The smell of a woman: the whole truth about vintage perfumes

When it comes to vintage perfumes, the image of an old chest of drawers, royally lined with luxurious bottles, immediately pops up in the imagination of many of us. Another picture is of a languid Marilyn Monroe from a black-and-white movie, applying perfume where she “would like to be kissed.”

 

Vintage or not vintage, that is the question

Vintage perfumes are fragrances that were released at least 25 years ago. These are, as a rule, well-known compositions from legendary houses, such as Chanel No. 5, Guerlain Shalimar and Dior Poison, but with one main amendment – these vintage fragrances were the first, original, without reformulations or additions. Previously, absolutely all perfumes were made from natural substances, and if synthetics were present in the composition, then their quantity was several times lower than that of natural products. Today, every year, the perfume commission IFRA (International Fragrance Association) prohibits the use of some natural ingredients in perfumes.

 

This is precisely the answer to the burning question on perfume forums: “Why don’t many fragrances smell like they used to?” No magic outside of Hogwarts and no deception of the consumer.
The main reasons for the ban: the synthetic content makes production cheaper, treats nature ethically and puts human safety first. After all, everything natural, be it aromatic oils or citrus extracts, are allergens that can harm our health. All this changed the sound of some fragrances from the past. Thus, the modern composition of Chanel No. 5 is a reformulated vintage fragrance of the “five”. Some natural components were replaced with synthetic ones, leaving the core of the fragrance unchanged – its base.

 

 

But this does not deprive us of our attachment to history – to those first, legendary scents that our mothers and grandmothers smelled of. This is the beauty of vintage: the natural ingredients in the composition have preserved its special charm, sophistication and individuality, and compliance with storage rules made it possible to enjoy this fragrance even 30 years after its release.