Aliage

It’s hard to imagine today Alliage as a sport fragrance. For starters, are there even sport fragrances marketed to women today? And what is marketed for men is a synth wood/watery/metallic mess. That or a sweet, Axe/body spray dud. Well, back in the good ol 70’s, Lauder envisioned Alliage. A sport fragrance for the dynamic woman that loved the outdoors, exercised, and even in a sweaty environment, acknowledged the need to smell good. On a man? Simply dashing! Alliage works wonders for me. At first I thought that my bottle might have been changed by the passing of time (I have a 70’s bottle of Eau d’Alliage) but with subsequent wears, I realize that this is the smell of it and what Lauder envisioned. Alliage smelled today, is far more butch and masculine smelling than 99,99% of men oriented releases. It’s green, piney and leathery. It’s full of the herbal bitterness of wildlife, forests, countryside and even the coast. Pine, conifers and resins atop flashes of lemon and bergamot. Galbanum is BIG here. It’s the main star, with heavy and hefty doses of moss, musk and lavender. It is utterly refreshing and revitalizing, and I can’t help but wonder that Jean Martel drew inspiration for his seminal Paco Rabanne Pour Homme a year later. Alliage isn’t floral. It feels more like a cousin to Bandit and Cabochard in a more thumping American way. I can totally see a woman wearing it to a tennis match, a polo match or horseriding. There’s leather lurking underneath, with some heavy nitromusks, a very pronounced vetiver, and a gentle shaving cream accord that many I’m sure, appreciated well outside the sporting field. It’s dynamic, vivid, calming and luxurious all at once. The simple angular bottle with its ribbed silver cap fits it perfectly. Even as an edt, it boasts, like all Lauders, impressive tenacity and sillage. It definitely holds to a full day of activity, with a freshly bottled freshness I’ve come to discover hidden under its deep green and brown facade! Today, it works as a perfect masculine fragrance as well. It always did, but fragrance gender is more blurred today than it was 4 decades ago; today, the genderless quality of perfume is more celebrated. The sad thing is that 99,99% of younger (and not so) people today, would probably frown their nose at it and dismiss it as an ‘old lady’ and ‘old man’ smell. Bad for them, better for anyone of us who can appreciate it. 9.5/10!

Estee Lauder’s Aliage is a determined and admirable attempt to bottle sporting summertime and make it available all year round. As orderly and well managed as Centre Court on finals day, this is a fragrance marshalled with ex-military precision. The opening is a brisk moss lawn made brilliant by warm sunshine. There are hints of citrus and a slightly malted fruitiness that tries but never succeeds in deposing tart as the chief mood. This green persists throughout the heart and is without doubt the main accord, a definite resinous pine becomes apparent and then yields somewhat to vetiver. There is a distant spiciness and a definite element of powder, but these seem medicinal, belonging far more to the locker room than the beauty parlour. The dry down is more a three set match than five and seems to end quite decisively in a tie break that takes one almost by surprise. All in all Aliage is a miraculously summoned up ray of sharp sunshine available on any day. In the midst of foul weather we should all be truly grateful that such things exist. ************* This is without doubt a game suitable for mixed doubles. Notice Aliage has recently regained its missing ‘l’ and once again become ‘Alliage’. Sadly in so doing it seems to have lost much of its vigour and derring-do. Catch the old magic where and while you can.

Aliage, 'new' (May 2012 batch) vs. 'vintage' (poss. late 90's/early 00's) The older Aliage is so amazingly green, 3D green, like balsam/pine essential oil and camphor, forest air, a mulch/soil drydown, for more see my other review a few down. The new, when compared side by side, relies far more on woody notes than pine and green notes. Shockingly, I smell MORE oakmoss in my newer bottle (listed fairly high up in the ingredient list, as well as treemoss further down.) I can smell the oakmoss from top to bottom, as well as the fresh spicy nutmeg, rosewood, cedar, and vetiver, with a hint of peach. The lush, camphor green is present as a ghostly sidenote that occasionally weaves in and out, but does get stronger the longer you have it on. I actually enjoy my current bottle very much, as much as the 'old' Aliage, but this is an example of a perfume truly changed by reformulation, vs. small tweaks over time. Side by side they are not even recognizable as the same perfume. I read with interest Assiduosity's edit that Aliage is being reformulated yet AGAIN, this time I would guess not for the better, and I went to the Estee Lauder website for another bottle of one of my favorite perfumes before it is gone--alas they are already out of stock of Aliage, maybe waiting for the new reformulation to come in?

Very gratified to read TillyWave's review of this fragrance, because I was not aware that it had been reformulated. I used to wear this almost exclusively in the 1980s, occasionally switching to Prescriptives' Calyx or Joan Collins's Scoundrel (I know, I know, it was Revlon!) and when I recently purchased a new bottle of Aliage, I thought I'd gotten old stock or something. It smells like a very, very concentrated version of the old formula, but without the green, citrusy notes. The old Aliage was more aldeyde than chypre, as well. I still like the fragrance, very much in fact, but it's not the love affair I had with the original Aliage. Lots of reviewers (good reviewers, too!) are calling this scent "green," but TillyWave is right. If you had smelled the old version, this isn't the same green. The new formulation is spicy by comparison. The original was better.... significantly better, but this is still nice in a heavier, more subtle way. I miss the grassy notes. Miss them a lot.

I'm testing both the vintage and current formula today, wrist to wrist. At first speay, they're very similar, but the vintage version is sharper and greener. They start to show very different notes within a minute or so after application. The current version has noticeable wood notes and comes across as more earthy and a little bit soapy. They both have a kind of camphor/menthol note in the background, although it's more pronounced in the current version. I smell no floral notes in either. Yep, after some wear, the difference is very clear and they are two different fragrances. The vintage version is a green dominant chypre fragrance, and the current version is a wood dominant chypre-ish fragrance. I like both, but am more drawn to the vintage version because it's so very, very green. My husband likes the current version because of the wood and camphor-ish notes. Staying power is weak on the current version, but the vintage lingers quite a while and stays green the entire time.

@MLHaskell, it's not you. You haven't changed, but Aliage has. I wore this during the Summer of 1985, right after I graduated from high school. I also continued it into my first real job later that Fall. I can't tell you how many guys adored this fragrance. I had many questions about it. Back then, it was a bright, fresh, natural and green fragrance. There was nothing like it. I smelled the reformulation several years ago, even before they put them in the "House of Lauder" bottles. It was most definitely, not the same fragrance. Gone was the clean green sensation, and it was replaced with something totally different, almost a staleness. I was so disappointed. So, it's definitely not you. The fragrance has changed. It's just not the pretty perfume it used to be. I think I might order a decant of the original formula from Surrender to Chance, like dismalharmony did. I really miss Aliage.

Aliage--the first perfume that made me a perfume lover! I must say I was afraid to sample this again after about 40 years of not smelling it. How could it possibly live up to my memory... several other vintage scents that I have re-tried decades later have been disappointments. But THIS! Holy cannoli it was every bit as unique and powerful and envigorating as I had hoped. It is just its own very specific, highly unusual creature which means much more to me now having tried several hundred other scents since I the last time I owned this. If you are looking for something very outdoorsy and very much what a bad-ass-boss-lady (or guy!) would wear, then this is a gem. I probably won't buy a bottle on ebay or anything cuz I'll worry about the condition of the juice... but I absolutely will order more decants of it. It is love all over again.

l haven't been able to buy Alliage anywhere for years. When l suddenly remembered about it and started looking for it in the net l discovered that there are two kinds. The 70s original "Alliage" and a later reformulation "Aliage" (different spelling). l cannot compare them now since they are not to be found in Europe but there are many articles in the net saying that the smell is definitely different now. l remember only the old "Alliage" since my mother was using it in the 70s and it was really strong, apparently even too strong for some. Somehow it reminded me of black pepper. The reformulation, as they say, has made it softer and more flowery. l cannot forget the old 'Alliage" - it was beautiful. Despite the fact that it was so many years ago l can still remember the smell very well and l would definitely recognise it instantly.

So apparently Estee Lauder has redesigned the bottle for Aliage, among a number of its older landmark fragrances like Cinnabar and Azuree, and has unfurled a new marketing campaign that showcases these scents. Where I live it probably won't arrive for a while, if at all. Can anyone who lives in the US - I'm assuming that is where the launch is taking place - have a sniff and let us know if this is yet another reformulation, a return to the vintage juice (too good to be true, I know) or just the same stuff that they market now in a refurbished bottle? Aliage was my very first scent and to this day I haven't found anything that compares with the wonderful original scent. I miss it so much.

When I was in college, I rented a room from one of my profs in his big house. He had a younger, very beautiful girlfriend who stayed over sometimes. She wore this and smelled fantastic. She turned me on to Grape Nuts too (lol)!! She would shower in the morning, spritz on Aliage, then go downstairs for a bowl of Grape Nuts (Isn't it funny the things you remember?) I think this was the first designer perfume I ever bought, even as a poor college student. These were the days of Calvin Klein designer jeans and white, silk button down blouses. Now, when I wear this gorgeous perfume, I always think of her. Spicy, delicious, and beautiful! LOVE IT!

I have an older bottle, not exactily vintage, but maybe 90's version. Dark deep and positively unisex, with a heaping dose of a dank northern forest dripping with oakmoss on a murky spring day, when it's been warmer and raining and bringing out all the flavors of the earth. At times bitter and camphourous and yet sweet, in the way that these rich perfumes can be. There is debate about labeling perfumes as winter vs summer, but I wore Aliage on a summer day and it was overwhelming--I almost felt ill from wearing it. A colder day is better for wearing Aliage, it settles much better, and its dark deep notes flower better that way.

This fragrance is incredibly crisp and green, refreshing without being insipid. This fragrance demonstrates one possible path to "freshness" while avoiding the Scylla of "bracing to the point of assault" and the Charybdis of total banality. Aliage has that sort of preppy-dykey 70's vibe of a woman looking great in an athletic and fresh-faced way, in spite of an unflattering haircut and shoes. I suppose that image was planted in my brain by viewing the old ads but trust me, it's quite apt. I appreciate Estee Lauder for keeping this fragrance alive and available.

mschnabel666- I have the same bottle. I purchased it sometime in the mid to late 2000's. IIRC it was quite soon after they changed the bottle from the original shape. It is, unfortunately, not the vintage version of Aliage but a reformulation and very inferior to the original. Yes, it is more masculine and more bitter. Earthy rather than green as it used to be. I can not wear it and my husband really does not care for it on me either. I only keep it in my collection as a reminder and a commemoration of the fragrance that I once loved.

Lately started trying some fragrances targeted for women, to expand my collection and horizons. I was able to get a decant of Aliage. It's very nice, definitely more of a unisex fragrance. In fact, it reminds me of another "masculine" fragrance from about the same time frame (early-mid 70s): Grey Flannel. For me, Aliage actually comes across as a greener, more-masculine version of Grey Flannel. Will be an autumn/winter scent for me, especially for more formal occasions.

Aliage is now a corpse scent . It used to be vivacious . It can barely be recognized . It is flat and boring . Estée Lauder continues to destroy the rich , complex, and long lasting scents that Estee produced in her lifetime . Do they think teens are going to buy Aliage anyway ? Hard to understand their logic . This is now a BORING perfume . If they hatchet Beautiful and Youth Dew, they can kiss American women goodbye as customers.

I was just rereading some of the reviews here (to procrastinate) and anyway... many of you are upset about the reformulation and so I’ll suggest ordering a decant from Surrender to Chance, if you’re in the US. What I bought from them seems to be just what I remember from the 70s. It made me so happy!

Love crisp, cold, green scents. These hold some of my earliest scent memories when I first fell in love with fragrance. Cristalle, Chanel 19, and my Aliage. Love these crystal beauties. Love wearing them in the dead of winter to breathe in the cold air and catch snowflakes on my tongue.

I had Aliage around 10-15 years ago. I could smell mainly the nutmeg and cinamon. It did not sit well with me, I put it in my parents' bathroom and then I realized that I would prefer it on men. And since it's such a classic I see it as a work fragrance for winter.

Aliage is a very underrated scent. I personally think it one of Estee Lauders best second only to Youth Dew. It manages to be a very green scent that is also rich & sensual , a combination that few perfumes accomplish. I have only tried the vintage version however.

Oh how much I loved this! I wish it was still around.

Another mind bending perfume from Estee Lauder. I expected ultra green and pine but I wasn't expecting spices and florals. This opens with roaring green galbanum that holds center stage for several minutes. As it begins to soften the pine, vetiver and wood become detectable and delightfully chilling: the kind of snowy day where it looks like air full of crystals. The juice then performs an extremely clever magic trick: unlike perfumes where the citruses disappear in the first few minutes, here they appear about half an hour in with the florals and spice. Caraway is here to maintain the chill but there's also nutmeg and cloves which give off soft soapy whiffs occasionally. The drydown evolves into an almost sweet floral that lasts for several hours. At this point you need to get very close to find the sharpness. (It's so well done and unusual that I've spent a fair amount of time with my nose on my wrist today.) I didn't expect to like this--I just wanted to check it off my long list of recommended perfumes. Instead I'm in love and have added Aliage to my short list of complicated bottles of art. BTW, no one has mentioned that this is a KICK BUTT unisex scent. Sillage: 2-3 feet Durability: 4 hours and counting Fabulosity: a perfect snowflake Price to value ratio: very good 9/10 Note on the "sport" mystery: there is only one version of the perfume and all boxes say "sports spray". It seems that this was done to emphasize the coldness but it dropped out of the marketing at some point. The confusion is further compounded by the name being spelled with two "l"s in The Guide.

Oooh...Aliage. For a long-time chypre lover like myself, it's one of the few 'casual' versions of the form (other than Y by YSL and Gucci no. 3). My earliest memory of it was getting it in a box of old perfumes from my great-aunt, who was apparently getting rid of her Estee Lauder stash (my mom snagged the White Linen and Estee). I was completely freaked out by it: it did not fit my conception of 'feminine fragrance'--ladies in those days wore Chanel no. 5, or Opium (my personal fave of preadolescence), or Shalimar. (People also smoked much more, life was generally much smellier, and no one cared if they offended you with their fragrances.) My mind read it as 'aggressively vegetal'; not at all floral or sweet or spicy. I could not figure out why you'd want to smell like vegetable stock, and not Opium (or White Shoulders, or Island Gardenia!), but it was so quirky and genderless, so *seventies*, that I never forgot it. I was desperate to get a bottle recently, and I was so happy to find that Estee Lauder still carried it at the counters. The SA was baffled by my interest in it (she admitted she was a 'fruity-floral type'), but I told her my anecdote about my early experience with it, and she agreed that it has its diehard fans--and gave me some extra samples for being so excited to try it again. It's a fragrance I use sparingly, occasionally--I actually like it better in colder weather, when the green and wood and moss really pop. Definitely a scent that either gender could use (I'm trying to get my husband to try it, since he wears sweeter scents well).

Quite besotted with Sensous Noir and Wild Elixir...I decided to go to the EL counter and give some of the good old-fashioned ones another sniff, or two... Aliage really surprised me! I like this VERY much. It opens with a bright green, smooth fruitiness and a small dose of aldehydes (and is initially unremarkable). Then as it began to dry, I was captivated by the mixture of sharp pine, sexy flower, dry spice and clean rich wood. I may just have to get some of this for myself! This is really an impressive fragrance...I always thought Estee Lauder was just for little old ladies! How wrong I was. The green flows from top to the heart and becomes warmer and firmer, as the peachy and citrusy notes fade the spices appear and the jasmine peeks playfully through it all. The drydown is a bit dry and almost masculine (but not brusque); myrrh and musk meet halfway between animalic and resiny, as the moss and the vetiver keep it green, earthy and clean. I am sorry I ever doubted you my dear Estee... Sillage: very good Longevity: good Overall: 3.75/5 Once again, I am happy to be proven wrong! This is most definitely something a guy could wear, and really rock. It is not overly floral and is, in fact, very sexy. I am so happy that I tried this and look forward to more testing and EL reviews in the near future! Who would have thought I would migrate from being a mens counter regular to an Estee Lauder fan?!

@annxyz, agreed. I have a bottle from 2014, and Aliage was already on its way out. I can imagine it was slaughtered in the House of Lauder repackaging massacre and now they're fanning the corpse and cashing its social security checks. The brilliance of the wax and hay concept of Aliage is obscured by the poor execution. Chanel did it better with Cristalle EDP, but my bottle is from sometime in the 90's or early 00's, so, you probably know what I'm about to not even bother saying. Don't even get me going on what they've done to Youth Dew. It's been mentioned before - if you enjoy the idea of Aliage but find it sticky and bland, please check out Aramis' Devin and see if you find it more to your liking. (Aramis is an Estee Lauder company, but Aramis' fragrances have been treated more respectfully for some reason.) Devin is essentially the same fragrance as Aliage, but with much more vibrance and air. I don't find it to be particularly masculine or cologne'y; it's simply a softer, more floral, spicy, and just plain more interesting version of Aliage.

krmarich, your review sounds almost like an obituary. In the beginning, where you state, "Aliage was". LOL. Well, it might as well be considering a lot of these classic fragrances are no longer with us. Has Aliage become a victim of reformulation mania, too? Are these reviews for the original or a changed version? You never know. Seems everytime I turn around, yet another scent treasure has bit the dust. You know, the more I think about it, it was really an honor to actually have experienced a lot of these classic fragrances such as Aliage, Chanel no. 5, 19, Je Riviens, First-Van Cleef & Arpels, Magie Norie, Ysatis, ect. in the 60's, 70's, and 80's in all of their ORIGINAL glory! The first time I smelled Aliage was in the 70's, and like others have said, I had never smelt anything like it. I would describe it as utterly unique and, well, at the time, groundbreaking. The ultimate chypre-grass gone sophisticated-if you will. Calling all unique fragrance lovers to try this one, if you haven't already, hopefully in all of its' ORIGINAL GLORY!!

I should preface my review by stating that this is my first experience with a vintage perfume (mine is a “retro” decant from Surrender to Chance, unsure of exact time frame). I am by no means an expert. Anyway, Aliage is interesting! By today’s standards, this would be classed as a masculine fragrance, although I’d personally rate it as unisex. There is no sweetness here. Sillage is lamentably small - I was testing Knowing (modern formulation) on the other wrist and that outperformed this, no contest. Initial application is sharp and astringent, though not totally bitter - I know now what people mean when they describe oakmoss as “inky” - but it dries down woody and musky. To me, it smells like church, rows of wooden pews and the warm skin of the people packed in them. Not bad at all, but probably not something I’ll be wearing with any regularity.

I wore this as a college student when Reagan was in office. Until then, I had lived a sheltered existence in a small town, and Alliage was the most exciting and different fragrance I had ever encountered, which was why I bought it. Look: I had only ever worn Love's Baby Soft and Love's Lemon Fresh, OK? Alliage went on with a sharp, herbal astringent snap, but then dried down to something rich, and softer, and seductive--at least, to me. I bought it again recently, for sentimental reasons, and I am disappointed. It feels sharp and challenging, with very little of the sex appeal remembered. Maybe it was always like this; maybe it's me who has changed, and what was sexy-naughty then is not that now. I have a lifetime of fragrance between today and my youthful enjoyment of Alliage. Anybody have thoughts?

Update: Broke down and bought the new version after running out of the previous vintage. The top blast of ginger that had been annoying in winter dissipates into a nice green citrus in summer humidity. It's a natural clean green, not the atrocious chemical "fresh" Chanel loaded into Chance eau Fraiche. Green, citrus and moss makes for a refreshing summer cocktail that for me wears like a step up from cologne. Fortunately, there's no hint of peach. The moss is old school - rich and dusty. Thank you Lauder for using the real stuff. The new vintage doesn't last as long as the old, but it reads as very, very good quality. Again, thank you Lauder for not loading your classics up with bugspray musk and Iso E. This and Pure White Linen will probably be my permanent summer staples.

I like it a lot! I mostly like it because this is the very first "male" fragrance that is made for women (in a good sense). Back in the 70s fragrances for women were made to be "feminine" (which is a good thing, too!). But this is the very first fragrance made for tomboys! Very daring at that time! Oakmoss and pine as dinstictive notes and spices that one would meet in male fragrances are met here, in a fragrance dedicated to sporty, adventurous ladies who love long walks at mountains and deep pine forests, horse riding, climbing, archery or sharpshooting, and still being sexy and feminine! Definitely an hymn to the modern amazons! There is no other fragrance like this. Doric simplicity and elegance. Respects.

70′s green chypres aren’t for everyone, but they are my jam. Crisp! Earthy! So good! Aliage opens super crisp and green and citrusy, lots of galbanum, lots of herbal goodness, followed by a bit of pine and forest-floor scent. For me, the green almost immediately collides with a warmer, sweeter base, something ambery and spicy, probably from the nutmeg and myrrh. The contrast between herbal bite and musky-resinous base feels a little impish to me, like a wicked grin. The spice-and-myrrh actually dominates over the green notes after a while. “Sport” branding aside, this isn’t going to smell “clean” or “fresh” by today’s standards; it’s a troublemaker’s fragrance, for a roguish forest outlaw type.

I still haven't smelled many chypre fragrances, so I don't know whether I am a fan of the chypre category. In any case, I have tried Aliage a few times, and I love it! When you first spray it on it is almost offensive in its strength, but it softens almost immediately. The dry-down is really earthy and feminine in a timeless and elegant way, rather than a classicly cloying way, which is a decidedly rare find among the hundreds of fragrances I have sprayed myself with. Those who describe the fragrance as irritating or overly-strong do have a point, as much as I love it. But I think the scent softens so much that it shouldn't send anyone into a sneezing fit. I highly recommend this!

I am delighted how this extraordinary fragrance opens, so exciting, glamorous, fresh with the nutmeg and magnificent oakmoss, slightly green at the very beginning, later like a cold deep-green forest, perhaps a bit mystical and somewhat powdery, but extremely comfortable to wear. Another Estee Lauder that can easily become a signature scent. Very unusual, sharpness is present only at the beginning. Classy & unique! Aliage is completely different from anything I tried before, this is a fragrance that probably does not blend with any skin because the body chemistry plays a decisive role. Very impressive to me,I just love it!

I was gifted a vintage formulation with authentic oakmoss. First, getting it out of the way: "Aliage Sport Spray" smells great. It also smells like a lot of other chypres from this time period. It's a Lauder creation, and the company has an extensive catalog of fantastic chypres. I can't help but weigh it against the rest. Aliage doesn't hold a candle to the likes of Private Collection, Knowing, Aromatics Elixir, and Azuree, all of which are more distinctive and memorable. This perfume was ostensibly designed to be worn while exercising, and for that reason, perhaps the company was not as ambitious?

Aliage is not the “sporty” scent in a contemporary sense. It opens with a cloud of loud aldehyde, behind which comes the tarragon with a hint of nutmeg. In the first hour or two, the projection is about arm’s length, then it softens to sit close to skin. As it warms up, I get a hint of sweet citrus. The dry down comes within 3 to 4 hours, which is a nondescipt woody base that feels quite natural. Overall it is very unisex. I got the sample from theperfumedcourt. They didn’t indicate if it is the vintage formula.

It's a weird fragrance, starts bitter, with woods, citrus and pine, all set on a slightly milder background. I don't know why I like to wear it so much. I realize that this is not one of those "likeable" perfumes. It's not a crowd pleaser, definetly, not at all teeny... It's something special, a rarity among perfumes, even among the niche ones, few are so original and unique as Aliage.

Tested the new bottle & it smells like the most recent reformulation, but a bit lighter. Still too much ginger overwhelming everything else for me. The notes say nutmeg, but I'm getting a pushy ginger of the same type that drowns St. Laurent L'Homme.

Something unfortunate has happened to this. Bought the newest reformulation and all I can smell is ginger or nutmeg. In a too much way.

nitially it is a very bracing green cloud, sharp, a bit sour. Very strong sillage on me lasting into the next day. The dry down is very nice and woody. This is really not one that wear often, it is off putting to a lot of people and with so many sensitivities out there, the cloud on this will send them into fits. But I do spray tiny bits on my wrists to remember my grandmother, who loved this fragrance and anything from Estee Lauder.

Aliage is one of the rare Estee Lauder frags I don't like. Yes, it's well made, there's not a cheap note in that vintage bottle. It's got lasting power and probably good sillage too, but there's definitely nothing sporty about this scent. Unless the sport in question is tossing the caber (sp?) or volksmarching through the forest after a cold rain. Aliage is a fragrance for women in name only, what's in the bottle is actually incredibly masculine. There's a slight resemblance to Emprise by Avon, a softer and less mossy fragrance. Aliage is all moss and woods, with a hint of wormwood, the olfactory equivalent of a deep, dark forest filled with dripping moss. Not that there's anything wrong with that, none of those notes make Aliage bad. There are some men's frags I wear happily, but Aliage won't be one. Which really is a shame, usually I'm all over the older EL frags. I'm not a girly girl, but Aliage is a trifle too butch for me. Or maybe it's just too sophisticated for me, maybe I just don't get this fragrance. Maybe I should give it another try. In any case, Aliage is a difficult fragrance, one of a kind.

Received this yesterday and have been wearing ever since then. Yes, it is green and nice after about 15 minutes. Not much floral to my nose....oakmoss is there which is a must for chypre. I don't think I will purchase again although the price is great at EL. Much prefer Azuree...or Knowing( another chypre from ELauder). N.B.As has been said in previous reviews - THERE IS ONLY ONE ALIAGE....NOT TWO. Yes, it is the so-called first 'sport' fragrance. I have to really see what that means. :-)

I was quite looking forward to trying this one, being a chypre lover, and generally enjoying the older fragrances. When I finally got the opportunity, I spritzed a scent strip and enjoyed the bright, fresh opening so decided to try it on; well, I don't know what my chemistry does to this scent, but the only thing I could smell on my arm was a strange, plastic-like mustiness...glad I did not make a blind buy of this one!

I cannot smell the green note at all - all I can smell is the oakmoss which i a bit like leather. I would not recommend it in hot humid weather and hope that it smells better on my skin in autumn.

I just can not wear this. I can see how it is a classic, and would smell great on some people, but when I have sampled it, it turns grassy and sour on my skin. :(

Holy crap! This perfume bottle has been redesigned. It says Aliage edp. And it smells like crap. What is this I'm smelling? smells like half cooked meat.

Need a beautiful fragrance to wear during autumn? Look no further than Aliage by Estee Lauder. My girl friend Arianna in Bonaire sold me a vintage 1972 bottle of 1.75 fluid ounces. The bottle is small enough to fit inside my handbag so I'll be carrying this baby around all winter long. This is a classic Estee Lauder which sold very well in the 70's. It was one of the "clean and green" earthy scents that were very popular. I can see why. It's so beautiful, so comforting. It's not warm nor soft. In fact it starts with some cold harsh aldehydes. Then you're blasted with woodsy and green notes of pine trees and cedar wood. It smells like a gray overcast cold day in the forest, just after it's rained and the earth soil is wet. This is a definitive chypre perfume. It's all woods. There is supposed to be a jasmine flower but it never found my nose. There's also supposed to be citrus but I didn't smell any oranges, bergamots or mandarins or lemons. I'm wondering just how many different versions of this fragrance are out there. Mine is called a COUNTRY COLOGNE which is a splash bottle, not a spray. Other versions are sports fragrance sprays. I think it's possible mine is a first issue. Easily unisex as a cologne for men, but I found it to be very feminine because of the sparkling aldehydes. Fragrantica lists the notes of: citrus, green notes, peach, pine tree, jasmine, caraway, Brazilian rosewood, musk, oak moss vetiver and myrrh. Of the reformulated version it lists: citrus, jasmine, nutmeg, rose, artemisia, vetiver, oak moss and cedar. I would say that mine appears to have all these notes with the exception of the fruity scents of peach and citrus. Mine would read more like: Top Notes: Aldehydes, Pine Tree, Nutmeg Caraway, Galbanum Heart Notes: Brazilian Rosewood Artemisia Bsse Notes: Oak Moss Vetiver Cedar Galbanum or ferula is not listed but it's obviously there. It gives this fragrance an aromatic, bitter greenness, oiliness and camphor. It's my most woodsiest fragrance and I love it. If rose and jasmine are there they are very well hidden in the woods. My friends think that this is not sexy, pretty, or that even smells good. They think it's strange and they can't quite understand why anyone would want to smell like a forest. But if you're an outdoorsy type and love to go camping, hiking, mountain climbing, skiing and traveling to places like the Alps, this fragrance will enchant you. I'm a New Yorker and this stuff smells like the Catskills to me. It's a mountain fragrance, a forest fragrance, very New England in autumn. It's like hiking through the forests of Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut. I recommend this cologne for both women and men, but you have to be big on woodsy scents. This fragrance reminds me of Chanel No. 19 with it's aldehydes and strong green notes of grass and woods. It's also reminding me of vintage Ivoire de Balmain. This is the kind of perfume Coco Chanel herself would have loved. She preferred chypres woodsy fragrances. Too bad she didn't live to wear this. Aliage came out the year after Chanel's death. Had she lived one or two more years she would have discovered this fragrance and enjoyed it. I will wear it for her.

Aliage (1972) By Estee Lauder is an aromatized fragrance equivalent of a fine vermouth and wormwood wine. Yes this is unisex and just what I look for in vintage fragrances that, although ostensibly marketed towards women, it's scent is not too floral, sugary, sweet, fruity, berry-like, candied and powdery in the style of a typical woman's perfume. Rather it's aromatic and musky with a masculine touch. I found a vintage from sellers on ebay. Aliage is the successor to Chanel No 19 a classic chypre which can be far too much like grass in a bottle for some folks. It preceded Ivoire de Balmain (1980) which I also wear and is drier and woodsier. This predates green florals like Charlie by Revlon. As such it belongs in the Greenpeace 1970's era, green is good, not greed is good, a forest fragrance with an earthy bitter green galbanum and artemisia accord. It has plenty of oak moss which is an extinct note in frags today. By definition a chypre, with musky dry down, totally unisex and a breath of fresh air in today's cookie cutter boring fragrance industry. The opening is of alcoholic aldehyde and it smells really chemical and strong. I didn't care for the opening and if you don't like strong aldehyde content as your fragrance opens then stand back. But the strength of the opening is later subdued by a number of different aroma chemical scents all with a green theme and a brown theme. Aliage is all pine,herbs, leaves, wormwood, grass, plants, bushes, sage, vetiver, moss, root and brownish bark and cedar wood. This thing's a chypre on steroids! Very unusual and creative for today's industry and when I wear this it's not something anyone recognizes. It is meant to be splashed on not sprayed on and meant to be worn in autumn and winter with apparel like pea coats, leather jackets, fur coats, trench coats, and so forth. It has a decidedly outdoorsy scent so one might call this a sporty fragrance. On a woman the dry down and final stage is powdery but on me it's woodsy with a dash of nutmeg caraway and vanilla and spices. Back to the unisex part. I can totally smell this on a lumberjack, or a miner, someone who works outdoors all the time out in the open air, with their hands, and who wants to wear something to reflect that. It's not a clean scent. The animalic musk in the base plus the green notes and woods give it a kind of bold indolic body that does not smell clean but like you've been rolling around in grass all day long. Remember when you were a kid and you rolled down hillsides? This smells like getting your hands, face, feet and butt covered in grass. This has a rural, rustic vibe. A country cologne for sure. This is a trip to the country and not the beauty salon. Not always easy to wear but recommended for guys and girls who enjoy vintages and chypres and have experience wearing them. Deep, green, woodsy, wonderful. Wearing it even though I'm a city boy..

At first glance, Alliage, one of the Estée Lauder line’s inexpensive mainstays might be considered simply ‘cheap and cheerful.’ It reads, “Sport Fragrance Spray” in a functional, rather non-stylized bottle. Not exactly sexy. But cheap and cheerful implies an innocent simplicity whose grinning surface advises not digging any further. On the contrary, I’d argue that Alliage is inexpensive but sophisticated and spectacular. One of the impressive set of perfumes in the stellar-but-cheap sweepstakes. Everyone seems to talk about Alliage’s notes, and I will as well, but briefly. I don’t get the peach. I don’t get the oakmoss. I do get a heavy green (loads of galbanum accented by vetiver) brightened by citrus rind oils (bitter orange, lime?) and florals. But since the green is already firmly in place, the floral tone is a clean, airy white jasmine bolstered by musk and what smells like rosewood. I’ve heard people lament the loss of a more heavily oakmoss-laden earlier version of Alliage, but I don’t miss Miss Moss. Alliage is wonderfully balanced just the way it is. The cool white florals seem a dry counterpoint to the sweet galbanum. And galbanum’s lasting chalkiness lines up perfectly with a resinous base that gives depth and a slow-moving quality. Myrrh? Incense? It all feels very languid and heavy-lidded. I don’t need the bitter green that moss might add. Consider Alliage’s sibling Devin by Aramis for that. Alliage has a cool quality that implies poise as much as temperature. Its cool impression is similar in to the effect given by mint/basil or camphorous components, but without their harshness or muscle-balm feeling. In cooler weather, Alliage feels forest-like, a bit moist. In my dry southern California heat, Alliage keeps its cool longer and more comfortably than any other perfume I’ve tried. It doesn’t blend with the skin. It’s more like a richly colored clothing accessory, like the perfect tie. It works as an accent and draws the nose’s attention. It doesn’t blend. I think this is how Alliage remains cool through drydown. Clean and green, not so much tart as a bit sharp. This is one of the few fragrances I wear to work as an RN in a hospital. It’s cool but not quite grass-like, not quite floral. It has wonderful endurance, but after the topnotes, mild sillage. I think it just reads as quality grooming products to my patients and colleagues. Again the price dilemma. In this case a happy one. Why does this cost so little? It sells at the same department stores that flog haphazardly brewed, blaringly marketed perfumes for 3-4 times the price. Alliage is a distinctive fragrance of high quality and name-droppable pedigree (Bernard Chant) that has been typically well maintained over the years by Estée Lauder. I could wear this forever (were I not so perfume-promiscuous, that is.)

To me this vintage is the most unique and hard to wear fragrance of all vintages I've begun collecting. Hard to wear because it's just terribly mossy and woodsy, excessively so. I've enjoyed other green mossy and woodsy scents but this one is on steroids! Opens cold and wet. Feels like rain water on leaves that are on the earth that have fallen from trees and rain over fallen branches and twigs. To describe this as earthy is an understatement. It is uber-earthy and feels like someone actually put earth dirt, tree leaves, cedar wood and sticks and branches into the making of the formula. I don't pick up on the scents at the top - citrus and jasmine. The jasmine would have smelled floral AND green together (like the other such type of florals i.e. orange blossom, neroli) but this is more green than floral. Not a single floral note reaches my nose. The oak moss is so powerful that it dominates the entire perfume. The moss lasts and lasts for a long time from start to finish. Also as strong as the moss is the artemisia. This green plant is bitter and extremely aromatic, bitter & aromatic are definitely descriptive of this fragrance. There is a dry down of distinct vetiver and more wood via another cedar note (I think there are two of them). So in the end this feels way too herbal, way too mossy, way too graphic like actually being out in the forest after a rain and catching the aroma of the wet earth, the tree bark, the woods, the sticks and leaves. This is the green goddess of all chypres. It is also quite unisex. Because the florals are barely noticeable, and has mostly moss and woods, this would smell great on a guy who is accustomed to mossy green scents with tons of wood. Definitely a cologne for men and women. Where could I wear this? It's more of an indie niche type scent than a commercial type of perfume which Estee Lauder has been known for - i.e. Beautiful, for instance being their finest example of a popular floral. This is an intellectual, dreamy, artistic and individualistic perfume. You can wear this with warm layers of winter clothes - a peacoat, a trenchcoat, scarves, gloves, etc in the winter time or the early fall. It can be worn at dinners and art galleries. But a confident woman who knows this is a very unusual chypre can pull it off. If you have experience with vintage scents and don't mind the green moss bomb that this one is you'll love it.

It took several years for me to appreciate green scents, especially those with a hefty dose of oakmoss. In my mid-twenties I started to crave mossy, green chypres during Spring and Summer, which ultimately led to my exploration of classic chypres. Estee Lauder's Aliage is quite a popular chypre and I endeavoured to understand its popularity by ordering a small decant of this gem. Aliage EDT in the vintage formulation is a citrus heavy chypre with a salty vetiver and a dense oakmoss drydown. Although marketed to women, Aliage could easily be worn by men also. It's a quintessential warm-weather fragrance with a bright, sparkling lemon and bergamot opening and a green, earthy drydown. Admittedly it's not my favourite green chypre, but I wouldn't say no to owning a bottle. Estee Lauder has a number of chypres in their line-up; Knowing, Azuree and Private Collection, to name a few. Aliage EDT is the crispest chypre and the 'greenest' by far. However, Aliage EDT is also the weakest in regards to sillage and longevity. I haven't had the opportunity to sample the 2015 re-released version, (I have heard that the scent pyramid has changed), but I did observe that the new version is available as an EDP which may last longer on the skin. As Australia moves into the Summer months, I have started to enjoy wearing the fresh and energising Aliage EDT. I don't normally enjoy strong citrus notes, but the way in which the citrus has been blended in this composition makes it extremely wearable and pleasant.

While a perfume or two has made me swoon, Aliage is the first to introduce a wave of unexplained nostalgia. Aliage is green, cool, and damp. It has helped me to better understand oakmoss, which predominates among vetiver, artemisia, and pine. Artemisia includes the more familiar species of mugwort and wormwood. You will find their essence in the Aliage blend. My nose has not teased out any individual floral or fruity notes. The nostalgia Aliage evokes involves no person. Instead I am overcome with sensations of the large country house with the willow tree out front, a brook dancing through the forest floor, the sound of the wind high in the pines by the old church. I am so glad no one in my past wore Aliage. Instead of a memory I feel places in time. It's like reaching through the veil to touch something from long ago. Sporty, to me, means high energy and colorful. Aliage is serene. At times the accords are earthly like straw or the wooden smell welcoming visitors to the homeplace. I have trouble imagining how I could incorporate Aliage into my modern, electronic, and too often synthetic life and wardrobe; yet, I could ponder the fragrance itself for days. Aliage will last a day and stays true to itself throughout. Sillage will make you smell fresh to anyone closer than an arm's length.