Alexandra

I'm reviewing the vintage Alexandra here, the one with the dark bronze/amber juice, not the one pictured with the light yellow juice. I have no idea what the newer stuff smells like. The vintage stuff was probably made at least to 2000, when I bought my bottle. You want the one in the nearly square bottle with the square paper label on the front, not the one with the name etched or painted at an angle directly on the glass. A quick check of eBay shows they're still around, today (October 20, 2019) at least. Original Alexandra is a fabulous woody, take no prisoners chypre. And one that never got enough recognition. It was largely a femmie floral perfume world in 1979. Light rosy, lily of the valley, spritzy, cheerful, optimistic. If you wanted something heavy, gardenia fragrances were just coming in. Oh chypres were around, but if you wanted to wear a scent with a more daring patchouli theme, you went for an accepted fragrance, like YSL Opium. One that was advertised in every woman's magazine, so no one would miss that it was out there. I don't recall much of an ad campaign for Alexandra. Their other two main fragrances, No Regrets and Enigma, got more notice, but I think Alexandra is the superior fragrance. I am not a big cosmetics buyer and theirs wasn't a major manufacturer, so it would have been easy to miss it. To my nose anyway, Alexandra is a truly sophisticated adult woman fragrance. It definitely doesn't work for a 20-something; it's way over her head. Soooo not a bubbly girly perfume. You can read the notes as well as I can, and they're probably for the newer stuff. But they seem similar to what's in the vintage stuff. It's a big rose vetiver patchouli bomb, one that comes on strong for at least 4 hours and fades over a 7 hour period. Now that so many woody, oudy fragrances have arrived, fragrances like Alexandra should get more notice. Well, they would if they could somehow pass for niche fragrances instead of old school perfumes on cosmetics counters. Imagined degeneracy always works when selling perfumes, so here's my vision. I think it was meant to be worn by a woman over 45, who had been around a bit. Alexandra came out in 1979, an era when women still smoked some. I always pictured it being sold to women who smoked in bars, went to jazz clubs, wore red lipstick, and had been married a couple of times. Sort of a Marlene Dietrich type. But I suppose that perfume market has been covered by Tom Ford. So Alexandra will slip by unnoticed again.

At first I've found it weird, strange, not similar with anything at all on my memory - strong sage and marigolds - daring and expensive-smelling from a rich woman, I have found it unwearable for me. In first days. But I kept trying. On third day I applied on the clothes. around 6 pm on the evening. Next day, same time I put those clothes on, completely forgot, what it was, the smell was soooo beautiful, tender, but persistent, enormous longevity and completely another transition from weird marigolds towards herbal-rich-woody-based solid Something Wonderful. So I applied Again. On this time on my neck. Oh, my! I started to smell narcissus, CIVET, honey, that I was longing for, simply it's hard for brain to admit, that the framing was so different, we more and less used to same and same note combinations and perfumery-solutions, even if we try lots of niche and vintages. Still something out of the crowd startles us full stop. I declare myself in love with this fragrance now, it is different from everything I ever owned and loved! P.S. Do not buy modern bottle, only the one from 1998, they have nothing in common.

Original...woody, smoky, powdery and kind of a '70s style fragrance. I like it, it's mysterious and subtle, soft and addictive. An interesting and original addition to any fragrance collection. There's an unspoken elegance to this fragrance, and because it's not mainstream, I think serious perfumistas will enjoy the uniqueness of this fragrance.

I just reacquainted myself with this gorgeous stuff last night. Oh my!! It's a beautiful floral chypre (I think, I have no info on this) which I would compare to Agent Provacateur, or Diva. Beautiful, clean, rosy, sumptuous interpretation of patchouli. I'll write more about it once I have a chance to settle in with it again.

Vintage dries to a burning candle... Excellent. Mrs. Mandrakis from When a Stranger Calls wears this.

Another reference guide lists the Top Notes as Marigold and Iris, and includes Civet in the Base. This is a perfume that goes straight to the heart-literally. It possesses none of the usual Top Notes that bring an airy, bright note to a perfume. It is a beautiful and boozy blend of deep florals and spice. I do imagine there is Marigold, as the perfume has a spicy note throughout that is very pervasive and tingly. I also suspect there may be neroli oil in there somewhere. The Rose is most certainly Damascean, as it is deep and warm. Jasmine provides a syrupy sweet quality, all of which is mounted atop a predominantly Patchouli and Sandalwood Base. The resinous Patchouli continues the hard-driving nature of this scent into the drydown, but it is tempered by the soft round incense of the Sandalwood. There also seems to be some Vanilla in the base, but the Vetiver is nowhere to be seen, likely overwhelmed by the other power-notes. I imagine without it, though, the drydown would seem almost too hippie for modern taste. A very grownup and wintery perfume. Nicely done, with good balance and a compelling composition. Very daring to use the difficult marigold and the temperamental Narcissus in one perfume.

I had a complimentary sample sent to me once when I ordered ADEM's foundation makeup. It is absolutely divine! But, like the makeup line, it is not cheap. Oh, my fellow fragranticans, ADEM's Countess Isserlyn Makeup (I use the liquid in the summertime, the creme in the winter), is the best foundation I have ever used. I started using it in the late 70s & have kept using it for my "perfection" foundation because it is much more forgiving with aging skin, large pores & looks like dewey skin. My gorgeous X-Mother-in-law wore all things de Markoff exclusively & she often gave me the gleanings to enjoy. EVERYTHING this company makes it fantastic! It wasn't the foundation of choice for the early stars filming for the screen for nothing! Fragrances are high end quality, too!

I have two bottles. The first is a golden juice that is a soft floriental; the second is a darker amber juice that is a vintage powerhouse and is an herbal chypre with sage and rose that reads like chamomile, patchouli and vetiver, lots of sandalwood and I smell oakmoss.