Collection Heritage Chaldée

Another update I wanted to add on a perfume I have grown to know better over time, and since first trying it my appreciation has grown with familiarity. When I initially tried this, almost 3 years ago now, it was from a sample. I'd thought longevity wasn't very good, but actually, I have found that I was completely wrong in this regard - the difference between the amount you get from a sample compared to a full bottle doesn't always give a 100% accurate result. I ended up draining that first sample fairly quickly, and then a second, and by the time I was on my third sample I thought maybe I should go for the full bottle here! Chaldee, as with the other scents from the Heritage Collection, is not cheap, full retail price in the UK being £150/100ml. Thus it is fairly in line with the price tag of other high end/private collection or exclusives/niche offerings but still a bit of a budget buster. It doesn't crop up very often for much less to be honest, I guess a combination of relatively tight control over distribution and being less well known than some of the other brands offering scents in this price bracket (eg Chanel, Guerlain, Dior, Tom Ford etc) reduces the odds of scoring a bargain, however occasionally they do crop up, so if you're like me and lusting after a bottle it is a case of keeping an eye out; I eventually managed to pick up a bottle from the continent before the £ took a nosedive, so although not cheap it was less painful than it might have been! What I can tell you though is that although pricey, it was so worth it! I really didn't give enough credit for how beautiful this perfume actually is. As with so many fragrances my mild synaesthesia kicks in, adding another dimension to my enjoyment of a scent. So for me this smell of Chaldee is a light, pale golden colour, like rays of sunlight streaming through clear blue sky on a crisp late spring/early summer morning in these parts. I'm thinking maybe around May time, when you might still have an overnight frost before the day warms up. One of those simple pleasures in life, where if you are up and about early enough, even in the city, you can walk along a main road and see no other people or traffic, and revel in the fresh, sparkling clean feel of newness and potential. As though the new day was made entirely for you alone. The cool, crisp air, unseen birds singing in the budding trees, hidden from view by new leaf cover, brilliantly clear pale blue skies, and that strange delight that comes from seeing the city before the city is awake. Of course, with this comes the knowledge that this is a brief, transient beauty, that fleeting moment of tranquility and stillness when the new day balances precariously like a carriage on a roller-coaster, suspended momentarily on the apex of the track, where time slows for a heartbeat before plunging headlong into the chaos of the day. In mere minutes the road will be filled with traffic, people will be hurrying to catch their bus, and the day will be in full swing, but for this brief moment you have the day to yourself, and so you pause for a moment to watch the rays of sunshine dance sparkling over frosted ground. That is how Chaldee smells to me, that picture, that palette of colours. Beautiful. Since writing my first review, I have also had the pleasure of trying out the 1980s version of this scent, from the "Ma Collection" series. I don't know how that version compares to the original 1920s Huile de Chaldee, created as a tanning product, and later Chaldee perfume based upon the same scent, but I can see that this new version remains somewhat faithful to it's immediate predecessor. Both have that crisp, aldehydic feeling, and the freshness, underscored by clean florals (narcissus, jasmine, orange blossom, and the dewiness of a soft rose) and resins (opoponax and something slightly sweet). The older version I tried was a little battered and bruised by age and had that vintage feeling that is so hard to describe, and the two were by no means identical, but there was a clear link between one and the other, in my opinion, particularly in the soft aldehydes I'm convinced I could smell, althogh not mentioned in the notes list. I actually did experiment with mixing 1:1 the vintage and the modern versions of this scent, and the result sat somewhere right between the 2 versions, demonstrating their similarities. The current Chaldee is beautiful to wear. It wafts and circles around the person, moving with you. It leaves a delicate but definite gentle sillage trail, and surprises you with occasional wisps of beautiful scent that will bring a smile to your face. Contrary to my previous review, I would say this lasts about 6-7 hours for me, if sprayed onto skin and clothing. It projects roughly within arms length as far as I can tell. I highly recommend giving this one a go, because it is beautiful! TL:DR - I was wrong before, this actually lasts pretty well, it smells great, bit pricey but well worth it.

Ahh, Chaldee. The OG sun tan lotion perfume. For this review I am strictly talking about the Collection Heritage version. I have once smelled the original Jean Kerleo EdT on a blotter, but I do not own a bottle, a hole I hope to fill someday. I’ve worn Chaldee to pool parties several times, dousing myself in it as you can and should do, and I always get asked what is that amazing smelling suntan lotion I’m wearing lol. Chaldee is a lot more than that though. While most perfumes of this genre overdose you with sweet coconut as the focal point, plus fake florals and cloying tropical fruit, the genius of Jean Kerleo (vis-a-vis Thomas Fontaine with Collection Heritage), gave us facets of coconut without really knowing that he did: fleshy, sort of sweet, oily and fatty in a nutty way like macadamias, and a bit tropical floral. What’s most striking about Chaldee, that anyone familiar with Jean Patou will instantly notice, is that it is basically a more light-hearted version of Joy. I know this statement is going to cause a lot of consternation, but I’m going to go with it. The jasmine and rose heart of Chaldee is what was the entire purpose of Joy. No one has yet to do a jasmine and rose combination better than Jean Patou, and if Joy wasn’t enough to convince you (how dare you) then let Chaldee try. That’s not quite it though: part of the reason Chaldee is able to make the jasmine and rose combo more light-hearted is, if you pay attention very closely, occasionally you’ll get a wisp of what I believe is lilac, which, for such a small voice adds a lot to the overall effect. The orange blossom at the top, dry citrusy juicy and fresh, and the floral heart combined with a very light amber base summarily smell recognizably to us 21st century folks as a floral not-quite-coconut suntan lotion, but without any of the super sticky, sickly sweet, and harsh tones, which just puts a big smile on your face. Chaldee is a big boat-load of fun. Joy means to take you on a magic carpet ride of jasmine and rose, to thrill and mesmerize you. Chaldee just wants to be your friend and have a good time, and it achieves both while also being an incredibly easy-going companion. What’s not to love.

This is a really beautiful scent, I have not smelled the original version of this to compare, only the current release which is apparently "based upon" the earlier fragrance with very similar name - this is heritage collection Chaldee with an accent over the e (don't know how to do it on my keyboard!) Anyway, the perfume - this is the 4th I have tried from Jean Patou, the others being Sublime, current edp (which is sublime!)Joy, current edp (not for me)and 1000 current edp (love it, its sitting pretty near the top of my wish list)and Chaldee definitely has the "patou-nade"(?!), that base that goes under all the scents from this house I have smelled, making it smell rich, expensive, classy. This opens quite light then develops a pleasing highly feminine full bodied scent with rich resins and amber, with a very soft warm spice overlaid with a delicate fuzz of cool floral notes (not sure exactly what florals, it just smells like light fluffy florals!) The heart of this perfume is simply beautiful, I kept getting the most wonderful wafts of florals underscored with sweet resin as I moved around, and smelled up close the resins were more noticeable. But then...3 hours later it is all but gone, vanished with barely a trace left, a mere whisper of scent. Where'd it go?! It was so lovely and it just vanished. I feel this really needed some moss or musk to give it a little more depth and longevity. While it lasts it is beautiful and elegant but it is all heart and no bottom!! I think some oakmoss would smell divine in this and make it last, such a shame it goes so quick. So for the scent itself, while it lasts, beautiful, a good 8/10. Sillage was reasonable, this leaves a very delicate scent trail. But longevity, is virtually zero, maybe 2-3 hours, tops. Now if this only cost a tenner, I'd go for it, no doubt, and just keep topping up. But for this price no chance! I will enjoy my sample while it lasts but with such poor longevity it is a no buy despite the beautiful scent. TL:DR version - smells good, fades fast.

The original was arguably a MASTERPIECE, although I never had the pleasure of smelling such a vintage formula myself. I just read about it in various books and sites. Many reformulations are getting a lot of flack and criticism, but I think this one here we should give it some slack as it is a great performing scent. I bought it in a previous sale in a top London destination and it was a real bargain (we love those). The opening is real sharp and medicinal, even a bit unpleasant, if I am honest. It reminds me a lot of Penhaligon's now sadly discontinued "Ostara" in its opening. But there is something oddly pleasant in this medicinal opening, as I am being reminded of a countryside pharmacy; the old worldly kind, when everything was wrapped in brown paper and everyone knew you by your first name. Chaldeé is the oriental relative to the English botanic sibling (Ostara). The former has plenty of development from medicinal to floral-faecal to floral indolic (narcissus and jasmin) to floral-vanilla to resinous-ambery warm. There is an ever so slight undertone of that sandalwood accord reminiscent of 'Opium' by YSL. If this scent was a colour, it would be a yellow-to-amberglow brownish orange. An absolute delight to wear, even for a man, in late winter, early spring, when the daffodils break through the ice and end winter. It oozes an old-wordly aura of refinement, style, class, with a certain 'joie de vivre' seen in those movies with Fred Astaire, Doris Day and Marylin Monroe. It's like a vintage car from the 40ies. I adore this and if this reformulated version is already impressive enough, I am dying to know what the original must have been like. Verdict: Truly amazing and interesting. 9/10 only because I read about the original formula being a Masterpiece.

I have worn this for 3 hours and its utterly delicious. A grown-up fragrance with confidence and character. On first whiff I get a potent wash of bergamot, rose absolute (not the scent you get when smelling the rose itself) and something unusual which I think is the myrhh; a slightly bitter background for the softer florals. After a few minutes the orange blossom rises and the incense strengthens, while the bergamot and rose decrease in strength. In about 10 minutes Jasmine appears with heady flowers - lilac? hyacinth? - twined, while the myrhh and bergamot provide a character-filled depth to the florals. This is a rich, ambery perfume; aware, considered and with great depth. After 30 minutes a beautifully rich blossoming of Jasmine, orange blossom, lilac, rose absolute with vanilla and myrhh combine to delicious effect; I'm entranced, but busy for the next 2.5 hours, keenly aware of this lovely cloud emanating from my skin (none sprayed on my clothes). After 3 hours the perfume is easy to smell on my wrists and wonderfully mellow; dusky florals - jasmine, hyacinth, lilac, Jonquil perhaps - shot through and supported by vanilla and incense. I don't yet know how to detect Tonka Bean or Amber but if I were to give this perfume a colour it would be amber, although it verges into violet territory in the headiness of its florals. I love this and will wear it often. Today's haiku: perfume for grownups deep florals caught in amber infused with incense

I have been sampling and collecting from the house of Jean Patou since I read the article about the house being no more. I wish I had started w/ perfume years ago because Patou is a house I have grown to love and am sad that their fragrances are no longer in production and I have to hurry and buy as many as possible before they are gone for good. This was a blind buy and I bought it for a steal but upon smelling it I would've paid full price for this beautiful, soft and graceful perfume. This fragrance captures timeless and divine femininity in a bottle. The opening is the most lovely, warm and powdery soft amber that cocoons a garden filled w/ narcissus, and orange blossoms. The heart of the fragrance continues on in the same way filling your senses w/ a deep comfort, warmth and subtle and tender sensuality. The amber powder of this fragrance grows even more beautiful in the dry down. This is a fragrance that is tasteful, and refined though out and has the quality and feel of a soft sunset w/ shades of water colored pinks and golds. I have fallen hard for Jean Patou perfumes for different reasons, Joy w/ it's Jasmine and Rose bouquet, 1000 for it's sparkling aldehydic brightness, Sublime for it's warm, sleek and polished charm and now Chaldee for it's soft refined and graceful femininity.

I truly believe that Thomas Fontaine put in his best effort to reconstruct the legacy Jean Patou fragrances for the Heritage Collection. There are many opinions that assert that he missed the mark on several, but one was recommended to me for its remaining true to Jean Kerleo's Ma Collection version and that is Chaldeé. I'd like to note that in my comparison with my Ma Collection mini, the variation is negligible, with differences in top notes that could purely be attributed to age. Otherwise, what follows is quite faithful. Fontaine gives us a translucent bergamot and plangent rose in its opening, and what he really does nail is the interchange between the beaming orange blossom and cresolic narcissus. The effect is like pure sunlight on warm skin —it just so happens that the origins of Chaldée are that of "Huile de Chaldée" a perfumed tanning oil for which Kerleo built a perfume in the 80s based on its fragrance. Solar salicylates collide with an opoponax and leathery vanilla, with some musky animal magic, not unlike that of Bal a Versailles or Habanita. Fontaine built a fine bone structure here and a real reverence shows; and, not that I know the smell of "Huile de Chaldée," but it seems Kerleo created a poised beauty regardless.

This golden liquor is both summery and Christmassy. Simultaneously evoking the height of a sun-drenched, balmy summer, and the interior candle-lit glow of Christmas. It's golden and glowing, with warm honeyed yellow florals on a base of sweet, vanillic, almond-esque tonka. I understand the summery connotations: it's golden, hesperidic, with unctuous solar florals and a creamy vanilla/tonka base which does call to mind a fantasy Mediterranean scene with air heavily perfumed with citrus and almond blossom. But over and above this - for my nose at least - I find this to be the ultimate Christmassy fragrance, next to Habanita. The rich yellow florals embue the fragrance with incredible honeyed warmth, the citrus and oppoponax calls to mind a spicy pomander, and the tonka at the base marzipan - all lovingly wrapped in (unlisted) civetty furs. It is warming, unctuous, golden, and rich without being in the least bit cloying. This is a gorgeous, gorgeous perfume. For this vintage collector, it has fast become one of my top 5. Absolutely outstanding perfume - a masterpiece.

I was aware that this scent was first used in a suntan oil (or meant to accompany it - I'm not sure), but it was I didn't really detect it until someone below mentioned Bain de Soleil orange gellee below. Yes - we have a winner!! I used love that smell and would slather it on when I would hit the beach or the pool in my backyard! This is so different than what I expected, and in a positive way. It smells classic, but not out of date. I can almost smell a touch of civet - nothing along the lines of Bal de Versailles, but it weaves in and out. I'm glad I had an opportunity to try it. I'm not 100% certain that I will purchase a FB, but it's certainly possible! Edit 1/29/2023 - I am now the proud owner of a full bottle! It doesn't smell like Bain de Soleil on me, but it is so beautiful anyway. I adore the myrrh and vanilla most of all. I'm not familiar with the smell of narcissus but I think it may be lending the slightest amount of green freshness, perhaps hay, to the composition. I've fallen hard for The Heritage Collection!

This is so beautiful! I was tempted because of the cold to go for something heavier but this was calling out to me. I wore this in the Spring and Summer often this year. It is very floral and elegant. There is no mediocrity when it comes to Jean Patou and this one is another one the masterpieces. Even in Winter it is just amazing. It has enough Amber and Spice to be a Fall/Winter fragrance as well. It doesn't stay with me very long but I love it anyway. I carry some in a purse atomizer and reapply every so often. It is not a bargain but it is gorgeous!

This is really nice. It's been overlooked in my collection. I think when I acquired this several years ago, I thought it was too heavy and too old-fashioned, but I'm gravitating towards scents like this, Opium, and Shalimar lately. Perhaps it's just refreshing to smell like the antithesis of what's going on in Sephora. Wearing it today, just 2 sprays is still going strong several hours later, whiffs of resinous vanilla with a light floral note. It's very well crafted, high quality, unique, and wearable.

Oh to have been in Paris during the roaring 20s.... Chaldee fits in its generation of Narcisse Noir, Vol de Nuit with Jonquil as the star. It reminded me of Narcisse Noir but lighter, more finesse. It has a large opponax dry down so if u love it this is a dream come true...beastly longevity Its stunning in its current incarnation and will be wearing this a lot...even into the new roaring 2020s. Timeless formula. Bravo.

Please buy up what you can. THE WHOLE PATOU FRAGRANCE LINE IS DISCONTINUED. I'm upset?

Another hit from the Heritage Collection. Not listed in the notes but I am getting a jammy almost peachy top (could be the rose and yellow flower combination) on a honeyed opoponax vanilla base. Its rich and thick, with a structure (not smell, structure) reminiscent of L’Heure Bleue. Richness from the opoponax vanilla base that seems to read powdery on some people, on me leaning more to honey. Lovely, comforting and round, with opulent cashmere feel. There -is- some similarity to Chanel no 5 but Chaldee is much softer and rounder, without the sharp aldehydic edge of Chanel no 5 which makes it unwearable for me personally. Another fragrance to add to my collection that is high quality but not well known. It’s like an old Dutch master, maybe a Vermeer.

In this order: Coconut-scent suntan lotion, playdough, baby powder, back to playdough, a sharpness that's just shy of being a screech, sunscreen, the end. Four or five notes that move back and forth in a rhythm, but do I like the harmony being played? Not enough to keep my 100ml bottle, beautiful as it is.

I don’t know the original juice so can just comment about this new one. Tried at Harrods and the first impression was a big similarity with Jean Patou’s 1000. That’s why I liked it instantly. Only problem was the price: £150,00!!

I am intrigued by the now discontinued Patou remakes by LVMH. This is the second of the series that I own, the other is “Que Sais-Je?” My general take on this series, based on these two alone, is that the fragrances are distinctly vintage smelling & overpowering from the outset but they mellow with time into more tolerable/modern/wearable fragrances. With Chaldée, the punch in the face from the narcissus and bergamot floors you, not in a good way. It feels astringent in the way tea tree essential oil stings the nostrils, screechy if you will. After about a minute this begins to settle and the journey continues. The White florals start to come through, predominantly the jasmine which is heady and not indolic/animalic/civety to my nose at all. It kind of reminds me of Rochas’ Alchimie a little at this stage but without the fruity notes, this is my favourite stage. There is an almost sandalwood like hint to this coming through but thankfully it is just a hint (I can’t usually stand sandalwood fragrances) I think this must be the Opoponax making itself known. After about 20 minutes the fragrance is now powdery and soapy with a lightly spicy under-note, it does remind me of talcum powder & sunscreen. A nice enough fragrance if you like that sort of thing but it’s nothing special. After about 2 hours of wear the fragrance is reminiscent of an Indian incense/new age store. I get no florals, no vanilla no tonka. I am not a fan of this stage at all unfortunately and I am left disappointed.

This perfume disappointed me so much. I love all of the notes listed, but the opoponax in the dry down is so sharp and powdery on me. The opening is all daffodil and orange blossom, and absolutely beautiful. Within 5 minutes it turns to hairspray on my skin and makes me feel like those old ladies at church in big hats, brooches, and too much too-light face powder. It's okay when used as a layering note, and the bottle is pretty. I also appreciate the design of the sprayer--it allows for a light spray or full spray by providing a bit of pushback at the midpoint while pushing down. Nice touch. All in all, it's just too mature for me. Maybe the weather plays into my dislike for it, as I'm from somewhere very hot and humid, and I will try it again in the winter. As it stands, this perfume literally stings my nose when I wear it. Edit -- after giving it a few more chances, I feel like it is growing on me. I really cannot stress how much I love the half-spray option in the cap. The opening is still my favorite part--all daffodil and orange blossom. The first couple of hours still smell a little old ladyish, but sometime around the 3rd or 4th hour, the sharp powdery quality mellows out and it settles into a very well rounded, but still very vintage, amber floral.

Smells Like wet baby powder, so dull.

I absolutely love vintage Jean Patou -- I love vintage fragrances in general and collect many -- and have a number of originals and 1984 Ma Collection Patou editions: Normandie, Moment Suprême, Que Sais-Je, Amour Amour, Colony, Sublime,1000 and Joy. And vintage Chaldée. I just acquired a bottle of Chaldée Heritage Collection and so have the good fortune to be able to compare vintage and current Chaldées side by side. Of course, there are differences. They're the typical ones you might expect, and have experienced yourself if you have owned vintages and their modern counterparts. The vintages are generally denser and richer, benefiting from now-restricted or limited materials such as nitro-musks and oakmoss. The base notes are heavier and the scent stays on the skin, developing for hours. The modern formulations are general lighter and brighter, more "pixelated" and less complex, thinner, with top notes more prominent (the vintage versions typically losing those to varying degrees from age in the bottle). Quite often modern formulations can be harsher, disjointed and more synthetic-smelling. Given those differences, there are some contemporary reformulations of classics that are successful. While they don't -- they can't -- smell like the originals, they are similar and are very pretty and wearable on their own merits. Chaldée is one of the successful ones. The opening is actually lovely and an improvement over the vintage, and gives an idea of how the vintage must have smelled like with all the top notes intact. It has everything you read in the list of notes above in the description; the bergamot and florals are especially fresh and vivid. As the two dry down, the modern Heritage Collection Chaldée begins to lose the initial burst of bergamot and florals and becomes more and more like the vintage Chaldée. I find the similarities really quite remarkable. I've smelled some pretty sad reformulations in the years I've been collecting (some Guerlains in particular, I'm sorry to say), so this is actually rather refreshing. (By the way, I have one other Heritage Collection Patou. It's Vacances. It's also very well done, in my view.) By the time the base notes take center stage, the gorgeous vintage version is at its finest. The opoponax, vanilla and tonka blend together seamlessly; they smell elegant, natural and harmonious, they're very fine in texture, and they last for many, many hours. This is when the reformulated version shows its limitations and when a little roughness to the texture is revealed. Up close, it's a touch louder and harsher, less "blurred" and beautiful. But it's still clearly Chaldée -- and from a distance, the sillage is wonderful, truly authentic, and carries more than the vintage. I wish I could take the opening minutes and sillage performance of the new one and fuse it with the vintage. Then we'd have the perfect Chaldée: the best of both worlds. If I could have only one, I'd choose the vintage Chaldée, as I would in most cases of vintage versus its modern reformulation. I just like experiencing the original ingredients as they were created by the perfumer, even if the composition is a little tired from being in the bottle for so many years. But if you missed the old Chaldée, I think you might really appreciate this version and enjoy wearing it and feeling some of the old feelings you remember from a long time ago. It's one of the best reforms I can think of. And if you've never owned Chaldée, and you enjoy deep, rich, amber-y floral orientals with orange blossom and narcissus as prominent notes, a classic structure, a touch of incense from the myrrh and a certain vanilla-tonka sweetness underneath (vintage Ysatis has a similar vibe), I'd honestly recommend giving Chaldée a try. I'm very glad I took the chance and bought it. P.S. The company that bought Jean Patou did a poor job of marketing and distributing the Heritage Collection and it never got much retail exposure before it went to the online discounters. The collection was very pricey to begin with, and I think they really put some money into the new formulations. The packaging is luxurious. Now, online, they are a relative steal. (Nope, not affiliated!)