Vintage Perfumes From My Collection
By Jill Oliver-Fox Sunday, March 03, 2024 4711, clinique, Clinique happy, collection, dkny be delicious, guerlain, happy, happy heart, perfume, Shalimar, yardley, yardley london
I have been building up a perfume collection for a while now, and I realized not too long ago that a few of my scents have been around for decades. I thought I would give you a bit of a glimpse into a few of my vintage (20 years or older) scents.
I fell in love with Clinique Happy, maybe around 2004, or 2005. It had a citrus punch I like and I thought it smelled fresh. I feel I caught on around the time it was hitting really big because there were always sets with other scents like Happy in Boom, Happy Heart, and a few others. For about 8 years I wore it a lot and had full bottles as well as lots of Roll-ons I got in gift sets.
As time went on I drifted away and to other scents. That didn't stop me from keeping a few minis, and roll-ons, and in 2017 I treated myself to a mini spray trio set. I truly hate roll-ons, so a spray set was great.
I still love this vibrant fragrance and wear it a few times a month. Clinique launched it in 1998 and it was seen in the opening of Legally Blonde as Elle gets ready. It is a fruity floral with lots of orange to it. Happy Heart was the only spinoff I've ever really enjoyed, it has more floral notes to it.
4711 Original Eau De Cologne by Echt Kolnisch Wasserstein (1799)
This one is super new to me, but was created in 1799 in Cologne Germany. It has an ongoing history that is quite fascinating. I picked it up at the Lisa Cosmetic sale for $9.99 and didn't notice at the time that it was a tester. I could have bought a gigantic litre of it, but this seemed just fine.
I got interested in the scent after Jane Daly tweeted about it, but I couldn't find it anywhere. It seems to be huge elsewhere and more of a hard-to-find item here in Canada.
It's a super light unisex scent with lemon, orange, neroli, and bergamot in it. It has almost no lasting power, so splash it on generously.
Yardley English Rose Eau De Toilette (1997)
I love roses and Yardley's English Rose might be my favourite. It's simple and wonderful. It's also the one fragrance, that when I wear it my husband always says I smell nice. I like the compliment so I wear it, or its body spray often.
Yardley was founded in 1770, having celebrated their 250th anniversary in 2020. While in Canada you can only get their English Rose, English Lavender, and Lily of the Valley, you can get lots of other scents in the UK. Speaking of which, the brand has held many Royal Warrants since 1921 (currently holds one for King Charles III).
While their signature scent is English Lavender (created in 1873), they have had rose scents for pretty much just as long. Red Roses seems to be the name before this one was created in 1997.
This is a wonderful light rose scent with a bit of magnolia, citrus, and patchouli mixed in so that it it isn't heavy or make me feel sleepy. I find it works best with the lotion and body spray used in combination.
Guerlain Shalimar (1925)
Shalimar was launched in 1925, making it just shy of 100 years old. I happen to have the eau de cologne version, but it comes in many variations and has stood the test of time. It currently is Guerlain's flagship fragrance.
It has a powdery scent with bergamot and a whole bunch of other warm scents. It is definitely a classic scent that still holds its own almost a century later.
DKNY Be Delicious (2004)
I can't remember the first time I smelt this scent, but I do remember buying it at The Bay and getting a beach towel with it. I re-bought it a few times over the years, mainly at Estee Lauder warehouse sales.
The last time I had no intent because I had just redeemed a voucher for a full size of the Golden Delicious variety from a sampler I had. My friend wanted some at the sale and it was buy one get one free for a whole set, so I ended up with another full bottle and a mini. As you can see I've gotten a few other minis along the way too.
Launched in 2004 this scent is fresh and fruity as well as floral. Cucumber, green apple as well as tuberose and violet are in the mix and I find it quite refreshing. There are a few variations including Golden Delicious which is more woody and floral. As well as Fresh Blossom Delicious which has more floral and grapefruit notes to it.
The Body Shop White Musk (1981)
White Musk is probably The Body Shop's most iconic scent. In the '80s and '90s, The Body Shop had a whole line of fragrance oils, now only White Musk remains (I got a roll-on, but you can still get it in a bottle with a dabber). It (and many other of their fragrances) comes in eau de toilette, eau de parfum, as well as fragrance mist (and all the other body products).
The scent is light, and floral and has a musky to it that screams 1990s mall. The Body Shop also makes a few other variations of it, including a men's version.
So there you go, a few fragrances from my collection that have stood the test of time. I might do another showcasing some other classics like some CK fragrances or a classic drugstore option from my teen years, Exclamation. Let me know if you want to see more.
Do you have a favourite vintage fragrance?
