Pavlova

I wore this in the late 70s/early 80s, and didn't notice a difference when I happily bought a bottle during the 90s. It was, however, extremely strong - just one spritz well above my head & walked into was too strong, even hours later. I ignored it for years (picked it up again in 2012!), and it was perfect! It's much lighter and mellower - I can now actually spray it directly onto myself - but it's still long-lasting. It's very heady and sophisticated - I wear it when I'm in the mood for something "rich and strange." The fruity bits are merely a few vague light notes in this mysterious symphony of tantalizing, exotic florals with a heavy woody, spicy base. The oakmoss reaches right up from the bottom and wraps itself round the whole of the fragrance, a warm and woodsy-smelling blanket. This fragrance is a dark Winter's ride through deep woods in a chiming Russian troika, with a gorgeous Borzoi by one's side. I'm quite surprised by reviews describing it as smelling cheap and grandmotheresque. My BF adores it, which is always good. ;)

I have the bottle with the dying swan on top and I wrote a review about it some while ago. I still do like it a lot. Now today my little plastic bottle arrived of 30 ml edt.(in a white bottle, you'll find them everywhere on Ebay now) I must say that it smells (for me!) very different than the swan bottle! More wood notes from the beginning, less sour notes...I think it's somehow more sophisticated than the swan, softer and more rose. Staying power is less but for the price of 1,97 euro for me it is a wonderful scent! It's like the little sister of Pavlova. I don't know the vintage but to me it seems that they have changed the formula again. Maybe other fragrantica's can tell me if this one smells a little bit like the vintage one...

I buy up every affordable bottle of this that I can get (MUST be from Payot though - not any other brand like Four Star Fragrances, etc). I also have a music box, a ceramic powder box and a cardboard powder box for this line. I just adore it! I also have some swan soaps. A wonderful perfume. One of the first perfumes as an adult (way back in 1980) that I discovered walking into our local TA Chapmans store - the air was heavy with its scent and I fell in love with it. Very hard to buy on-line though - you never know if it's going to be turned or good. I try to get the parfum and not the eau de toilette as the eau de toilette turns more quickly. A lovely romantic scent.

Wow, another trip down memory road... It must have been 1983, and I bought one of my first perfumes, alone. The bottle attracted me, so did the name of the great Pavlova. And the fragrance was just what I needed. It was a cold and long winter, and Pavlova graced my cashmere sweaters and coat. It was gentle, lovely, graceful and very feminine scent, somehow polite like a woman who can't help being noticed, but is much too modest to push herself forward. On me, it was a bit powdery, a soft floral scent with depth and long lasting power. If they really changed the formula, it's a pity, because it was perfect the way it was.

Ah, this one is gorgeous. I can imagine a woman with straight stance (no slouching), long hair and delicate features wearing this. It does not matter if she wears rags, she'll carry herself (and this perfume) with dignity and even rags look designer wear on her.. This dry earthy floral. I can clearly smell tuberose, oakmoss, jasmine and sandalwood in it. I can wear it in winter and summer, day and night. When I am sure or unsure of what I have in store for day. Oh I miss this perfume after I swapped it... On hunt for vintage one again!!!