Paris by Yves Saint Laurent

PARIS: BETWEEN THE NOSTALGIA OF A CLASSIC AND THE UNCERTAINTY OF ITS FUTURE There are fragrances that do not adapt; they survive. And Paris is one of them. Signed by Sophia Grojsman in 1983, this perfume is a dusty, exuberant, pink love letter. Pink, with a capital P. Not just any pink rose, but a theatrical rose, wrapped in violet, aldehydes and diffused light. A rose that laughs, coquets, floats… and stays. Paris had many skins. The vintage EDT, bright and expansive, opened like a laugh launched into the wind: violet, pink, mimosa, heliotrope, iris… all covered in fairy dust and old makeup. It was not shy. Nor did it ask for forgiveness. It was that kind of perfume that defined a style, a woman, an era. Decades later, Yves Saint Laurent launched the EDP, a version that did not originally exist and which is actually the direct heir to the classic EDT, albeit softened. It is, to this day, the formulation most faithful to the vintage DNA. It retains that talcum floral structure, that luminous melancholy, but no longer invades or shouts. It is more bearable, more adaptable to current codes, more realistic for spring, autumn or enclosed spaces. An elegant whisper of what once was. Not better. But neither worse. Just different. More possible. In contrast, the current EDT, reformulated until it almost lost its soul, has finally been discontinued. There are still units on sale, but it no longer beats as before. The EDP, currently also absent from stores, seems set to return in new packaging and, probably, with another reformulation. Everything changes. Even what seemed eternal. And yet, Paris was never just a formula. It was also a bottle: a faceted crystal that, in its early editions, even came dressed with a black tulle belt with pink polka dots. A direct evocation of the haute couture dress that inspired the perfume: black, with a large pink bow, exuberant, theatrical. Like a textile fantasy made into perfume. Yves Saint Laurent did not design Paris; they dressed it. They gave it its character. There are perfumes that are skin. Others are memory. Paris is the latter: a cloud of powder and laughter, of carmine and velvet, of youth without nostalgia and of joy without moderation. They may have reformulated it. They may have silenced it. But there are aromas that stay to live in the memory… 🍀

I am in for a surprise….I did not expect it….they have reformulated it. I knew it around 1985, a teacher used it, I asked her, and some time later I started using it myself. I used it when its scent was absolutely delicious, it enchanted me. Now I do not know what to do, I will ask for a sample before buying it…..

It reminds me, after wearing it for hours, of Flower by Kenzo

A talcum pink rose with a hint of violets. It is a mix of Red Door and Eternity

This is the only review I have written of a fragrance that is currently different from the one I knew, as a song says: ‘the past, the past’; but I think it is worth dedicating a few lines to the Paris perfume of the 90’s. It was one of the first ones I had and I remember it with affection. Thanks to it I developed a taste for perfumes and I realised I liked notes such as pink rose and violet a lot and that my tendency would be towards ‘talcum’ fragrances. The current formula does not like me, so I will continue to long for the old Paris.

Paris is a classic that deserves respect for its perfect blend of scorched violets and rose, creating something warm and enveloping. It is strong, elegant, intense and very feminine, with reminiscences of another era. I wonder what would happen if it did not exist. I regret that the industry has mass-produced it until it became a generic smell, losing its essence.

My mum wore it in the 90s and I remember it as precious, extremely elegant and feminine. I read it was a ‘vintage’ perfume and thought of other styles, but if vintage scents smell like this, what beauty!

It always seemed to me a perfume for a lady in a fur coat and chocolate with churros. My aunt gave me half of a 75ml bottle and I kept it for 15 years. Upon smelling it again, I noticed that you age with it; it smells of jammed roses and violets, geranium and cedar. It is intense, very vintage, with an endless trail and very French.

Jammed flowers to adorn oneself and dress spectacularly for a special night. It smells of 1980s Rococo elegance. Although it has been reformulated, its well-crafted layers are perceptible. It remains a slightly vintage wonder, a pleasant nostalgic scent to smell.

Reading the comments from those who had the luck to wear this special perfume has comforted me. It was my jewel and icon since it hit the market. But in recent years I noticed it was no longer the same and I thought it was me who was turning past glory into muddy puddle. The rose and violet were lost. Now I know it is due to the new reformulation. Thank you!

A vintage, floral, and refined fragrance. My mum loves it. It’s quite potent. I wouldn’t recommend buying it blind or gifting it without the person knowing it first. As for me, being someone who loves sweet and gourmand scents, I just can’t stand it, haha!!!

I don’t want to describe the notes, but rather the emotion it evokes. Today is a crisp day; it rained all night, there’s a gentle breeze, and the temperature is around 19 degrees. It’s a feminine, floral scent with a slight citrus touch, which dries down to talcum and powdery. It suits a woman who is tender and delicate yet confident, someone for whom it doesn’t matter if she’s wearing a simple or sophisticated outfit; people know she’s a lady. It’s very clean. I’m reviewing the reformulated version, as I never knew the vintage, which was obviously superior but a hard-to-find blue unicorn. I’ll stick with what I have. If it has a synthetic touch, especially on the wearer’s skin, it gives it a special edge. I don’t think someone under 35 would like it, nor is it unisex. In summary, it’s not bad, but it’s not extraordinary either

Fragrantica should distinguish between Paris (pre-Apocalypse L’Oréal) and post, because it’s not a simple reformulation; they are two different perfumes. I found a gem from 2001, and rather than a floral bomb, it’s directly an AK47. Controlling the trigger, because its trail and longevity are enormous, it still leaves bodies in its wake, but with a smile on its lips. I can’t discern all its notes; I only perceive a realistic and intense blend of roses and violets, far from ornate Pamelas, more Audrey Hepburn in ‘My Fair Lady’, because it has a sweet-powdery point that, when mixed with skin, becomes slightly animalistic and takes it to a dangerous side. I remember my best friend of all time, with over 25 years of solid and fraternal friendship, asked me to limit its nocturnal use at the beginning of this century because it slightly clouded our brotherhood. In general, it’s one of the fragrances that has elicited the most compliments, especially from the male gender. Perhaps, simply, it’s the well-made things that make the difference, rather than us being sold civets, extreme ouds, and ground gold as the quintessence of what can attract us most in a person

It’s a very pleasant rose scent. In its opening, it’s perceived as very strong; once it starts to settle, you notice tender, talcum, yet creamy roses. In my case, with so little spraying, the scent was perceived throughout my bedroom because it has a very wide trail and prolonged longevity, despite being a toilette water. When I bought it, I sprayed it three times, and after six hours, I still had that pleasant smell as if I’d just applied it. Without a doubt, I would buy it again as I consider it a jewel in these times. 🌟Trail: 10/10 🌟Longevity: 10/10 🌟Presentation: 10/10

My biggest dream has been and is to know France. And if it smells like this, then there’s a reason I adore this exquisite bouquet of roses so much. It doesn’t contain honey; I detected it in conjunction with the roses. Roses, roses, and only more roses is all I smell in this majestic perfume, as I don’t perceive the other aromas, just roses with honey; which is enough for me as I love the smell of roses. A powdery, exquisite, and very intoxicating scent. I love it.