En Avion 1929 Eau de Parfum

En Avion (Eau de Parfum) by Caron
Bottle Design Félicie Wanpouille Bergaud
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8.5 / 10 100 Ratings
En Avion (Eau de Parfum) is a popular perfume by Caron for women and was released in 1929. The scent is floral-spicy. The longevity is above-average. It was last marketed by Alès Groupe. Pronunciation
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Main accords

Floral
Spicy
Resinous
Oriental
Leathery

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
OrangeOrange NeroliNeroli
Heart Notes Heart Notes
LilacLilac JasmineJasmine
Base Notes Base Notes
OpoponaxOpoponax AmberAmber

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
8.5100 Ratings
Longevity
8.480 Ratings
Sillage
7.877 Ratings
Bottle
8.188 Ratings
Value for money
7.511 Ratings
Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 27.08.2022.
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Reviews

7 in-depth fragrance descriptions
9
Longevity
9
Scent
16paws
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16paws
16paws
Very helpful Review 14  
Wind north/east, runway zero-three
that's how the song "Über den Wolken" by Reinhard Mey from the 1970s begins and for me it fits perfectly to En Avion, which is said to be dedicated to the pioneers of aviation. It is not known whether the courageous pilots actually wore this scent. But I am sure that the pilots didn't smell themselves before they climbed into the cockpit. They will have different priorities. Studying the weather forecast, checking the oil pressure etc., as well as the check up before the start might have been more important to them.

The courageous ladies were probably not enveloped by perfume, but rather by the smell of leather, lubricating oil and fuel during their flights. An aura of coolness and sexyness should have surrounded her in any case, which "En Avion" also captures perfectly.

The aldehydes hum with the propellers of the old engines and the plane bumps over a badly asphalted runway before it takes off. Hardly in the air, one is surrounded by cloves - it is a flight with turbulences. The plane has fallen into an unexpected bad weather front. Storm, rain and thunderstorms. The plane wobbles in the weather chaos, but the pilot keeps her nerves and steers her plane safely and with full concentration. Jasmin flashes again and again, to disappear just as fast also again. The flight becomes quieter, but not boring.

En Avion did not write decency on the wings, because it is a strong, powerful fragrance, which in my opinion can also be worn by men, if they are addressed by this fragrance. I can't see carnation or neroli at all, but all the more cloves and a tiny hint of nutmeg. The jasmine also only plays an extra role, because he always has only one very, very short appearance. Another smell that I attribute to the Opoponax underlines the character of this perfume enormously. For me it smells like a mixture of petrol and old leather.

En Avion is not a trip in a holiday plane to Malle, but a flight in a biplane, a scent with corners and edges, but wonderfully composed and absolutely harmonious.
4 Replies
10
Bottle
10
Sillage
10
Longevity
10
Scent
Larimar

4 Reviews
Larimar
Larimar
Helpful Review 7  
En Avion - Homage to Hélène Boucher and Amelia Earhart!
I confess that the opening of En Avion is my absolute favorite in perfumery (that I have experienced so far)... it's ravishingly beautiful, daring, sexy and breathtaking.
En Avion in extrait (there is no point in getting the EdPs of a Caron urn fragrance IMO as they are fairly expensive and second class, although the En Avion EdP is rather nice.) is what I call a leather "illusion" as the orange blossom and spicy orange with the greenish rose and dark Caron carnation really create a perfect leather vision after cooking for a while on your skin. I am very picky about my leathers (with very few exceptions they are only real cuir-de-russies), but this is a very satisfying beige soft leather, if you get the idea. En Avion is on the sweeter side, produces initially a lot of sillage (diva-style!), which is also why I usually dab it as it renders the extrait slightly darker in mood and a bit closer to skin. The drydown is again heavenly beautiful as it really resembles soft and sweet skin out at the fresh air and sun and lingers on literally forever. This is both a very old-fashioned classy parfum (also in the way it takes time to develop and progress), but it is timelessly stylish... a highly underrated and maybe today misunderstood crown jewel! It's definitely in my top five!
*
EN AVION VINTAGE VS. NEW

1990s vs. 2011 extrait
Same rough, splendid opening, same main contributor after the initial burst, which is a green rose to my nose.
Three hours into my wearing I have to confess, my untrained nose does not smell any difference at all. There were short moments I felt the 1990s jus had a slightly more pronounced chypre (oakmoss) tone, then the other moment I felt it was not the case. I don't smell any difference with regard to sweetness in the drydown either. They both progress exactly the same way to me, same pace, same intensity. I could maybe be talked into a nuance more chypre touch of the 1990s extrait, but then, it would make me think about what the fifteen years meant for the sensitive notes that En Avion mainly consists of. Ageing would always bring the chypre undertone slightly more to the foreground IMO (from oils disintegrating...). An average 15 years age difference between the two extraits is not much, but still I'm talking only of nuances here anyway. Same situation for the deep base lingering on, same longevity, same sillage.

1930s extrait
I smell turned notes in the opening.
I am very familiar with the 1930s Lanvin classics and as such, Rumeur is my reference chypre and smell of the era's style. This does remind me of Rumeur apart from the orange tree and spicy orange notes, which is probably what I am smelling. This is rather a different fragrance in feel and wear compared to the two newer extraits - a hardcore chypre very much in the style of its time. The orange accord reminds me quite a bit of an old bottle of orange bitters I have, which is the bartender's little helper apart from the Angostura bitters. There was a point I could smell a mentholated fresh note, which I last smelled in 1930s Djedi two weeks ago. It is a note that is not uncommon in these vintage fragrances. I too wonder whether this is an actual note or a sort of chemical reaction in the vintage jus? This does not last and the medicinal, bitter orangey accord remains, a rather linear development overall.
I was in for quite a surprise when after six hours the 1930s extrait, after the chypre predominance had died down, rather closely approximated the sweet intoxicating deep base of the new extrait. Same level of sweetness... so much for the claims that today's extrait was so much sweeter than the 'vintage'.

En Avion in the newer extrait forms is much more a floral oriental to my perception - has always been (I can recognize the chypre character more in its sister fragrance Tabac Blond), whereas the 1930s is very much a classic chypre of its time with the special orange theme.

I think Fraysse is doing an excellent job... if he cheapened the ingredients, as some claim, congratulations, I don't smell it.
However hard I try, I have yet to smell one of those dreaded Caron reformulations!
0 Replies
7.5
Bottle
7.5
Sillage
7.5
Longevity
8
Scent
Pipette

63 Reviews
Pipette
Pipette
Helpful Review 6  
An elegant perfume in the Caron tradition
This scent - I believe it was created in memory or honor of an aviator. Anyhow, this is a well made perfume. This is how a perfume should smell, just a little dab of the extract goes a long way.
The opening is a bit jarring but segues into powdery flowers, mainly carnation. While "Montaigne" by Caron seems like a steady stream, "En Avion" swirls, with the green edge lifting the heady oriental feel. The carnation note mingled with others lasts for quite a long while, finally settling down softly into vanilla and opoponax. I feel the leitmotiv of the house of Caron - the Caronade - in the dry down of this classy scent.
1 Reply
10
Scent
ScentFan

332 Reviews
ScentFan
ScentFan
4  
Opopanax Dream
For me, the main note here is opopanax, a sharp, sweet resin with a green edge (i.e., balsamic). A relative of myrrh, it comes through immediately and remains prominent. Blended with the best carnation, the best jasmine, the best neroli a nose ever smelled, opopanax makes En Avion a standout perfume. This morning I put on Caron's Accord 119, but it became too strange for me over the hours. Had to wash it off. En Avion is a distinguished and beautiful replacement, the kind of fragrance to wear all day (the longevity is great ). Not sure exactly what makes a Caron smell like a Caron. My Caron catalog alludes to it: "The pursuit of an original and balanced harmony and the synergy of notes that is emblematic and reminiscent of the Caron history." A secret signature base? I used to think it must be am amber/musk/vanilla combo. Cryptically, the catalog mentions "Bulgarian roses, jasmine and mimosa, orange blossom and ylang ylang." Maybe that's the secret base on which main notes ride. Hmm. Time to experiment. Gathering 5 pipettes, going to my notes kit and mixing two drops of each into an empty vial. Darn, I'm missing mimosa! The four I have smell too green together. Oh, I used the Turkish rather than the Bulgarian Rose! The Turkish Damascene is definitely greener. Starting over. Okay, this mix is much more promising! Wow, it actually makes me think "Caron" as it dries. Ordering in mimosa. I'll update this review when it arrives. Bottom line: if you like opopanax, En Avion is intoxicating, whatever the secret base.
0 Replies
10
Bottle
10
Sillage
10
Longevity
10
Scent
SuzanneS

40 Reviews
SuzanneS
SuzanneS
2  
En Avion Extrait
En Avion is a rich opulent enigma.
A spicy carnation and rose opening with powdery florals with the undercurrent of the Mousse de Saxe base and mossy undertone. Its far far from a Chypre and less green than lets say Dana's spicy Emir. Its a unique creation that has nuances of orange, neroli, jasmine, violet and lilac into a powdery leather much in the vein of Tabac Blond with the muskiness of Nuit de Noel echoes with the moss and sandalwood.

This is a very dense perfume with nuances, swirling twists and turns, and infact upon first spray there is a dark bitter greenness to it all. (In fact, you may have a what the hell is this/what have I done moment, but be brave, let that ride as its pretty short)The opponax is dominant to keep things on the powdery, slightly sweet feminine edge. The spices keep a dry hot feeling in the beginning like you are on the tarmack in the summer waiting to get on the airplane. The heart of florals open and the spiciness recedes and smooths out like its cruising at 10,000 ft. Its a beautiful rich retro floral and ladylike. There is a mentholated moment that appears like in Djedi. (Again you have a moment of..uh why is this moment here with the florals? Hey its 1932. Things are in here that are probably long extinct.)

The leather surfaces and it is unlike any other leather.. a kind of gentle sweet leather. (Its gorgeous) There is a duality to this as a masculine opening then it turns smooth and feminine. This is Yin/Yang the whole experience. The reviewer that states theres an ugliness/beauty about it is dead on.

Its a one of a kind experience, extremely luxe, dense, smooth in its transitions and definitely for vintage/caron enthusiasts. If you can handle Shereazade by Jean Desprez, or Opium you could handle and appreciate this kind of adventure. Otherwise, at the prices for vintage, I would advise samples rather than diving into a blind bottle. Sillage great, and longevity over 24 hrs like most vintage Carons that seem to "wear off" than evaporate. This is 1932, the richness and optimism of airflight to an exotic location in a bottle.

To put this in perspective for some readers, it acts more of a vintage Patou with the well blended complexity vs the vintage simpler, Guerlain. At the time Caron ruled supreme in France over the coquettish Guerlain house. The opulence in the formula is a testament to this, with more notes than vintage Shalimar. Caron released En Avion in 1932. Guerlain released Vol de Nuit in 1933. Caron has a compass/gear type silver disk ontop of the bottles where VdN has the round gold propeller on the front of the bottle. I find En Avion the more feminine of the two.
1.7 vintage extrait reviewed.
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Statements

1 short view on the fragrance
DorothyGraceDorothyGrace 5 years ago
5
Bottle
5
Sillage
7.5
Longevity
8
Scent
Can't find this listed on the Caron perfume website. Hope it hasn't been discontinued. Oh bother. I'll keep an eye on the discount sites.
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