Clea

Aldehydes are obviously missing from the notes. This is from the time people still liked to smell clean and I will never understand how that can become unfashinonable. What? Ladies of respectable age are the only ones that are supposed to smell like soap? What is wrong with this world ? Anyway, I love this. There is nothing screechy or metallic in this. Floral aldehydes sometimes are abrasive and cold. This little darling is everything but. It's delightfully indulgent, creamy and soapy. It melts and merge with skin. The base is a very welcoming amber, noble wood and vanilla. As much as I enjoy discovering challenging perfumes, I rarely enjoy wearing them. I prefer comfort and quality. I'm so glad I have finally bought it. It's still sold at YR Benelux websites and often at half price. I'm glad to have found out that the person behind it's conception is Françoise Caron, that explains a lot. She was impressive. Also, since there was 60eth birthday edition some time ago, this baby was probably early 60ies child. It is in the same style as Calèche, Climat and Madame Rochas. Those 70ies ads prove earlier than 1980 existence. By the way, this is classic floral aldéhyde. There is nothing chypré about it, no structure, no attitude. Just because someone proclaimed something "chypré", that doesn't make it so. Also, just because there is a bit of bergamot and patchouli in something, it's not necessarily chypré. But, it's a start.

I've been hesitating for a month to purchase a $70 bottle of the new formulation/new bottled Guerlain Liu. I've been collecting chypres for four years now. I soon discovered that I often like bargain/drug store chypres as much as I like designer and luxury chypres. I've also had my eye out for a vintage bottle of Clea. I bought four bottles, two large and two small, for $30, while the Liu is still on hold. I mention Liu because I'm thrilled by this vintage Clea chypre. The seller has clearly tried and failed to clean off decades of crud from the bottles and caps, but the juice is clear and in great shape in all 4 bottles. Vintage Clea opens a soapy aldehydic chypre and the charming molecules have "natural" vibrations, and are very satisfying. 30 minutes in, the aldehyde fades and it becomes gorgeous. Though projection dies off quickly with old bottles, so it is basically a skin scent. Clea is often discussed as a parfum de maman but I experience it as languidly carnal, in a friendly way, in comparison to today's conceptual, high-tech, post-IFRA concoctions. In short - the original molecules of the time of manufacture + age in the bottle = a luxurious treat in 2024. And in Europe there are bottles of the vintage all over the internet, often attracting little interest. Sellers list vintage bottles for prices ranging from $20 to $120! A $20 bottle is likely to be a successful purchase.

I like this very much. Many reviewers seem to think it smells like Chanel n° 5, and I agree. But as much as I dislike N°5, I love Clea ! I find it a lot more subtle and elegant and, unlike some I actually think it is more modern and less "loud" than other more famous - and more expensive !- aldehydic fragrances. The thing is I associate strong aldehydic scents with haughty, upper class French women who used to wear them during the seventies. I was only a teenager then, but I remember how the powerful aldehydes or chypre notes that surrounded them always seemed to remind me I was just some kind of peasant. Clea is much more understated, but manages to be just as classy and sophisticated. The amber is very noticeable, a bit too much for my liking since I am no fan of amber, but it does make the fragrance less formal than, say, Hermes Caleche. I call it my "little black dress " scent, because I know I can reach for it on almost any occasion without wondering whether it is appropriate : I just know it will be. And it is one of the very few fragrances that agree with my skin chemistry during the colder season, with very good lasting power. I wouldn't wear it in summer or spring though, at least not during the day as I find it to be a warm, intimate kind of fragrance.

My mom’s favourite fragrance. It’s an old story but I’m sharing it, I remember my mom CONSTANTLY talking about Yves Rocher’s “Cléa” perfume, she said, “It was the best perfume I ever smelled, it was a long time ago... I smelled it and when I thought about buying it, it was discontinued.” Very sad for mommy, about 20 - 30 years have passed, and she never forgot it. It breaks my heart, I guess we all know that feeling. We’ve all been there, we found THE amazing thing, we are waiting for a better moment and put it aside thinking that it will always be there the day we come back... But then this is where we miss the opportunity. Moreover disgust, anger, sadness and then regrets take over. When I was old enough to do my own research, I found some resellers on vinted. So I then gifted to my mom (the old format). She was literally so happy. But so was I. She then said that the scent was still there, and that in fact, the perfume had not really expired. She used all the fragrance, and kept the bottle as a souvenir. ♡

It reminds me of my childhood while spending time with my grandparents. When I smelled it back then I found it nice but too mature for me. But now I bought a bottle on ebay and I must say, it s the most gorgious perfume of all time!! I m so enjoying it when wearing it outside and the wind is sharing it with me even more!! I cant get enough of it! It s so comforting and so warming , and unlike most fragances of nowadays. AND IT DOES HAVE A LOT IN COMMON WITH THE NEW PERFUME LA PANTHERE in a way YOU CAN T TELL THEM APART AT SOME POINT. But even so, I like clea more than La Panthere, since La Panthere is sharper so it gives away a lot of its comforting quality. Not the speak of the difference in price!!