Hiya Perfumed Posse, Arpege has been part of my life since I can remember. One of the Aunties wore it and I have a memory of Mum having a bottle at some stage too, but that might be a confused memory mixed up with my Auntie. We used to love the Arpege ads and that tag line, Promise Her Anything but Give Her Arpege, was genius. Exactly the tag to pull the men in for birthday and Christmas buying. Even now, though a little less strident and a bit squeakier in the open, a modern Arpege bottle is wearable fragrance.
Arpege by Andre Fraysse for Lanvin 1927
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, aldehydes, peach, orange bloom, honeysuckle, orris
Heart: Rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, coriander, sensitive plant, tuberose, violet, geranium
Base: Sandalwood, vetiver, patchoulis, vanilla, musk
Today I wear the modern incarnation and Arpege still holds onto its memory, no it is not exactly the same as my vintages and has more of a nail varnish feel up top and the base feels less grounded and furry, less ferociously cuddly but I still smell great. Better than 90% of the other department store offerings and better that at least 30% of the niche.
Aldehydes give an oily metallic sheen to fruit and flowers so magically blended that I don’t want to parse the notes I just am happy here blissing out on the big, juicy, slightly outrageous gorgeousness that is Arpege, even today.
It’s a beautiful day in Sydney and I’m doing random cleaning in between blogging, the second load of washing is just about ready to be hung and I’ve fed and walked the dog. On Monday there was a special on Australian Brie at the supermarket and I bought half a round so lunch will be brie, canned beetroot, butter, pepper and pastrami on open toasted sandwiches with a cuppa (one of my favourite lunches of all time). MMMMMM. Life is quietly good.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
So, as a special treat to myself I’m going to add a generous few swipes of my vintage Arpege parfum and eat my lunch. It’s the little things that make some of lifes shit more bearable. When I spend a little time enjoying my great good fortune and floating away on a cloud of fragrance that it really does chase the blues away. I have a home (a bit messy and no show home), work (pays and I love it), food, friends, books, my dog, some lovely sunshine today and fragrance. Today I will count my blessings and WAFT on a raft of Arpege.
Here’s one of the old Arpege ads, enjoy!
Further reading: Now Smell This and Non Blonde
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml
If you liked this then come on over to AustralianPerfumeJunkies and continue the conversation there.
What is your current easy to find, easy to wear, reasonably priced, new or vintage love?
Portia xx
I love this fragrances!!
Howdy, dear! Sorry I’m late to the party, but it’s been super-busy these last few days. This lovely has a real nostalgia factor for me; a lady very dear to me wore it and I have always loved the beautifully simple but elegant bottle. Thanks for the reminder — I need to sniff it again soon. BTW, what exactly is this canned beetroot of which you speak? 🙂
Love Arpege; she and Y helped me to finally “get” aldies. I’m still not a huge, huge fan, but I can appreciate them overall, and really love them in Arpege, especially.
Sounds like we pamper ourselves in a similar fashion, although I am more apt to retreat to my gorgeously appointed bed with some music or a book, rather than take a bubble bath.
I love my bed & book time too Tammy, Currently there is no light strong enough above or near the bed so it isn’t as good as the bath for reading. Double the reason to wallow.
Portia xx
Last week I received a mini of the Arpege EdP, acquired sheerly because of the cuteness factor. I gave the juice a try, though, and while I was still not a fan of the aldehyde whomp at the beginning, the drydown was beautiful. “THIS is how you do it, kids”, it seemed to be saying…
HA! That is exactly what they’re saying. The new is a little screechy up top, it only takes 10 minutes to push through into the heart though, well worth the wait.
Portia xx
I liberated vintage bottles of Arpege and Tabu from my mom’s house when we were clearing it out prior to selling it. They must be 40 years old or more. I loved the Tabu (my dad’s favorite, mom said) but the Arpege isn’t quite me. Perhpas i need to try it again… Glad you’re enjoying it!
Hi there MaggieCat,
Tabu is so much more cozy and cuddly. Arpege is a bit more formal and aloof. Try it again but if you don’t love it don’t feel bad, it’s only fragrance, even though it IS Mums. Keep it as a scented message from her.
Portia xx
Yew. Smell. Divine! Your day sounds like my day yesterday. I worked out of the house, got a lot of filing done and did 3 loads of laundry. Quiet, late lunch with a rose lemonade. I am at the point where days ‘gotten done’ are just …nice.
love you. miss you!
xoxoxoA
Hiya Musette!
I totally get you. Getting a list finished is heavenly. Still working out my routine in the new apartment, it’s slowly coming together.
We’ll be back in the USA in 18 months, see you then?
Portia xx
Beets on a sandwich. I adore beets, but I’m trying to imagine that. (Sounds freaky to me, but then we Southerners have a beloved tradition of thickly-sliced garden tomatoes on white bread with a generous spread of mayonnaise – and you can forget Hellman’s, that’s just wrong – with salt and pepper. I’m quite aware that other people look at us funny for enjoying that combination.)
Arpege really is terrific, isn’t it? I used up a mini bottle of the modern stuff, but I am doling out my vintage parfum. In fact, autumn is the perfect time for it, so I ought to pull it out and wear it in this weather. The vintage is, how shall we say, A Bit Rich up top for me; I love florals but these are so ripe the petals are falling off stems and the vase water really needs changing. But that drydown! Oh, that lovely sandalwood-and-vetiver drydown. So gorgeous. And the modern version really can’t compare to it.
if not Hellman’s, Mals, then what mayo? xox
Duke’s, of course! JPG in a pinch. I think those are both southern brands… Duke’s has a good bit of vinegar in it, and to me it’s considerably less sweet than Hellman’s. It’s a regional thing. 🙂
I recently saw some videos on a Youtube channel called “Sh*t Southern Women Say,” by a collection of several women from Alabama and Georgia, and a good 80% of it sounds like things I heard growing up. (The other 20% is too mean.) Reason I bring it up is one short scene where two women are eating potato salad at a party, and after they taste it and exchanged appalled looks, one says under her breath, “She didn’t use Duke’s mayonnaise.”
(Found the vid here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUFL2GT1-2g The part I mean starts at about 1:46 and goes to 1:55.)
Hi there malsnano86,
I don’t like Hellman’s either. We have a mayonnaise here in Australia called PRAISE, I like that. My grandma made the best mayonnaise ever, from scratch. I never got the recipe from her which is a crying shame. Love thinly sliced garden tomatoes with equally thinly sliced onion, salt & pepper on fresh bread with lashings of butter. YUMMY!
I don’t have a modern parfum for comparison but one day I’d like to try them side by side to see how different.
Portia xx
An Arpege sniff-off with various bottles of it would be fun!
Arpege is one of my all-time favorites. My mother gave it to me for the first time on my 21st birthday, and I’ve gone through a dozen bottles since then. (This was particularly appropriate because the little gold illustration on the bottle is a mother and daughter.) Back in my 20s it was my signature scent. I bought a bottle of vintage off of ebay last year, and it still smells great. You’ve inspired me to wear this one today Portia. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.
Hey there DinaC,
What wonderful scent memories Arpege must bring you. I hope you wore it and it brought you happy smiles. Mums and their memories can be fraught.
The vintage EdTs seem to last better than the parfums, though I have a couple with wonky top notes that turn gorgeous in dry down.
Portia xx
Beautiful writing, Portia. I love Arpege and have it in modern as well as vintage. Wish I could join you for lunch. Looks wonderful!
Thank you Pam,
If you’re ever in Sydney we will do lunch. It was ridiculously delicious.
Portia xx
Lovely review, lovely lunch 🙂 I don’t think we have canned beetroot over here.
Since seeing the film, Arpege always makes me think of “A Single Man” and how it has such an effect on the main character.
I can imagine it really suiting you, Portia.
OMG! Tara, you MUST have canned beetroot. It’s the best thing EVER!
Pickled and sweetened, sliced in perfect sandwich filling slices. One of my favourite foods, yummy.
I haven’t seen A Single Man, one day.
I do love Arpege, suits me? Maybe. I wear it completely for me when around the house sometimes and love it.
Portia xx
Waft on a raft….love it!
He He he. Thank you for noticing.
Portia xx