Van Cleef

This is the closest I have come in my 7 year search to replace Valentino Vendetta! Thankyou, thankyou to the wise people below who lead me to this by their comparisons to Clandestine (which I have never owned, nor smelled as it is so long gone) but is highly rated as a comparable scent. Initial blast starts out as a thick honeyed face powder, something comparable to Estee Private collection and a spiced rum but this soon flattens out. This contains raspberry instead of plum and these two share 10 similar notes but I am convinced there are others that they share (namely honey, ylang ylang and carnation and maybe perhaps narcissus) that haven't been listed here. This is one of those scents that in essence appears to be horribly dated, a clash of notes not so favourable to the modern nose compiled into a horribly dated bottle. However despite this it is a timeless, soft floral yet sexy powdery naturally sweet dream of a scent which seems to float on my skin creating a cloud of musky incensey goodness overlayed with sultry yet never too sweet honey tinged with fresh green notes which give it crispness. Marigold gives it a natural warm peppery note which I love (one of my fave notes in a scent) perfumes like this seem to bloom on my skin and feel warm and like a big hug, never overwhelming, sinus inducing or giving me a headache but always there, comforting never to spicy nor too sweet, cloying or offensive to anyone and just meant to work with my skintype. I am never not in the mood for a scent like this. For reference my bottle is from what I can tell vintage refillable/rechargeable bottle quite similar to those produced by the likes of Guerlain - a goldtone lamp looking cylindrical holder with a plain refillable 90ml spray held inside. I picked this up still sealed and for a song. Couldn't be happier I have found another signature scent. I will be buying some more as it is still around on the internet and reasonably priced!

We've been having unseasonable cool weather in the north-east US, so I've been wearing a lot of perfumes I normally reserve for cooler weather. Wearing this all day today and I still love this bittersweet fragrance just as much as the first time I wore it. I had to go to the library after work, and the machine screwed up as I was trying to take out a book, so the librarian had to come over to clear it out. Standing next to me she turned and said, "My, you smell beautiful! What perfume are you wearing?" By this time, it was after 5pm and I had it on from 7:30 in the morning, after only using my usual number of sprays. Yet despite that little amount, and how long it was on, I could still smell it clearly around me and so could she. (I can still smell it right now btw.) That great performance was for the later edp version made by Parfums International, which did a terrific job as it smells and performs no differently to me from the vintage. Even though I already left a review for this, I have to sing its praises once more and also express how sad I am that this has been discontinued. That is such a great loss for the perfume world because this is such an unusually, beautiful perfume. Other perfumes may have similar notes, but this is head and shoulders above the rest. There's only one Van Cleef and I am devastated that it will no longer be easily available. Fortunately, I have a backup bottle because I knew from the first time I smelled it that this was one fragrance I never want to be without. Now I am going to be extra careful and treasure every drop.

In the first few minutes I find the bergamot almost green and loud, and the geranium almost screechy, but it somehow doesn’t quite teeter off the edge into overbearing. Rich calendula (the loveliest sort of marigold, in my view) is present from the get-go, and my nose has to do a double-take (sometimes a triple-take) while it all settles. The first time I sprayed it I thought, what the hell? But that seems like a very long time ago. Soon a buttery golden burnished scent comes through like a glow. The scent then gets softer, warmer, spicier over hours, and it’s all the more delightful for being solid and consistent. I get the earlier reviewer’s reference to a bonfire ... but this would be the glowing embers of fragranced woods sprinkled with spices – embers which happen to warm and illuminate the magic of the darkness, without the real-world sequelae of burnt things, ash and smoke. If this is a statement perfume, then it’s a lovely statement to oneself, that it’s a glorious thing to be a human being and to have the opportunity to surround yourself with this very splendid scent. I can understand how it gives some wearers confidence. I don’t believe you need to be properly groomed to wear it though. This could transform your comfy old dressing gown into a regal robe of plush gold velvet, so you can be right royal there on the couch if you want to. Star Wars PJs, velour track suit, motorbike leathers, birthday suit – no outer wear could be unsuitable for a beautiful fragrance that you are really wearing in your heart.

This was gifted to me by a Fragrantican some time ago and it meant a lot to me because it meant a lot to her, however, I recently got this out of my collection and have started wearing it again and it still means a great deal to me now. The notes are difficult, hard to wear and complicated, but this is such a beautiful fragrance that I find I am drawn to its timeless charm again and again. Galbanum, marigold, ceder are just a few notes that can act defiantly, but not in this creation. I get a smoky, woody vibe in this, almost like a bonfire which has a few burning embers remaining. The fragrance is the most calming and restful scent that I own and I find that I am immediately comforted by its strong and reliable aroma which seems to surround me. If I could put a season to this perfume, it would be the end days of Autumn and the beginning of winter. Please do not think that this perfume is shy or retiring, it is a far cry from that, on the contrary, this is a perfume with a soul, a strong character which cannot be ignored. Despite the fact that I have now turned my attention to some stunning niche perfumes, I am compelled to wear this perfume again and again and I crave it on a daily basis. Beautiful and classic, I put it in the same category as Shalimar as this to me is a timeless piece of top class perfumery.

This is a really pretty bittersweet perfume. I struggle w/ galbanum as a note but here it is done w/ a deft hand. I love marigolds and tagetes in perfume and here marigolds give that unique creamy yellow/green smell that I love. I find this leaning feminine, but I would actually like to smell a man wear this. I think the geranium gives a bit of a masculine touch to this fragrance. Softly green, softly aromatic, creamy, softly spicy, slightly bitter, slightly fruity, slightly sweet, yellow, white and pink floral perfume. I wish this had been out back in the 70's when I was in grade school. It would have been a welcome change to the sharply green aldehydes I had to smell on teachers back then. I think the added fruity notes soften green and aromatic fragrances like this and make them more pleasant to be around and to wear. This is going on my want shelf, just went to a love. This is good juice. Edit: 7/25/22 how sad that this has been discontinued. I really want a bottle of this but I probably won't get it. Van Cleef is really beautiful and very different than what I usually go for or own. So damn disappointing!

I recently found a bottle of this at my Dad's place, and when I asked whose it was, my step-mom told me it was her late moms bottle. I later got real close and took a few sniffs and I got teleported back (even thought I sniffed with the cap still on) a decade back during my childhood. My dad, step-mom, step-sister and me would go to her place from time to time in the summer. Think bougie Cannes, in a small appartment inside a beautiful residence with a splendid pool. Now add this perfume, she had been wearing it for as long as I remember and it suited her so well. She was always so joyful, driving around in her Nissan Convertible to her job at Cannes' Galleries Lafayette. A strong smell, but not cloying or agressive, it feels like a statement and it does lean kinda feminine, I probably wouldn't wear this myself but I would love to have a friend who'd smell like this. I'm probably biased by nostalgia but I just love this perfume, and I love to think that she elected it as her signature scent, I really wish I could ask her why, and what this perfume meant to her.

So! It arrived an hour ago. Blind rendezvous... Was holding bottle in my arms, warming up. Amazing deep honey color of juice. sprayed ligtly on my wet hair. First impression "WHAT WAS THAT"....I mean..unreal. Something so strong, powerful, its like Vagner's music and Modern Art Exhibition. You feel so small and humble in it, as it takes you over completely, wins you and you just sit and wait what NEXT Next - warmth entering the room. Grass, honey, musk on me. A bit of geranium. But the thing ..is it's keep changing with every twist of my body, with every step. I expected something different i must admit, not that complicated. But its a masterpiece. One of those smells that will keep surprising you day by day. You can be retro-classic-lady, can be french chik student, can be woman whos man invited her to opera, but you will never be trivial , boring, un-noticable wearing this aroma. Smell of the Victory, girls. keep waiting for surprises...

In the 1990s I got Van Cleef from my father - who travelled a lot and was an avid perfume purchaser. I did not like it at first, I was into breezy male scents instead. After a few years I gave it a second chance, and what do you know: Daddy is always right. About perfume. Ha ha. Van Cleef became my on-and-off signature for quite a few years. (Those were the days when I still had 2-3 perfumes instead of an army.) How to describe it? It is like a thermonuclear bomb. You spray it and it is EVERYWHERE. Van Cleef is sweet from the tonka beans and the vanilla and bitter from the galbanum. I still love it for its quality and complexity. Seriously, this is superior to many niche scents. However I do not use it often anymore, because it does not smell (yes, I dare to say it) modern. Galbanum is not much used in newer perfumes, and I guess I got out of habit of smelling it and have starting to be slightly shocked by it. It is a pity somehow.

I am often too lazy to write reviews, but just opened my parcel with Van Cleef inside...and had to try it. And had to yell about this glory! WOWSERS!!! On me, this perfume is...rich, warm, alluring, a little spicy and absolutely ADDICTIVE. Already ordering my next bottle, because although this is not a replacement of my lifelong love and lust, Fendi, it is AMAZING. Totally gorgeous. Totally feminine, but with just the hint of non linear floral that makes it a winner for me. Makes me feel edible :) PS...I get the comparison with Lou Lou, but there is something metallic that jars on me in Lou Lou. But none of that here...just spicy, luscious warmth. IN LOVE!!! UPDATE: Ok...now 10 hours after spraying myself liberally with this balm. Overnight...no problem! Still getting warm, enjoy me, peek a boo sniffs of this. Amazing longevity!! Oh...and the Lou Lou likeness was short lived on my skin.

I just recently discovered this and now I'm so sad that I'm late to the party and it's discontinued. This is a gorgeous, refined, rich, opulent and vintage inspired floriental. As a lover of another classic, Ralph Lauren's Safari, this is very much in the same genre. It's like a sweeter, fruitier, creamier and slightly more powdery version of Safari. It's very well blended in the classic "perfume" style, in that no one note overpowers the others, but if you pay attention, you can definitely pick out some of its individual notes. I detect the marigold and galbanum in the opening, the sweetness from the raspberry comes through and the tonka lends a slight powderiness to the composition. Everything is beautifully rounded and velvety, with no harsh edges. A very sophisticated scent, that would leave a memorable, elegant trail for anyone who wears it.

Beautiful floral burst of top notes ~ rich yet lightweight, effervescent, wonderfully radiant bouquet. Orange blossom, neroli, vanilla and sandalwood seem to be most dominant. Galbanum takes over gradually, creating a bittersweet accord which may trace its lineage back to Jean Patou's Que Sais-je. Not a daytime fragrance perhaps; more appropriate for afternoon/evening, or indeed any formal occasion. I am referring to the current Eau de Parfum, which I find easier to wear than the original. I remember trying to like it when it was first inrtoduced but somehow, I could only appreciate it very highly, never really feel at home with it. This new version is subtly and very tastefully altered, still, recognizably the same scent. Last but not least ~ the heavy glass bottle is a stunning Serge Mansau design. Absolutely gorgeous.

A hidden gem from my collection. I have the pure perfume of Van Cleef and it's so plush with fragrant notes. I have only worn the perfume version and I love the way it warms and rounds out on my skin. Although the ingredients are not the same as D&G pour femme of 1992, it shares a few similar notes and for me it gives me the same *feel* or impression as that original D&G does. Again, that is my experience of how I feel when I wear this. It is almost a "balm" effect more than a perfume. This perfume could easily fit into an old Hollywood glam setting but I'm wearing it for my work at home yoga pants and tee and pretending I'm in satin charmeuse. LOL! I agree that if you like perfumes like Rumba (I do) and rich full bodied perfumes with a classic attitude, you may like this one.

This cozy, velvety scent is truly a flawless 10/10, creating an enchanting aura with its impressive sillage that envelops the entire space. I was introduced to this fragrance years ago by the HR Manager, an older woman whose body chemistry harmonized perfectly with this enchanting scent. On her, the Van Cleef revealed a sweeter, more amber-infused, and creamier essence no matter the season. However, on my skin, it takes on a slightly greener and more aromatic character especially on warmer days, so I usually save this fragrance for cooler weather when I can truly enjoy it. On cool days the floral notes shine and have a sense of warmth, reminiscent of gathering flowers on a bright, crisp day—where the sun provides comforting heat while the cool breeze brings a refreshing chill.

Love this fragrance! For me it's a pretty harsh unforgiving floriental opening which is strong with resinous goodness, nose burningly so. Have no doubt Van Cleef is a no holds barred fragrance but as it settles the tonka bean, vanilla and creamy sandalwood tone it all down to a lovely elegant scent. I enjoy the strength and quality of this juice I picked it out as being something my girlfriend would enjoy due to her love of YSL Opium, not that they're similar but put me in mind of each other. This is for women who like their perfume in a more traditional and less contemporary sense. Van Cleef is warm, inviting and lasts for an age and I was right my girl loves it!

A great perfume for a vintage collector. So glad someone mentioned it on Fragrantica. It has thick, buttery aldehydes that give it that "perfumey" smell. It makes me think of dinners in expensive restaurants and theater evenings or wearing to a more formal workplace. It's not at all linear, and has a number of changes: its top notes are green and crisp like a chypre. Next notes that come in are the intense, fat aldehydes. It then turns into a lighter floral with a sweet raspberry note that begins to develop and that becomes almost the base note for the perfume. I have the '90's version of this put out by the Sanofi corporation. Really stunning and elegant.

Rich, sultry classic. Orangey-cinnamon marigolds, vanilla topped with sandalwood. It has a thick, fuzzy warmth, and seems to be surrounded by soft cedar. If I were asked which of my favorite perfumes (and this is top 10 forever for me) smelled the most expensive, Van Cleef, Boucheron, Private Collection and Coco come to mind instantly. Of the four, this one is the most wearable to me. Very posh, yet approachable and comfortable.Smells like somebody took their time and did it right. Lasts VERY well. Not many wear it, which I love. Don't wear it so it stays special hahaha! This to me, is the definition of an oriental perfume, to its fullest extent. Magic.

Finally got my hands on this gem. Very luxurious and elegant; the marigold, galbanum, and tonka are the stars of the show, with the vanilla and geranium serving as the stage. It reminds me so much of 'Must de Cartier', it's definitely the galbanum and tonka notes. Whereas 'Must' is more powdery/amber/woody, 'Van Cleef' is more floral and decidedly more glamorous. She's the older, exceptionally well-traveled, classically glam sister of Must, who's more of a nighttime, clubbing aficionado younger sister with a flair for luxurious 70s leather. Definite purchase, it wears very well in day and night, and it never gets cloying. Highly recommend.

So confusing!! I bind bought it depending on the great reviews!!, and when I tried it, I find the beginning so sharp, and I thought its not the type of fragrances that I’m fond of!!!, but when it dried down, it became so luxurious and classy!! It’s the type of fragrances that are really memorable and give you a powerful feeling whenever you where it, potent might be the right word, it’s indeed vintage, but it’s the type of vintage that I’m happy to where, I like to mix it with other fragrances, so it adds a depth to whatever I use with it!! A water of Gold!

I recently got my hands on vintage mini perfume. I fell into trance. Suddenly It's 1994 and I am drinking champagne out of thin glasses in sparkly dress, somewhere between tacky and beautiful..but I dont care. Background is filled with Henry Mancini music and tall dark stranger is on the balcony..waiting for me. This is some other time and place, this literally takes you back and encourage the thought that things were different back then. They were.. So were the fragrances. No doubt about it. This is poetry, these are memories , like collective memories...

This is an absolutely beautiful fragrance. I love rich spicy perfumes and this one does not disappoint. If you like Fendi, Kenzo Jungle, Coco Chanel, Boucheron,Alfred Sung Encore, you will love this one. What makes it unique from the ones I listed is the galbanum, which I love .... it's not as spicy as the ones I listed, but I think someone described it as 'creamy'. This was a blind buy. I love the galbanum in Safari and when I saw the fragrance notes, I had to buy it. It's completely different from Safari, but very classy.