Parfums Grès Cabochard (Vintage)

Some reviews write themselves. You look up the launch year of Cabochard by Parfums Grès(1959, the perfume's advertisements from different years (the ones I used here are from 1966, 1974 and 1985) and the note list (bergamot, mandarin, galbanum, ylang ylang, jasmine, Bulgarian rose, clove, oakmoss, tobacco, musk, iris, sandalwood, vetiver, leather, castoreum, patchouli and labdanum) and you know the whole story. Cabochard is a leather chypre of the kind that is no longer made and will never be seen again because of IFRA.

Cabochard has the same cheekbones as Bandit, though not as outrageous. It's aesthetics is so different than what we consider feminine and refined today that I'd be interested to see how young women (college age, for example) who grew up in the age of empty aquatics and reformulated perfumes would react to something so strong and uncompromising. Other than feeling old, it made me think of something photographer Richard Avedon said about Dovima, the stunning model who ruled the 50s and retired in 1962:

“The ideal of beauty then was the opposite of what it is now. It stood for an extension of the aristocratic view of women as ideals, of women as dreams, of women as almost surreal objects.

It's a good reminder both of the period as well as of some of the best reasons not to idolize it. After all, we all love watching Mad Men and picture ourselves in the clothes, cars and old New York, but none of us really want to switch places with Don and Betty. But just as much of the fashion then was heartbreakingly beautiful, so were the great perfumes, and vintage Cabochard is a perfect example.

I have several bottles of both parfum and eau de toilette from various years, mostly 70s and 80s. Each smells a bit different, due to age, formula changes and who knows what else. All have the same galbanum green storm that is somehow tempered with beautiful citrus. In a couple of my bottles the citrus smells off at first, before whatever is left of it settles on the skin. Then there's smoke, a multi-layered tobacco note, an abstract (and somewhat perverse) floral hint and the glorious leather chypre base.


Returning to the Mad Men reference (obsessed? me?), Cabochard is something I could picture Rachel Menken wearing. From her statement hats and tailored outfits to her looks and personality.


Parfums Gres is no longer what it used to be, and I have a feeling that Madame Grès, a real couturier who created exquisitely draped gowns, wouldn't have been happy to know how the formulas were cheapened and the perfume mutilated again and again. The current EDT, sold at mall kiosks and discount stores for around $22 has very little to do with the real thing, just as the clothes you'd find at similar stores are not exactly Madame Grès. In The Guide, Luca Turin put it perfectly: "This is Cabochard chewed down to a frazzle by accountant moths".

Vintage bottles (the ones with the abstract black and white pattern) can still be found here and there, though their price on eBay has been climbing steadily. An EDP (in the new glossy black box) was available some years ago and is not a bad buy- it retains quite a bit of the original character.

Images:
Cabochard ads- okadi.com
Mad Men photo- amctv.com
Dovima- The Errant Æsthete
Model Suzi Parker in a Madame Grès gown by Richard Avedon, 1957- myvintagevogue.com

PSA: Lancome Deluxe Purple Brush Set Is Now Available

I keep hearing from people who missed the limited edition Nordstrom exclusive Lancome Declaring Indigo brush set and are desperately trying to find one. While the indigo set is gone, there's a new set in purple available now both on Lancome's website as well as from the other usual suspects (Bergdorf, Neiman et all. $59). It's an even bigger set (five brushes, instead of four), and while the jeweled case is not as stunning as the indigo (at least in press photos. I have yet to see it in person), it would still make a fabulous gift.

Lancome Curved Brush Mascaras: Hypnose Drama, Virtuose Black Carat, Definicils Pro

If I weren't so madly in love with my Armani Eyes To Kill Mascara I'd probably be gushing a lot more about some of the curved brush Lancome mascaras. They really are very good and I have a soft spot for Lancome mascaras since the days they were the best one on the market.


As far as I can tell from weeks of testing (including too many days I've had a different mascara on each eye. Beauty bloggers are scary people), the brushes have slight variations (Hypnose Drama is s-shaped, though it's hard to see in the photos), but the bigger difference is in the formula.

I absolutely love the curved brushes. They don't leave any lash untouched and they do a superb job in curling, which is my main need of any mascara. My lashes are probably above average in thickness and length, but they are ridiculously straight, which utterly sucks. Unless a mascara is capable of performing a lash lift I have no use for it, so the curved brushes are a great help.


Definicils Pro is the old familiar. It was the best mascara in the 90s but not really exciting in this age of phenomenal lengths and volumizing products. However, the brush does help in kicking it up a notch or two and reaches every last lash.


My favorites are Hypnose Drama and Virtuouse Black Carat. I always have a tube of the regular Hypnsoe in my stash because it's such a great performer and never ever smudges. It might not be as amazing as the famous Givenchy PhenomenEyes, but it's also not as high maintenance and can be quickly applied, even on the go. The Drama version is even better and I'm highly impressed.



Virtuose Black Carat looks a bit thicker and glossier. I think it holds a curl even better, but I haven't seen a significan difference in length and volume compared to Hypnose Drama. It might look different on someone with shorter or sparse lashes, so I can't be 100% sure. I didn't have a sample of the regular Virtuose to compare, but from what I see on the Lancome website, the new version is an overachiever that aims for length and thickness, while plain Virtuouse was mostly about the curl.

In any case, all of these are worth trying, especially for die-hard Lancome fans.

Lancome mascaras ($24.50) are available at every half decent department store as well as directly from lancome-usa.com (or your local version).

All photos are mine.