Lancome Climat : Perfume Review

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Climat

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Poignantly elegant and refined, Lancome Climat is a beautiful arrangement in which green notes are set against the lustrous glow of aldehydes and then blended into the waterfall of flowers. It touches with its ability to remain like a piece of gossamer fabric floating in the wind, while possessing a decadently sensual richness afforded by the animalic notes on which Climat rests its diaphanous form.

 

Created by Gerard Goupy in 1967, Climat fits into the perfume landscape of the 1960s with its enchantment with clarity touched by verdancy and chilly elegance, much like Guerlain Chant d’Arômes (1962), Yves Saint Laurent Y (1964), Dior Eau Sauvage (1966), Guerlain Chamade (1969), however the aldehydic floral mistiness of Climat takes its inspiration from the legendary Worth Je Reviens (1932), a composition that smells of flowers and bare skin. While Je Reviens has a smoky touch hovering above its floral softness, Climat remains smooth and radiant, like a pale green jade polished to perfection.

Its opening notes are the green whispers which are heard against the backdrop of aldehydes, delicate and fruity. Their gentle shimmer is a perfect pairing for the crispness of verdant touches, an impressionist vision of an early spring garden. As the sparkle of aldehydes subsides, a white floral accord courses through the green notes that resemble crushed leaves and stems. Creamy like gardenia petals and dewy like water droplets on the first lilies of the valley, the floral facet of Climat lends a luxurious sensuousness to the composition. Modulated by coolness of vetiver and animalic notes of ambergris and civet, the green floral arrangement attains depth and complexity. The expectations of naïve innocence vanish, and Climat emerges as a feminine fragrance marked by a stunning marriage of elegance and sensuality.

Reintroduced for the 70th anniversary of Parfums Lancôme, Climat was released as a part of La Collection of Eau de Parfums, which also includes Sikkim (a floral oriental composition of galbanum, ylang ylang and oakmoss) and Magie (jasmine and violet inlaid in amber). The coffret of four fragrances is also available, adding Sagamore to the set. The vintage fragrance was available in the Eau de Toilette and Parfum, with the latter being softer and more delicate. While the composition of the reissue is not very different from the vintage versions I have, it strikes me as thinner and lacking depth. The cashmere soft base is made paler, less heavy on the animalic notes, however the overall character of the fragrance is intact. Indeed, it is great to see Climat being reissued, along with other Lancôme classics, a vestige of the elegant, glittering world as some parts of the past tend to seem clouded by a romantic vision.

Notes include bergamot, violet, and peach, lily of the valley, jasmine, rose, iris, narcissus, sandalwood, vetiver, amber, musk, civet, and tonka bean. Presented in the glass bottle design from the 1960s, La Collection is available from Lancôme website, Nordstrom and Saks5thAvenue. The older version of Climat is also at various online retailers, as this simple google search demonstrates.

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44 Comments

  • kaie: Beautiful review! I went to the Institute Lancôme to try Magie and Climat before Christmas and I found them with difficulty. Lancôme hid them in the corner, why not clear. I smelt only Magie but I should return to smell Climat. January 4, 2006 at 5:22am Reply

  • annieytown: Beautiful review V.
    I wanted Climat to work for me but it does nothing on my skin. However it smells amazing on Patti and Leah(Griff).

    Kaie: Did you happen to see 2000 et une Rose when you were at the institute? Robin said they are still producing and selling it only at the institute. I am curious if they have testers and what the new bottle looks like. January 4, 2006 at 6:05am Reply

  • annE: This was my favorite of the re-releases when I sampled them at Neiman’s last fall. Green florals definitely suit me; perhaps it’s just that I’m a 60’s girl at heart, too – I love all the fragrances that you mentioned here, V! I was happy to find that that the vintage version still seems to be available, and it’s now on my wish-list. Green jade is a perfect description: as you did, I found this to be a very smooth and polished green. January 4, 2006 at 8:57am Reply

  • Christina H.: Annietown,the bottles are still sold at the boutique in Paris.I’m having Noelle pick me up a few when she goes to Paris later in Jan.I’m curious about the shape of the bottle too but I called the boutique up and it is not like the original teardrop shape.The new bottle is a 2.6 oz bottle for 150.00 euros.I wished they shipped to the US but to no avail.I am more than happy that Noelle is so extremely kind to help us non-travellers out!I honestly wished they would make this as part of their collection series that already has Sikkem,Magie and of course,Climat. January 4, 2006 at 9:09am Reply

  • Madelyn E: Bomjour Vicroria and Dear readers,
    What a lovely treat to read your eloquent review of ,yet another special fragrance :Climat. While V, noone can match your descriptive writing style (It’s indded as if I can actually Smell the givn scent).Climat , to me is a green, warm, feminine yet sensual accoutrement to uplift any “social ” occasion. I had the priviledge or wearing it on a regular basis , day and night a few years ago. I was drawn to its’ vintage quality as is was beautifully displayed at the Saks 5th Avenue Holiday scene. I paid $100. for a gorgeous kit of the 3.4 ounce eau de parfum and a large size matching body cream. The effect was enchanting -as I felt its’ comforting exqusite
    aura throughout my day. It is unusually soft but has staying power. I would buy it again – in either the eau de parfum or parfum. The eau de toilette is sadly thin. Thank you, darling Victoria for this welcome reminder of such a classic jewel.Love to all ! Madelyn E January 4, 2006 at 11:06am Reply

  • Madelyn E: Bomjour Victoria and Dear readers,
    What a lovely treat to read your eloquent review of ,yet another special fragrance :Climat. While V, noone can match your descriptive writing style (It’s indeed as if I can actually Smell the given scent).Climat , to me is a green, warm, feminine yet sensual accoutrement to uplift any “social ” occasion. I had the priviledge or wearing it on a regular basis , day and night a few years ago. I was drawn to its’ vintage quality as is was beautifully displayed at the Saks 5th Avenue Holiday scene. I paid $100. for a gorgeous kit of the 3.4 ounce eau de parfum and a large size matching body cream. The effect was enchanting -as I felt its’ comforting exqusite
    aura throughout my day. It is unusually soft but has staying power. I would buy it again – in either the eau de parfum or parfum. The eau de toilette is sadly thin. Thank you, darling Victoria for this welcome reminder of such a classic jewel.Love to all ! Madelyn E January 4, 2006 at 11:07am Reply

  • Madelyn E: Bomjour Victoria and Dear readers,
    What a lovely treat to read your eloquent review of ,yet another special fragrance :Climat. While V, noone can match your descriptive writing style (It’s indeed as if I can actually Smell the given scent).Climat , to me is a green, warm, feminine yet sensual accoutrement to uplift any “social ” occasion. I had the priviledge or wearing it on a regular basis , day and night a few years ago. I was drawn to its’ vintage quality as is was beautifully displayed at the Saks 5th Avenue Holiday scene. I paid $100. for a gorgeous kit of the 3.4 ounce eau de parfum and a large size matching body cream. The effect was enchanting -as I felt its’ comforting exqusite
    aura throughout my day. It is unusually soft but has staying power. I would buy it again – in either the eau de parfum or parfum. The eau de toilette is sadly thin. Thank you, darling Victoria for this welcome reminder of such a classic jewel.Love to all ! Madelyn E January 4, 2006 at 11:09am Reply

  • mreenymo: V, believe it or not, I am wearing Climat today. I love it! It smells so “late sixties” to me, but still is as crisp and green as ever. I love it!

    I would wear it a bit more, but I spilled some all over my car seat and purse, so the smell was putting me on a bit of a sensory overload. I am such a klutz!

    But now that it has evaporated, I am ready to wear it again, and again, and again.

    Your review is spot on. I purchased the re-issue, but was tempted to buy what looked like a pre-re-issue bottle from overstock.com, the one you have pictured above.

    Hugs! January 4, 2006 at 11:41am Reply

  • Christina H.: This is off topic here,but you wanted to know if Les Printemps would ship to the US so I called Les Printemps up and spoke with Matilde(she’s the only one who speaks English fairly well)and she said she would ship to the US.They are currently out of stock on the Idole de Lubin and expect more in about 3 weeks.She mentioned that the shipping could be as much as 50 Euros but not necessarily.I hope not as I believe the bottle of Idole is 59 Euros!Any way, I thought I’d let you know.I’m going to call back when it is in stock and try to find a more accurate shipping cost. January 4, 2006 at 12:05pm Reply

  • Robin: V, I gave this a very quick sniff and was not enthralled, but after reading your lovely review I see that I need to go back and try it on skin. It sounds like something I would love! January 4, 2006 at 12:38pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Kaie, when I was there, I thought that they really placed the display in the worst place, where it is just not visible at all. I liked Climat best of all, but Magie is my second favourite. January 4, 2006 at 2:22pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Annie, if you ever have a chance, do try the vintage. It is very easy to find online, and even the parfum can be obtained for hardly much ($20+) from various online places. The last time I saw the 2000 et Une Rose bottle, it was square, with stopper, like Climat reissue bottle, however the juice is blue. January 4, 2006 at 2:25pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Ann, I also love many fragrances from the 60s, and the pale green paired with gentle crispness is very appealing to me. I was completely mesmerized when I smelled the recent reissue of Chant d’Aromes.

    Of course, I am thrilled that the vintage version can be found so inexpensively still. January 4, 2006 at 2:28pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Christina, I cannot agree more! 2000 et une Rose deserves to be added to the collection and made available more widely. At least, Lancome should offer a possibility of mail ordering it, like Guerlain has done. January 4, 2006 at 2:29pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: M, if you like green and soft aldehydic florals, you will enjoy Climat. Just give the parfum some time to develop, because it is subtle at first, but it deepens and attains a wonderful complexity. Dew on first spring leaves is what some aspects of it make me think about. January 4, 2006 at 2:31pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Madelyn, you describe it so beautifully. I also find it warm and feminine, in contrast with the initial cool greenness. Thank you for your kind words. I was very glad to see this fragrance resurrected and brought back as a part of La Collection. It has such a wonderful bright quality that makes me think of 60s, or rather the associations I would have with that era. January 4, 2006 at 2:35pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: L, the aldehydes are definitely here, so perhaps this fragrance might strike you as perfumey. I would recommend sampling on the skin before you make a decision, and even the reissued version is nice, even if a bit thin. I have not tried Sagamore on the skin yet, but it has a woody richness that I find appealing. January 4, 2006 at 2:37pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: R, oh, what a great timing then! 🙂 I am glad that you also remember the reissue as being close to the original. I love the new sleek bottles, although the original parfum bottle is so charming and very 60s. I remember seeing the blue trimmed in black box of Climat on my grandmother’s vanity table. Lancome fragrances were very popular in Ukraine of my childhood. January 4, 2006 at 2:40pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: C, 50 euros to ship????!!! That is rather crazy on their part. I hope that they were joking, but the news of the mail order possibility are great. Idole is such a beautiful fragrance. January 4, 2006 at 2:41pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: R, I think that you might definitely like it. The paper strip test does not exhibit the same creaminess that it attains on the skin, and it is the part I love the most. January 4, 2006 at 2:42pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Katie, the reissue is very nice still, and I am sure that you will find it beautiful. As for Goupy creations, here is what I was able to find:
    Lancome Balafre
    Magie Noire
    Cacharel Pour L’Homme
    I am sure that you already know this. I cannot find references to others, but if you will, please let me know. January 4, 2006 at 2:48pm Reply

  • Marina: Lovely review! And I think it is the final push I needed to finally get myself at least a mini of this. Ebay here I come 🙂 January 4, 2006 at 10:05am Reply

  • marchlion: The bottles in the coffret are so gorgeous — I wish they were for sale like that individually, the “old” bottle (with the blue marbleized box, dozens on eBay) is cheap and ugly looking, a terrible thing to do to such a fragrance. They are a welcome change from much of the rest of the mass-market mainstream fragrances available right now (Magie is my favorite of the set) — they are very grown-up, astringent in that “classic perfume” way without seeming dated or irrelevant. January 4, 2006 at 3:23pm Reply

  • Laura: Green floral has me written all over it. Often, though, Lancome scents have just that extra element of perfumeyness that gives me a slight headache, no matter how much I like them initially. But this one sounds very promising. What do you think of the fourth one in the coffret, V? Sagamore, I mean. January 4, 2006 at 11:25am Reply

  • Katie: Ah, I can’t wait – it’s all Bela’s fault really, but I finally had to face facts that I needed this one. Thank goodness for eBay. Now I just need to find out all the various creations Goupy is credited with. It’s a lovely review, and despite the fact that I am getting the reissue version, you’ve made me utterly impatient for that bottle to work its way to me! January 4, 2006 at 2:18pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Katie, I have not tried Cacharel Pour L’Homme yet, but the fact that it was made by Goupy makes me very curious! January 4, 2006 at 7:27pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: March, I like the slender glass bottles too. Magie was originally available in that bottle at the time of its release in 1950. The Climat parfum bottle is very 60s looking to me, a piece of chunky glass. I keep thinking of it as an elephant paw for some reason, but I have a soft spot for the bottle and the box, because of childhood recollections. January 4, 2006 at 7:33pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Patty, the entire set comes with four (+ Sagamore), and it is a worthwhile purchase. I think that Magie is my second favourite in the set. January 4, 2006 at 7:34pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Anya, if you like aldehydic florals, this one will definitely please you. In the parfum the aldehydes have a certain subtle quality, and it is a nice touch. As for Je Reviens, yes, I love it, in all of its incarnations. January 4, 2006 at 7:36pm Reply

  • Katie: Of course I will 🙂 January 4, 2006 at 3:03pm Reply

  • Patty: Climat is lovely. I’m really lemming the whole set of three, but just trying to fight the urge for another month. So many beautiful scents. January 4, 2006 at 3:38pm Reply

  • Anya: I must get some to try, after your review, V. I adore Je Reviens since I first recieved it at age 17. I always found it to be intriguing, spicy in a light, airy way, with the greeness tickling my nose. The floral aldehydes are a favorite, too, and so off I go in search…for the vintage, of course. January 4, 2006 at 4:29pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Co, yes, Climat is softer than Vent Vert, especially the parfum. If you prefer juicier, crisper fragrances, you might find it too creamy and too soft. Nevertheless, if you ever get a chance to sample it, by all means do so. It is a beautiful fragrance.

    I replied to your question about smoky fragrances. I am fascinated by your oud research. I have not had a chance for more explorations in that regards yet, but I might make some time on Friday. January 4, 2006 at 10:54pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Co, wonderful! I am happy that it was helpful. I will definitely let you know if I discover anything of interest, and if you get to try Climat, please let me know what you think. January 5, 2006 at 2:33am Reply

  • co: Dear Victoria,

    …is Climat much softer than Vent Vert? …love green scents but am afraid this one will be too soft to my liking…adore vintage green crisp and slightly sharp scents.

    btw placed some updates on the Oud-theme, did you have time for more research? hunting?

    thanks!!! January 4, 2006 at 10:20pm Reply

  • co: Victoria,

    got your very helpfull reply thank you!
    …have fun on your Friday research, it is a completely fascinating subject and I feel like completey dabbling on the surface still….so much more to explore!
    let me know what you can find!

    and yes, just for the beauty of your description alone I got to sniff Climat! January 4, 2006 at 11:40pm Reply

  • BoisdeJasmin: Cait, I am glad that you like it too. Yes, it cannot be more different from Vent Vert. In the category of soft aldehydic florals, Climat is among my favourites. January 5, 2006 at 5:39pm Reply

  • Cait: I am late to chime in, but wanted to say my ebay parfum ($25) has been sumptuous. I observed that Climat smelled of bronchial inhaler and that’s a good thing, if anyone can imagine that. It does get creamy. It’s a totally different animal than Vent Vert.
    Still, it’s good. I endorse it in my current desire for abstraction. January 5, 2006 at 3:35pm Reply

  • Bela: Katie, I love being an enabler, but you must blame the amazingly generous person who sent me that beautiful bottle of Climat (I’m dying to use the stopper to dab it on, but I must resist). January 9, 2006 at 2:22pm Reply

  • Inna: Hi, My name is Inna. I would like to buy “Climat” (only parfume like in the pict.)Please, tell me where i can find it.
    [email protected] December 14, 2007 at 11:53am Reply

  • Cathrine: Hi, My name is Cathrine. I would like to buy “Climat” about 100 unit (only parfume like in the pict.)Please, tell me where i can find it. December 24, 2007 at 3:52am Reply

  • marios: Victoria, found this 75 edt bottle for only EUR 20 looking for civet fragrances…Will satisfy my taste for civet and male perfumes or is too feminine? January 22, 2014 at 9:46am Reply

    • Victoria: It won’t on both counts, Marios! Not enough civet and definitely too classically feminine (if I can judge a bit based on your comments about your tastes.) January 22, 2014 at 11:32am Reply

      • marios: Thanks…someone suggested me this and obsession for women as strong civet perfumes…will test both tomorrow and see although i doubt that climat will be ok for me….Obsession is said to lean towards masculine site… January 22, 2014 at 12:27pm Reply

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