You can lose so much

Posted by Robin on 23 January 2024 5 Comments

In life, you can lose so much. Money, time, shame and credibility, but one of the most unexpected, which makes it no less tragic, is scent. A few months ago, this happened to men all over the world, when the Old Spice company decided to cease commercial sales of one of its oldest products, Old Spice Eau de Toilette Original.

— Read more in Is ‘dad smell’ dead? How an entire generation was left adrift when a classic perfume disappeared at El País. (Note that I am not at all sure the discontinuation is really worldwide. And do see Kevin's review of Old Spice.)

You need to be patient

Posted by Robin on 17 June 2019 6 Comments

Wilson-Brown added that even if it was stored perfectly, the aldehydes (“that Champagne popping aspect”) are so fragile, they’d probably be damaged by now anyway. We waited out the base notes, and she cautioned me that with old scents, the top notes are often the first to go bad so you need to be patient after that first hit. “Real perfume nerds have a special closet in their house, the coolest darkest spot.” I asked if she had one, and she said no, she’s not a nerd.

— Saskia Wilson-Brown at the Institute for Art and Olfaction helps The Cut writer Maggie Lange with her quest to smell a long discontinued fragrance. Read more at The Hunt for a Perfume Worn by a Writer Who Terrifies Me.

What to Do When Your Favorite Perfume is Discontinued

Posted by Angela on 25 June 2018 72 Comments

At last, you find a fragrance that you can’t wait to put on in the morning. It’s fresh but interesting, light but present. It smells like you and how you want to feel every day. One morning, you spritz the last from your bottle and hie to the store to buy a replacement, and….it isn’t there. The fragrance is no longer being made.

What now? Here are the steps I’d follow to get my hands on more of my Holy Grail…

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Top 10 Winter Fragrances 2018

Posted by Angela on 26 January 2018 85 Comments

Winter is a great time to wear vintage fragrance. Something about the gorgeous-yet-unfashionable waft of an old perfume is perfect when the wind bites at your face and you’re swaddled in wool. In my opinion, wood fires, old movies and long nights all deepen with a vintage fragrance on your wrist.

Here are my top ten fragrances for winter, each at least 50 years old. If you’re new to vintage fragrance, you might be put off by how hard they can be to “read.” Let me warn you, though, once you get a taste for them, they can be addicting. I look forward to hearing about your favorite winter fragrances — vintage or not — in the comments. If you can think of modern takes on these fragrances, please comment! And do check out the winter lists at Bois de Jasmin, Grain de Musc and Perfume Posse…

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Guerlain Pour Troubler ~ fragrance review

Posted by Kevin on 13 September 2017 10 Comments

Guerlain Pour Troubler

It’s been a long time since a new Guerlain fragrance tempted me. Even Guerlain old timers have fallen out of favor. I’ve found vetiver perfumes I prefer to Guerlain Vétiver. Mitsouko is now used in my house more as a home fragrance than a perfume to put on my person. Jicky don’t smell like Jicky no more (sounds like the title of a 1920s song, doesn’t it?) The only Guerlain survivors pour moi are Habit Rouge and Les Eaux — Eau de Cologne Impériale, Eau de Cologne du Coq, Eau de Fleurs de Cédrat and Eau de Guerlain.

I came across (and bought) a small bottle of Guerlain’s 1911 Pour Troubler¹ Extrait years ago…

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Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

You can lose so much

You need to be patient

What to Do When Your Favorite Perfume is Discontinued

Top 10 Winter Fragrances 2018

Guerlain Pour Troubler ~ fragrance review