Caleche Parfum

How I adore this, bought in Sydney when my beautiful Norwegian immigrant lover Odd Erik and I drove there in a decrepit VW beetle with some weird lever on the floor that controlled the fuel line. (Sometimes we hitchhiked around, I know unbelievable now, but not a worry when you were a pair, but then Erik got the veedub, he learned all sorts of hacks to keep ‘er going). (I also had a Honda 100 motorbike, that I’d ride back to our farm on weekends and being a good woman, I was delighted to pillion behind him). (The fates decided to spare us.) We may have not slept anywhere for that Caleche weekend because we were starving uni students but it didn’t matter. It was my first ‘adult’ perfume bought from a department store (David Jones). I bought versions of it repeatedly in my early twenties before finding Mitsouko. I spent most of my scholarship on perfume instead of art supplies. I’ve got two tiny bottles of vintage parfum, god, no wonder I fell in love with it. Just wearing this perfume, luxuriating in cascading memories...so joyous...beyond masterpiece

I’ve always liked Caleche but had never tried the vintage parfum until yesterday, when I got a never used travel spray from the 60’s, by the looks of it. When first sprayed you can tell there’s a lot of fresh lemon, not fruity but the kind you might smell in an alcoholic beverage; a few minutes later the florals come roaring in but in a restrained manner, like a silent scream if that makes sense. Without knowing the actual notes I could tell there was some incense in the base before the dry down and I thought to myself “this is like Chanel 22 but without the typical Chanel mess”. This is a formula that knows exactly what it wants to be and convey, it doesn’t try to appeal with unnecessary sweetness or with pretty florals, instead it’s a grand aldehyde floral with a solid structure, no note stands out, like a great perfume should be. Superb.

Remarkable beauty. I can't believe there are no reviews for this version. It's a richer version and the aldehydes are much smoother and toned down. Could be because mine is vintage. While I enjoy the EDT and EDP, the aldehydes are shrill and piercing and I don't enjoy the fragrance for at least an hour. This one goes straight to the beauty. The parfum allows me to fully understand the love for Caleche. It has always been a like for me but this version is love.

Liquid sunshine gold; sparkling sunny aldehydes lead into ylang, powdery orris, and lightly waxy white florals. All sits on a musky and woody base. Very beautiful, alluring in a comforting way. The heat of spring and summer make this shine, best-suited for warmer months. Lasts for ages, becomes like a second skin.

I love this perfume, just love it. This is one of the classiest, most universal, most head turning perfumes ever made. There's absolutely nothing like it.

She is a largess. Timeless. Elegant. Regal, but not too fancy. A smart beauty that stands the test of time. Short, sandy golden hair in loose finger curls and fawn-like beauty mark her innocence but also of unaware seduction. A Italian silk scarf elegantly frames her handsome face, cat eye sunglasses and always red lipstick; the rich orangey kind you see in a renaissance painting. There might be minks and furs - there might be a Cadillac (but only white or black), and of course always a green olive in her martini - never two. She is a cousin to Chanel No. 5, neighbour to Givenchy's L'Interdit and Patou's Joy, and has lunch parties with Madame Rochas. Her type is extinct now, but her memory and legacy live on in vintage bottles and perfume history, in the fantasy and luxury of old magazine ads, of stories passed down of old socialites' rendezvous, the olfactory memory of one's now deceased rich Great Aunt. With the effervescence of champagne, lemons and aldehydes - hints of lily of the valley, jasmin and vetiver are wrapped in a warm cashmere sweater and linger on in this eternal potion of a vintage masterpiece. While typical of the era, it is also different. A subtly strange and understated beauty (like Edith Bouvier Beale). Like a fine wine, it has aged very well. Hermes always hits precision with blending and balance. Their perfumes never are dated and they are never too extra; just effortless perfection and luxury at ease, and comfortable in its own skin. But always with a story.

Fresh, sophisticated, champagne aldehydes. So light and sophisticated. I have a bottle of early formulation and though this parfum might be a vintage, it still feels relevant and appropriate for today. I get a similar light floating elegant bubbles as those experienced in my beloved Chanel no. 5. Just magical. Great longevity and silage but inoffensive. If you have Soie de Caleche, you do not need both. Very similar.

The vintage version is very nice, slightly sweetly woody, a little like vintage L'Interdit, but even richer. Something like a cross between vintage Givenchy L'Interdit parfum and vintage Madame Rochas

Caleche is a very complex, elegant and multifaceted fragrance. Is a perfect passe- partou, perfect for work, or for a posh dinner. The version that I own is is old about 14 years, still perfect. I read that the newest version have lost a little bit of charme...But personally, I think she is still a wonderful perfume, different than all this very sweeties fragrances, Caleche is classy, without be boring or dated.

Intriguing fragrance, defining it as a floral aldehyde is not enough, there are many more layers in it. If this fragrance were a woman I’d say she is wealthy, elegant, with a strong personality but also soft.

i have inherited the vintage bottle and i feel like it is staring at me in the face and calling me classless for not fucking w it :/ caleche is likely too aldehydic for me to get behind and that's okay! feels like it should be donated to a cool rich city-dwelling aunt who would make acute and slightly offensive critiques about your appearance in ways you didn't know were possible (ie "that nail shape doesn't really suit you honey maybe try almond next time")

I have several bottles of the Parfum , the youngest from 1981 and the oldest from 1965. Amazingly, the top notes are still intact on all of them. That's how well made this fragrance is. It's a very airy & light fragrance, though rich and well made. I smell it around me all day. So do other people. I get a lot of "Hmmm...you smell good" when wearing it. It has great longevity too. I put it on in the morning and it last well into the evening. There is nothing dramatic or over the top in this parfum. It's simplicity, class, and elegance in a bottle. Truly an understated beauty. When I feel the need to wind down from the world, this is what I reach for - the parfum. To me, there is nothing else like it in the world. Magnificent!

Superb. Old school glamour. One of the world's legendary perfumes. This is low key, stealth wealth at its best. There's nothing else that even comes close to Caleche available today. One of those rare, hypnotic, ultra exclusive scents that are in a whole class of their own. Understated, discreet, subtle, low key, restrained, composed, elegant, timeless, chic, polished & aloof, French. Unfortunately this is no longer available in the pure parfum version, so you may have to hunt a bottle down on ebay etc. Always a bit of a risk. Bring it back please.

I finally purchase this again after several years of not having it. This is a masterpiece and must have in your perfume wardrobe. My dream -:Wearing it makes me feel like I have a very rich husband who does not have enough time to be with me, when I pretend to go to the city I wear when I know I am going to meet with my 25 year old lover who is a body builder with no brains. When we meet we don't talk about much because we are from two different worlds". Ok, I am awake form my dream now. Back to reality girl.

A beautiful floral chypre that wraps you into its floral, woody essence and contemplative warmth like a luxurious cashmere wrap. Ylang ylang, rose, jasmine, and iris bring floral beauty to the woody, chypre contemplative essence. An intriguing perfume that graciously invites you into its romantic, classic boudoir with velvet, silk, and delicate lace, and asks for you to stay for awhile. Elegant and noble, secretive, like a lover whispering into your ear.

Gorgeous, my vintage spray smells very musky next to vintage Rive Gauche perfume! Similar though. Beautiful sophisticated florals with interest. And as the reviewer before me said, never boring. Caleche is a jewel in my collection.

Scent of older elegant multi milionaire woman. She has a rich; busy husband. She loves her dinners in another town with her younger, faithful lover.

Exquisite fragrance. The aldehydic notes are very notable.

a beautiful fragrance! very regal!