Gala

Gala!! Another 80’s (although launched in 1990) animalic floriental, up there with the likes of Boucheron, Ysatis, Byzance..to some extent, also La Nuit by Rabanne. A gorgeous resinous and sticky floral that bathes in animalic secretions and then makes love to your skin all day and night long! What a pleasure to have something like this embrace you!! Review based on first release edt, sans barcode! What Gala reminds me of the most as soon as it touches my skin is Byzance; that same baroque sweetness from heady white flowers and resins. A sin for the senses. Dark and mysterious from the very beginning. I wouldn’t say the top notes are strong. They’re perfectly preserved, but Gala jumps straight to the point, aka, the heart. The carnation is in charge of spicing up every single note that comes; you have a red rose made even deeper. Jasmine that goes from virginal to night blooming and sweating honey tears. Isn’t there some tuberose and orange blossom? Because their heady sweetness is there. When the ylang ylang shows up, it’s when it reminds me vividly of Ysatis, with that buttery thickness of clotted cream. The dim lights of carnal pleasure aren’t far behind, and even though castor and civy are saying hi from the start, just like they do in Ysatis, they start menaging a dix with the rest of the notes. The drydown is long and very pleasurable. While the floral heart remains, it now allows my favorite animalic couple to take center stage, and all the while, while playing naughty games with the jasmine and carnation and honeyed (very!) orange blossom they start growing bigger and bigger, until all you’re left hours later, is a spicy and ambery cornucopia of lust. Gala remains very very dirty from this point on. The castoreum provides a leathery facet just like the leather in La Nuit. Civet brings forth a slight smoothness that becomes bigger and bigger and engulfs one and the same veil of perversion the above mentioned fragrances do. It might seem innocent at first but Gala is deep down dirty and carnal. It also shouts said carnality for everyone to hear before entering and after exiting a room. The rest of the hours it just seeps in your skin, making you feel and smell like mostly nobody does anymore. Gala won’t sit well with most people today. Bottles are scarce, and the only ones able to appreciate its beauty are us vintage lovers, former users, and perhaps someone who doesn’t want to fit in with the rest of the kids in the candy store. A real stunner! Silage and longevity worthy of a weekend Gala. Yes, the whole 48 hours!!

Amazing- it has already jockeyed its way to my top favorites. God Bless the nose who created this! Gala is intensely animalic, slightly resinous, and softly sweet. Later on in the drydown, the jasmine and perhaps a hint of the other flowers bloom, and the entire beautiful concoction wafts around you. It is the bottled essence of the elegant, upright, femme fatale you've always wanted to be. It is definitely reflected in the rich, inky midnight blue bottle with lace-like gold embellishments. Much more a formal fragrance than your every-day wear, I can only wish I had more well-dressed events to scent with this. What a pity that this is so hard to find! I accidentally ordered one vial just as I was offered another in a swap, so I now have two minis of this gorgeous perfume; I will cherish them both. Edit: I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS! GIVE ME MORE! I am now head-over-heels infatuated with this incredible work of art. It is only outdone by my Gucci EDP (though that one has strong memories tied to it) which is a significant statement for me to make.

EDP Vintage Gala I love love love it. I cannot stop sniffing myself because this is how my grandmother used to smell when we used to go to church and I was probably like 6 yrs old. It brings me back to those times and that's what I love about a fragrance and it makes me appreciate it in another level. This smells like dark magic like a cloak dusted with so many oriental notes that's been kept and set aside for the scent to get woody and u get that well developed jasmine too. I cannot get enough of it. Felt lucky to have the vintage version and will treasure the 25ml that I have of it. It is that precious. I cannot recommend this enough. I was fortunate to always smell this on my grandmother and now I will always have this to remind me of her :)

This is amazing and unusual :) A dirty soapy oriental powdery floral! It's quite difficult to describe as it changes from moment to moment. Well-blended, soft, cosy, carnal, soapy, in your face, discreet, powdery, strong in ylang-ylang and almost tropical, soapy and animalic at the same time, very very sandalwoody-y, simply a soft floral soap, it has gone through all these phases and come back always changing. Amazingly good. Advice to myself: don't be shy in spraying. This perfume needs some excess to show itself in full splendor. If applied with a very very discreet dab (just a drop) it is a well-behaved floral soap. You don't have to go full-on excess, but using 5 dabs instead of 1 seems to be a good balance point!

I absolutely adore this perfume, and I treasure my mini bottle. WHY is it nearly impossible to find it in a larger size? Has it been discontinued? (Please say it isn't so!!) Unfortunately when I search for it, I am shown too many bottles of that other stuff in the green packaging but very, very few of the desired black bottles. Update! It cost a great amount (for me) but I now have a REAL spray bottle of this scent!!! It had to be sent to me from Hungary which I am sure contributed to the price. But now I really, truly know how this long beloved perfume smells on my body! It bears little resemblance to how splashes from my mini bottle smell, but it is still very very good.

Gala, as its name implies, is glamour, luxury, and drama in a bottle! This is no gathering, get-together, or even dinner party. This is a GALA - replete with ball gowns of velvet, brocade, imported silk, and hand-sewn sequins. Harps are being plucked and masks are donned. But amidst the sea of sparkle, you stand out in your simple - but impeccably draped - black gown...because you sprayed on Gala before you left the house. Gala is a beautifully blended oriental-animalic, whose floral blend rises above the balsamic and feral notes to create a heady, serious perfume. It is similar to My Sin...a bit less complex tho, and heavier on the patch. Perfection.

I think this perfume is really pretty, and the bottle is amazing! This opens citrussy and becomes smokey and ambery quickly. When it settles down I also get some sandalwood and some nice floral notes (white floral and roses). It starts quite heavy, but when it settles down the floral notes add some lightness to this perfume which makes this perfume very interesting and a bit complex. The sandalwood makes it powdery and the amber gives it warmth. Very well balanced notes! I think this is beautiful for special occasions.

Yes Yes Yes castoreum and civet in a same bottle, and they are complementing each other rather than trying to go to the top on one of the other. I truly hate Aire from Loewe! I believe if you like Aire you will not appreciate Gala which is very FRANCH, no fruits and woods to detect. If you like Leonard Balahe you are going to love Gala.

I have only just discovered this fragrance and it is AWESOME !! I LOVE IT. So classy, so beautiful - really divine. This has now become my favourite for evenings out and everyone comments on how lovely it is and asks what it's called and where I bought it. This is definitely the best fragrance ever.

For all you ladies out there, I am very sorry to say, but it leaves Shalimar in the dust. I was a Shalimar lover for decades, but my taste evolved further to this type of Oriental. Extremely classy.

Well, Imoore, we agree once more! I LOVE Loewe perfumes so much, but Aire is the ABSOLUTE Exception. But Gala and the masterpiece Aura....AMAZING!!

OMG XSX, you found the notes!! I do not know how much to thank you!! This is one of my favorite Orientals ever!!! Love you, Action

Used to wear this beautiful rich and classy fragrance - loved it.

Yes, this transcends Shalimar-not derivative of it. At times I found it to have a touch of a spicy oriental vibe but not lately-and sadly I'm finding it less lovable- The longer & more often I ware it the less complex it seems because one note drowns out the others the more I smell it-how odd- usually that's the reverse. I'm finding a particular synthetic amber note increasingly dominant-overbearing- the more I wear it. I did love it but now not sure what to make of it- growing hyper-sensitized to that note and not a big fan. Still fond of it - will need to follow up on this one.

That is what i call A REAL, SERIOUS perfume. Took me half a day to figure it out- this is a masterpiece. I slowly fall in love. This type of perfume from 'antique' range like Shalimar and 24 Fabourgh....Strong, heavy, heady, very articulate - WOW!!! makes a firm and undisputable statement, I would class it as a special occasion - well that would be for me at least, as I got not much of it in a great swap! Pity it is impossible to get it anywhere...otherwise would stock up.... U consider urself a lucky one, if find a bottle!!!

It reminds me of D&G with the red cap. Those aldehydes, sandalwood and carnation. Maybe it ́s placebo, but i even smell a hint of coriander in Gala too (which is probably patchouli along with labdanum) While D&G smells almost vulgar to me, (TOO much musk smelling like female body odour with mega sillage...) Gala is a real Lady. Light sweet veil of flowers, ylang soap, velvety sandalwood and a trace amount of civet. EDT

first smell too strong and a litle weird but left for 1 hour and magic covered me. I love for special time, my gala time.

Woody, smoky, and leathery with animalic dry down. Love the flacon, it’s so gorgeous!

There's a lot of HONEY in the drydown!

In my opinion, it smells like old potpourri. 5/10

Fragrance Review For Gala By Loewe Top Notes Aldehydes Bergamot Green Notes Lemon Rosewood Middle Notes Carnation Jasmine Lily of the Valley Rose Ylang Ylang Base Notes Amber Benzoin Castoreum Labdanum Civet Patchouli Sandalwood Vanilla When perfume was perfume it smelled like Gala. Gala is an evening cologne of luxury, a provocative Oriental aroma that matches up with a black evening gown, black gloves, the opera, candlelight dinners, romantic dates and the sophistication of a woman who knows a good perfume when she smells one. This is a fragrance that belongs in the era of Coco Eau de Parfum, Diva by Ungaro, and to a degree, the 80's issues of Chanel No. 5. It's a strong fragrance for a strong woman. Gala has a lot of the things I look for in fragrances. It has aldehydes, flowers, and sandalwood. The opening is an aldehyde that is very old fashioned and instantly calls to mind fragrances like Chanel No. 5, Diva, Coco, and even First by Van Cleef and Arpels. The aldehydes then turn floral with rose, jasmine, and ylang ylang. The lily of the valley and the green notes give it that green herbal-floral scent but it's more on the perfumy floral, not powdery, just old fashioned mature flowers. These are like flowers that have a purpose: to seduce. It's when women wore fragrances of flowers to attract someone. Well they attracted me! A good fragrance has got to have a good base. This one reminds me a bit of the base notes in Bill Blass and Bijan. If you like any of the fragrances I've mentioned - Diva, Coco, No. 5, First, Bill Blass and Bijan, the way this perfume develops, it's sillage and longevity, and the composition will entice you. It's elegant and womanly, gorgeous. It's like a 6 thousand dollar evening gown, and it makes you feel glamorous and empowered. No matter how many clothes I have in my life, truly they can't compare to the invisible wardrobe of perfume. Perfume has the greater charm. This is such a beautiful perfume and it's too bad it is not as well known as the other frags I've mentioned. It's in the same league. I recently rediscovered this perfume when my mother found it online and bought one for herself and for me! We are both perfumistas and don't mind wearing the same perfume. This is an opulent perfume and I can't tell you how much I love it.

Gala is a glamorous and beautiful Oriental floral musk, quite outdated by today's standards but wearable if you've put on the costume that is the fragrance Diva by Ungaro. At times it also reminds me of Chanel No. 5 because they share similar notes of citrus, rose, jasmine, ylang, and civet. This is a luxurious evening cologne and with a name like GALA one can wear it to a gala, wedding, or dinner party. It's such an elegant fragrance. I'm not crazy about the opening and the first spritz. It's typical aldehydes and citrus. You've experienced it in Chanel No. 5 First Van Cleef & Arpels. The heart is the best part. Love those floral notes of rose, jasmine, ylang and lily of the valley. They start off as green florals but turn into powdery floral notes. Soft but heady, luminous with those aldehydes. The dry down reveals an Oriental character, redolent with patchouli, sandalwood and amber. There's civet in this fragrance and it's musky but it's not too overpowering a musk. It's warm and cozy. The fragrance smells expensive and it's a rare jewel in a world of so many fragrances. Wear this and everyone will stop to look at you, to approach you, they'll want to take the time to have small talk with you just to be near that beautiful aroma! Stunning I'm continually impressed by the quality of fragrances that are selling online and that one can look up through Fragrantica. Even if you take the plunge into a blind purchase, you won't be disappointed as long as you love old time florals, powders and musks. If you can wear No. 5 this should be a piece of cake.

This ranks as a holy grail of animalic floral ambers; sadly, it is elusive, but I was thoroughly ecstatic to find a bottle of this on the cheap—sheer luck. Gala Loewe is, in a word, phenomenal. Scintillating aldehydes and an opulent jasmine open this gem, and no sooner than this opening do we feel the smoldering, animalic core of Loewe, a cabbalistic potion made from the milk of dark creatures in the night, dusky woods and ripening blooms. The jasmine is wild and unruly, accompanied with its sidekicks, the full-fledged and lush ylang ylang, and the more demure, soon to be corrupted muguet. They cavort with castoreum and civet, nocturnal emissions glowing like foxfire. To say this is heady is an understatement, it is almost vertiginous, but I am loving the dizzying sensation. Then the amber accord rises from within this bouquet of debauchery, the almost beeswax-like facets penetrating the surface, smoky, musky, and bittersweet, like opening an old tome and finding some dark secrets scrawled on the pages. It's hard to decide if Gala is a sinner or a saint, but the decision isn't that important after all, I just lean into the dark, decadent, deliciousness of it all. Even the midnight blue bottle is a statement. Truly, one of my favorites in the collection.

This is the most beautiful perfume I have ever smelled, hands down. The quality of the ingredients is immaculate and the blending is just as seamless as so many fruity amber florals of that era, but this somehow manages to retain a natural, spicy-floral-animalic-gourmand vibe that I have yet to find in any other perfume. What really seals the deal for me is animalic note - it reminds me of freshly-baked bread with butter, very sensual but not at all crass. I own both the EDP and EDT, they're very similar in composition with the EDP being predictably stronger and longer-lasting, but the EDT still projects and performs well. It's a shame that it's so rare and expensive now, but frankly this perfume is so special that it feels appropriate to save it for special occasions - I would only wear this on a date if I thought I was falling in love. I also want to add that a I find Regine's perfume to be fairly similar in character, including the animalic notes - it reminded me of Gala immediately, and although the quality cannot compare, I do find it suitably pleasant and it's helping me save my precious Gala for when she'll really count.

What a gorgeous little rarity this one is. What a shame it can only be found for quite a lot on ebay...if it wasn't so expensive this would be my new signature. Worth every penny though. Gala is liquid gold. This is what Bal a Versailles would smell like if Chanel made it! Smooth, impeccably blended animalic floral.. so gloriously animalic but not skanky enough to shock, just enough to raise maybe one eyebrow.. haha. This is sexy without screaming "sex!" like My Sin or Shocking. Gala is beautifully constructed from start to finish, with every honey-sweet layer there are no shrill or shrieky notes, nothing sour or offensive..just pure class in a bottle. I personally love to spritz this on before bed and when I wake up in the morning it is so nice to luxuriate in the cloud this fragrance creates. It lasts quite long for an EDT and projection is polite but noticeable. This is my holy grail animalic, for sure! The jasmine is not indolic and the aldehydes are soapy clean...they create a wonderful clean contrast to the civet and castoreum!

I had been waiting for this fragrance for months. It was a blind buy based upon some recommendations and from reading the reviews in Fragrantica. I had no expectations other than what I had read. I found it a very strange fragrance in the beginning and not like anything that I have. The beginning felt very earthy,almost loamy, which quickly disappeared. Then came the heart which wrapped around me in a deep almost dark way. This is not for the faint of heart and it is not for someone who wants a "clean" perfume. It is sultry and sensual, yet not overtly sexual in its interaction with one's chemistry. I find it reminiscent of the great perfumes of the '80s. I'm so glad that I bought it.

This one is another summer frag for me ;seems that my skin needs help from the hot and humid summer to have a complete reaction and transformation of perfumes and finally pull out the hidden treasures incapsulated inside the mollecules. Now ,in the cold of the winter it is twin to an italian oldie called Schuberth(fuchsia and black) ,the vintage one ,the new I never tried.It's nice ,but somehow "stiff" and cold ,which is not me.I remember it beeing wonderful and warm in summertime.It unfolds all its inner beauty .Will have to wait for next summer to enjoy it again.

Got my hands on a mini bottle (black with gold) a while ago. I gave it a quick sniff, thought "not bad" and placed it in my perfume cabinet. Well, today, I was looking for something "different" to wear later in the day. Saw this darling little bottle and thought what the heck, let's give her a good try. Oh baby! This thing sings on my skin! All the notes I love... Ylang, jasmine, civet and castoreum, muget, sandalwood, wowza!! This is so rich and yummy. I guess I'll have to move this to the top of my want list, and hope for a decent buy on a FB.

Animalic aldehydes. It's almost everything animalic lovers wished for in a bottle! castoreum is dominating thw whole scene along side with jasmines, then comes the ylang, then civet, & carnation within the aldehydes, AND lily of the valley frame. I sense bits of coconut as well. This blend reminds me allof of "Iquitos" by Alain Delon but less coconut, with castoreum addition. It's very interesting and i can sense the transition of the 80s animalic into the 90s cleanness happening in here. It's like a contrast of animalic yet soapy.

Another Loewe that my mom used to wear through the nineties, and what a delight it was! Don't know what it is, but I allways got it as a "stable" fragrance, and now, after all these years of trying perfumes and reading about them, I can finnally understand: I find perfumes are "stable" when oposed to citrusy and chipre. Many peole here associate Gala with Shalimar or Nro 5 but to me, Gala never had the 'old lady' factor. Maybe less severe on aldheydes. I liked @imoore's comment very much, because of the civet-castoreum explanation.

Just received a 100ml EDT. Cannot imagine what a powerhouse this would be in EDP - too much, really. I've smelled Asian-made soaps that have this fragrance, and I love it. I used to buy bars of that soap and store them in the drawers where I kept my underthings, and they would have a subtle fragrance, much like this, when I'd wear them. This is somehow very woody to me, and smells like an incense without the smoky quality. Deep, rich, floral, and Oriental. Spray lightly - a little goes a long way.

Found this in the clearance section of a Sephora store in Las Vegas. Not a spray! I was blown-away on how potent this scent was, concentrated and heavy when first applied. But Wow! Amberly, almost smoky. I did not smell a fruit in the house, unless it was stomped on by the Labdanum, benzoin, patchouli, and sandlewood. Its blend is heavy. But you have to give it time to mellow to a wonderful adult-evening scent. Not for work definitely! Beautiful dark blue bottle!

This is an intriguing, mysterious, nocturnal potion. A floral animalic that is never cloying or suffocating. To me it captures/evokes the magic of the night like few perfumes have. Gala is subtle and lovely, yet direct and bewitching. There is nothing like it. The concept (not the scent) of Magie Noire comes to mind. Gala doesn't remind me of Lanvin's My Sin (yuck) thank God!

I have NEVER been blown away by any perfume, the way GALA did! I have just discovered it, and I am still wondering what hit me! The most intelligent I can express at the moment is buzzzz.z.z...z.........