Creation 1984

You never forget your first loves. This rule doesn't always ring true, but it sure shines here. I can't remember my first barbecue, or my first taste of chocolate. I couldn't tell you about my first pet, or the first time I smelled and splashed in the ocean. But fog dissipates with discussion of my first kiss, my first perfume, and well, let's just say, my first love. Isn't that something to consider? The amazing conductivity of perfume amongst other Dopamine inducing euphoria. Spectacular! My first perfume was a birthday gift when I was in 7th grade. A girl named Tiffany handed me a small, brown velvet pouch with "Mervin's" sashed across. Inside was a miniature bottle of Creation 1984. Absolutely stunned, I opened the ampule like I was uncorking the universe. The smell was amazing, and I felt so fancy, really for the first time in my life, and certainly for the longest time. Like other kids born into poverty, fantasies of upgrading into 'the better life', often consume our idle time. My trapped heart was no different. The irony was that I rarely wore it, believing that it was too glamorous for my every day rigors, and because of that, I still have the perfume today. Even further humor lies in my lack of research over what ignited a large part of my life; a passion that has led me here. I was going through my keepsakes with my daughter when it surfaced once more, and I nearly fell to my knees. As it was brought into the light, after decades of being carefully stored, my enthusiasm surged with youthful vigor. The list of ingredients are completely kitchen sink material. Is there anything Jean-Paul didn't put into the mix? On paper it looks manic! Every type of fragrance locked into one strong proposal. Arguments can be made for Chypre, Oriental, Fruity Floral, and the list goes on and on. Every website I've peered into, focuses on a slightly different pathway from another. Well blended, and topped with stronger aldehydic notes than I remember, further challenges any concrete definition. (I love that about this!) Creation 1984 crescendos into a hauntingly beautiful dry down experience, that I dare some of you "Smells of Grandma" reviewers, not to swoon over! This lives and dies in contradiction. Contrary powderiness sits comfortably next to pungent florals. Fresh and green tones are at ease being compared with dark, earthy notes. Dry woods enhance sweet tropical fruits, and animalic facets find balance with soapy bright aldehydes. Just like the amazing soup created in Ratatouille, it's not plausible, but by God, it works! I am left, forever in admiration and reverence. Still that girl who dared to dream of a more charmed life, and honed her strength through a multitude of tribulations. Satisfied and humbled by infinite gratitude for all the little things that have made my life memorable!.

This is one of the nicest, best designed and balanced perfumes I ever smelled. It goes actually beyond the concept of perfume many people have, as something meant to please others or even yourself in a social context and at a conscious level. For me, creation is an emotions perfume, and not because I associate it with any meaningful events of my past life. Contrarily to what some people say, I do not find it cheap at all. I just find it perfect. Cheap perfumes cannot usually afford to have so distinct and at a first contact maybe not that pleasant scent like this one, which from my viewpoint is at the same time quite particular and classical, and this due partly to its powdery texture. Also, depending on the atmospheric conditions and other factors, it does hardly smell twice exactly the same,due to its complexity. Funnily enough, I do not like particularly the smell of the note I find dominant in this perfume, which is bergamot, on its own. I do love it in this perfume, though, combined with mango, the way I also love, under the cover of the fruits, the beautiful tuberose, almost unrecognizable but somehow, I cannot explain how, opulently there. And they do have an effect on me, at an unconscious level, like a drug, actually, to the point of almost making me cry. I find it particularly suitable for a summer evening outdoors, while for example walking on the street. Disturbing is the word I find best describes this perfume. And the evolution is fantastic, from the fruity top notes to the animalistic drydown, which bears resemblance to Paloma Picasso and Magie Noire drydown, to a large extent, I believe, due to the civet, which nevertheless is not listed amongst the notes. I can understand that women tend not to like it that much due to the lack of sweetness in the drydown, and the fact that the smell of the flowers is so subdued. It is also quite strong, and the longevity and sillage are both good. Contrarily to other people, I also like the bottle, for being so compact, and nice to hold in your hand.For me it is the perfume of the dreams.

This stuff is just gorgeous..Really gorgeous and imho its so much better then Rumba. I love it because it really smell like the garden of Eden. Warm, floral, green, soothing and natural. Whilst it starts out quite heavy on the Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Patchouli and Galbanum. It really takes a turn and really starts to develop on your skin and it just radiates and gets bigger, like the opening of a flower. 5 mins in on warm skin and im getting the best Mango, Black Currant, Passionfruit, Bergamot, Peach, Neroli, Lemon and Mandarin notes..fresh! Not rotting. Sweet, but more honey sweet and I can't believe that honey isn't in this at all. And whoever the perfumer was has handled the peach, mango and passion fruit notes with absolute care. As usually I'm not a fan of these notes and I just don't enjoy them, but Creation is something else altogether. It is divine. A masterpiece! 30mins in is the part I love the most when the fruity notes calm down and then most gorgeous rose centric note run through creations veins and I am in heaven. I get some Carnation with the rest of the yellow and white floral notes. But they never ever take over. They just hum, like the sun on a warm fuzzy day. Dripping with nectar and honey.. all blending together so well; in complete harmony. I'm so sad to see the extortionate prices for this Gem on Evilbay but at the same time I understand why this stuff is just priceless. And I thank God that I have a 100mls vintage bottle that is still practically full for me to enjoy.. I'll never forget that I was blessed enough to buy it for £5 & will be sharing the little I have with others who might enjoy it too. As this is too good to keep all to myself for now.

The addition of galbanum to the fruit cocktail that opens Creation is exhilarating to me, accentuating the tart, the bitter, the sour that comes naturally to mango, passionfruit, and cassis. This is what makes it stand out to my nose: it is mouthwatering, and tropical in feel. Do not expect this to be anything like a modern fruity floral, however. It's as if it's a progenitor to Calyx, but still rooted in a 70s chypre hang-over, sharp, crisp and radiant yellow florals forming its nucleus. Most conspicuous to me is the big, wet narcissus and thick ylang-ylang, underlined with a gardenia creaminess and encased in the fruity tang. It is like a supernova for the nose. This one is LOUD, rock-n-roll loud, but I approve of it in that same take no prisoners sort of way as the iconic Miss Dior. Even as it wings its way in saturated, day-glo splendor, moss and musk funk it all up and it feels even more thrilling. It's all underlined green, nary a sweet spot can be detected by the nares. It is only in its last hours of presence on this skin that the tart, bitter, sour quenching power subsides to a dissolving dryness, beautifully subdued and feeling like powdery wood. This is quite a contrast to its preceding (and perfect) pungency, but it's a stimulating shift, one we so seldom get from modern releases that seek to pacify rather than penetrate. It must be experienced! [Original version, not re-launch]

This is such a good chypre! I mostly get cassis, davana, white floral, carnation, and oakmoss. I know cassis is only listed on the modern spray version, but it comes to mind because this scent is simultaneously sweet, fruity, herbal, and extremely green. It's not overbearingly sweet, but just enough to avoid feeling soapy. This also has a side that’s bitter and peppery, like orange blossom or neroli, making for a rather powerful opening characteristic of the 80s. To me aromatic florals define the decade, as Estee Lauder Beautiful was one of the only scents my mom wore (along with big floofy hair and high-waisted jeans, of course). Once dried down, it becomes just right, a very cool and aloof scent that releases its floral sweetness in the summer heat. Compared to newer chypres, I like that this is so assertive, more earthy/woody than fresh/floral, and not too citric or fruity. Creation isn’t afraid to dunk you headfirst into the atmosphere of a rainy garden filled with overripe fruit. This is a definite vintage, and won’t appeal to everyone, but all it takes is a calm manner or retro clothing to pull this off. The best thing about the 1984 version is its strength-- I'm pretty sure the 4ml mini is a parfum, because a few drops will scent the air around me. Since this is so strong, less is more, and it fades away quite beautifully.