Sortilege (2014)

My review is for the vintage Le Galion Sortilege. I have not tried the 2014 version but a glance at the notes makes it seem that the name has been given to a completely different fragrance. There's no way on earth that any modern fragrance company would try to sell a true re-release of the original at this time in history; floral aldehydics are so not a thing now, and too many of the ingredients are restricted to boot. The hideous Long Lost Perfumes attempt to squeeze some bucks out of the name has it's own seperate entry, thank goodness. Please don't think you know Sortilege if that's the one you've tried - it would be unfair. So on to the vintage Sortilege. I have several bottles of extrait and several more of parfum de toilette. Unlike No 5 and many other fragrances of the time, Sortilege is the same basic scent in both varieties; the perfume is simply stronger and longer lasting. The parfum de toilette is roughly equivalent in strength to most modern parfums. There is no "light" concentration of Sortilege - the "Eau Sortilege" is at least as strong as a modern edt. It's sadly prone to evaporation if not stored well (especially in parfum concentration) so be very careful if an Ebay seller wants top dollar for a sealed box. If you don't know the proper weight odds are very high you will get half a bottle or less. I know the full weights of the various sizes of Le Galion parfums and it never ceases to amaze me how many sellers who know perfume are trying very hard (and no doubt succeeding with those who don't know better) to pass off an empty sealed box as a treasure to be charged double for, always with no returns. It's an aldehydic, so the top notes can often be off if stored improperly for years - though in my experience even almost entirely evaporated bottles of the parfum will most likely still have quite a lovely scent and more strength than many of todays expensive extraits. If you can find a parfum with minimal evaporation, preferably in an *opened* box so you can see how much is there and know it was probably kept in the box away from the light, it's the way to go. The parfum de toilettes are generally not much evaporated since they don't have a glass stopper so that might be a safer bet, though for me the parfum is worth the extra effort to find. It's compared by many to Chanel No 5 but the resemblance is really just that they are both aldehydic florals. 40 years from now people will no doubt think Flowerbomb, Coco Mademoiselle, Angel,and La Vie Est Belle are exactly the same, too. Sortilege is much prettier than No 5 to my nose. Lovely is the first word that comes to mind when I wear it. The aldehydes are very strong but not harsh (for one used to aldehydes - to a millenial I'm sure it's probably pretty weird, but I feel the same way about Iso Super E and ethyl maltol; different generations and all that) and without any of the No 5 citrus. It's a warmer, gentler and more overtly feminine fragrance than No 5. Jasmine, peach, strawberry, rose, hyacinth, lily of the valley, orange blossom, violet, orris root and probably other florals rest softly and sweetly on a smooth, luscious, animalic and powdery bed of honeyed sandalwood, vetiver, tonka, civet, musk, oppoponax. It's so well blended, so dynamic - so incredibly complex and yet simply gorgeous. Even my almost anosmic non-perfumista husband who wrinkles his nose a little at most aldehydics always, always says that I smell pretty when I wear this.

Sortilege by Le Galion is the first perfume I recall from childhood and the genesis of my life-long love affair with fragrance, aldehydic ones in particular.. When I was only 4 or 5 years old my father won a sales contest at work and chose as his prize a 1oz bottle of Sortilege parfum extrait in a fascinating crystal bottle with a glass stopper for my mom. Even though she didn't care for the fragrance she wore it for special occasions because it was a gift from my father (good advice for anyone who receives a gift of fragrance from a loved one!). While preparing to go out my mom would put her red hair in a french twist and dab that little crystal stopper on her neck and wrists and then would dab some on me, making me feel very special, indeed. A few years ago I found the very same bottle, still sealed and in the same green and white box, from an auction site and I was instantly swept back 50+ years to my parents' bedroom, watching my mom open her bureau drawer to take out that scent of heaven. Without hesitation I hit that "buy it now" button and a week later, for just $40.00 (!!!!) my childhood arrived in my mailbox. Many bottles of the original are still available on-line but I will surely purchase a bottle of this recreation. I realize my emotional connection to this fragrance means no one will experience it as I do but if you love aldehydes Sortilege belongs in your collection. There's a honey-sweetness and oakmoss bite that's very "French" and truly intoxicating. The edt & edp have soft sillage and stay close to the skin but you'll know it's there for 8-10 hours. If you splurge on a bit of the extrait you'll have wider sillage and 12-14 hour longevity. With any concentration I promise you will feel like a queen!

I don't have the new one. This review is for the vintage. I have 3 bottles of perfume with glass stoppers and tiny gold foil labels on the side and stopper. I also have a bottle of Eau de Sortilege which I believe is a cologne or toilette. It has 2 paper labels. All seem fresh but one partial perfume that seems to be extra civet-y. I'll only talk about the good ones. This is one of my absolute favorite vintage fragrances. It almost "not quite" feels like a powdery floral chypre. Vetiver, moss, orris, narcissus and civet? I don't note aldehydes specifically but there is a slight fizz. I smell something slightly balsamic and vanillic but not vanilla or Tonka. That's all I can guess by smelling it on my arm. I'm just starting to be able to pick out individual notes and I could be wrong. It reminds me of the old Faberge fragrances listed under Brut Parfums Prestige. It start's out a little like Aphrodisia and the middle is almost identical Flambeau but the end of Sortilege is deferent. I use it a lot but I want to be carful because who knows when I'll find more at a good price. My husband sneaks a drop here and there too.

A kind member sent to me a decant of the original Sortilege extrait recently. Thank you, sweet lady. I really hate to gush, but honestly, that small bottle of parfum contains one of the most heart-breakingly beautiful fragrances ever created. Really. I'm so surprised that there is absolutely nothing "off" in the notes. Top notes are there, nothing is sour or smells anything other than what it should. This is a Floral like few others. Sortilege is so well blended, that I'm having trouble picking out individual notes. It plays on my skin like the most beautiful bouquet and is absolutely entrancing. It's interesting to read about the history of this fragrance and the Manhattan night club "The Stork Club" and the celebrities that visited there, and wore Sortilege back in the day. If you can find a good bottle, or even a small amount, get it... and experience joy.

I’m completely in love with Le Galion fragrances. They all have big nostalgia in the background and you feel it obviously. They take you to somewhere in the past; reviving and bringing back some obscure familiar memories at the same time. . The original Sortilège was launched in 1937 by great Paul Vacher. Then it was relaunched in 2014 and the nose behind this fragrance is Marie Duchene. To me Sortilege is a beautiful floral aldehyde perfume with all feminine delicacies. It’s a big bouquet of different white and yellow flowers combo, with Ylang Ylang and Jasmine being the most prominent ones. This amazing smooth fragrance smells complex and elaborate, decorated with a semi soapy and aldehydic aura, and finally settles down on a soft amber and powdery bed which is mostly made of mimosa, sandalwood and musk.

Le Sortilège des années 2000 n'a plus rien à voir avec celui des années passées. Ma maman le portait au début des années 70... J'étais une petite fille et il me semblait que toutes ces fleurs aldéhydées étaient sorties d'un jardin de la Côte d'Azur... Tout y était : l'iris (j'en suis folle d'où mon nom d'ailleurs merci papa merci maman), la rose etc... Mais la version moderne disparaît en quelques minutes... On a voulu faire court chez Galion : on supprime des fixateurs de parfums pour faire des économies... Grrrr !!!

One of my favourite fragrances along with Caleche Soie, Balla Versailles, Chanel 5, Dolce Vita. If you like these sweet feminine fragrances, Sortillege is right in your zone. I feel comfortable wearing it anywhere and any time because it's very vintage, classy and suits me. I have a vintage bottle. I cannot say what the current formula is like.

My mother used to have this and I remembered it as beautiful. I tried the Long Lost Perfume version which stirred no memories at all and was certainly not beautiful. The New Le Galion version was familiar from first scent and took me back. My favourite from the sample box though they are all lovely and different.

I LOVE the ORIGINAL SORTILEGE!! THe vintage one is GREAT! But this new reformulation is only... a poor Ghost of that one...

تا الان چند موردی از جمله ویپ و او نوبل و 222 و اشپیشال فور جنتلمن و همین کار یعنی سورتیلژ رو از این برند تست داشتم تعریف کولون و آیریس و وتیورش رو هم خیلی شنیدم ولی متاسفانه هنوز موفق به تستشون نشدم،به هیچ وجه به دنبال الگویی ساختار شکن و نوآورانه در بین عطرایی که ذکر کردم نباشین رایحه ها همه چهارچوبی بسیار کلاسیک دارن و مشابهش رو در بسیاری از عطر های دیگه استشمام کردیم اما اگر صحبت از کیفیت بشه حرف زیادی برای گفتن دارن ، رایحه ها بسیار زلال و روشن و نوت ها بسیار قابل تفکیک هستن البته قیمت جهانی کارای این برند کم نیست و با توجه به قیمت بالای این عطرها منطقی هست که حداقل با کارای با کیفیتی روبرو بشیم ، اگر چه در ایران با قیمت مناسب تری قابل خرید هستن در مورد سورتیلژ(طلسم!) باید نکته ی عجیبی رو بگم ، تست سورتیلژ بر روی لباس نخی حال و هوایی کاملا متفاوت نسبت به زمانی که بر روی پوست اسپری می کنیم پیدا می کنه ، بر روی لباس با یک فضای بسیار تلخ و تند آلدهیدی و سبز و گلی با محوریت یلانگ یلانگ و رز روبرو هستیم بگونه ای که انگار عطر در همین مرحله دچار سکته می شه و بایستی مدتی صبر کنیم تا تغییر نتی رو شاهد باشیم که این موضوع برای یه عطر گلی پودری آلدهیدی خسته کنندس ، اما کافیه بر روی پوست تون اسپری کنین انگار سورتیلژ از اون دسته عطرایی هست که بگونه ای طراحی شده تا نبض و گرمای بدن بار قسمتی از پرفورمنس و اجرای عطر رو بدوش بکشه ، به محض اسپری با یک رایحه پودری دلنشین و شیک دارچینی به همراه آکورد عجیبی از چرم و زنبق در کنار یلانگ یلانگ و میموزا و نرگس و یک حالت روژ لبی و لاکی دلچسب و سکسی روبرو می شیم ، چقدر چرمش داغ و ملتهبه و البته حیف عمر طولانی ای نداره ، در ادامه سورتیلژ تبدیل می شه به یک عطر پودری و گلی ملایم و دلچسب ، حتما می پرسین اینبار آلدهیدش پس کو؟؟؟وقتی بر روی پوست اسپری اش می کنین بر خلاف لباس فضای آلدهیدی عطر ریتم مناسبی پیدا می کنه و به شکلی کاملا بالانس در متن تمیز و صابونی رایحه حضور داره ، چوب دارچین و صندل وود هرچقدر از عمر این طلسم می گذره به چهره ی ترد چوبی پودری و شیرین‌ سورتیلژ دامن می زنن و در انتها فضای تند ، شور ، صابونی و بسیار باکیفیت و زیبایی از وتیور و چرم که در کنار حالتی مشکی انیمالیک به عطر ملحق می شن و به ملایمت در درای داون خودنمایی می کنن ، شخصا نسبت به پولی که پرداخت کردم انتظار چنین عطر با کیفیتی رو نداشتم ، از پخش بالایی برخورداره و ماندگاری متوسط ، مناسب خنکای بهاری و به نظر من کاملا شبانه ، با توجه به علاقه ای که به زنبق دارم از این طلسم بهاری حسابی خوشم اومد به خصوص که آکورد چرمیش عجیب غافلگیرم کرد ، یونیسکس برای کسی که مثل من فصل بهاربراش مساویه با عشق بازی با عطرای گلی ، هر بار که بر روی پوستم تجدیدش می کنم با ابعاد زیباتری از رایحه اش روبرو می شم. 7 7/5 از 10

If was very lucky to become the recipent of a perfectly preserved set of vintage Sortilege by Galion, both Parfum de Toilette, and extract, courtesy of my SO. At first sniff, I was not impressed, as I struggle with powdery fragrances and aldehydes in general. I waited, and tested it over & over again, because I was determined to find something appealing in what I then perceived as a "powdery mess". My diligence was rewarded after about the fourth test, when I dared to use the extract. A gentle, polished, honeyed aroma greeted my nose, as the softly powdery aldehydes behan to burn off, revealing lilac, iris I believe, a bit of a slight green grassy scent, and hyacinth. Sortilege has a dense floral heart, there may be some ylang ylang creating rich buttery effects as well. The standout feature for me is deep, honeyed civet! Civet not found in many current releases, and gorgeous creamy sandalwood. This is the real deal! The famed civet & sandalwood of years past, it is truly authentic, and honest in its unabashed showcase of them both. Sortilege to me is ladylike, mannered, polished. She is immaculately coiffed, in cashmere and pearls. Not flamboyant, not pushing sexuality, but confident in her presence, which is bewitching in feminine grace. It speaks to me as something Audrey might have worn, or Grace. Feminine and sweet, it's the perfume of gloved hands, of fur collars, and warm embraces. A thing of the past, which modern releases can only hope to imitate. Sortilege was released about the same time as No 5, but this lady is less brash, more composed. For lovers of perfumes past, powdery florals, and sweet, sweet civet, do yourself a favor and find a bottle of the vintage formula on the Bay. This gorgeous composition, has nothing to do with the fragrance listed here, which is a modern reinterpretation. Do you want to smell old world elegance and grace? Sniff some Sortilege!

This fragrance is a harmonious blend of aldehydic, floral, and creamy notes. The aldehydic aspect adds a touch of sparkliness, while the floral notes bring a sense of spring-like weather. The creamy undertones give it a deliciously smooth finish. If you're a fan of iconic fragrances like Chanel No 5, Chanel No 22, VC&A First, Hermes Caleche, Lanvin Arpege, and Robert Piguet Baghari, you're in for a treat. In other words, it's a typical aldehydic floral. The projection is moderate, but it's quite long-lasting. I get whiffs of it throughout the day. My bottle is the 2014 version.

(this review is for the 2014 version) True decadence. Sometimes it opens with extremely inky indolic scent: one sniff you'll understand why indole is found in feces. Probably after my nose going numb, it reveals its mellow side: Soft aldehyde on warm base, with lazy, yawning florals. Sometimes I get a coconut-creamy aspect——coconut oil to be precise. So the name makes sense: it's a spell that put you somewhere dim-lit and warm, and along with still lingering indole, you may fell asleep and never wake up.

Well, I thought I got burned by buying a vintage bottle. First, it ended up being a splash instead of spray. I was surprised because I hadn't seen a bottle of this size not spray.....totally my fault. THEN I tried this on my skin. I thought it had turned but after about 10 minutes it started to soften and not be so harsh and chemical. What a lovely scent. Very feminine.

Lovely polleny fragrance that is fluffy yellow in colour - sunny, warm and snuggly. It feels transeasonal to me. Would appeal to powder and soap lovers as its clean and fluffy musks well blended into yellow feeling florals range more in the classic sweater fragrance style. I don’t find it too vintage feeling. Approachable and welcoming.

the resurrection of this French brand is the best news of the year. All their perfumes are really beautiful creations, delightfully classic. They compete with Guerlain quality or Rochas. Here in this case it's very similar to Madame Rochas. Lovely

Un piccolo gioiello scintillante, luminoso e brioso. Lo vedo perfettamente incastonato nella storia con cui viene presentato e naturalmente riporta alla mente epoche e momenti passati che sono la storia della profumeria. Stupendo ❤️

I ́m sure the original must be great, the new edition is a classic floral chypre in the same vein as Miss Dior; floral with a dusty, classic wood/powder base.

Blind bought this in the newer version, based on reviews and being a floral lover . However , I’m not a fan of Chanel No. 5 with its aldehydes so I wasn’t sure I would like Sortilege . To me , Sortilege is a potent , vintage formula of the yester years when the amber , thick syrupy floral formulations were all the rage . Even this newer version reminds me of a mixture of Chanel No. 5 and a more floral Joy by Jean Patou. I don’t mind it as it’s lighter but it’s projection is enormous! A tiny spray bursts into an overload of sweet , powdery florals . I think it would be a lifetime for me to use up my 100ml bottle . This is a beauty and I’m not disappointed In my blind purchase . I just feel I have moved past wearing vintage fragrances. The vintage formulas are way too potent for my taste, suffocating really and I’m sure offensive to those who do not prefer florals . My Fracas, Carnal flower, Diorissimo and Joy just sit on my perfume shelf . A memory of the past. Update: tried a few more times and way too powdery for my tastes so had to let this beauty go to my mum .

Have you ever opened a box of old sewing patterns at a rummage sale, and been transported back in time from the smell, before you even see the retro fashion drawings on the envelopes? Sortilège whispers antique lily-of-the-valley out of the bottle, then powdery peachy aldehydes--a la Chanel No. 5--trample the flowers to dust. More try to bloom, some feeble jasmine, whimpering mimosa. The rose survives, bolstered by iris, but then they are bowled over by great gobs of amber with vetiver musk in the wake. This makes me want a wasp-waisted dress with piping and a built-in crinoline, and wrist gloves with matching bows.