Fragrance Review: L'Interdit by Givenchy (original)

L'Interdit was created for Audrey Hepburn in 1957 by Francis Fabron on a commission from her friend and a famous couturier, Hubert de Givenchy and subsequently discontinued in the 1990s (in the US only, by all accounts, as it was still available in Europe). The House of Givenchy decided to reintroduce the fragrance in 2002 while reformulating it in order to make it more appealing for the younger generation. While Jean Guichard and Olivier Gillotin are talented perfumers, the outcome is a pleasant fruity-floral, well crafted, but not particularly memorable.

As for the original L'Interdit, it was a fragrance of elegant beauty, with a playful side. The opening notes are of aldehydes paired with bergamot, which soften considerably as the fragrance is allowed to meld into the skin and reveal soft peach and strawberry--ripe fruit warmed by the sun--on the floral backdrop of rose, jasmine and iris. The floral notes are not distinct, instead presenting a beautiful swirl of abstract shapes, with the edges blurring into each other. Yet, above this refined melody, spicy carnation adds some pleasant honeyed warmth, thus enhances the floral voices. Matte glow of amber paired with the earthy opacity of vetiver forms an elegant base upon which the floral notes recline, veiled by a powdery mist.

Photo: Paramount Pictures publicity still, 1956. audreyhepburn.com.

Comments

[Campaspe]

Darling V., they should really bring back the original. What is particularly distressing is that judging by the reviews on MUA, Givenchy succeeded in convincing many people that their disgusting reformulation was the true, original L'Interdit, which Hepburn herself helped to formulate. Using her image in the ads was especially offensive. One MUA reviewer even maintains that this current piss is the original formula, which had only become available now! Such BS could only have come from an ignorant SA. (deep breath, counts to ten) Yes indeed, this truly bakes my biscuits.

[Robin]

V, I have never smelled either version. How I wish I had started sniffing long before I did -- so many wonderful scents are already lost to me forever. *waaah*

[Tania]

I have an eBay watch on "vintage l'interdit" in the hopes of smelling it myself one of these days. Haven't smelled the reformulation because it didn't sound like my kind of thing at all.

[Tara]

There is a perfumery in La Jolla CA where I bought Vintage L'Interdit, they may have some left. Call 858-454-2292.

www.beautyandscents.com

Tara

[Atreau]

My sister is an Audrey Hepburn fanatic and purchased two bottles of the original L'interdit when Sephora opened up out here at the time it was very hard to find. I adored the original and agree that the reformulation does not compare. My sister however likes the new version even better - she's a strange one!

[Victoria]

Dear F,
Oh, please do not start me on this issue! I think that using Audrey's image with the reformulated is downright dishonest and unethical. The original is beautiful in all respects.

Dear R,
I often feel this way!

Dear T,
Grab it! The original can be still located at some online stores. Just look out for old packaging (gold and red, tall rectangular bottle).

Dear Tara,
Thank you for this wonderful information! I will be sure to call, since I am running out.

Dear S,
I can see why some might like it, but I am just not a fan of fruity-florals. There are too many of them out there.

[Kebabette]

I wore the original L'interdit for many years, then it got hard to track down (I am in NZ). I was so happy when I found it again, but it smelt totally different. The lady in the shop thought I was mad.

I loved the old fashioned slightly powdery of the original.

Good luck to you all in tracking down the elusive and lustrous original ...

[Kirsten]

Iam confused. I became a huge fan after recieving a sample from a friend. It is very floral and tame smelling. I ran out and purchased L'Interdit online and it smells completly different. Bold/Strong. Small .2 oz bottle rectangular in shape. Which is the original?

[BoisdeJasmin]

Kirsten, sounds like the bottle you purchased online is the original. It comes in bottles like this:
http://www.perfumemart.com/L_Women_11523-33.html

The modern version comes in bottles like this:
http://www.fragrancenet.com/f/net/wf_items.html?cat=01517&cur_letter=L&gs_gen=w&mv_pc=zGoogleTOOL041204

[Dorothy Hirsch]

Have been using the original version since the 70's and when they discontined making it I couldn't believe it. The new version does not compare. They should have reintroduced it and kept it the same. There is only one Audrey and one L'Interdit, the original.

[Dorothy Hirsch]

Is there no way of getting my hands on the original version of L'Interdit ?

[BoisdeJasmin]

Dorothy, it is not sold anywhere, but you should try antique stores or flea markets. I am not sure where else to find it.

[Stephanie]

Hi!

If you're patient enough, you might find both versions in your local malls if you only dared to look. There's tons of perfume stores that sells a variety of perfumes, some even stating that they carry rare/vintage/hard-to-find perfumes. I found both versions in L.A. (though I found them in separate locations). The owner of the store where I bought the original said that he bought it in France, the only place left that still carries it in huge amounts. If you have the time and the money, a trip to France might be the best option. At least that's much safer than buying at the flea markets.

[Stephanie]

I almost forgot, I wanted to clear up something.

I noticed that you posted the url to what the original version looks like (that's the perfumemart right?). That's the same thing that I got but I did a little research and I found out that asides from the new version, there was another version created named "L'interdit 2" about the same time the original was released. Here's what it looks like: http://cgi.ebay.com/LINTERDIT-2-GIVENCHY-by-Givenchy-EDT-Women-Spray-1oz_W0QQitemZ5642320494QQcategoryZ67536QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I'm confused as I thought that there was only one version, the original version, and then it was re-introduced in 2003 as the new version. What's the difference?

Has anyone bought things successfully from ebay? I'm just asking since almost everyone that I've inquired about regarding the "L'interdit" perfume suggested that I should look for it on ebay. That may be another option for you all if you want to get your hands on this perfume.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Stephanie, L'Interdit 2 is another fragrance altogether. You can definitely try Ebay. It is always a good place for finding discontinued fragrances.

[Stephanie]

What's the difference between L'interdit (original) and L'interdit 2? How about with the newer version?

Why isn't anyone familiar with it?

[BoisdeJasmin]

I describe the difference between the original L'Interdit (1957) and the new version (reintroduced in 2002, not 2003) in the review above. L'Interdit 2 (1993) is more floral, with rose and strawberry notes more obvious.

[Stephanie]

Just to clear things up, what I inquired about in my previous post is the difference between "L'interdit" (Original) and "L'interdit 2", and "L'interdit 2" with the new "L'interdit"

Based on your reply, there doesn't seem to be much of a difference. It didn't seem to stray away from the original's top and middle notes (strawberry and rose among other things).

Is that all there is to "L'interdit 2"? Would you happen to know the exact notes of "L'interdit 2"?

Do you know why Givenchy released "L'interdit 2"?

Obviously the released date that I had typed in my previous post for the new "L'interdit" was nothing more than a typographical error.

I'm not interested in purchasing "L'interdit 2" as I already have both the original and the new version and I'm quite happy with that. I'm just curious about its origin since I hardly hear this version being talked about.

[Stephanie]

Is there anyone else who can tell me about L'interdit II?

[Olga]

The new L'interdit is a total and different fragance, I don't know why they called it L'interdit. The owner of the Perfume Shop where I used to get "the original" told me that it was discontinued, and it's impossible to get it. Two years ago, I was in Paris, and looked in every Perfume Store I could find, and I was told the same. It was discontinued. I keep trying, but no luck. I will pay anything to get a bottle of the "original"

[Sylvia Wildman]

Hi
I love the original too, I have 1 bottle left, and I bought it in Washington DC 1 year ago from a shop called the Gallerie in a shopping centre in the town.
They arn't on the web tho, pity.

E- bay have 1 at $97 Gold top at the moment. Must be a company because it is a'Buy Now'.

[Solarstar]

i've been wearing the original l'interdit since i was 16 years old. suffice it to say that my daughter is now 24 years old-- and living in london. i am so distressed with the UNDOING of l'interdit! two years ago my daughter & i did a brief search for vintage l'interdit in paris with discouraging results. i've just made a few calls in beverly hills with lousy results-- altho my last bottle came in 2004 from la peer beauty supply in beverly hills-- dusty, tiny, and packaged in an old, open La De Givenchy box. my question is, can anyone tell me where to search in los angeles, london or paris for the one and only (original/vintage) l'interdit? i'm down to my last 5 drops.

[Solarstar]

i've been wearing the original l'interdit since i was 16 years old. suffice it to say that my daughter is now 24 years old-- and living in london. i am so distressed with the UNDOING of l'interdit! two years ago my daughter & i did a brief search for vintage l'interdit in paris with discouraging results. i've just made a few calls in beverly hills with lousy results-- altho my last bottle came in 2004 from la peer beauty supply in beverly hills-- dusty, tiny, and packaged in an old, open La De Givenchy box. my question is, can anyone tell me where to search in los angeles, london or paris for the one and only (original/vintage) l'interdit? i'm down to my last 5 drops.

[Solar Star]

i've been wearing the original l'interdit since i was 16 years old. suffice it to say that my daughter is now 24 years old-- and living in london. i am so distressed with the UNDOING of l'interdit! two years ago my daughter & i did a brief search for vintage l'interdit in paris with discouraging results. i've just made a few calls in beverly hills with lousy results-- altho my last bottle came in 2004 from la peer beauty supply in beverly hills-- dusty, tiny, and packaged in an old, open La De Givenchy box. my question is, can anyone tell me where to search in los angeles, london or paris for the one and only (original/vintage) l'interdit? i'm down to my last 5 drops.

[Linda]

I just found the Original L'Interdit on EBay and won a lot of it through auctions. So I am well stocked now. Great Stuff! I mistakenly ordered one L'Interdit 2 and pheww! I hate it. Nothing at all like the original or even the 2002 remake.

[Lenny]

About Hubert D' Givenchy's Parfume, " L'interdit - 2 ". Simply beautiful ! Classy, and ladylike. It to me is the sexiest fragrance to me. It is sublimely different than the classique L'interdit. And the 2003 version was well, not as becoming. So all you ladies who love strawberries, sunflower, musk, sandlewood, and rose, try L'interdit - 2. It's simply, divine................

[Talitha M. Freitas]

L'Interdit isn't availble in Brazil anymore... and it's the only parfum I wear... I'd like to protest about it...

[jayne]

i've worn le de since i was 16. was down to my last few (turned) drops
from 7 years ago when i bought a bottle of the new le de. what a fool. i thought the formula would be the same as the one i wore for 35 years. i thought my sense of smell had changed with age.
today, i emailed givenchy, paris, to ask if they'd changed le de.
after reading several blogs tonight, i know the truth. now, i'll never smell like "me" again. and -- i'm out $85. wow, do i miss le de!

[Andrea Ortiz]

Original perfumes Le De and L'interdit new and sealed boxes are for sale at auction at ebay from seller Sell2002sell.

[Elena]

Thank God - I thought I was going mad!! I had been wearing L'interdit since 1988 - and I loved the scent.. I loved the way it smelled on me, and how it lasted. However when we had my son in 2000, my last bottle lasted me until his first birthday. Since then, my husband didn't buy me the perfume until this Christmas passed. He sprayed it on my daughter and sent her up to me to surprise me. I smelt her perfume, but did not recognise it. When he showed me the changed bottle I told him 'that's NOT L'interdit'. Now that I know that it has been reformulated, I feel better, knowing that my nose was not playing tricks, and I feel bad, thinking that maybe I will never smell my favourite scent again.. I will be checking my local department stores, and chemists, and ebay for the original - I am in Melbourne, Australia. And thanks to those who pointed out that L'interdit II was a different scent altogether, because I became confused by the packaging thinking it was the original.

[bea]

I seem to be in the same boat as everyone else. i discovered l'interdit in beverly hills years ago. Because it was the most amazing
fragrance it became my signature perfume and i wore only l'interdit. A few years ago while attempting to locate it i was told that it was dated and unpopular. I replied that it was created for Audrey Hepburn and therefore could never be out of style. Anything created for her was timeless.

I went online to several department stores in Paris to no avail. Even drove to Palm Springs to the now closed Givenchy Spa. No luck.
Considering the number of comments on line and in
perfume departments at major stores; it would appear that many of us
want the original fragrance back. Perhaps we should inundate the givenchy web site with our requests.

[Cheryl Davidson]

I'd like to purchase the original L' Interdit.

[Tracy Bloom, LMT]

Now I remember! L'interdit! It was one of my favorite scents 25 years ago! It doesn't sound like it has aged well - too bad!

[Patricia]

I chose l'interdit to wear for my wedding day. I never knew that Audrey Hepburn was the inspiration, how interesting as my parents always told me to wear my hair up, and very in order to try to get me to do so told me I looked like Audrey Hepburn / Grace Kelly. They have very different looks so I realise it was flattery aimed at getting their way! The perfume was beautiful and slightly mysterious as I recall. I cant get any of my favourite classical fragrances now. The ones you find today disappear within a couple of hours and they all smell like iced water, cold, clinical and just so similar to what the world has become, commercial with little soul or constructive passion. Just a passion for vulgar wealth and possessions.

I believe that the synthetic ingredients have ruined the perfume industry in terms of sensuality especially. Everything smells almost the same and the horrid cheap smell, yes smeill, that caught in ones throat and nostrils when you stood at a bus stop and had a person wearing cheap perfume in line with you reminds me of the, attempt, to have very feminine, sexy, sensual perfumes. I dont believe in cruelty but I do know that ambergris and musk were / are unmatched by any artificial substances today. Attar of roses, jasmine, tuberose, sandalwood, patchouli etc where are the real fragrances. Cant we build multi story blocks which dont take up space and grow these plants and harvest their flowers ? Science has progressed so much, but so often, not in the right or most constructive way, usually destructive. I am waiting, for the fish gene used to stop tomatoes etc going soft, to make the produce so hard we wont be able to eat it in a few years. Those scientists have absolutely no idea of what they are doing when they tamper with nature - for the long term it is disastrous. We will not be able to eat anything soon.

My first ever fragrance, age 15 was Manhattan (does anyone know who produced Manhattan?) later on I graduated to Jolie Madam by Balmain.

[Amber]

lovely idea, awesome fragrance! my fave!