Make a Wish: Favorite Discontinued Fragrances

According to a Soviet belief, wishes come true three times a year: New Year's Eve, Lenin's birthday and one's own birthday. Lenin's birthday was on April 22nd (April 10th, old style), and New Year's Eve is a few months away, but I shall take today's opportunity to make a fragrance related wish. A fragrance I would have liked to see resurrected is Jacques Fath Iris Gris. Iris Gris, created in 1947 by Vincent Roubert, is described as woody floral, and it has been an object of desire ever since I learned of it. I also understand that its formula has been revived by Jean Kerléo for Osmothèque, therefore perhaps a trip there is in order.

Among other things I would have wished to see resurrected are the following: 1917 version of Coty Chypre, Guerlain Après l'Ondée extrait de parfum, and Shiseido Nombre Noir. Millot Crepe de Chine has already been done quite nicely by Long Lost Perfume. I would love to hear what discontinued fragrances you miss.

Crepe de Chine 1950 advertisement from toutenparfum.

Comments

[parislondres]

Darling V! Happy Birthday again!

I try not to miss perfumes because it makes me very nostalgic.
I perhaps need to accept that some perfumes were meant to be for a particular period.
That way I feel a bit better. :)

As you have asked what I miss - the main one is Apres L'Ondee extrait which I love.

The others I wish would return are Caron's Tabac Noir, Violet Precieuse, Aimez Moi parfum, SL's Nombre Noir to name a few.

Fath's Iris Gris sounds lovely - being a fellow iris lover.

Have a glorious day.

[Judith (lilybp)]

Wishing you the happiest of birthdays! Iris Gris sounds beautiful; I hope your wish comes true!

I will add one more vote to what I expect will be the deluge for Apres l'Ondee extrait. Violet Precieuse would be wonderful as well. And the Carons that seem to have disappeared in extrait form: Parfum Sacre (I vastly prefer the extrait to the EDT, which seems overly harsh to me) and Aimez Moi (I like the other forms, so my wishes are less fervent here, but still. . .). I've never had the opportunity to smell Nombre Noir, so that would be great, too. I seem to be duplicating others' lists. Maybe if we get enough wishes they will all come true (one can always hope).

[Judith]

ooops--"violette precieuse," that is.

[Marina]

I didn't know that Lenin's birthday had such magical powers...bummer, just think how many wishes could have come true if I knew :-)

I am joining you wishing for the resurrection of Nombre Noir and N. and J. re: Violette Precieuse.

[Robin]

Yes, another vote for Apres L'Ondee, which was discontinued before I even got to try it. I am very happy with the EdT though.

[Tania]

Happy birthday, dear V! So what happens if your birthday falls on New Year's Eve or Lenin's birthday, eh? Do you just have to live with the knowledge that everyone else gets more wishes than you?

I say you use your birthday to bring back the original formula Diors, while you're at it. As for me, I'd take Nombre Noir, but really what I'd like is for John Berryman's poem "Homage to Mistress Bradstreet" to be in print again, and for the original versions of Star Wars and E.T. to be restored, undoing their recent disfiguring computer-assisted cosmetic surgery.

[BoisdeJasmin]

"Perfume for specific time" is a very sensible outlook! Some fragrances are definitely products of their time, therefore perhaps it is not surprising they disappear.

From what I understand, Iris Gris is just too expensive to make nowadays. Oh well, I just want to smell it. That and Caron Tabac Noir! I completely forgot about it.

Thank you once again for the wishes! :)

[BoisdeJasmin]

Thank you very much, Judith!

I completely agree about Parfum Sacre extrait de parfum. It is smoother and softer than other forms. I also regret that No.22 and No. 19 in extrait de parfum are not as easily available. It is really a shame, because they are stunning.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Oh, yes! The discontinuation of Violette Precieuse is a very bad move by Caron. It is one of the few violets that is not sweet and powdery, but rather dark and caramelized.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Marina, do you remember being sworn into pioneers on Lenin's birthday? It is a pretty vivid memory for me!

[Test Subject]

Perhaps you could use your wish to whisk us back to Paris? Happy birthday, darling :-)

[BoisdeJasmin]

The EDT is nice, but after wearing extrait, I am not as happy with it. At least, the EDT is available.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Tania, thank you! I suppose that in that case you get double the power on the day, especially if your birthday coincides with Lenin's.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Ah, Paris trip is exactly what I would have liked! :)

[BoisdeJasmin]

Tania, about the original Dior formulas--I recently discovered vintage Diorissimo, and it made me realize what bothered me about the current one (besides the fact that it does not conjure the same associations from my childhood). The original is an idea of a lily of the valley blooming in the woods, and the current one is closer to what lily of the valley is like in reality. In a sense, it is more of a photographic approximation. Still, it is a beautiful fragrance, and in contrast to other Diors, it was not reformulated as extensively.

[Diane]

Once again, happy birthday, dearest! Your birthday has me yanked me back onto the internet. :)

The Fath iris sounds amazing. I would love a drop to try!

I recently tried vintage L'Interdit and I would love to bring this one back. A mere aldehydic fragrance it isn't. There is a hint of elegant, barely perceptible floral sweetness that I adore. It's really beautiful, one of my favorites truly.

I join the chorus that dreams a return of Apres L'Ondee extrait. Apres L'Ondee in the EDT form is one of my favorites, but the extrait is achingly beautiful.

Others I want are vintage Diorama and vintage Miss Dior, as well as all those discontinued Carons. *heavy sigh*

[BoisdeJasmin]

Dear Diane, thank you for your wishes! It is always a pleasure to hear from you. :) If you like the original L'Interdit, you should try Balenciaga Le Dix (reviewed it last week), which was also made by Fabron. It has a similar quality, and I think that you will really like it.

[mreenymo]

The happiest of birthdays to you, darling V, and the best to you the whole year through!

A good friend, fellow-MUA'er Halyna, would love to see the original Geoffrey Beene fragrance (in the long red bottle) re-issued. We have looked for it, but can't find it.

While I can definitely appreciate the high-end re-issues of these classics (especially Apres L'Ondee), I wish for something much more, shall we say, downmarket.

Remember Oh de London by Yardley? What a wicked, cool fragrance that was for us sixties/early seventies chicks! :):) Long Lost perfumes did a rendition of it that was very disappointing. I would like to see that back on drug store shelves. LOL!

Have a great and memorable day, my love.

Hugs and nothing but love to you!

[carmencanada]

Happy birthday, Victoria ! Speaking of Long Lost Perfumes (the brand), have you sampled any of their renditions? And as for wishes... after reading Luca Turin's "Parfums: le guide" ode to Coty's original Emeraude (he says it's part of a tryptich with Shalimar and Tabu) I would certainly love to get a whiff...

[BoisdeJasmin]

Dear R, thank you very much!

Ironically, when I was growing up, it was much easier to obtain the famous fragrances, but you are right, other classics are just as worthy of resurrection. Oh de London by Yardley is the one I have been curious about, but never came across. I will see if I can locate it someplace. I also liked several Yves Rocher fragrances, which I cannot find these days (mostly soliflores).

[BoisdeJasmin]

Thank you, D! I have not sampled any renditions, other than Crepe de Chine, however I keep hearing that most of their perfumes are quite true to the originals, with some exceptions. I am especially curious about the original L'Interdit and Cannes (Deneuve).

Emeraude is stunning! I have a vintage bottle, and I treasure every drop.

[Marina]

Vikochka, sure I remember being sworn into being an Oktiabrienok first, then a Pioneer...Luckily Perestroika came just when I'd have had to become a Komsomol member :-) Somehow, I don't miss any of these things :-)))

[BoisdeJasmin]

Oh, I agree. None of these things are among the memories I miss. Like you, I only managed to go through Pioneers. I did recite the oath and did wear the red scarf. Ah, yes, good old communist days!

[Campaspe]

Happy Birthday, darling! I wish for My Sin, Odalisque and the original Most Precious. But mostly I wish a wonderful birthday for you!

[BoisdeJasmin]

Thank you, dear F! Oh, please tell me about Most Precious. By the way, if you mean Parfums de Nicolai Odalisque, it is still sold, or at least, I still see it on the website and the beautyhabit site.

[Liz smellslikeleaves]

Happy birthday!!! *grin* After your description of Nombre Noir, I certainly want it to be resurrected! (I ADORE SL Rose de Nuit, by the way...I realized that I am a huge fan of dark, sexy rose fragrances.) Certainly I would love to try Apres L'Ondee parfum, since the EDT is so beautiful. I also wish that the classic Dior perfumes would be un-reformulated. Oh, and of course I would love to try many of the long-lost Guerlain and Caron perfumes. Sometimes I wish there were a perfume museum, where we can smell all of these old classics, as we can now view paintings or costumes of bygone eras.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Thank you, Liz! I am glad that Rose de Nuit turned out to be something you like. It is certainly not a straightforward rose. I would go as far as to call it an abstract rose, because amber changes its character dramatically.

Osmotheque is a great perfume conservatory, however I understand that their funding is quite limited. Moreover, the general public can smell only a small fraction of what they have recreated. I suppose that until perfume is viewed as art, perfume museums will not exist.

[Katie]

I too long to be able to even take a wee sniff at Iris Gris. Sigh. Well, on my list is another scent issued from Jacques Fath: the ORIGINAL Fath de Fath. I just think it would attract so many fans if it were available. And Weil's Secret of Venus Zibeline would be great, too. No, not great. Fantastic. But it's really animal noted, so perhaps this is one that will never find it's way into manufacture again. Jean Desprez's Escarmouche is one I wish I had more than just a couple wee (and I do mean wee) minis of. Such a sexy (but not raunchy) woody thing.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Katie, wasn't there another Jacques Fath fragrance, called Love? Your list is fantastic! I love JF fragrances I tried, and I only wish to try more of them.

Iris Gris... Well, maybe we should make a Versailles trip. :)

[Miriam]

Jean Patou Moment Supreme Parfum (only the edt is sold now, as part of "ma collection). For my mother as it is her favorite. Clean, subtle lavender cuts the ribbons of the air like a knife. It unfolds, blended with a soft geranium, to a blossom of bergamot, and warms to a glow with amber. It is delightfully spicy, herbal, and warm without being sweet. It also will forever remind me of my mother, even when she's thousands of miles away.

[Katie]

It's called Fath's Love - it was made after his death, when L'oreal (*I believe, but don't quote me on this point*) took over the house's fragrance line. It's pretty and sweet, but not interesting unless you're enought of a fan of Fath to want to try all the scents issued under his name.
There's another one from '77 (*again, I think, not recollecting right at the moment) called Expression, which I do quite like. It's a warm rosy musky chypre, and I quite like that one.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Miriam, every time you mention Moment Supreme, I regret disappearance of many classical Patou fragrance in extrait de parfum concentration. They are really done much nicer than the EDTs, even though I would still be happy with the EDT of Moment Supreme, for the lack of a better option. I was at the new boutique in Paris, however I do not recall them having any of the classical fragrances. In fact, I only recall seeing Joy, EnJoy, 1000, and Sublime.

Thank you for a stunning visual.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Katie, thank you. I like learning of new things, and with your help, I have made a number of discoveries today alone! I can understand a desire to try everything made by a house. At the core of it is the same reason why I read all of Remarque's novels, even though some of them seem to be exploring the same theme.

[Atreau]

Happy Birthday V! May you have a beautiful year! I wish they'd bring back the original L'interdit!

[BoisdeJasmin]

S, thank you! Oh, how I pine for the original L'Interdit. It was a beautiful fragrance.

[Tania]

Does Mreenymo know that LLP has reformulated their Oh! de London based on customer feedback? I was considering ordering a bit for myself, just to check it out. Would love to know from any Oh! wearers whether the new version is any closer to the original. :)

[julien]

Well,even though it is not an old perfume, i really loved BALENCIAGA pour homme...a very gourmand scent,with patchouli,honey and sweet spices...i dream of finding it again.
But i guess i will never have that privilege.
Well,about long lost perfume, do you confirm their recreation are good?
Kisses dear.
Thanks,as always.
J.

[BoisdeJasmin]

T, I did not know this. Thanks for this bit of information!

[BoisdeJasmin]

Julien, I love Balenciaga fragrances, and I would love to have Pour Homme back. It is definitely worth being resurrected.

I have only tried Crepe de Chine, which was very close to the original. I hear that their reproduction of Deneuve, called Cannes is very close as well. I have not tried others, therefore I cannot comment.

[julien]

Well, if it seems to be good,it might be quite interesting because they are not that expansive.
We should send one sample to LUCA TURIN, i am sure he could say whether they are good reproduction or not.
:)

[BoisdeJasmin]

You are right, the prices are more than reasonable. I wish they would offer samples.

[Leigh]

A little late to wish you a happy birthday, but wishes from my corner of the world anyway. :-)

I found 2 bottles (opened and used, but surprisingly smelling like how I remember) of F Millot Crepe de Chine in the old house (in the same basket as Dior-Dior and Prophecy by Prince Matchabelli and a Schiaparelli (S? was there ever such a thing?) and Or Noir and Yardley Red Roses). That was just today! My mom is a super pack rat. :-)

[BoisdeJasmin]

Thank you, dear Leigh!

How exciting! I am so happy to hear that you had such a great discovery rich day. Enjoy these gems! My mother is anti-pack rat, therefore I do not have hopes of great discoveries at her house. :)

[Trish]

I found a wonderful perfume recently that was part of a gift set. I've tried to search it on the internet without success. All I can read on the old lable is tosa 4711, which is not the same as the Echt Kolnisch Wasser 4711. Tosa is a light, romantic, slightly floral with a hint of musk. It's very intimate and unique that is missing in most of today's perfumes.

[BoisdeJasmin]

Trish, I have never tried it. It certainly sounds interesting. I might have to search for it too.

[MiriamSilvana]

Besides the other sublime wishes I never could get it why Dior-Dior was discontinued. Certainly subtile yet clearly ylang-magic I think. Some alternatives were found but not quite like it.

A totally different wish is the old Zen Shiseido used to have. Black matte bottle with bronze flowers printed. I liked all versions of this scent. With all these spiritual-mystical liquids finding there way around, I simply cannot understand why this original hasn't been re-instated yet!

[BoisdeJasmin]

Miriam, I also do not understand why Dior-Dior was discontinued. My guess is that the naming convention got tiresome for consumers--Miss Dior, Diorissimo, Dioressence, Diorling, Dior-Dior. Sometimes the purchasing decisions can be very influenced by such factors. Your description is very lovely!

[Joyce Godwin]

I am trying to see if a perfume
by the name of Moonlight Mist
by Gourielli is now being sold
under a different name. It was
sold in the early 50's. For
a short time it was made by
Helena Rubenstein. Gourielli
was the name of her second husband.

Joyce Godwin

[Janet McKee]

I would love to see Menley & James' Eau de Love brought back. Was the first "adult" fragrance I wore. (Circa 1972.)

[Wendy May]

Hi! I fell in love with the perfume BAT-SHEBA by Judith Muller in 1972 while I was still at school - nothing has ever matched it and I would LOVE to find some somewhere!

Have been looking for ages but to no avail!

Can anyone please help?

Wendy May Bushnell

[Rick Phillips]

Wendy May Bushnell, I happen to have an unopened bottle of Bat-Sheba on my desk. In fact the box is still sealed in plastic. It's only the 1 ounce size though. I was about to list it on eBay. If you are interested in it just email me at [email protected] and mention Bat-Sheba in the subject line. I'll wait a few days to here from you before I list it. I guess my doing research about it may prove helpful to us both!. Thanks- rick

[Linda Butler]

I've been searching for years for Bat Sheba - even trying to find new releases by Judith Miller, to no avail.
I>m desparate to find some. Can you help?
Thanks in advance.
Linda