Sortilege

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 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 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. There's no reason to purchase the Long Lost version when so many bottles of the original are still available on-line. 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!

Strong and soft at the same time. Chanel No 5 in whipped cream. Nose tickling aldehydes pop up immediately upon release, then quickly soften. The florals step back a little and the ambery resins begin. To me upfront and centre is also civet. Sweet popping opening to dry soft resins in moments. If you like Chanel No 5. Arpege, Replique, LAimant, these are similar. A little loud at first but quickly softens. Testing vintage Parfum de Toilette

I have the original Le Galion Sortilege parfum and it is marvelous. You don't even have to wait until dry-down to be swept away to heaven. I have no experience, however, with the newer, Long Lost Perfume version of this fragrance.

I've just purchased a huge 250 ml vintage bottle for (almost) nothing. The label, covered with stains, says "Le Galion". Lucky me. It arrived today. Sublime and melancholic, it has torn some tears from my eyes.

I found it on eBay for $18 for 1/4 fl oz. It has a green box with white laced flowers on top and inside in the box. The perfume opens with very sharp and loud accord of unrecognisable medley. In 20 minutes woody-balsamic mix comes up on my skin, then resins and something like dried fruit with a hint of vanilla. It disappear completely in about 1 hour. Not so good aftertaste. I'll give it 3/10

Thanks to a dear fellow Fragrantican, I was able to sample both the EDT and the vintage extrait. Obviously popular in its time as it was a scent that was offered in vintage perfume vending machines. Sortilege is definitely a perfume that bears a classic signature. Both open with peachy aldehyde notes, rather lipstick-like and strong. The EDT is rather a fresher peach though, actually fresher all the way through, yet all the classic notes of perfumes from this era are detectable as both the extrait and EDT develop--ylang-ylang, rose and jasmine in the heart, lilac differentiating this a little from other classics; oakmoss rather prominent in the clean, rich yet medium weight base. The extrait is obviously stronger, but not overly so with the flowers being featured and lilac remaining distinct. EDT is fresher and lighter and the fruit is more obvious in the drydown which wears like a delicately powdered veil. Overall, both versions are nicely balanced and finish not too heavily. EDT is perhaps more wearable for this era, but if you're a big fan of classic peach aldehydes, try the vintage too if you can get your hands on it.

Vintage Sortilege extrait reminds me of a less musky Miss Dior (1947 version) or Arpege on steroids with Chanel 19 claws. Paul Vacher is the nose for Sortilege and the other two (not Chanel 19) and my guess is that these blends contain some sort of signature fragrance combo that is unique to him. My .5 ounce extrait came in a sweet Baccarat bottle, guessing it is from the 50s-60s, has really potent fragrance and lasts for most of the day. It is even better after it has been reapplied to my wrists after work. I wonder if Le Galion produced a more quality Paul Vacher product than Lanvin since Le Galion fragrances were not crazy, mass-market blockbusters like Arpege? (Arpege car atomizers and refills were part of a Cadillac sales promotion in the late 50's). I have to reapply my vintage My Sin and Arpege extraits every couple of hours because they just seem to melt away so quickly. Sortilege lasts and lasts. It is a strong, demanding floral chypre, lots of oakmoss and resinous stuff plus warm ambery goodness. I have to be in the right mood for this one.

I got the parfum de toilette, Le Galion version today. Very bright and aldehydic, am I the only one getting a Chanel No5 vibe? This might be a good bridge to me better getting No5. This smells very vintage, but not in the dark syrupy way. I can't imagine this scent premiering in this age, but it is more French and composed than old-fashioned.

Can someone please tell me what the New version by Long Lost Perfumes is like? Most noticable notes, how long it lasts, whether it smells chemical or natural, etc. (I can't find it anywhere to try.)