Vintage

Ysatis by Givenchy 1984
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Ysatis by Givenchy 1984

Dear Gentle Reader (SORRY! I’ve been rewatching Bridgerton) Hey there ULGers! If you never heard of Givenchy Ysatis then you’re either very young or you’ve been living under a rock. It is celebrating its 40th birthday this year. Yep! Outrageous. Recently I was reminded of it because one of the regular Trivia night patrons wears it so beautifully. More than once I’ve asker her what magical elixir she is wafting to have a very happy reply of Ysatis. She’s so happy that even though I’m a perfume blogger and snob that her not very expensive or posh perfume gets noticed so often. Really, it smells extraordinary on her, so full and sensual and more-ish, I try to sit with her when she’s wearing it and just swim in the gorgeous gouts of fragrance.

Ysatis by Givenchy 1984

Ysatis by Givenchy 1984

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, Orange blossom, Brazilian rosewood, Galbanum  Neroli, Bergamot, Citrus notes, Mandarin orange, Coconut
Heart: Jasmine, Narcissus, Tuberose, Ylang-ylang, Egyptian rose, Florentine iris, Honey
Base: Civet, Amber, Castoreum, Clove, Musk, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Precious woods, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Bay rum, Vetiver

Above you will see the new, modern bottle and the Givenchy site tells us they have reinvented their iconic fragrances and repackaged them as the Heritage Collection. I’ve not had a sniff of the new one so cannot comment on the carnage, if there has been some.

In my life though, on a friend’s recent FaceBook Sale post I saw (and bought for a song) a half full vint-ish tester. Just so I can waft around the house smelling like a ripe old diva (yes, this is how it smells on me, and I’m LOVING it).

This was Dominique Ropion’s first commercial fine fragrance! What a start. Fragrantica has his current release count at 357.

So let’s parse this unbelievably kitchen sink style perfume. Ysatis opens with an aldehydic citrus burst already full to overflowing with a tropical white floral extravaganza. It’s also quite animalic, even this early. Honeyed and boozy. It’s so full on, everything seems to be happening at once but it’s never cacophonous. It feels large, a bit overwhelming but structured and focused.

The heart is animalic floral with shy undertones of suntan lotion and cocktails. No one flower sits atop the bouquet, it’s a big. fat, sexy melange. Here is where my heart swoons and the heart has a most impressive lifespan. After about 40 minutes the whole fragrance softens considerably but still pumps out the gorgeous fragrantly. Base is a very lightly spiced amber/sandalwood and I think this bottle is old enough that there is still some oakmoss swirling around adding its fuzzy lustre. Until writing this post I’d always put Ysatis into the BWF category but it’s categorized as a Floral Chypre.

This is a no holds barred explosion of gratuitous fabulousness that would take a very secure man to pull it off, or a Drag Queen obvs. It’s built for an era of high octane perfume that walked into the room well ahead of the woman wearing it. Probably not office safe anymore and it would definitely clash with your ability to taste food. Projection, sillage and longevity are all off the charts. You are making a real time investment to smelling of Ysatis.

Did you? Would You Ysatis?
Portia xx

 

Y by Yves Saint Laurent 1964
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Y by Yves Saint Laurent 1964

Hi there Crew, Yves Saint Laurent is one of the big names in fashion that I’ve followed since childhood. When they took his first name from the brand it changed the way the houses name felt in my mouth. Suddenly one of the most forward, modern, beautiful fashion houses of the world sounded like a budget brand trying to be sophisticated. Saint Laurent sounds cheap and desperate to me, Yves Saint Laurent sounds like a couture house. Yes, you can disagree, we will still be friends. No, I will never buy anything with the label Saint Laurent.

Fortunately the beauty side of the business remains YSL and, of course, so do its vintage perfumes. Y has long been a favourite and a few years ago I stockpiled quite a bit of it. More than enough for two lifetimes even if it was the only perfume I wore. Since then I have sold or given as gifts over a litre of the EdT and still have enough to wear without being parsimonious; basically forever.

Y by Yves Saint Laurent 1964

Y by Yves Saint Laurent 1964

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes Green Notes Galbanum Honeysuckle Gardenia Peach Mirabelle Plum Heart: Hiacynth Orris Root Ylang-Ylang Jasmine Tuberose Bulgarian Rose
Base: Oakmoss Civet Vetiver Patchouli Sandalwood Benzoin Styrax

The reason I’m writing about Y? Well, on Saturday night I hosted a Studio 54 Hen’s Party. What else do you wear to a Studio 54 party than an aldehydic galbanum bomb floral chypre? So Y got the wear.

It was perfect. It helped me maintain my composure in the face of 50 screaming hens with no microphone. You have NO IDEA how much noise they made, it was bedlam. We all had a ball and my voice next morning was a croak.

Do you remember Y? Maybe you wear or wore it, or someone you know?
Let me know in the comments. I love to read your thoughts.
Portia xx

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Portia Loves: Opium by YSL

Hi there crew!

Opium by YSL! It was a game changer. This was way back in 1977, but I’m pretty sure it didn’t hit Oz stores till later. It was only the lucky few international travellers or women whose husbands travelled for business that got their mits on a bottle. It caused a sensation. The name alone was scandalous and the strength! It could dry clean your curtains if you wore a couple of spritzes too much. I remember my Mum thinking it was a ridiculous concept, and she didn’t like the smell at all. Yes, I come from a long line of snarky, judgemental bitches. It’s hereditary, and we are kinda proud of it.

I, on the other hand, thought Opium perfectly marvellous. I’m about 10 years old by now and had very definite opinions of my own about everything. Already the world was seen through the black and white lenses of divine and vile, there was no meh. Even then I would make pronouncements instead of having a conversation, and once my mind was made up, it took a truckload of evidence to the contrary for me to even think about changing it. These were trying times for all around me, and me. My poor born and raised in God-fearing country-Australia parents were manifestly unprepared for such a child. It was like two sheaves of wheat had found themselves parents to a very camp, ridiculously beautiful, passionfruit vine. Let’s not get started on the wilfulness either shall we.

Anyway, Opium. So, fast forward a few years, and it’s the late 1990s. I’m finally introduced to my BFF Kath’s Mum. She ONLY wears Opium by YSL. We are not talking a shrinking violet in its usage either. This is an above 100ml per year wearer of Opium. At that stage, it was still in the pared down variation of the original spray bottle and smelled like a hairspray version of itself. Still recognisable after a while but cheaper smelling and shorter lasting. Then it all changed – the bottle, the scent, everything. Dad bought Mum a couple of bottles that she wore but didn’t really love.

Not sure exactly what year I decided to keep her in the original, but it was 10 or more years. Every time I’d see a vintage bottle at a fairly reasonable price (and that really ain’t cheap anymore), I’d grab it. I also grabbed all the summer flankers, extraits, men’s etc. I’m nothing if not dogged and obsessive.

Meanwhile Mum’s health started to deteriorate, and she slowly went from being all gussied up and out and about every day to an invalid. Still, she would spritz herself wet with Opium each and every day. The whole house smelled of it as you walked through the front door. Wonderful.

Anyway, two years ago Mum went on to the next grand adventure. We sprayed the chapel, her casket, the flowers and the house with so much Opium it was like a fog. It was a seriously wonderful service, and I was asked to do the eulogy.

Kath took what Mum had on her bureau to wear as memory scent.

I have had the same couple of bottles out on display for wear for ages (Opium Posie de Chine and Opium Secret de Parfum). Due to the C19 Lockdown though I’ve been going through my perfumes and assessing their merits. Especially my multiples. The vintage YSL box got a going over a couple of weeks ago. I was more than slightly surprised at how much Opium has been amassed. So, I decided to sell some off. Four bottles have gone on to fresher pastures, gave one bottle to Kath as an extra backup and a pair still in the sale list. I took 20% off what I paid for them, and they’d only been spritzed to authenticate, but they were still no bargain. Quite a few bottles got binned through the purchasing process because there is a lot of fake shit floating around.

So here is my pared down collection at this moment. Yes, I know it’s still a shitload of vintage Opium. Yes, I know I’ll never use it all up. Yes, I know hoarding is an illness. No, I’m not bothered by your judgement, actually I’m so used to being judged, it feels normal and right.

Ta Daaaaaa! Here lies my shame for all to see. Isn’t it marvellous? I will also admit to doubles of Opium Secret de Parfum, Opium Posie de Chine and an extra EdT that was a chemist tester that had lost its spritzer and cap.

 

Back: all BNIC: Opium Eau d’Ete, Opium Pour Homme Eau d’Orient, Opium Orchidee de Chine
Middle: Opium EdT, Opium Secret de Parfum, Opium Posie de Chine, Opium EdT, Opium Fleur de Shanghai
Front: Opium Sparkling EdT, Opium parfum, Opium EdT

I am wearing Opium Fleur de Shanghai at the time of writing. All the glamour of Opium in a summer weight and very slightly sweeter.

 

OK, so now it’s your turn to share a vintage story or a memory in the comments please.
Portia xx