Scoundrel

I actually wore this in the 80's as a work fragrance OMG we were also allowed to smoke in the workplace back then, I worked for a prominent corporate bank starting off in my late teens. I received many compliments on this Revlon drugstore fragrance from many men and women it was not heady but super feminine clean/fresh soapy creamy I wore it mainly in the winter months and no one was offended by it, my how times have changed. I would say any older perfume from 1995 and back that has oak moss or sandalwood in it, that is still being made now 2024 has many synthetics to replace real oak moss, sandalwood and other natural resins that were once used freely even in drugstore perfumes. Hence original reformulations will never be quite the same. Some of my favorites in the 80's were the original Tatiana, Oscar, and Ralph Lauren in the red bottle all lovely and long lasting quite romantic and sexy at the same time those were the vibes!

Aldehyde heaven in a bottle!!! The main notes are tuberose and hyacinth. The rest supports the leading role. Yes, there are fruits but this is not a fruity floral. they lend that vintage roundness and sweetness to the composition. Everything sits upon the musk and keeps from being too cloying with the addition of the woody and herbal notes. The oakmoss comes out in the base, making this a chypre but it isn't overpowering for those, who like me, hate it.

So this scent is still available? I had no idea! I hope the perfume sold now has not been reformulated, as I LOVED the original Scoundrel. This was my first introduction to tuberose (although it is not a top note). Scoundrel is a heavy, rich, extremely sweet scent, with amazing longevity and sillage for an inexpensive fragrance. I am seriously thinking about buying some, but am worried about possible changes.

I've been on a bit of a quest to amass fragrances that remind me of my youth. When I was a young teenager, I was given a mini of this as a gift. I wore it till it was gone, having no idea what a mature powerhouse fragrance this was. I just bought a huge bottle of this and received it today, and the scent memory has returned. This is a huge, powerful floral, not very aldehydic or spicy to me. The florals are strong and slightly bitter, and the jasmine a bit indolic. There is a mild soapy quality that is subtle and sporadic, all on a green woody base. A drop of this fills the room, and its a cologne concentrate. I cannot see wearing this often but I am glad I got this back into my wardrobe.

I managed to find a find a nearly full vintage bottle of this (concentrated cologne spray) at a secondhand store last year. The sprayer malfunctioned, so I had to transfer the perfume to a new reusable bottle. It reminds me of Aromatics Elixir, but without the bracing coriander note, and with a gentle woody dry down. Unfortunately, the actual perfume seems to have gone rancid so I must dispose of it. I’m glad I got to enjoy it while I did.