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Welcome to my unique perfume blog! Here, you'll find detailed, encyclopedic entries about perfumes and companies, complete with facts and photos for easy research. This site is not affiliated with any perfume companies; it's a reference source for collectors and enthusiasts who cherish classic fragrances. My goal is to highlight beloved, discontinued classics and show current brand owners the demand for their revival. Your input is invaluable! Please share why you liked a fragrance, describe its scent, the time period you wore it, any memorable occasions, or what it reminded you of. Did a relative wear it, or did you like the bottle design? Your stories might catch the attention of brand representatives. I regularly update posts with new information and corrections. Your contributions help keep my entries accurate and comprehensive. Please comment and share any additional information you have. Together, we can keep the legacy of classic perfumes alive!

Monday, August 17, 2015

So You Want to Buy a Fragrance from The Vermont Country Store?

Before you make a purchase on one of your favorite discontinued perfumes, please keep in mind that it may NOT be the same as what you wore years ago. The Vermont Country Store carries two types of perfumes: those made directly from the original manufacturers such as Lanvin, Jean Patou, etc.

The other type is the recreated vintages made by a new company, usually Long Lost Perfumes/Irma Shorell and Timeless Perfumes/Evyan Perfumes Inc, but they are NOT the genuine formula. No one knows the genuine formulas so they attempt to recreate it. Sometimes they get it very close to the original, but on some fragrances reviewers say they are way off.



Another thing to keep in mind is that due to the restrictions imposed by IFRA, many of the original ingredients used in your favorite perfume are now restricted or banned completely as they are now classified as allergens, carcinogens or due to their toxicity cannot be used in the manufacture of perfumes now such as bergamot and oakmoss. So much of the perfumes that are made in the last few years have been reformulated to conform to these new rules.

Some of the ingredients used in making your favorite perfume are no longer available to perfume companies so they have to use substitutes, such as aroma chemicals and other synthetic ingredients such as animalic notes like natural musk, civet or ambergris. Some ingredients known as bases, were prefabricated accords of various chemicals or natural essences made to produce a certain effect in perfumery, many of these prefab bases are no longer available and you can only find these in vintage versions of the perfume.

Also many of these fragrances have been reformulated to reflect modern tastes, so they have been changed. Much of the perfume has been made lighter, airier, and not as heavy or intense as it originally was.

However, the Evening in Paris is the new reformulation from the 1990s when Chanel bought out Bourjois and reformulated it and relaunched it. It doesn't smell much like the original which had a beautiful sweetness to it, but I still found it nice to wear.

White Shoulders is the reformulation made by Elizabeth Arden since 1989. It isn't too bad. I have some of these myself.

The Penhaligons perfumes are still made by Penhaligon's in England.

Interlude is still made by Frances Denney.

Arpege is still made by Lanvin.

Joy is still made by Jean Patou.

The Blue Grass is still made by Elizabeth Arden.

Femme is still by Rochas.

Maja is still made by Myrurgia.

The L'Aimant, Emeraude, L'Origan and Muguet du Bois are still made by Coty.

The Lucien Lelong perfumes are from the new Lucien Lelong company, they are pretty good, but lack the intensity that the original vintages have.

The Jungle Gardenia is by the resurrected Evyan Perfumes Inc company also doing business as Timeless Perfumes. Timeless Perfumes is not associated with the previous manufacturer of any original fragrance. They also make their own versions of beloved but discontinued favorites like:

  • Cie (by Jacqueline Cochran/Shulton)
  • Pique (by Paula Kent/Redken)
  • Imprevu (by Coty)
  • Chimere (by Prince Matchabelli)
  • Carnation (by Mary Chess)
  • Eau de Love (by Menley & James/MEM)
  • Fame (by Corday)
  • Flora Danica (by Royal Copenhagen)
  • Forever Krystle (by Carrington)
  • Geminesse (by Max Factor)
  • Great Lady (by Evyan)
  • Havoc (by Mary Quant)
  • Musky Jasmine (by Love's)
  • Styx (by Coty)
  • Taji (by Shulton)
  • Midnight (by Tussy)
  • Mary Chess Tuberose Gardenia (by Mary Chess)
  • Electric Youth (by Debbie Gibson)
  • Scandal (by Lanvin)
  • Babe (by Faberge)
  • Fiamma (by Princess Marcella Borghese)
  • Scoundrel (by Revlon)
  • Blue Stratos (by Shulton)


The Hai Karate (originally made by Leeming Pfizer) is made by a new company, Miners International.

Jade East (originally by Swank) is made by a new company called Songo since 2005.

Over the years The Vermont Country Store has sold the recreated perfumes by Irma Shorell/Long Lost Perfumes such as:

  • Bakir (by Germaine Monteil)
  • Replique (by Raphael)
  • Casaque (by Jean d'Albret)
  • Apple Blossom (by Helena Rubinstein)
  • My Sin (by Lanvin)
  • Crepe de Chine (by Millot)
  • Ecusson (by Jean d'Albret)
  • Memoire Cherie (by Elizabeth Arden)
  • Uninhibited (by Cher)
  • Most Precious (by Evyan)
  • Sortilege (by Le Galion)
  • Intimate (by Revlon)
  • Gardenia (by Tuvache)
  • Bond Street (by Yardley)
  • Maroc (by Ultima II)
  • Tuxedo (by Ralph Lauren)
  • Venezia (by Laura Biagiotti)
  • Golden Autumn (by Prince Matchabelli)
  • Braggi  (by Revlon)
  • Pub (by Revlon)

as well as some of Irma Shorell/Long Lost Perfumes own branded perfumes which are recreations of vintages such as:
  • Cannes (knockoff of Deneuve by Catherine Deneuve)
  • Duality (knockoff based on Anne Klein II)
  • Anarchy (knockoff of Chaos by Donna Karan)

They had to rename these as the names were already trademarked by someone else.

The Tuvaché trademark was acquired by Irma Shorell in 1999, and today the Tuvaché brand is owned by Hypoluxe Inc. Hypoluxe Inc. began introducing new fragrances under the Tuvaché brand in 2012. The Tuvache company has released some recreated and reformulated versions of:

  • Oh de London (by Yardley)
  • Tuvache Jungle Gardenia
  • Tuvache Gardenia 1933
  • Tuvache Gardenia 2012
  • Tuvache Nectaroma
  • Tuvache Tuvara



I hope this helps you all...If you are unhappy with your perfume from the Vermont Country Store, they will let you return it, so that is a good thing :)

 If you tried any of these fragrances - please share your experiences with us.

I still urge you to buy vintage versions of your favorites whenever possible.

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