Faberge Aphrodisia

Aphrodisia can be found in two forms – there is the usual amber colored version, with reddish or orange cap, and there is also a green version, with a pale colored cap. They are supposed to smell the same. I am lucky enough to have both versions and cannot help but to test these together to compare. I can say the smell is the same, yes, but I prefer the amber because it is stronger, lasts longer and somehow smells richer. I don’t think its necessarily due to reformulation, however. I think it’s due to age. The red version I have is older than the green, and the liquid has become dark and thick, but oh my gosh, it smells divine. I think it’s a perfect example of how an old perfume can get better with age. This red-capped bottle is over 50 years old and still smells heavenly. It only seems to have become more concentrated, and somehow all the most beautiful notes have been magnified. If I had only tried the green version, I would still love it, it is just a slightly weaker version of my aged red version. It is floral, woody, sweet and rich, yet never too heavy, and I simply cannot stop smelling my wrist. Aphrodisia is quite possibly the richest, best smelling drugstore vintage I have ever smelled. It is labelled as a chypre floral, but I think it also leans towards the oriental category. The civet in here is so faint on me, I almost miss it, yet I can tell that without it, the scent would lose some depth. It makes me want to find and sample all of the old Faberge scents.

Funny story about Aphrodisia....I was in Junior High School and we were visiting my Grandmother, who was ill and in an Assisted Living Facility (she passed away shortly). Two of my Great-Aunts had given Granny perfume for her birthday. One was Avon Cactus Flower, the other was Aphrodisia. Granny only liked Muguet by Coty, so she asked my sister and me to take the perfumes (my Mom did not like either of them). My college-age sister grabbed the Avon, which was actually a light scent and more for teens, while I smelled Aphrodisia and said "I WANT THIS ONE!!!!". I wore it to school the next day, and the teacher sent a note home with me telling my Mom that this scent was "too adult for a little girl", but Mom did not make me get rid of it, she and Dad just bought me Skinny Dip (NOT Love's Baby Soft---read my review of that perfume!) and told me to wear that to school instead and save Aphrodisia for other occasions. I remember it as heavy, sweet,long-lasting, and "gourmand", as the term goes. I was so sad when it finally ran out, and then was discontinued. Correction: I guess "gourmand" is not the correct term, as this does not have food notes (other than fruit and honey), but to me the feeling was the same as a gourmand, in terms of richness.

What a stunner Aphrodisia is. After being a little bored with testing thin juices of late, I decided to explore some vintages and by good fortune, acquired a set containing Aphrodisia (1939), Tigress (1938), Woodhue (1944), and Flambeau (1955). I'm not sure how to date this set but this particular bottle is the same as the one above and it could only be as old at the latest release in 1955. Aphrodisia opens with the bright fizziness and optimism of neroli, bergamot and lemon. In fact, it reminds me so much of the aldehydes in Dolce & Gabbana's D&G with the red cap. The two are so close in their bright presentation of carnation with this composition finishing somewhat smoother. The oakmoss and gentle animalic nuances give this fragrance beautiful depth and sophistication, and along with amber, there is a happy warm 'tingle' all the way through. The classic flowers are superbly blended, but carnation remains the most prominent, with its characteristic subtle spice and soapiness. Overall, this has the feel of a woody aldehyde to me. I almost feel like passing on my Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere and hoarding bottles of this. Oh my... Aphrodisia is breathtaking...

Picked up a '50s or '60s vintage of this, in the little "Fabergette" box--pure perfume, in a beautiful little dabber purse vial, in its original box. This is a beautiful leathery chypre, with plenty of vetiver, oak moss (the real stuff, IFRA be damned!), and carnation. As much as I love love love this, I'm planning on giving it to my octogenarian MIL, whose own mother wore Aphrodisia in the 1950s. I don't mind the civet as much as I feared. This is the kind of sophisticated vintage chypre that smells beautiful on skin, fabric, leather, and fur. It's a bit like the original Miss Dior, but sexed up a bit. If Miss Dior is a debutante with perfumed hair and Italian driving gloves, Aphrodisia is her bookish older sister, who studied Classics at Radcliffe and practices free love.

This is awesome. Instant love. Mink and pearls add honey. The bottle is so cute with a beautiful heavy cap that's nice to use and doesn't feel cheap. Mine is 1 oz in an amber flacon with gold script "fabergé," must have been stored well. It still smells great and the top notes are not only present, but absolutely delightful. Seductive and flowery on top and fairly beastly musk on the bottom! Honey notes weave in and out. Just heavenly and the kind of thing I love to wear. Smells good throughout the year due to primarily being a musk scent, adjust quantity applied accordingly. What they used to call "colognes" are really quite akin to an EDT or edp compared to modern concentrations.