vintage perfume: 2 posts

As preparation for the Art of Perfume and Wine class that I’m teaching in April in France (more details here), I thought I would write about 7 vintage perfumes that have been influential for the evolution of perfumery and that we will smell in their original versions. There will be over 50 different perfumes in this course, but these 7 are among the most essential to learn.

Guerlain L’Heure Bleue 1912

Many perfumers will name Guerlain as the most influential perfume house, especially in its period when Jacques Guerlain was the head creator. L’Heure Bleue is a textbook example of a classic as well as of a symphonic perfume.

We will, of course, smell other Guerlain classics, from Après L’Ondée and Mitsouko to Chamade and Chant d’Arômes.

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Bois de Jasmin’s 2016 Doctors Without Borders fundraiser is special. Even before I had a chance to announce it, readers started contacting me with offers to contribute their perfumes to the prize pool. Within the course of a few days we’ve collected dozens of prizes, which means that 57 people (my own prize included) can win something special. Doesn’t this kind of generosity boost our faith in humanity? So I propose donating to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders, any amount you wish, and in return, you will be entered into a contest for a perfume class with me (regardless of where you’re located in the world) or a number of different vintage and other interesting perfumes courtesy of our big group of fragrance lovers. More details are below. There will be 57 winners.

Prize 1 Perfume Class with Victoria : I will send you a collection of 10 different vintage perfume samples (each sample is between 1/2 and 1 ml, in stoppered glass vials): Guerlain Jicky, Coty Chypre (yes, the iconic chypre!), Guerlain Shalimar, Guerlain Mitsouko, Chanel No 5, Chanel No 22, Caron Tabac Blond, Dior Miss Dior, Shiseido Feminite du Bois, Lancome Tresor (the original version, which smells vastly different from today’s, or depending on availability, another perfume of your choice). A set of paper blotters will be included. Once you receive the package, we will schedule a Skype call and I will give you my “immersion into perfume history” course. I will also give you tips on smelling and describing scents. (Of course, if you’re in the EU and we can easily arrange to meet in person, we can do it this way too.)

Please continue after the break to learn about the other prizes:

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