Joy by Jean Patou

Elegant, floral, and delicious. It transports me to the wild women of the 1930s obsessed with the latest fashion. The most expensive perfume in the world, just as Jean Patou intended for ‘JOY’. A pure feeling of happiness, an olfactory essay. Following the 1929 crisis, Patou and Almeras chose those notes for this elixir. Top notes: Bulgarian rose, ylang-ylang, and neroli. Heart: jasmine and May rose. Base: musk and sandalwood. Designed by Louis Sue, later housed in Bacarat crystal to look even more magnificent. In 1960 it was pirated, much like today with clones. In the 1930s, for 30ml you needed 28 dozen roses and 10,000 jasmine flowers. Only the richest could own it. I detect ylang-ylang, neroli, and magnolias in the opening, with aldehydic and other notes settling as it dries. After 30 minutes, it is a powerful yet delicate symphony. It makes you feel powerful, believe me; on the skin it is sweetness, class, and character. Thank you, Jean Patou, for your creations, including 10,000 and Sublime.

The legendary Joy, the most expensive perfume in the world. It fills me with curiosity; I have only read and heard praise for its complexity and exquisite combination of the finest notes, speaking of quality. It is the scent of the very famous Doña María Félix. I hope one day I can smell that fragrance…

A vintage flower shop decorated with gold leaf and much patina. A concept similar to Diorissimo but very different, with a sharper execution on the rose and neroli; more varied in its florals. Both carry jasmine, but here it is surrounded by other flowers. It is a classic florality, very structured, with the natural and wild parts well measured and controlled. I imagine beauty salons or majestic dressing rooms smelling of this. For lovers of vintage floral bouquets, go for Diorissimo and Joy.

This perfume came into my possession through my mother. She was gifted it when she was twenty, and, captivated by the scent, she decided to keep the entire bottle. The fragrance is strong and distinctive; from the moment it is perceived, it commands attention, leaving no doubt that this is Joy. The roses stand out powerfully without losing the class and distinctive elegance of this perfume. A fragrance suited to a sensual, self-assured woman. It is a pity it can no longer be found, but in my case, it is a fortune to still have a full bottle.

JOY BY JEAN PATOU Eau De Toilette, or how I collapsed from pure ecstasy. A test of a 2000 edition, in EDT version, which seems from 1930 due to how well-preserved and formulated it is. The fragrance sheet falls short. It is not just floral; it is an aldehydic floral chypre like Chanel No. 5 and Joya, the twins. I love this triumvirate of powerful women. Jean Patou (1887-1936) started with his father, a tanner, and later with his uncle, a furrier, learning design. He entered perfumery in 1925 after the success of Chanel and Poiret. In 1930 he commissioned Henry Almeras to create Joy, a mixture of rose and jasmine in gigantic proportions: over 10,000 jasmine flowers from Grasse and 28 dozen roses from Grasse and Bulgaria for three centilitres. Hence the slogan: ‘Joy, the most expensive perfume in the world’. Later versions were not so luxurious. Joy was based on Chanel No. 5, following the trend of aldehydic florals of the 1920s. Just as there were fougère, aquatic, gourmand, or ambroxan trends, there will always be them. The 2000 Joy is an aldehydic that overwhelms, even though the sheet does not mention them, because if they were included in 2000, in 1930 they must have been a roar. From the start appears a mix of musk, civet, and all the anal, perianal, prostatic, and vesicular glands that exist. That smell of my childhood of ladies who I didn’t know if smelled rich, had bad breath, were out of reach, or had just stepped out of the bathroom without washing. An intense, animal, faecal, parafaecal, halitotic, sensual, sexual, obscene, baroque, sophisticated, and incredibly ravishing scent that drags you to lustful hells without redemption. The smell of sin par excellence. I like it, even if it burns in hell. May God have mercy on my weakness. I thought I could not bear it for years. How we have changed! Today nothing smells like this, and most would find it unbearable. The flowers that define it most are carnation and ylang-ylang, which links it to Chanel No. 5 and Joya. Rose and jasmine are in the background, boosting those two. There is also patchouli and oakmoss. An aldehydic floral chypre can shine with resins like labdanum and turpentine, and woods like lichens and deep mosses. For someone to make a perfume with these notes smell like ambrosia is a mystery. The 2000 test is a classicism of other eras. Its trail and performance are apocalyptic, you cannot move.

I found it in a bazaar, a small test bottle… I loved the scent, like that perfume of old, powerful yet feminine and delicate. I am almost finished with it but it is one of my favourites. A true jewel.

Joy is pure elegance, one of the few that blends jasmine and neroli without becoming overwhelming. It handles those notes perfectly, unlocking their full potential. It makes us adore civet, those animalic secretions that make it so fascinating to the nose, though I’m sure many won’t share that view. With the peach note, it doesn’t dry out; it stays juicy and sweet without being cloying. Don’t see it as a copy of jasmine; while it bears a strong resemblance, it is far more ambitious. Upon application, green notes, civet, and aldehydes dominate at first. The jasmine is there from the start, but with all that rush of notes, it only settles and gains strength after a few minutes. Towards the end, the rose and valley lily take centre stage. Civet and the green notes persist throughout the fragrance but fade from the outset to make way for others. Simply excellent floral!

And at 957 euros, I reckon you won’t even get a sample!

Feminine, elegant, floral, innocent… it’s not a sexy scent, but it is utterly delicious. It’s the one that, for me, perfectly encapsulates the image of the classic woman: feminine, as sweet as a flower and so delicate.