There is an often-told anecdote about Youth Dew. In the 1960s, Estée Lauder visited the Galeries Lafayette in Paris with a proposal for opening a counter there; however, the department store’s buyers were not interested in carrying her products. On her way out, the story goes, Estée not-so-accidentally spilled some Youth Dew bath oil on the store’s carpet. So many customers noticed the resulting aroma and demanded to purchase the oil that the store relented and placed an order for the entire Lauder line. As Angela has pointed out in her review of Youth Dew, its sillage is just as potent now as it was decades ago. I own and love the Eau de Parfum, but when I prefer to keep Youth Dew’s rich, retro spiciness all to myself, I wear the Body Creme instead.
Youth Dew Perfumed Body Creme is the heaviest lotion I’ve ever owned, literally: its jar of ribbed, frosted glass is weighty enough to cause severe pain if dropped on an unsuspecting foot (although, I suppose, a true Youth Dew wearer would be sure-handed enough never to drop it). Its lid is gleaming gold, as shiny as the interlacing initials of the Estée Lauder logo embossed on the pale turquoise and white box.
The Body Creme’s fragrance is true to the scent of the Eau de Parfum: that is, neither youthful nor dewy. It has Youth Dew’s signature blend of cinnamon and clove notes, something like a more stylish version of church incense, which softens into a cocoon of amber and patchouli. The scent of the creme lingers close to the skin, unlike the waves of sillage sent off by the Eau de Parfum. Its character is still bold, but somehow more private.
The creme itself looks faintly pearlescent in its opulent container, and it is luxuriously thick to the touch. Because it smells and feels so rich, I was surprised to discover that it absorbs without any stickiness. I was not surprised, however, to notice that the fragrance endured most of the day. It might be a lotion, but it’s still Youth Dew.
Youth Dew Perfumed Body Creme sells for $27.59 for a 6.7 oz. jar at department stores or esteelauder.
If Estee Lauder did that, then she stole it from Francois Coty, who is said to have been peddling his La Rose Jacqueminot at the Grands Magasins du Louvre department store in Paris. They weren't buying, so he “accidentally” dropped a bottle, which shattered and released a wave of the scent. Shoppers supposedly demanded to know what that wonderful perfume was, though there's a possibility that he hired them for the purpose, but no matter: the dtore bought his line, which launched him to fame as a perfumer.
Interesting! This tale about Youth Dew has been cited so often that there's no knowing how it really originated… it gets reprinted in reputable publications, to this day, and Lauder employees retell it as well. It may well be apocryphal! Thank you for the historical parallel.
Two Youth Dew reviews in one day!
I just went to the Estee Lauder Company Store during lunch (there's one on the ground floor of my office building) and spritzed some Youth Dew on my hand. I'm getting a beautiful incense note from it right now.
I looked for the body cream, but they didn't have it. They did have the dusting powder, though! I just might go back and get it…
I'm just glad that it's finally cool enough in the northeast to *wear* Youth Dew! I've heard raves about the dusting powder on Makeup Alley, so it's probably worth trying if you like the fragrance.
Now I'm longing to try the body creme AND the bath oil! Great review, Jessica! That jar of creme looks so inviting…
It's a very *large* jar of body creme, too! Between its size and the strength of its scent, I definitely feel that I'm getting my money's worth… especially when I think about all the $100 lotions that have been launched during the past year.
It's a real bargin, for sure. And if anybody ever breaks in, you have a world-class weapon to bonk them on the noggin with.
Lethal *and* glamourous.