LIDG & LIDGE: Year 2014 Review.

Year 2014 was a turmoil for many perfumes. One of the most disputed was the higly appraised LIDGE by Guerlain, and its "brother" LIDG. Therefore, in this test we sampled different batches to verify if any reformulation(s) occurred.

Picture of the Day: "Baglietto" (1987)

"BAGLIETTO: The last delivery".

During 1987, now-disappeared company R.P Denis launched "BAGLIETTO", a new Eau de Toilette for Men, inspired by famous nautical shipyards with the same name. Unusually, it was not an "aquatic" scent as you could think, but a very "fresh and green" one. Almost completely forgotten in our days, it was a well crafted scent, elegant, refined, characterized by a high sillage. You can say it,  a "gentle powerhouse".
Starting with pleasant herbal, citrusy notes, "Baglietto" had an amazing evolution, shifting almost completely direction, ending with dry, woody echoes.
In a nutshell, "Baglietto" was strong and delicate at the same time, moving from herbs to woods, as a sort of "landscape traveller".
It was on production for a few years only, before R.P. Denis ceased operations in 1989. Difficult to find nowadays, but it could be worthy if you love strong fresh, herbal scents.

TERRE D'HERMES: 9-batches review (2009-2014)

"My Terre d'Hermes is no longer the same as before! 
...the scent seems different!"

TERRE d' HERMES, EdT: reformulated or not?
Many loyal followers asked for a comparating-review of "TERRE d'HERMES" EdT, since apparently there are many differences between years. If you read something about it  (on websites such as Fragrantica, Basenotes, Parfumo, etc.), you will find plenty of arguments in favor and against a reformulation, and differences apparently due to amounts of "Iso E Super" contained in the mixture.
So, what about "reformulations"?

FAHRENHEIT: a 10-batches REVIEW

FAHRENHEIT by Christian Dior, is one of those scents that needs no introduction, being immensely popular worldwide, and still in production (since 1988). 
Fahrenheit was probably the first "conceptual" scent: this means the whole structure is turning around the feeling of something "burning". 
It happened due to a violet-leather accord, resulting in a sort of "gasoline" or "petroleum" top notes (the beginning of fire), concluding with a sort of "burnt woods smell" drydown (the ending of fire). Even the bottle reminds of a fire in the night. with a bottom colored in red-yellow, slowly changing in black in the upper part.
This "conceptual" view was, in fact, one of the most appreciate, discussed and controversial aspects at the time of launch.

"Woods Burning"
(thanks to Cornellpines.blogspot.com)

Obviously reformulations occurred in a such complex scent, during a 25-years span.
So, in this review, we collected our Fahrenheit bottles and did a comparative work. 
How did Fahrenheit change during the years? 
Follow us and discover it!
(For the "Fahrenheit visual guide", bottle-by-bottle, year-by-year, see HERE)

Dior Homme Intense UPDATE 2014.

(please note: this is a review of  "year 2014" batches only.
If you want know what happened during years 2007-2013, read HERE ) 

Since so many friends asked me to investigate about Dior Homme Intense "Year 2014" batches, I had quick calls with a professionally-involved friend. He collected DHI "year-2014- labelled" bottles (actually, a few testers). Then we met inside his perfume shop, and I performed the blind test in the back room, away from the main hall (the classic perfume shop is one of the worst places where to perform tests, indeed).

How to recognize LANCOME perfumes.

Climat, Magie Noire, "O de Lancome", Trèsor....
LANCOME is one of the greatest French perfume houses, created in 1935 by Armand Petitjean, and got fame and prestige worldwide thanks to many celebrated perfumes.
How can we recognize and "put a date" on LANCOME perfumes?
It appears difficult, but -actually- it isn't.

AMAZONE (Hermes, 1974): 40-years Tribute.

"Amazone", by Hermès

year 1974 (reportedly reformulated in 1989)

Noses: Maurice Maurin (1974 version); Jean Claude Ellena (1989)

Official olfactive pyramid:

Top Notes: Bergamot, Geranium, Hyacinth, BlackCurrant.

Middle: Muguet, Orris. Rose, Jasmin

Base : Cedarwood, Oakmoss, Vetiver, Amber.

(please note: you will find several other "olfactive pyramids" with different compositions)

Longevity: high (both versions)

Sillage: very high (both versions)

Vote: 10/10 (both versions '1974' and '1989')

How to recognize GUY LAROCHE perfumes

Guy Laroche's notable perfumes are: Fidji (year 1966), L'Eau Folle (1970), Drakkar (1972), J'ai Osè (1977), Drakkar Noir (1982), Clandestine (1986), Horizon (1993). 
Most of  scents had the "copyright" indication, including the year ("Copyright Parfums Guy Laroche, year xxxx")

CORIOLAN (Guerlain, 1998)

Top: Bergamot, lemon, neroli, clary sage,

Heart: Ginger, Juniper, nutmeg, ylang-ylang, 

Base: Patchouli, oakmoss, vetiver, benzoin,

Nose : Jean Paul Guerlain
year: 1998
Longevity high (7 hours)
Sillage: high
Rating: 10/10

An unique bottle, an extraordinary scent, a long and incredible drydown, an unusual history, a resounding commercial failure. "Coriolan", a masculine scent from Guerlain, launched in 1998, was all these things, and even more.

"VU par Ted Lapidus" (1975)

Year 1975: the Parfum, according to Ted Lapidus.

Ted Lapidus, who is he? Today is not a very well known name, but during the Seventies was one of the most popular French designers, and it is very easy to find his advertising in popular and fashion magazines. "Vu par Ted Lapidus" (in French: the perfume "according to/from the point of view of Ted Lapidus") was his first creation, dating back to 1975.

CACHAREL pour HOMME (1981)

ENTER the NUTMEG.

Probably the best nutmeg-based scent ever created.

How to recognize CACHAREL perfumes

                   

Among the most important perfumes produced by CACHAREL, we should consider: ANAIS ANAIS (1978), POUR HOMME (1981), LOULOU (1987), EDEN (1994), NOA (1998), NEMO (2000), GLORIA (2002).  Here is a short guide about recognizing CACHAREL perfumes.

DONNA KARAN ("The Black & Gold Swan", 1992)

Year: 1992
Producer : International Flavors and Fragrance (IFF)
Bottle design: Stephan Weiss.
Top: Apricot, bergamot, neroli, osmanthus, peach and pineapple.
Middle: Carnation, cassis, heliotrope, jasmine, lily, orchid, rose and ylang-ylang.
Base: Amber, benzoin, cedar, citruses, tonka bean, vanilla, vetiver, sandalwood, musk, leather, patchouli and incense.
Longevity: high
Sillage : high

Rating: 8/10 or 10/10 
(if you consider it a female scent, or a male one, or a piece of Art and Design...)


The Black&Gold Swan: it's hard to say where to start, talking about this perfume. 
We could start from its glamorous image, typical of the late Eighties in NY. Or to consider that it was presented as a scent "for women", playing around leathery and incense notes (actually being perfectly wearable by male audience...). Or could we discuss about the bottle, a true piece of Modern Art? 

How to recognize GIVENCHY perfumes.

Hubert de Givenchy, one of the most classy and elegant men in the world, founded his own fashion company in 1952, and "Parfums Givenchy" in 1957. During early years Givenchy perfumes were produced at Balenciaga factories, then, since 1968, produced in its own facilities.
In 1981 Givenchy company entered in "Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin" industrial group, then, in 1986, LVMH acquired the entire VC-P group (and Givenchy, too).

K de Krizia (1980)

Year: 1980
Producer:  "FPdP" ("Florbath Profumi di Parma", 1980-1999) ; Morris (since 2000)
Nose: Maurice Roucel
Bottle: Pierre Dinand

Top: Aldehydes, Coriander, Peach, Hyacinth, Neroli. 

Heart: Tuberose, Jasmine, Narcissus, Orange blossom, Rose, Carnation, Orchid, Lily-of-the-valley, Beeswax, Ylang-ylang.

Base: Vetiver, Sandalwood, Leather, Patchouli, Amber, Oakmoss, Styrax, Vanilla and Musk.

Longevity: high

Sillage: very high

Rating: 9/10 (vintage version only)

First perfume created by Maurice Roucel, a brilliant 29-years old chemist grew up at Chanel under Henri Robert. 

The EMB code.

During October 1978, the French government issued a law about packages (namely:  "Arrêté du 20 octobre 1978 relatif au contrôle de certains métrologique préemballages" ), which appears retrospectively to have great importance on dating perfumes.

Moods (Krizia, 1989)

MOODS by Krizia, for Women (year 1989)
Not so famous as the male counterpart, the highly praised "Moods Uomo", Krizia Moods "for Women" was a great Woody Floral scent, incredibly warm, and with a strong honey note (sometimes not listed)
A scent suspended between old and modern times.

Genny (1987)

I was very intrigued when Roberto Garavaglia said, almost absently:
"...well, one of the best perfumes we made, many, many years ago... Jenny. It was Jenny. The first one, the original edition. It was in 1987. The only thing I can say about it....it's a perfume that leave you speechless."

How to recognize VERSACE perfumes.

GIANNI VERSACE was a legendary designer. Together with Giorgio Armani, he started the "Italian fashion" of the 1980s. Many of the VERSACE perfumes have a great reputation. Batch codes are a bit complicate, and you should check a few tips other than numbers, namely production and distribution.
There are three different Eras in VERSACE perfumes
1) First Era: "Made in France" by Yves Saint Laurent (1981-1988)
2) Second Era: "Giver", Made in Italy (1988-2004)
3) Third Era: "Euroitalia", Made in Italy (2005-present)

The Golden Years of Perfumery: an Interview.

"Triage des Fleurs"

When we are chatting about perfumes, it's enough to say: "Italian Wave" to evoke a sort of Golden Age. 
In fact, it was an Era lasting about twenty years, during the '80s and '90s.  A time span long enough to remember extraordinary years, live by many perfume enthusiasts, though quite a few of them live those times in a truly conscious way.

La Profumeria Italiana negli anni d'oro.

"Triage des Fleurs"

(this is the Italian article. The english one is HERE ))

Quando si parla di profumi, è sufficiente dire “Italian Wave”

oppure “i favolosi anni Ottanta”, per evocare un periodo straordinario della storia, che molti hanno avuto la fortuna di vivere, anche se pochi in maniera davvero consapevole. Anzi. Per alcuni, gli anni Ottanta e il decennio successivo sono stati un’epoca in cui il mondo si è trovato invaso da quelli che alcuni definirono “i profumi all’italiana”.

How to recognize HERMES perfumes.

Hermes is one of the greatest French fashion houses. Perfumes are well-known for luxury and quality. Here is the complete list of batch numbers since 1978.

Smelling more, smelling better.

Luigi Russolo, "Profumo", year 1910

We are used to smelling paper strips for convenience, reliability, and practical purposes.
Unfortunately, paper is NOT the best material to smell. There is something better. It's the heavy, complex, "winter-season" fabric. Your heavy coat, for example. Or a "furry" synthetic coat.
Why? for a simple reason: complexity in structure. It's not "flat", but almost three-dimensional.
Fabric is not flat as paper is, but it's thick and with complicate structure. When you spray perfumes all over fabric, a bigger amount of perfume will be trapped. Perfume molecules will adhere on every point of the fabric 3D surface.

How to smell a perfume?

This discussion can make you smile: "How to smell a perfume?"
In facts, the discussion is not so weird. Just walk into a perfume shop and look at the "horror show". 

Vintage (books)

A couple of vintage italian books about perfumes. A must-have for all die-hard fragrance lovers..
Long-time discontinued, but still available online at decent prices.

How to determine the amount of a perfume (part 2)

(The first part about 'How to determine the amount of a perfume' , was published here  ) 

If you can not see through a bottle to estimate the amount, well, it's a big problem.
But in some cases it is possible to estimate the amount of a perfume with other methods.

One of these methods is by weighing.

Guerlain LIDGE: the First and the Last (2005-2013)

Since there are so many rumors about possible discontinuation / reformulation / watering down, I got three different L'Instant De Guerlain Extreme pour Homme (LIDGE) bottles, from three different ages. The beginning (batch 5H01 = year 2005), the last one before "discontinuation" rumors came out (2T01 = year 2012) and the last on shelves (batch 3X01, late 2013): I made a blind test, confronting these three samples (see pictures).

How to recognize CHANEL perfumes.

** UPDATE March 2022 ** 

all Chanel batchcodes decrypted 

(including the "american", and rare letters-and-numbers codes)

READ HERE

-----------

how to decode the main ("French") 

4-number batchcode only.

Chanel is one of the most difficult houses to decypher, when you try to "date a perfume".

This is due to the fact that the batch code is based on 4 numbers which apparently have no reference point.

Actually, Chanel adopts a method that is based on the passing of the months, without any reference to the year.

You start with 00, get to 99, and then start all over again, so in these 99 months, just over 8 years have passed.

KOUROS: The Scent of Gods (1/2)

This article is divided in two parts: this is the first one.

Here you will find:

- Introduction.

- YSL and Kouros: a brief overview.

- Kouros (1981-2017).

- Ratings.

- Pictures.

In the part nr. 2 you will find:

-Kouros Launch Party in Paris (February 20th, 1981)
-Flankers (1986-2014).
-Body Line.
-Special Bottles.
-Gift Sets
-Accessories.
-Miniatures.
-Advertising.
-Miscellaneous.
you can find the part nr.2 HERE

------------------------------

INTRODUCTION

Actually, Kouros has no need of introduction: put simply, it's the most famous "love it, or hate it" perfume.

Nothing as Kouros - and I mean absolutely nothing - has been able since its apparition to to split the audience so radically: on a side there are the fanatic lovers, exalting it beyond any description ("The scent of Gods," it's the usual definition of Kouros ). 

On the other side,  people fiercely hating it: "Kouros smells like sweat plus other disgusting body odors", it's commonly said.

But what causes this heating discussion? It's the fact that Kouros tries to imitate the natural scent of human skin, "fresh and clean". As supporters say, it is an extraordinary perfume of  "a pure Man". 

On the contrary, detractors change it in: "a dirty Man".

Anyway, Kouros is certainly one of the scents that made ​​the History of Perfumery.

1914-2014

Artificial Fragrances Handbook, year 1914.

Dedicated to all people thinking 

that "artificial, synthetic  perfumery"

 is a recent phenomenon.

DIOR HOMME INTENSE 2007-2013 : 9 BATCHES BlindTest.

(UPDATE: in this article you will read the "years 2007-2013" review: if you are interested in the "year 2014" updated review, then go HERE )

Dior Homme Intense is not a perfume, it's a rollercoaster ride. After the mid-year 2011 reformulation, we saw a U-turn back to origins, during year 2013. A pleasant news, since in 2013 it appeared exactly as in 2007. That's all right? Unfortunately not.
Suddenly, during last months of 2013, the scent appeared to be reformulated again, with a change in color, less intense, less "ambery", and almost "transparent". Another change in formula?
Let's go and see what happened.