Ma Liberte

'Vespertine dreaminess' is such a beautiful and apt description from alphairone below. Yes, it's a lavender fougere, but this doesn't come close to describing the effect of this perfume. Yes, it is dreamy. It's hazy and mysterious. It's deep and soft and complex, and when I wear it, it effuses: curling up off the skin like a sigh. It's impression is of sun streaming through clouds, bulcolic - like the song Cirrus Minor, by Pink Floyd. I've had a really hard time writing this review and finding the right words to describe this perfume, because like my all time favourite perfume, Kerleo's 1000, it will not easily yeild its secrets to you. The best of the Patou's seem to occupy liminal states, sitting at sensory threshholds which cannot easily be comprehended or categorised. This is one of those. It evokes both dawn and dusk simultaneously, earth, and heaven. It's bucolic, earthy and pastoral, but also celestial, mysterious, and numinous. It's both incredibly familiar, and ineffable. Like 1000, each wearing reveals something new - the exquisite quality of the natural ingredients used imbuing it with life. It responds like a living thing to temperature, time, and climate. Another contradiction is lavender itself: common herb of country kitchen, strewn across rugged tables and stuffed into pillows and drawers. Humble and plentiful, friend of bees, and famous for it's nervine, calmative properties. It grows as happily in a moist and temperate cushy garden border as a hot, harsh rocky crevice. Divine healer, herb of dreams, clothed in royal, priestly purple. Described as 'the mother of essential oils' for its ability to care for a multitude of problems - whether of the body, mind, or soul. Consider St Frances of Rome, a wealthy wife and mother whose service of the poor included not only washing and mending their clothes, but folding them with lavender. Aromatherapist Valerie Ann Worwood said lavender perfectly balances the masculine and feminine traits within us all, making men gentle, and women strong. Legendary saint, healer, visionary, musician, artist and poet Hildegard Von Bingen wrote in her book 'Physica' that lavender 'makes thinking and disposition pure' and 'curbs very many evil things and, because of it, malign spirits are terrified.' A favourite plant of monasteries, lavender is said to have been the spikenard spoken of in the biblical story of the woman with the alabaster jar: -- 'While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” Matthew 26:6-13 -- If this is true, then lavender was with Jesus at the precise moment of redemption - the moment where death passed into life, where flesh transformed into spirit, and darkness exploded into light. It was his ever-present companion at the threshold - with him on the cross and in the tomb. Mixed with the tears of the woman, it heralded the moment of freedom for all humanity - Ma Liberte (My Freedom), indeed. One wonders if Kerleo was familiar with the legend... It is the perfect fragrance for this time - a time passing through the threshold between doom and redemption, between rapture and tribulation: a great and terrible day. Ma Liberte, maranatha. -- Lavender lavender That makes your linen sweet; The hawker brings his basket Down the sooty street: The dirty doors and pavements Are simmering in the heat: He brings a dream to London, And drags his weary feet. Lavender lavender, From where the bee hums To the loud roar of London, With purple dreams he comes, From raggéd London slums, With a basket full of lavender And purple dreams he comes. Is it nought to you that hear him? With the old strange cry The weary hawker passes, And some will come and buy, And some will let him pass away And only heave a sigh, But most will neither heed nor hear When dreams go by. Lavender lavender! His songs were fair and sweet, He brought us harvests out of heaven, Full sheaves of radiant wheat; He brought us keys to Paradise, And hawked them thro’ the street; He brought his dreams to London, And dragged his weary feet. Lavender lavender! He is gone. The sunset glows; But through the brain of London The mystic fragrance flows. Each raggéd alley knows, The land he left behind him, The land to which he goes. - “Lavender”, Alfred Noyes 'We all have an image perhaps of what the afterlife will be like, but one thing is almost certain, there are no man-made chemicals in heaven' - The Fragrant Heavens, the Spiritual Dimension of Fragrance and Aromatherapy

Ma Liberté! Vivid lavender fields, the purple flowers imbued with the piquant sweetness of aniseed and the velvet mystery of heliotrope. A feather soft vanilla infusion, with leathery and animalic tonalities, enriched with skin hugging musks, softens and enlivens the composition making it alluring and kind of electrifying. Jean Kerleo sure left his mark in the house of Jean Patou, and Ma Liberté is one of his last creations before exiting to form the Versailles Osmotheque. Ma Liberté, which was at the time considered an inferior Patou, and which time has given it its rightful status of masterpiece, starts with a very true and vivid lavender. Slightly herbal and medicinal, but with a sweet ‘violet candy’ aspect that is offset with some spiciness. While my nose tells me anise and heliotrope are wrapped around, the effect is like smelling a freshly bottled fougère! Vivid, energizing and invigorating. A tonic for the senses! The lavender never really goes away, but it slowly fades into a rich vanilla tincture with some spicy nutmeg and cloves, that marry perfectly with the warm and slightly dirty musks. The whole effect, just like in all Patous, is of rich tinctures and infusions in which the best of notes are added. The heavy basenotes don’t take away from the lighter notes, but instead form a spine in which the rest of the notes can anchor. In a way, Ma Liberté smells universal, genderless and timeless, although I can easily see it as a 70’s creation. Maybe that’s why it never took off. And while modernizing Moment Supreme, it had to be reincarnated a third time, Pour Homme Privee, to take off and make the latter a highly sought after (and expensive) unicorn. All while Ma Liberté bottles still abound on the secondary market, most still sealed and in very good prices. Like all Patous, quality is off the charts, and sealed bottles shine like freshly bottled ones. Sillage is radiant and longevity even in edt form is remarkable. A Jean Patou perfume made prior to the sale of the house to P&G is a masterpiece, an investment, but most importantly a voyage to a time when quality was the driving force, marketing was a far away term and Patou was up there with Guerlain, Caron and Lanvin. Even better than them, and that’s saying something! For those who miss the Patou pour Homme Privee and even the more elusive Patou pour Homme, Ma Liberté is a very worthy alternative. While not a clone, it heralds the same quality and many olfactory traits that make it a standout among vintage perfumes. A solid 10/10 yet again! Review based on a 200ml edt from 1987.

when i spray this perfume i remember my dad..it has a masculine side to it as in obsession ck..i like it a lot.. its a harsh.. crisp scent.. full of arrogance.. strength.. and masculinity..its a confident perfume.. so strong and tall.. its got a nice citrusy top.. and a mellow middle notes of hmmmm i cant really pin point but it turns powdery musky and for sure woody.. and in the base i can smell old men s perfumes .. the ones u used to sneak and sniff from your dads perfume chest ...its a perfume full of character ..strength and harmony..it carries a lot of memories within its notes.. ma liberte or my liberty is a perfect name for this fragrance ..for it truly carries freedom within its notes and accords.. its so free.. its meant to be used by a liberated woman.. who doesn't care to smell like a rose.. a woman who can go out there and be better than all her male partners..who excels in life.. and work.. and who will always be remembered for her integrity and single mindedness .. to me ma liberty represents freedom of though.. freedom of expression.. freedom of speech.. freedom from pretense...i can smell it over and over and never get tired.. its as if i want to drink it.. its not a skin scent ..it doesn't envelop u ..u have to hold on to it.. with all that strength its not cloying or sticky ..its harsh and strong yet amazing in so many ways..the dry down is wonderful.. edt 50 ml perfume ratting 4.2 out of 5 bottle rating 3.8 out of 5 a unique scent woody musky oriental harsh crisp day or night preferably night work or pleasure a signature scent

I know this was created for women but this reads very masculine to me. This is a traditional male herbal woody scent. Very lavender dominate, clean, crisp, soapy w/ a freshly shaved and well groomed smell. I can understand why some women would like this one for themselves because it reads "someone who is put together, competent, and strong." Any women who would wear this would project an air of confidence, and even toughness. I do like this perfume but it just isn't me. I am more in the very traditionally feminine camp, many of my friends say I would've made an excellent 1950's housewife LOL. This is a very feminist female type of perfume, which I have nothing against, it just isn't me. I think it would smell much better on my husband and I will gift it to him. Edit: 4/17/23 My husband is wearing this today and I am wearing Libre toilette. These fragrances compliment each other brilliantly. It's funny I can see myself wearing this now and it is funny how perception shifts. I thought this was to masculine 2 years ago and now I see this perfume as unisex. It is precursor for the YSL Libre line and Hiram Green's Arcadia. Not dupes but all of these fragrances are a must have for lavender lovers. Lavender is tricky, it has to be done properly to be enjoyable and Patou's Ma Liberte is a well-executed unisex lavender. So classic, fresh, huge throw and longevity. Polished and sophisticated while remaining a bit rustic and rough around the edges. I may seek out a full size of this for my Patou collection. The more I smell it the more I enjoy it.

MA LIBERTE, the freedom of wild nature. There's nothing like this, has never been, will never be!! "MA LIBERTE" is the free (and most of all UNTAMED) nordic nature. Bottled Wilderness.Mysterious with capital "M" spring-herbals. Cloves and wildroses burst like spring in the topnotes. The heart of a mystical lavander woodsy cinnamon cedar & sandalwoods. This scent is taken out of the most northern Nordic WHITE MOSS WILDERNESS!!!! A sauna in the deepest woods of Finland. The one & only true scent of real freedom! Heated herbs, and burning fresh spring Björk(Birch)-wood with it's spring-buds thrown on the saunas hot stones. The scent of this exact STEAM !!!! This is freedom. Clearest sweetwater fjordes of Norway, the pulsating magical hot springs of Iceland. And the crisp spring-air & Waters, combined earth, the ground-soil of the cleanest nature of Sweden. A saga - more than a fragrance. Ancient and close-to-heart. This is one of my signature scents. Like an older, wise ancestor to Guerlain's "Jicky" edp. "MA LIBERTE'S" bolder & deeper. MYSTIC !!With added dark vetiver and white moss. THE leader through the whole scent, lavender from bright innocent jasmin-rosebuds-lavender top - down to "MA LIBERTE'S" woodsy earthy lavender-base.

People ascribe all kinds of things to perfumes and many of these attributes seem to be derived solely from the perfume's name or the colour of the box. I have an adamantine hide which repels marketing blah but, in the case of Ma Liberte, emancipation and freedom from oppression could indeed be found in this perfume's DNA. This is the most beautiful fougère fragrance I've worn. I have a 1990 bottle of the EDT and I own most of Jean Patou's perfumes, but this moves me more than any of my almost-200 perfumes. It's calming and exudes quiet strength. Perhaps its the combination of the lavender, nutmeg and rose. Heliotrope gives a powdery quality but the perfume doesn't lose focus or become diffused. It's a perfume which feels like a call to arms; a scent which exudes confidence, determination and resilience. Anyone - male or female - seeking a gorgeous, warm, uplifting fougère for those days when stature and strength are needed should try this. Distillation: a calm call to arms bracing determination when strength is needed

This is truly one of the loveliest fragrances out there. I have a splash bottle and I like to go a little heavy, but not too heavy... I want this to last. There's something truly old-school about this that's incomparable. You can really wear this whenever, but it best suits an Autumn evening after a warm shower with a cup of tea. At first sniff, it's a lavendery clove fragrance with a bit of cinnamon and a healthy amount of sandalwood but the more you inhale the more it becomes a floral scent too. That's where the magic lies. Light jasmine, a touch of rose and bit of musk to hold it up. Vanilla can be found, too. The citrus mentioned in the pyramid isn't exactly there in my bottle, nor is any citrus really. That's only to be expected when the bottle is as old as it is. The vetiver mentioned makes this a little bit gruff. It was unpleasant at first, but now it's fascinating. Some people like it to be all out there in the opening, but there's something fun about having to search for it.

I have both the EDT and EDP. EDT is sharper with stronger sillage, EDP is rounder and sits closer to the skin (plus there is a strong lemon note at the top and a stronger musk base), but overall it is the same scent profile. Both are truly beautiful. Others have described Ma Liberte much better than I could. It is the de riguer Fougere to sample for anyone to see what a good one should be like. It's the lavender-nutmeg combo that gives it its soul, plus the way all the other notes create a rounded deep composition the way only Kerleo can create. Jean Kerleo has become my favourite Nose of all time (as over effusive as that might sound). His skill bloomed before social media, so he doesn't get the recognition he deserves. One further point to make, those bottles (and even the boxes-that incredible quality artists paper) are absolutely wonderful. The one pictured above is the EDT. EDP is even better, being inspired by the Chrysler building.

I am honestly shocked that this scent doens't get more buzz. Let me put my snob hat on for a moment. I don't wear cheap scents. But when I saw the price of Ma Liberte I was floored. Really? THIS quality can be had for under $50?? There are a lot of threads on 'what are some recs for a classic floral chypre?' This never comes up, and for heaven's sake why not??? This is better than most of what I've tried, and I've tried everything that comes up on those threads. Floral chypres are my favorite genre, becasue when it's done right, as it is in Mitsouko, every knee shall bow in adoration. The spicy clove note works for me here. It's edgy without being scratchy. the florals are deep and earthy, not sweet and fleeting. The base takes time to develop, but is very classy when it finally arrives. Fans of the following will want to try this: Niki St. Phalle, the Balmain greats, Chanel 19 and Ma Griffe.

I've been looking for a lavender perfume that actually smells like ...lavender. Here it is!!..such a lovely lavender gem, with an aromatic, spicy and woody drydown. It smells vintage! I'm impressed by how long the lavender is present...just gorgeous. Very unisex and would smell wonderful on anyone. There is nothing sweet in this, and that makes some women THINK it's masculine, since sweet notes are the order of the day..but, no, not all women's perfume should be sweet. The absence of sweet notes makes this a very comforting and calming more herbal, more automatic lavender. It's performance is about average but I don't mind the occasional respray. If a realistic lavender is what you're looking for, this one is for you. I absolutely love it. Perfect year round.

If you love Justin bieber's someday, you will absolutely hate this scent! One spray of Ma liberte (EDT) on my arm, I was really shocked when both citrus & lavender break into my olfactory senses. For 10 minutes I was enjoying the masculinity of a perfume which is actually marketed for women. When the two notes of lavender & citrus began to evaporate in the air and slowly disappearing, I smelled something powdery & creamy just as Mitsouko’s Heart note. Hmmm, beautiful composition from Kerleo in the heart of Ma Liberte. In the end, Ma liberte was attended by some of the notes that have been commonly present in general perfumery.I felt the presence of vanilla & patchouli. Now "My freedom" is discontinued...

This fragrance has been a mainstay in my collection since the late 1980s when it was released. I brought a decant with me last week on vacation to Jamaica and slipped it into the pile of shared atomizers where my guy knows he can raid for unisex scents. I honestly don’t know why I hadn’t done it before, as Ma Liberté has always seemed defiantly non-feminine and non-masculine. He sprayed it on, waited a moment, sniffed his wrist, and proclaimed it the most beautiful fragrance he’d ever worn. I promptly ordered a backup bottle! One hour later at dinner he dropped to one knee and proposed. I’m not saying these two events are connected, but.... ̄_(ツ)_/ ̄

This beautiful fougere was one of my Christmas gifts. When I first smelled this fragrance, I thought it was quite masculine but the more I smelled it on my husband the more I wanted it for myself. Wearing it now after a relaxing warm bath and after all the wonderful but hectic Christmas parties the past few days it give such comfort, peace and security. If you love really, really great lavender you need to check this beauty out. I have never smelled a better lavender in my life. Massive sillage and projection w/ 2 sprays. It is well worth the money, and it is less expensive than most niche brands. The house of Jean Patou is greatly missed.

The most unisex of unisex scents originally marketed to the female gender, Ma Liberte is a perfumed still point, meditative and centering. A musky lemon and earthy lavender radiates at the top and slowly evolves into mauve shades of heliotrope, nutmeg and clove. Nothing too sweet, too sharp, too floral, all balanced, modulated, stirring like the bridge of a bittersweet song, a sustain of overtones. After a few hours, what remains is rosy, powdery sandalwood, lingering musk, a certain ineffable, vespertine dreaminess...the kind of effect to my senses that I've only experienced with the best of the Guerlains. That's how good this is. 10/10

People often compare this to Patou Pour Homme Privé, and I understand why. The only difference I can detect, is that Ma Liberte has a slightly more bitter opening, and a longer lasting citrus accord. The lavender is strong in both. To be honest, I prefer Ma Liberte. It's gorgeous in the spring/summer, but is also potent enough for fall/winter. It lasts much longer on my skin than Privé. Whenever I wear Ma Liberte, I feel like I'm floating on a creamy, smooth, citrus cloud, sprinkled with vanilla. If you're a laidback, relaxed guy (or girl, considering Ma Liberte is for women) this would suit you perfectly. This is bliss.

First an explosion of lavander, a bit sharp and strong. when I smell again I detect something fresh I think the lemon, then it gets more woody ,powdery even.The lavender is still prominent to my nose, but I can also start to smell some spices cinnamon and the patchouli maybe.The drydown is a lavender woody scent whit a bit of vetyver. A very nice scent. I wore the edt version about 20 jears ago and now I have the edp version. The notes in the edp are more prominent then the edt. Sillage and staying power are great, can smell it still the next day. Ma Liberte is one of the classics from Patou

Ma liberte and Divine I think are the first true Feminist perfumes, intended to be worn by strong women. Beautiful, refined, strong, with a very masculine aura even for today. What can I say I have two bottles of it and three from Divine but I just watch them in the wardrobe, I'm afraid to use them because are very rare and I can live without a good smell when I feel down, they are like a good slap over your face: stand up and fight.

A lavender focused fragrance on an oriental base. Everything is effortlessly and expertly blended. The lavender is prominent in the beginning and fades after some time to a floral-oriental-musky-sandelwood base. Truly beautiful, wearable and unisex. With the focus on lavender and the oriental base, it comes across as more masculine than feminine to me. Long lasting.

It's smells like a beautiful silk scarf or a soft pillow. This is one of a kind. It's a cozy comforting fougere which opens with a bitter lavender, but soon it's fades in a creamy and spicey sandalwood with heliotrope, yeah it has a masculine side but it's completly unisex.

A beautiful Jicky-esque fresh spicy/floral, that results overall as a green/herbal fragrance. The kind of perfumery that doesn't exist anymore. Glad I could enjoy a sample, while it lasted. I confirm that it leans somewhat masculine, by today's standards.

A sparkly, pillowy, delicately leathery, ethereal lavender and patchouli over a delectable fluffy vanilla base. Absolutely divine and one of the best perfumes of this genre I've ever smelled. Reformulated version is almost imperceptible after 5 minutes.

Ma Liberte opens with strong white musk and lemon, slowly fading into softly spicy lavender, patchouli, creamy sandalwood, and a touch of something almost piney in its base. Earthy nutmeg compliments the piney note- it may actually be a combination of the nutmeg, cedar, and lemon that is reading to me as pine sap. ML warms up slightly in the dry down, as the cinnamon comes out to play. Herbal, citric, and fresh, this is not a sweet scent, but is instead clean and refreshing...a little cozy, a little unexpected. If you are looking for something subtle that highlights creativity, this is your scent. It's just unexpected enough to create the impression of difference, without coming off as kooky or out of sync. Soft, spicy, but the overall feel is cool, collected, yet relaxed. Very nice, definitely a good choice for office wear, with soft sillage and good longevity. ML is unlikely to offend, but I do find that repeated wearings are needed to really get the feel for this scent. It is perfectly balanced, so nuance requires a little familiarity to detect. Very enjoyable, and definitely unisex. Also, I think, a safe blind buy. As near as I can tell, the ML flacons available are original formulation, making this a rare gem that you are unlikely to find anyone else wearing.

Ma Liberte is a stunner. It doesn't smell like an '80s scent at all--and don't get me wrong, I love many fragrances from the '80s, a fearless scent decade if there ever was one. But Ma Liberte is very classic Patou. It smells like the '30s, at the latest. It's rich, it's sexy, and it's unisex in the best of ways: it's the liberte Marlene Dietrich took when she wore top hat and tails in von Sternberg's Morocco. Call me crazy, but for Patou lavender, I prefer Ma Liberte to Moment Supreme. (If you can get your hands on the edp splash in its presentation box, you'll have some beautiful dressertop art alongside a gorgeous frag.)

It smells a little like a classic Patou fragrance, floral and spicy and soapy at first with some citrusy aldehydes, but it doesn’t have the soft, mossy, chypre feel that the older ones do. It’s a classic top grafted onto an 80s base. As it dries down I can smell the lavender. In the final stage, I smell a faint skin scent of musk and rose. There’s moderate sillage for most of the time, and the scent lasts 6-8 hours on skin. This is a well-made, wearable, and enjoyable perfume, not wildly original, but very nice.

Musky lemon, earthy lavender, evolves into heliotrope, nutmeg and clove then powdery sandalwood and musk. Nothing too sweet, all very well balanced as you'd expect. One of the less well known perfumes from Jean Patou. Smells expensive. And it certainly has that high end, aristocratic, old-school, powdery Patou vibe going on. This reminds me of 1940s nightclubs, old bookcases with priceless dusty books, mink coats, box calf handbags. Not unpleasant. Very correct. Could easily be worn by a man as by a woman....would suit certain people very well. Ma Liberte was created by Patou's in-house master, & little known, perfumer Jean Kerleo ("1000" & "Sublime") so it has excellent pedigree.

Ma Liberte, Jean Patou (50ml. EDP bottle, USD 30) I don't often see bottle of Ma Liberte in EDP. One my friend he is a doctor in Thailand. He works as Surgeon. He does declutter this one. One of my friends is an artist. Have tried this as he mentions about Mysore sandalwood Contains in this fragrance. I can't ignore my curiosity so I purchase. Consider deeper shade of liquid in bottle. I hope for stronger scent. Jean Patou seems carry on this DNA. Vaporous fragrance. From JOY to Ma Liberte. There's strong perfumery backbone. When I first sniff.. I consider this as very Fougere but Woody. The sandalwood in this feel almost like Amyris, balmy. But woodier, slight dusty. "It kind of - yeap this is definitely sandalwood" But? It deosn't have grey tone I familiar. Later on, I found that my sandalwood I familiar is Australian sandalwood. I believe this is sandalwood that use in current perfumery. Later developed to Santal 33. ...

You know that type of fragrances that require some sort of a dress code or a specific clothing item? For me, Ma liberte must be worn with a scarf, it's a must. A knitted sweater with a scarf on a crisp early spring day, just screams for Ma liberte. It is a sofisticated perfume, can be worn casual or formal. Kinda strong and a Little bit cloying and headache inducing. A very "perfumeish" fragrance like those women fragrances from the 50s, 60s and 70s, works well with body heat. Please be advised, If You overspray this, You will have a nightmare, as It tends to come to life like a super creamy, balmy and levander octopus that grabs You from everywhere, You will not escape it. And It will be cloying. Two, three sprays max and You could have a very special friend. Indeed, this is almost identical to JP Privee from 1994

WOW!!! Awesome surprise!!! I got a full 3.4 oz bottle for 24 dollars and I just rolled over with delight when I sprayed it. It is a twin of JICKY!!!!! But with a little more bite. Jicky is one of my favorites, so I'm in heaven!! I have a collection from many years ago that my husband got me, of several of the Jean Patou fragrances in mini bottles. I'm really pretty amazed at the staying power. If I get in the mood, I might go through the collection and start writing some reviews on the ones I revisit. It is a set of about 12 fragrances including Moment Supreme, Colony and others. I have seen the collection selling for as much as 600 dollars!!! Hmmm guess I'm glad I didn't get rid of the collection on one of my cleaning out rampages. More later.

A musky, slightly soapy lavender: who knew that combination could be so wonderful? ML has that old vintage vibe going, but it actually dates to 1987. I usually don't care for musk, lavender and soapy scents, but ML is lovely. Performance and sillage are gentle, this one stays close to the skin. I wish I could afford a fb, but like so many vintage scents ML is expensive.

Reminded me most of Annick Goutal Vetiver (supposed to be for men, but it's lovely), until I tried them side by side. Ma Liberte is much softer & more nuanced, with the citrus and lavender (and later, the vanilla) giving a calmness to the delicious spicy vetiver. I have a mini and might need a bottle before this becomes even harder to find.

One single spray and it filled the entire room! Incredible strength and sillage coming from a newly-opened original 1987 bottle. Although it has a masculine barber shop side, it is unisex in its development and dry down. It's not delicate and "pillowy" at all but bold and in your face.

FYI, Ma Liberte was discontinued just before 2001 when P&G got their hands on JP. There is no reformulated or "bad" version of this fragrance, just another case of misinformation floating around.

Oh I adore this. I have a 1988 bottle and so probably original formulation. Gorgeous, gorgeous scent that only gets better as it dries down. I feel very happy when I’m wearing this..