would smell different to more people, in my opinion. Both stay pretty linear throughtout, although the herbal character of older bottle tones down after a while. The verdict? Locate an older bottle if you like Parfum d'Habit for its herbalness and dirtiness.Go with the newer bottle if you like it because of its "dark" character (new bottle has more pronounced amber/sandal). I fall in the later camp, and am happier to have the 100ml bottle.
Buzzlepuff: I am smelling the new 100 ml. Parfum d'Habit on my arm - I spritzed a single spray 30 hours ago. It is still going strong. I have only smelled the old bottle from samples I had last year and the new is definitely not less strong! This stuff is way powerful, long lasting and slightly offensive at first. I believe that any regular wearer of PdH would soon start to naturally exude this scent from the skin as a native scent - it is that penetrating an odor. But it is strangely appealing. A warning here for anyone thinking of blind buying this one - don't do it! Its a real mountain man scent.
Parfum d' Habit has not lost any of its dark leathery character and it is unique with the same "old wool blanket" odor that it used to have which is an acquired taste for sure. The combination of black currant, petitgrain, patchouli, and leather gives it a dirtiness and darkness that reminds me of other arabian leathers such as Aoud Cuir Arabie and also Oriscent Oud Royale. But this is much stronger a scent and has a pine wood feel to it (from the petitgrain?). Dark woods mixed with raw leather and old wool. I would not be surprised if the new formula has agarwood oil in it. Parfum d' Habit is a very strong fragrance that is full of character. A rough and natural character for sure. It may or might not be better than the old one but it definitely is not weaker.
Strollyourlobster: So, to continue the fascinating saga. The company I ordered the old formula from was out of stock, so I ordered the new formula and love it. Mudassir's description of the differences seems quite accurate to me, as well, but the differences are subtle. The new formula does have a bit less herbal dirtiness in the opening but by drydown I really can't tell the difference. Maybe a touch more sandalwood? Any rate, I'm enjoying my new bottle very much. Many thanks to Mudassir for answering my questions so patiently.
So the new formulas have changed for all of these MPG's. The Eau d' Iles and Parfum d' Habit have not changed much - just subtle differences. The Ambre Preciuex and Santal Noble are much lighter and therefore have lost some character. Santal Noble seems to have lost the coffee note altogether and is a nice sandalwood, but a completely different fragrance with much less darkness. The old sample decants will show a very different fragrance than what comes in the bottles now of Santal Noble.
Any other MPG reformulation stories out there? Interesting that you mention the musk base. What I'm finding with MPG is that many of them share the same fruity musk base. JdN and FM basically dry-down to the same fruity base.
The original FM had a much more complex opening, that lasted longer. The mix of grapefruit with the berry note was very subtle and rich. Now it seems like lemon fresh over a berry musk - end of story. It lost some of its depth - and that is tough when you're starting with a fresh citrus.
Don't get me wrong, I still like the fragrances. They're just less complex than they used to be.
I smell a budget cut and an attempt at making them easier to accept right out of the bottle.
Please leave the top notes alone, they last 30 seconds and provide that fantastic rush I've become so addicted to!
Yep - there seems to be a difference between old and new... with several of the MPG frags:
http://community.basenotes.net/showt...is#post1194477
The newer version of IBG seems to go sour on my skin compared to the original..., though the top notes and middle seem about the same.
Schachman: For me, the dry-down on the new version went a little off on me, so while I still like it, I preferred the original. I can't say there is a huge difference, but perhaps they changed one product and that made a difference. I have to admit, I wore it rarely... though I kept the bottle, and will revisit it a little later.
Schachman: Sorry to report, that I have now confirmed (at least to my nose) that MPG is doing something to their formulas. I compared Route du Vetiver, Santal Noble and Iris Bleu Gris - each both new and old, and there are differences. I can't say that they are worse (yet), but they do seem different. Or is my nose (and brain) just fooling me? I tried it blind, and I could always pick out the new batches - even after several repeats.
Regarding the long thread title, I apologize, I am just trying to make it easier to find when searching by title.
Santal Noble
Mudassir: I can confirm Santal Noble, Route de Vetiver and Ambre Precieux to have been reformulated. Not sure about others. They are almost similar- but one could easily tell a difference smelling them side by side. Ambre Precieux is probably the one that has lost the most "oomph" in the newer version.Azsmells: Sadly my favorite Santal Noble has been reformulated. I have a small amount left of the old and compared it to my new bottle and they are really different in the top notes especially. Much weaker and that coffee note is missing and I smell more of a chocolate note. Some websites still have the old 90 ml bottles listed but I ordered from one of them and they sent me the new 100 ml bottles. I wish I could find old bottles of Santal Noble and Amber Precieux. Anyone know where I can find them?
NSamadi: I have Santal Noble in the newer style bottle and can say, it's the same as the old stuff. I'm guessing they didn't reformulate it right after the bottle style change.
I'll take that back. After spending some more time with my new bottle. Yup, there's a difference. It's not as intense smelling either.
Buzzlepuff: Santal Noble is the biggest disappointment to me. The new version is definitely changed and does not have the coffee note at the outset. If its there, I can not smell it. It is a very nice gentle sandalwood fragrance with a noticeable cedar note, but it has lost all the darkness and character of the older version. It is still a very good sandalwood fragrance but it is very different from the old one.
So the new formulas have changed for all of these MPG's. The Eau d' Iles and Parfum d' Habit have not changed much - just subtle differences. The Ambre Preciuex and Santal Noble are much lighter and therefore have lost some character. Santal Noble seems to have lost the coffee note altogether and is a nice sandalwood, but a completely different fragrance with much less darkness. The old sample decants will show a very different fragrance than what comes in the bottles now of Santal Noble.
AromiErotici: I know Santal Noble's reformulation isn't quite as good as the original since I have it and bought it solely on my sampling the original. The coffee replaced with fig and the sandalwood not as deep.
SculptureOfSoul: The coffee note and some of the dryness (which I suppose could be interpreted as stuffiness) has been removed from the new formulation of Santal Noble. It's sweeter, too.. it shares that same sweet note that Bois de Turquie has but it is toned way down in SN.
While I respect the older formulation and think it's more interesting and smells of higher quality, I like the newer version better in this case but it seems just a bit too similar to BdT now (they still smell different but whereas in the past every MPG seemed to have its own identity, now it seems many share a lot of DNA).
Schachman: Sorry to report, that I have now confirmed (at least to my nose) that MPG is doing something to their formulas. I compared Route du Vetiver, Santal Noble and Iris Bleu Gris - each both new and old, and there are differences. I can't say that they are worse (yet), but they do seem different. Or is my nose (and brain) just fooling me? I tried it blind, and I could always pick out the new batches - even after several repeats.
Buzzlepuff: The biggest changes seem to be in Santal Noble and Route du Vetiver. Santal Noble has lost most of the coffee note at the opening and is lighter and cut with a bit of cedar - but still probably one of the best sandalwood fragrances there is. Ambre Precieux seems to be lighter with less strong myrtle or green notes up front and more subtle, but still the mostly the same scent and very nicely done.
Azsmells: The top bottle is the old 90 ml bottle, the bottom one is the new 100 ml bottle. I owned the 90 ml and now the 100 ml and I really smell a difference in the two. The deep coffee note is much less in the newer formulation and the sandalwood isn't as nice. Some people swear they don't smell a difference. The new stuff is still a great fragrance.
Mudassir: Azsmells is right. Although I must admit, I smelled the difference (especially in the top notes) because I was trying really hard to find differences. Another thing to note is that they might display the older picture while having the newer ones in stock (happened to me with 3 websites and I had to return them).
Ruggles: The newer version, to my nose, has a different quality of sandalwood and is more or less, a lighter sent.
AromiErotici: Went back to look at the website showing the newer bottles and the listed accords are different also. The newer bottle is listing fig tree leaves,ivy greens and cedarwood. The older accord lists sandalwood,precious woods, vetiver and coffee. I'm not quite sure I want the reformulation.
Delmar: From what I've read about SN, including what Luca Turin has written about it, it is my impression that the sandalwood used is not of the Mysore variety. I don't think we're looking at a dramatic difference between the two formulations (such as Mysore sandalwood in the earlier version vs another variety in the later one).
Delmar: I just did a blind test. I have a couple samples of SN from about two years back - one from Les Senteurs (UK) and the other from Lucky Scent (California). The Lucky Scent sample and the Les Senteurs one are virtually identical. But I can easily notice a difference in the Beauty Encounter version - enough for me to consider it a different (albiet related) scent to the "older" SN version. The funny thing is that I can't quite make up my mind if I like the newer or the older version better. The sandalwood in the newer BE version, although there, is less pronounced (noticeably more in the background by comparison) and there is light floral dimension (not particularly in a feminine sense) with something slightly animalic about it - a dimension that actually appeals to me. (Could that be the "fig" you're referring to?) The "older" samples are dustier and dryer and the woody "sandalwood" dimension seems more pronounced in the forfront with a kind of "nuttyness" about it - to my nose. So I guess this sort of contradicts what I said above
AromiErotici: I've recently received the reformulation and it's good. A bit different than the original and IMHO, the original is better, but not by much. I feel like I'm splitting hairs and can understand some thinking the newer version is better.
All in all, a great scent regardless of the bottle.
Teflondog: The new reformulation is a nice woody scent, but there's more than just sandalwood in it. Like others have said, there's a cedar note that gives it a rougher edge. It's also not as heavy as the original.
The old formulation smells more edible IMO. The sandalwood and the coffee notes have a "doughy" quality that makes the scent more of a gourmand.
SculptureOfSoul: Finally wearing them both side by side. Definitely a difference in the top notes. The differences are less noticeable after about 5-10 mins but the new one seems everso slightly 'fresher' and more vibrant and alive. I've only had them on about 15 mins but I'm liking the new one better tbh. It's not quite as deep/dark, but actually seems richer, in a sense.
Dullah: Sent back a newer bottle. It's not a gigantic difference for me, maybe it is for other scents. That said, I've smelled the argyle Santal Noble, and the newer Santal Noble, and the new one had more of a certain note I associate with "old woman" that is both powdery and has a velvety olfactory texture that reminds of dark purple velvet. The old one had more beige/brown/vanilla in it's powdery notes. IDK how to explain it. All the other notes are intact to my nose.
Ambre Precieux
Mudassir: I can confirm Santal Noble, Route de Vetiver and Ambre Precieux to have been reformulated. Not sure about others. They are almost similar- but one could easily tell a difference smelling them side by side. Ambre Precieux is probably the one that has lost the most "oomph" in the newer version.Buzzlepuff: Ambre Precieux is different from the older version in that it is lighter and not nearly as potent. Other than strength of formula it appears very similar to me. A problem with the lighter version is that the effect of the myrtle and its interaction with the amber elements changes in the lighter formula. The net result is ambre precieux becomes more a generic nice gentle amber formula. The cold/warm contrast of the myrtle and amber is gone from the new one because at the lighter concentration, the myrtle is much less noticeable.
So the new formulas have changed for all of these MPG's. The Eau d' Iles and Parfum d' Habit have not changed much - just subtle differences. The Ambre Preciuex and Santal Noble are much lighter and therefore have lost some character. Santal Noble seems to have lost the coffee note altogether and is a nice sandalwood, but a completely different fragrance with much less darkness. The old sample decants will show a very different fragrance than what comes in the bottles now of Santal Noble.
BuzzlePuff: The biggest changes seem to be in Santal Noble and Route du Vetiver. Santal Noble has lost most of the coffee note at the opening and is lighter and cut with a bit of cedar - but still probably one of the best sandalwood fragrances there is. Ambre Precieux seems to be lighter with less strong myrtle or green notes up front and more subtle, but still the mostly the same scent and very nicely done.
Route Du Vetiver
Mudassir: I can confirm Santal Noble, Route de Vetiver and Ambre Precieux to have been reformulated. Not sure about others. They are almost similar- but one could easily tell a difference smelling them side by side. Ambre Precieux is probably the one that has lost the most "oomph" in the newer version.Strollyourlobster: I'd say that RdV is less big and dirty, a significant loss. Still a beautiful frag but no longer the sharp, earthy experience it was.
cpk: The only MPG I have experience with the old and new version is Route du Vetiver but the reformulation is so radical that I think MPG should be sewed for using the same name in so opposite developing scents. The old formulation is a top and mid of roots being pulled off wet earth and a drydown of cool vetiver. The new has lost the earth component and replaced it with jasmin!
jlros: As a person dedicated to RdV I am very sad to say they have changed the formula. It is so different that it hardly should don the same name. I am not sure if this was a cost cutting issue of otherwise but if you are dedicated to this scent quickly go to your local retailer and buy the old formulation if you will be sad without it. If you have never purchased it but want to I would hurry.
jlros: I went to Aedes to buy a bottle and they said it seemed more watery. I smelled it on a card and didn't want to spray it on as it smelled wrong. They sprayed it on and WHOA it was a totally different juice. Less earthy, less dark, more transparent and bright. It was just totally different.
Having not sprayed it on my skin I did not have enough of a real impression to distill the notes in my mind.
kdo: [when you read the rest of his quotes you'll see he is talking about the new formula here]Just tried a sample of RdV (from lessenteurs), and I actually did like it, although it was not exactly what I expected after reading all the reviews.
I expected something raw earthy, powerful, in-your-face. Instead it was "tame", very rounded, and pleasant. Not warm though, rather cold. Thankfully, vetiver was without its medicinal edge.
Also it was not very strong, and didn't last very long on me.
Do you think it is the new formula that I tried?
kdo: [regarding the new formula] Alright, received a sample of RdV from theperfumedcourt today.
Well, maybe it is all my imagination, but I think it was different this time.
I still wouldn't call it "in your face". Perhaps I expected too much from it. Here it is:
Now it started with a raw pungent burst, very brief just for a few seconds.
Then for a while it was distinctly vetiverish. For a moment I even thought: "Hey, where is it going? acrid medicinal?" But soon it was diffused and subdued in the enveloping earthiness. I'd even say some kind of "oily earthiness". It doesn't smell of the "earth" to me, but I can see how it could be called "earthy" in a broader sense.
At the same time, it still remained quite Strong and Rough. Cold and green.
Placebo effect? Power of expectation? I don't know.
Just sent the emails both to theperfumedcourt and lessenteurs and asked where did the samples come from. We'll see how it plays out.
P.S. By the way, I think MH Vetiver Bourbon still wins over RdV in the "raw earth" department.
kdo: Well, well, well....
Have received lightning fast replies both from theperfumedcourt and from lessenteurs, and... what do you know!...The theperfumedcourt sample was the original - from the old 90ml bottle, and lessenteurs sample was new formula - from the new 100ml bottle.
Precisely what I suspected.
Curiously enough, the guy from lessenteurs (in reply to my suggestion that the new RdV might be somewhat different) said he also noticed that the juice from the new bottles was, I quote, " RATHER DIFFERENT..! "
Oh, and it is comforting to know it was not just my imagination.
The new RdV is not the same as the original.
Schachman: Sorry to report, that I have now confirmed (at least to my nose) that MPG is doing something to their formulas. I compared Route du Vetiver, Santal Noble and Iris Bleu Gris - each both new and old, and there are differences. I can't say that they are worse (yet), but they do seem different. Or is my nose (and brain) just fooling me? I tried it blind, and I could always pick out the new batches - even after several repeats.
Parfum d'Habit
Strollyourlobster: Parfum d'Habit, on the other hand, has escaped with minimal change, and arguably is even improved.See Mudassir's descriptions of the differences here (http://community.basenotes.net/showt...rfum+d%27habit). I had a bottle of the old stuff and I'd say I'm enjoying the new stuff at least as much. I think Mudassir is right to say that they've added a touch more dry amber and sandalwood. This version is more opaque, meant here as a term of approbation, as in the opposite of transparent. The old one had a touch of Ellena's sheer sensibility, and I loved the frag but thought the lightness in the basenotes was a little misplaced. Anyway, very subtle differences.Mudassir: I just applied both of them. I can tell right away the opening of older one is more herbal than the 100ml bottle. How the rest plays out, I don't know yet. Watered down it might not be though, as the 100ml bottle one is still pretty strong.
Mudassir: I am one of those who found Santal Noble to be a bit different. Parfum d'Habit would smell different to more people, in my opinion. Both stay pretty linear throughtout, although the herbal character of older bottle tones down after a while. The verdict? Locate an older bottle if you like Parfum d'Habit for its herbalness and dirtiness.Go with the newer bottle if you like it because of its "dark" character (new bottle has more pronounced amber/sandal). I fall in the later camp, and am happier to have the 100ml bottle.
Buzzlepuff: I am smelling the new 100 ml. Parfum d'Habit on my arm - I spritzed a single spray 30 hours ago. It is still going strong. I have only smelled the old bottle from samples I had last year and the new is definitely not less strong! This stuff is way powerful, long lasting and slightly offensive at first. I believe that any regular wearer of PdH would soon start to naturally exude this scent from the skin as a native scent - it is that penetrating an odor. But it is strangely appealing. A warning here for anyone thinking of blind buying this one - don't do it! Its a real mountain man scent.
Parfum d' Habit has not lost any of its dark leathery character and it is unique with the same "old wool blanket" odor that it used to have which is an acquired taste for sure. The combination of black currant, petitgrain, patchouli, and leather gives it a dirtiness and darkness that reminds me of other arabian leathers such as Aoud Cuir Arabie and also Oriscent Oud Royale. But this is much stronger a scent and has a pine wood feel to it (from the petitgrain?). Dark woods mixed with raw leather and old wool. I would not be surprised if the new formula has agarwood oil in it. Parfum d' Habit is a very strong fragrance that is full of character. A rough and natural character for sure. It may or might not be better than the old one but it definitely is not weaker.
Strollyourlobster: So, to continue the fascinating saga. The company I ordered the old formula from was out of stock, so I ordered the new formula and love it. Mudassir's description of the differences seems quite accurate to me, as well, but the differences are subtle. The new formula does have a bit less herbal dirtiness in the opening but by drydown I really can't tell the difference. Maybe a touch more sandalwood? Any rate, I'm enjoying my new bottle very much. Many thanks to Mudassir for answering my questions so patiently.
Eau d'Iles
Buzzlepuff: I love Eau d' Iles and the new version of Eau d' Iles is the same as the old one as far as I can tell. I highly recomend it. I also had bottles of the new formulation of Santal Noble, Ambre Precieux, and Parfum d' Habit. My older formula experience comes from samples and decants of the older forumulas. Parfum d' Habit didn't seem to be much different to me, although I am sure the subtle changes mentioned by Mudassair are there - I was not able to discern these subtleties having limited experience with the older one.So the new formulas have changed for all of these MPG's. The Eau d' Iles and Parfum d' Habit have not changed much - just subtle differences. The Ambre Preciuex and Santal Noble are much lighter and therefore have lost some character. Santal Noble seems to have lost the coffee note altogether and is a nice sandalwood, but a completely different fragrance with much less darkness. The old sample decants will show a very different fragrance than what comes in the bottles now of Santal Noble.
Jardin du Nil
Ruggles: Most people would be happy that the bizzaro foot fungus/parmesan cheese top note was no longer part of Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier's Jardin du Nil experience. But for me, it's part of the trip down the Nile. No 30 seconds of rank odor, no River Nile cruise!Fraicheur Muskissime
Ruggles: My new Fraicheur Muskissime has been f*cked with too - much lighter and it was light to start with!Any other MPG reformulation stories out there? Interesting that you mention the musk base. What I'm finding with MPG is that many of them share the same fruity musk base. JdN and FM basically dry-down to the same fruity base.
The original FM had a much more complex opening, that lasted longer. The mix of grapefruit with the berry note was very subtle and rich. Now it seems like lemon fresh over a berry musk - end of story. It lost some of its depth - and that is tough when you're starting with a fresh citrus.
Don't get me wrong, I still like the fragrances. They're just less complex than they used to be.
I smell a budget cut and an attempt at making them easier to accept right out of the bottle.
Please leave the top notes alone, they last 30 seconds and provide that fantastic rush I've become so addicted to!
Iris Bleu Gris
Schachman: Hi Mike,Yep - there seems to be a difference between old and new... with several of the MPG frags:
http://community.basenotes.net/showt...is#post1194477
The newer version of IBG seems to go sour on my skin compared to the original..., though the top notes and middle seem about the same.
Schachman: For me, the dry-down on the new version went a little off on me, so while I still like it, I preferred the original. I can't say there is a huge difference, but perhaps they changed one product and that made a difference. I have to admit, I wore it rarely... though I kept the bottle, and will revisit it a little later.
Schachman: Sorry to report, that I have now confirmed (at least to my nose) that MPG is doing something to their formulas. I compared Route du Vetiver, Santal Noble and Iris Bleu Gris - each both new and old, and there are differences. I can't say that they are worse (yet), but they do seem different. Or is my nose (and brain) just fooling me? I tried it blind, and I could always pick out the new batches - even after several repeats.
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