Red Door 1989 Eau de Toilette

Red Door (Eau de Toilette) by Elizabeth Arden
Bottle Design Marc Rosen, Susan Wacker
We may earn a commission when you buy from links on our site, including the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.
6.6 / 10 215 Ratings
A perfume by Elizabeth Arden for women, released in 1989. The scent is floral-sweet. Projection and longevity are above-average. It is being marketed by Revlon Inc..
Pronunciation
We may earn a commission when you buy from links on our site, including the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.

Main accords

Floral
Sweet
Oriental
Spicy
Woody

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
Orange blossomOrange blossom PeachPeach PlumPlum RoseRose VioletViolet AniseedAniseed
Heart Notes Heart Notes
TuberoseTuberose JasmineJasmine OrchidOrchid Ylang-ylangYlang-ylang CarnationCarnation FreesiaFreesia HoneyHoney LilyLily Lily of the valleyLily of the valley
Base Notes Base Notes
AmberAmber BenzoinBenzoin CedarCedar HeliotropeHeliotrope MuskMusk SandalwoodSandalwood VetiverVetiver

Perfumers

Videos
Ratings
Scent
6.6215 Ratings
Longevity
8.3164 Ratings
Sillage
8.0163 Ratings
Bottle
7.0172 Ratings
Value for money
8.143 Ratings
Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 16.04.2024.

Reviews

12 in-depth fragrance descriptions
7
Sillage
8
Longevity
8
Scent
Violett

40 Reviews
Translated Show original Show translation
Violett
Violett
Top Review 28  
Scarlet for you
Hello neighbor ! I've just been kicked in the door. With the red one. What are you looking at? I could have gone for the old vintage door, it weighs a lot more. That would have made a bit more noise. I'm sorry about the kitchen wall in your new build, honestly. I actually wanted to do it from the other side...never mind! If we're going to get to know each other, then let's do it properly.
I've already soaped myself up today and wallowed in white flowers in the garden, thinking about what I could wear to make a good impression on you Look, my jacket with extra thick shoulder pads, and the high-water carrot pants. Yes, you could just about wear that in 1989. The red door also dates from that year.
All well thought out, you understand? Sorry, can I dab the sweat from your forehead with some refreshing tissues? It still smells a lot like a new building here...I'll put some incense sticks on the black marble kitchen counter. You can light them later. You're welcome. By the way, I've also brought a Schüpre with me, well, I brought it on me. It's a bit old-fashioned perfume, you know. You can smell it despite all the flowers that have tumbled in with the door, right? Ha! I can see the questioning look in your eyes. I wonder if there's more coming through that door, um, and the hole in the wall?.... Yes, damn it!
Your black and white kitchen is really ultra-modern and tastefully understated....I just want to add a tiny little accent, can I?!
"Honey, you can come in with the turf!" Like this. A meadow. In your house, yes! You have tears in your eyes. I can understand your emotion, ah. If only a neighbor had done that for me.
Look how it's blooming and greening here now. And the first bees are already buzzing in..." Will you bring the beehive, darling? Thank you!"
So, neighbor. From simple neighbor to honey producer in your own home. It can happen that quickly.
I almost have to cry a little for joy now.
For good measure, I'll juggle a bit of fruit for you, a little showstopper for your debut. Oops. Damn, that's hard to do with hot raspberries. I didn't think so...Ouch....No need to get excited, dear neighbor...
What do you mean by these gestures?
I see. But I've already walked through the raspberry mud. Never mind, you can eat off the floor anyway...
And because it's so nice, I'll rain a few kilos of blossom on you - Huiiii!!! So now I have to go. Sorry again about the wall. You can lean the red door against it if there's a draught.
I'll pick it up one of these days.
Yes, you don't have to say anything now - I was happy to do everything. See you around, it was nice.
Oh wait a minute. If you spontaneously fall in love with me because I have such good ideas and stuff, you can listen to "Something's got a Hold of my Heart" by Marc Almond and Gene Pitney. It's also from 1989, like the door. Here's the CD. It's only on loan!
To good neighborliness.
What a wonderful white flower scent.
You literally revel in a sea of blossoms. It smells very intense. But also lovely and cheerful and light, not heavy, pompous and oppressive, as it sometimes smells when you let the flora run free. It smells a little old-fashioned, aldehydic and soapy, even subtly chypry. Unlit incense sticks meet unsweet, red fruit. Sun shines on meadows and flowerbeds.
The newer version smells a little lighter and more modern than the old one. The old one booms even more, has more depth, is even more beautiful.
49 Comments
10
Pricing
8
Bottle
8
Sillage
8
Longevity
10
Scent
ToniMacaroni

4 Reviews
Translated Show original Show translation
ToniMacaroni
ToniMacaroni
Top Review 21  
Still a mega-grenade today!
In the 90s, at the age of 16, I got together with my first boyfriend. Our relationship lasted well and happy to the seven years before our ways parted again.
My boyfriend was three years older than me, had an older sister and very loving parents. With them, I learned what family was and how to live family. From the beginning I was warmly welcomed and of course invited to all family celebrations. And there were lots of them: birthday parties, weddings, coffee & cake, dinner invitations - my friend and I were there everywhere. His mother was a great woman - and if I now write in the past then only because I have no more contact with her. However, I am sure she is still just as great and warm today. My in-laws at the time were just normal people. My mother-in-law was a trained cook and it showed, even though she didn't work in that profession. I ate countless delicious meals at her house, and I learned a lot from her. Looking back, she had a lasting influence on my life for the better. I learned from her how to fold socks neatly, that you always have a small stock of food in the cupboard from which you can conjure up something delicious when visitors suddenly arrive, that cooking is fun and easy and that it is no crime to have a recipe to help you, how to set the table attractively, fold napkins and much, much more. As I said, she was a normal, down-to-earth woman - an old-school lady. Whenever she was invited to a party or celebration, she made herself look especially pretty: make-up was applied, the best jewellery was put on and a very special perfume was put on: Red Door by Elisabeth Arden. She didn't have many perfume bottles in the bathroom, but her selection was very fine. In addition to Red Door, she also liked to wear organza on special occasions. 5th Avenue and I think Kenzos Flower also had a place with her - these were worn for everyday wear. But there was nothing she liked to wear more than Red Door. This scent suited her so wonderfully when she left the house prettily dressed in her elegant wool coat accompanied by her husband, with a mega trail of Red Door flying behind her. Floral, sweet, elegant, grand dame, warm, opulent, generous, to die for - that's Red Door. And it was. There was nothing dirty, filthy, wicked or erotic about her or this fragrance. It was and is simply timelessly elegant - still a mega-garnet today, despite reformulation!
Every now and then, when I happened to pass this fragrance in the perfumery, I would sniff it or apply a spritz of it to myself. Immediately my heart was warmed, immediately all' the memories of this wonderful woman were back. I almost thought she was standing next to me or coming around the corner. I never thought about buying the fragrance, because it was hers - and I had long since found my own signature scent with Dolce & Gabbana (Red Cap).
Recently, I have then treated myself to a bottle - for very special occasions and in memory of a very special woman
5 Comments
5
Bottle
10
Sillage
10
Longevity
6
Scent
Icekat

97 Reviews
Icekat
Icekat
Very helpful Review 8  
Flower Powerhouse
My friend described Red Door as ‘very perfumery’ and I agree. The big, bold and powerful bouquet, mixed from impressive number of flowers, does not smell gentle or natural. It is designed to stand out and announce its presence from far away. Child of 1980s, Red Door was designed to exude aggressive confidence. Whenever I smelled it, I always thought about tough business woman in tailored suit, high heels and no nonsense attitude. Color red suits this scent well and expresses its highly energetic mood.

There are so many flowers in Red Door’s composition. I can smell them all at once, desperately trying to fight for the spotlight. I think jasmine manages to get an upper hand at one point, but then carnations creep in and swallow it alive. Lily, freesia and lily of the valley has cool and overpowering attitude silently fighting with their rival jasmine and rose. Perhaps it sounds crazy, but to me that’s what makes this scent so energetic. There is this dynamic battle of wills in this scent that makes it interesting to experience. As the battle of flowers finally subsides, I am left with pleasant, slightly animalistic, woody base.

Red Door is not my type of scent, but I don’t mind smelling it on others, as long as the usage is moderate. If used in excess, I think it could incinerate any intelligent life form within 5 meter radius, not to mention to induce a severe allergic reaction. And the scent lasts a long time too.

I am impressed that Red Door is still in production and has loyal number of followers. The composition is not as refined as other big floral creation of that era, but I think it is a good bargain for the price if you would like to experience a floral scent with tons of attitude. Overall score is 6/10.
1 Comment
10
Longevity
9
Scent
Anup

18 Reviews
Anup
Anup
Very helpful Review 6  
Review of the new tall door shaped bottle
This is softer more modernized version of the orignal. I fist tried this in a small boutique in Indiana Pennsylvania and i was QUITE impressed. Don't get me wrong the original is very elegant, sensuous, powerful and assertive, but women often over-apply it. This may be a reason that most people don't care for the original as much. I have a strong suspicion that Mrs.Arden may just be testing the water with this "limited edition" formulation. Sitting back and watching the sales, determining if this may be a worthy "contender" to all of the current women's fragrances. I will be reviewing the Eau de Parfum

The top:

Upon first application there is an instant BURST of lilly of the valley and violet. Powdery, moist and "mildew" like, the combination of these two accords is very intriguing. Come to think of it, it seems that every other women's fragrance to utilize these two accords at once always has that sort of feel SOMEWHERE in the composition. Freesia, slightly fruity to my nose assists to assert of this creations femininity by rounding out it's sister notes in the top. I might also add that the first initial application of this may be rather offensive to some fragranticans. FEAR NOT!!! the dry down comes on quickly.

The middle:

Orange blossom and rose are very prominent in the middle of this fragrance. A suggestion of a sunny day is dashed to pieces by a fragrant floral thunderstorm, but that's ok because it was getting too hot anyways. Stringent ylang-ylang comes into play shortly thereafter but never fear, it is rounded out nicely by a soft powdery semi-strong jasmine. The middle is really what holds all of the "punch" to this fragrance in my opinion.

The base:

Honey is the real star of the show here, sparkling, viscous and sticky sweet. Complimented well by a DRENCHED earthy, soil-y and "dead" oak-moss. The base is VERY reminiscent of standing near a warm rushing stream. Sandalwood makes a strong appearance, but isn't so prominent, yet i believe it may be assisting in that "creek" type olfactory feeling i get.
0 Comments
5
Bottle
7.5
Sillage
7.5
Longevity
6
Scent
Missk

1165 Reviews
Missk
Missk
Top Review 4  
Classic Red Door
This is my mother's signature scent. It's a strong, yet elegant and sophisticated rose scent.

Sure, this fragrance is mature, but not in the way that everyone makes it out to be. Red Door is quite a complex fragrance, and in my opinion it does not smell like an old lady. A young person, with the right skin chemistry could quite easily wear this.

I must say that this fragrance smells amazing on my mother, many people have asked her what she's wearing and have been surprised to discover that it was something as simple and inexpensive as Red Door.
0 Comments
More reviews

Statements

1 short view on the fragrance
TruckladyTrucklady 5 years ago
7
Bottle
8
Sillage
8
Longevity
7
Scent
Honking great tuberose with all the brass ensemble. Nothing left to the imagination, which is passé. Still, has a place in my heart.
0 Comments

Charts

This is how the community classifies the fragrance.
Pie Chart Radar Chart

Images

29 fragrance photos of the community
More images

Popular by Elizabeth Arden

Green Tea (Eau Parfumée) by Elizabeth Arden White Tea (Eau de Toilette) by Elizabeth Arden 5th Avenue (Eau de Parfum) by Elizabeth Arden Sunflowers (Eau de Toilette) by Elizabeth Arden 5th Avenue Royale by Elizabeth Arden Splendor by Elizabeth Arden Blue Grass (1989) by Elizabeth Arden Ardenbeauty by Elizabeth Arden True Love (Eau de Toilette) by Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Cherry Blossom by Elizabeth Arden Eau Fraiche / Body Basics - Eau Fraiche by Elizabeth Arden Blue Grass (1934) (Perfume) by Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Lavender by Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Lotus by Elizabeth Arden White Tea (Eau de Parfum) by Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Nectarine Blossom by Elizabeth Arden 5th Avenue After Five by Elizabeth Arden White Tea Ginger Lily by Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Tropical by Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Summer by Elizabeth Arden