Golden Autumn

For those of us who grew up in the 1950's - early 1970's, Prince Matchabelli's Golden Autumn was the only autumn fragrance ever. And not just because it was the only one that had autumn in its name and had a tan maple leaf on some of its bottles. Some but not all of the bottles sold in 1950's and 1960's had golden juice too. But the fragrance itself was woody, but there was a briskness and warmth at the same time. But the name association with it certainly was a big part of it; smelling it now, I think you could have called it something exotic like Tabu, the Dana fragrance from the same era, and Primitif, the Max Factor competitor in that era, and not think of it as an autumn scent being sold to schoolgirls. With all those dark wood and musk notes, it's heady stuff for a 15-year-old, an adult woman's scent masquerading as a fragrance for anyone 8 - 88, and sold just everywhere including dime stores. There is a lot of this stuff around online, especially in the crown shaped glass bottles. I've bought several Machabelli scents in crown shaped bottles on eBay over the years, and some of them have held up well. Others of course were used for display because the bottles were so cute, and you can never tell when you buy one where it's been. But I do want to correct someone who reviewed this here awhile ago. He or she had bought an aerosol bottle and said it held up well and was probably one of the more recent one. Boy was this person lucky. Aerosol bottles were sold in the 1950's, that particular one, black with a bright tan maple leaf on it, was last sold around 1958 at the latest, because I have a nearly used up bottle just like that I'm sure I bought when I was still in junior high. Around 1958. Next day edit: It looks like this reviewer may have been hivesofbees, and he only posted last month. I can't remember exactly when they banned aerosols but I think maybe in the early 1960's. They have horrible chemicals in them, bad enough at the time but who knows how they've degraded 60+ years later. And for us as perfume lovers, you can't tell how much actual fragrance is in an aerosol bottle, even by shaking it. Next day edit: I checked, and the US government banned aerosols from being made on October 15,1978, but allowed those already made to be sold until the inventories were depleted. So it could have been a long time. It also says that a lot of manufacturers had already switched to other types of sprayers. I recently bought a new old stock glass tester bottle for a somewhat higher price than what the crown bottles are going for. It's a 4.2 oz cologne, in a rounded bottle with a black plastic sprayer that looks like the bottle that Fragrantica pictures here. (I said it was "for research," to determine just how good these newer ones are.) I don't remember this bottle from the 1960's and earlier, so I'm sure it came out later, like maybe the 1970's, when I'd moved on from Prince Matchabelli. And I don't know when Prince Matchabelli stopped making fragrances; does anyone know? Decision: The juice in these rounded cologne bottles is just as wonderful as it was when it was fresh and sold in the stores in the 1950's and 1960's, as long as it's spent the last 50-60 years in the back of some dark closet or warehouse. Rich and full and lasts 6+ hours, at least on my skin. They could sell it today as an edp and get away with it. In a glitzy leaf shaped bottle or name the same juice something exotic, make a commercial with the same model who just made the new Victoria Secret fragrance, and substitute dark blue with dark tan and orange. Put it on YouTube and watch everyone swoon.

Golden Autumn. Like the finest Greek black olives, not everyone will acquire a taste for this Grand Dame, but for those of us who do, we will do so with passion. Like hungry olive eaters, who dip digits into freshly opened jars repeatedly, Golden autumn lovers will dive back again and again for more. The first time, I tried it, I figured 100% it must be some Lysol flung into the bottle, but then the dry down got me, and lingered. It is wierd and jilting for a few good minutes and settles into something very lovely. This opening is a little like how Jicky flits around, a different set of notes, but a similar feel of ick, yum, wow, repeat, until it settles and finds its centre on your skin. There, after about 30 minutes, it has reached a stable path. This is for seasoned vintage hounds of a certain demographic, as Golden Autumn is an oil painting and is so very different than today ́s fresh light watercolour scents. And it is very dry, almost crisp. EDIT...LATER...I got another vintage bottle and this one is a little different, I think Golden Autumn may be the scent behind CACHET,,,because there is that same very unique accord of Cachet in Golden Autumn. Maybe they tweaked Golden Autumn into Cachet and phased out Golden Autumn? Cachet lovers try this vintage. I have the crown bottle Cologne Parfumee it is called.

This review is for a edc in aerosol bottle from I’m guessing towards the end of golden autumn’s run. Opens with detergenty aldehydes and florals (carnation, iris, and ylang ylang to my nose) along with a definite “orange sherbet” note other reviewers have mentioned. I have to say that the first moments of this read to me as “urinal cake” even though I am generally a fan of aldehydes? This association quickly vanishes however as woody notes (I get sandalwood, rosewood, vetiver, and patchouli), soft and cool oakmoss, and something subtly smoky I can’t quite identify begin to emerge. All of this is wrapped in groovy nitro-musk. The overall effect is soft, clean, and complex. I’m reminded of a certain camel-toned moneyed mod-adjacent glamour of the late 60s and early 70s — think Faye Dunaway in the original Thomas Crown affair. Would be perfect for cozying up in a ski lodge with no intention of actually skiing. This is definitely not an everyday wear for me, but there’s something so subtly intriguing about it that I find myself revisiting often.

Love these reviews, and you are all so articulate in your descriptions of this grand lady of the past. I had this perfume when I was in high school in the early 60s. I loved it then and never forgot it. Over the years I've looked for it and, as others noted previously, found the prices prohibitive for my modest budget. But recently I bit the bullet and bought some. I was nervous awaiting delivery, wondering whether reality would stand up to my memories and fantasies. Lo and behold, the perfume smelled exactly as I remembered and once again, I was a wide-eyed innocent schoolgirl, enjoying with my whole being the exquisite pleasure of this olfactory delight! I'm not good yet at identifying specific notes, but yes, the opening was a bit of a wowser, tho not unpleasant to me. Then a lovely mix of musk, moss and green leaves settles quietly to a soft, sweetness that lingers for hours and hours. A truly unique fragrance.

To me this is an acquired taste. I received a 90ml vintage rubber coated black bottle, almost full, as a gift. At first I thought it was horrible. Too mossy with lots of pine and too much oak moss. It smelled like damp forest and mud. However, unexpectedly, some days ago I got back to it and put it again on my skin. The initial burst of harsh aldehydes, oak moss and pine blew me again negatively but all of a sudden it turned ambery, woody and very pleasant. I wore it for three days in a row (a rare thing) and it seems I finally started to love it. The drydown is a very mild and pleasant musk and there's an earthy softness along the way that is really original. I have never smelled anything like this before. It's just the initial notes that put me off. But well, a minute of pain and then hours of pleasure.