Last week Tara took us on a fascinating journey through the world of yesterday’s perfumes at the Osmotheque in Versailles.
I’m sure I’m not the only one she inspired to dream about great perfumes that are sadly no longer available.
Which perfume of the past would you love to own?
Which perfume would you like to become available again?
My Answer:
As an iris fan I would love to smell Iris Gris by Fath, but also the old Guerlains in their original form would be so tempting.
But as a steadfast Hermès fan, the one I would love to smell again the most, in the from it once was is Hermès Calèche. I have a vintage extrait gifted to me by the incredibly generous (and all around fabulous) Neil. But it pains me to know that every drop brings me further to the end of something wonderful.
What is the perfume of your vintage dreams?
Olfactoria's Travels 
The original Ralph Lauren Safari. And even those discontinued-for-decades Avon perfumes from the 70s that often came in those quirky, retro bottles … okay, you can laugh now. 🙂
I won’t! Instead I will google those Avon bottles so I’ll know what you mean.
How about the original Feminite du Bois? That is just so darn beautiful. Or vintage Chanel No. 19. I would also love a revival of your original Hermes Caleche.
Great idea, I’d like those too.
The very first Shalimar!
Oh yes!
Guerlain, definitely Guerlain….maybe something weird like Djedi.
Wouldn’t that be great?!
Vent Vert!
The green queen!
Coty Chypre I think, to find out where that whole thing started. Vintage Lanvins, especially My Sin. Schiaparelli Shocking. And L’Amaint when it was fresh. My vintage PDT is lovely but the top notes have gone. Great question!
Thanks. I can’t help dreaming a bit… 🙂
Hey Birgit,
Love today’s question. I think I would most like to smell original Shalimar, L’Air du Temps and Tabac Blond parfums. Brand new of their time. That would be very cool.
Portia xx
It would be very cool!
I’d love to see Guerlinade again even though it’s not really vintage.
Iris Gris is a great choice though. 🙂
I’ll second Guerlinade!
Hello dear Birgit, I am back after a while far from Internet because I moved on :-).
I would like to smell again my dear Byzance by Rochas and Amazone by Hermès, my real signature scents when I was 20’s…
As a fan of Hermès, I am sure you can understand, Amazone was gorgeous!!!!
And even if it is not a vintage perfume, I ‘d like to put my hands on a bottle of Le Feu by Issey Miyake (if somebody has an idea, please……..any idea would be welcomed, I am ready for everything!).
Welcome back, dear Florence!
I wish I’d smelled the original Amazone…
As for Le Feu – email me! (olfactoria at gmail dot com)
I email you, dear Birgit!!!
Oh , I forgot Angélique Encens by Creed, heavenly scent!!!
It definitely has a heavenly name too!
I think maybe Shalimar or Attrape-Coeur for me!
Guerlain is the winner today, I think. 🙂
Attrape-coeurs used to be so lovely!!!
First, they would have to lift all IFRA restrictions for any “vintage” to be revived, then I could make quite a list with Bandit & Djedi right up at the top.
Yes, let’s dream big! 🙂
Another vote for the original Shalimar. And Vent Vert!
Gorgeous!
Funny but I was also going to say that I would love to get the chance to smell Iris Gris from Jacques Fath. I know that there’s some interpretation of this perfume launched by Legendary Fragrances but I haven’t got a chance to smell even that one.
Moreover, I would really like to try some older Diors and Coty Emeraude
Did you smell Scent of Hope by DSH? It is also supposed to be similar to Iris Gris.
And Dior – Dioressence in original form would be fantastic.
No Birgit, I haven’t tried a single fragrance from Dawn Spencer Hurwitz.
Then you have some lovely perfumes to look forward to when you get to smell them eventually! 🙂
The vintage Diors: Miss Dior, Diorama, Diorella, Dioressence, Diorissimo, and Diorling.
I’m so with you, Farouche.
Good question, I think original Coty Chypre, and some of the old versions of Jicky.
Thanks, Blacknall!
I’d love to smell Jicky as it was too.
I’d most love to smell vintage Molinard Habanita and Caron Tabac Blond. For nostalgia’s sake, I’d love to smell the original Heaven Sent perfume that I had as a child (by the company that originally produced it) – and also to possess the flacon that it came in, which was a moon that was attached pendant-style to a necklace. The perfume was really pretty and rather sophisticated for a children’s scent, if my memory is anything to go by.
It sounds lovely! Wouldn’t it be nice to come across it at an estate sale or something… (I always dream of finding hidden treasures that way 🙂 )
My first bottle of Shalimar had a glass stopper. The scent was so intoxicating, and never again to be experienced. The same for the original Calèche. My mother’s Arpege is not to be found anywhere and the original Jicky is only a dream of the past..Nothing original here, but deeply felt loss.
Well Coty Chypre for me. Don’t save your Hermès Calèche. On a serious note – after my mother passed away I cleaned out so many things that she had “saved”. or “kept for best”. What a waste. It made me very sad. Use it all up and enjoy every drop. Xxx
You are right, Val. Wearing it as we speak (or type rather). 🙂
I was originally going to say, none, as I have never been particularly interested in revisiting things I wore when young; but – having thought about it – I suddenly realised that, in fact, there are three that I would buy and wear today if they were available in their vintage format. One I have never smelled – Angelique Encens, and two I have only smelled in modern versions – Habanita and Djedi.
Beautiful perfumes. Sometimes it is lovely to look back… 🙂
The original Calyx (circa 1986) before it was reformulated….Chanel no 19 edt, Cristalle edt (both were stunning pre-reformulation) and Chanel 22edt (before it became an exclusive)….and Diorissimo….. Annick Goutal’s eau de Ciel, Folavril, eau de Camille and the orginal eau D’Hadrien (which I experienced in Paris over twenty years ago before it was reformulated- I have heard that the current rendition pales in comparison to the original)…….actually, every single fragrance I have ever loved before re-formulation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know, it’s a pipe dream 🙂 !!!!
Jovan Ambergris Oil
One of my aunts used to wear something called Intoxication..I don’t know who made it or if it has gone away forever, but she smelled SO good…