In here we have three wildly different classics (from 1948, 1969 and 1986) that every fragonerd (and budding fragrance enthusiast) should need to sniff at least once. On to the underrated classic fragrances you need to try!
Let’s go about it chronologically.
Fracas (Robert Piguet, perfumer: Germaine Cellier), 1948
Official notes:
- Bergamotte, mandarine orange, neroli
- Jasmine, tuberose, gardenia
- Musk, sandalwood
THE tuberose soliflore. This is the sentence I always begin with when I mention Fracas, but it honestly is. You might think soliflores boring, and tuberose an old lady scent: and ooooh boy, would you be wrong. This was the scent of Brigitte Bardot and Madonna, it screams femininity, and also hot flesh, sex and hothouses.
This blasts fleshy, carnal tuberose when you first spray it, and only tempers it slightly down over time, when it becomes a buttery, warm, nearly bready base note.
Projection and longevity are through the roof, and this is not an office nor an airplane fragrance.
This is an incredibly sexy, feminine scent that’s totally timeless.
50ml of the Eau de Parfum are 105€ at Fracas’ website. (As always with perfumes, look for deals!)
Chamade (Guerlain, perfumer Jean-Paul Guerlain), 1969
Official notes:
- Top notes: Hyacinth, Aldehydes, Rose, Bergamot
- Middle notes: Galbanum, Rose, Lilac, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Blackcurrant
- Base notes: Jasmine, Benzoin, Amber, Vetiver, Vanilla and Sandalwood.
A fragrance that I can wear only in early Spring. And that is because Chamade (there’re novel-length treatises deliberating on the name, the history of the name and the inspiration of the fragrance: long story short, it’s the name of a drumroll announcing defeat in a battle and the perfumer’s attempt to fix a broken heart) has a narcissus heart note that’s the defining aspect of the fragrance for me. Have you ever smelled narcissus? It has an earthy, spicy pollen scent that screams Spring for me. I can also smell hyacinth, lilac, and some lily of the valley after a big blast of aldehydes upon spraying this, and the base is the wonderful Guerlinade (amber, jasmine, vetiver, sandalwood) that makes it a classic Guerlain fragrance.
A very complex, grown-up fragrance. (I bought my bottle around 2010. Guerlain reformulates all their fragrances every ten minutes, so hopefully its iteration nowadays is still good.)
75ml Eau de Toilette (apparently that’s the only version nowadays) are 112€ at Guerlain’s website.
Calyx (Prescriptives, now Clinique, perfumer: Sophia Grojsman), 1986
Official notes:
- Top notes: Green Leaves, Guava, Passionfruit, Papaya, Grapefruit, Mango, Mandarin Orange
- Middle notes: Lily of the Valley, Lily, Marigold, Freesia, Neroli, Jasmine, Rose
- Base notes: Oakmoss, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Orris Root
When I was working at Estee Lauder, I found a bottle languishing in the back of a closet somewhere. Their brand Prescriptives had already gone under, and parts of it were absorbed into other brands: Calyx ended up under the Clinique umbrella in 2013. (This is why I assume I own an old version of the scent – my bottle still says Prescriptives.)
This is a tropical scent that manages to break with all cliches of the genre: there isn’t any coconut, nor has it a solar note. No, this, for me, is mainly guava and green leaves, with a middle note of a cheerful fruit salad, heavy on the citrus fruits. The base notes are a buttery orris (which always reads creamy to me) and vetiver, but honestly, it’s not very prominent. This belongs into an upscale Miami hotel: it’s all about tropical wallpaper and exotic fruits for breakfast, while wearing a crisp white linen dress.
50ml (called “Fragrance Exaltante”) are 66€ at Clinique’s website.
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