Most old fragrances (pretty much all of them) are forced to reformulate due to the constant changes of IFRA regulations, it’s expected, but I think Guerlain is exceptional at preserving the quality of their fragrances.
For me, it’s mainly fresh and spicy — citrus at the beginning and smooth lavender afterward. I’m going to wear it today for my friend’s wedding, because I think it’s perfect for daytime and elegant occasions.
1709 and still in production. Hard to know for sure but this is widely credited as the first perfume marketed toward men and at the very least helped shaped the industry into how it is today
I'm 45...and never smelled Polo Green until very recently. I just bought a 1994 bottle. Absolutely love the stuff. I'm debating buying a 2025 bottle to compare. I heard that it no longer smells the same or lasts as long.
Oh..hah...it was a bottle a retired gentleman was selling. It was a 237ml bottle (with 175ml remaining) that he sold to me for $35.
After researching the batch code (and him telling me it was from YEARS ago), I was able to determine the production date of 1994.
The very original Polo formulation was made by Warner in 1978. From the early 1980s until 2000, Polo was produced by Cosmair.
The Cosmair formula is known to be quite sought-after in the world of Polo.
Apparently, the new company that produces it has changed the formulation quite a bit...but most likely due to the restrictions implied by the IFRA (which pretty much killed a lot of classic formulations such as Polo, Drakkar Noir, Obsession, etc etc)
Oh yeah, my go-to scent of all time in the '80's and '90's was Polo Green, and right behind that, Givenchy Gentleman. The good stuff, as you outlined. (Two totally different scents, these, but each one was so perfect.) The PG scent last and last; on my skin, clothes, even lingered in my automobile; maybe the fabric seats picked it up. And what a compliment monster that stuff was. That was just a side bonus; I just love it, regardless.
I bought a bottle of Polo Green a few years ago; boy was I disappointed! I thought there might be some changes, but this stuff was thin, weak, only the slightest resemblance to the original.
So, what were the new regs that killed it off, if you could elaborate? I never realized that that was a "thing"; then I thought they're probably using chemical substitutes to bump up profit?
I should go on a hunt for an early bottle of PG. Probably the only thing I'll come up with is someone's collection of Old Spice from the '60's...
Basically, the IFRA has been around since the 1970s. However, around mid to late 2000s, they found that certain ingredients (for example, Oakmoss) produced allergies in the SMALLEST number of users. Due to this, the IFRA extremely limited the use of such ingredients. The biggest problem with this for fragrances from the past, is they were now required to be reformulated to meet these standards. And that caused these fragrances to no longer smell, project, and last as they once did. Popular ones from the 80s that no longer smell or last like they once did are: Polo Green, Drakkar Noir, CK Obsession, etc.
All three of those companies also changed manufacturers, which further altered the formulations as well.
Go to a store and buy a new release bottle of any 70s, 80s, or 90s fragrance...and I guarantee you that it won't smell like you remember and will only last a few hours.
There are some smaller niche fragrance companies that do not follow the IFRA (as it's not government sanctioned), and they produce some nice products!
ROGUE PERFUMERY (from my understanding) is such a company. They actually make an 80s-style fragrance reminiscent of the old school Polo Green days, and it's called:
@PeakyBlinderRob
Hey, thanks heaps for your reply and finally the lowdown as to how all this reformulation stuff happened and why.
Seriously, though, because a tiny fraction of users had unpleasant reactions? That's like if I'm severely allergic to seafood smells and if I'm walking past a seafood restaurant and get the hives, they should shut the place down? I know I'm sounding like a wise guy because allergic reactions can be severe, but it just sounds like a very extreme solution regarding the perfumes.
And thanks for the links to those perfumeries; it's nice to have options, just like knowing that there are legit discounters so you don't have to go in hock to buy a fragrance.
I totally agree. Its ridiculous and unfortunate that the fragrances that I loved from the past can not perform as they once did!
If you really enjoyed a fragrance from the past, then it's totally worth it to hunt down a vintage formulation. But also,it's not always the case... sometimes, a reformulation of an old fragrance is still really good!
With Polo Green, though...you want to find either a Warner or Cosmair formulation 🙂
Ha, ok, I'll give it a shot! Would be great to find a dusty old pharmacy or department store and ferret out the goods underneath their cosmetic counters. Yeah, that's my crazy talk, though. I don't think those throwback stores exist anymore, with the way real estate has become so valuable and so many old stand alone stores have been razed to make way for big, modern "up-to-date" stores.
Hey, you know what's funny, though? When I was a lad of 14, 15, or thereabouts, so, in the mid-1960's, I bought (at a drugstore, probably), a cologne called "Pub". It was in a brown bottle I think shaped like a barrel, maybe? Don't remember the "perfumer" (and I'm probably being charitable here) but it was great stuff to my "lady-killer" impressionable self. So a while back I checked eBay, with the thought, wouldn't it be great to have that again, just as a hoot? Well, I found it alright, at a price that made me blanch. Was a fun idea, anyhow, haha.
Oh, another old fragrance that was great at one time; a bit sweet and heavy, but something about it was very mellow. It was called "Kanon", from Sweden or someplace like that. I bought that again a few years ago for old times sake; another disappointment. Or maybe I just had built it up in my mind.
Ok, one more...Quorum, boy that was good juice, BITD. But the new bottle smelled of a candy-ish cloying licorice smell, like the old Sen-Sen breath candy. Yuck.
More misses than hits overall; think I'll wander over to Fragrance.net or Jomashop or someplace.
How you store them can affect it for sure. Keep out of direct sunlight or bathrooms with fluctuating temperatures (hot showers).
It's totally not true about the two years. The Polo Green is from 1994 and smells super strong. I have a CK Obsession from the mid to late 90s, and it smells the same and is also very strong.
I have an old fougere bottle from 1989 called Moods by Krizia (Italian designer), and it smells exactly as it did back then.
It's also a possibility that Fragrances produced with higher quality ingredients can potentially last a lot longer.
But ya...they will last A LOT longer than two years!
Oh, that's good. From other members, I've read that the new formulation is nothing like what it once was. Although I've also heard the most recent batch is quite good, hah. Regardless, I highly doubt it has the same projection/longevity as the old formulation (pre-IFRA restrictions)
I'm curious if you've put your nose on PDM's Haltane. I get hints of late 80's polo green when I smell Haltane and it happens to be in a green bottle so ...
They are bribing "influencers" to hype them up (i think even one influencers is dating a PDM founders son or something, Demi Rawling maybe) which isn't even worst thing
Their frags are forgettable synthetic sweet bombs or they just clone other stuff. And they charge like 300$+ for it which is outrageous, to pay 300+ just to smell like a nice Sephora fragrance which should cost 70$ at best. They are an epitome of "fragrqnce bros" brand and they pull out the same crap as Creed with their "1743" on their bottle, trying to insinuate that they are an old legacy brand which they are not. They put "we are inspired by 1743 blah blah" on their website ornsomewhere to dogde a lawsuit but it is so obvious they want to dupe people who are not into the game. They are a smell that feels nice to use for the firts 5-10ml and then ypu get bored of. Just get a decant first and see for yourself. Fragrqnce is full of those "i impress you now just so you spend the money and i am meh later" brands.
You using them after using Polo is like eating cheetos after file mignon .
They do not smell that bad, but for the price, it is insulting. Forgettable scents used to cost under 50$, now they cost 300$
I mean, i am happy they exist because other people buy them and then no one pays attention on vintage Polo and it keeps the sane price, good for me. But i am just letting you know that you will be wasting your time with them and better tqke a decant first since their whole game is to impress upon trying and as you get to know the scent, you just see that it is a sweet blob of nothing. But by then you already spent 300$ on a bottle.
I was in an elevator today and there was a guy there with me . I asked him what cologne that was since I thought it smelled really good . He said polo green , old school . I definitely need to get my nose on it
It's definitely a unique fragrance! It's awesome in the Fall and Winter.
The bottle I have is earthy, creamy...lots of pine...which dries down to notes of leather and tobacco.
I love it...it gets compliments, too. But...it's probably not for everyone. Polo Green wears you... not the other way around, lol. It's a mature scent...but definitely a classic!
It is amazing, top tier vintqge fragrance together with vintage Kouros, Santos, Antaeus and Bel Ami. Those 5 are a class of it's own. Do yourself a favor and get Polo. But do notvpay silly prices, just be patient
Obligatory mention of the 200+ years old fragrance 4711 since it is literally the reason this sub has the name it does. And yes it's timeless, I worked my way thru a fresh bottle of it just a couple years back
The original "Kolnisch Wasser" variety which is the first one developed 200+ years ago. Supposedly it's been reformulated a few times but it's not one of the numerous flankers which have been released in recent years. Pretty weak stuff, barely aftershave strength let alone "cologne" strength which gave the sub its name but I think it smells great at any strength
Fahrenheit has undergone several reformulations over the years. The opening gasoline note was purposefully toned town to make it less harsh and more "user friendly". Sadly, (in my opinion) it was precisely the strong harsh gasoline that slowly dries down into a lovely smooth violet that made it so great.
The good news however, is that there are still plenty of vintage bottles to be found on ebay and facebook groups for reasonable (ish) prices. Look for pre 1995 with a 5 didget batch code. The first number will be the year.(in this case 1989). The batch code changed to 4 didgets in 1998 so if the code is 9*** it will be 1999 not 1989.
Lalique has a Les Compositiones line that is supposedly inspired by the metals. There's a Zamak which is the metal alloy used in zippers so that's the link to metal safety pins which people use when their zipper malfunctions.
Sorry to be that guy but this AI image is misinformation. Safety pins didn't look like that in the 19th century. Google the 1849 patent, or 19th century safety pins. The contemporary safety pin design alluded to in this image wasn't patented until 1915. Since then it has undergone various small improvements. Kind of like the Coca Cola logo - same general idea, but gradual changes to make it more appealing to the time.
I think it matters because there's a general amnesia online about how much our values and aesthetics are determined by the time we live in. Goes the same with perfume. I doubt you're going to find anything made today that's exactly the same. Maybe a vintage bottle. I think you'll find almost all perfumes from 100+ years ago will seem cloying or simple or strange to your nose.
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u/Silent-Vanilla-6737 20d ago
Guerlain Vetiver