Indiscret by Lucien Lelong c1936

Indiscret by Lucien Lelong: launched in 1936. Pronounced as "AN-DEES-KRAY", in French it means "heedless, indiscreet."

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? The vintage version was classified as a crisp, green chypre fragrance with floral and spicy notes over ambergris.

• Top notes:  mandarin, neroli, bergamot, galbanum and orange blossom
• Heart notes: carnation, rose absolute, jasmine, cypress, basil, clove, violet, ylang-ylang, tuberose, rose geranium, lavender and iris
• Base notes: orris, oakmoss, sandalwood, cedar, vetiver, patchouli, Guaiac wood, white musk and ambergris

The New Yorker, 1943:

" Lelong: His Indiscret, one of the spicier perfumes around."

Atlantic Monthly, 1953:

" Indiscret perfume 2 ounces, $25.00 other sizes, $3.00 - $16.50."

Harper's Bazaar, 1956:

""Indiscret" — flowers and spice, everything nice, blended into a most dashing, fetching fragrance, by Lelong. One ounce, $16.50."

Bottles:

Most unusual is the frosted glass bottle for Indiscret, inspired by a dropped handkerchief created by Verrières Brosse. Lelong said "That is how I want the Indiscret bottle to look - as if they were folds of classical drapery."

Woman's Home Companion, 1938:

"Parfum "Indiscret," in crystal draperies, one of the world's most favored perfumes. $5 to $60."

Esquire, 1959:

" Cambodia bottle filled with Indiscret, 1/4 ounce, $17.50*, Lucien Lelong."

Another fabulous bottle is the plaster cased flacon which held Indiscret cologne.  It is made of an ivory-painted, plaster of Paris over a glass inner core. The stopper is also made up of plaster and fitted with a metal post. There is a cork liner in the bottle neck to help keep the stopper in place. The bottle and stopper are elegantly molded with flowers and vines simulating the look of carved ivory. Care must be taken when handling the bottle if you do find one, as the plaster is prone to chipping and flaking off over the last 80 years. The bottle stands 8 1/4" h. x 3 1/2" w.

Woman's Home Companion - Volume 65, 1938:

"Lucien Lelong's "Indiscret" Cologne. . . romantic ... enveloping ... in a plaster flacon. $3.75" 

Drug and Cosmetic Industry, Volume 43, 1938:

"Lelong originally started using the plaster casing on the Indiscret bottle decorated intricately with tiny flower designs, which was brought out in 1936. The white plaster casing is again used on the Impromptu Cologne bottle and is carried out in the sunburst effect which distinguishes the perfume bottle and package."

Fate of the Fragrance:

Still sold in 1977 as a 2 oz cologne mist and a 1 oz cologne splash.

Indiscret was discontinued for many years but was reformulated and relaunched in 1997. Passionate collectors of Lelong's perfumes and couture, Arnold Hayward Neis and his wife, Lucy de Puig Neis reintroduced the perfume long after the designer's death. Out of all of Lelong's perfumes, Indiscret was chosen by the couple to commemorate the ideals of the late designer. 

They couple approached the perfumery house Mane to reformulate the fragrance to adapt to modern tastes but retain some semblance of the original's classic glamour. New notes were added to create a fresher interpretation of the vintage scent. 

The bottle retains the original's design first made by Verreries Brosse, but was given an updated look by Marc Rosen. The frosted bottle lies nestled inside of a luxurious black and gold box lined with vibrant fuchsia satin.

The perfume made its debut at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City.

HAPPI, Volume 34, Issues 7-12, 1997:

"The famed French designer of the early 20th century, Lucien Lelong, originally launched his fragrances in Paris, then introduced them to the States. This year, Parfums Lucien Lelong, now owned by Arnold Hayward Neis of Englewood, NJ, is resurrecting the designer brand in New York's Bergdorf Goodman, with a European rollout slated for next year. Lelong's fashion and fragrance creations were recently the centerpiece of an exhibit at French Institute in New York. The relaunched Lucien Lelong Indiscret fragrance.... 

"Indiscret is back, Parfums Lucien Lelong, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, has relaunched he classic fragrance Indiscret, originally created by Paris fashion designer Lucien Lelong in 1936. When Mr. Lelong approached a glassmaker to produce the bottle for Indiscret, he demanded that it looks like natural folds of draped fabric. The floral fragrance is packaged in a recreation of the original design."

HAPPI, 1997:

"The relaunched Lucien Lelong Indiscret fragrance is a modernized version of the original. Changes were made based on availability of ingredients, explained Eileen Paley, vice president, product development at Parfums Lucien Lelong. The bottle, however, hasn't changed. Mr. Lelong created the original to look the way fabric naturally drapes over the body Like other revived classics, Indiscret is nothing like the sheer scents of recent years. "The trend is back to classics of fragrance," said Ms. Paley."

"The woman who wears Indiscret is sophisticated, discriminating, gloriously feminine. She has a sense of style and a sense of self, an air of glamour that is compelling yet refined. She wants her fragrance to be as memorable as her presence."

The 1997 version is classified as a complex fruity-floral fragrance for women.

• Top notes: mandarin, orange blossom, galbanum, tiger orchid, white peach blossom
• Heart notes: Algerian jasmine, French tuberose, rose, clove, rose geranium, basil, cypress, ylang ylang, iris, violet leaves
• Base notes: sandalwood, amber, vetiver, patchouli, white musk, guaiac wood, scarlet oakmoss, Egyptian amber and other exotic essential oils