Paloma Picasso Eau de Toilette

(Review of a vintage EdP and a vintage EdT, both Parfums Paloma Picasso era pre-1990) This perfume is lewd. It’s got the bit-lip, swagger and gait of a night worker in leather wearing some enormous rose perfume. You do get to see some different sides of this singular, seedy personality in these two different concentrations though, but regardless of which one you spray on your person be ready for some raised eyebrows. In the EdT, immediately a rich honey note and a cloudy fecal civet note are playing upwards and not wanting to wait their turn, mixing and mingling with massive crystalline aldehydes, bitter and sour bergamot, and a cold pale green hyacinth. Rose and coriander quickly begin blooming with the tenacity of bonfire smoke. This rose is no wallflower; it is not jammy, sweet, demur, or prim and regal, it is vivid siren red with a sharp green edge. Part of this has to do with a geranium note very convincingly and specifically accenting the rose with a bitter, oily green and slightly lemony quality. The coriander is cooly woody and keeping the lights low. It takes a little time but the other florals eventually make their presence known in unison, but mostly behind the rose and coriander. The geranium departs before the florals even begin to lose staying power, giving more room to play for the jasmine. In the EdP, the honey and civet are not present in the opening but those enormous aldehydes, the bergamot, hyacinth, rose, and coriander are still present and accounted for but simply - and maybe obviously - more saturated and with greater detail. However, the heart is more rose forward in the EdP, and the tuberose and ylang-ylang are playing bigger roles. I definitely pull the tropical and creamy banana lean of ylang-ylang, and tuberose is its usual diva-self here, heady and energetic. With some time the honey begins to peak out from the base and augment some of the florals in the heart to give a distinct mimosa impression, but then it shifts backwards to the preceding notes. Neat trick. The dry down of the EdT is a classic stinky chypre done flawlessly. Mossy, civety, earthy from patchouli, and only slightly vanillic and resinous from the benzoin. The EdP does eventually approach nearly the same base as the EdT but it certainly leans more amber, focusing on honey, civet, woods, and benzoin with a noticeably smaller dose of oakmoss and patchouli - still a chypre, but more weight placed on some amberic notes. The leather intonations are subtle, like trying to smell the night worker’s leather jacket over their massive rose perfume; both concentrations are more civet-animalics and resins forwards, and only touches of materials vaguely like styrax or castoreum that could truly evoke leather. The EdT certainly arrives at its base faster than the EdP, as to be expected, but the EdP keeps its base surprisingly well hidden for a long time. It is reasonable to think of this either way, but it is very remarkable how long the EdP holds onto the floral heart or, versus, how fast the EdT dispenses it. What a marvelous piece of work Paloma Picasso is. If it weren’t for the obscenely bold character, you could almost call it elegant. There is a seamlessness and perfectly-judged blend to the composition that creates an exquisite and elegant texture... that you will notice from ten feet away, that is. For whatever elegance the composition has to its structure, that bold rose and those rumbling animalics plus a diffusiveness able to be detected by satellites can, at times, distract from the intricacies and luxuriousness. Wear this with confidence, because, if you don’t, it will be one of those perfumes that wears you.

To me, this scent is all about the civet. Picture a big, sparkling orb of rich, unctuous, golden honey. Sometimes, to me, civet has this almost honey quality, where it's thick and golden, not sweet, and both dirty and clean at the same time, and that's exactly what I get with PP-EDT. It's in a similar vein as the civet in Estee Lauder's Knowing. This gives it an old-school polished perfumey vibe that makes it a good pick for lovers of classic chypres to try. I don't think it's an easy wear, but it will make a statement. The aldehydes give me this sense of a sparkling, golden lift. The oakmoss and coriander are both present, but I don't reach for PP-EDT when I'm craving oakmoss. To me, the oakmoss isn't the star but the support to the civet, adding a sense of austerity and powder. The coriander adds that vegetal funk that you get with Jean Couturier's Coriandre and gives PP-EDT a masculine edge, adding to the no-nonsense lady vibe. Then there are the florals. I picture that big honey civet orb poured all over a pungent bunch of mimosa blossoms, pink roses, and unidentified white flowers. They're all just at the edge of rotting when they're at their sweetest and most floral smelling. Every now and then I get hints of something woody and slightly smoky, like sandalwood and vetiver, but these more add an unconscious feel to the whole than they ever stand out on their own. I also get a hint of supple, rich leather, especially in the opening few hours. It's all very feminine to me in a way that makes you feel compelled to open doors, lay coats over mud puddles, say "ma'am," and refer to her as a lady. PP-EDT doesn't change much for me over time. It opens with a stronger civet blast that I can see being perceived as urinous. The other notes make their presence known almost immediately. The civet calms down after about an hour, and while it's still very much the star of the show, it's less in your face. A light hand goes a long way and I get a close bubble of PP-EDT around me for a full 8 hours or more. Compared to the EDP, this one is much more polished, refined, and reserved. There's definitely that animalic vibe, but it's all buttoned up here. I hesitate to wear the EDP to work because it's just so seductive femme fatale, but I do wear the EDT. Their matte gold (EDT) and shiny black (EDP) bottles fit each of them very well and I think reflect their differences accurately. This is the image Paloma Picasso EDT conjures in my mind: Imagine a posh lady dripping with Old Hollywood glamour and married to an incredibly wealthy and powerful man. She's impeccably dressed wearing a cream-colored pantsuit or trenchcoat, a headscarf, dark sunglasses, and leather gloves. Her jewelry is gold. She never rushes. She's aloof and a touch haughty, and might just call you "dah-ling" or "be a dear" (as in, "be a dear and fetch my coffee") if she notices you're there. But, if she does notice you, she'll write the best letter of recommendation for you and she'll make sure it gets into the exact right hands.

Mousse de fougère! This is what I call Paloma Picasso in its edt concentration. I have an edp from the mid 80’s which goes into Knowing territory. I also have a 1995 Cosmair edt for more frequent use that feels somehow drier, fougèrier, but not at all lighter. Review of this particular edt (UP271, Cosmair/Paloma Picasso Parfums). Paloma in general has always been for me a very floral chypre. Green as hell, but floral; rich dark roses, jasmine, spicy carnation/geranium accents, with very slight mimosa powder. Animalics that instead of going feral, enhance the other notes. The edp goes all the way into that territory, deepens with wear, and at the end the civet and castoreum make a curtain call to assert their presence. The edt however behaves differently. The floral notes, with more emphasis on carnation, become more dandy, more obscure, like taking cue from something like Narcisse Noir. Even Eau du Soir, which really shows here its kindred relationship. But what predominates is the woody vetiver/oakmoss base. It’s as if a shaving foam was whipped to a featherlight mousse, sprinkled with shavings of soap, a green colored one, and adorned with geranium, carnation, a touch of rose and a drizzle of honey. It smells like those 70’s ads of Badedas or Fa, famous European shower products that back in the day rivaled expensive brands. Clean, bright, soapy, groomed. Not very feral, but the animal inside gives a certain warmth to the entire fragrance. Civet and castoreum can be clean and dirty, if you know how to dose them. Sillage and longevity don’t deviate from the edp; couple of sprays on the neck, couple on the chest and wrists, project for hours and last to the end of the day. Hours in, it becomes more rose/patchouli without the chemical woods that are used today to recreate and give depth to such accords. So you get the nice stuff without the crappy Ambro whatever. If you like one, you’ll like the other. If you gravitate towards Knowing, EdS, Scherrer, you’ll love it. If you find the edp challenging, you might enjoy the edt. But it’s recognizably Paloma Picasso in all its beauty so if you don’t like old school proper chypres, chances are you probably won’t enjoy it. Fougère and barbershop scent fans are likely to love it!

I received a 5 ml bottle as a gift from another order. I was originally going to offer it to a lady friend without sampling it at all-- what a mistake that would have been! When I first tried it on my skin, I hated it. It smelt offensive to me. The strong fecal and aldehyde notes were all I could detect, and I couldn't tolerate them. As the day went on, I found I couldn't stop sniffing my wrists. The next day I was keen to try it again, and it's quickly become a favourite, regular wear. This is civet-forward, and I love it like that. I'm an animal who wants to smell like an animal, and this will sure get the job done. The civet is at times urinal trough, at times manure, but it's largely taking the florals and warming them right up. There's a clean, fresh, soapy scent that makes its way through. It calms down to an earthy, mossy blend with the florals taming the show, the citrus keeping things uplifted, and the civet, musk, and amber combine to add a pleasant current of warmth to the whole presentation. This is a confident older woman who knows what she wants, and isn't timid about getting it. Perhaps the madam of a brothel, perhaps the CEO of a company-- somewhere they're meeting in the middle. This can easily be worn by a man who's comfortable with himself, and comfortable with getting down and dirty. It'll make you blush, and it can wear you if you're not careful. I would wear this in all seasons, but cut back on the sprays during the heat. Very keen to sample the EDP.

I have been thinking of getting a bottle of the EDP, but just kept postponing it for no particular reason. Maybe it's just the wrong timing - I like changing my scents according to the weather, the season, the occasion etc., and this one is a rather picky lady. Plus as much as I am a keen admirer of chypres, aldehydes, well, most of the notes here - I happen to come across ones that also seem like a perfect combo for me - and aren't. For reasons I don't quite understand. Ending up just staring at me from the shelf, waiting hopelessly to be picked. Today the right moment came - it's a cool spring day, with long awaited sunshine, little breeze and I came home with this little one. Initially I can see two of my favs in a loving embrace - the flowery, aldehydic No 5 and honey-sweet patchouli & sandalwood of Soir De Lune. It is a bit much at the beginning, then she calms down and gets busy dressing you in a perfectly tailored golden camel coloured suit. The heavier notes are there all the time, I like applying it gently, keeping my scent close to the skin. She likes to make her statement right and clear, and I believe in the power of whispering. Luckily it stays on my skin all day, I can smell it on my silk scarf days later, like a soft warm whisper: did you miss me? I missed you a lot. Intoxicatingly beautiful, well balanced, makes me feel very much feminine, sexy, dreamy yet on focus. Now I'm thinking of familiarising myself more with the whole family.

This is a beautiful homage to Chanel No. 5 but very much it's own perfume that stand alone. Paloma Picasso is the daughter of Pablo Picasso but rather than becoming an artist/painter, she created jewelry, lipsticks and perfume. I love this scent. Opens with cold fresh aldehydes and a bergamot orange and so far the only real similarity to No. 5. Afterward it goes into a floral direction that is more varied and developed than No. 5. I smell an absolutely gorgeous hyacinth, yellow mimosa, white jasmine and powdery red rose. The florals are warm. They seem to get into a musk stage very soon. The warm florals are a contrast to that cold fresh citrusy aldehyde opening. The florals are very elegant and serious. Almost church like. The scent is long lasting and projects well. The dry down is musk and vetiver. Gets really herbal, earthy, spicy, slightly woody. On me mostly musk in the final stage. Great perfume for winter/fall. It says luxury and class and does not have to cost the $$ that first class fragrances cost. It's affordable luxury and sells at any drugstore i.e. Walgreens CVS. If you like aldehyde floral musks and vintages like Chanel 5, First Van Cleef and Arpels. The EDT does not last long as compared to the EDP but I prefer the EDT because its just cleaner and more my bag. Something to put on to smell fresh and floral and lightly musky on a night out; dinner, parties, events. Great fragrance for those of us that love a good vintage.

GORGEOUS! SIMPLY GORGEOUS! I described the EDP as a tigress in a bottle, this is it's softer cousin if you will. I absolutely rekindled the Paloma Picasso romance! (thank you TJ MAXX for having such quality and high end fragrances for affordable buys). LOVE LOVE LOVE these fragrances! Maybe it's because it's the classiness or the timelessness now (ala a Chanel) OR maybe because it has a uniqueness today that not many fragrances have that are out these days. AND, PP fragrances pack a "punch" on the longevity and silage in such a great-I-get-compliments-almost-everywhere-I-wear-this kind of way! The dry down is like Heaven! I just sit at my desk at work inhaling the air...the glamorous, delicious scented air that surrounds me! What a mood lifter at it's best this stuff is! This is slightly softer version of the EDP, but in my opinion, the scent is pretty similar. If you want a strong version and not afraid of a strong scent, go for the EDP. If you want to test the waters on a PP fragrance, this is a good one to start with. It's just so INTOXICATING! I think I may love this one an itsy bitsy more (right now) compared to the EDP version. I'm making this my summer staple and then will be back to the EDP come Fall/Winter :) I love strong scented powerhouse "punch" ya in the face scents, so to me this is perfection in a bottle!!!

I am something of a perfume newbie, as the only experiences I've had in the past were with my late mother's Avon stuff, borrowed spritzes from more "sophisticated" friends, sniffs from magazines, and the first perfume I ever owned, Ici, back in 1996. As I've gotten older, I've gotten more and more interested in fragrances. I've been searching for ones to try, ones that sound more interesting than cotton-candy fluff clouds. I ordered Odyssey and Timeless from an Avon-selling friend, and while they're both pleasant enough, I felt unsatisfied. Then, I was browsing around online and saw this. The description of the notes and the black bottle caught my eye. I marched right down to Marshalls and looked for a bottle, and they had it for a great price, so I figured, what the heck. I'll take a chance. Well, it certainly comes on strong! But once it dries down on my skin, it smells-- at least to my untrained nose --almost exactly like the grass and earth after the rain, with a bit of something floral. Woody, but not too woody; fresh, but not too fresh. (I'm sniffing my arms repeatedly as I type this.) Needless to say, I am very glad I took a chance on this lady. I think she and I are going to be together for quite some time.

More aldehydes and less beaver than the EDP. It doesn't smell extremely different than the EDP really, just less intense, more "wearable" for those who don't like animalics. Longevity is good for an EDT. I get about 5 hours of wear, then I start to reapply. I wanted it to complete the "set," it's not something truly necessary if you already have the EDP. Has the gasoline note that I like. If you're looking to experience Paloma with different facets accentuated in a more noticeable way, try the parfum instead. I love them all. Update: wear time is NOT good. About 2 hours after a moderate application, I can' t smell anything. I think the first time I wore it, I had it layered with something that gave it more longevity. I don't think 2 hours is very good, even for an EdT. I won't be repurchasing--the EdP performs well so I'll buy more of that when I run out.

Long story short, I ordered something else for myself, but got this delivered instead and ended up giving this to my wife. I've seen this in the stores time and again and, judging by the cover, just thought it was a cheap grandma perfume. Just some leftover from the 1980s that refused to die. Now I see why. The opening is a bit harsh, but the heart and especially the dry down is absolutely gawgeous! This is a mature woman's scent, 30+. Doesn't smell dated, at all. Nostalgic, yes. But dated? No. Very sophisticated, elegant, spicy, woodsy, warm, and slightly Bohemian. As a man, I'm damned near tempted to wear this myself! And am on the fence as to if I would refer to this as unisex (wife says no!). Paloma has created something as timeless as her father's art. Dare we call it a masterpiece? Time has told.

This is so good in summer!!! No wanna-be fresh synthetic lemon zest, that makes you smell like you've been sweating all day or makes you smell like your 10 year old daughter. No... the longer you wear it the more you smell fresh and clean. The opening is a banger and if you spray too much you might wanna wait to come out :):) Very quickly it develops in one of the best aldehyde, oakmossy, green, sharp & utterly sexy waves. This could easily be my summer favorite. The longevity is like forever... no need to respray during the day because it has developed fantastic and later becomes airy, musky, white, clean, crisp,... Compared with all the 'Reminds me of' fragrances on the list this is much, much better then others. No money paid for commercials here, no need to either.

Ahead of its time without a doubt. A wonderful floral chypre, is like being surrounded by a field of fragranced hyacinths. Paloma Picasso blends over the florals with woody notes; is warm, welcoming, resinous, creamy and with moderated almost unnoticeable aldehydes; earthy patchouli, and vanilla for sweetness. The freshness of the top notes vanishes gradually without rushing, and at the end, the scent ends in an explosion of fineness, elegance, and luxurious notes. I simply, absolutely adore it! what a masterfully blended fragrance! and the body cream...oh Lord! it leaves your skin wonderfully scented and velvety . Believe it or not, Parfums de Marly Lippizan is very close to it. Feminine but unisex for daring men searching for extraterrestrial experiences.

I picked this up a few weeks ago for $25 during a Macy's sale. I really like this fragrance. It a Chypre you can wear I believe all year (go light in the summer) if you want the experience of this type of fragrance, like something like Aromatics Elixir but don't want to be overbearing with your fragrance. I definately get the aldehydes on the opening of this and the citrus helps to give it a bright opening but plays more in the background. Overtime it settles into a smooth scent that I love to take a deep sniff on my arm when I'm wearing. If you can catch it on sale you can't go wrong with this one!

Absolutely beautiful. I purchased the EdT because I had a vintage miniature of the EdP and didn't think I needed any more of it. The EdT, as others have mentioned, is pretty much the same as the EdP but with more aldehydes, and less animalic qualities. That isn't to say that it doesn't have any, it's a chypre through and through, but it's a lot softer and much more easy going so that it can easily be worn any season. The spiciness of the coriander really comes out here. For lovers of vintage chypres, and people new to the genre.

I ́m spreading lines of this golden juice up and down my arms. OMG THIS is the stuff. If there was one perfume to sum up all the good things about the 80 ́s, this one is IT. I love the perfume but this maybe is EVEN BETTER. WOW ZER... Vibes of Magie Noire vintage OH YEAH, also vibes of Salvador Dali original and Creature, and yes Coco Chanel as another mentioned....bourbon cashmere duvet ..put wood on the fire, silks, forests. Also note the CORIANDER NOTE....as another said...important.. In fact reminds me a little of Coriandre

Finnally listed here! I am glad this happened. This is an excellent fragrance. Milder that its eau de parfum version, but still pretty. (I have writen a review about the EDP). Great choise for warm nights, when the occasion requests for an elegant fragrance. It works very well on men too, because of its masculine civet chord. You can say it is a masculine fragrance and people will believe. I noticed this eau de toilette's dry-down is very alike Magie Noire by Lancôme when tested side by side on my skin. I recommend it.

Marty23, you are brave indeed to layer this with Aromatics Elixir! AE is a beast on its own. (Both are big rose-centered chypres, and I do love them individually!) When it comes to layering, my experience has been that combinations of two similar perfumes can end up smelling bad, like a muddied attempt at a dupe. (I discovered Agent Provocateur smells weirdly bad layered with Coriandre, for example.) I like Paloma layered with Being Frenshe Amber Citrus. Personal opinion of course, and Results May Vary!

I've just been able to pick up my 3rd 100ml of his for £11 on Amazon, thanks to various vouchers I had. I've been wearing PP since 1989 and consider it my signature scent. The EDT is very similar to the EDP (of which I've owned many bottles), just lighter at every stage. I adore both. To me they create the sense of a powerful and confident woman in the same way that No.5 does, just with a more interesting sexuality, and they are very sexy scents. After so many years I know this is my forever favourite.

In the 90s I had the EDP of this and liked it very much but it tended to be just overwhelming. A couple of years ago I had to throw out my old bottle because it had turned. Then around Christmas last year I saw that Marshall's had the EDT for $20 so I decided to treat myself. When I got home and tried it, oh man, true love!! It was all the good warm, spicy stuff from the EDP without any of the aggressiveness. I don't know if this is a "reformulation" but it has become one of my "signature" scents.

-Skjus mi (hestejass og ponnipopp) - this perfume really blown my socks off!! -I bought a mini of this extra ordinary brilliant perfume a mth ago, and, wahoo, I starts to thiniking of loosing my mind, and religion, I'm transported to somewhere else, and I love it, how to describe it? It's divided, it smells as a classic perfume, very grown up, I think it's the flowers, and the musk, the trees, sumething earthy, or whatever: I love it!!!