Private Collection Legacy

It is with great sheepishness I confess that Private Collection Legacy is my favourite of the Legacy line and it is the least similar to its original counterpart. Original Private Collection was grassy, dewy, spring floral chrysanthemum and a modernised or updated equivalent would be Chanel's Bel Respiro. PC legacy is, by contrast, actually a flanker to Synthetic Nature by Malle, and I smell almost no relation to the private collection I already know save the fact they're both green florals. Having spent sometime with PC Legacy, I have found that I actually prefer it to Synthetic Nature - it smells less harsh, better balanced, less desperate to get its point across (still love SN though). PC Legacy opens with a luminously green, herbaceous basilesque dance of fresh light foliage, the very same shade of green as Synthetic Nature. Where I find it really goes a step beyond, however, is in the mid - with a flourish, PC Legacy introduces a very fresh and full floral composed primarily of rose with some jasmine for support. Thus, the utilitarian herbs are encircling this aestheticist core of a green-tinged, rained-upon white rose note - it conjures all fantasies of soft linens hanging in the garden to dry, the landing of a butterfly on a child's nose, rolling around in the plants with your true love in your arms. It's just so exquisitely beautiful, almost nymph-like... and much less literal than any of its forebears. It smells like it was composed by someone who truly believes that the purity of nature is the ultimate luxury, that man's natural home is among the trees and flowers. PC Legacy exits pretty much through a slow fadeout, no doubt courtesy of a series of white musks. For its 4 hour lifetime, it somehow manages to go beyond all other herbal fragrances (in my opinion) and truly takes you on a journey through the enchanted garden. Gigantic love from me.

Estée Lauder has a precise understanding of American perfumery's soul. The original PC is Vincent Marcello's grand tribute to Germaine Cellier's masterpiece: Vent Vert, the Queen of Green Floral Chypre. While, he polished the wild idea into an exquisite, smooth green resembling a fair lady at an upscale American department store. I own a bottle of the original Private Collection (Parfum), solid and raging, as if a hurricane had slammed against a poor wooden door with a torrential, intimidating sound. Suddenly, the green fire burns through the doorway, transporting you to a colorful kingdom via "Floo powder". Private Collection Legacy, on the other hand, is a crisp, light interpretation made by Anne Flipo. Not only does she prove the monumental construction of the original masterpiece, but she makes what was once a dense, drooping olfactory fabric to be suddenly light, breathable, and waving in the air. The large proportion of green note lifts my spirits, and then the sweet floral notes (jasmine and so on) is getting clearer, remove the cold fear, and make me want to rush out to catch the breeze so that I won't miss the mysterious invitation of the green kingdom . Is this the literal meaning of "gone with the wind" or "sous le vent"? Finally, in my opinion, Private Collection Legacy might be renamed as Private Collection - Breezy Chill.

This is so interesting, at first a truly green and herbaceous offering as different to the original Private Collection as one could imagine. But over time the bright grassiness dissipates almost completely and I am left with a very close approximation to the original, perhaps minus the gentle woodiness in the drydown. I actually tested this, with Legacy on my left wrist and a dab from my mum's vintage original on the right and there are undeniable similarities. Such an evocative perfume; it was my late mother's signature for many years - I bought it for her every time I travelled - and memories are flooding back. Nevertheless, I have the small 4ml from the Legacy discovery set and I'm not sure I need a full bottle of this. But the vintage is definitely calling me - an almost forgotten beauty.

As I adore green fragrances I blind bought it and it does not disappoint. Synthetic Jungle but with a stunning floral dry down . Will save for a back up, it’s so beautiful.

The original Private Collection is something special. I have a vintage miniature of the parfum, and it is the best green scent I've ever smelled - a big statement, considering I have vials of greats such as Cellier's Vent Vert and vintage Chanel No. 19. I was excited to try the Legacy collection, updated versions of Estée Lauder's classic scents as directed by Frédéric Malle. Thus, it shouldn't have surprised me that Private Collection Legacy more closely resembles Synthetic Jungle from Frédéric Malle's eponymous house than any version of Private Collection itself. PCL is grassy-green from initial spray, thanks to the tarragon alongside the vintage-style galbanum. I get tomato leaf up top, vegetal and fresh. It is crisp and dewy, a satisfying, realistic green accord that is rich yet airy. As it develops, the florals emerge, led by clean, sweet jasmine. It remains dewy, even damp, with basil adding a fresh herbal edge to the green accord. Some dewy rose follows, and a soft chypre base emerges as it dries down, grounding the dewy green florals nicely with some subtle earthiness. It remains bright and clear, green until final fade. Sillage and longevity are moderate. It is feminine-leaning in my opinion, and is tailor-made for spring days. A pleasant, satisfying green scent made with high-quality materials, PCL is like a more rounded, floral Synthetic Jungle. It isn't soapy like the current Eau de Private Collection either - this is a streamlined, crisp and pared-back verdant scent. However, while lovely, it is a far cry from the baroque green bouquet of my vintage parfum. 4/5.

This one has distinct Synthetic Jungle (which I also own) similarities when tested on paper. Unsurprisingly, the sampling experience with this scent is very different on skin. However, on my skin (which tends to devour acidic/citric notes) in transforms rapidly and, within 20 minutes or so, the similarities are strained. The almost tomato-leafy greenness softens and the scent transforms into something like golden sunshine. The floral undertones that emerge are extremely tasteful. Definitely impressed with this one and will wear it, whereas most actual vintage perfumes don't agree with my chemistry. Side note: I got a coffret set with all five of these Legacy perfumes. If you're curious to try them, it's a much more affordable way to dive in and have several wears with each without having to buy the full $200+ bottles.

For me, the Private Collection Legacy was the greatest disappointment of the batch, and I didn't think any of them measured up to the formulations I knew and loved. But PC Legacy smells like a completely different perfume at the outset. The "green notes" of the original PC are now mostly basil, which is a very distinct smell and not one that I discerned at all in the PC that I store in my refrigerator, the one that is familiar to me despite the vagaries of IFRA and changing formulations. (I should note that my bottle of Private Collection is probably about 15 years old but in perfect condition.) I tested the two on paper, and my friend Amy, who is very familiar with this scent because her former mother-in-law wore it every day for decades, also tested it on her skin. Amy immediately noticed the basil, a smell she dislikes--it made the perfume smell very different to her than the one she sprayed from my bottle, which conjured up the memory of her MIL right away. This PC has about 85% less of a stealth-wealth vibe. Amy compared it to those clean unisex scents you used to be able to buy at the Gap. Hours into the drydown they might seem a tad more similar, but the PC Legacy fades away within maybe four or five hours, whereas my older PC is one of the most tenacious floral chypres that I have ever encountered. It stays on your skin until you wash it off, and it lingers on paper or fabric for days on end. In fact, it can almost withstand machine laundering. My general impression, though, is that PC Legacy is streamlined to a few of the notes; it lacks the complexity of the version I love, but maybe people are not that interested in complexity anymore. And apparently, if you ask Frédéric Malle, what people seem to be interested in these days is cumin, basil, and a bunch of earthy body smells that do not, in my mind, surpass the blindingly clean aldehydes of the classic Lauders.

A bit grassy for my taste. It reminds me of the original Pleasures but less aquatic. Very soapy as well. I get hyacinth, iris mainly. It smells less than the original. If you want a very toned down green floral, one that smells like a green laundry detergent, as this reminds me quite a bit of Mrs. Meyer green grass house cleaner. Again another perfume for people obsessed with smelling like clean clothes straight out of the wash.

Soft focus Synthetic Jungle. I enjoy SJ and the violent whip of green, hissy, pissy chaos. If I had met this reformulation of Private prior, I'd enjoy it. Persolaise mentioned that Frederic Malle stated this is an inverse Synthetic Jungle, and yes that fits. I guess I need to finally pony up and buy a vintage bottle of Private Collection.

Huh, this is so different from eau de private collection. I realize the notes are different but this is really very green and aromatic. This is not my preferred scent profile, but it is a good quality perfume. It is an interesting aroma. Unisex.

I don’t believe this is an attar (?), as the first listed ingredient is alcohol. Directly from the Estēe Lauder (USA) website: “A verdant bouquet emanating pure refinement. A symphony of green notes. Unique accord of Tarragon, Basil & Galbanum. A creative ratio of Sandalwood & Patchouli. Reimagined by Frédéric Malle, Private Collection Legacy allows the signature green accord of the original to shine, backing it w/Rose & Jasmine but in a contemporary way. A maze of blazing green streaked w/ bold color-unafraid. Impressive & willful. At the height of artistry, unadorned opulence. “Private Collection Legacy is a contemporary perfume...a strong signature.” —Frédéric Malle Olfactive Family: Floral Green ESTÉE LAUDER THE LEGACY COLLECTION: Iconic scents, ingeniously evolved. Mrs. Estée Lauder, the creator of indelible masterpieces. Frédéric Malle, the acclaimed perfume editor who has reimagined our legacy fragrances for the 21st century. Two extraordinary scent artists. Floral Green. Basil, Galbanum, Patchouli notes. TOP: Green Accord (Basil, Tarragon, Galbanum) MIDDLE: Jasmine Sambac Rose DRY DOWN: Patchouli Sandalwood Oakmoss Musk 🌷🫶🏻

Your herb garden is in full bloom, everything is lush and green, ready for harvest. You decide to head out to pick some herbs for a Summer salad or pasta. Wait! You need a scent of the day! You reach for your bottle of Private Collection. Yes, that will do very nicely. You, basket in hand, head out to pick the freshest, greenest, bouquet of basil and tarragon, and immediately, their scent, together with your perfume, fill the air around you. Oh, what an unexpected joyful combination!

The opening of Private Collection Legacy seems cold and thin when compared to the warmth and ornate complexity of the original. The opening of Legacy smells more modern, unisex, and in line with current tastes. But the thing I love most about Private Collection (original) is the feeling of bold, sunny, distinctly American optimism I get from it. Legacy does get better over time, and I'm still smelling the nice, clean chypre accord on my skin 10+ hours later.

It's nice but all too close to Malle's previous take on Private Collection (Synthetic Jungle/Nature). Has a little more depth and brightness than the single-minded SJ and therefore smells more "natural" but was hoping for a slightly different take this time. Still, I love wearing Synthetic Jungle and would happily wear this too but have to consider whether it makes sense to have both in my collection.

Private Collection Legacy is a really, really good perfume. It opens greener than its OG predecessor, and those powdery florals have been toned down. After an hour, I’m very much reminded of Chanel’s Bel Respiro. I suspect that Private Collection diehards will enjoy this “Legacy” version but ultimately find disappointment in how much has been pared away.

Hold onto your wallets, ladies. This is a last ditch effort by EL to save the stock. As of this writing, the stock price is $135.51. It declined from $245.22 per share on May 2, 2023 to $202.70 per share on May 3, 2023. Maybe instead of buying perfume bottles you'd be better off buying shares of Estee Lauder and save the company?