Jeanne Lanvin My Sin

Elegance in a bottle. Powdery, gentle floral with civet notes was my first impression, but there is really so much more going on. My Sin begins with soapy overtones that burst with little floral explosions. But not in a huge way that are overpowering. It's as if you're walking in an English Garden and you stop to smell flowers along the way. You pick up different scents. The Ylang-Ylang, the Bergamot, Rose, Musk and Vanilla are all delightfully delicious. Civet comes into play amongst the flowers. I adore civet in my perfumes. Civet is a note that seems to border on a love/hate relationship with people from their description. We've all seen the wording that describes cats at their most horrible and I'm guessing that's not a civet lover. Some of the descriptions are quite funny to me. I've owned cats all my life and I can honestly say they've never smelled like any of the descriptions I've read that are so blatantly descriptive in a negative way. It's strong and delicious in My Sin. So are the aldehydes, which are quite prevalent. There are so many wonderful notes that pop up in this gloriously creamy perfume at times, it's difficult to pinpoint each one. Oh, but it's fun to try! This is a sophisticated perfume for a sophisticated woman. The type of woman who has chutzpah. That's the woman that can wear My Sin every day and every night if she wants. With so much talk about perfumes for the young, for the old ladies, perfumes only a mature woman can handle, in all honesty those are only semantics, mere words that people use to try and describe what they are feeling about a fragrance. People attempt to describe what they feel. Perfuministas give their best to describe perfumes to the discerning public. But a perfume that has stood the test of time and is still wanted by so many, is still used and revered...now that's something incredulous. Something to be in awe of the maker. Just imagine the generations that have delicately traced their earlobes with this glorious scent, dotted between their breasts with a scant few petals of this perfume, annointed their wrists and inner elbows? Yes, perfume is My Sin, indeed. And thus, I sin every day of my life. And I'm happy to do so. Be it with My Sin or some other fabulous juice that I've found to complete me, what truly matters is that perfume and fragrance is a very beautiful part of my life that I shall always nourish. And you should too.Lasts about four hours for me and sillage is noticeable with the right amount. They just don't make them like this anymore. Such a pity. This one is delicious and if you're able to score one, you'll know the delights of My Sin.

This reminds me of the movie Practical Magic. Of Sandra Bullock's character Sally in particular. Of the two bewitching (both in magical and personality) Owens Sisters, Sally is the more quiet of the two. Hiding beneath a curtain of shyness that blinds her to her own charms.She is naturally wise, sultry, and very elegant and her humility despite it making her more irresistible to men. A fact that the more gorgeous of the sisters, Gilly, envies in disbelief. This smells very old, yes, but a beautiful old. Like a woman who perhaps didn't have it all, but knew how to appreciate every moment in life. Her place to relax would be a wooden vanity, with her face powder, rose water, and a gas lamp. It smells just like those things too. It does have a teeny tiny turpentine scent, but that's mostly because at this point, most bottles are terribly aged. That's the aldehyde I believe. My great grandmother, Lydia, was an anglo-italian who emigrated to the Caribbean in the late 1920s with her brother. This was her signature perfume. She had strawberry blonde hair, a curvy body, dark green eyes and a personality that couldn't be contained. She lived a long, colorful life filled with ups and downs, and many, many lovers. My great grandmother's fame wasn't from any of this, it was for her generosity. Everyday until she died, she would make a big pot of whatever she planned on eating that day and bring a bowl or plate to anyone that needed it. It broke my heart and everyone around her to learn that she herself died of starvation, because she felt she could no longer eat. She left her house as beautiful as it always was. In her room, where they found her in her bed, was this perfume, a bejewelled hair comb, and a picture of her parents, who she was forced to leave behind when she moved. She lived to 93. I barely knew her, I don't think I ever got to meet her, as I was a child when she passed and she lived in the other side of the country. But I feel through this perfume, her journals and her legacy, I have come to make a picture of her that I feel is true: She was a woman, loved like one, and lived like one too.

Thanks to a Fragrantican Friend I had the possibility to wear My Sin in the vintage extrait formulation a few times now, and I think it's time to review it. As others described, it starts off with very pleasant, correctly dosed aldehydes underpinned by wonderful quality florals. To my nose extremely indolic jasmine and rose are the most prominent of these. In the first half hour My Sin is outrageous: it is dark, sexy, almost menacing yet irresistibly alluring to me. The amount of indole and civet balances on the verge of offputting, but never quite gets there (as it did for me in vintage Joy extrait and Narcise Noire that I had to scrub). In this early stage My Sin gives an impression of fur and cigarette smoke mingled with great quality perfume, immediately bringing a femme fatale from the first part of the 20th century in mind, holding a foot long cigarette holder, clad in mink and nothing else. In a while though, the fragrance pulls its claws back and starts purring: it develops into an absolutely lovely, soft, comforting soapy floral fragrance with - I must agree with lovingthealien - notes reminding me of cat fur. In this stage the fragrance is not sexy or sultry to me any more. In the later drydown the musks take leading role, making it even more pleasantly comforting in a way the scent of your lover's skin is comforting when you bury your nose in his neck at night. On the whole a lovely, interesing fragrance, maybe somewhat an acquired taste, from a time long, long gone, when perfume was a companion and not a commodity. On my skin both sillage and longevity are good.

I acquired an unopened, still wrapped in cellophane, bottle of this in the Eau de Lanvin concentration. My best guess places this in the 60s-70s. It was a steal! This is a gorgeous, sexy perfum. In my imagination, it calls to mind Ava Gardner or some other "movie star" that possessed old Hollywood glamour! Something a real maneater, a siren, would wear. First of all, the civet. I get nothing of the urine notes often detected in perfumes with civet. For something so musky, so animalic, this doesn't smell the least bit dirty on me. Everything is so well blended and truly difficult for me to breakdown, but if I had to classify it, I would have to say that on my skin, this comes across as a real floriental. I don't know if that is a function of it's age, though the bottle was pristine and completely sealed, but what I have is intoxicating. I decanted some into a spray bottle to get a full effect, and have to say, I prefer spraying to dabbing in this instance. As for the inevitable comparison with Arpege, I must say I prefer My Sin, though my main basis of comparison is the newer formulation. I have a few vintage bottles of Arpege, but it's unfair to compare them, as they were used bottles and have lost much of their former glory. I feel very fortunate to have stumbled across this and actually win the auction, and though I tend to wear whatever I want whenever I want, I think I will reserve this for those times I want to attempt to channel smoldering sex appeal. A true love!

My Sin. Review of vintage bottle 4oz eau De Lanvin. Good girl gone naughty. Its aldehyde civet opening is lighter than No.5 and much more enjoyable. The florals spring forth from the opening in classy ladylike fashion. Yhe drydown grounds you with its musk , woods and gentle civet. Not a harsh note to be found but rich smoothness through this journey. Soft, plush, and elegant. Real rose de Mai and jasmine, four authentic musks to attain its powderyness. The same template as joy but better arranged. Natural perfume at its best. The minute I smelled this I knew I was a goner and in love with it. Its softly sexy, not the roaring femme fatale, at least in the eau concentration. To me its a warm elegant purring sex kitten Extrait: Aldehyde naroli, clary sage, bergamot opening, then the lilac..my god the lilac!, jasmine, Lilly of the valley, rose, and ylang heart is just gorgeous. A faint hint of spice (clove?) peeks in through the flowers. The orris root, musks, vetiver, civet, vanilla, base gently seeps up through the floral heart. Gorgeous. Parfum Spray: Aldehydes, leather, black cat fur smell, floral notes seep up, then drydown..beautiful vairation. If you aren't into civet, get the Extrait. Its better blended into it than the Eau. But if you like animalics the Eau is just as beautiful with its florals, just a little different. Both together is magnificent..

For those interested in the quality of this perfume a now no longer maintained blog - raidersofthelostscent My Sin did a chemical analysis of this scent and it is amazing what they found. They took a 1980s bottle of Eau My Sin edt and subjected it to Gas-Chromatography and Mass-Spectrometry (GC-MS) tests. What they found was amazing. The quality of ingredients used is incredible. This scent came out in 1924 and might have been the inspiration for Joy because, according to the notes, it is similar to Joy in composition, though different in the level of ingredients used. For example, not one, but three different musk's were used in My Sin. Not only that but the level and quantity of essential oils used to make this perfume was astonishing, especially in comparison to perfumes made today. They also found that while the bottle they were testing was from 1984 there was no degradation of the ingredients or the scent because of the stabilizers used to preserve the ingredients. There is also tons of other information that is discussed about this scent that is simply fascinating. You might think so too. Just google raidersofthelostscent My Sin Lanvin and you'll see the link where you can read the article and interview with perfume chemist Dr. Roberto Dario.

Holy Toledo, this fume smells good!!! I managed to get my hands on a bottle of Eau My Sin edt., same as was analyzed by raidersofthelostscent. Wow! I received it yesterday in the mail and tried it this morning and the scent is beyond wonderful. I had to control myself from running after the mailman and kissing him just for delivering it to me. It is that good. It is everything everyone praised about it and more. Amazing silage for an edt that works better than many modern perfumes, though the longevity isn't that great. While it lasted, I got lovely wafts of powdery incensey florals, and a sandalwood vanilla dry down is to die for. Nor can I believe I just fell in love with an anamalic scent. The civet is wonderful in giving this scent incredible depth and sensuality. This is how anamalics should be done - highlight the notes, not overpower them. This is definitely a nighttime fragrance and one I'll be wearing tonight. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!

I've been wearing Lutens' Clair de Musc for years, and have been drawn to its wonderful beeswax note, in particular. And also, I have an emotional reaction to it I haven't quite understood until today. Turns out, to my perception, Clair de Musc bears more than a passing resemblance to 1960s-70s My Sin, which my grandmother wore. Really similar aldehydes, quiet florals, declarative musk vintage profile. Whether natural or synthetic, this is how musk in perfumes used to smell. I'm predisposed to like it because of my context and fond associations. I can tie in No. 5 Eau Premiere here, too, because it's got a similar musk and aldehydes to the Lutens. Eau Premiere is so sparkly and joyous compared to (basically anything) my vintage bottle of My Sin, yet I suspect that the sparkle was there in My Sin when it was released. It's wonderful stuff, even when it's decades old.

Love, love, love, LOVE this! On my skin the LoV, lilac and narcissus are forward, as is the wood. Rich aldehydes and a touch of civet. Spring just got funky! In winter I yearn for the blossoms to pop. Starting in January, I pull out the dainty spring florals, just to give myself a little hope that winter will end. But by the time the blossoms actually pop, I'm always wishing for something with a bit more kick. I found my perfect Spring evening scent in Nacre, and now with My Sin, I have my perfect Spring day scent. Fresh, soapy, a little bright, a little crisp, and a little bit of "no, I'm not a good girl" civet. I am now ready to take on the world! They say spring comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion? My Sin is the reverse. L-O-V-E it! (For the vintage formulation EDP)

To me more woody than aldehyde with undiscernable musk. The blend of the sage with the lilac, neroli and ylang-ylang comes off as classy yet intriguing, in a sexy way. This is a review of the edc, (you know it's vintage if it's edc), from an estate, not ebay. For me it's worn on misty, sweater days, but it could work multi-seasonally. On me it's a skin scent with great longevity. With all these reasons I don't know why I don't use it often. It may have to do something with my s.o.'s preference towards spicier scents. For that reason, I'd consider swap offers, but if swapped I'll probably kick myself for letting this one slip away.

I am super confused by the other reviews here. I can't smell any civet. It's not dirty. The musks are clean. It is an aldehydic white floral. It smells similar to Joy, but with less rose and more aldehydes and narcissus. Disappointed because on very first application I get whiffs of Narcisse Noir, but that is fleeting and it settles into just clean, light musky jasmine for me afterward. This is vintage extrait in hot, humid weather. Either my bottles is completely destroyed, which seems unlikely because it was barely used and stored in a box, or there's a lot of suggestibility going on about the belief that this is a civet bomb.

Oh my! This is Marlene Dietrich in perfume form. I got hold of a half-used vintage bottle (the design looks like a 1960s style or maybe earlier), and I think the top notes must have changed slightly. I don't get any neroli or citrus, but I get a lovely powdery incense with musk. The longevity is long and drawn out with beautifully smooth sandalwood and spice. Its exotic, its erotic, its seductive and its far too full on to wear at work! This is something to wear accompanied by silk or satin in the company of someone you want to tempt into coming closer. A gorgeous, classic, vintage beauty.

This smells fresh and clean but also like arousal. Like emerging from a hot shower all flushed and fragrant and glowing from a new expensive soap and an orgasm. The double entendre of péché/pêche (peach/sin) is a clever one and I believe Madame Zed and Jeanne Lanvin created and named this one with their tongues firmly in cheek! There is an interview with Erykah Badu that I found years ago and it always stuck with me. The interviewer kept mentioning a lovely aroma distracting him, something like strawberries. Ms Badu’s deadpan response?: “It’s my vagina.”

I reviewed this a while ago (My Sin Eau de Lanvin version). I had won 2 full bottles still boxed and sealed. I've only opened one of them and it really is something to behold. Anyway - the only reason I'm adding something is because who could possibly resist a perfume made by a perfumer going by the name "Madame Zed"!! It made the whole experience much more delightful and full of old school intrigue!! Here's to you, Madame Zed! Seems like there aren't any other fragrances attributed to you, but you really made your mark with this one!!

This was an all time favorite when I was in High School along with it's partner fragrance Arpege. I still have the square vintage bottles(they are splash on's) from long ago, and I have a small amount left in a spray on from 30+ years ago. They all smell divine still after all these years, perhaps a little weaker though. I do wish these would make a come back with the first recipes from way back. The remakes just do not smell the same IMO. These Lanvin fragrances have a special place in the true feminine history of women and romance.

I was thinking this perfume would portray the femme fatale leatherette, but it didn't. Instead, I got powder, ylang-ylang, vetiver and civit wrapped in orange blossom with a dry down of spicy, wood and some earthiness. Turns out that My Sin is enchanting, bewitching, sexy and mysterious. This was the vintage Eau de Lanvin which doesn't seem to last more than a couple of hours on my skin, so I also sprayed this on my clothes. After wearing this today, I am on the hunt for the extrait.

I have waited many years to get my hands on this beauty, and finally I can covet her fragrance. It is so naughty smelling! The general parlance is 'skanky' but this is too sophisticated to use that word. It really does smell like a lady that has been sinning, she lays on her silk sheets in the aftermath of an illicit affair, she combs her fingers through her lover's hair. She smiles devilishly, their body warmth rises and brings all the aromas of love into the air. This is my sin.

Outstanding perfume (vintage type). One of the notes not listed is costus root oil - it is very dominant from the beginning to the dry down. It fits perfectly into this amazing blend of animalics. Another note not listed but also very dominant (more so than the civet) is ambergris - after about 10 minutes of the dry down a very sharp salty sea ambergris note pops out. I can only imagine how much of the real thing went into the vintage version of this amazing perfume.

I interchange Chanel nr 5 eau première with My Sin whenever I tire of one or the other, because they both fill that classic, ladylike, statement slot in my everyday olfactory wardrobe, I reckon. Notes are pretty similar it seems, though if Chanel nr 5 Eau Première is (hope of) romantic love, then Lanvin's My Sin is the scent of romantic love bordering on and tipping over into lust. The pretty white gloves are off!

I was half expecting this to be a civet bomb, but it's not at all. Instead, it's an incensy aldehyde, with that bit of powder so reminiscent of vintage fumes. This becomes most beautiful after about an hour, when the true personality is developed. Although it doesn't smell like Chanel no. 5, it is clearly of the same era, and in my opinion, the same league. I like My Sin better because it has more mystery.

I have the vintage version of this fragrance and it still smells like it did way back when. I grew up wearing this one to high school classes and dates. It has such great memories for me and I still love it today. On me it last all day and into the wee hours of the night. I like the old version of the bottle way better than the newer version. I think it had more classic style and was a heavy glass.

This as classic and bewitching as "woman" can be. Bring her back Lanvin! why must beauties such as this be executed due to time? Reminds me of Simone Simon as Irena in Cat People, Veronica Lake in I Married A Witch, Kim Novak in Bell, Book & Candle, Catwoman, witches and night creatures. Most of all my mother as this was her very first "Paris" perfume!

My aunt used to wear this constantly years and years ago. I received a bottle of it from her back then. I loved it so much. A little 'incense-y' and wonderful. Almost spell binding. I always pictured it to be like something Cleopatra would have worn... Divine fragrance and I would love nothing more than to find it again!

I only like the original My Sin made by Lanvin. The rejigged version from Long Lost Perfumes is awful and I won't wear that one. The original My Sin is a beautiful classic aldehyde; nice and powdery. It is too bad they discontinued it.

3 hours into the Eau de Lanvin... My first wearing... OMG! I ́ve found heaven. Bought it today, went out with a young lady tonight. Nothing in my fragrance wardrobe would have been a better choice. I ́m already loving it.

I began wearing this at age 15 and it was my signature scent for many years...until I found KL by Karl Lagerfeld. Such a crime that a gorgeous perfume like this is obsolete.

I received my vintage extrait yesterday and dabbed like crazy this morning. 3 hours later I can't smell anything!! What a bummer!! Smelled awesome while it lasted!!

I wish I had worn this fragrance when I was young rather than at age 75.

The perfume deities saw fit to allow me to score a sealed, untouched 100 milliliter bottle of vintage My Sin Extrait de parfum for a truly risible price. The bottle is so old that it does not look like any of the pictures on this page, indeed, its the old fashioned dab on type with a square stopper made of black pressed glass in a plain, rectangular glass bottle. Now here's the thing - my exquisitely warm, soft, smooth and utterly lovely oriental juice does not smell anything like the notes listed, neither does it resemble any of the reviews on this page. Its either a very old formulation or its flowery notes have completely disintegrated with time, because what I have is the softest, warmest resinous wood/vanilla potion with but a dab of aldehydes, and nary a hint of any flower or any civet. I am not sure what's going on, but I have to say that my fabulous extrait of My Sin was either definitely improved by the decades since it was bottled or is an older, far warmer and softer formulation. Whatever happened is sexy warm oriental magic, its autumn/winter perfection, and amply deserves a 9 out of 10 for everything from the juice to the sillage and the projection. :::::::swoon:::::::

My Sin...the black sheep cousin of Arpege and Chanel No.5. She has a little black book, handcuffs in her purse, and daddy issues. I like My Sin a lot. The ads are great and really draw me in with the black cats. It's a smooth dark aldehyde that purrs on my skin and doesn't get screechy or chemical. The first two samples I went through smelled fantastic--just like they were supposed to. Based on those lovely samples of the vintage parfum, I purchased a sealed bottle from ebay that smelled horrible: like wet matted fur soaked in turpentine and it even burned my skin. It must have expired, even though it was never opened. My Sin is a lovely dark fragrance and it smells warm, smooth, and elegant. If you are purchasing it online, make sure you buy it from a store who accepts returns. As with any vintage perfume, there is a chance that you may get a bad bottle.

Just purchased the vintage EDT and it really is lovely. Had the EDP years ago and although this is a lighter version, you can still tell that it is My Sin. Since I am partial to most Lanvin and think that most of their fragrance qualifies as a work of art, this original does not disappoint. This fragrance is truly timeless and wish it would resurface in the original form from Lanvin. I don't think it is anything like Chanel #5. It has a much sharper initial civet and bergamont whiff and it dries down to almost an oriental softie with a little higher kick...very intriguing and memorable.

Lanvin's My Sin takes a sudden turn from pure white cleanliness to a dirty scent. It's like Catherine Deneuve in "Belle du Jour", the scene where Catherine in a clean white dress was cursed with foul language and filth was thrown at her. My Sin overwhelmes us with the genuine animalic musk, but the floral scent is also amazing. The florals are so condensed that the so-called indole smell comes out. It gives the impression of a fluffy long-haired beast, a warm blooded living thing, not a rich lady in fur coat.

I am so lucky I got a decant of this. This is a lovely cool weather musky floral. It screams old school in a good way. Unisex in my opinion. The aldehydes are turned up to the max while all the flowers blend perfectly with the musk to add depth and character.Perfect for a chilly autumn/winter day! I have had it on for 6 hours and it's going strong as if I had put it on 10 mins ago. Not for the faint of heart or the celeb lovers..

What a beauty! I just got a vintage bottle of My sin Eau de Lanvin and it is amazing! Very old school french perfume: aldehyde, civet, flowers and wood all so beautifully blended together. I was expecting a dark heavy perfume and the opening is but it slowly settles down into a soft powdery floral beauty. Will definitely try to find the extrait. I am hooked now!

I got to smell my grandmother's vintage My Sin Eau De Lanvin today, and what a treat! This is a very old school fragrance full of aldehydes, smoke and civet but it's beautifully blended. I did find it pretty similar to Chanel No. 5, but darker and sexier I guess? I hope to inherit this and all of her other beautiful vintage perfumes one day!

I managed to snag a small 4ml vintage bottle of this to sample! It’s lovely, but similar to a few scents I already own. Very aldehydic and white floral. I definitely agree with the previous reviewer, it’s similar to L’air du Temps but stronger and a little more daring.

I have a vintage bottle Eau de Lanvin. It seems almost like a cross between Chanel N.5 and Chanel N.22. I would say that the civet and vetiver in the base are rather prominent. I would like to try this in a stronger formula though.

Grease's Rizzo has been smoking in the boys room again. She is dangerous, fast, and a little sleazy on the outside, sparkling with a heart of flowery goodness on the inside. Welcome to the vintage edition of My Sin.

Hi friends, Fragrantica has finally added Eau My Sin to the site, so many of the reviews below can now be applied to that version of the classic Lanvin floral aldehyde fragrance, which IS different to My Sin. Cheers

This was a truly lovely and seductive scent. I hope to find a vintage bottle of it.

Nothing sinful about this, it's a soapy floral. Unmistakably vintage Lanvin, but the narcissus (jonquil) note is not as pronounced as it is in Prétexte, which I prefer. There is a bitterness here from the aldehydes that I don't particularly care for. Late winter into early spring wear. Very long-lasting. I'm reviewing an older extrait with bakelite cap.

I bought an old set of perfume, cologne and powder and I don't barely smell anything. What a waste of money. Buyer beware.

When the Korean War ended, and my uncle Herschel got his papers informing him he was coming home he quickly went about the task of buying up gifts to bring to his loved ones. He loved his eldest sister, my mother, more than just about anyone - and NOBODY was tougher to buy for than her. He had it in his head that perfume would be ideal but, for a woman of such arresting presence and discerning taste, choosing would be a tricky task. I never asked then, and now it’s far too late, how he settled on My Sin but times were different then. There were a handful of very famous perfumers and all (Chanel, Guerlain, Lanvin, Patou...) were French. There were plenty of thriving cheap American drugstore colognes, to be sure, but the market, inasmuch as there even was a “market”, was still decades away from being cluttered by flankers and lame reformulations for which no perfumer with any pride would ever have allowed their names to be attached... then. Thus, the array of choices was fairly narrow – and yet... I imagine most in his position would have chosen Number 5, Mitsouoko, Arpege, Joy... but while something about Arpege likely struck him as cloying... a strange “off” top note that would better have been left out, perhaps... I’m guessing there WAS something about that little square bottle of golden fluid with the black cap with the and black and gold packaging that likely seemed perfect. I believe that apart from the names on their respective labels Arpege and My Sin were identically packaged. In my mind’s eye I imagine him rejecting the first box, then picking up the other. My Sin. MY Sin... I see him opening the bottle, bending his head to the opening and knowing immediately he had The One. Elegant, to be sure, but not just elegant. No. There seemed something especially foreign about it. Like my mother. The way there was always something about her that made her seem like some rare bird, blown in by a hurricane from another place, or another time. My Sin. A name for a woman who was always five moves ahead of everyone; who went her own way, confident, requiring nobody’s good opinion; and who could silence a room full of strangers merely by entering, without any of them ever understanding why mysterious force struck them mute. Yes. This was The One for Juanita. And she loved it immediately. Try as she did, though, she could not make the scent last on her skin. Still, for a long time, this perfume was, indeed, HER scent. I recall entering my parents’ room after they’d left my brother and me with a sitter for a night out. Black dress, pearls, black patent peep-toes and shiny clutch. I would stand there, dreaming about what magical things they would be doing as I’d become hypnotized by the prism of a distant outside light reflected in the bevel of their dresser mirror, drinking in Mom and My Sin in the dark. I often wondered why My Sin, a far superior perfume over Arpege, to my nose, never got the star treatment it deserved by the house of Lanvin. Philistines. I shouldn’t have been surprised when it disappeared completely. I searched for a long time for that tiny bottle, the ORIGINAL formulation, at a price I could afford. When I finally got an unopened bottle in what appeared to be the original packaging I remembered from my childhood, I assumed what would arrive would be inauthentic. It was not. I can only presume the seller on Ebay didn’t know he’d surrendered a long-lost Picasso. I prefer to believe, however, that this bottle had belonged to the seller’s beloved, who’d left his world. A second bottle she’d held onto until the first ran out from constant use, because she loved it so much. Maybe he priced THIS bottle so low because he knew the first to pounce would surely have been waiting and watching for a long time and was, thus, the worthiest. But when the package arrived, I hadn’t yet thought of any of that so I was filled with trepidation. I didn’t yet know if I had the real thing. I stared at the black box for some time before whispering a silent prayer and carefully opening the bottle. I breathed in and the memories came rushing back. Yes. Yes, THIS was the real thing. Sometimes, the dream really does live up to the reality. This one should have been Lanvin’s Queen. Instead, it’s The One they pushed away. The world is a sadder place for the absence of this breathtaking jewel of longing and memory.

ABOUT VINTAGE MY SIN I remember that this fragrance was still selling in the late 1940's and early 1950's. In those days fragrances never became "old" and although newer scents were being sold, the old was still there to tempt you if you hadn't already experienced it. I never knew about this fragrance. My mother never wore this. It's in the same exact shape as the original Arpege but the two fragrances could not be any more different. Arpege is sweet and delicate, powdery and a dream of white flowers. This is hardly a floral and the musk and civet are the dominant scents. It's nocturnal and something to wear in the evenings when you have put aside Arpege which can be worn in the day time. The same woman who wears Arpege might also wear My Sin but only if the civet and musk and leathery innards do not offend her. I purchased this fragrance in Paris in 1953. The scent was an aldehyde floral musk with a heavier emphasis on the civet. It was skanky, aromatic, dark, Oriental, exotic, sultry and sexy. It seemed to me that it was like a perfume for a mature woman who had a secret. She is betraying her husband with a lover. She is promiscuous and has a thing for rogues and men who are not of her social class. The scent can be compared to the musk in Bal a Versailles or Bandit. This is all about the leather, the musk, the civet, as well as the woods. In the dry down it's musky-woodsy. The dry down was the experience we remember and enjoyed about this scent. The notes on which it opens and the heart were not anything special. In fact it can pass for Arpege before it reaches that diverse dry down. It's Arpege with a darker and muskier finish. The woods are also quite strong and swim with the musk. At times, however, this scent can be spicy and powdery. The powder is not as powdery as Arpege but the musk can feel a tad powdery. The vetiver is quite strong. There might also be moss. It's a chypre in some ways and a civet in others. The mood is seductive. It feels like you have to wear this every time you go out of the house in provocative dress (for the 40's) and you meet with your secret lover. You're in bed for days and days and don't rise from bed not even to shower. The skank factor and the dirty sexiness was innovative at the time. The only other perfume that was like it was Tabu by Dana Bal a Versailles or even Schiaparelli's Shocking. They were never my favorite kind of fragrances because I didn't see them as Orientals and were bigger on musk but they are nevertheless amazing. No perfume out there today can remotely smell like My Sin. My Sin is unique and a fragrance of sins long ago.

One of the most fascinating and complex perfumes of the 20thc, and with a rather outrageous name (originally called "MON PÊCHE" in French, perhaps the most outrageous name in all fine fragrance, surpassed only by Tom Ford's FUCKING FABULOUS), MY SIN sails in on a sharp aldehydic/citrus note... curiously leavened by a slightly aromatic clary sage; which evanesces quickly to reveal the dark floralcy of the heart. An "old" "varnished wood" quality is always there, courtesy of oak and styrax, making it similar to that other Lanvin classic, ARPÈGE. But where ARPÈGE is mature, very put-together, Appollonian and somewhat austere, MY SIN is more blatantly sensual, less controlled, Dionysian with dusty-dark, throbbing, nocturnal-smelling florals like daffodil, narcissus, neroli, iris, jasmine, and ultimately, a glowering purple-black accord of tuberose, ylang-ylang and lilac. All united by a pronounced musky base of deermusk, costus root (with its curious smell of unwashed, oily hair), ambergris, oldschool nitromusks and civet, which add to the floralcy's lowing, crooning, swarthy beauty. There is also surely a honey note present. Perhaps the scent's slyest note is a phantom touch of Peru balsam in the heart, whose nutty, savory green olive character parries the grape-y sweetness of the lush floralcy. It's only in farthest drydown that the warm sandalwood avows its incense-y presence; it's what remains when all else has faded. This scent smells like something a youngish femme-fatale might wear, like a young Lauren Bacall, Joan Crawford's bratty daughter in MILDRED PIERCE, or Kathleen Turner in BODY HEAT, or Faye Dunaway in CHINATOWN. Little Edie Bouvier Beale at her Pierre debut. Maybe even Glenn Close in FATAL ATTRACTION. It is pure, musky, sensual attraction, with no frilly, girlish notes that say, "No, I'm just kidding." MY SIN is definitely not kidding... it's not cheering, really, it sets its tender trap, almost with an air of Film Noir danger to it. Modern youth might call MY SIN "old-ladyish" because of its oldschool swank... but I read it as a woman in her 30's or 40's... a cougar. Not for office or church or the PTA. Wearing strapless black velvet with low sweetheart décolletage. Long-lasting, with a surprisingly restrained sillage... it's designed to hug the skin...and purr away. Discontinued in 1988, but bottles of it can still be found on eBay.

Hot damn, while getting pounded with an April 14th SNOW storm-- at least I had my My Sin to look forward to. Rain, sleet, or snow-- USPS delivers! (about 2 feet of snow fell) I eagerly decanted my vintage splash bottle into a 5ml atomizer AND-- heaven. The perfect vintage scent. Hot damn. (My vintage splash doesn't say EDP or EDT, just My Sin from Eau de Lanvin). This is mostly floral, animal musky sexy skank with some sweetness. It's like vintage Chanel No. 5 cologne with a splash of Avon Occur for the extra animal civet & honey/sweetness/incense/sandalwood. Maybe a hint of Joy too. It's skanky in the BEST way. This is perfect! It's not chypre, it's not oriental... it's just WOMANLY PERFUME from a time of elegance and luxury. The woody and floral blend flawlessly, everything is so well blended. You don't get a blast of aldehydes like No. 5 or other vintages. It's somewhat sweet in a way. Hard to describe, you just have to wear it! This animal musk/civet is sooo elegant, it's not dirty skanky like Animale. It's not the dirty smell of a female who just had sex, put it that way, haha. There is also nothing earthy about this. I will get to know My Sin REALLY well after today when I get a FULL 1oz extrait! I just put my Extrait on. I've always been so disappointed with extraits and their poor sillage/potency. This should be nuclear! This should burn my nose hairs! But it's about even with the sillage/potency of the regular splash I have. It's floral- full and creamy/waxy floral much like Joy. I do get aldehydes in a bright full way now, but not screaming. I get nothing spice or herbal. I get bergamot, aldehydes, ylang ylang, rose, lilac, and then a smooth creamy layer of vanilla, musk, civet, sandalwood, incense. This is sooooo perfect and dreamy. A little smoky on the drydown. Powdery, smoky, soapy, dusty floral musk. So hard to describe because it's just smooth and beautiful. I *may* prefer No. 5 tho. It's louder/more noticeable. This is wearing close to skin after 2 hours. :( And the splash (non extrait) lasted about 2 hours on skin too. However, I sprayed/applied that splash to my clothes and it lingers all day. I still say it's 75% vintage No. 5 with sweet honey/animal/incense/sandalwood much like 25% Avon Occur, Bal a Versailles, Tabu, etc... but just a hint of those. It's that extra bit that sets this apart from No. 5.

About a month ago, I went to a funeral in New Mexico. Even in the Spring, it was already too hot to be wearing black. A GORGEOUS older woman, in her early 90's caught my eye. She was sitting in the church pews with a TIARA crowning her platinum blonde bob. On her lips she wore the classic "Cherries in the Snow" red that all bombshells of the day wore. She had on a light brown full length fur coat and a cheetah print pantsuit. She pulled out all the stops with that outfit. I immediately knew that she was someone I wanted to meet. After all, don't we all want to have that much moxie AT ANY AGE?? I can only hope to become a woman who can pull off wearing a tiara to a funeral!! Well, it only got better from there because at the wake, she entertained everyone with her soft shoe tap while all the kids took turns playing the piano for her. I said right there and then that I will do whatever it takes to live a long happy life like she clearly has! After speaking to her, I found out that she had been an actress, she had married well, traveled around the world, had beautiful children who were successful and lived life to the fullest. She lost it all, but never lost her spirit. Her eyes still sparkled and she still had a bounce in her step. This woman had more moxie in her little finger than most people have in their entire lives. Naturally, I HAD to ask what perfume she wears. It was no surprise AT ALL for me to learn that she wears MY SIN. Of course she does! What else could possibly fit the bill? My Sin is for women who are not afraid to take life by the horns and ride it out. This perfume embodies the quote by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, "WELL BEHAVED WOMEN SELDOM MAKE HISTORY." Enough said. I have made it a point to wear both MY SIN and my tiara more frequently these days.

My Sin is the bad girl version of Arpege. It's what Bandit is to Fracas. This has the same notes as Arpege and there are some similar aspects but in the end become 2 very different animals, animal being the key term. This is an animal, raw, lusty, earthy, feral and strong where as Arpege is a soft sweet little angel. The fragrance can be worn by the same woman but she will experience different moods. This opens with aldehydes the same way Arpege does and with neroli and citrus. The scent then progresses into flowers: ylang ylang is clearly the most dominant note. There is jasmine rose lily of the valley and narcissus. The same flowers as Arpege. However it is at the base where all the differences occur. The foundation notes are heavier with spicer and more masculine touches: vetiver, woods, balsam, and lots of musk and civet. The civet is what makes this thing an animal and more like a seductive aromatic fragrance. This doesn't smell bad it's just more like having spent days in bed with your lover and neither of you have showered. You smell of sin, of living in sin, of pure carnality and sex. Think Bal a Versailles, Boudoir, scents like that. This is really strong stuff and I love it but I find it unnecessary since it starts the same way Arpege does. I prefer Arpege which is my signature scent and my all time favorite fragrance so to me this feels like a sacrilege. But I have it and I wear it and it smells better in cold winter weather. I'm wearing this now with my fur coats. The bottle is exactly the same shape as Arpege. I put them next to each other side to side on my dresser table.

Sexier version of Arpege, muskier, mossier, mature. It was my grandmother's signature perfume. It was the kind of perfume that made a bold statement. This was a Lanvin so it's very unusual to have called it My Sin. It was sold to American women who wanted to wear "naughty French perfume". in an episode of I Love Lucy, when Lucy, Ricky, Fred & Ethel sail away on an ocean liner to Europe, Mrs. Trumble, their elderly neighbor lady, asks Lucy to bring her back a bottle of My Sin LOL My grandpa loved it on my grandma. My Sin is a mixture similar to Arpege and Chanel No. 5. It smells a lot like No. 5 as it shares some of the notes like aldehydes citrus ylang jasmine rose moss and musky civet. There's balsam and spices and it has an Oriental nature as well. This is pretty powerful stuff. The bottle is either white or gold and looks just like the round Arpege bottle. The two scents are interchangeable. It's a pity this perfume doesn't get as much praise and attention as it deserves. It's not for everybody but it's one hell of a vintage perfume. It's aldehydic floral and woodsy and musky, it has so much going on for it that it would have been the Chanel Coco Eau de Parfum of it's day. This is a seductive musk so if you are big on musk this goes from citruses and neroli to floral touches of jasmine ylang rose to cloves moss and musk. It's a chypre that lasts for days. It smelled fantastic on my grandma. I love you grandma Maggie.

Some have said that perfumes were considered "potions" back in their day, so as to suggest that wearers then respected their magic and potency. If there was this reverence in the past, then My Sin surely must've been perceived as materialized through the incantation of a mysterious Madame Zed (Marie Zéde). An elderly Russian perfumer hired by Jeanne Lanvin, Zed composed this potion with its startling use of aldehydes, citrus, and florals to collide with a sensuous, animalic base. In my "Eau de Lanvin" version, the pure and sinful duality titillates, and while it's not loud, its stealth seduction is nonetheless powerful. I would also argue that the ingredients used are of a phenomenal quality. What's most prominent as My Sin develops is a musky jasmine and rose is underlined with civet and resins, verging on lascivious but there is nothing crude or offensive (modern indie perfumers who fetishize animalic accords will want to take note). It just reaches that precipice of anticipation where one wants so much to unbutton and let loose but chooses to relish the earliest stages of foreplay. Madame Zed was on to something: temperatures rise, heart rate increases, one gets flush, but the desire is encapsulated and enhanced in My Sin. As clean and respectable as we may appear, those dirty thoughts are just under the surface, looking to reach a climax.