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"Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier? ....Never reformulated!""

post #1 of 11
10/9/12 at 1:20am
Thread Starter 
Can anyone explain me where is the truth?
Almost everyone told "yes, it has been heavily reformulated"......
Andrè


Interview with Millet-Lage:
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Question: Have you changed the formulas of the classics such as Ambre Precieux or Route de Vetiver?

JPML: Oh, no, never out of respect for myself and respect for our customers. Why change? To save a few Euros? That would be a big mistake as we have seen with other brands. If something must be changed, that would be only because we would be obliged to do by IFRA. But not for Ambre Precieux or Vetiver.
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source: http://www.cafleurebon.com/interview...s-choice-draw/
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post #2 of 11
10/9/12 at 1:41am
Perfumers often deny reformulations. Most of the MP&G's have been heavily reformulated which doesn't necessarely mean they're not good anymore. Big examples of reformulations are Route Du Vetiver and Eau Des Iles. If you'll have the chance to do a comparative test bewteen the original 90ml bottle juice and the current 100ml, you'll immediately notice.

That said, I still like all of them...
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post #3 of 11
10/9/12 at 7:02am
Santal Noble was the reason I started exploring niche scents. It used to have hints of coffee and was almost creamy. The current version is a totally different scent. It's fine, but not amazing. The same applies for Ambre Precieux :-(

Ambre 114 by HdP is better than the modern version of AP :-(
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post #4 of 11
10/9/12 at 8:41am
Considering that in this day and age, with easy access to information at our fingertips, perfume houses still deny reformulations occurring (regardless of why) smacks of disrespect towards both the casual consumers and fragrance connoisseurs.

The buying public made the fragrance houses what they are they owe it to us to be more transparent about such issues. Boycott their products and take your money elsewhere. Maybe, just maybe, theyll stop treating their customers like idiots.
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post #5 of 11
10/9/12 at 9:08am
I'm sure there has been some reformulation, but perfume houses will never acknowledge it.
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post #6 of 11
10/9/12 at 9:13am
He more or less answers the question doesn't he?

The formula is the same - the 'recipe' on paper - BUT that doesn't rule out the possibility of alterations to the (a) quality or integrity of some of the ingredients or (b) the amount actually used (IFRA restrictions would call for considerably less of some key ingredients).

As long as you are going for the same 'effect', my guess is that in this 'Post IFRA Apocalypse' day and age substituting one iris for another, an Aussie sandalwood for a Mysore, and any number of synthetics to replace naturals etc. seems to constitute 'staying true to the formula'.

Whatever - it's all over bar the shouting for most perfumes. It's an open secret that IFRA restrictions have affected just about everyone and everything except some of the most basic compositions, so the real question is simply if whatever the perfumers can come up with to keep something alive is still worth owning. Some seem to be pretty okay, some are hobbled and one or two companies have just discontinued a perfume altogether because they know it can't be saved.
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post #7 of 11
10/9/12 at 11:13am
^ Good points! Subjective perceptions that 'new does not smell like old'... does not necessarily equate to 'reformulation.' That said, my 90ml v 100ml RdV have a palpable difference. Both are good enough, but I prefer the old.
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post #8 of 11
10/9/12 at 8:07pm
I have two letters for Mr Millet-Lage. BS!
Both AP and RdD have definitely been changed. They were much better before.

That just insults our intelligence. Mr Lage can go screw himself!
That really​ pisses me off!
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post #9 of 11
10/10/12 at 3:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DuNezDeBuzier View Post

Subjective perceptions that 'new does not smell like old'... does not necessarily equate to 'reformulation.'

Well, I think I agree. I once had a sample of vintage Santal Noble and the new smelled practically the same to me, but then, I do not care about the scent itself, so I may well not care for the nuances etc.

Opinions on reformulations with regard to Maitre Parfumeur seem to vary here on Basenotes. There a couple of threads discussing this.

Mr. reasonable is very right in pointing out the formula issue. The same applies to Monsieur Wasser chez Guerlain explaining that Jicky's formula was never changed.
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post #10 of 11
10/10/12 at 5:51am
Yes, the old "Oh, no we never reformulate!". But they use cheaper ingredients as has been said. Guerlain did this with Shalimar back in the early 00s with the new design bat wing bottle. Everyone said this is not the same Shalimar, Guerlain/LVMH said we have not reformulated it is the same. Roja Dove told me in person, they had downgraded the quality of ingredients, no more sandalwood from Mysore or bergamot from Italy.

MPG, I have a older bottle of Secrete Datura with the nymphs on the bottle. Then when MPG seemed to be disappearing, Les Senteurs sold their stock at a big discount. I bought a 100 mls for £36! Tried it and boy was it different from my original bottle, a massive blast of lemon floor polish and took a good 20 minutes to settle into what I recognised as SD. Now say 3-4 years later I retried my 100 ml bottle and it actually smells the same from the first spray to the original one. So it has matured, darkened in colour and improved
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post #11 of 11
10/10/12 at 1:06pm
Quote:
JPML: Oh, no, never out of respect for myself and respect for our customers. Why change? To save a few Euros? That would be a big mistake as we have seen with other brands. If something must be changed, that would be only because we would be obliged to do by IFRA....

Well right.

Exactly which frags have *not* been in violation of IFRA regs to one degree or another? VERY few, I imagine.

Another thread mentioned a presentation given at a recent frag industry conference that addressed "the problem" of consumers being pissed off at the general lack of transparency regarding reformulations.

Despite the industries awareness of this "problem" my assumption is that reformulation is an issue that fragrance houses will continue to avoid addressing for as long as they possibly can. "New and reformulated" is not the sort of label that any fragrance house is going to want to be putting on their products.
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