Zibeline

This review is for the vintage 1928-formula Parfum de Toilette (essentially an Eau de Parfum); my batch appears to be from the 1960's or 70's. Interestingly, it is a pressurized aerosol, not solely a pump atomiseur, and I am glad it still has enough propellant in it to dispense the jus. An opening of brilliant, very sharp aldehydes, with a tinge of boozy tarragon, a tart note of "Pledge"-like lemon oil, muted bergamot, followed by an immediate impression of civet. Then a muted woody impression, colored by a subtle gardenia and nostalgic orange blossom emerges, laced with a faint, oldschool jasmine and hint of ylang. Gradually, the basenotes appear: honey, opoponax, tonka, orris, and a curious, nigh-gourmand impression of butter, yellow pollen and caramel. Cedar is quite prominent, in its "sharpened pencil" guise. It is at this point that ZIBELINE seems very similar indeed to Lanvin PRÉTEXTE, and somewhat like Lanvin ARPÈGE. Perhaps this is no surprise, as Claude Fraysse, the father of Andre and Jacqueline Fraysse, was the nose behind it. Like the classic Lanvins, there is not a strongly etched, focused smell profile to the perfume (as you'd start getting in the late-1970's and 80's); rather, it has that soft-edged, powdery, mutable quality of the first half of the 20thc, suggesting it will smell differently on different skins. In drydown, there is the marriage of a "golden" smelling opoponax and a pronounced tonka bean, with its curious tobacco-like "burn" and deep quasi-vanillic, caramelized qualities (which is found amplified tenfold in Coty ÉMERAUDE). All swaddled in a chalky, diaphanous iris silk. Though opoponax is not mentioned in the above olfactive pyramid, it is a MAJOR player in this scent, let me assure you. Honey, musk, iris and faint jasmine color this sweet accord. ZIBELINE is a gorgeous, decidedly oldschool aldehydic/floral/woody, laced generously with animalics. As I say, it is, to my nose anyway, extremely similar to Lanvin PRÉTEXTE and not too far removed from ARPÈGE-- but sweeter and more white floral. I confess, I am not picking up on the suggestive "naughty knickers" qualities that others have ascribed to ZIBELINE (read the Scented Salamander review online). In fact, I get more of that marine/ambergris note from Lanvin MY SIN than I do from this fragrance. Even with a generous application, this Parfum de Toilette maintains a discreet powder-puff quality, with no glowering basenotes or room-filling sillage. I like it very much, and it has become a tous-les-jours go-to for me... it's perfect when you don't want to go full citrus eau-de-cologne, but you don't want to go sweet and dark Oriental either.

This review is for an EdC of the original Zibeline, probable date of bottle 1960s. So much has been said by others on here, much better than I can express my love of Zibeline. While my bottle has, perhaps, lost some of its sparkle of the top notes, it has retained its honeyed warmth of a classic elegant fragrance full of very rich tones. Zibeline - perfect for a chilly day, invoking visions of hushed Continental cafes with clinking china, hot drinks and pastries, all warm inside while the Spring is trying its best to make itself heard outside against the raging of an only slightly unseasonal blizzard, all haute elegance and comfort – stoles, silks, tweeds, a smattering of new-fangled jersey skirt suits, good shoes, hats and bags. However, with its original release date - 1928 - there is also definitely a change of mood, a sense of danger of a then more fast-moving world, perfectly capturing the zeitgeist of Bright Young Things, in a pre-Depression era filled with more freedom, much shorter hemlines, cocktails, jazz and adventures, motoring, flying, television, female emancipation with the Vote. Something of this is, to me, mirroring Jadis/the White Witch of the Chronicles of Narnia – the strength of her power over her surroundings, both the natural landscape and the living beings who belong to it. Something... perhaps not aligned with the world to which CS Lewis and his comrades were comfortable with in their writings. Something – feeling stronger than them and their faith, perhaps, more in tune with the way the world was moving. Evil? Perhaps... Still beautiful, although sadly not that long-lasting (it is an EdC, after all), all the notes remain discernible – aldehydes, coriander, tarragon and bergamot; I can also sense the middle note flowers lingering. The honey, which now runs from top to bottom, as a base note would have been unexpected at the time; juxtaposed with the civet and vetiver, along with the sandalwood, tonka bean, amber and musk this feeling is reinforced throughout that this is for a woman who means it, elegant, powerful, strong, with character. I love it.

The fur of a sable: this is what "zibeline" means. In modern times, most of us now see the cruelty in wearing fur, but as we rewind over 95 years, the fur was a status symbol; the ultimate luxury. Weil's Zibeline was meant to evoke the feel, the plushness, of wearing a sable, in the olfactory sense. It was originally advertised to be applied on fur to aromatize and keep mustiness at bay. Aldehyde rays and dusting powder are underlined with an impressionistic wash of aromatics and coriander. The jasmine reminds me of mock orange, the satin iris falls just short of intimidating, as a light custard ylang, honeyed musks, and pitter-pat of civet, renders a warmheartedness and pulse. A cherry fluff heliotrope hovers. The lines are so blurred, not a single sharp edge; it's all dreamily out of focus. Sharpened pencil cedar and hazy tonka (suggesting tobacco) mingle with golden topaz opoponax. It's all so gauzy, like plumes of smoke in a seedy nightclub, with corners saturated in darkness. There is restraint in its sensuousness, like a sneak peek at a garter rather than full knickers display. The atmosphere it paints from another age feels so palpable, even as this particular bottle dates from the early 90s—perhaps the last incarnation that was mostly true to its original form.

I like this perfume, and I am bordering on love. It's spicy, wich is my favorite style of all time. It's airy- but the base notes make it weighty, too, so the compostion doesn't float away. At first it reminded me of Norell, because of it's complexity and heaviness. At moments it reminds me of Gucci eau de parfum because of the taragon in combo with the other spices being similar to caraway in Gucci, and because of Zibelienes resionous qualities. However, Zibeliene is much more refined, sofisticated, and delicate than the afformentioned...and any others that it reminds me of. Great balance in the composition, the variety of spices aren't fading, it's all lively and full of charachter. I get a bit of a hippie vibe here too, and I want to say "I dig it !" Ah, and I suppose I am just realizing it now. What a unique touch-aldehydes on spicy, earthy, and thick notes. This is great. I like it more than Coco Chanel that I tested recently. Yes, Coco is wonderful, but, it didn't change much, it's prescence wasn't as noticeable or intriguing for me in the way that Zibeline is. Oh, yes, and no vanilla here.. Yes, Strange review here. Nothing monotone, simple, or exaclty something I can describe with one tone, or idea, one direction of how to describe it.

Review for parfum de toilette: It may start with the last letter of the alphabet but Zibeline is first in my heart. Im confessing I geek out over this one and squeee over a bottle that newly arrived in my possession. Its about as old school as you can get and glam. This is not a wear for mild enthusiasts but for those vintage time travelers that can handle notes obsolete from current formulations. The bright herbal opening of the pdt seems less dense and less rich than the oil. However, it is still a powerhouse by todays standards. The oil was developed to prevent evaporation and designed to get stronger as it was worn. In the Pdt, it behaves more like a modern scent, average to big sillage and great lasting power. This isnt a demure fragrance. The opening lasts and lasts followed by the floral heart and sexy warm base notes. This is top shelf. Secret de venus oil Zibeline It opens herbal fresh with aldehydes, tarragon, coriander and citrus. Faint florals lilt within the powdery animalics. Tonka,vanilla with the sandalwood give it a warm almondy sweetness that flirts with gourmand. So well blended and smooth. They don't make it like this anymore and it's a beautiful hallmark of its time, never vulgar, and can be worn today to stir intrigue.

Oh sweet powdery heaven!! I've been hoarding the last of the contents of my mid 60's bottle until I find a reasonably priced replacement. This morning I had a very bad fragrance experience and needed something sure to lift the funk and my eyes spied this gem. Such beautiful flowers, spices, warm,woody & resinous. I can't thank enough that sophisticated older saleswoman at John Wanamakers so many years ago. In one day she introduced me to Zibeline and it's sister, Secret de Venus. My bottle is Parfum de toilette, which in Zibeline I like better than the perfume oil. The oil is softer and not as peppy as this. The regular parfum is very nice too, but also very scarce. Passionata, when I read your review I was sure that you must have a bad bottle, but in looking at your perfume dislikes, I think not. There are a lot of similarities between mid century Zibeline,Le Dix and Bal A Versailles. If you dislike the last two, you will probably never like Zibeline. All three have the prominent civet notes and similar flowery powder. This is one vintage scent that I hope to always be able to find and afford. One of these days I will break down and try one of the newer formulas. Zibeline is one timeless, slightly wild yet classy broad!

I was lucky to snag a vintage bottle of Z. edt and a plug sealed vintage bottle of the oil for a song. Z. is one of a few vintage Weil scents I hadn't tried, and thus I was quite excited and a bit nervous, too. Some vintages do not age well, and some will deteriorate horribly, but my two bottles seem to be in very good shape. The aldehydes may have weakened over the years, but the body and soul of the perfume are still there. The edt is typical Weil: a lot of notes, modest sillage and lasting power. Z. is a warm and spicy scent, sweetened with a dab of honey. A bit unisex, definitely less well known than it should be because big, spicy frags are often frowned upon as dated, BoE, old lady stuff etc. The oil is by definition heavier and richer. There's serious spice in this dark elixir, and I think it'll bloom once it meets hot water. I'm looking forward to this bath! Like many Weil scents, Z. has been reformulated. And while the new version may be great, for now I'll stick with the old one.

Some vintage scent doesn ́t suit me at all but some do. Problem is that it ́s hard to know before trying and they ́re not the easiest thing sampling either since one formulation can different from another so very much... I bought a vintage bottle of Zibeline unsniffed only based on reviews and kept my fingers crossed that it would suit me and... Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is glorious. A masterpiece of long time gone elegance, femininity and refinement. My bottle are at least about 50 years old, still it has zingy top notes of bright citrus mixed with some sweet and creamy notes,the floral notes chimes in and add a powdery softness, but built under with real deal amber and civet! This is so cool, I enjoy it so much and for being a vintage this is not at all dated or difficult to wear, I can very well imagine that it suit women in all ages. If you happen to stumble upon a vintage bottle of Zibeline it ́s really a must in any perfume collection.

This review is for the Vintage Zibeline. OMG! This is cold weather, fur wearing, date night, at it's finest! Move over Bal A Versailles and Shocking 'cause Zibeline is in the room! At first dab I was shocked, and only because I thought my Bal V was a show stopper with it's heavy civet, well boy was I wrong. This heavy makes every other animalic seem like a mere puppy dog. Starting off with severe aldehydes which linger for well over an hour and a half, I sense the floral, but she never commands attention because the civet rears it's head from the beginning to end. I wish I could call this my new signature scent, but I will treasure this little dram until I can afford to buy a larger vintage bottle.

It's more like a light almond oil with bits of honey and big aldehydes. sandalwood oil, jasmines, amber, ylang, bits of gardenia, & coriander! It's very light. The civet, vetiver, iris, and musk are quite hazy and not direct! it has lemon, and lime as well, and the colder it goes the thicker it become. It is really interesting as i can't categorize it as an animalic blend cause i can't really define what it is! maybe because it's too old that the shape of the blend isn't that clear as the notes are blended well and settled in a very captivating way... bits of each on a certain spaces and distances. very weird!

I have pure parfum in the '60s screw-top bottle Passionata describes, and I LOVE it. The juice, that is, not the bottle. I'm heading to Amsterdam next week, and in prep I've transferred my Zibeline to an old Mary Dunhill deco Scentinel container that is much more adorable and better for travel. I plan to smell like Zibeline every day in Amsterdam: warm, sexy, and very sophisticated. The top notes of my stash are long gone, and the heart is compromised, but, even so, the base almost by its lonesome makes me want to live with my wrist pressed to my nose. Would it be so wrong to dab a little above my upper lip?

I also have this in the oil form, locked away in a very, very dark cupboard, and it is exactly the same. I only bring it out in the cold and darker months. I'm going to try and see if I can get it re-created SOMEHOW! This a grown up scent. Originally designed to fragrance furs. So you can imagine the creator letting his imagination going to town. 'Hmm what does womens fur smell like?' It's a very sexy scent. I don't get the animalic smell so much. It is heaven in a bottle. It lasts forever on your skin, and I adore it. This nectar is an antedote to the sickly sweet water that is consuming the mass market.

I recieved today two vintage bottles of pure perfume of Zibeline and I'm totally in love! I think they are from the '60 s. What an overwhelming scent, fantastic! The civet is not overdone, and I'm very happy with that. A lot of old perfumes have an very strong civet scent, and on me it smells like poop ;) Zibeline gives me a very feminine smell with strong floral, woody accents. Last for hours and hours, I'm só happy I found it!

Vintage parfum: aldehydric floral animalic. Reminiscent of some in DSH's menagerie series. Though this is decidedly less quiet. Beautiful, womanly, and symphonic. The initial blast of aldehydes is quite dramatic, but then mellows into a floral amber dominated by a honeyed orange blossom. The animalics play a supportive role. I likely have a more recent vintage as early editions were said to be more animalic.

This fragrance also has some yellow flowers in its heart... and not ylang, necessarily. Am I getting immortelle or mimosa or linden, maybe? I also believe there is some opoponax in the base.

I am totally with Imoore here! I have perfume bottles from the 60's (Madame Rochas) and they only whished they could make perfume as good as back then.....

spicy oriental with a powdery aspect with civet, sandalwood, tonka, maybe a hint of oakmoss/vetiver, rose, iris

Simply a classic in perfumery standards. Fantastic.

Originally a perfume to be sprayed on fur coats, Zibeline is an aldehydic civet perfume a lot like Kouros; it’s technically a feminine but would work great on a guy. The hissy, baked-rocks scent of civet is actually more of a topnote than a basenote, IMO; it comes out right away, along with the airy aldehydes, and makes for a satisfying blend of elegance and animalism. At the same time, Zibeline has the herbal scent of tarragon and a little citrus brightness; the top is wonderfully dry, sharp, and shining. The heart notes are a lot mellower; I can feel a beige tonka-iris blend that makes me think of floor wax or old-fashioned leather purses, the smell of maintaining fine things. It’s the same almost-sweet, ultra-smooth scent I recognized in Troupe. There’s also musk in the drydown giving a dusty, almost mushroomy shadow to the whole affair. Zibeline is softer than Kouros, and greener, and lacking the indolic jasmine; Kouros is an 80’s perfume, which usually means “loud and distinctive”, while Zibeline is from 1928 and has more moving parts and fewer sharp edges. I may like Kouros better, but it’s hard to say for sure. Kouros is more golden, Zibeline is a sand-dollar beige up top and a warmer terra-cotta down below. Zibeline is a lovely example of what I think of as a “beige perfume” — civet, aldehydes, musk, sandalwood, iris, tonka, all scents with a “pale, neutral” tonality that make a perfume blend into your skin rather than standing out. It’s understated, natural, gently warm. I love it.

I don not understand the raves about old perfumes being intact! Alcohol preserves most of the real ingredients and if it is kept in a COLD DARK place it can last and last. Does Perfumes Have an Expiration Date? NO, UNLESS KEPT BADLY, AND THEREFORE THEY TURNED!