Jean-Louis Scherrer

Just like I said Scherrer 2 has survived in excellent form, I have to say Scherrer also has, just not that good. Credit is due where credit is due, but simply the color of a 1981 bottle, golden honey compared to emerald green today, tells something. And the nose test is the ultimate one. Whereas Scherrer today is a beautiful green 'chypre' (I say 'chypre' because what can be called a true chypre today? With all the limitations and although some brands try to do their best with what's available and permitted, a true chypre can't be made today like it used to 2 decades ago) the vintage one is a gorgeous leather chypre, in the vein of Bandit and Futur, and to some extent Cabochard/Azuree/Aramis. The above three are decidedly more butch, rougher, but Bandit in its vintage form had some glorious florals hidden beneath the surface; way way hidden, and Scherrer vintage boasts a huge galbanum, leather and civet note, with hidden florals just like Bandit. And that is what I mostly get; galbanum all the way in it's beautiful green bitterness, worn leather of a well made bag, an ambiguous floral heart to soften the edges, and a wallop of civet in the base that runs from the beginning to make Scherrer, ultimately, the Bandit of the 80's; powerful, a slap in the face big personality that feels so different from the orientals and florals of the day but so refreshing and revitalizing for the woman or man that wanted to take the big city by the balls. Always walking the line of ambiguity, it is masculine and feminine and everything in between. Perfect for anyone that loves a tough leather chypre with no sweetness at all and no excess frills, just good ol' oakmoss, galbanum, animalic leather and some flowers in the heart. Today, Scherrer is more of a green floral, that still feels dry, sparkling, but the galbanum feels absent, as well as the leather, and the animalic notes feel sharper. Huge sillage and longevity on both versions, with the original one feeling just a tad 'bigger' and warmer. Definitely give it a try, because Designer Parfums are really working magic with the brands they own, Patou included. If you love Futur especially, with the galbanum/oakmoss duo singing together, Scherrer is a sure bet!

Taken aback... that is what you will be with the first sniff of this green chypre. But alas, it is a 'love' for me because next to taken aback, I was surprised... surprised that I knew this fragrance intimately without knowing that we had previously been acquainted. My mam, with her goût impressionant de parfum, must have used this exclusively when I was a babe and only switched to her great love, Oscar by oscar de la renta, when I was old enough to find my way to her vanity. The greenness smacks you in the face in such a pretty way that you could not be offended- aldehydes, hyacinth, oakmoss, carnation, orris, and civet... all my favourite things are in this 20th century wonder. I never spray this on my clothing, no, the greenness could offend my colleagues and that is not my aim when scenting myself. Of the EDP I use 3 sprays, four at the most, in a very specific way. I start with applying a green notes-based perfume oil to my skin and then apply the EDP- One spray to my upper sternum, one to my lower back, another to the back of my knees, and if I'm feeling adventurous and want to be overwhelmed with projections of fresh, green, mossiness, I spritz a little between my two clavicle bones. Why not apply to the pulse points you might wonder? With the EDT I could and would, but this scent is so unapologetically potent in the opening, that I don’t want my perfume to be all I manage to smell. It is strong and overpowering when it is there but like a guest rushing off to another party, it all but disappears when it dries down. There is no 'skin scent' quality to this. Wham, bham, gone. Addendum: I brought the EDT along with me on a holiday to a swelteringly humid climate, went against my rules and applied 5 sprays. 4 sprays shared at pulse points and one to my sides, and wow, a new light has been shone. There is something endearingly fresh and floral about this moss bomb. I will play around with it some more.

I have two small bottles of "vintage" Jean Louis Scherrer parfum, a short hexagonal one with round white knob-cap, and a tall hexagonal bottle with black screw cap. They are quite different in color, one being much deeper gold---almost brownish. They smell very similar overall, but with perhaps a bit more depth to the darker colored one; that one has a richer, stronger oakmoss component to it. I don't know if the lighter, less deep version was exposed to light/heat, perhaps, or is simply a later formulation. In either case, though, it's a fine perfume. It's a lovely chypre, sophisticated and earthy together. An initial scent of aldehydes and oakmoss mellows into a woody, green scent as the vetiver and iris root kicks in, along with a fairly delicate floral melange. The oakmoss continues present throughout, becoming richer. I notice first a hyacinth, but as time passes more of a white flowers note comes into play. Rose doesn't register to me, unless it's as a subtle underlining of the jasmine-tuberose notes. Wait a little longer, and a fine cedar is evident along with sandalwood. Finally, a restrained civet and/or a soupcon of musk can be detected as the base notes really get humming. In the darker, presumably older, version, these notes are more harmoniously enfolded into the oakmoss and floral and vetiver; there is a slight brashness to the animal notes in the lighter version. I still like that version, but it definitely has a thinner, more astringent quality than the darker incarnation. Sillage is moderate, at least as dabbed on; might be better if sprayed. It lasts quite well, though. (Again, the darker variant seems more enduring.) Overall, a really beautiful scent that reminds me of diamonds scattered across a polished mahogany table. Full-bottle worthy, and wearable at any time or occasion. A fine chypre that harks back to the glory days of that category.

I am a big Chypre devotee, I have all the classics like Mitsouko, Chanel 19, YSL Rive Gauche, Paloma Picasso, Ivoire, Jolie Madame but Jean Louis Sherrer is the star. It is a special fragrance for me, It is the perfume I wore when I met my love of my life and he was litterarly smittered and completely hypnotised by this perfume. It symbolised the start of an amazing & unique love life and although I received many beautiful perfumes from him, he still talks about this perfume as epitome of beauty and class. Unfortunately, the actual versions are such a pale ressemblance of the glorious perfume of the 90's and it really breaks my heart that my 2 favourite chypres, Jean Louis and Mitsouko are completely "revamped" or "cloned" into some synthetic fragrances, all the depth and poetry is gone. I did some search on ebay today and it is even on ebay almost impossible to find the vintage version of Jean Louis, it is sad to see that such beauties are fading away and that the real passionate perfume lover as mysefl can only cherish some inforgettable souvenirs of one of the most fragrances ever, immortalised by memories which will not fade away, even if I feverishly try to find some substitutes, but such beauties cannot be substituted. Jean Louis is a hidden jewel, no big perfume house is doing a massive commercial campaign, the bottle is always hidden somewhere on the shelf and most of the younger generation of sales people have difficulties to even know what it is, looking at you as if you are from Mars. I just bought a bottle, not to wear it on me because if feels like betrayal but just as a souvenir so that I can sniff it from time to time for just the sake of nostalgia. Still hopeful that some genius can reproduce such pieces of arts again...

Beautiful opening of hyacinth and well-balanced leafy green notes. Clearly a smell that's 'vintage' without smelling like an old-lady. . From the start it has an ere of class and formality to it, but the prominence of the hyacinth to me does indicate a bit more of a "pop" or a break from the mould while staying 'within the lines'. I am getting a mix of a few different florals and not just hyacinth, but definitely in the white/purple floral area. This is a bright floral done very well, very clean. After the aldehydes settle, I'm really positively surprised by a gentle white floral - mix of gardenia and jasmine, there's a slight wateriness that goes along with the florals and it makes the experience like smelling actual flowers, rather than a compound or a synthetic scent. It just works. The orris root brings a level of depth to the gardenia which I really appreciate. On my skin, I'm not getting a lot of carnation, mostly gardenia supported by a slight hint of rose and orris. It's not overly sweet at all, so I'd steer clear if you're into sweet fragrances. It's labelled as 'for women', and I can see why, it does feel dainty, however you could probably pull this off as a man as well. The goal is to smell nice, not to smell like whichever locker room you last visited. Ideal springtime and fall scent - might also work for winter and summer, but is ideal for temperate weather, daytime. The scent is not a 'cold' fragrance in how it smells, it has a solid base with some warmth from the oakmoss especially. After roughly 5-6 hours, it does become a skin-scent and is hardly noticeable, although a moist/humid skin is going to help keep it alive.

One word: Perfection!!!!Signature Fragrance Material. I just can't imagine too many scents as interesting as this-meaning I could wear it to the point where I would easily burn thru my 1.7 oz. bottle. My better judgement told me I best buy two bottles-and I am so happy I did!! The more I wear Scherrer, the more I want to wear Scherrer!! Only green scents seem to have the effect of both stimulating and relaxing my senses. Only they can revive for me those beautiful early memories of walking through the piney Massachusetts woods with my mother. She would connect landmarks on the trail of moss and pine cones to fascinating legends of witches, bears and Indian princesses who had quietly inhabited the land for ages. The smell of trees and weeds and moss, which I would encounter walking through fields and pine forests next to my home would weave through the fabric of these memories. These is this crisp, plant sap accord that Scherrer shares with Patou's 1000. I simply lust after it. I am not sure what this beautiful aroma is, orris maybe?? I shall have to investigate and report my finding:)) Although I am simply crazy about Orientals and florals; nothing soothes my spirit and draws my memory like the ones that evoke where I came from and where I will one day return.

An underrated green chypre classic, Jean-Louis Scherrer is sharp, bitter, ultra-verdant, yet vivacious and a bit more warm and inviting than that of others in its genre. It invites you to wander in its bed of hyacinths, grasses, weeds, wildflowers, moss-laden trees. Likewise, there is a sunniness and sonority to its opening, with only a few billowy clouds obscuring the rays, filtering the scenery, and suds lathering the greenery. The chorus of florals lend a chord journey from dissonance to consonance, that beauty of resolve, back and forth, teetering between uncertain and melancholic to tender and reassuring. Nothing is "sweet" in its heart, at least in the usual sense (though it's surely a sweetheart): no vanilla or tonka to pacify, just the rawness of flowers, leaves, and vegetation and the earthy soil underneath. Ever so slightly powdery in its dry down, all the woods circle in and there is a certain lull, a languor, with lingering hues of violet and orris. There is even the tiniest pinch of civet skank close to the skin, reminding us that there is animal to go along with the vegetable and mineral. I avoid saying anything is a "must have," but for green enthusiasts, if this is not a "must have," it is definitely at least a "must try." Spectacular.

A stunning early 80's Chypre/white floral and at a time when perfume still had backbone, a rich heady cocktail of galbanum, oakmoss, hyacinth, violette, jasmine & orris. The pure parfum was incredibly beautiful, a deep gold & emerald hued juice with similarities to the original formulation of Chanel 19. The amalgam of the dark green notes, oakmoss, orris and indolic white jasmine/tuberose/gardenia resulted in a rare, almost metallic edge to the crisp verdant dry down. This effect can be experienced in other now discontinued classic perfumes such as Paco Rabanne's 'Calandre' & 'Metal' including the original 'Ma Griffe' by Carven. Sadly Jean Louis Scherrer is just one of many now lost to the ether never to pass this way again, I imagine many factors come into play with these discontinued greats, between IFRA regulations and the ever increasing cost of raw materials the chances for re-formulation are sadly very slim ! My very first acquisition of JLS was 1 fluid ounce in pure parfum, OH, how I coveted that flacon of brassy green and gold juice for so many years while alternating with the edt. & my other great love Rive Gauche, but that's another story :) Those were the good ol' days my fragrant friends!

This is truly stunning. It gets difficult for me when I test these gorgeous classics. They are all so beautiful, but at the same time, I just can't see what possible reason I have for obtaining all of the beauties I find. I so wish Fragrantica had a better way of ranking between loves and "oh my goodness, this is changing my life!" Anyhow, this is a burst of spring in a bottle. All of you looking for the perfect spring scent? If you love classics, this is your jam! Green, wet, earthy, floral but not so much that I lable this a floral right away. Yet I distinctly pulled out the hyacinth even before looking at the note pyramid. So it certainly IS floral. The aldehydes are so beautifully balanced with the rest of the composition that it adds sparkle but is void of sharpness or even much soapiness. But it's certainly there. There's a definite sweetness in the drydown. Perhaps it's honey I detect. But the sweetness is ever so slight. Truly, this is a scent of time and place. If you've ever enjoyed tending a spring garden with daffodils and hyacinths breaking through the muddy ground, and the half decomposed leaves and bark left from before the snow fell, this is that moment.

I used up my decant of Scherrer so I bought the smallest bottle. I have been wearing this one quite a bit as its inexpensive, lovely, and it lasts. It has the light, breezy aldehydes in the opening, the main accord being intensely green with galbanum and hyacinth. The violet is a key component, it gives this perfume a dewy texture. The rose is more toned down but makes itself known in the heart. The base is powdery and woody with orris, the synthetic oakmoss alternatives, civet, and musks. The civet is especially pronounced to my nose, on my skin this dries to green mossy piss. A lot of chypres have been struck down by reformulation, but the current formulation of Scherrer still smells fantastic. If you have a hard time with the leather/patchouli laden chypres that use iso butyl quinoline (Cabochard, Bandit, a lot of the classics from Lauder) then Scherrer can function as a less intensive gateway into classic chypre floral perfumery. Scherrer glistens with life in the spring and summer. I have kept it in my chypre rotation alongside Mitsouko, Chanel No. 19, Cabochard, et al. A bargain beauty, fairly strong and long lasting. Don't ask me about the cap, I have given up.

A very beautiful unisex green aromatic perfume, very close to Aromatics Elixir to my view. I once wore it in the office when one of my colleagues asked who was wearing her favourite perfume which was AE. Not as strong as AE and clings better on clothes than on skin (mind you, I bought the EDT, and have ordered 2 EDP so I will be able to check the differences and post an update later). Scherrer is the perfume to get noticed and to stand out of the Lady Millions-Mademoiselle-Pinky-Fruity vulgar synthetic high street types that smell cheap and of sweat after a few hours. Scherrer is nowhere to be found in the high street, only on the Internet, and wearing Scherrer means being proud of having lived in the late 70s when disco fever was at its peak. If you wear it you either are a middle-aged gay man like me, or a femme fatale like Joan Collins, Farah Fawcett or Debby Harry so in other words in your 60s but classy enough to look 50! It is also a beautiful reminiscent of those bomb blasts like AE and to a certain extend Giorgio Bervely Hills Yellow. Yes it's in your face but subtly not aggressively as if to say that oldies are goldies.

I've loved chypre fragrances since my young adult years when the oakmoss note was an unknown ingredient but an addictive attraction in perfumes. I happily discovered a bottle of Scherrer at a perfume counter, at of all places, a flea market. It was instant love. I want some, no MORE vintage backup bottles than I have years left in which to enjoy them. I have bottles of Mitsouko, Aromatics Elixir, Ivoire, Replique, Maroc, a dab of Coty CHYPRE 80's, Cristalle. What is an elderly Fragrantican to do? Use them up as fast as possible, right? The green notes are not so green that I can smell flowers. But the oakmoss blooms with my chemistry. I can't stop sniffing the small cloud of scent that surrounds me. The price is so reasonable for vintage on ebay. So what if it is a beauty from the 80's. I'm vintage. I can only wish for more years while I swoon my way through what I have and what yet I might discover. Thank you Fragrantica, only here can I express myself with those who understand my joy or giddiness. So glad I found you.

I received a sample of Jean-Louis Scherrer "Jean-Louis Scherrer", appears legit, has a barcode, ID of sorts, and made in France but... the notes listed on the inside of the sleeve are very different from what is listed here on Fragrantica, which got me utterly confused. Is it the same fragrance? Reformulation? What?!? Here is what it says: A Green Chypre TOP: Tangerine, Bergamot, Blackcurrant buds, Galbanum HEART: Iris, Jasmine absolute, Bulgarian rose BASE: Patchouli, Bourbon vetiver, Mysore sandalwood, Oak moss. Can someone please comment on this, why are the notes so different on my sample? Have I mistaken another version of Jean-Louis Scherrer for the one we are discussing on this webpage? The scent is heavenly and hypnotic, btw. It reminds me of something else I wore decades ago, probably in my late twenties, but I cannot remember what it was (I don't recall wearing any Scherrer fragrances back then). I'm about to try it out so no comment on longevity yet.

Oh my goodness how glorious! This is the most magnificent green chypre I’ve ever laid my nose on, so elegant and chic. The glowing greenness floats around you as if you’re engulfed in a grassy flower-sprinkled field on a bright sunny day. How is this beauty so underrated??? I don't get it. And it absolutely still holds up, even in the new iteration. I have a sample of the vintage as well as the modern EDP, and I love both. Yes they are definitely different, and the original ingredients lend a depth that is not found in the modern bottle (which might also be because it has naturally aged/evaporated over time), but I don't want this to diminish the beauty of the current formula, because that one almost GLOWS on the skin. The powder is never too much, greenness never too bitter, not sweet or cloying, yet the longevity is incredible. What a delight. What a joy. So happy this fragrance exists and that I get to enjoy a small part of it. Thank you fragrance Gods!

Absolute, heavenly delight. I stumbled across this by chance and boy, am I glad I did. Blind bought two bottles based on your reviews; thanks so much for such spot on truths. Tillywave and others have nailed it; this is a cross between so many of those aldehydic, floral greens that I love and bring back those bolder times, but which always let me down somewhere in the dry down or longevity stakes. It is very reminiscent of Estee Lauder Private Collection, Dioressence, Chanel #19, Alliage, Ma Griffe and Fidji (so hard to find) but has something more robust and lingeringly sweet to offer. It also has the aura of Eau du Soir. But..at a fraction of the price, and with something a little extra. This is my new daytime statement fume. I'm loving it! Just ordered three more bottles. So sick of missing out because a perfume has been discontinued. If those are perfumes that make your heart sing and your spirits soar - try this. It is a masterpiece. All the best!

Sacré bleu! I was expecting green and I got a noseful of animals too! This is very 70s scratchy, old school green leather but a lot of fun. I didn't know they still made them like this. Galbanum ("green notes"), civet, hyacinth, soapy white floral, vetiver, moss, leather. There are echoes and overlaps with both Chanel No.19 and Cristalle eaux de toilette. This is such an anachronism it may freak people out if you wear it in the streets. It can go a little pissy too so test on skin first. Given all the elapsed time and the evolution in perfume there's now an enjoyably cheap, retro feeling about Jean-Louis Scherrer . Maybe you fished it from the bargain bucket or won it at a fair. If you want to revisit the golden age of perfume this is a great throwback. I actually love it, for itself (galbanum! moss!) and for the memories but if this was launched today I suspect it would stall at the starting gate. A delightful time capsule.

Having only smelled a new sample of this, I believe the vintage must be out of this world! I'm in love, only as I have been with few fragrances. This is chypre to my nose. The smoke predominates over the greenness of a sunny spring day. On my skin it is somewhat a combination of Halston Halston Classic and Estee Lauder's Azuree Pure. I do not know why Halston comes to mind, but there is a verdant, oily, earthiness underneath the smoky veil. When compared to some of my favorite classics with a similar theme, the notes are not too surprising. But somehow they cannot begin to evoke the overall aura. I struggle to find perfumes that stay earthy on my chemistry, but here greenness is secondary to the amazing warmth of aromatic, mysterious smoke. Excellent sillage and lasting power. My only regret is that there isn't one more favorites bar on my personal page to add this as yet another mad contender for Signature.

Scherrer is soapy, aldehydic, leathery and civet-laden. Some say, “I don’t smell any leather/civet.” Well there is, thankfully. The chypres are known to have this damp soil feel which somewhat translates to mold or ‘chypre breath’ as put. This in alliance with leather I find similar in the Fordian’s Tuscan Leather smells friendly and rather pretty for a member of the stoic genre. Also, the warmth of the base isn’t provided by leather or moss but by civet: a lingering feel of humidity diffusing the florals. Of course you wouldn’t expect a french brand to berserk with the animalia. Guys just buy it to continue its propagation. Let’s also dispose of “the vintage is so leather-clad/animalic and this one can’t hold a candle to it.” It gets tiring. Also, it doesn’t smell like Givenchy III or Eau du Soir. You’re pointing out hyacinth or that peppered accord and is like saying all fragrances with rose smell alike.

This is pretty unique floral chypre. There are a lot of contrast here. Light and dark; sweet and bitter; soft and sharp; but somehow it all comes together and balances out into a beautifully classy very green floral fragrance. I love chypres and have lots of them and this ranks right up at the top as one of my favorites. One thing I find strange is that the aldehyde blast is vintage skank. Surprising because as far as I know I didn't purchase a vintage since I got it from fragrancenet. But I'm also wondering, as someone else here has, if this perfume is even still in production? If it's not then this might be old stock which could account for that vintage skank on first spray. I doubt this is a vintage because I do not smell civet at all so this no doubt is another formulation of the original scent. Whatever the case, this is a beautiful fragrance that I am so happy to have in my collection.

I have just read the review below by Maodo and once again I realize how our perceptions of the same fragrance can be different . I love the original formula of JLS ( it is in my top 5 fragrances ) but I cannot stand the development of Eau du Soir after the first couple of minutes , and in Summer it is not wearable ( Eau du Soir , 2012 bottle ) . JLS is a tough green chypre whose elegance comes from another world and touches lightly the ground only when the resinous drop of sweetness appears in the drydown . I find Eau du Soir a bit trashy , compared with vintage JLS . My bottle of Eau du Soir was ( I swapped it ) quite recent and maybe its formula has been changed for the worse . What I'm sure of is that current reformulated Scherrer is not worth smelling anymore . The vintage one is a must have for green sugar-free chypre lovers .