Jane Cate, the nose behind A Wing And A Prayer Perfumes, is responsible to one of my most favorites Mystery Of Musk perfumes, Tallulah B2. It's no wonder her newest creation for the Outlaw Perfume Project, Notoriety, is a standout. A stunning full bodied floral chypre, perhaps the most amazing thing about Notoriety is not how good it is, but the fact that every last essential oil and absolute used in its creation is now on IFRA's restricted and prohibited list. This beauty, along with so many others, is what we're about to lose if nothing is done to stop the madness. What are these dangerous and notorious natural raw materials? Bergamot, rosewood, rose, wild rose, lavender, violet leaf, carnation, geranium, oakmoss and amber. Seriously.
Jane's muses for the perfume were three free-spirit women from days gone by who achieved notoriety. Etta Place, Isadora Duncan and Lillie Langtry. It is the latter who captures my imagination and connects me to this perfume. There's something about the distinct Victorian scandalous story and the royal romance. And Lillie Langtry's friendship with Oscar Wilde. Who wouldn't want him as a BFF and mentor?
Rose, violet, carnation and lavender could often be found at 19th century perfumed products. They can all be distinctly smelled in Notoriety, feeling feminine and a touch powdery. But the main story here is the rose on its many complex facets. It is very far from the various modern and synthetic interpretations of rose perfumes (sharing this quality with another Outlaw Perfume, Rose Of Cimarron) and far more interesting. At first I thought about Notoriety as a warm and cozy rose, but venturing outside on a cold(ish) day had awakened the oakmoss and the unique smoky amber (I'm assuming ambrette seed) and exposed the full range of the perfume. It is, indeed, a chypre, tinged with something green (probably from the lavender), velvety and deep.
Now for the giveaway- a 1.7oz bottle of Notoriety EDP by A Wing And A Prayer Perfumes (wingandprayerperfume.com). One lucky winner will be chosen among those who comment on this post to answer this question:
What perfume ruined or discontinued due to IFRA regulation do you miss the most?
Photo of Lillie Langtry on stage as Cleopatra, 1891, from vintageephemera.blogspot.com
Thank you for such a lovely review, on my Notoriety perfume, is very much appreciated. Jane
ReplyDeleteYour question in yesterday's post: which perfume did IFRA ruin that I loved the most is an easy one for me-the original Femme by Rochas! That perfume was a classic chypre & my 1st perfume love. Thanks to IFRA, no more oakmoss, rose (!), amber, lemon, rosewood, etc.
ReplyDeleteSimone already said Femme so I'll add Arpege--the new formulation is heartbreaking compared to the brilliant original.
ReplyDelete==
It hasn't been discontinued, but Mitsouko will never be quite the same...requiescat in pace.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to say Habanita...I smelled some vintage Habanita and it was so much better than the current.
ReplyDeleteThe current formulation of Shalimar smelled good to me until I got ahold of the vintage extrait. Worn side by side, the new version smells sharp and synthetic.
ReplyDeleteIt took weeks before I could appreciate the castrated parfum again. Now I keep the vintage stuff in the back of the cabinet, for rare indulgence.
Although it has already been said< Femme by Rochas. I'm crying over here.
ReplyDeleteAt the moment, I'd say Chanel 19. I tried a vintage sample and instantly fell in love while what I smelled in my local perfume store has almost no correlation to it.
ReplyDeleteI would probably think the same of Shalimar if I had the chance to try the pre-formulation one.
I have a nice vintage bottle of Shalimar that should last quite a while, so I'll go with Mitsouko. I have a perplexing fear in the back of my mind that when I go to replace my current years-old bottle, it will have been reformulated beyond recognition.
ReplyDeleteGaia, I'm so new to fragrance that the whole IFRA thing has me depressed. To hear about these amazing deceased or mutated scents that I will never own in full bottles. Sigh... How to pick which one saddens me most?
ReplyDeleteAhh, the perfume I mourn most has already been mentioned: Mitsouko...
ReplyDeleteThe pre-IFRA version is nothing short of an olfactory masterpiece. On Saturday, I spritzed some EDT on from a tester while out shopping, and it smelled of... nothing. It was so banal, I wanted to cry.
I had to go home, and put on some Rose Chyprée in order to reassure myself that there are still some fragrances that smell like something distinctive; that there is still something left to enjoy (thank you Andy!).
J'ai Ose by Guy Laroche.
ReplyDeleteIt is not even made under the original house name anymore. And there is a "J'ai Ose Baby" edition. Sad.
I think for me, the Big 80s fragrances are just not the same, Opium, Coco, specifically. They now seem loud, harse and sharp, where before they might have been big, but they were wonderfully blended and smooth and full.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say Shalimar. She is just a shadow of her old self....
ReplyDeleteAgree with previous posters about Shalimar and No 19, having tried vintage versions of both. Would also add No 5 parfum strength - not sure if it has to do with the regulations but I can smell a difference in the new bottle I bought as compared to an old bottle I have. A sales clerk tried to tell me it was the alcohol in the forumla that is different in the States versus Europe (the old bottle was from Europe) but I find that hard to believe!
ReplyDeleteArpege over here too :( Also, I bought some 24, Faubourg which has oakmoss in it. I hope this fragrance will be left alone, but I suspect it will be tweaked beyond belief.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Carole
Mitsouko and Coco are the ones I miss the most. Coco because it was a signature scent for me for a long time - I wore it on my wedding. Mitsouko because, ironically, I never got to experience it in its glory, until I received a vintage sample. Now I know what I'm missing, and oh, the pain!
ReplyDeleteKaren M.
The loss of Attrape-coeur. It is one of my all-time favorites and I am sure that I will shed tears when my bottle is empty.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this had anything to do with IFRA but my biggest disappoint is what they did to Magie Noir. I had a sniff of the new stuff recently and was appalled.
ReplyDeleteShalimar, without a doubt. The current version is not bad, but the vintage extrait will keep me stalking Ebay for the rest of my life.
ReplyDeleteCaron Nuit de Noel parfum. I am almost sorry I ever tried the vintage parfum. The new version is nice but not transformational.
ReplyDeleteThank you for another wonderful fragrance review. I'm enjoying researching each perfume you review and am compiling a long list of samples to try. Including some outlaw fragrances. I agree with all the commentors....Chanel 19, Cristalle, Shalimar...all the greats just aren't so great anymore. It's sad...but I'm happy for sources to still find the good old stuff.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited about these outlaws, especially the chypres. Real oakmoss! Good gravy!
ReplyDeleteI haven't smelled Chanel Cuir de Russie since it was re-formed - I'm afraid. Eking out my pre-IFRA bottle and dreading the heartbreak bound to come.
I will add my disappointment with the changes to Magie Noire. I was too young to fully appreciate it in the 80's and now that I'm craving some, it is dramatically changed. What a shame...
ReplyDelete"Every last essential oil and absolute used in its creation is now on IFRA's restricted and prohibited list"? Woo-hoo! Bring it on!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to say Mitsouko too, even though I've never smelled the "original". Although I like and wear the current version, there is so much weeping and gnashing of teeth among those in the know over the change to original formula.
I find it especially upsetting because I haven't smelled most of the perfumes that haven't been castrated by the IFRA. I only just got into perfume a year ago, and I don't know anyone older than me who might have a few bottles of the good juice stashed away somewhere for me to compare. It makes me sad -- I doubt I've ever even smelled real oakmoss.
ReplyDeleteI am immensely frustrated that there are many classics I can no longer get a chance to smell. Mitsouko is probably the one that annoys me the most, since I can't afford to buy a good bottle of the vintage stuff. I've never really smelled it.
ReplyDeleteOf those I have smelled, I lament the loss of Opium a lot, and the original Fahrenheit too. I hope the Outlaws turn out to be as good as they sound! And that some of them will work well on men.
I definitely miss vintage Shalimar. I've never been able to own a full bottle, but everytime I visit my grandmother, I beg her to let me douse myself with her own private bottle.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this was ruined by IFRA standards or just by a slashed budget, but I LOVE and cherish my last little bottle of Magie Noire. I am so excited that it's fall and I can wear little dabs of it again. Luckily, a little goes a long way for me, so I won't use it up.
ReplyDeleteAlso, all those lovely Dior chypres that are anemic ghosts of themselves now. Such a loss.
I LOVE Wing and a Prayer! I have their Tallulah B2, their Dorobella and their Carmel, which is so gorgeous. I'd love to try this one!
I have to say Nina Ricci L'Air du Temps and Dior Diorella, which used to be gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it's only IFRA's fault, but it's a shame. Especially L'Air du Temps has undergone a huge reformulation.
I'm in the same boat as *jen, I'm new to perfume so pre-IFRA fragrances are apocrypha to me. But I love reading your reviews of the old formulations, and have an imaginary shopping list made up of starred RSS posts about perfumes that no longer truly exist. One of the ones that springs immediately to mind is Guerlain: Derby, because I keep thinking it would be absolutely perfect for the mild and sunny fall we've been having in Chicago.
ReplyDeleteSo many of my old favorites, now ruined: Ma Griffe, Rive Gauche, Opium among them.
ReplyDeleteSo many perfumes were ruined before the IFRA oakmoss rule set in. Hearing of its promulgation, I bought a bunch of oakmoss-dependent perfumes before the axe could fall: Silences, Trussardi, Fracas (yes, Fracas is full of oakmoss). I fear for them, also Bandit, Cristalle.
ReplyDeleteI love the Annick Goutal line, and Eau d'Hadrien just doesn't smell the same to me now.
ReplyDeleteIt's been said and said and said, but I'll go ahead and add my voice to the cacophany: Shalimar! I gave my rosebud bottle to my mother as a Christmas gift last year and I've missed it ever since---the stuff I can get at the department store is absolutely no replacement.
ReplyDeleteLa Nuit- formally jasmine heaven and Magie Noire- formally gothic masterpiece both ruined.
ReplyDeleteOh this scent sounds divine! I have yet to try anything by A Wing and a Prayer yet know that I must....
ReplyDeleteThe most missed fragrance, by me,is Diorissimo....the vintage is to die for....oh! And of course dear Chanel No 5.
lovethescents
Oooh this perfume sounds divine! Yay for outlaw perfumes!! Thanks for posting this information!!!
ReplyDeleteAs for my perfume ruined by the irfa....as previous posters mentioned, Shalimar!!! I finally was able to get a small sample decant of the original formulation and it totally blows the current formulation out of the water :(
I agree with Tara's comment. Opium smells very little like it used to. I used to LOVE Opium! My mother wore it when I was younger and I have fond memories of walking through her bedroom after she spritzed. Smelling Opium meant my mother had a big date. The new versions are sharper, thinner. The big richness is missing. I used to love how Opium started off with a bright lemongrass freshness before settling into it's Oriental base. I don't get that fresh top note anymore at all. The reform seems harsh and somehow older, as if one must be over a certain age to wear it now.
ReplyDeleteEdited to add: Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Felur. The ingredients include both tree moss and oak moss, so this must be a deadly fragrance. Gaia, can I ask if you like this fragrance? I know you wrote of your love for Black Orchid, and I wonder if the two are similar, and what you think of V de F.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Carole
Great review, great photo.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Simone -- they killed Femme.
I'm very sad about the real Magie Noire. It was one of my first perfume loves, and then I went on to other things for years. I came around again and bought a bottle - and it was like huffing a whole bottle of the smell that might be left on a scarf I wore when the perfume was its full glorious self and then tossed in a drawer to languish for a few years. So so so sad.
ReplyDeleteAm I still allowed to enter if I don't know the answer to your question? I haven't tried the vintage version of many things, so I have nothing to compare to...Mitsouko parfum is one I have tried the vintage of, but not the modern version. I adore AWAAP perfumes, and I bought a bottle of Tallulah B2 pretty much immediately upon trying it. So I am interested to try Notoriety, as well.
ReplyDeleteBoth Bandit and Fracas are not the same thanks to the IFRA's restrictions... it's heartbreaking, as they were (and still are, despite the reformulation) the two perfumes I wear the most.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it's not my favourite perfume altered because of the IFRA, I think the ruin of Eau d'Hadrian makes me the saddest. It was my first step outside of the bland fruity-florals at the other department store counters and opened my eyes to the wider world of perfumery.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had met the original Mitsouko. *sigh*
ReplyDeleteDiorissimo... and guarding my vintage with my life!
ReplyDeleteShalimar, hands down. And I've never heard the term "castrated" when it comes to perfume, but that pretty much sums this one up!
ReplyDeleteShalimar. I am so picky about perfume and I don't think my skin chemistry likes the reformulations.
ReplyDeleteAttrape Coeur - because I never got a chance to get a bottle, even now, I still can't afford one, and by the time I can, it won't be hard to find, it will be completely impossible.
ReplyDeleteAny and all classics that carried that weighty title-of-a-crown because they were full-on heart and soul!!!
ReplyDeleteMost markedly ruined I would say Mitsouko or Femme. But really there are hundreds that will never be the same. That's the saddest part, the death of a whole legion of beautiful fragrances, the evolution of fragrances into tenacious musks with no nuance, no heart.
ReplyDelete*sigh* I miss the original Caron's, the ones with oakmoss and other skanky stuff
ReplyDeleteDiorissimo - Not only can I not find it anywhere, but it is a shadow of its former self. It was my go big or go home floral, yet it was also demure. I really miss it.
ReplyDeleteFracas has become "Yukkus" since the regulatory controls for sure.
ReplyDeleteI still have my Allure S. but will be sad to see it changed too or so I read.
Please enter me in the draw, thank you.
Oh, and I agree with many other comments :-)
Love all your vintage perfume reviews and this one in particular! The photos are wonderful and add so much. I have to say Arpege, and yes, I am old enough to remember the way it used to be!
ReplyDeleteI think I miss Caron Alpona the most. There is a sad lack of complicated chypres in this world. I would love to try anything with real oakmoss.
ReplyDeleteCristalle. Gee, how how miss that loveliness..
ReplyDeleteMa Griffe by Carven
ReplyDeleteHas to be Shalimar. My mom scrimped and saved for a bottle of pure perfume from France. I can remember the smell and the feeling when she let me wear it for prom. It was the smell of a woman to me. I felt all grown up. It just doesn't pack the same punch now. Sad, very sad.
ReplyDeleteMiss the original Shalimar-such a lovely scent.
ReplyDeleteElaine R
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