I've been hit hard by the summer lazies this past week or so, and haven't managed to finish a perfume review since last Tuesday's Mediterranean Fig. I started a draft of Maître Parfumeur et Gantier Route du Vetiver weeks ago and meant to finish it today, but it is just too hot and humid to risk such an assertive fragrance this morning, so I reached for their Bahiana instead, and then I started thinking about how rarely I hear about Bahiana, and that brought to mind Eau Pour Le Jeune Homme, another great Maître Parfumeur et Gantier fragrance that I almost never hear mentioned.
And so, in lieu of a review which I'm obviously not going to do today, a poll:
What brand would you nominate for "most underrated"?
Maître Parfumeur et Gantier probably doesn't get enouch love, but still, they don't get my vote. There are a few I like very much, but the vast majority of the line doesn't agree with me. I'll go with Parfums de Nicolaï.
What brand NEEDS to reissue their classics?
I've been thinking a lot about this subject lately. Guerlain and Lancôme have both been busy on this front, and while I've enjoyed smelling the results, I don't think that the effort has resulted in a major rethinking of either brands' place in the history of perfumery. Givenchy is preparing to release a whole slew of scents from their back catalog this fall, and perhaps that will produce a masterpiece or two, who knows? But the brand that to my mind is missing the boat is Christian Dior. Much of their back catalog is still in production but in very limited distribution. My (unlikely) dream: a boxed set of all the scents from 1980 and before, in SMALL bottles, please: Miss Dior, Diorama, Eau Fraiche, Diorissimo, Diorling, Eau Sauvage, Dioressence, Diorella, Dior Dior, and Jules.
See also: Angela's article on Underappreciated Perfumes.
Note: image via Parfum de Pub.
MPG and PdN both get my vote.
As for who needs to reissue…I am soooo with you on Dior! Dior people, PLEASE, you are sitting on such treasures. OK, let them be in limited distribution, but not in so extremely limited as they are now.
Also, Patou! Why not re-issue the scents from Ma Collection again? Or just Vacances 🙂
Most underrated: I will vote for MPG (I've never smelled any of the Parfums de Nicolai) and perhaps CB I Hate Perfume
Needs to re-release classics: DIOR for sure.
I would nominate for underappreciated Sonia Rykiel (rarely mentioned, yet top class perfumes), Carven, Miller Harris (good ingredients), Etro (unique vision) and the several artisanal perfumers who never get the chance to get their message loud and clear.(Instead look at what hype a certain niche sales site makes out of “niche” curiosities that often do not deserve the praise they get in their advertorials….)
I agree that Dior must clean up their act, restore their great classics (Dioressence, I'm talking to you!) and produce a trully great modern and innovative new scent.
I can't answer this! I don't get to smell that many 'nichey' brands. I would love to smell the original 'My Sin' and I would also love to smell a perfume I've read about called 'Le No 9' by the woman who invented the first bra (so they say)!
Patou, definitely! They are so rarely mentioned in the US at all any more.
CB I Hate Perfume, I think, gets more love on the fragrance forums than even MPG! They get lots of press in the US considering how short a time they've been in business. Great line.
So agree on Dior, and don't think Midnight Poison will be what I had in mind 🙂
Is that Cadolle No 9? Never heard that about inventing the bra…
I adore Eau Pour le Jeune Homme! Need to go find mine.
Marina basically said almost word for word what I would have posted in response to your poll. 🙂
And, although it's not about reissuing their classics (although some of their classics have indeed been d/ced), I do wish that Shiseido would make their non-Serge scents more widely available outside of Asia. I absolutely adore several of them, but can only get them when they show up on ebay.
Yes that's her surname! I honestly read she invented the bra!!
Oh I totally agree with you, babe. Both of those lines, especially PdN don't get nearly enough attention. I think PdN's Maharanih is beautiful, but you don't hear much about it.
Hugs!
According to Ask Yahoo, you're right…Herminie Cadolle, 1889, but I notice others are credited on other websites, so who knows?
Agree on Shiseido, and why do they keep re-doing Zen, for that matter? Why not just do something new?
If you happen back through, do tell your favorite of the non-export Shiseido scents!
“Underrated” is a little tricky comparatively, cuz I read so much online, sooner or later everything seems praised.
How about virtually unheard of? Borsari, known primarily for Acqua Di Parma and Violetta Di Parma, has a scent called Macchia Mediterranea that wowed me — just like the smell of dried herbs hanging from wooden rafters. Looking forward to autumn when I think this will smell perfect.
I guess Guerlain wins in the reissuance category.
I'm afraid it won't be, either. Too bad. But let's sniff it before rejecting.
R, I still haven't tried Maharanih & need to! Hope you are well 🙂
That Borsari sounds lovely, I've never seen it anywhere! Agree that Borsari is underrated, and underdistributed!
One favorite? That's a number I've never understood when it comes to perfume loves. I'd have to go for a four way tie between Myth of Saso, Koto, Chant du Coeur and Inoui. And, of course, now I'm agonizing over those I left off…Message from Orchids, especially.
I'm actually sort of dissapointed in the direction Caswell-Massey has taken over the past decade. I wish they would bring back “Casma” and some of the other scents constructed for the divas of silent film. Now, they've taken more of a “Crabtree & Evelyn” path, while veering away from historical fragrances and toiletries. As they've lost their distinctive scents, I think they've also lost a big piece of character.
Borsari is a great pick! They pump out such distinctly mediterranean scents; crisp, clear citrus fruits, blooms and herbs.
I was able to test a drop of “Bouquet di Violette” by Borsari (the extinct one, not the more recent release) and the vetiver/heliotrope combo is intoxicating. I like how older scents knew how to nail “unisex” fragrances: they are appealing for an intellectual complexity that encougrages provocative androgyny, rather than a lack of personality that communicates “indifferent ennui”.
LOL — sorry to make you narrow down 🙂
Message From Orchids is the only one of those I've managed to try. Love the name “Myth of Saso”, will have to see if I can find any of those.
Agree they are very like C&E now, but I'm afraid I'm not familiar with their earlier scents & didn't know the brand had changed that much.
Maitre PG is certainly underrated and they have some powerful and lovely perfumes. I love Fraiche Passiflore.
Nicolai is underrated, too. I finally purchased a bottle of Maharanih and am in heaven. Even in hot, sultry DC, it is wonderful. I layer it on the L'Artisan Ananas creme and it is a heavenly mix.
My favorite underrated is L'Herbolario, which I haven't seen in the US in years. They had a honeysuckle fragrance that was neither too sweet nor too cloying.
I've given up on Dior.
I'm about to give up on CB I Hate Perfume, too. I get all the additional Gestalt of the fragrance, but I don't want to smell like dirt, or old shirts–even if they have been in the sun, or an abandoned building. I think they are fine for meditation or a room spray. But on me, they last a few minutes and then I smell like . . .an abandoned arm.
Herminie Cadolle is indeed credited with inventing the bra, and her descendant Poupie still has both a lingerie shop and a bespoke lingerie studio in Paris on the rue Cambon, not far from Chanel… as for Cadolle N°9, it's a lovely aldehydic floral: Poupie offered me a miniature, but I don't pull it out much!
I agree with Nicolaï. I only just made it to their Paris store (after pretty much years of intending to), so it's got to do with their distribution. Lovely compositions, substantial collection, reasonable prices.
For reissues, I'd have to go with Dior too, but I can add Lanvin (My Sin, Scandal), and of course, the lamented Cotys…
Bespoke lingerie sounds lovely, I usually go to Marks & Spencer! The perfume sounds lovely, another reason for making a trip to Paris.
Well, I hesitated to write, because I can do nothing but agree with you. PdN for sure: Maharadhah and Vanille Tonka are two of my favorite fragrances, and I also really like Baladin, New York, No. 1, etc., etc. The list goes on. . .
And Dior: though I am lucky enough to have the old ones in their amphores, I am sure that they would love to be joined by new reissues!!
Underappreciated… I'd say Piver, because they have some mighty gems (in my eyes at least – or nose if you will) but I do understand why it is so, not only due to limited distribution but also due to some deservingly forgotten weak-cards they have in their collection as well. I have not managed to *love* PdN …not yet at least… but I'd love to see Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier get more attention as the line is *lovely* and of really high quality.
The old Diors are really easy to find around these parts so I am not really complaining. I would jump at the chance to see the old Nina Ricci perfumes re-distributed though. It's not that I love all of them -I don't- but I the world seems poorer without them. Do you know what I mean?
Just realized I have untested samples of at least 2 of those, so thanks again!
Is that the same as L'Erbolario? They were in my local mall but closed (I think in 2006?), and they still have a US web store.
LOL at “an abandoned arm”, that is a good one. Happily I don't have that problem with CBIHP 🙂
Looks like I need to try Maharanih!
I am dying to go to the PdN store to see what else they've got in “Light” formulas not sold in the US! And want one of those fragrance lamps too.
I agree that PdN should get more attention – I think her fragrances are exceedingly well made and, what's more, gorgeous. On me, anyhow. I'd also like to see Vero Kern, i.e. vero profumo (Andy Tauer's muse) get the accolades her three brand-new perfumes definitely merit. And I wish people would stop dissing their mother's perfumes (c'mon: everybody and their cousin seem to hate Shalimar, just because their mom wore it) and drugstore gems like Tabu (gorgeous! If it were by a niche perfumer, everybody would be wanting it) or Emeraude (it may be a shadow of its former self, bit it's still lovely) and L'Origan.
Czech & Speake need to re-issue Dark Rose. And Coty needs to re-issue (NOT re-vamp) the old, old classics. Guerlain should re-issue at affordable prices. And so on and so forth. But Dark Rose tops my list of badly needed scents!
Agree with the comments on vintage Lanvin & Coty fragrances. My recent discovery in Paris was Les Parfums de Rosine – made with natural essences only, and every scent in the line is truly lovely and elegant.
Will have to agree with Piver as I'm only barely aware of their existence! And will agree with Nina Ricci as well.
The Rosines are lovely! Pretty sure they aren't 100% natural though.
So agree on dissing your mother's perfumes, especially as I'm a mother 🙂
And 2nd Dark Rose!! And Coty. Bring back Chypre!
J, I like a huge proportion of the PdN line too. Have really never understood why they aren't more popular in the US.
Well, that was their story and they are sticking to it. 😉
Well, have to say that they do smell like they killed some roses to make the scents, and that is more than many brands can say!
Haven't tried much vintage stuff, but I yearn for some of the oldies (especially Coty). Sonoma Scent Studio deserves attention (wonderful woodsy stuff). Ormonde Jayne is my ongoing enthusiasm.
OMG, I forgot: The entire Gobin Daudé line needs to come back. NOW!
Will vote for all of those!
So true! I really thought she would be back by now 🙁
I'd love to see Crepe de Chine brought back!! I have a very old empty perfume bottle that my grandmother gave me (purchased in the 1940s), and you can STILL detect a hint of that beautiful aroma…
I have never smelled it!