So it’s a brand new year and after a short break its time to get one’s nose firmly back to the grindstone (booo!). This year I am hoping to be more dedicated to regular posts on The Candy Perfume Boy after a slightly turbulent 2013, with reviews and routine instalments in my ‘Scent a Celebrity‘, ‘Guide to‘ and ‘Desert Island Sniffs‘ series. I’ll also be sharing my weekly Escentual column and updates on the hunt for my wedding scent with you – all-in-all, I hope for it to be a very exciting year!

One new addition to The Candy Perfume Boy’s roster in 2014, is the ‘Perfume Pic of the Week’. Starting today and running every Monday, I hope that this visual feature allows us to connect more and discuss all elements of perfume ranging from new and exciting launches to perfume advertising, bottles from my collection and anything else that is smelly and intriguing.

The inaugural Perfume Pic of the Week is an image of some vintage Shalimar Eau de Toilette I picked up in Tesco of all places (other supermarkets are available). My online snooping dates it as being from the late ’90s/early ’00s, but if you have a better estimate then please say. I’ve included the Shalimar here because a vintage purchase is most unusual for me, simply because I avoid the chase for vintage formulations as a general rule of thumb.

I have been introduced to many of the classics (Shalimar included) in their current formulations and for the most part like them just fine so don’t feel the need to track down the ‘optimum batch’, especially when the top notes are likely to smell off, as they do in many cases. Still, I don’t think tracking down vintage scents is an entirely pointless exercise, many people enjoy seeking out the rare, discontinued and the forgotten. But as a past time, it just isn’t for me.

So why did I pick up this bottle of Shalimar then? Well, as with most things I acted entirely on a whim and in this particular situation my impulsive behaviour paid off. I’ve long been an avid wearer of the Oriental Queen in the EDP and Extrait concentrations, often scoffing at the EDT for being a bit naff, but in this particular formulation the Eau de Toilette is a lighter version of the scent and still has all of the required ‘Shalimar parts’, in the right order.

To my nose, this Eau de Toilette has a brighter bergamot note that sticks around for longer, mixing with a stronger and more airy dose of iris powder. For the longest time, Shalimar appears as golden dust dancing in a beam of sunlight from a nearby window, so light and airy that it is invisible once hidden from the light. Shalimar is famous for its vanilla of course, and here I find it to be less creamy than the modern EDP but just as spicy and delicious.

Join the Discussion!

I’m glad I picked up my little (kind-of) vintage bottle of Shalimar and I’ve been giving it a lot of wear over the Christmas period. I’d like to hear what you think about vintage perfumes and impulse buys; what is your opinion of the hunt for vintage perfume? Do you have any significant vintage finds? Is there a particular vintage of a scent that you prefer? What was the last impulse buy you made? Let me know in the comments box below.

Disclaimer
Image is my own.