Private Collection strikes me as darkly exhuberant, if there is such a thing, and it smells truly American, big, blunt, unabashed and unaffected. Estee Lauder was undoubtably influenced by the the fierce French perfumes of the 20's and 30's, Bandit, Tabac Blond and En Avion, as well as Vent Vert from the 40's, and Cabochard from the 50's, all of which feel linked to both Private Collection and the original Azuree. Diorling, Dioressence and Diorella also fit the bill. All of these are scents for women with strong senses of themselves and their abilities, which was a perfect evocation of what was happening to women here in the 70's. I wonder if women of those earlier periods wore perfume aspirationally as I did? I often say that some people wear my shoes as symbols of the people they want to be, perhaps perfume is an expression of this desire as well.
I'm continuing to explore the original scents of the 70's, Coriandre is very appealing to me, as well as Lauder's Aliage, and I adore my sample of Piguet's Futur, but neither Cinnabar nor Aromatics Elixir hit the spot, the former is a bit cloying, the latter the opposite, a bit too cold. I'd love to get my hands on more Futur (in my dreams), the original Sikkim, Amazone, and Calandre for more exploration of this period. I've got a bit of Rive Gauche, for which I have the same ambivalent fascination as I had in the 70's, I guess I'm still just not that kind of gal. Givenchy III and Chanel 19 were the scents I wore easily in those days, wonderfully bracing and galvanizing for me as a young woman, still lovely but not nearly as appealing to me now as Private Collection, which I've finally grown into.
It's the dark green/dark floral quality of this composition that makes it so unusual, particularly the use of Pine (I keep thinking "forest floor") which it shares with Aliage, which is brighter and more floral without losing its earthiness. Original Private Collection's notes are listed as: Citrus Notes (Bergamot?), Green Notes (definitely Galbanum), Hyacinth, Narcissus, Rose, Jasmin, Pine (!), Oakmoss, Cedar, Amber, and Musk. Now that I see them I realize that it's the Galbanum, Narcissus, Oakmoss and Pine that sing out to me, all with matched intensity, breaking out like rays of light through a pine forest, which is another salient image from my early life, voila!
I was 16 in 1973, the year Private Collection came out, and
to me it smelled like the grown up woman I wanted to be. It wasn't easy for me to wear in
the 70's, I often wore it alone, and on special evenings out, a bit leery of
its intensity. It's still pretty
demanding, but it is no longer an aspirational scent for me, when I wear it, I know
that I'm finally "there" 37 years later, ouch!
Almost all of the scents mentioned in this post are covered on the wonderful blog Yesterday's Perfume, which I have linked in a few spots, and I encourage you to check out if you are a Vintage perfume lover as well. If you are interested in seeking out original versions of the Lauder scents, I suggest you go for the darkest juice, as they are the closest to the ones that were on my mother's perfume shelf at the time.
Loved the photos, loved your post! Private Collection is hands down my favorite Estee Lauder perfume. It's one of those scents that, while evocative of the '70s, transcends them . . . so uniquely unto itself it's hard to describe, but I think you nailed it when you called it "darkly exuberant." Yes, perfect!
Posted by: Suzanne | January 05, 2010 at 03:35 PM
I wore Jean Nate and Fracas and Joy "borrowed" from Mom.I also loved Givenchy Le De. but that was a bit "lady"for me. my brother's girlfriend wore Rive Gauche, but I couldn't and his wife wore Fidji from Givenchy.Now I'm a mad mixer and can't bear wearing only one scent. I have to mix everything up and have a different "thing"happening every time
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Posted by: Jeanie | January 05, 2010 at 10:21 PM
Love to hear from you here! You wore Fracas, really? Funny how we both couldnt wear Rive Gauche though. Keep up the Mad Mixing! XXX
Posted by: Qwendy | January 06, 2010 at 01:15 AM
Suzanne, yet another episode of scent-twindom! There must be others. PC definitely transcends time in a way that many dont. Lets wear it tomorrow!
Posted by: Qwendy | January 06, 2010 at 01:20 AM
Thanks for the sweet shoutout, Qwendy. You've inspired me to take a dip into Estee Lauder's library of scents! I just got Cinnabar in the mail, and want to revisit Youth Dew (which is an acquired taste for sure!). Let me know when you're ready for the ol' swappity swap! I also like the idea of thinking about fragrances through the decades. My perfume sniffing has been so random, but one of these days I will begin to think in decades, too! Great post!
Posted by: Perfumaniac | January 07, 2010 at 09:43 AM
Hi back, I cant wait to hear what you say about the Lauders! Scents always seem to evoke decades to me (excluding the 90s and 2000s of course ; ) In books and perfume and movies I always get moved to look at concurrent things when I get excited about something.
Swap time is coming up soon, I promise! XXX
Posted by: Qwendy | January 08, 2010 at 12:07 PM
I have Lauder Conflict.
I approve of Estee Lauder. I remember reading that it's still associated with the family, and that they still insist on the baseline fragrances (White Linen, etc.) being affordable. I don't know if it's true, but it made me like them.
And when a perfume is from a not-French company, I like it to have a not-French name. (Not that I object to French perfume, but I see no reason why one language should own the whole perfume vocabulary.) So I like the Lauder names.
Problem is, I still can't like the fragrances, except for Jasmine White Moss. I try modern White Linen over and over, getting past one note only to be tripped up by another.
So I think I'm off to hunt down a decant of Private Collection. Those notes (Galbanum! Galbanum!), and your review, make it sound like a Lauder I might be able to bond with.
ChickenFreak
Posted by: M. Wilson | January 14, 2010 at 02:08 PM
Hi CF, Im totally with you on the Lauder Approval and Conflict (except I cant find ONE contemporary offering to like except Youth Dew, and how contemporary is that ?! ) which is why I loved rediscovering the original formulas from the 70s. Our Lauder Approval is based on the past anyway, as the present has certainly been overtaken by contemporary marketing and formulations, albeit by true Lauders, so dip into the originals, easy to find on ebay, as I know I cant offer you any of mine ; )
Posted by: Qwendy | January 17, 2010 at 02:51 PM
Great post. I always love to read about others who have time related fragrance memories. I was a pre-teen in the seventies, but I have tons of fragrance memories from the time due to my mother. Neither fragrance was particularly high-end, though she did have a treasured bottle of Joy that she wore on special occasions.
I was given two thing by her as a child--one I know because I was just so enchanted by it-a solid Charlie perfume in a gold hippo. Charlie, not glamorous by any means, but very 70s. I lost it along the way, but scored one years ago on Ebay. Every so often I'll open it up for a whiff. I almost lost my marbles when I caught a curious friend shoving her finger into the waxy perfume!
The second thing she gave me was a miniature bottle of Halston. I guess it was either a sample or a GWP. In any case, I doused my Barbies with the fragrance, and oddly this was around the same time I was starting to become sexually curious-as were my Barbies. I bought a bottle at some off-price retailer and every blue moon when I'm in some vintage Diane V wrap dress I'll spritz it on and imagine I'm hob-knobbing with Bianca, Capote and Halston at Studio 54.
Posted by: jessica | January 18, 2010 at 11:37 PM
OMG that Vogue cover! And that halter dress! I often say those who feel nostalgia for the past should have to live in it for awhile. Still...I loved the 70's in LA, before it turned into New York, all that stuff that Woody Allen mocked so well in "Annie Hall." The whole decade has gotten a seriously bad rep, but I think that's because those who were there are just a little, er, embarrassed.
Unfortunately, vintage PC goes plasticky on me. Which is just sad. Many of the Lauder scents do. There's something about that base. Still, though, like you, I appreciate the American-ness of them and also EL's insistence that fragrance doesn't not have to cost an arm and leg to be good.
Posted by: Olfacta | January 22, 2010 at 07:52 AM
Hi Pat! Gosh I can't imagine what's in the base to do that on you, so sorry! I do know all too well the sensation of not smelling what other people are in one scent or another, it happens to me all the time......
I wish I knew the LA you lived in, but I was in NY, watching Woody Allen films ; )
Posted by: Qwendy | January 22, 2010 at 10:04 PM
Beautiful post! I am glad you have found Barbara at Yesterday's Perfume, you two have a lot to say to each other...
Posted by: Lucy | January 24, 2010 at 05:32 AM
Me too! Sadly she wont be around when Im in NY, it would be heaven to sniff with you both!!!
Posted by: Qwendy | January 24, 2010 at 11:05 AM
I'm with Olfacta there on approving of Lauder's general philosophy regarding wearability and reasonable price point of perfume for adults - but not being able to wear a single one. Not one! There is something in the base that nauseates me: two hours in, I'm gagging and running for the soap, no matter what it is, or how beautiful it was before. I thought vintage might break the curse, and found mini bottles of PC and Knowing. Both were gorgeous for a couple of hours, and then That Base showed up.
Isn't Yesterdays Perfume a terrific blog? Always enjoy those reviews!
Posted by: Mals86 | January 28, 2010 at 08:27 AM
Hi there, nice blog! Wow, thats so interesting, we all are so different arent we? Only Cinnabar has that effect on me, although I havent tried the newer classics like White Linen etc. Im happy we found eachother anyway, and ditto on Yesterdays Perfume!
Posted by: Qwendy | January 29, 2010 at 03:43 PM
i love it infact attract me alot thanks
Posted by: women perfume | February 06, 2010 at 12:02 PM
I had no idea Private Collection is from the 70s! I love how heavy it is..you wear it and walk into a room and it just says LADY PERFUME to everyone. Now I am thinking it was for women who wanted to compete with essential oils that everyone was discovering in that decade.
Posted by: Laurie | February 09, 2010 at 11:35 PM
Hi Laurie, thanks for stopping by! YES, thats exactly why I loved it so much as a teenager, yet felt so daunted by it! And your take on PC and the essential oil trend of the time is brill -- thats probably why everyone pestered EL to make her own Private Blend public. I well know how it is to be behind/ahead of trends when they catch up!
Posted by: Qwendy | February 10, 2010 at 03:09 PM
Great post. for the past couple of years I have also been getting nostalgic for the Seventies and the perfumes that remind me of that decade. My mom had a solid perfume compact of Aliage, and she wore Charlie, so I bought both fragrances. I've also acquired Halston, Ciara, and Enjoli (remember the commercial "I can bring home the bacon..."). All of the classic cyphers seem autumnal to me too. Of course I also had to pick up Jontue and Love's Baby Soft because I wore those as a teen in the 70s and early 80s. It's nice to know there's someone else reliving the 70s through perfume. I never tried Private Collection, but now I think I'll pick up some of that too.
Posted by: Roxiemcmoxie.wordpress.com | October 11, 2012 at 09:05 AM