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Perfumaniac
New Orleans
Vintage perfume reviews written by Barbara Herman (aka Perfumaniac), an obsessed collector of the old stuff...
Interests: We know what the past looks and sounds like, but do we know what it smells like?, it's been one of the many revelations for me in discovering perfume in a sensual/cerebral manner that I can say as much about it as a book or film that moved me., There is a limbic intelligence that we don't cultivate enough and perfume is the perfect vehicle for exercising this faculty..., curious readers can contact barbara herman at yesterdaysperfume@gmail.com or follow me on twitter/Parfumaniac
Recent Activity
Thanks for the offer, Mary P. Im in the middle of a move, so let me contact you when Im settled. Thanks again!
Commented May 9, 2013 on Andy Warhol on Perfume at Yesterday's Perfume
Andy Warhol on Perfume
I really love wearing perfume... I switch perfumes all the time. If I've been wearing one perfume for three months, I force myself to give it up, even if I still feel like wearing it, so whenever I smell it again it will always remind me of those three months. I never go back to wearing it aga...
You sound like a supervixen, C Solis. Those are NOT office scents! :-) I heartily approve.
Commented Apr 16, 2013 on Tabu by Dana (1932) at Yesterday's Perfume
Tabu by Dana (1932)
In the same way that people want to drink a full-bodied red wine or peaty scotch on winter days rather than, say, a vodka grapefruit, perfumistas often veer toward fragrances in the Oriental category when it's cold outside. (I'm in New York City at the moment, and the Weather Channel is telli...
Hi Alexis,
It sounds like you have every version of Bandit under the sun! I appreciate your tenacity. From my experience, the vintage EDP is nicer and more complex than the vintage EDT, and sometimes EDTs top notes can oxidize over the years, not holding up as well as the EDP. I've tried the current Bandit version, and although I'd wear it just to get a hint of the vintage, it just doesn't have the multiple dimensions the vintage has. It's green, it's bitter, but the intense bitterness, leather, and je ne sais quoi of the original aren't there.
Commented Apr 10, 2013 on Bandit by Robert Piguet (1944) at Yesterday's Perfume
Bandit by Robert Piguet (1944)
It's becoming very clear to me that perfumes from the '40s and '50s are those that really call my name. Take Robert Piguet's Bandit, composed by Germaine Cellier and purported to be Marlene Dietrich's signature scent. Bandit is a classic leather chypre whose dominant twin notes — the sting of ...
Miguel, that is so kind of you. Thank you!
Commented Mar 16, 2013 on Silences by Jacomo (1978) at Yesterday's Perfume
Silences by Jacomo (1978)
Some women are scared of scents that are too green, or whose predominant notes include violet leaves, herbs, cut grass notes, or galbanum, a bitter aromatic gum resin that famously greened up Chanel No. 19, Bandit, and Vent Vert. To those folks I say, I'm sorry. Silences is not going to change...
Hi oonagh, Can you take a photo of it? I might be able to help. Also, when you say your current bottle, is it vintage or is it a reformulation? Maybe take a photo of both bottles.
Commented Mar 8, 2013 on Chloe by Lagerfeld (1975) at Yesterday's Perfume
Chloe by Lagerfeld (1975)
Chloe is one of the most beautiful florals I've come across in a while, and I don't even particularly like this category. It's as much a chypre as it is a straight up floral, as Haarmann & Reimer categorize it, with its bergamot/green/fruit opening, its gorgeous jasmine-tuberose heart, and its...
Hi Alexandra, So strange that you left this message just now — I was just revising my manuscript and just arrived at Miss Balmain, which I love, too. Please say more about the George Sand scent? Theyre similar?
Commented Feb 20, 2013 on Miss Balmain by Balmain (1967) at Yesterday's Perfume
Miss Balmain by Balmain (1967)
Miss Balmain is one of those perfumes that is so beautiful, it hurts. For me, it was love at first sniff. There are a couple ways to look at Miss Balmain, and both of them involve a comparison with Bandit, which is no doubt its reference scent. (Germaine Cellier, the perfumer who composed bo...
Hi Charla,
Glad you found Yesterdays Perfume! As for Jolie Madame and Ma Griffe, those can still be had in vintage form on eBay at various bidding prices. The buy now prices are over $100, but if you bid at the last second, you could get a deal. Sadly, JM and MG — both chypres with oakmoss — are no longer being made, in part because the style is out of vogue, and also because regulatory agencies have severely restricted how much oakmoss can be in perfume, effectively wiping out what sounds like your favorite perfume category. Go get em!
Commented Feb 6, 2013 on Jolie Madame by Balmain (1953) at Yesterday's Perfume
Jolie Madame by Balmain (1953)
Another amazing scent composed by Germaine Cellier. Jolie Madame has a leather base which assures, as Cellier fragrances do, that even if it's sweet like candy, there is still a tough gal you're dealing with under her perfectly fitted dress suit. Jolie Madame is not my favorite Cellier, but li...
Tshai, I think switching scents around is a very modern way of wearing perfume, and like everything else it seems, Andy Warhol was doing it at a time when the idea of a signature scent was still in place. (And dont forget also how modern he was for ignoring the arbitrary designation of masculine/feminine in fragrances by wearing womens perfumes, too!)
Commented Feb 5, 2013 on Andy Warhol on Perfume at Yesterday's Perfume
Andy Warhol on Perfume
I really love wearing perfume... I switch perfumes all the time. If I've been wearing one perfume for three months, I force myself to give it up, even if I still feel like wearing it, so whenever I smell it again it will always remind me of those three months. I never go back to wearing it aga...
Thanks, Linda! I still think its exotic and cool that Aussies suck on musk lollies as children!
Commented Feb 1, 2013 on Perfume You Can Eat! Part One: Australian Musk Candy at Yesterday's Perfume
Perfume You Can Eat! Part One: Australian Musk Candy
It's a truism that flavor is as much smell as it is taste. Lose your ability to smell (anosmia) and out the window goes your ability to truly enjoy anything you ingest or imbibe. But how many people love smell so much — particularly the scent of perfume — that they'd like to consume it? One ha...
I know, Madeleine. You can still buy it, though. It might not be exactly the same with age, but its still quite beautiful.Try eBay or miniatureperfumeshoppe.com
Commented Jan 28, 2013 on Crepe de Chine by F. Millot (1925) at Yesterday's Perfume
Crepe de Chine by F. Millot (1925)
Smelling Crepe de Chine is like meeting a beautiful, funny woman with a Ph.D in linguistics who also happens to speak seven languages, knows how to cook, has a way with children and small animals, composes haunting tunes on the guitar, and smiles at everyone. This is, in other words, one fine...
Mark, a Blue Heaven Milkshake sounds heavenly! Im convinced you Aussies are just adventurous and fun. I read an article about your food scene (I cant remember which city), and it just made me want to go. Ive never been. Thanks for stopping by and I hope youre continuing to eat musky candies and drink blue milkshakes!
Commented Dec 31, 2012 on Perfume You Can Eat! Part One: Australian Musk Candy at Yesterday's Perfume
Perfume You Can Eat! Part One: Australian Musk Candy
It's a truism that flavor is as much smell as it is taste. Lose your ability to smell (anosmia) and out the window goes your ability to truly enjoy anything you ingest or imbibe. But how many people love smell so much — particularly the scent of perfume — that they'd like to consume it? One ha...
Hi Fred. This blog has been a labor of love. Trust me, Ive derived no income from it, and its an expensive hobby to collect perfume! However, I do have a book coming out next fall. Thanks for stopping by!
Commented Dec 28, 2012 on Bill Blass by Bill Blass (1978) at Yesterday's Perfume
Bill Blass by Bill Blass (1978)
A nice floral chypre with a touch of golden pineapple for fruitiness, Bill Blass perfume exudes a fresh, happy warmth that makes this an approachable floral with personality. Bill Blass smells like it's on the cusp between the sporty, green chypres for the newly-liberated 70s woman and the s...
Maggie, More than likely, what you purchased has been reformulated. The perfume industry spokespeople used to deny that this happens, but everyone knows it happens. Perfumer Jean Guichard recently said so publicly. They do it for several reasons: cost, difference in source of florals, or industry bans on certain ingredients that need to be replaced. The vintage version is easily found for cheap on eBay and miniatureperfumeshoppe.com
Commented Dec 27, 2012 on Giorgio by Giorgio of Beverly Hills (1981) at Yesterday's Perfume
Giorgio by Giorgio of Beverly Hills (1981)
It was the decade of Dynasty (1981- 1989), Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous (1984 - 1995), Falcon Crest (1981 - 1990) and other rich-people porn for aspirational types. And it got off to one hell of a smelly start. You know it. You may love it. But once you put it on, you won't be able to g...
Hi John,
The vintage Ma Griffe is sold in abundance on various sites: miniatureperfumeshoppe.com and eBay. Good luck!
Barbara
Commented Dec 26, 2012 on Ma Griffe by Carven (1946) at Yesterday's Perfume
Ma Griffe by Carven (1946)
A perfume composed by a perfumer who had tragically become anosmic (unable to smell anything) may cause the perfumaniac to pause before sniffing, but oddly, Ma Griffe by Jean Carles is a pretty wonderful scent. Bright and edgy, Ma Griffe ("my claw") smells like the kind of perfume a good girl w...
Interesting, Kathleen. I didnt know Toujours Moi were sold in the form of lingerie tablets. So girlie!
Commented Dec 16, 2012 on Toujours Moi by Corday (1924) at Yesterday's Perfume
Toujours Moi by Corday (1924)
I want to take a break from the freshness of the May flower and discuss a vintage Oriental perfume I forgot I had in my cabinet of curiosities/perfume closet: the soft and sexy Toujours Moi by Corday. Launched in 1927 by Blanche Arvoy, Corday perfumes are more whimsical and charming than thei...
Interesting, Kathleen. I didnt know Toujours Moi were sold in the form of lingerie tablets. So girlie!
Commented Dec 16, 2012 on Toujours Moi by Corday (1924) at Yesterday's Perfume
Toujours Moi by Corday (1924)
I want to take a break from the freshness of the May flower and discuss a vintage Oriental perfume I forgot I had in my cabinet of curiosities/perfume closet: the soft and sexy Toujours Moi by Corday. Launched in 1927 by Blanche Arvoy, Corday perfumes are more whimsical and charming than thei...
Hi Bobbie,
You might be able to find it on eBay. If you want the vintage, type that in first. Otherwise, I think the reformulation is on Amazon. Good luck!
Commented Dec 14, 2012 on Skin Musk by Bonne Bell (1975) at Yesterday's Perfume
Skin Musk by Bonne Bell (1975)
"Wear a little something, and a lot of SKIN. SKIN, the Bonne Bell Fragrance for outdoor girls." - 1975 ad for Skin Musk by Bonne Bell* "If warmth had a smell, it would be SKIN." - 1979 ad for Skin Musk by Bonne Bell ...
I know I sound like a broken record, Sandy, but check eBay!
Commented Dec 1, 2012 on Ysatis by Givenchy (1984) at Yesterday's Perfume
Ysatis by Givenchy (1984)
While hipsters in my neighborhood continue to insist on wearing the most hideous of hideous ‘80s fashions (skinny jeans tucked into slouchy boots, weird appliquéd sweaters and ginormous-framed lensless eye glasses), I am having an 80s revival of my own with perfume. Ysatis is not only a plea...
Hi Paula,
I think you mean Imprevu by Coty, which I think means sudden or unexpected. You can get it on eBay. Good luck!: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Coty-Imprevu-Parfum-de-Toilette-6-0-fl-oz-Splash-No-Box-/160928479652?pt=fragrancehash=item257815b9a4
Commented Dec 1, 2012 on What Perfume Did Your Mother Wear? at Yesterday's Perfume
What Perfume Did Your Mother Wear?
The question might suggest that your mother doesn't wear perfume now, but I don't mean it to. I mean — what perfume did she wear when you were little and she was the most important woman in your life? I talk a lot about my mother and her perfume choices, but that's because my mother was — and ...
Hi Lois, Are you should its not Avons Cotillion? Its all over eBay. The perfume encyclopedia doesnt list Cotillion as an Estee Lauder fragrance.
Commented Nov 19, 2012 on What Perfume Did Your Mother Wear? at Yesterday's Perfume
What Perfume Did Your Mother Wear?
The question might suggest that your mother doesn't wear perfume now, but I don't mean it to. I mean — what perfume did she wear when you were little and she was the most important woman in your life? I talk a lot about my mother and her perfume choices, but that's because my mother was — and ...
Hi Stace, I fell in love with Tabu when I first smelled it. Luckily for us, its readily available in vintage form on eBay. Im not surprised youre stopped all the time! Thanks for sharing your story. :-)
Commented Nov 19, 2012 on Tabu by Dana (1932) at Yesterday's Perfume
Tabu by Dana (1932)
In the same way that people want to drink a full-bodied red wine or peaty scotch on winter days rather than, say, a vodka grapefruit, perfumistas often veer toward fragrances in the Oriental category when it's cold outside. (I'm in New York City at the moment, and the Weather Channel is telli...
Thalia, I am so happy you enjoy Intimate! I love it too.
Commented Nov 15, 2012 on Intimate by Revlon (1955) at Yesterday's Perfume
Intimate by Revlon (1955)
"Intimate...the fabulous new American fragrance that even French women are talking about! Initimate never shouts, but oh! how it whispers. Give it for Christmas (see that you get it, too!) $2.00 and $3.59 plus tax." I'm not sure what would qualify as a perfume that shouts if Intimate is one t...
Im glad you love it, Pamela. I love it too! Its beautiful and comforting.
Commented Nov 14, 2012 on Must de Cartier (1981) at Yesterday's Perfume
Must de Cartier (1981)
It's hard to write about Must de Cartier without first acknowledging Luca Turin's withering and amusing review in Perfumes: The Guide. Referring to the perfume's unusual marriage of fresh green notes atop a "floriental" base that includes jasmine, vanilla and amber, Turin compared Must to an i...
Hi David Lincoln Brooks! A friend gave me an older formulation and it didn't smell anything like the one I reviewed over two years ago. I am definitely giving it another shot...
Commented Nov 2, 2012 on Samsara by Guerlain (1989) at Yesterday's Perfume
Samsara by Guerlain (1989)
A few years ago before I became a perfume obsessive, I traveled to Morocco. I'm glad I had enough presence of mind to go to the perfume section of the ancient souk in Fez and pick up scents with the kind of quality and concentration you'd have to pay an arm and a leg for elsewhere: sandalwood,...
Hi Bonnie,
I have both the new and old version, and they are different. I would recommend a woodsy, chypre-ish floral to you, but vintage Lauren perfume is readily available on eBay and in mini form http://miniatureperfumeshoppe.com/Lauren-P2872267.aspx#.UJBjb4XlVUY so I'd say just buy one of those! Hope that helps...
Barbara
Commented Oct 30, 2012 on Lauren by Ralph Lauren (1978) at Yesterday's Perfume
Lauren by Ralph Lauren (1978)
It might seem like heresy to throw in a review of Ralph Lauren's big '80s style perfume Lauren among reviews of classics like Diorella and Vent Vert. But if this blog is about vintage perfume, as much as it pains me to date myself, Lauren is more than 30 years old, and in my eyes — it's vintag...
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