L'Aimant

My oh my... Vincent Roubert. What he did here. Captured intimacy of aldehydes!!! He forced the notes to play the symphony to him and not the opposite. He ruled. Not aldehydes. Feature of good parfumer. Trend dies. Style never. This is a style of perfume. Want the vulcano of aldehydes? Take Chanel 5. Want mastery and submissiveness of aldehydes? Take L'Aimant. Simple. (If you want both, take both. Like me) Let's be honest here. Nobody can explain how each of the mentioned perfumes happens with certain provable information. What we know is that both are made from the same. Two of the same, but which should be the one and probably one never existed from the two (Catherine the Great scent). We don't know. So we are left with perfumes marked with the same numbers from the same scent "factory" Chiris, which probably was not into protecting rights over inventions or claiming them. It leaked. Going into 2 directions. I won't go into who really invented these scents. I have my opinions but let's skip that... Aldehydes were nothing new, Guerlain had used them in the 1889 Iris Blanc, but what was groundbreaking was using them in such large quantities. As Houbigant did everyone wanted to somehow understand and "copy" the innovative trend. The only "magic" in the Chanel perfumes in my opinion are the aldehydes. In the magic ways, he was not a great nose. Beaux. That's my view. That doesn't mean scents "he made" are not nice, sophisticated, modern, feminine, wonderful... They are. But they are the same. Safe. Let's go further. I think, my nose thinks, they are the same. Chanel 5 and L'Aimant. Magic is in the use of the aldehydes and of course, the notes can behave differently under different growth seasons, and preparations... What later was done with both is the story itself but vintage formulas I think they are both of the same perfume the parent perfume Rallet N1. 1 origin. And that is not just my opinion... (let me add that many perfumes in that period played around with almost the same notes and different aldehydes powers. It was in a sense trendy). L'Aimant and Vincent Roubert are sophisticated and rule the aldehydes, while Beaux from Chanel is "brutal," not ruling aldehydes. He likes them powerful (or it was an assistant mistake, we don't know). Do I find that bad? No. I like both. The name means "magnet" in French and it was launched in 1927. Is it magnetic? YES. Very....wonderful fragrance. Alluring. L'Aimant definitely is for a confident woman, with notes of bright aldehydes (some in Chanel are dark! Love it), with a shot of citrus and bergamot hugging neroli. Calm geranium and vetiver, a fruit-laden heart with peaches and apricots, delicate florals of lily, orris, jasmine and roses (I am pretty sure same as Chanel), an animal base of musk and civet, over powdery sandalwood and warm ambergris. Hours later, I can still smell ALL flowers all over the amber and the civet. Wonderful. Animalic. L'Aimant was housed in numerous bottles over the years depending on what type of concentration the fragrance was made: Parfum, Parfum de Toilette, Cologne, Eau de Toilette, or Eau de Parfum. Some early bottles were made by Rene Lalique and Baccarat. But most bottles made after 1920 were made by Coty’s own glassworks in Pantin and his flacons were fitted with presentation cases made at his boxing factory in Neuilly. I somehow like all bottles. Not by quality. I like the design. Even if I firmly believe the bottle should stay always like the original one. Forever. Top notes: bergamot, neroli, peach, aldehydes, (cyclamen, hyacinth!! Have in mind that for example, the original Chanel 5 had many more notes, than one we can buy regularly these days). Here is the same case. Middle notes: lily of the valley, carnation, orris, geranium, orchid, Grasse jasmine absolute, rose, violet, and ylang-ylang. Base notes: patchouli, musk ambrette, ambergris, Siamese benzoin, Tolu, labdanum, Ethiopian civet, vetiver, Tibetan musk, Mexican vanilla, Mysore sandalwood, Venezuelan tonka bean and Virginia cedar. Allegedly. Beautiful. It's layered very nicely. Nothing is too much or too less. Similarity to Bois des Îles is absolutely there in the dry-down. It's beautiful. It's feminine. It's skin skin-close scent. It's elegant. It's private. It's egoistic. It's modern. It's timeless. It's animalistic. It's an escapade. It's timeless.

Welcome to the most unsettling afternoon tea in an Engish rose garden of which you will ever partake. Unsettling? Why? Well there's a killer at the table of course. Ever since Great Aunt Agatha popped her clogs of decidedly unnatural causes - unless you regard strychnine as a natural tonic that is - suspicion has swirled around the village. She had a fortune once after all, heaven knows how much is left of it and who will get it. And here we all are to hear who it was - if that old bat Madam Coty still has it in her to figure out the murderess in our whodunnit - for surely it was a female, poison after all is the woman's weapon. But it is so bloody hot. This Indian summer is unprecedented. That American woman all lipstick and nylons has brought champagne, pink champagne. Pop, the cork, the fizz, the acid aldehyde buzz. Who drinks champagne in this heat? At tea, in a dead woman's garden? But it would be rude to refuse. The tea roses are nearing the end of the season, after last week's rain they are near fermenting in this fervour. There's something nauseous in their scent and artificial - cheap Turkish delight left out too long in the sun. That American woman is applying powder, and spraying herself. Is she wearing No5? For godsake this isn't a speakeasy. Is the clotted cream on the scones turning in this temperature? Is it the confectioners cream in those slices? Something's off? Or is it just the vanilla smell of that permanently washed Australian niece who's turned up from nowhere and her husband, no, fiance, all woody eau de cologne and sportscar. The old bat has finished her tea - I get a blast: sweet Earl Grey. She pronouces... It was the gardener all along. Agatha was tired of subsidising his hot house obsessions: she wanted to raise the greenhouse to the ground sell off his orchid collection. He rouses his musty be-tweeded frame and makes a run for it. The officers of the law are waiting. Into the black mariah with him. That American snaps shut her her compact, impervious to the chaos and the Arizonan heat, she raises from the table. 'Well if that's sorted I have an engagement, with my solicitor. The arrangements for aunt Agatha's estate to be transferred.' She snaps a brisk military nod, smiles her red lipstick smile, 'If you'll excuse me.' She pauses, fixes her regard on me: 'Oh of course, I knew all along this was a very male sort of a crime, didn't you? I could smell it.'. This is a classic and subtle-as-a-sledgehammer murder mystery where the glamorous and genteel surface can do nothing to conceal the dark goings on beneath. It may all be roses and vanilla on top but that chemical opening and something musty if not downright musky going on down below lurk ominously. For once the bad woman gets away with it. A winner for women and the right kind of man who's not shy of a rose with thorns. Make sure you can get vintage or failing that the 'creamy skin perfume' and layer both with body spray for lethal effect. I'm a guy all at sea on an ocean of female fragrance - help me steer my path. Make suggestions as to what scents I should try out next at the thread 'what made for women fragrances can or should a man wear?'.

I fell in love with Chanel No. 5 at the Macy's counter, but I never really had the money to buy it. I bought a tiny bottle of White Diamonds upon discovering it was similar to No. 5, (at least the top notes, anyway). The intial blast of flowers and aldehydes are lovely, but the dry down smells like a strong combination of animalic musk and cinnamon, which sits very unwell on my skin and isn't pleasant. I recently had got a new job over the holidays for a short time, and on top of that, birthday and Christmas money, I wanted to finally save and invest in the 6 oz. bottle of Chanel No. 5, (which retails for $210!!!) The job didn't work out, so I didn't end up making a lot. I came to terms with the fact that I wasn't going to be able to afford it, so I began looking for something different. I've read countless reviews here and elsewhere how similar L'aimant is to No. 5. I've read that women on a budget in the late 20s and 30s would quietly ask at the perfume counters for the "No. 5 copy." Unfortunately L'aimant isn't sold in US stores by Coty anymore, but thankfully it is still sold and popular in the UK. I finally broke down and bought the 50 ml parfum de toillete, and waited very impatiently for it to arrive. It arrived in a very nice red and gold box. The perfume is encased in a beautifully designed glass flacon, with gold letters and a gold sprayer. Just the packaging and bottle look so high end, you wouldn't believe I only spent around $20 on it. When I sprayed it, I could not believe how similar it was to No. 5. Even though it's notes are a bit different than No. 5, it's all there: The aldehdes, neroli, and citrus. It's so far dried down to a lovely powdery floral smell. I always would say in my head, "one day I'll just break down and buy a bottle of No. 5" but now I don't think I will! I would rather invest more into the L'aimant line! Why spend so much money when this perfume is just as equally as luxurious and lovely as No. 5? I have no idea why Coty doesn't still sell this in the US! I must admit I'm a bit jealous of our friends across the pond, who only pay around £7 ($10 USD) for the same bottle. I recommend this to ANYONE looking for a good alternative to No. 5!!!

This perfume has been on the market for almost one hundred years for a reason, folks. It is a beautifully crafted aldehydic fragrance. Younger noses may not appreciate her, but she's the mother of comfort and safety for many, myself included. Much as so many of us associate 'Old Spice' with our beloved fathers, hands up who associates Coty L'Aimant with a beloved mother figure? You can see from the comments that lots of people do. As for myself, she reminds me of my favourite aunt who has always worn it as her signature, even as a young woman in the 60s. She had nine children and raised them alone after her marriage broke down. She was always strong and indomitable. No matter how tough things got, she kept going. Coty L'Aimant is the scent of tenacity and unwavering love to her children, to me, to her grandchildren and to everyone lucky enough to have her in their lives. I was blessed enough to be named after her and we have such a special bond. I hope this shows in some small way how important this perfume can be for the many people who associate it with a much-beloved matriarch. I'm wearing it tonight as I often do before I go to bed and my 11-year-old daughter (without fail) gets very snuggly with me whenever I wear it which is part of the appeal! She will be a teenager soon enough and I hope L'Aimant keeps all of my daughters snuggling me for as long as possible, especially the 11-year-old baby of the house who has always been an aloof tomboy. Please don't respect Madame L'Aimant by calling her a 'granny' smell. She is the scent of unconditional love. She is right up there alongside the greatest aldehyde perfumes of all time. Roll on 2027 so we can celebrate her 100th birthday. Silage and longevity are both wonderful. I get a good 8 hours wear from her and every second is a joy. Pricewise she is an absolute steal. I'd also urge you to give her a full wear over several days before passing judgement. She is a fragrance that must be worn adequately to be understood. Never sniff a perfume once and disregard it as a 'scrubber'. Give your sense of smell a fair chance to love or hate every perfume you try.

Blind amazing purchase. I had one guy I like to check his posts in Instagram and he love this one. After we have exchanged conversation I have decided to buy it. I am happy. Here is why! I know Chanel 5 really well I don't like Leau..but Eau de perfum is my fav right next to Misia. But L aimant. I didn't want to have copy of 5. I respect Chanel with her character... even if Coty was dreaming to be similar to 5... he have created amazing perfume even ... it's a little bit similar to 5. First spray is a very vintagy soap. To me its paradise because I use Santa Maria Novella soaps and it's reminds me notes from there so I am happy. The other thing... dry down. To me I feel Tonka and poudre and white flowers. If I can be honest with you- L aimant reminds me more Guerlain - in this scent I feel bergamot and tonka like Tonka Imepriale. With a difference... Coty have made a baby ... beans... Guerlain choose an old ones...and mixed it with powerful strenght in formula. L aimant is a very delicate, shy scent... I think someone who is a very shy will find it attractive because its truly smells innocent... after 30 minutes. The dry down smells powdery/woody covered with white flowers and sweetness. So answering question... is it like 5? Of course not.. these are two different characters with a similar soapy notes. I like them both... both are giving me cosy; clean and fresh time. I would say... L aimant is like ... pouder warm blanket- while 5 has a power.. and glory with his...classic tones and character. Even I purchase a lot of perfumes daily. This one I always have in my bag with me.

L’Aimant, one of the crowning jewels of the Coty house, and one of the final scents before Francois Coty’s death just 7 years after this creation was launched. This is one of the very few that seems to be in production, or at least is still sold in most places at a very low cost. With that in mind I consider this to be one of the best value for money scents on the market, however I was lucky enough to find a vintage EDT. This is a floral scent through and through, but it’s neither boring nor simplistic. It oozes femininity and class at every turn, pulling you deeper into its enslavement every time you wear it. A bright, hesperidic opening of bergamot and neroli is underscored by a peachy aldehyde note, before quickly developing a gorgeously delicate heart of ylang, jasmine and rose. There’s quite a prominent carnation as well which provides a much needed warmth and, almost spiciness. I do love this scent, it may not be my favourite floral of all time, and launching just 6 years after the great Chanel No. 5 I think it could have done a little better. But despite all of that I think it’s fantastic. A true vintage style floral - the first time I met Roja Dove he explained to me that this great scent was his inspiration behind A Goodnight Kiss, a scent which I consider to be one of the greatest florals ever made.

Coty L’Aimant seems to have a reputation for being similar to Chanel No. 5. I have to wonder which versions of L’Aimant are being compared to which versions of No. 5, as there seems to be numerous formulations of both scents. I have a bottle of L’Aimant from the 60’s and I find this vintage version to be a lovely floral aldehyde with one of the best drydowns I can think of, one of soft powder, musk, and sandalwood. Although it is similar to No. 5, I don’t find it to be a dupe of any No. 5 I have tried. The current version of L’Aimant is different from the vintage, a bit sharper, and the drydown not as nice, but still recognizable as L’Aimant. It’s quite similar to the current version of No. 5 EDP. L’Aimant is a bit less aldehydic, but has a very similar mix of florals to No. 5 EDP. Both seem to have been reformulated in recent years, and both have especially fallen victim to the overload of ylang ylang in their current formulations. I have to wonder if L’Aimant has been reformulated along the same lines as No. 5 by intention, to keep it smelling similar. I am a lover of aldehydes, so this almost-dupe of No. 5 is well worth the price in my opinion. I just wish it still smelled like my vintage bottle. I like the current version, but the vintage is true love.

Wow! A very happy blind buy and yet I am not a total stranger to L'Aimant. I have an uncle who used to work in a department store so for a very long time, my parents were given perfume and aftershave for birthdays and Christmas. Sadly my parents do not share my enthusiasm for fragrances and so these bottles were unceremoniously pushed to the back of bedroom drawers, the wardrobe shelf or the medicine cabinet. I grew up familiar with the bottles and the boxes and watched them become more and more dusty and forgotten and so I assumed like my parents did that perfume was something you buy for someone when you can't think of anything else. They were wrong and looking back, my uncle actually had great taste as every single perfume/fragrance he bought was a timeless masterpiece. It seems strange to buy a brand new bottle of one of these languishing old dusty ornaments that were a backdrop to my childhood. Almost feels forbidden to spray it on. And again, no disappointment here! What a timeless beauty L'Aimant is! I also now have the mature nose of a fragrance connoisseur to appreciate it! Completely understand the No 5 comparison but I can also detect L'Heure Bleue and L'Air du Temps also. An inexpensive masterpiece in perfumery.

So I'm an untrained nose, meaning that I don't notice differences right away and do the "smells like thing" quite quickly. To me, as untrained nose, this smells almost identical to Chanel Nr 5. It is a tad dirtier, meaning a tad more floral and less "clean/soapy" smelling. But other than that it's identical to Chanel Nr 5. I let my husband smell it right next to my Chanel Nr 5 sample and let him guess which is which. He actually guessed L'Aimant as Chanel Nr 5 as it has a slightly richer, more floral, scent to it. And as it felt richer and more complex to him, he thought L'Aimant was Nr 5 and he thought that Nr 5 smelled like a less complex, soapier version. How interesting. Meaning that for anyone who doesn't have a trained nose and also doesn't have Chanel Nr 5 as comparison right at hand, it will smell like Chanel Nr 5. To me it basically smells like Chanel Nr 5 with extra florals tossed in. It smells like Chanel did a flaker version of Chanel Nr 5 and called "Chanel Nr 5, Spring Blossom Edition". I bought 30ml for £4 on Ebay. Unbelievable price point. So if you want a more jazzy, floral version of Chanel Nr 5 and barely spend any money: Coty L'Aimant is your answer.

I got a vintage bottle at a yard sale for $0.25, totally sealed. It even came with matching body powder which I was stupid enough to discard. When I first sprayed it on I recoiled at the very old-fashioned aldehyde and powder bomb I was hit with. Scrubbed it. (This is the point when I tossed the body powder.) Sniffed the cap a little later in the day and realized it smelled AWESOME. It reminded me a little of Caleche, which I was coveting at that point. I knew I had to give it another try before I made up my mind. So I spritzed again and this time I let it soften... Delicious. It sort of smells like pie. Weird, maybe, but that's what I was getting. It starts out in a very "classic" way, and on my skin quickly mellows down to a clean but somewhat dusty floral. Light, gentle, and basically unexciting. Freshly showered, talc applied. Then, out of nowhere, it takes a turn and loses all traces of flowers and soap and cleanliness and takes on a heavy warmth, and a spiciness, with a hint of powdery sweetness like the well-baked edges of a pie crust. It's so strange and so amazing. And yummy.

I've now ordered all the Coty classics But this little beauty, and I can hardly wait! I am impressed with the Drugstore Queens still available from this line, even if they are in cologne formulations. When my bottle of L'aimant arrives, I'll give it a proper review.... Edit ~ Hurrah! This elegant lady is finally in my hands. She is as refined and subtle as the Chanel resemblance implies. I don't actually think she smells like Chanel No 5 in detail, but there is a definate connection in TYPE. The opening especially makes one think of No 5, but only as a passing thought. So far, I have the strong impression of yellow roses and finely milled French soap. It begins as an almost cold floral, and then warms on my skin. Truthfully, this could be warm or cool, depending on your chemistry. Definately an old - fashioned floral, redolent of a grandmothers and young debutants alike. Time travel in a bottle!! Update ~ I've given mine away to a dear one and am now in the market for another.... swap me?!

The sparkle has not faded in this bottle I have of L'Aimant EDT. The aldehydes remind me that this is Coty's take on the Chanel No. 5 concept, but L'Aimant feels pale (not wan) and creamy, charmingly bookish, an erudite fawn to No. 5's glamour puss. I respond much better to L'Aimant, and imagine it to have a copy of Miss Lonelyhearts on its dressing table. For some reason, the sensation I get from it seems coral-colored. A peach soap-bar, lathered into a yellow flower soufflé, a light red strawberry lilt, leaning into a rose geranium conserve (I have long thought the flavors of strawberry and geranium would be delicious together). The dry down is heartache-level nostalgia, hauntingly bedpost-musky with whispers of custard-cream florals, delicate yet ever-present. Tolu, benzoin, and tonka speak to its lineage—its older sibling L'Origan. It's sweet and soft, an exquisitely vintage treat.

This is not at all the kind of perfume I usually go for, but I am writing a story that takes place the year it came out and thought it would be inspiring to experience some perfume from 1927, firsthand. The price was right, the bottle is gorgeous- SO art deco, and the fragrance honestly knocked me off my feet! It’s something I can see myself wearing a lot, especially in warmer weather. It is very clean and pleasant. The peach and bergamot are there in the opening and it isn’t overly floral, which made me happy because I tend to prefer gourmands over florals. The vanilla and musk base are present, but have a different feel from contemporary perfumes. I wanted to make the peach stand out a little bit more and as an experiment used some Caress peach and orange blossom soap in the shower, followed by Nivea peach blossom lotion, applied L’Aimant lightly and smelled like an absolute dream!

My mother never actually wore perfume, but she did receive a few bottles of L'Aimant in the 50s and early 60s. They were unopened, in one of her dresser drawers, and I never actually was able to smell it. She did however, use the body powder. When my mother moved a few years ago, I was given those bottles of L'Aimant. Although I'm not generally a fan of classic Coty fragrances, this one really stands apart from the rest. It's feminine and floral, with just a hint of musk. I find it difficult to distinguish the individual notes, but the overall fragrance is really lovely. And of course, it reminds me of how my mother used to smell wearing the dusting powder, which brings back a lot of good memories. I have not tried a new version of this fragrance, so I can't speak to that. If you are a fan of the modern L'Aimant, I recommend finding a vintage bottle, and giving it a try.

I don't know why it took me so long to try this perfume, I'm consistently impressed with the old Coty perfumes, and I love wearing Chanel No. 5... Alas, better late than never. My bottle is brand new, and smells pretty damn good. In terms of L'Aimant being a budget friendly No. 5 alternative, this is the closest thing I've found to Chanel. The differences are noticeable, but relatively subtle. The aldehydes register as "waxy" moreso than "airy", but the indolic ylang-ylang and jasmine satisfy. The Chanel EDT base is mostly warm & woody, with santal and orris, whereas L'Aimant uses a lot of vanilla and musk. Not an edible vanilla, think of an old-fashioned, talcum powder vanilla. For $15? Fantastic. The chintzy art deco bottle fills me with little girl joy. I have a vintage "made in France" EDT, but I haven't opened it. I'll have to compare it to the modern formula.

Scouting in the Boots bargain section for a fragrance to try I stumbled across this gem. Wow! It seemed so familiar, my first impression was of L'Heure Bleue. A later test revealed they are not too similar except for that vintage vibe, but I knew it reminded me of something. I snagged a little 15ml bottle of L'Aimant for less than five pounds. So impressed by this, and for the price it's unbelievable. Soft, feminine, and classy, with a vintage feel that isn't overpowering. Longetivity is decent, better than some pricier perfumes I've tried. Even the Art Deco style bottle is a keeper. I was curious about the comparisons to Chanel no. 5, but it had been that long since I smelled that perfume I had to seek it out to do a comparison. Yes, they are very much alike. The Chanel has more depth as you might expect, but L'Aimant is a fantastic little budget alternative.

Can't tell you how excited I was to spot this for $15 in Chemist Warehouse! I've been thinking about blind-buying it online for a few years now, ever since I read that it's meant to be a Chanel No. 5 dupe, and read all the reviews here. The version I have is the Parfum de Toilette in the diamond-shaped bottle in the coral-pink box. To me it doesn't smell as much like anything from Chanel (maybe that reflects the number of reformulations and iterations No. 5 has had over the years) as it does Estée by Estée Lauder, which I once bought on impulse and adored. People would always compliment me on it, even though it was quite a powdery, old-fashioned scent. L'Aimant has that same powderiness, which I suppose is the aldehydes, but the rose and jasmine seem to dominate in my nose, with a warm,, silky musk underneath. I find this very feminine and glamorous.

Yes, legend has it that this was made to the same recipe as Chanel No. 5, and deliberately under-priced so that people would forget all about Chanel. But, the exact opposite happened: although L'Aimant was very successful, it also succeeded in increasing the demand for Chanel No. 5, the real luxury perfume -- a curious scenario in which the competition ends up actually helping your sales. So, although she was furious with Francois Coty, (a one time pal), Coco Chanel ended up laughing, all the way to the bank, literally! I can vouch for the fact that the 2 scents are identical. If anything, L'Aimant has slightly MORE lasting power. So, if you use L'Aimant body spray, talc and body-cream after your shower and then have a spray of Chanel No 5 parfum de toilette as a top-layer, nobody would ever guess you were wearing two different scents.

This is a lovely vintage perfume. If you like Chanel No. 5 I HIGHLY recommend trying this. It is about a tenth of the price, in a beautiful bottle and is very similar. To my nose the difference is that this is dryer and less floral than No. 5. It does not have the sillage (which is a blessing in my mind) so it is more wearable for every day wear. Lasts reasonably well and the brash aldehydic opening settles down into a comforting almost powdery vintage fragrance. Looking at the notes listed above I get the top and base notes more than anything in the middle. I am very sensitive to geranium in perfumes and it usually makes me gag if I detect it. Thankfully not present to my nose! Highly recommending if you are open to the more vintage scents. For the price point it's worth it - even if you just end up displaying the lovely bottle!

I have a NIB 1.7 Parfum de Toilette from Fragrancnet, just received today. It does not look like the main photo to this page. It's kinda like a seashell shape? The six-sided clear glass shape. (2 of 4 above) I also have a vintage splash of PdeT. A long glass bottle with a flower metal cap. And honestly I prefer the modern/recent. It's the same scent, but fresher and stronger than the vintage (which may have deteriorated or gone stale? Don't get me wrong, the vintage is awesome, but I won't spend for vintage when the current PdT is really really good) Overall, a fresher take on Chanel No. 5- cleaner, soapier, sweeter, sparklier. I really like this. While the 50ml PdT is $11-12, I think I'll grab a couple backups. Very easy to wear and pleasing.