Velvetmoon

As I'm currently wearing Youth Dew more often again, I want to share a few words about what I think is a great masterpiece and take the opportunity to compare it with the old formulation.

Youth Dew was one of Estee Lauder's first perfumes that wasn't actually a perfume at all - at least not in the traditional sense. Launched in 1953, Youth Dew was a highly concentrated bath oil and an attempt to make American women more independent in a highly conservative society. At the time, it was normal for most women to have no bank account and little money of their own and for their husbands and partners to occasionally give them luxury cosmetics such as perfume, regardless of what women's tastes actually were. These products usually spent their lives gathering dust on some dresser, to be used at most once a year.

Estee Lauder had a vision in which every woman should make her own economic decisions, so she launched Youth Dew, disguised as an affordable bath oil that almost every woman could buy. This idea was such a success that the bath oil was used almost daily as a dabbed fragrance and perfuming was no longer limited to single occasions. A short time later, the completed perfume was released on the same basis - the birth of a legendary fragrance with a fragrance composition that would inspire countless perfumers for many decades to come and was a pioneer for classics such as "Opium (1977) (Parfum) | Yves Saint Laurent", "Coco (Eau de Parfum) | Chanel", or "Obsession (Eau de Parfum) | Calvin Klein".

Describing the fragrance itself is, as with most fragrances of the past century, relatively difficult - The Pyramid is a collection of the noblest, richest scents and nothing stands out particularly strongly. Instead, it paints a grand whole scent painting, ambery and luminous, set in an antique yet simple frame. The old formulation has an intense, warm spiciness that is made supple and deep by the various resins and perfectly rounded off by the rest of the olfactory smorgasbord. Underneath is what I always affectionately call an animalic "cat fluff" note - something that always reminds me of the smell of groomed cat fur. The way the vintage version unfolds on the skin is an absolute experience in itself that never ceases to amaze me.

The current formulation, on the other hand, is a little soapy, comparatively lighter with lots of spices and flowers, but also more minimalist impressions. The balsamic notes have definitely been toned down, I smell almost no animalic notes. It is more sociable, more adapted to the times, and yet the DNA can still be clearly smelled, which is a miracle compared to other reformulations. It is still a magnificent fragrance, but no longer as rich. I guess that's the way of things.

What I find so special about Youth Dew is that, compared to similar vintage spice bombs, it doesn't scream DIVA, but exudes a restrained, refined elegance. I never feel overdressed with it, but definitely always particularly well-dressed! No matter how often and for how long I explore other fragrances, applying Youth Dew always feels a bit like "coming home".

My first impression was similar to many others unfortunately not as positive as I would have liked it in view of the significant history. One smells this perfume just the long history and that was something with which my understanding was somewhat overwhelmed. The composition of fierce aldehydes, proud florals, citrus and warm sandalwood finish with vanilla and amber was zero playfulness but very serious from start to finish and, I thought at the time, old without negative judgement but completely non-judgmental. It didn't suit me, as much as I wanted to like it.

I was in my early 20s and I still felt somewhere between adolescence and adulthood all the time at the time of the test. Didn't really feel grown up yet and was sometimes very surprised that others saw me that way. A few years later, I'm sitting here, the worst of it with Covid is hopefully over, and I'm getting married and moving in a few weeks and I'll be ending a big chapter to start a new one. A lot has happened. The sample of Chanel No 5 came back to me by accident and I just sprayed it on my wrist again. And then on my neck. And then on the other wrist. I could hardly stop and my eyes sparkled. I finally got it and a new world of fragrance revealed itself to me, mature and sophisticated. This perfume exudes elegance and class and somehow always goes.

I don't know if it's because I've become a bit more mature myself in the meantime, or if my nose has become more refined through all the testing, but I might not want to question it. The bottle is on order and I can't wait to start using it regularly. I'm ready for this perfume now.

Sure, by now you would like to think that everything has already been said about this fragrance, but still this scent draws me so under its spell that I can not help but share my thoughts on it with you. I hope you see it after me!

Although the fragrance was released back in 2015 and has probably always enjoyed absolute hype, I only found out about it a few months ago. This is probably also because I was not really active in perfume communities and therefore simply did not know what is hot. Nevertheless, it was clear: as a fan of oriental perfumes, I had to at least test this overpriced thing. No sooner said than done. A nice friend sent me a sample and thus nothing more stood in the way.

At the first spraying on I was absolutely enraptured, but also really amazed. Due to the many comments here I expected a violent sugar bomb and although he is quite sweet, I've already tested by far sticky-sweet and more massive headache candidates - This is, in my opinion, not one of them. And to reduce BK540 to its sweetness alone, I also don't think it's really appropriate, at least for my nose. Because under the clear sweetness, there are quite profound, woody-resinous notes. And above it all, there's a special kind of airiness that I can't quite place, but find beautiful. All of this together complements each other insanely well and makes this fragrance very special and yet still suitable for everyday wear. I already wrote that in my statement and I still stand by it after a few more trial sprays by now: This fragrance is addictive! I find it so beautiful that I am a bit happy every time I notice it again and again during the day. And I definitely do! The durability is very good and the sillage actually also, only in my opinion it is not a sillage that takes the breath away from bystanders and fills rooms, but is by this certain loose airiness always just a "well perceivable hint" - Like when someone with a great fragrance walks past you and you turn around and ask what a bombshell fragrance that was.

Although I know how off-putting hypes and such prices are, I can only urge everyone to try it and be open to it. There is more behind this facade than meets the eye. :)

The zodiac sign Aries is probably the most hot-tempered of the 12 signs, is always in trouble and is a rebel at heart. Stubborn and temperamental, with the head always through the wall. What few people know, however, is that underneath the hard shell, Aries usually has a soft, vulnerable core that wants to be explored. To us humans there is just more than the naked eye may reveal.

It's a similar story with Molinard's Habanita. The first moment is violent and probably repels weak nerves at first. Habanita doesn't aim to please, doesn't want to be a sweet-flowery pleaser from next door, she's been through and seen too much for that. It's worth giving it a chance, though, because underneath all that smoky resin and dark cherry (not stated, but I smell it anyway, but could just be an association) is pure liquid gold - amber amber wrapped in non-sweet vanilla, bedded on fragile dry florals that never dominate, but are just a supporting hint. Habanita can be quite different, can seduce and turn heads and be almost vulnerable. Not so obvious that everyone notices, but just enough to break hearts by the dozen. She has character and already that is rare these days.

Habanita is a very special perfume and in my opinion absolutely unisex. On men, it underlines facets that like to provide for big eyes - and for compliments. For me, it is quasi self-confidence and sexiness with a touch of scratchiness in a flacon, which, by the way, is also very chic. If you're looking for an oriental with rough edges, you've come to the right place! But beware of a blind purchase: Habanita is really unique.