Old perfume favourites

What decides whether a fragrance stays or goes?

Statistically, German women have an average of four to five different perfumes in their bathroom. But many feel the same as me: Usually there is a very specific scent that we are particularly attached to. If this favorite is then taken off the market, it’s almost a small catastrophe for us fans. And that happens relatively often: Of the approximately 400 fragrances that come onto the market in Europe every year, less than half survive the first three years. Why is it that some perfumes like “Chanel No 5” have lasted for decades, while others are gone after a short time?

Egon Oelkers, senior perfumer at fragrance manufacturer Symrise: “It’s a secret that’s difficult to decipher. But it is noticeable that most of the fragrances that became classics had something revolutionary and surprising when they were launched, and that alone made them stand out from the crowd.” “Chanel No 5” e.g. B. was the first perfume with a synthetic aldehyde note. On the other hand, one factor that contributes to the ephemeral nature of a fragrance is its ability to keep up with current fashion trends. This makes it very successful in the short term, because 70 percent of German women expect their fragrance to reflect their attitude towards life. But that’s exactly what’s changing with the zeitgeist – and in no time at all our interest in the fragrance associated with it is gone.

As in the case of “My Melody”, which hit the nerve of the 80s with its intense musk note. But musk is just as “out” today as shoulder pads and mesh shirts. We wouldn’t wear either anymore, although we thought it was great back then. We tend to long for the mood and the memories of that time – and a scent often acts like a taxi into the past. Because with every sniff, 5 million olfactory cells are stimulated, which awaken old feelings via the brain and catapult us back. The only question is: How do you find your scent again if it is no longer available for purchase?

Duftdetektive & Beauty-Friedhof

Hire a scent detective!

You probably have the greatest success in the search for Annette Lueer. The Düsseldorf native is Germany’s only “scent detective” and is constantly on the hunt for allegedly untraceable perfumes. With a high hit rate! “I often discover the scent I’m looking for in my private inventory,” says Annette Lueer. “But I can usually fulfill even tricky heart’s desires through my worldwide contacts to dealers and collectors. So I managed e.g. B., for the 90th birthday of a lover of ‘IA-33’, track down this Schwarzlose perfume from the 40s.” Incidentally, the scents that she is said to track down most often include “Venezia” by Laura Biagiotti, “Feu d ‘Issey’ by Issey Miyake, ‘Woman Two’ by Jil Sander and ‘Nuit d’Été’ by Joop. The latter in particular is difficult to find today because it was only on the market for a short time.

A catch from the net

If you’d rather try it on your own, with a bit of luck you’ll find what you’re looking for on the ebay internet portal. However, the risk of coming across an imitation or spending more than planned in the intoxication of bidding is relatively high here. A lover recently shelled out 80 euros for the drugstore fragrance “Moschus Wild Love” by Aok Nerval, which was produced in the early 1990s – around ten times the original value. Where you can look for your fragrance in an exchange service or mourn it together with other fans under the heading “Beauty Cemetery”. Sometimes members also offer to bring fragrances from abroad if they are still available there.

Scent anecdotes

The optics also count

But you have to be clear about one thing: the older the perfume you are looking for is, the greater the risk that it has changed its original scent even when unopened. But that doesn’t have to detract from the enthusiasm. Scent detective Annette Lueer: “I remember a case when a son wanted to give his parents the scent ‘Soir de Paris’ by Bourjois for their wedding anniversary, with which the father had proposed to the mother. I actually found a bottle, but it wasn’t fresh anymore. But that didn’t matter, because the mother confessed that she never liked the scent itself – just the bottle! So the gift turned out to be the hit of the day after all.”

Persistence wins!

Sometimes it’s also worth making a “missing report” with the manufacturer. As in the case of Lancôme’s “Climat” perfume, launched in 1967 and popular for its springtime notes of narcissus. “Many customers think that ‘Climat’ has not been available for sale for a long time – production was never completely stopped,” says Felizia Stroh, press officer at Lancôme. “However, ‘Climat’ is only offered in selected perfumeries and is therefore always sold out quickly. However, due to popular demand, this fragrance will be available again on a small scale from July.”