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Vintage Yearnings

post #1 of 21
3/22/12 at 6:17pm
Thread Starter 
Vintage. Perfume. I think I have become obsessed. Why? The more I collect, especially in old dusty shops and from odd retailers, the more convinced I become that vintage jus just speaks to my bones, to my soul, to my heart, in a way that so far, no modern fragrance really has.

I have a bit of vintage Chanel and a smidgen of old Shalimar. I have many old Coty's and others. But, there is a growing list that seems to be pushing me to finding not only vintage, but vintage extrait/pure parfum when possible.

My list continues to grow:

1. More Chanel: 5, 19, 22 and maybe any and all others from the house
2. More Guerlains: Shalimar, Mitsouko, Jicky, the list goes on and on....
3. Fracas
4. Joy
5. Poison--all flavors

There are others. I crave them!

I need to block ebay from my computer!

BN has threads talking about this madness. What scent(s) do you just yearn to experience in vintage? What about your first sniff of some divine vintage that just made you do the close-your-eyes-and-moan thing?

For me, it was Chanel 5 vintage extrait. I almost dropped the bottle. I bought it. But it only has a little dark oily cloud of sediment in the bottle. It still makes me weak in the knees.
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post #2 of 21
3/22/12 at 6:32pm
Those vintage classics in extrait are well worth the trouble to find, they are worth it! I go through phases, sometimes I want vintage, sometimes I want something very contemporary. I'm always glad to have a little of both on hand.
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post #3 of 21
3/22/12 at 9:39pm
my love for vintage started with reformulation storm in the wake of IFRA....it made me realized perfumery's dark age has begun so better grab stuff from the renaissance age!
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post #4 of 21
3/23/12 at 2:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by KarmaLee View Post

Vintage. Perfume. I think I have become obsessed. Why? The more I collect, especially in old dusty shops and from odd retailers, the more convinced I become that vintage jus just speaks to my bones, to my soul, to my heart, in a way that so far, no modern fragrance really has.

I have a bit of vintage Chanel and a smidgen of old Shalimar. I have many old Coty's and others. But, there is a growing list that seems to be pushing me to finding not only vintage, but vintage extrait/pure parfum when possible.

My list continues to grow:

1. More Chanel: 5, 19, 22 and maybe any and all others from the house
2. More Guerlains: Shalimar, Mitsouko, Jicky, the list goes on and on....
3. Fracas
4. Joy
5. Poison--all flavors

There are others. I crave them!

I need to block ebay from my computer!

BN has threads talking about this madness. What scent(s) do you just yearn to experience in vintage? What about your first sniff of some divine vintage that just made you do the close-your-eyes-and-moan thing?

For me, it was Chanel 5 vintage extrait. I almost dropped the bottle. I bought it. But it only has a little dark oily cloud of sediment in the bottle. It still makes me weak in the knees.

Hehehe, what a great post - thank you! I'm working round-the-clock tonight doing computer nerd things, and this one made me laugh out loud and forget my misery. I think I saw myself in some of your descriptions, particularly when you said you need to block eBay.

I'm just coming out of a manic phase of vintage perfume buying myself...2 months trawling eBay, Etsy and Basenotes seller threads for long lost, discontinued, pre-IFRA restriction whatevers...an undeniable hit to my credit card but I think it was worth it.

I now have a more well-rounded perfume collection than I did before I began. Some of my favourites, like yours, include Shalimar, Joy and Chanel No 5 extrait. All have aged beautifully (or I got lucky with the way the sellers had stored them). I dab them on occasionally for a sniff-a-thon with my husband and sometimes - just to educate his little nose, as he seems to like it - my feisty cat Buster.

I'd love to sniff vintage Coty Emeraude, which I've read was an ancestor of the darkly animalic Shalimar...now that would be an experience.

But I'll have to wait until I enter a manic phase again, which - not surprisingly - seems to coincide with the state of my finances.

One thing I'd like to do, but haven't gotten around to yet, would be to document the provenance of each vintage bottle I own ie. date of production (as far as can be ascertained), where bought, previous owners (if known), description of surviving notes (top, middle, base), design and condition of bottle and (if existing) box, list of ingredients (including, of course, those now banned or restricted by the IFRA!), my personal rating of the scent, etc.

After all, the fragrances we are talking about are lovely, most likely never-to-be-repeated pieces of perfume history. It would be nice to have a tangible record of that.

Anyway, signing off now to do more computer nerd things.

Enjoy the collector's bug now it's bitten!

Flux.
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post #5 of 21
3/23/12 at 4:20am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by FluxAeon01 View Post

Hehehe, what a great post - thank you! I'm working round-the-clock tonight doing computer nerd things, and this one made me laugh out loud and forget my misery. I think I saw myself in some of your descriptions, particularly when you said you need to block eBay.

I'm just coming out of a manic phase of vintage perfume buying myself...2 months trawling eBay, Etsy and Basenotes seller threads for long lost, discontinued, pre-IFRA restriction whatevers...an undeniable hit to my credit card but I think it was worth it.

I now have a more well-rounded perfume collection than I did before I began. Some of my favourites, like yours, include Shalimar, Joy and Chanel No 5 extrait. All have aged beautifully (or I got lucky with the way the sellers had stored them). I dab them on occasionally for a sniff-a-thon with my husband and sometimes - just to educate his little nose, as he seems to like it - my feisty cat Buster.

I'd love to sniff vintage Coty Emeraude, which I've read was an ancestor of the darkly animalic Shalimar...now that would be an experience.

But I'll have to wait until I enter a manic phase again, which - not surprisingly - seems to coincide with the state of my finances.

One thing I'd like to do, but haven't gotten around to yet, would be to document the provenance of each vintage bottle I own ie. date of production (as far as can be ascertained), where bought, previous owners (if known), description of surviving notes (top, middle, base), design and condition of bottle and (if existing) box, list of ingredients (including, of course, those now banned or restricted by the IFRA!), my personal rating of the scent, etc.

After all, the fragrances we are talking about are lovely, most likely never-to-be-repeated pieces of perfume history. It would be nice to have a tangible record of that.

Anyway, signing off now to do more computer nerd things.

Enjoy the collector's bug now it's bitten!

Flux.

Glad I caused a laugh out in the world. My work is done!

I have many, many little bottles with some precious jus inside, just not some of my must-haves yet.

Vintage Emeraude does indeed smell like a Shalimar gone softer. I adore it. The new stuff makes my eyes water and makes me run for soap and a brillo pad. The old stuff? Makes me want to take a bath in it.

Some of the old Lanvins, My Sin for example, do the same. My precious vintage Caron, sigh, it may need to find a new home. It may be my first posting on ebay as a seller.

I am also in the process of trying to document my collection a bit better. So far, it comes down to a few photo documentations. I posted one here: http://www.basenotes.net/threads/297...ess-Documented

And I too share some of my scents with my cat. Who by the way, smells like a sweet, musky perfume himself. Ever notice that some cats just smell like heaven? I have one who does. His marking glands doing a more primitive civety thing? But the smell is not animalic, fecal, but sweet, lovely, clean. My husband and I have said if we could bottle him we would be rich!
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post #6 of 21
3/23/12 at 8:08am
Vintage fragrances have such toothsome, wonderful base notes. I have a small vintage bottle of Eau Arpege, and it smells a bit off in the top notes, but then that blows off and it goes all creamy and gorgeous and lasts for hours, even though it is also light and fine. I have come to really love the modern, sheer style of perfumery, but these oldies satisfy on a more visceral level. Sometimes we just need that. I go through those phases, too, of hunting down vintage, but I get tired of being disappointed when I can't find what I want in its original condition (impossible). It's like looking through old photos or films for the flesh and blood person. But sometimes I get lucky and find an oldie that has a lot of life left in it. I'm less acquisitive about it lately because I just want less atm. Less stuff, and less intensity in scent too.
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post #7 of 21
3/23/12 at 8:20am
I know what you mean!
I'm after anything vintage sandalwood.
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post #8 of 21
3/23/12 at 8:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by lilybelle View Post

Those vintage classics in extrait are well worth the trouble to find, they are worth it! I go through phases, sometimes I want vintage, sometimes I want something very contemporary. I'm always glad to have a little of both on hand.

This is the way I feel Lilybelle.....I Love the vintage fragrances and I want the contemporary also.....I'm not always in a vintage mood.....or in a contemporary mood either.....Gary
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post #9 of 21
3/23/12 at 10:53am
Thread Starter 
I think I have reached my limit for purchasing both vintage and new for a bit. I, like Lilybelle, am trying to simplify some things in my life. I am doing a room to room blitz: use it, love it, or get rid of it thing.

Unless of course a pristine bottle of vintage Chanel crosses my path!

Wearing Midnight Poison today for synch Friday and do wish I had a pure perfume sample of original Poison. Someday!
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post #10 of 21
3/23/12 at 12:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hedonist222 View Post

I know what you mean!
I'm after anything vintage sandalwood.

I sent you a pm re: Myrurgia Maderas de Oriente.
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post #11 of 21
3/23/12 at 12:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by lilybelle View Post

Vintage fragrances have such toothsome, wonderful base notes. I have a small vintage bottle of Eau Arpege, and it smells a bit off in the top notes, but then that blows off and it goes all creamy and gorgeous and lasts for hours, even though it is also light and fine. I have come to really love the modern, sheer style of perfumery, but these oldies satisfy on a more visceral level. Sometimes we just need that. I go through those phases, too, of hunting down vintage, but I get tired of being disappointed when I can't find what I want in its original condition (impossible). It's like looking through old photos or films for the flesh and blood person. But sometimes I get lucky and find an oldie that has a lot of life left in it. I'm less acquisitive about it lately because I just want less atm. Less stuff, and less intensity in scent too.

Exactly! It's the "creamy, gorgeous" thing that I've yet to experience in a modern frag. This is why Antilope has become my compulsion. It is a mailnline to my limbic system, apparently (see that thread on addiction to fragrance).
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post #12 of 21
3/23/12 at 5:13pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jujy54 View Post

Exactly! It's the "creamy, gorgeous" thing that I've yet to experience in a modern frag. This is why Antilope has become my compulsion. It is a mailnline to my limbic system, apparently (see that thread on addiction to fragrance).

Ack. I have been reading so much about vintage Antilope that it is now imprinted on my brain as a must smell! Good thing I keep a list.
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post #13 of 21
6/26/12 at 7:03am
I've been really craving 'vintage' fumes, by vintage in this case, I guess I am talking about late 70's early-late 80's. Just bought a bottle of Poison that dates to 1987. Really liking Must De Cartier, Guess Original, and now I am thinking, Opium and Baiser Du Dragon? And it's summer! I guess some of these modern, ultra-sheer, aquatic releases for the summer leaves me flat and I am just wanting to go the other way..to go to a nice ol' bomb, you know? I am digging sweet and spicy and it's not even fall yet.
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post #14 of 21
6/27/12 at 3:14pm
Antilope is beautiful! I love it. The "creamy, gorgeous" note is good quality sandalwood, I think. As Hedonist notes - vintage sandalwood is very desirable. The_good_life bemoans the demise of mysore sandalwood (the good stuff) on the fragrance industry board. Well, I was trying to simplify, but I was not able to stick to my resolve, which vanished in a puff of Chantilly. I have been ebay'ing all kinds of old things. In today's mail I received a bottle of Maxim's de Paris edp. Anyone remember that from the 80s? I've always wanted a bottle. I saw my opportunity and I snagged one.
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post #15 of 21
7/1/12 at 3:20pm
Love vintage. Loved and wore Antilope, Zibielene, Shalimar, Dama's 20 Carats and Emir, Narcisse Noir, Chantilly,
Arpege and Rumeur, Youth Dew, the glorious Ecusson and Casaque, Abano bath oil. Jovan's Civet Oil. Some of these
can be located on ebay, for a price $$$$$$.

Lilybelle, I do remember Maxims de Paris, one of my best friends wore it and I loved it on her.
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post #16 of 21
7/3/12 at 11:16pm
Maxim's de Paris is quite nice. Very perfumey perfume and timeless. As if it was created to be seen as vintage in the first place.

Upon getting into scents a short while ago, my first vintage find was Arpege, which I could not stop huffing and prattling on about to all who would listen. My favorites in first edition so far: Miss Balmain, Ivoire, Caron's 3rd Man, Ma Griffe, Chanel 5, Je Reviens.

Some things I want very much to try in vintage and would love to know if others consider them worth the trouble as opposed to the simple act of getting a current formulation for those still in production:

Byzance
Venezia
Mitsouko
Joy
Jungle Elephant
Chamade
all the vintage Lanvins.


Vintage is 50x better than any niche and 100x better than any modern I've tried because it actually smells like a perfume: the platonic idea of perfume, but then each with its own gorgeous twist.
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post #17 of 21
7/3/12 at 11:41pm
Joy (parfum) has been sanitised, stripped of its civet. Personally, I wouldn't bother with the current formulation.
Mitsouko (parfum) is today obviously lacking real oakmoss. I have a bottle of the vintage stuff, which is altogether earthier in feel. I wouldn't write off the current jus though, which is noticeably brighter. In fact, I know at least one BNer who prefers it.
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post #18 of 21
7/3/12 at 11:47pm
anomie et ivoire, I can only speak for Mitsouko and the vintage Lanvins:

I would try to get a Mitsouko PdT (well preserved - light color, no evaporation). It's simply wonderful! Although I have to say it is not terribly terribly different from today's extrait, but it does have the pronounced oakmoss feel (of course). So, my favorite is now mixing the two as it takes the sometimes 'too much fruit' association from the current extrait to a darker, more earthy level. I don't think Mitsouko ages well and the vintage extrait is not for me, I must confess. The PdT is by definition not terribly old (as it was produced only during a certain period) and perfect - plenty plenty sillage (so, you won't need a lot of jus) and a bottle will last you forever literally.

The vintage Lanvins ) Well, these are sublime and are the few ones of my former vintage stock I kept. Rumeur (which is so hard to come by) and Scandal are my favorites. Arpege varied a lot - I have I don't know how many small/er flacons of vintage extrait and they all smell slightly different. However, they are all superb. My mom fell head over heels in love with My Sin, so I gifted her my entire stock over time and kept only a small one for reference. I think this is the most dated one of the lot. Finding these in good condition at a reasonable price - in particular Rumeur and Scandal - is very tricky or very rare. Good luck with your hunt!
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post #19 of 21
7/4/12 at 5:36am
MOST of my collection is vintage (you can check out the discontinued group for pics of some bizarro bottles), but I'm always looking to augment it. So, I'm on the prowl for vintage Ma Griffe, Joy, Molyneaux No. 5, Mitsy PDT, Cotys, Faberges, Chanels and chypres of all kinds. Has anyone else noticed that contemporary Chanels, while lovely, have zero lasting power? Tant pis.
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post #20 of 21
7/4/12 at 6:13am
I love mostly vintage and I am with you all the way. I cannot smell many new perfumes without thinking of flyspray first. I'm just not loving all the new chemical blends. I'll tell you when I find one I like. The older ones may well have plenty of chemicals in too, but they have softened with time or been mellowed by a higher natural content perhaps.

I have a lovely collection of vintage Cotys and agree about the Emeraude. I love all the older boxes too, when a ladies dressing table was something to be really proud of. Gorgeous boxes, silver backed hairbrushes, fantastic jewelled compacts, heavy cut glass perfume bottles with tasselled diffusers etc. A perfume bottle was a real work of art then and refillable. Not all plastic and disposable. Call me old fashioned but....

Don't you think there is a lot that has been lost there somewhere with no good replacement factor?
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post #21 of 21
7/4/12 at 4:18pm
Quite agree with you about Joy. So sad! The same thing happened with White Shoulders. They are barely recognizable to me. I had a bottle of vintage Mitsouko I paid a small fortune for only to find I preferred the version from the late 1990's. So now there are two basenoters that like a later version of the classic.

Just bought L'Heure Bleu from fragrancenet because I heard it was going to have a major reformulation. I have no idea if this is anything like the older versions. It is nice.

I too have been spending a ton of money on vintage fragrance. Would love to buy something more modern but they all smell alike to me and most seem to only have one note but I keep testing. Something has to strike my fancy eventually.

- - - Updated - - -

Quite agree with you about Joy. So sad! The same thing happened with White Shoulders. They are barely recognizable to me. I had a bottle of vintage Mitsouko I paid a small fortune for only to find I preferred the version from the late 1990's. So now there are two basenoters that like a later version of the classic.

Just bought L'Heure Bleu from fragrancenet because I heard it was going to have a major reformulation. I have no idea if this is anything like the older versions. It is nice.

I too have been spending a ton of money on vintage fragrance. Would love to buy something more modern but they all smell alike to me and most seem to only have one note but I keep testing. Something has to strike my fancy eventually.
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