WHAT I SMELL:  Vintage Chaldée opens with a deep warm full-bodied floral bouquet.  I’m not sure if the top notes are still there as the perfume sets very quickly into the resin based floral presentation.  The perfume is thick and rich with a deep lilac presenting itself as the floral star.  But the lilac isn’t soft and gentle, instead its thickened with the opoponox.  After a while, a dust covers the base of the perfume, giving it a vintage feel without making it feel like it belongs in another time.  The dust then turns to more of a cotton and for some reason it reminds me if the smell of brand new white tube socks.  After around 20 minutes, the vanilla brings an ever so slight sweetness to the warmed florals.  Funny, after around 1/2 hour, a little bit of civet seems to creep in giving the perfume an added depth and dimension.  Finally, the perfume ends it’s journey in this warmed and flattened bouquet that projects this beautiful and confident persona.

Top notes: orange blossom and hyacinth. Heart: jasmine, lilac and narcissus. Base: opoponax, amber and vanilla.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A grand hat from a bygone era.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE CHALDÉE:  warm, contained, deep

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CHALDÉE: Now Smell This, Perfume Shrine, I Smell Therefore I Am

BOTTOM LINE:  For an eau de toilette, vintage Chaldee has a large personality and is incredibly long-lasting.  I recently had a chance to test the newly reissued version in eau de parfum concentration and it opened up grand and glorious much like the original.  I was ecstatic.  However, surprisingly enough, it didn’t have the lasting power and it turned rather dark on me.  I do need to give it another chance though…but the vintage….oh my, beautiful.  Thanks to Holly for this beautiful gift!

• Bone Rating:  4 out of possible 5 bones
• Scent:  Oriental Floral
• Nose: Henri Almeras in 1927
• Classification: Leans feminine, but could be unisex
• Expense: Prices vary on eBay.