Halston Classic

Halston is elegance in a bottle, effortlessly chic and impossibly gorgeous. It’s the beautiful people that went to Studio54, not to show off like everyone does today, but to have fun, do drugs, dance till early morning and go home with a stranger or not. What turns me on about Halston is how perfect the melon/mint freshness is achieved. It smells like fresh breath. Like a rush of air. Wearing it I’m transported to a mid 70’s apartment, complete with shag carpet, palm trees and mirrored walls. Oh, and track lighting. Disco music is playing, people are gettin ready for a night out, the clothes are laid on the bed, and there’s a window open, letting in some cool breeze. Cristal (both Chanel and champagne), Azzaro, Opium, Michelle, Fidji, Paco Rabanne pour Homme, Pierre Cardin...that’s the kind of fragrances you find on the vanity table. But it could very well be Jean Naté or Jovan musk. Beautiful people, beautiful fragrances, a party ahead and some fun. That’s what Halston feels to me. Halston is mossy, woody, soapy. Soapy as in the smell of a fresh bar of soap. Fresh, like kissing someone that’s been chewing mint gum. Fresh like the new melon cocktail that’s all the rage and that you’re going to indulge yourself with. On me, the flowers take a back, unidentifiable seat. It’s all about the herbal marigold, inky oakmoss and woody cedar and sandalwood. Sometimes I get incense and amber, bringing it closer to a dark corner where everyone fabulously reeks of Opium. The richer crowd. But most times it’s about the green tapestry. Every time though it’s all about class and elegance. The kind of expensive perfume you use on special occasions. Like making a line outside Studio54, hoping that tonight you’re the lucky one. The one that Steve (Rubell) will pick to come inside and dance the night away with Bianca Jagger, and Elizabeth Taylor, and Jerry Hall, and Andy Warhol. But even if you don’t get chosen, the night is young and your friends will take you somewhere else. You’re in Manhattan, it’s the 70’s, you can do anything and go anywhere! Well, maybe not Studio54! Halston has little to no similarities to other fragrances. It could be, maybe, Ivoire, if Ivoire wears Ultrasuede and smokes menthol cigarettes. Halston, just like the fashion of Roy and the magic of decadent New York nights, is unique. It took something familiar, modernized it, and made it new again, complete with a sculptural bottle that fits it to a T. It screams optimism, elegance, all while shining like a disco ball. It’s not just about the beautiful people that made it famous, it’s about the feeling of letting go, having the time of your life and mixing with the crowd. Famous or not. Although it might appear as a nighttime scent, Halston, like most chypres, can be worn in any occasion. The vintage, mid 80’s bottle I own has intense sillage and longevity that lasts the night. I don’t know how the current formula fares but looking at what chypres have become, I have little faith. I think modern Halston wouldn’t be taken by the hand of Steve Rubell to go into Studio54. Adding: the vintage extrait (now own a 70’s bottle) has the same formula, amped up in a luscious animalic green. That night out at Studio54; well, it just moved to a dark corner. 🔥🔥

I bought a large bottle of the current formulation of Halston Classic after falling in love with the Netflix miniseries. I certainly wasn't alone, as it took three attempts to successfully procure a bottle online. One out of the five "Halston" episodes is dedicated to the story of the creation of this fragrance, a rare treat for perfume enthusiasts. Elsa Peretti's iconic teardrop-like bottle design features; from the flea-market necklace that provided the initial inspiration, to the prototype design, to the difficulty in convincing the corporate overlords to agree to it. While this gave an interesting insight into the design process, the real beauty of the episode was the focus on the creation of the juice itself. Creative licence is taken here, but Halston's scenes with Vera Farmiga's perfumer from IFF reflect the power of scent, the personal memories it evokes, and the craftsmanship that goes into perfume creation. Halston's three scents of choice are Lady of the Night orchids (a scented breed), cigarettes (sweet as well as smoky) and, infamously, his lover's unwashed jockstrap, gamely smelled by Farmiga. The scent itself, or at least the modern incarnation does not really smell like any of these, however, it can be argued that there is a smoky-musky-leather notes in the base are perhaps indicative of cigarettes and a used jockstrap. The opening is surprisingly cool. I associate chypres with warmth and richness, but Halston is notably a cool chypre. It is green and fresh, briefly minty, and watery in the vein of cucumber. The green notes smell natural, moist and leafy, reminiscent of springtime growth. There is a hint of fruity freshness, but it is not at all sweet. It is very bright and very soapy, refreshing yet not entirely clean. Woody floral notes emerge as it dries down, and the base develops, giving it warmth and earthiness akin to a traditional chypre. It is smoky and mossy, but it somehow remains lighter and clearer than other midcentury chypres, which are often dense and dark. Clean, non-indolic jasmine and powdery rose dominate the floral notes, as well as a brief sour note (marigolds?) that thankfully doesn't last. The oakmoss doesn't smell too synthetic, as it is nicely balanced by the patchouli and vetiver as well as the woody notes. Some spiciness creeps in, adding a welcome warmth and some depth, and it becomes quite balsamic in its middle stage. It remains pleasantly soapy. It fades to a woody, earthy amber skin scent with some sweet musk also evident here. Sillage is moderate-to-strong and longevity is pretty decent, lasting for over six hours on skin. A vintage-style chypre with a difference, this inexpensive reformulation is surprisingly decent. Best worn as an autumn/winter day scent, and as is the case with many chypres from decades past, it is unisex by today's standards. I would love to compare this to the original version that contains real oakmoss. Green, earthy, smoky-yet-soapy goodness. 4.5/5.

I came by Halston in a very unique and oblique way. It was the Christmas season in the early 90's and I was still in my teens. My father took us to the mall to get some holiday shopping done. Already a perfume enthusiast at that age, I stopped at a kiosk selling designer dupes and started sniffing away. God bless my dad...he never knows what to get a girl for a gift. :) He asked me which ones I liked best. Discerning where this was going, I picked out a couple and expected one to end up under the tree in a few days. Sure enough, on Christmas morn, I spotted the wrapped perfume-sized box and with anticipation of being transported into floral rapture, I eagerly open the package and found....Halston?!? Obviously, this was an epic misunderstanding! Adolescent Agnes would never choose to smell like industrial fumes, which was my unfortunate first impression. Still, I thanked my father and kept my mouth shut about this cosmic blunder. A Christmas miracle happened that year. I kept sniffing that bottle of Dupe d'Halston. Again and again, like an addict returning to huff a bottle of glue. Then I summoned the courage to spray some on my wrists and...well... I couldn't get enough of it in the weeks and months following. While all the other girls were wearing aquatics, I was wearing an ersatz disco era chypre. This was during a time when the 70's aesthetic was held in high disdain by my age group. I guess I always was a bit of a misfit. :) That bottle is long gone, but now I've got the real stuff, a vintage splash from the 70's or 80's. Adult Agnes continues to wear Halston occasionally during the year, but it's become my default Holiday perfume. When I smell Halston, I don't smell cocaine and discotheques; I smell Christmas. Thanks Daddy! BTW, that dupe was a very worthy facsimile of the original. If you're reading this hoping to gain some insight on whether Halston is for you, be aware that it has a HUGE capacity to grow on you, even if you're a chypre virgin as I was. I can't speak for the stuff on sale today, never smelt it; but the vintage offerings and that one bottle of Halston Faux Eau is and was mysterious and earthy. This would be very glamorous on a daring young woman who wants to stand apart from the gourmand gang. There's also that cozy and comfortable aspect to it that makes it so easy to wear at Christmas time. Is there anything I don't like about Halston? Yes, the bottle! It's disco-ugly and vaguely obscene and I don't like it hanging out on the shelf with all my other lovelies. There, I said it. Happy sniffing, Folks!

Hi RDfaerie, I think I may know the answer as to why you smell bitter chemicals in Halston Classic, when so many others like myself just adore this fragrance. It could be that Halston has an unpleasant personal association for you, but it might literally be the chemical makeup. I'm about to go all Perfume Nerd on you, sorry. I suspect that the culprit is Calendula Officinalis or English Marigold (also known as Pot Marigold). In Australia, English Marigolds are called Stinking Rogers. Nuff said. The scent is different to Tegetes, another plant which also goes by the common name of Marigold. That is sweeter and is also used in fragrances. Halston Classic for Women has English Marigold as a main fragrance note. As an experiment after reading your review, I sprayed Halston on my skin. It was awful. I couldn't believe it, because this is in my fragrance top ten. I've never experienced this before and thought my bottle may have turned. I then tried two of my other marigold fragrances. Yep - Stinking Roger. That's when I wondered if it was the weather. Today at my place the weather is humid and rainy, and the sharp bitter marigold note completely overwhelmed the other sweeter notes in Halston (and the other fragrances I own), and I had to scrub it off. Most of the time though this fragrance is very well balanced. So, before you toss your bottle away, please give it another try in different weather. Maybe Halston will turn out to be your personal Kryptonite, but if it works for you in the right weather, you might just love it too. So, in conclusion, I figure after my overspraying experiment today, that on a good day, Calendula gives a sweet fragrance an edge. On a bad day, Calendula reminds me of nursery rhyme my mother used to sing to me about a little girl who had a little curl. "When she was good, she was very very good, but when she was bad she was rotten". Not sure what my mother meant by that.

I simply adore Halston! These past few weeks I have been in dire need of retail therapy and have emersed myself in a world of perfume. Halson classic has been the stand out purchase so far. It was a partially blind buy relying on only your reviews to seal the deal. I give major kudos Bernard Chant for creating such a gorgeous well rounded chypre. I agree with many of the other reviewers that this is vaguely reminiscent of Aromatics Elixir, but much creamier as if you sanded down all its rough edges. Don't get me wrong I freaking love AE and wear it often in all its incarnations, heck I own the perfumer's reserve soild and fluid. But it's no secret that AE can be sharp. When I wear Halston I feel naturally sexy if that makes sense. I do smell the mint in the opening, no melon on me but I'm not sad about that. The heart is stunning, so floral and semi-sweet, this is where it gets creamy. It finishes as a woody amber, oakmoss and incense skin sent that will have you sniffing yourself for hours. I picture the Halaton Woman of 1975 in her leather halter romper, hair, stunning hair long and wavy golden shimmering. She would have smelt so sexy and alluring, a trail of creamy moss and incense following in her wake I picked up a gift set with a full sized body lotion for under $25 CAD. The lotion is to die for, it's the base notes and not much else. This makes it ideal for layering. I often wear it under other less mossy or green fragrances to give them a bit of base. This has made it into my tight circle of signature scents. I'm on the hunt for a vintage bottle. From what I read the older juice is much better, as it often is. If you see this at your local drugstore this Christmas buy it! You will be pleased you did.

Oh man that mint and melon combo are really coming through in the opening. They sparkle together on me for a good 20 minutes, then the melon pairs up with the carnation and peach to give their own unique contribution to such a beautiful punch in the nose. In a strange way, it smells like carnation is present from the initial spray lasting far into the wearing. I get the orris with the jasmine, ylang, and more of that carnation blending into something outrageously sexy on my skin. I do detect a slight hint of rose, but with my body's chemistry it seems almost like a very fresh, metallic rose. Definitely a sour tinge, reminiscent of that vegetal sharpness associated with roses that have not yet come to bloom but are on the verge. The resinous qualities of this perfumes base are out of this world! There's something really magical about the dry down. The patchouli is persistent and entirely pleasant with a warm and inviting dryness that is rounded out by the oakmoss and sandalwood. This is kind of throwing me for a loop in how it reminds me of: Le Parfum, by Sonia Rykiel. There is a distinct incense laden, woody, sweetness that seems to be present in both fragrances. I blindly bought this after hearing about it recently and Holy Moses, it's strikingly beautiful, and Oh My God, the price! I basically got this for a song. These are the types of gems that I want in my collection! Beautiful, balmy, bombs wrapping me in their captivating magic. My heart and soul crave this, while my senses love the journey their taken on.

This is silly but Halston is so beautiful it made me cry. Like how songs can make you cry. I’m a '90s baby, so there are no sentimental attachments or anything. I bought a new bottle at Walgreens and tentatively sprayed the inside of the box when I got in the car. The whole way home, I had my nose in that box just sniffing like a maniac. I’m sure if anyone saw me, they thought I was nuts. It’s the melon, the marigold, the woods. I couldn’t get enough. When I got home I sat down on the floor and sprayed my knee. Over and over again I’d raise my knee up to my nose. I did nothing else in this span of time, just enjoyed the journey. From the mint to the peach to the melon to the florals...it reached a peak, a zenith, and I felt myself tearing up. I wanted to take this moment, this scent, and hold it at gunpoint like they do in the movies and say: “Don’t. F*cking. Move.” I wanted it to stay still, for the melon and the marigold to stay with me just as they were. Ah, but of course she moved. Such is the nature of fragrance. After some time, maybe an hour or so, Halston faded to its woody base notes, becoming somewhat masculine (although not at all unpleasant). Such a mind boggling fragrance this is. I yearn to wear this. It’s so very special. Edit: Longevity far exceeds one hour - I didn’t intend to be misleading! It lasts all day on me. What I meant is that I only loved it for an hour or so. 🥺

Alex "Sane-Witch" Osipov's recent appreciation made me want to wear Halston Classic today, even though my city is experiencing a heat wave now, and a complex '70s-style leathery chypre is probably unwise. My formulation--a fairly recent one, maybe two years old--smells better than I remember, if not quite as mossily magnificent as its original incarnation, which I mostly remember smelling on teachers' coats when I was small. But considering what it costs, it's a wonder--and better than many expensive designer and niche frags on the market today, especially if you like classic chypres and won't go through sugary-gourmand withdrawal. I can't say I'm crazy about the melon note, but fortunately the oakmoss (synthetic, I'm sure) overpowers it. To the contemporary nose, I'm sure this smells rather masculine (if not like Halston's lover's jockstrap, and thank goodness for that), but I categorize Halston Classic with other chypres and chypresque perfumes. It reminds me a bit of another Chant masterpiece, Aromatics Elixir, as well as Patou 1000 and a teensy bit of Chanel No. 5 and Eau Arpège. When it comes right down to it, maybe this wasn't a bad choice for hot weather after all. I'd rather smell like a fine old saddle and some dusty marigolds than, say, an ice-cream sundae topped with marshmallows and caramel. Smelling like food when it's this sickeningly hot is a grave mistake, if you ask me.

I purchased my first bottle of this when I first started working in a cosmetics/perfume counter at the age of 18, in 1980. It's the most perfect chypre that I know of. The blend is spectacular, and I love that there are beautiful floral notes as well.. I purchased many bottles of this fragrance in the '80s, but I waited to wear it once it was not worn by so many women. It took me about 15 years to start wearing it..I still have some of those vintage bottles left today. Recently, I was given a gift of the new Halston fragrance, and it's very similar to the original fragrance. I have the version with alcohol. It's also long lasting on me. This is not my everyday fragrance, but when I'm in the mood for floral chypre nothing else will do for me. From a green opening to the floral middle to the spicy finale, every note is perfection. Whenever I wear it, without fail, my husband tells me that he likes the "soap" that I used. One good spray is enough for me, and it lasts a long time. If you have problems with it not lasting, don't spray it on the pulse points, where it sometimes burns off too quickly. Forget about the '70s. Few people recall it from then. You can wear this now!

This was my BFF's signature scent in high school, and I recently bought her a brand new vintage splash. We opened it together, and she was in heaven. The top note of mint is very distinct, and cooling. Also, as typical, it's the first note to disappear with age. I recently bought myself another vintage version and fell in love with it. The mint wasn't as present in the opening, but I catch whiffs of it on the drydown. The woody basenotes are perfect! Not one wood stands out, yet it's a creamy combination of all. Thankfully the oakmoss isn't overwhelming as it can be typically in vintage fragrances (where true oakmoss is present). If you're looking for this classic beauty, note that the box will only say Halston and not much else. Also, the vintage splash, while inconvenient, is the one you want. It's probably a decent blind buy, but I'd start with a mini. Lastly, you can't beat Elsa Peretti's designs for the legendary Halston designs, both for the artistic bottles (look for the glass stopper one) and beyond. Edit: This fragrance upon drydown is perfect for layering with a light white floral for a perfect blend of floral and wood.

A week ago I purchased a new Halston from Walgreens ($19.99. Score!) and have been loving it ever since. So sexy, so 70s, so Liberated Woman working 9-5 and to the discotheque at night, yet still smells relevant. Today I received a bottle of the vintage version and... WOW. It is a vintage bottle - the dark juice, no writing on the bottle - in its original sealed box. The vintage and the new Halstons are the same scent except the vintage is a darker, scratchier, more mature experience. The opening reminds me of Bal a Versailles and I smell a bit of Arpege as well in the vintage. The new version is crisper, clearer, more shrill, colder somehow. The vintage will sit alongside my Mitsouko and VCA First where the new one will likely reside in the Chanel No. 19 and Bandit area of my perfume altar. I might try to layer them and see what happens. EDIT: OH MY GOD. It's been an hour since I sprayed the vintage Halston. It smells like a rich, luscious woman. Like I imagine Charlotte Rampling and Marissa Berenson smell. Slim silk blouse, jangly gold jewelry, cigarettes. I think I'm in love.

I just got this bottle of Halston Classic this morning. I sprayed a little on my left forearm and wrist and waited.. Not for long. At first it hit me and I was like "Oh no" But in only a few minutes my whole outlook changed and I can only tell you how I felt. I know a lady who is a nursing supervisor. She is tall and beautiful and quite and sincere. She does not say much but when she does, every one stops to listen. She exudes confidence and mystery. You just want to know what is going on behind those eyes, but you know that sadly, you might never completely know this woman and if you did, you still wouldn't... That is what this Halston reminds me of. Quite intensity, intelligence, confidence, beauty, longing and multi layers of mystery. I love it and while I lack the "perfume" vocabulary to describe it, I can tell you that is smells the way it makes me feel above. I either want to be that woman or kiss her, don't know for sure. She/Halston tosses me on my head and now 6 hours later, she is still lingering in my head and on my wrist.

This isn't going to necessarily be a review but rather a description. This is a chypre, straight and true. You have to love this style of perfume to appreciate Halston. If you love Aromatics Elixir, Magie Noire, No. 19, Private Collection, etc. you will enjoy this. Spray through the air and walk through to really get the most out of this warm, golden, floral, oak moss-y beauty. This is a great alternative for when I don't want to use my more expensive Aromatics Elixir. That said, Halston does not smell cheap nor dated. I have been on a gourmand kick lately but suddenly craved some crisp, clean chypres. It is great for a professional environment if applied with a light hand and allowed to bloom. UPDATE: Third day in a row wearing Halston Classic and the only downside is longevity is pretty poor. On clothes, it's fine, but you don't really want to spray chypres on clothes since they need body heat to open up and bloom. I get about 3/4 hours max on skin before needing to reapply. Granted, it's dirt cheap so it's not a budget killer.

I’m a member of a fragrance group on FB, and a lady had a bottle of Halston, from the 80’s that she had to re-decant into another bottle because the origial bottle was leaking. She said the first person who wanted it, she’d send it, so l hopped onto the opportunity to experience this perfume. I remember smelling the newer version in Sears, one day and l thought it smelled. Horrible! It smelled like hot sex and ass, not in a good way! But l wanted to try the vintage and I’m sooo glad l did! This is unlike anything I’ve smelled before; it’s so unique! Upon initial spray, l thought it was quite sharp, and that l smelled a lot like a mint julep lol. But when it dried down, it got sweeter, incense-y, herbal, melon and l couldn’t stop smelling my wrist! This one surprised me and I’m so happy l have this! I’m definitely going to get another vintage bottle because l enjoy unique perfumes, as l don’t like smelling like everyone else. I’m going to wear this one out, today so I’m hoping it goes well and l may get a compliment(s)😁.

Bernard Chant is a favorite perfumer of mine, and I came a bit late to his creation here, having been a long time fan of Aromatics Elixir and all of his works for Estée Lauder and Aramis. The classic, original Halston, with its bottle designed by jeweler and close friend of Halston, Elsa Peretti, we see Chant taking some cues from Mitsouko, Chanel No. 19 and Dior Diorella, adding galbanum, peach lactones and a melon accord to his template floral, mossy chypre template. The result is a dazzler of soapy, earthy proportions on a foundation of oakmoss and vetiver. The real showstopper is just before we reach this coda: a gregarious, bright, somewhat sour tagetes marigold that keeps all of its floral brethren in check and escorts them all into the inky and beautifully coarse dry down. To think that one would walk into a discotheque and smell this in the ether. It's tasty, lustrous, and has just the right tempo for me. The EDT and cologne only differ in that the cologne is more sheer and diffusive. Both are spectacular.

A wonderful, complex scent-and this is AFTER IFRA-related reformulations! Oh, how I wish I had a time machine to smell the original version of this, Opium, and Poison 😭 Things started out a bit on the hectic side when I first sprayed it on. The peach and melon fought with the green notes and bergamot right afterwards, making it hard to pick them out individually. I put that down to my bottle being a store tester. The mint started coming through after about 20 minutes after I put it on, and stuck around for about three hours. Then the middle notes slowly eased in, starting with the marigolds and orris root. Later still- about seven hours after spraying it on- the base notes eased in. I especially love how the incense note eases in similar to the one in Poison. After nine hours it becomes a delightful skin scent; the balance between the powdery and herbal/aromatic notes and the musk is sensational. I especially liked how it lasted a literal workday; I wish that more newer scents had this longevity.

Love this scent. My grandmother wore this every day and it never smelled old lady-ish. She always smelled young and would get compliments on this perfume. I remember always sneaking into her room and spraying it on a little. I always remembered this bottle and now that she’s not here anymore I tracked it down and bought some to remember her. She would wear this and Z-14 by Halston. Because of the nostalgia, I love it. And I love spraying it on at night to remember her and feel like I’m in her house again or she’s with me again. Scent is amazing for memories like that. But nostalgia aside, I am a man, and find this scent perfectly unisex. I get compliments when I wear it out, so if you are a man thinking of trying this one out, don’t hesitate. For the price point you can’t go wrong, so I don’t feel bad spraying a lot on my bed or curtains as an air freshener or as a memory stimulant. Strongly recommended from both my grandmother and me. :)

Love the Vintage Halston cologne! I have a horde of it. It's certainly one of my all time favorite fragrances. This fragrance always makes me think of seashells and the beach for some reason. I don't know why because it's not coconut or coppertone. Maybe it's just the crisp woods..... The vintage cologne lasts until you wash it off. The new reformulated version is really nice but it's not nearly as deep and rich as the old stuff. It is still rather long lasting in its current form. Halston is unique in that it's cool and warm fragrance at the same time. I smell greens, light peach and lots of rose, carnation and marigolds. The dry down is mossy, ambery woods. It's very unique. This is easy to wear and very versatile. It also obviously inspired other fragrances such as Niki de Saint Phalle, Armani Femme 1982, Gucci No. 3 etc and another Bernard Chant creation released a few years later.. Lauren by Ralph Lauren.

I can't believe I missed out on this scent in its heydey, although I might not have been able to afford it back then. It reminds me of another '70s fragrance I love, Imprevu -- probably because the green woody notes are so dominant on me, and I get very little of the florals. But while I love Imprevu, I'm IN love with Halston. So green and woody! The green leaves top note just never quits. The initial rush of mint and bergamot, with just a hint of the peach and melon, is quickly replaced by the freshness of the cedar heart note -- which also stays throughout. Of the florals, I get only marigold and perhaps orris root, but then the oakmoss and vetiver snuff them out. Finally, a blend of the oriental base notes emerges, sweeter, spicer, but not too much so. A fragrance that's fresh enough for daytime, but sophisticated enough for evening. Sillage for the EDC is moderate, longetivity impressive.

I know only the current formula in EDC concentration. And I love it - as I do all fragrances from genius Bernard Chant! I understand that what I smell is slightly or even totally different from the original formulas, but I definetely believe that this fragrant is a piece of art for it's own sake if not compared to anything, not even to it's origins. As many of Bernard Chant's fragrances, this is totally unisex in a veeeeery sexy manner. It has character, it is multi-faceted it has it's depth and warmth and fresh features as well. Marigold is a note with strong character, it's definetely not for everyone, it's not the usual pretty floral note but something earthy, if not dirty..... It's a smoky, sexy, in this current formulation rather powdery chypre. One can interpret this as a mess or as a magnificent complex scent according to tastes and skin chemistry.