Ecusson

I was fortunate to win at auction many years ago a rare 2 fl.oz (60 ml.) glass/crystal flacon of the pure parfum (ref:404), the bottle sits upon a raised footed grey velvet dais and is accessed by lifting off a pale pink & grey fitted cardboard case/lid also known as a coffret, this is a older presentation as the stopper is oval matte glass and fitted with a ground tipped bung which is firmly secured by gold thread & is double labelled with the Jean D'albret golden ~Ecusson~ shield & neck collar, thankfully there has been no evaporation with the contents displaying a rich, brassy & clear golden hue hence my unwillingness to open and use as I have a smaller 30 ml. bottle that I sample from time to time purely for reference purposes against other vintage floral chypres from approximately the same or similar time frame. The parfum is a rich sumptuous floral formula drying down and bolstered by lashings of rare Indian sandalwood, vetyver & oak moss finishing with smoldering mid century & now long discontinued nitro musk's, this is a very heavy fragrance and typical of perfumes from that era, this gem is kept in climate controlled conditions which hopefully will extend it's olfactive integrity. Application by vaporiser/natural spray would benefit in opening up this heavy, dense fragrance allowing for a protracted & glorious dry down, a most elegant blast from the past... ~Ecusson~ is French for a badge, epaulet or emblem

I have a small bottle of vintage "Ecusson" eau de parfum, most likely 1970s, simply labeled "perfume". It's lovely... A quick top note burst of faint herbal-floral and perhaps citrus notes (bergamot?) of some kind, probably softened and blurred by age. Then musk of the "Bal a Versailles" type, a relatively heavy but hard to tease apart bouquet of florals, with carnation and a touch of rose most notable to me. It gets beautifully creamy here. Drydown has a richly resinous and powdery quality, and a musk that is delicate but persistent. I feel that there is oakmoss in here too, which gives the base a woodsy touch and enlivens the muskiness. Over and over, I am reminded of" Bal a Versailles", but not in a derivative way; this simply feels like her more refined---or more subtle--- cousin. It reads like a musky chypre, to me, or a chypre musk. I find it very pleasing, and while it has a definite vintage character, I think it wears plenty modern too. Sillage is moderate, with amplification if skin grows warmer. My bottle lacked its sprayer, thus I had to dab it on; I suspect that this would bump up a bit in sillage if sprayed. Very enjoyable!

I have been extremely lucky to have found a small Ecusson parfum in its original bottle, encased in a plastic shell, with lid, in the original box. I found it on a local site which sells used or unwanted goods. It is as beautiful as I remembered, warm, feminine, musky and soft. This fragrance (Ecusson) along with the original Casaque were available from the Orlane counter in Sydney, sadly it's been decades since they were sold here. The challenge for me will be how to conserve it for as long as possible without wanting to wear it every day!

as it took other reviewers a long time to say: a woody musk.

Just received my eau de toilette vintage bottle and I'm a bit disappointed... I cannot find any of the complexity or the floral notes that other reviewers mention. All I can think of is a rather flat spicyness. Maybe it's just that this bottle did not stand the test of time.

Let Me Take You Back In Time Via My Memories October 1948 London United Kingdom Ecusson is a forgotten fragrance, but not by me. How well I remember this perfume, and how it's aroma could leave behind a woodsy floral aroma for days and days, especially when it spilled onto any surface, body part or clothing. It's a scent I associate with summer and autumn, for that's when my mother put it on, welcoming the season in London. My mother wore this fragrance both at home and out in public. She had two editions the eau de parfum and eau de cologne. The perfume came in a tall glass bottle, and glass stopper. It was quite heavy and when she used it all up she kept the bottle as a decorative objet d'art in the house. The cologne was a rounded glass bottle, smaller than the parfum, with a gold stopper. Both were very attractive looking glassware pieces. The parfum was quite powerful, deep, rich, and exotic with moss of oak, jasmine, violet leaf, carnations, rose, woodsy notes musk and a divine sandalwood. I wish I could break down the notes for you but it's been such a long time. The top notes when one first inhales the scent was harsh with aldehydes and violet leaf, followed by citrus and cassis. Aldehydes were still in vogue then and this was definitely a strong aldehyde similar to those of Chanel No. 5 and No. 22 and of the two this was more like No. 22. It had a soapy quality to it, but not just any soap, a luxury soap. It was also reminiscent of Caleche by Hermes. The parfum was a chypre, which means the woodsy notes and green notes were prevalent. I distinctly recollect the oak moss. It was well rounded with the florals of which an iris begins to take over with a powdery note. Very powdery as it begins to leave behind the sweet flowers. Then the dry down is musky, woodsy, and green with vetiver. A serenity came with this fragrance, smelling like an Italian countryside. The dry down The perfume is absolutely gorgeous. A sandalwood is discernable, and although there is no civet, a strongly animalic scent emerges from the base, a musk of deer. There is a considerable difference between the parfum and cologne. The cologne is sweeter, less aromatic, with all the sweet florals heightened especially the rose and the powdery iris. At the dry down a lovely vanilla comes through. It was pleasant and less aldehydic than the parfum. It was actually ok for me to wear it sometimes when I was between ages 13 and 15. It was powdery as well, delicate and feminine. I never did like it as much as the parfum but I was never able to wear the EDP as my mother used it up before I could get my hands on it. The memories I have of this fragrance is that of an under 18 year old who was a romantic and loved to read classic Romances like the Princess of Cleves, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, Ivanhoe, and Morte D'Arthur. The dreamy imagery I get from Ecusson is that of the French Renaissance. I see a beautiful chateau in the Loire Valley, surrounded by a deep forest. Francis I has gone away on a hunt. Henry the II has remained in the chateau to woo his father's mistress Diane de Poitiers, the most beautiful woman in France. She has an ambitious heart and holds sway and influence over the court as long as she is protected by the king. But already she has captured the heart of the prince so that she will remain in power even after the old king is dead. She has luxuriant brunette hair, which she wears up, adorned with diadems and crescent moons, for she fancies herself Diana Greco Roman the Goddess of the Moon and the Hunt. She has a beautiful long gown of exquisite material and a radiant jade color. She has dancing feet. She loves the court balls at the Chateau de Fontainebleau. I can hear the festive music of fast paced oboes, flutes, recorder, viola da gamba and I can see the couples on the dance floor swirling and turning, touching only with the palms of their hands. Already, intrigue is in the air. The wife of the king, the imperious and sinister politician and religious Queen Catherine de Medici, who would orchestrate the Huguenot's deaths through the St Bartholomew Day Massacre in Paris, has nothing but hate for Diane her beautiful rival. She will make sure that she is banished from the court once the king dies. She will take possession of the Chateau de Chenonceau the beautiful castle that the king gave to Diane as a lavish gift. The countryside around the castle is so beautiful. Cypress, oaks, pines, and groves line up the paths where horse drawn coaches transport royals and dignitaries to the palace of Fontainebleau, which, before Versailles, was the center of power in France. Statues of gods, goddesses and deer and the favorite of the king, Diana the huntress, welcomes visitors. The scent of carnation, the favorite of Diane de Poitiers, is always on her smooth flesh. The sandalwood is so inviting and the moss smells of a time long ago, so long ago, that men and women knew what it was to love and to live and to die. I miss smelling this fragrance. Out of pure nostalgia I looked for it again like calling on an old friend from bygone years. The bottles of the parfum and toilette are still available on ebay! For the price, it's quality liquid.I have found rather old used bottles of it on ebay. It smells mostly of musk and iris now, but it has some of the enchantment that I remember from 1948 when I first smelled it. Ecusson deserves more praise and credit. It is surprising to me that I'm the only person reviewing this fragrance! So if you like chypres, if you like aldehydes similar to Chanel No 5 and 22, and you have enjoyed Caleche by Hermes, this fragrance will draw you in to it's world of court balls, clever courtesans, kings, queens, and colognes.

This was my fist perfume. My father bought it as a Christmas gift when I was only 8 years old. He bought it in the most exclusive perfumeshop that existed in the city. It was a wonderful gift for a little girl that already appreciated everything luxury. My mother was not so happy about it - she thought it was to early and preferrd to buy more useful present. That made it even more special and I loved the aroma of flowers and soft wood as I remembered it. I bought a bottle some years ago and use it from time to time. It recalls the wonderful times of my beloved father and my wonderful childhood. One aspect of perfumes I appreciate the most it their ability to transport you in time and space. So many perfumes and so many memories later.........

What a wonderful historical short novel that was in the last review, and I owned a bottle of this high school that an auntie had gifted to me. It was all those rich notes of another century and time; I loved it. I could wear it as a young girl, too and I also wore it more fall and winter. While studying French in high school, I learned that this company also made Casaque which George Sand liked. I think that was also the name of a vest in the 1800’sthat she liked to wear. Of the two, I really liked Ecusson but I have not seen it in the stores for years now. I would wear it again if I could find it. Yes, the sandalwood was lovely in it.

I believe I first received a small bottle of Ecusson in France, traveling with my grandparents in 1958. It is a very complex perfume, initially floral but a bit "heady" and rich in its undertones...a little confusion and loss of control... I found another vintage tiny bottle probably thirty years later and save its potency for special occasions.

A nicer Caleche on me a soft honeyed leathery chypre with lots of powder and incense. I have a very small miniature bottle and it has stood the test of time.

Is this brand named for Jeanne D'Albret (enemy of Catherine di Medici) who was murdered via a pair of poisoned gloves?