In searching for something to review this week, I dropped by Nordstrom for a sample of Valentino Valentina Assoluto. I’d peeled open its scent strip in Vogue and read its notes, and it sounded alluring — warm, earthy, and sultry with a truffle note. But the real thing? Valentina Assoluto was the epitome of a bad mall fragrance, shrill and off-putting, exactly what I fear encountering in elevators. I left my sample in the garbage at work.
But it spurred me to think, what makes a sultry perfume? Has our definition of seductive scent changed so much over time? I reached for some Weil Zibeline and spritzed. Now that’s what I call a comfortable yet sexy fragrance: a diffuse top, complex warm and spicy heart, and sweet, animalic drydown. Valentino et al, take notes.
Weil Zibeline, by perfumer Claude Fraysse, was released in 1928, a year after the Weil fur company opened. Zibeline, which means “sable” in French, was one of several fragrances Weil released over the years with fur names, including the celebrated Antilope. (Old-time perfume blog readers will remember that Scentzilla had a marvelous write-up of Weil. Scentzilla has now disappeared, and the site has been taken over by marketers! Let's take a moment of silence in remembrance.)
Zibeline morphed over the years, and this review is from a bottle of Zibeline Parfum de Toilette that, from its packaging I’m guessing is from the 1960s. My Zibeline is an aldehydic herbal-floral-animalic-woody wonder of abstract perfumery. It goes on in a sneezy puff of herbs and bergamot before quickly segueing into a spicy-floral heart rich with what smells to me like ylang ylang, dirty orange blossom, iris, rose and a dash of cinnamon. I know a dozen more flowers might be blended into it, too, but it's seamlessly composed.
Underlying Zibeline’s heart is a slightly mossy honey-sandalwood and cedar-spiked base ruffled with civet, musk, and tonka or vanilla. Its horsey-animalic aura reminds me of Mona di Orio Nuit Noire after the challenging top notes have died down. At this point, Zibeline retreats to the skin and purrs wood, spice, and civet.
Sorting out versions of Zibeline can be confusing. One version of Zibeline still sold but discontinued is called Weil Secret de Venus, and it’s a thin, cold take of the version I have. It comes in a columnar bottle and can be had for $12 or so for 100 ml. As far as I can tell, it's the next-to-latest version of Zibeline. I haven't tried the most recent version of Zibeline, called Zibeline de Weil, which comes in a squat, rectangular bottle. An alternative to the modern Zibeline/Secret de Venus is Jovan Woman, which smells to me like Zibeline crossed with soapy lilies.
Which brings us to Weil Secret de Venus. I have three samples of Secret de Venus. One is from a new bottle and is the flat Zibeline I told you about. The other two are Secret de Venus parfum pour le corps and are greener and more floral than Zibeline. I’m not sure what vintage they are.
Secret de Venus was released in 1933 and smells like an ylang ylang, jasmine, carnation, and rose-lush sister to Zibeline. Where Zibeline tempts with solid edges cloaked in velvet, Secret de Venus seduces with spicy-floral roundness. It’s much less animalic than Zibeline.
The original Secret de Venus oil — not the Zibeline remake — is long discontinued, but had I been around when it could be readily found, I know I would have used up gallons of it to smooth on after my bath.
Valentina Assoluto is $117 for 2.7 ounces. On ebay, a 4-ounce bottle of Weil Zibeline similar to the one I have — although the design on my box might be a little older — is $65. To those seeking sophisticated but warm and easy sultriness, it’s no contest.
Love love love one of my all time faves is Weil de Weil. Want to try Zibeline now!!!
Weil de Weil is one I haven’t tried! I’m going to keep my eyes open for it.
I’ve been a Weil stalker for some time now, going back to the 80s and a bottle of Weil de Weil splash EdP given to me by a friend’s mother. Thanks to ebay, I have replenished the WdW, and added vintage Zibeline and Antilope to my collection. Zib’s spiciness was almost off-putting, so I started out, as the Weils intended, spritzing it on my late mom’s mink. It is a quintessential winter frag to my nose, full of spice, heliotrope, and animal notes. I can’t imagine wearing Zib in the summer moths any more than I could Weil de Weil bracing green in the winter, and Antilope is my comfort fragrance year-round. My signature fragrance was Mollie Parnis, also said to be by Weil, a tuberose/galbanum/peach bomb that I bought in 1978, eked out through the 90s, and rediscivered on ebay after 5 years, yes, years, of bay-stalking. Let’s see, what else? Ah, Kipling, a tobacco-laden masculine leather. I had minis of Chunga and Antilope as well as the modern Secret de Venus EdP which I dubbed “sexy lady bakes snicker doodles”.
About Weil I will say this, go vintage or go home. Avoid the tall hex bottles unless you are out of Windex.
Angela, I’d happily send you decants of WdW, Antilope, and Kipling.
A true Weil lover! You make me want to own every one of their fragrances. Have you tried the very latest formulations–the ones in the squat bottles?
I have a line on some more Weil samples, but thank you so much for the offer! And thanks for your mini-reviews.
Back in 1989-1992 Secret of Venus (the one in the green bottle shaped like Venus de Milo, with 2 arms), though, was my “signature fragrance.” Back then it was very expensive (at least for me)– it was $125 for a 1.7ml. It was my big splurge and I loved it and wore it daily. Got many, many compliments from both men and women. Unlike many other frags, I never smelled in on anyone else, and when people stopped me to ask what it was, they too, remarked on how unusual and original (to them) it was.
It really is a wonderful fragrance. I got greedy last night and emptied the whole sample vial on my arm. Delicious!
I think I would love anything that was sophisticated, warm, easy and sultry. I’m beginning to realize that some perfumes I love are just too coiffed for me to wear. I think many older perfumes are made for elegance and glamour and don’t feel quite right for people who live in jeans!
I don’t know–a dab of Zibeline with jeans and a drapey cashmere sweater would be knockout…
Agreed! There’s nothing better than to be dressed casually, and wearing a glamourous fragrance. I love to keep people off-balance! 😉
With some fragrances I’m more wary–Carnal Flower for some reason I only feel like I can pull off sometimes. But in general I’m usually fancier to the nose than the eye!
I knew as soon as I saw the fragrances you would be the one reviewing them Angela. We are scent twins for sure. I have the new formula Antelope and there are moments where I can see/smell its beauty, it’s mostly been cheapened too much to be truly enjoyable. The glimmers of its past glory that I am able to detect make me long to build a time machine to travel back to that glorious oakmoss brimming time . . . . .Of course I wouldn’t stay, give up my laser facials? Hey I’m quirky not crazy! Don’t stop doin’ what you do, I enjoy your reviews soooo much!
All the vintage Antilope I’ve smelled had gone bad! It must be one of those fragrances that doesn’t age well. I’ve heard people rave about it, though.
As my scent twin, I hope you’ll keep me up to date on what you’re loving now!
Yes, a vintage fragrance review from Angela is one of life’s special little treats.
Angela’s reviews are also rather dangerous! Now I’m feverishly hunting for the discontinued Weil de Weil, something I had promised myself not to do. Lord, I’m so weak (but smell fabulous)! 🙂
Weak and nicely scented–it could be worse!
You’re so kind! Thank you.
I agree completely.
As requested, as a salute to Spring, I am wearing what is left of a tiny sample of Vero Profumo Mito. So beautiful. Searing lemon (you know when you squeeze the peel and a fine spray of volatile lemon oil creates a small, eye watering cloud? Yeah, it’s that lemony. Eye rolling green(ness) dank dark earth and then beautiful animalics and oakmoss many hours later. Vero Kern is my perfume God(ess).
I am also getting out my big bottle of Cristalle EdP which used to make me queasy and finding it rather lovely after the initial blast (a small spritz from 12 inches away). I think it is pre IFRA regs. Thinking of getting the EdT. Can anyone tell me if it’s been fiddled with beyond recognition?
I’m guessing the EdT is a lot less mossy now, but your nose will tell you for sure. It’s a great one for warm weather.
Thanks Angela, looks like I’ll have to sample before springing for a bottle. I did (do) so love oakmoss . . . . sigh.
This was one of my first signature scents in high school – the little bottle of bath oil in the plastic box that often goes for hundreds on ebay. I have the PdT in the bottle that tapers on top, but I’m not crazy about it: it’s very powdery. I remember the older version as rich and spicy.
Do you mean Zibeline or Secret de Venus? The Secret de Venus is definitely a hint powdery (or so I discovered last night when I lavished a full sample vial on myself!). Zibeline seems less so.
Just Zibeline, not Secret of Venus. It’s the bottle that tapers and has a small cylindrical white plastic cap with two metallic bands on it. The label is round with a laurel wreath around the perimeter.
That sounds really similar to mine, except that my bottle doesn’t have a label. The gold letters are right on the bottle. I wouldn’t call mine powdery at all, though. Definitely spicy in the cinnamon-nutmeg way. I bet Zibeline did a lot of morphing over the years….
I have not smelled Zibeline, but somehow Parfums de Nicolai’s Sacrebleu comes to mind – or my mind at least – when thinking about warm, easy but sexy fragrances. It does not have an animalic note though, as far as I can recall. But I do love it on occasions when I need to feel both comfortable and alert.
Now I’m wishing I put on some Sacrebleu this morning! Instead, roses are blooming everywhere, so I put on Nahema. Sacrebleu has a nice shot of femininity, too.
I have some teeny-tiny sample bottles of Antilope parfum and bath oil. I love the warm, dry-grass notes of this fragrance. There is an EDT version available today from discounters, but I haven’t tried it. There were also plans a couple of years ago to re-launch it, have you heard anything about that?
I saw the 2010 bottles on ebay when I went to search for Zibeline for this post, so they’re out there. As to what they smell like, I don’t know (but would love to).
Oh, Angela, I have been dying to get my hands on some vintage Zibeline. I have a small rollerball of a DSH Zibeline “type” perfume oil (not sure if DSH still makes it) and while I have no idea how closely it resembles the real stuff, I do love it. Zibeline sounds like the kind of perfume I could live in. Almost won an older bottle of Antilope on eBay a while back, but given its dubious shelf life, maybe it’s just as well that that one got away.
Thanks for another fantastic vintage fragrance review!
You’re welcome! I don’t think Zibeline is ridiculously difficult to get hold of, but there are so many versions of it, who knows which ones are good and which are not as good?
Oh Angela! You encapsulate my feelings so perfectly in this review. Well done! Take heed indeed, cynical mall perfumery! But of course many who shop in the malls have no idea of the truly alternate universe that exists online and inside the glittery glass counters of antique shops. By sheer coincidence, I recently reached for the last bit of a Zibeline PdT decant that a very generous and kind friend sent me awhile back and was so moved by its opulent beauty. This is such a classic example of abstract French perfumery at its finest. I find its melange of sweet, spicy, powdery, animalic, civety woodsy florals so enchanting. Thank you for the stroll down nostalgia lane and the reminder that glorious alternatives exist just a click away at a fraction of the price — at least while supplies last until we perfumistas buy it all up and it becomes truly extinct from this green earth – or this sere, arid not-so-green earth, since I’m in Los Angeles.
I’m glad you enjoyed the review–and the Zibeline! All I can do is hope that current trends in department store perfumes speed by so I never have to smell one of those harsh woody musks again. Who knows? Maybe sophisticated, warm perfume like the Weils will come back some day.
Can I ask a question please…I have a new bottle of the original Secret de venus..It says Weil paris on the top. Is this the one you are talking about that smells floral
It probably is the same fragrance, as to whether or not it smells the same, it’s hard to say! Secret de Venus has been reformulated so often. The most important thing is if you enjoy it, and I hope you do!