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Restoration and Resurrection

post #1 of 30
3/2/10 at 8:18am
Thread Starter 
Hello everyone!

This question is inspired by blondex's thread over on the men's board. He wants to know which of the discontinued men's fragrances they would "most like to see reborn."

I'd be interested to read your responses for feminines, but I'd like to amend the question to add, in the case of mangled but still-in-production fragrances, "restored to its former original glory." I'd like to know about the fragrances that you already know and love - reformulated/discontinued scents that are currently in your wardrobe, used to be in your wardrobe, or would still be in your wardrobe if it hadn't been ruined or discontinued. And I know it's challenging, but try to limit your responses to one from each category - so one to resurrect, and one to restore.

This is very difficult for me as most of my favorites have been discontinued, but I think I'd have to go with the original Calvin Klein for Women (burgundy box, from 1978) to resurrect. I have a small stock of this, but it's diminishing. I think this is the one fragrance I most often wish would be relaunched, but only in the exact same formula as the original. I'm not interested in a reformulation.

And I think I'd choose Vent Vert to be restored to its former glory. This has been butchered almost beyond recognition - they should have just discontinued it. The current edt doesn't seem to have any fans, and if you know the original that comes as no surprise.


So what would y'all wish for?
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post #2 of 30
3/2/10 at 9:09am
What a great question.

I'd love to see Houbigant's Essence Rare re-released in its original form, or at least in its '70s form.

Would also like to see Lanvin restore Arpege to its original glory.

AND, it would be wonderful if Caron would restore some of its urn greats, like En Avion, French Cancan, etc.

Well, a girl can dream, can't she?
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post #3 of 30
3/2/10 at 9:32am
Please restore No. 19. (I used to say Rive Gauche, but I think the recent atrocities Chanel has committed [Seriously, why not just discontinue them, rather than place rubbing alcohol and lemon juice in Chanel perfume bottles?] are the most dire I know, making Cristalle a difficult second.)

Please bring back L'Arte di Gucci.
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post #4 of 30
3/2/10 at 10:10am
Dior, please restore Poison and bring back its Esprit de Parfum.

Gucci, please bring back L'Arte di Gucci and Gucci No. 3.

Tauer, please bring back Orris, so we can figure out what the few who tried it were raving about.

As a general aside, can someone put the oakmoss back into all the chypres it was taken out of.
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post #5 of 30
3/2/10 at 10:44am
I'd love to see all the original Lanvins resurrected: Pretexte, Rumeur, Arpege, My Sin, Scandal, and Eau de Lanvin.
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post #6 of 30
3/2/10 at 10:44am
Hillaire,

Which Cristalle has Chanel mutilated? The EdT, the EdP, or both? You know things are bad when Chanel begins to make such major changes.
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post #7 of 30
3/2/10 at 11:00am
I know, Chanel is so odd. I just tried their #22 EDT. Toilet water, indeed. What does the EDP smell like, I wonder? Is it anything like the massive overdose of mimosa I recall from the late 70's?

I am with you all on remaking some of these beauties. Especially Rive Gauche. An absolute crime what has happened to that one.
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post #8 of 30
3/2/10 at 11:08am
Vintage Vogue wrote:
Hillaire,

Which Cristalle has Chanel mutilated? The EdT, the EdP, or both? You know things are bad when Chanel begins to make such major changes.


Both, naturally. The edp has a slight air of cheap "spice" and more dye in the blend.

The whole. line. is mutilated beyond recognition.

But the No. 19 shocked me the most deeply. It's just bright green cheap deo spray; I am not even getting the implication of a fragrance.

Chanel's "reinterpretations" are the single worst in the business (IMHO). Totally heinous. Seriously -- and I mean this -- I'd rather they killed these great ladies off with their dignity in tact. Rather than offer us Stepford surrogates. Unconscionable!
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post #9 of 30
3/2/10 at 11:17am
Hillaire, I wasn't even aware that Chanel had reformulated so many of its classics. That's terrible. Hey, next time, tell me what you REALLY think. LOL. I appreciate your passion about these changes. More than once have I been deeply, deeply disappointed by reformulations and emasculations of my favorites through the years.

Kumquat, I had no idea that even No 22 had been put under the surgeon's knife. I recently purchased a decant of the Bois des Iles from the Exclusifs line, and I really like it as much as the pre-Exclusifs version. But I dislike knowing that 22 has been tampered with.

Yes, Rive Gauche. When LT first smelled the rejig, he called it a tragedy (this was in his now defunct blog). He ameliorated his RG review for his and TS's Guide, but I agree with his initial assessment of the new version. It's a tragedy.
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post #10 of 30
3/2/10 at 11:26am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by VintageVogue View Post

I'd love to see Houbigant's Essence Rare re-released in its original form, or at least in its '70s form.

Now that's one I never see mentioned! Thanks for the reminder - I had almost forgotten about it. (This was a point of my question - I love to find "new" vintage scents, and there are a lot out there, certainly more than I can remember even if I have smelled them once, long ago.) Was Essence Rare a green floral?
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post #11 of 30
3/2/10 at 11:41am
Evangline, Essence Rare was more of an aldehydic floral with some green underpinnings and some woods in the drydown. I suppose you could say it was a green floral, but it wasn't like Vent Vert, for example. In recent years I acquired some old parfum from fleabay, and as it's aged through the years ER smells like No 19 in parts of its drydown.

When Houbigant first released Essence Rare in the '20s, it was their answer to the successful No 5. It was d/c at some point, then reintroduced in the 1970s. That is the only version I'm familiar with.

Not too long ago, Kumquat sent me some samps, among which was Amouage Gold. When I smelled Gold, I immediately thought of the Essence Rare I had known years ago. The sharp tingle of aldehydes, perfectly mixed with florals and subtle green and wood notes. Ah, it brought back memories. But, memory is flawed, and I can't be sure if the aged juice is truer than my memory.

Regardless, Essence Rare is worth sniffing. And definitely worthy of being reborn.

PS: it had oakmoss in the base notes. It was gorgeous.
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post #12 of 30
3/2/10 at 11:45am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hillaire View Post

Please bring back L'Arte di Gucci.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Galamb_Borong View Post

Gucci, please bring back L'Arte di Gucci and Gucci No. 3.

Agreed about the L'Arte di Gucci, but this is one I'll never have to waste a wish on as I have several backups (an awesome eBay seller is to thank for that.) The last I noticed it was still available, and I recently saw the parfum at Rei Rien. But I'm sure that won't be the case much longer.

Galamb Borong - I love Gucci No 3, too but my absolute favorite Gucci is No.1 - do you know it? I had to swallow hard and pick one, but Gucci No. 1 and the Calvin Klein I chose have got to be the most beautiful classic chypres I know, certainly from that era.
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post #13 of 30
3/2/10 at 11:56am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangeline View Post


Galamb Borong - I love Gucci No 3, too but my absolute favorite Gucci is No.1 - do you know it? I had to swallow hard and pick one, but Gucci No. 1 and the Calvin Klein I chose have got to be the most beautiful classic chypres I know, certainly from that era.

I've never smelled Gucci No. 1, though give how much I love No. 3 and L'Arte - two of my all-time favorites - I think I must!
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post #14 of 30
3/2/10 at 11:59am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangeline View Post

The last I noticed it was still available, and I recently saw the parfum at Rei Rein. But I'm sure that won't be the case much longer.

Wait, there was a L'Arte parfum...!? I would pay scary amounts to try that.
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post #15 of 30
3/2/10 at 12:00pm
Thread Starter 
Hillaire, Kumquat - You both must be a lot more adept at picking up on these changes with Chanel than I am...actually, I guess I've noticed some changes but I always chalk it up to a different concentration as well as formulation, especially with No. 19. This might be because I have several bottles, all from different periods. The vintage edp is the most dissimilar to me, and it's the most leathery of the bunch. My first experience with No. 19 was the edt, and this is the one I still love the most. It's the greenest, and the most floral - iris and rose - to my nose. And I think it smells very similar to the current edp - another one I love. I'll agree that the current edt is sort of ....stark? I still find it very wearable, though. I always layer them, sort of willy-nilly, and it always works.

I'm not familiar with vintage No. 22 in edt, but I have the vintage parfum, so again, I figured the current edt smelled a bit different just due to the different concentration. And again, I love them both and often wear them together.
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post #16 of 30
3/2/10 at 12:14pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Galamb_Borong View Post

I've never smelled Gucci No. 1, though give how much I love No. 3 and L'Arte - two of my all-time favorites - I think I must!

Yes - you must. I have to admit it - Gucci No. 1 was one of my secrets before I joined BN. I used to lie to people about it because I wanted to keep (what's left of) it to myself. I used to rationalize this by comparing myself to Dominique in the first chapter of The Fountainhead. She destroys a statue she loves simply so no one else will ever be able to gaze upon its beauty and sully it with their lowly opinions! And I couldn't stand the idea of smelling No.1 on anyone I didn't admire (the same general "pearls before swine" attitude is what I'm laboring to describe...lol.) I bet Dominique lied about her fragrance, too, especially to anyone she didn't respect.
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post #17 of 30
3/2/10 at 12:19pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Galamb_Borong View Post

Wait, there was a L'Arte parfum...!? I would pay scary amounts to try that.

I don't see any at the moment, but I've seen small bottles on eBay. They're black glass, like the edp.
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post #18 of 30
3/2/10 at 12:40pm
The Diors, esp Diorissimo, Dioressence, even Diorella.
The Carons, esp Parfum Sacre, Nuit de Noel
Probably most of the classic Guerlains as well.
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post #19 of 30
3/2/10 at 12:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangeline View Post

Yes - you must. I have to admit it - Gucci No. 1 was one of my secrets before I joined BN. I used to lie to people about it because I wanted to keep (what's left of) it to myself. I used to rationalize this by comparing myself to Dominique in the first chapter of The Fountainhead. She destroys a statue she loves simply so no one else will ever be able to gaze upon its beauty and sully it with their lowly opinions! And I couldn't stand the idea of smelling No.1 on anyone I didn't admire (the same general "pearls before swine" attitude is what I'm laboring to describe...lol.) I bet Dominique lied about her fragrance, too, especially to anyone she didn't respect.

It's nice, I have some. Galamb, to me it's a full-force white floral aldehydic, which strikes me as a hybrid of L'Air du Temps and Crown Perfumerie's Malabar. Hints of Norrell, a far more transparent, less hairspray-ey Norrell. A true emblem of its era, and I think, the best of the genre by a mile.

In fact, if you like White Linen, this is her less severe, more lovely mother!
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post #20 of 30
3/2/10 at 1:30pm
I noticed a decline in the mens Chanels recently, so I'm not really surprised to hear that some of the womens fragrances are heading in the same direction. Guerlain, Caron, and now Chanel -is nothing sacred?
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post #21 of 30
3/2/10 at 1:54pm
Carons, Guerlains and the Diors as Lessa has mentioned, Elysium by Clarins ,Cabochard by Gres ( restore please ! )
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post #22 of 30
3/2/10 at 2:48pm
Guerlain Djedi. I'd love to be able to buy a bottle of this more than any other discontinued perfume. I think it's truly wonderful.
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post #23 of 30
3/2/10 at 3:27pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by scent View Post

I'd love to see all the original Lanvins resurrected: Pretexte, Rumeur, Arpege, My Sin, Scandal, and Eau de Lanvin.

I take it your not a big fan of the new Rumeur!? I can't compare it to the original, but it certainly doesn't smell like a faithful reproduction of a classic Lanvin should smell. It's squeaky clean and utterly sexless (I think lilybelle compared it to dryer sheets - that's exactly right) but I sort of like that about it. It's just a pretty but super casual, fresh and innocuous office type of scent, nothing I'd go out of my way for or repurchase, but I received it as gift and I'll probably wear it this summer. But I'd love to know the original, as I do know and love vintage Arpege, Scandal, and My Sin - I agree, they're wonderful.
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post #24 of 30
3/2/10 at 4:24pm
L'Air du temps

Unique, a head of its time, unmistakable, subtle but bursting with independent character. Today adventurous male perfume lovers would wear it, too.
Now it smells like watered down cleaning product.

Anaïs Anaïs was also completely different from popular fragrances of its time. Like l'Air du Temps it managed to be never loud, but always recognizable. Now it is powder-floral mush. I never loved it for me, but it was good.

Also, as much as I dislike and do not miss the original Chloé (migraine in a bottle) it was distinctive and much loved by many. It deserves a resurrection.
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post #25 of 30
3/7/10 at 6:11am
My number one request would be to Balmain - fix everything! But Vent Vert is as close to a signature scent as I have and it has been laid waste, though I still wear it no matter what - but what a change from my first bottle in 1965! Sad.......

reine
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post #26 of 30
3/7/10 at 9:28am
I would like my old ones back:

Poison
Cravache
Chanel No. 19

I agree about L'Air du Temps. Now just another floral...
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post #27 of 30
3/7/10 at 9:43am
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Hi!
Wish that Hermes would undo whatever they did to Caleche - this has always been with me since the early 1970's - it used to last forever as well as having a haunting, delicate scent with a form of iris that does not seem to be around any longer (nowhere that I've found anyway). Poor old thing is a shadow of it's former self these days.
Also think that Quadrille should not have been discontinued as it was rather special, if not world-shattering.
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post #28 of 30
3/8/10 at 6:24am
Lancome's Magie Noire (I have a teeny tiny bottle of the old formula that I have never used and am saving for a special occasion)

Lauren by Ralph Lauren
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post #29 of 30
3/8/10 at 8:09am
It would be nice if Guerlain could bring back Apres l'Ondee Parfum for those of us who never had the pleasure.
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post #30 of 30
3/8/10 at 9:14am
Miss Dior MUST be restored.
Diorama would be lovely

But for me, I would especially like the return of the original Le De Givenchy.
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