Partage

Surprised and delighted to find this beauty has been added. I think I requested its addition over a decade ago. No matter, it's here now. I bought it in 1979, its debut year, and since then I've never been without a bottle. For the longest time after it was discontinued there was zero info about it online but apparently Faberge's fragrance note vaults were finally cracked open because Partage's notes now appear on several sites, with some variation of course. Like many women's fragrances of the 1970's and early 1980's, Partage leans unisex. But so do many classic chypres introduced before then, so there's that. When found on-line it can be pricey (but not "niche pricey") unless you're lucky enough to find someone mistakenly selling it as a discontinued men's fragrance, in which case a blind buy wouldn't be so risky. Partage is a chypre marvel but it has enough spice to perhaps be called a bitter green oriental - I can't say for certain because I'm blinded by love for it. I get strong woody notes - there's cedar in there somewhere, I'm certain, and it lingers on and on. I sense some violet, too, but not the powdery kind, rather the fresh-cut green sharp kind that "taste like purple" - violet fans will know what I mean. There's no leather here but if there were Partage might be considered a cousin of Jolie Madame, another of my lifetime favorites. I'd kept Partage a secret from my "smelly friends" but I'm coming clean now because I've amassed a lifetime stash of pure perfume, edt spray and edt splash that I decant into purse-size spray minis. No question the juice currently available is old but it has held up remarkably well. If you're a fan of woody chypres, Partage is well worth seeking out on-line before it disappears entirely. Believe every good thing you hear about Partage - it is a sublime masterpiece. (Cary Grant had a financial interest in Faberge during the time Partage was available and it was rumored that he wore it often. I can well imagine it on that dapper gentleman.)

Absolutely lovely classic chypre, in the style of Givenchy lll, Caleche, vintage Miss Dior, Ivoire etc etc. The bitterness of galbanum is beautifully balanced by some sweetness, from a note that reads to me as violet. Not a powerhouse chypre, the oakmoss and especially patch play supporting rather than dominant roles but are still present. Perhaps it's lost a little of its strength in the intervening years, but if so that's fine by me. It's subtle, sophisticated, and just gorgeous. I have a large splash bottle of EdT, in full-on late 70s/early 80s blocky burgundy packaging, as illustrated above. Wonderful!

Standard 1970s bargain chypre (curiously, it was supposedly a higher-end offering from the house). This one has a fuller fruitiness at first. The dry down is bitter galbanum and oakmoss and it gets rather masculine and similar to Aqua Net hairspray. There is also an oily scent here that lingers throughout the duration. If you want to time-travel back to the days of polyester clothing, wood-panelled walls and plaid-printed furniture, it's a good choice.

An elegant and sophisticated perfume, fit for the vigorus women of the 70's. Very similar to Caleche and Amazone by Hermes. The galbanum on top and the woods offer a deep, sensous touch. A bitter smelling fragrance for the every day working hours. If my age in the 70's was around 30 years old, that would be my signature perfume.