Rumeur (original)

1934s Original Parfum. A toothsome fruity chypre. Similar products include Diorama, Femme, Mitsouko, Diorlla is similar but not fruity. Femme's sensuality is not reproduced here. Contrasted with bright colors, Rochas Femme, which is round and more like a female body, and Rumeur is old-fashioned and slightly masculine. Rich and viscous civet is cloudy, rose jasmine is harmoniously unfolded by dry clove (isoeugenol), sandalwood, vetiver and moss, with a strong smoky smell. The main body is composed of spices, sugar and delicious peach and plum sweetness are active in the top notes. Rumeur, this is Eris, the goddess of discord in Greek mythology.

Review is for a bottle I believe to be a late issue of the first original formula, dating it to 1971 or earlier. It came in a lot with an identical bottle of Scandal, which was discontinued in 1971. It is a never used, never opened, 4oz(?) splash tester bottle with a plain black cylindrical cap and a rectangular gold sticker that says : RUMEUR EAU DE LANVIN This "eau" formula is generally regarded to be an Eau de Toilette, but I can tell you this is some potent stuff. I have not opened the bottle, but a small amount seeped out from the cap during shipment and the tiniest amount of residue has my entire hand aflame with scent. This compares well to my vintage Rumeur parfum in the gold Cartier cartridge. The parfum has much evaporation and a sweeter quality, whilst this Eau is all Spice, Civet, Moss, and Wood. As to the fruits, here they are drowned out by the suffocating heart and base and present as slightly over-ripe and spoiled. They are more noticeable in my vintage parfum. This is possibly on account of damage to the top notes, although this splash bottle has little, if any, evaporation, no changes of color, and no increased viscosity- so it seems that extreme damage is unlikely. While I do get some lift, the Aldehydes are not overtly noticeable here, very likely since I am testing only the seeped residue from the cap, and not an actual new, wet sample. If ever I get the gumption up to open this, I will amend the review. Most noticeable is a huge dollop of clove-rose, likely due to high concentrations of the now restricted Isoeugenol. There are traces of Jasmine in the Jasmine-Rose dance, but it's a funky, indolic jasmine, and not much of it. There is also a urinous, musky note which is most certainly Civet. The base is a smoky, earthy (Oakmoss, Vetiver) sharp wood, which I first identified as Rosewood or Cedar. It is not creamy as a vintage Sandalwood would be, although that is indeed the listed wood base. With the Tobacco note, this all combines to be a brazen leather. I can see why the re-release in the late 70s wasn short lived- this is a fragrance from another era, in company with Bandit, Cabochard, Jolie Madame, Cuir de Russie, Infini, Mitsouko, and Farouche. Not for the faint of heart.