Isadora

This as my signature for quite some time - complete strangers would sigh and smile and ask me what I was wearing and could never guess what. It smelt better on me than Shalimar which it vaguely resembles. I never got a mint note - it was all oriental spices and flowers. I stopped wearing it when it became difficult to fine, A friend gifted me a vintage bottle and the top notes have sadly gone off. I haven't worn it in some time but i will try again and check on the heart and base notes.

Isadora, created as a tribute to dancer Isadora Duncan 50 years later after her death... There is a blog thenonblonde.com where blogger writes that it was created for Robert Benson who owned Isadora Parfumes back than and – that Isadora is “a spawn of Shalimar”.. I will include a quote from the blog for you “The most familiar part in Isadora is the vanilla-opoponax base. It's more innocent than Shalimar, fuzzier and even bordering on a comfort scent. It doesn't have any of the civet you still smell in older formulations of Shalimar and none of the mysterious smoky incense. Still, Isadora is quite rich and opulent. It smells expensive and well thought-out, and above all: it gives pleasure. “ Another person disagrees slightly and writes that : “On my skin, Isadora seems to be neither a chypre nor a Shalimar-esque fragrance but something altogether unique. It does have some of the sharpness and mossiness you'd expect of a chypre, but it's so well-blended that it never seems sour or musty the way some vintage chypres can be. it reminds me ever so slightly of Patou Cocktail, but not so much that I'd mistake one for the other. I rather like it. It's definitely interesting and hard to pin down.” Well, personally I think if to compare Isadora with anything at all – it would go more to the side of vintage Patou fragrances, rather than to Shalimar, but..at the same time I didn't smell earlier than 80-s versions of Shalimar. Isadora is very distinctive vintage oriental with very interesting leather played around – MINTY leather... Does it make sense?..through oriental balmy qualities you smell camphoraceous like chopped mint leaves...Its intensive, till animalic point because resinous quality of oppoponax gives full-bodiness to the flowers which, in their own turn, mixed with oppoponax, create thick woody-vannilic accord. So it swirls and swirls and swirls...As Isadora Duncan's spontanous free movements in her dances. I dabbed it on my wrist and ran for one hour afterwards, Isadora was very much present all the way, notes were playing with the wind, very powerful musty leather I would say, I came home, took shower – it still on my wrist as a soft smoky-vanilla – NOW it does reminds me a bit of Shalimar. The little bottle that I own, featuring kneeling nude stopper, is amazing, it was created by designer Pierre Dinand. Production of the perfume ended in the 1990s.

Top notes : bergamot, geranium, persian mint, orange blossom Middle notes: jasmine, bulgarian rose, iris, French lavender, spices Base notes: oakmoss, Indian sandalwood,musk,leather, opponax and vanilla. Isadora edt starts out very green with the geranium driving the scent for over 45 minutes. Other notes such as mint and lavender combine to a unique green pungeant opening. The orange blossom ushers in the floral heart of the fragrance. I get a appearance of the powdery base note combining with the florals and the leather peaks in from time to time. About an hour in, The fragrance seems to alternate notes with the middle and base notes. Even the heat from the sandalwood mixes with the beautiful opponax. And a breeze of musk leather and vanilla swirl about. This is where the perfume is at its best, with powdery creamyness. This is a very geranium, minty leather and opponax based perfume. If you dont like the pungent green geranium or opponax , this isn't for you. But if you do like opponax, its very well done. I'll keep wearing it as its very unique

Opens with a vinegary note and proceeds to dirty leather. There is a slight resemblance to Shalimar, the only Guerlain fragrance I've ever hated. Sillage and longevity are good, alas, making I. a scrubber. I had big hopes for this. Well, it's nasty in the worst possible way. Interesting bit of trivia: Isadora hated cats.

I'm Isadora Duncan's namesake, so when I found out there was a perfume made for her, I knew I HAD to get my hands on it. That being said, I figured I would not enjoy this perfume and I absolutely didn't. I feel this is for someone who is beyond me in terms of olfactory experience. It smells strongly of leather and oakmoss - very "vintage" and not at all up my alley. That being said, I couldn't be more proud to own this piece of history and have it on my vanity. The bottle is absolutely stunning!