Lauren
Ralph Lauren (1978)

Bernard Chant is one of my favorite perfumers. his perfumes has depth, richness and so much sophistication they are hard to beat. This is what also makes them so interesting to wear over and over again. Lauren isn't cheap or brash, it's well made and rather ladylike. Sophisticated in a quiet way. These attributes are the polar opposites of what I like in Chant creations, my favorites run towards the deep, and dark and stuff.

However, Vintage Lauren is a real beauty, great example of how splendid perfumery used to be. It reminds me of a cosy but elegant florist's shop. The smell itself is like freshly cut flowers with a hint of flower water smell added to it. It is unique in that I've never smelled anything remotely like it, and it does seem to get stronger when heat is present. A nod to the 70s in the top: at the start, the galbanum almost imperceptively recalls green perfumes like Silences by Jacomo. I do not detetect much moss, even in the dry down phase.

With the original Lauren, you'd want to spray lightly and let it fall on your clothes or the dry down would be an experience, but once settled on skin, hair, and clothing, you'd be enveloped in a personal cloud of pure perfection. The new version, is disappointing. It is not as sophisticated green as fragrances like Aliage, Ivoire, but i appreciate Lauren for the reason it is made. The composition is beautiful. It is not supposed to be strong. It is ladylike and understated. It is the olfactory expression of Helen Reddy's song "I am Woman." Dated ? Maybe to some people since there is no pear , marshmallow, praline, or honey!

One of my favorites of all time! I miss it! So feminine, and Fresh. When I used to wear it I felt light, happy, and beautiful. I wish I could find other scents I love this much. It was not the most long lasting, but still so worth it. I enjoyed the initial spray, so reapplying was a no brained. I received so many compliments when I wore this.

Buy only the vintage, shouldn't be hard to find. When I was in high school, the poor girls wore Love's Baby Soft, middle class girls wore Vanderbilt ("Smells like Juicy Fruit gum." said a friend of mine disdainfully) and the rich girls wore Lauren. They had flawless taste. Lauren is a big wallop of basil up top, followed by violets, rose, soap, powder and sandalwood. Very classic and classy, Lauren is marvelous. If I could bathe in this stuff, I would. You need to bring this back, Ralphy-poo.

When this girl lost her "bite" and became just another "wearable" green floral, she may have gained access to the office circa the 21st Century, but she lost what made her interesting in the first place.

Reminds me of R-rated movies that have the curse words dubbed in with "freakin" and "gosh darn" just to make it past the sensors.

A nice, but not earth-shattering green floral. Bonus points for keeping the bottle intact.

This defined and era--a spicy, floral chypre with enough oomph to stand proud among the 80s powerhouses. Lauren perfectly captured the zeitgeist of its time and was the olfactory extension--along with Polo--of the "Ralph Lauren" lifestyle that so resonated at the time. How many girls went off to college armed with a bottle of Lauren? How many sorority house pledge porches were suffused with the smell of Lauren? How many women, like my sister, still cling to this as their adult signature scent? A lot, I would wager, despite the poor reformulation.

Roja Dove tells us that Bernard Chant, who created the great chypre, Cabochard, is behind Ralph Lauren's signature scent.

He calls it a "fresh, spicy chypre" and notes the addition of violet, marigold and jonquil to the classic chypre pyramid.

Turin is not impressed with the reformulation, calling it a "muguet pretender" and giving it only two stars.

Top notes: Orange, Tarragon, Petitgrain, Marigold, Rosewood, Pineapple, Spearmint
Heart notes: Bulgarian Rose, Violet, Lilac, Jasmine, Muguet, Cyclamen, Jonquil, Clove
Base notes: Cedarwood, Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Carnation, Musk

The original Lauren was truly a nice spicy chypre, similar to R&G's Le Jade or Gres' Homme de Gres, not extraordinary, but perfectly nice if you love chypres. The reformulation smells to me like a green plastic mess, totally undistinguished.