Helena Rubinstein- Courant (Vintage Perfume)

There is very little information about Courant, a 1972 fragrance by Helena Rubinstein. Other than the year of creation and a general agreement that we're dealing with a chypre, nobody seems to list the notes, the nose or any other information and there is no reference to an ad campaign other than the commercial below.

You only need a semi functional nose to identify Courant as a chypre. The oakmoss can be smelled from here to IFRA and there's a sharpness in the top notes that suggests bergamot and probably some other faded citrus.The middle is fairly spicy- some clove and carnation, a hint of cinnamon and there's something bitter and fairly green that dries down into wood, moss and leather. It smells very crisp and very 1970s in the best possible way. It is more woody than Jean-Louis Scherrer and not as warm as Apercu. Back then I'm sure it was considered very feminine, today a man could easily wear it, if he found a bottle, that is.

Helena Rubinstein's Courant is another discontinued gem. It disappeared from the market even before IFRA's long hand has reached our chypres, just like Rubinstein's most other perfumes. My bottle of the EDP looks cheap with its periwinkle plastic cap that doesn't match the lovely scent inside. The EDP can be found a bit more easily than the pure parfum that came in a nicer bottle and seems to get shockingly high prices online.



Photo: Vogue, 1972