Antilope

Revised with additional comments as I have had a chance to wear his fragrance for a few days. OMG, I just received the original vintage Parfum and a vintage oil in this fragrance, anxiously, I opened the flacons, and in my minds eye, I envision this..... I swear I heard the sound of angelic singing. Heavenly beautiful winged beings are sprinkling this joyous fragrance on the clouds up above, while below, beings see a sparkling sky and sense a sweetness.....the sun beams, bright & colourful, resonate outward, originating at the tops of the flacons. What a magnificent fragrance! I had no idea that a dark coloured oil could produce this type of beautiful fragrance. I detect the aldelhydes, beautiful florals, a sweetness like honey, and such a powdery vanilla softness. Not at all too sweet or cloying. On my skin It is very strong ~ I recommend a light hand when applying this beauty. It does have some similarity to Chanel 5, but with this additional depth with amber & wood notes. Silage on me is very good, detectable from a few feet away. Longevity is fantastic. It simply makes me feel sexy, and enveloped by this powdery sweetness, I feel classy, like I am wearing a black sleeveless dress, showing enough cleavage to inspire a friend to join me in a passionate rendezvous. Silage is great, lasting power is great, I don't have anything negative to say about this beauty. I find it interesting how great the bath and body oils from the house of Weil are, to me they are just as strong as the parfums. I have heard them be called golden elixir's, and I must agree. If only they made modern perfume like they once did. By reformulating the classics, they have taken away the magic that we experienced...the younger generation will have a harder time finding this in the newer incarnations of the once powerful perfume.

My review is for the vintage 'Extrait' with reference to the re-formulated version of this 1946 floral / aldehydic parfum by Weil. Gorgeous opening with top notes of Tangerine, Neroli & Clary sage followed closely by a powerful interplay of exquisite floral absolutes comprising Rose, Jasmine, Mimosa (Acacia), Iris & Jonquil. All of these elements rest on a supporting base of cool Vetyver, Sandalwood, Musk, Amber & Civet. Beautifully blended parfum with extraordinary sillage and longevity on skin. These earlier Weil formulas contained high concentrations of natural animal fixatives that are now rarely used in present day commercial perfumery, if at all, these included tinctures of Deer musk, Civet, Ambergris, Castoreum & Musk Ambrette as well as the now obsolete Nitro musks and their associated synthetic analogues & ketones. This is where I find similarities with other vintage perfumes, such as Chanel No.5, L'Origin & L'Aimant by Coty, Arpege de Lanvin & Dana's 'Tabu'. 'Antilope' in the more recent re-formulated version also contains Chamomile, this astringent/herbal element creates a more austere/arid feel in the eventual dry-down and is absent in the original version, I prefer to apply this extrait by natural spray/atomizer as this allows the juice to fully disperse ensuring a even & protracted drydown, I do this with most of my concentrates & vintages.... Alas, One more fragrant jewel lost to the ether!

Oh this is so lovely. It would probably be in my top five if it weren't so hard to find a decent example. Sadly I've had several vintage bottles that have turned - as with Arpege it seems quite unstable over time. Anyway, my current one (1970s vintage, half full and no cap - but perfectly preserved, amazingly) is just wonderful. I tend to think of Antilope as a chypre and since it contains both patchouli and oak moss I think that's fair enough. But yes there is also an aldehydic (just, this is very muted) floral element that lightens and softens what could otherwise have been quite a powerhouse scent. There's also a licorice note that I enjoy - some combination of sandalwood, jasmine and carnation perhaps? There's a hint of leather too, but it's subtle. In fact "subtle" is how I would sum up the whole experience. Sillage is moderate but longevity, as so often with these treasures, is great and above all, this smells fantastic all the way through its development. There is never a moment when you wish it would hurry up and get to the next phase. Such a treat. I've never tried this in very hot weather, but I must remember to do so next summer. Presumably it's called "Antilope" for a reason, and that reason has something to do with Africa where it tends to be hot? I'm extrapolating here, but will try it and see if I too am visited by images of the serengeti.

Yummy bitter green beginning, slightly herbal, very elegantly feminine. Sage is very prominent - I'm not sure what is Clary sage, but the smell is unmistakably sagy, just not the harsh culinary sage, here it's softened with flowers and musk. I don't get either rose nor jasmine, only some delicate and whispering forest flowers - very probably it's violets and iris that give this effect of poetic lightness. Closer to the dry down the base woods start to show, and they are needed here, to recreate the perfect picture of a forest in summer - wild flowers, moss, musk (animals) and of course trees. Very warm and rounded amber and wood notes. This scent is a masterpiece, so perfectly crafted to take you to the forest through all the note nuances and at the same time staying a perfectly whole composition, that's a pleasure to wear. The effect on me is very refreshing and uplifting, just like spending some time in the woods, breathing fresh air, smelling flowers. Antilope is my new love, I want a full bottle now. After I wrote my review, I noticed that Chanel 5 is listed as similar scent. What can I say: I absolutely dislike Chanel 5, got a bottle as a present and gave it away after fruitless attempts to even tolerate it. At the same time I wholeheartedly love Antilope.

Vintage Parfum What a nice surprise in a lot, this little mini vintage delight for a self-professed chypre addict! Yes, it has a surprising sharp & bitter green opening in the top notes, but that is about to evolve from what seems to be a chypre, but loses the contrasting sharp element quickly. But oh, this quality oakmoss that softly embraces with powdery caresses---it has proved to be this oakmoss-lover's special treat. So if you dearly love high quality oakmoss, then this one is for you, too. The bergamot & florals are perfectly balanced, the sage & aldehydes burst forth verdant, but the oakmoss is the star of this amazing juice. I even make my own oakmoss fragrance from the pure essential oil & LOOOOOOOVE oakmoss so very much. I use the oakmoss essential oil, pure jojoba oil for a carrier & Everclear to make my own. A bottle of oakmoss is a staple on my dresser. I really appreciate when a fragrance is able to produce wonderful quality genuine oakmoss. And this one does it, hands down. Perfect for we moss-lovers! Gorgeous, tenacious, classic & a steal easily found on ebay & elsewhere worthy of an appreciation of this classic.