Blasé

When I was living in Seattle in the early 1980's with my then boyfriend (now ex-husband) we hosted a college friend of his and his girlfriend who were visiting from England. She brought with her just one bottle of fragrance and it was Max Factor's Blasé. He and she were a bit of a pain in the a*s as house guests (what house guest expects airport pick-up and drop off, to be served breakfast every day and doesn't pay for dinner EVEN ONCE during a full week stay??) but I loved that gorgeous spicy, woody, aldehydic fragrance she wore every day. She said it was a cheapie from a chemist's shop near her flat ("drugstore near her apartment" for those of us in the colonies!) and gave me her bottle, saying it was purchased just for the trip & that she had "much better fragrances at home". I got the sense that she thought I was pretty "common" for liking a cheapie so much. That bottle lasted me about 2 years and I never forgot how warm & brightly woody it felt. About 10 years ago I found a full 50ml bottle on ebay for about $20 and jumped on it. I hadn't remembered the soft rose in the mix but recognized it at once. Amber warms the mix and I sense cloves but I get no citrus. Perhaps the citrus has disappeared in the 35+ years since the bottle was produced. Blasé is a woody rose that's brightened by aldehydes with a depth and longevity I attribute to oakmoss. My bottle is still about 1/2 full because I do tend to save it for special occasions, knowing I'll likely never find it again. Maybe it seems odd that I think nothing of wearing L'Artisan, Penhaligon's, Dior and Chanel while doing housework or mowing the lawn but I save this old Max Factor cheapie for special occasions; I suppose that's because I'm just "common". Blasé is a product of the 1970's when fragrances were expected to be long lasting, and it is. This morning's 3 sprays to neck and wrists are still noticeable (subtle, but definitely present) after a shower this afternoon. But don't expect to be able to parse out all of the notes listed above because fragrances from the 1970's seemed always to be focused on the blend. If you're an aldehyde fan, enjoy a soft rose note and love floral woody musks in general, don't hesitate to grab a bottle of Blasé if you happen upon one at a thrift store or estate sale. You'll not regret it. Edit: Apparently Blasé has been re-released by Eden Classics. I've not smelled it so I will leave it to others to opine on the comparison.

I had to review this! Max Factor's Blasé was the first perfume I ever owned. I was maybe 10...going on 16 and forever playing in my aunt's bedroom, which was a girl's paradise. She had make-up, lashes, nails, heels, hats, bags...it was heavenly to me. I was a bridesmaid at her wedding and thought she was the most beautiful woman in the universe - I still think this now. That year, for my birthday present, she filled a little vanity case full of moisturiser, clear nail polish, nail files, an eye pencil, cotton buds...and nestled among it all was a bottle of this perfume. She said it was about time I had some of my own and stopped drowning myself in hers! Blase was so beautiful. I wore it every day and even wore it to bed. I actually can't remember what it smelled like now and would love to find a bottle and see if it is still as magical as I remember, but I was obsessed with it. I think I must have got through 3 or 4 bottles and then it disappeared from my world. I read a review by Weegee below (very enjoyable review to read) saying that Eden had re-released it, so I looked it up, but reviewers of that seem to suggest that it's not the same as the old one. However, I would like to find out for myself one day. Great memories.

This is a super nostalgic perfume as my Mother wore this in the 80s and continued to wear it throughout the 2000s so I remember smelling it all the time. It’s fresh but woody which makes it a great everyday perfume without leaning too warm. It lasts forever— you can literally smell this on your clothes the day after! My Mother also used to say that she remembers this one boy in her school who used to be obsessed with the way she smelt and would wear her scarf to smell it

Contrary to the name Blase' by Max Factor is not a perfume to be indifferent about. A retro little 70s number. A spicy floral-chypre-aldehyde fragrance with an unusual blend of berries, galbanum, clove and oakmoss. The strength for a bottle of cologne from 1975 is also impressive and not to be sniffed at! Mine looks quite different to the one pictured here. A vintage long gold lipstick case look tops a squat yet elegant oblong shaped bottle with a 70s bamboo caligraphy type gold typeface makes for a very lovely bottle of its era.

This in the picture above is the bottle made by eden classic which has relaunch this white luminescent fragrance.