Jade East

Jade East is very close to Canoe in its overall impression, although JE doesn't last nearly as long. Jade East is a bit brighter, with more sparkle in the top notes, and I detect a hint of lilac in the transition from top to mid-notes. Like Canoe, Jade East has an introspective quality that seems to go well with overcast skies and muted colors. Rainy days bring out its fresh notes, and I associate it with early springtime, when the cherry and plum trees are blossoming. I bought my first bottle in high school, when I was just beginning to explore the world of fragrance, and I've enjoyed it ever since. A sixties classic!

Oh, this one takes me back. Waaaaaay back! Suddenly it's 1964 and my father has shaved and dressed to go to work in the evening as our black and white television broadcasts Dr. Kildare, Ben Casey, Palladin and the Jackie Gleason Show (with the "sultry" June Taylor Dancers doing their funky Busby Berkeley numbers). Jade East is a slap of musk, a whiff of Granny Clampett's "vanilly", and a walk in the woods while drinking a vodka Screwdriver in a very large glass. A perfume for "manly men" at a time when Old Spice and Aqua Velva were about the only games in town. James Bond books were just being made into movies and there seemed to be a connection between Jade East and those first Bond movies that made it OK for our All American, manly men dads to wear. My brother and I would pool our coins to buy a bottle of Jade East for Papa for his birthday, Father's Day, etc. -- it really did seem like it was a BIG step up from Old Spice, which our grandfather wore!! In later years after Papa had discovered Aramis, bottles of Jade East (and Hai Karate, remember that one?) were still turning up in closets and under the sink and we'd splash it on the dogs after their baths. They were the best smelling daschunds in town, oh yes! Thanks for the memories!

Oh this one -- I'm back in high school with my truly dreamy boyfriend (black wavy hair green eyes) and it's our standing Friday night date. He's wearing Jade East that smells sooo good on him. I'm wearing Chantilly. It was boy/girl first love. This scent wasn't your father's/grandfather's Old Spice which wasn't sexy at all. Jade East (the original version) was very of the moment for the sexy hip young guy, certainly not your dad. The musk and citrus with the tiniest hit of lilac combined into something so delicious I actually thought of wearing it myself (although unisex fragrance wasn't heard of then). The scent lingered ever so faintly on my sweater after a night of dancing at the sock hop (remember those). I'd breathe it in and think of *him*. The fact I can still remember the fragrance is a testament to how wonderful it was. It was a drugstore buy but smelled so much more expensive. Vermont Country Store has a reformulated version, but it's not like the original. I wish someone would bring back the original Swank version. I'd wear it now :)

get the vintage stuff in square tall yellow liquid bottle.