Shocking You Elsa Schiaparelli 1976 Parfum

In a book about fashion of the 20th century, I once learned about the special, loud, and avant-garde style of the Italian fashion designer Elsa Schiaparelli.
There were "shoe hats," "cutlet hats," daring dresses, "snake skirts," and much more depicted and described among surrealistic clothing.
She also worked closely with artists of this direction, and hardly anyone in the fashion industry dared to go that far back then.
Influenced by Dadaism, wordplay, poetry, collages, and much more.
And Schiaparelli's fragrances also strongly leaned in this direction, were closely related to it...
Although "Shocking You" dates back to 1976, I can still clearly perceive this in the fragrance.
In the "top note," I smell a sequence of Tuscan Mediterranean, "landscape" blown by warm winds.
The "heart" of the perfume then transforms into an oriental "series of images."
From green to warm-spicy to very dry elements that almost remind one of "desert."
I can say that this middle part of the fragrance is a perfume in itself, divided into three "fragrance levels," with everything that belongs to it. The so-called "base," the base part of the fragrance "Shocking You," is designed like this...
The "base" of the heart note, the warm-spicy clove aroma with a hint of iris powder, still protrudes into it.
And yet, "new worlds" open up again.
A hint of "northern latitudes," covered with dense forest, (Canada, Scandinavia???)
Mossy, dark green, slightly coniferous...
The "top note of the base" lasts a long time and transitions into its "heart note"....
Musk and leather-like aromas, slightly leathery bitter, alternating with oriental balsams...
Only to finally return to its "origins."
Light wood, bright, warm, Mediterranean cedar, "green accords"....
The fragrance has, for my nose, made a complete round, through three "complete perfumes" within ONE perfume, and returns in a striking manner to itself, creating only then a complete??? picture...... very surrealistic and skillfully extraordinarily fantastic.
Exactly in line with my preferred artistic taste....

On the contrary. Of course, Shocking You is quite a heavyweight and fully embodies Elsa Schiaparelli (1890-1973), although it was released 4 years after her death. I would love to smell the Shocking from 1937. I have tested Shocking You a few times and kept thinking: I know you! Then it hit me like bricks from the rooftops. Dali! Shocking You bears a strong resemblance to the extravagant and quirky old classics "Salvador Dali" (femme) and "Women’s Line," which I have in my collection and are probably my most eccentric fragrances. I love them. But you really have to have nerves and be completely offbeat to wear them. Ah, being offbeat is an easy exercise ;-)
Dali's first fragrances came (co-created by the master) to market just before he got to see the radishes from below. Elsa was quicker, but I believe they had - and not just regarding perfumes - quite a few soul connections. They were also close friends, and Dali, as well as old Picasso, inspired Schiaparelli in her fashion creations to a colorful, glittering, and surreal style. By the way, Schiaparelli was Coco Chanel's most hated rival.
Schiaparelli's trademark was color: Shocking Pink!
Shocking You comes with a bang in the top notes. Aldehydes and citrus notes rush by quickly, clearing the stage for spices (and I bet there’s not just clove in here!!!) and a stunning floral cocktail. Here is the sillage and punch of a classic, and a delicate scent would never have suited the style of the outrageous Elsa, not even posthumously.
An embroidered and glitter-studded leather jacket and a hint of pipe smoke (was that also omitted??) in the base. Not for the Chloé 2010 sweetheart. Here is the lady who wants to provoke and dominate. Rebel spirits, come forth. If I didn't have the two Dalis...

No - the scent cannot shock me.
I became aware of Elsa Schiaparelli's signature fragrance through the book "100 Legendary Perfumes," which provides detailed and fairly solid commentary on the greats of the 20th century, even if one can argue about the selection at some points.
What would I give to be able to try the original scent; unfortunately, that is not granted to me. But Shocking You is definitely a worthwhile test.
In the bottle, Schiaparelli immortalized her calling: Haute Couture. Her beautiful designs found a famous audience. Her dresses and costumes are a dream, narrow silhouettes, sophistication - although I rarely have the opportunity for such elegant clothing, I would love to indulge here, what beautiful, timeless pieces!
Beautiful fashion from the late twenties to the 50s. Not in Germany, where the bourgeois taste of a dictator rejected by art schools not only plunged the world into chaos but also spoiled the standards in fashion for a long time through the dirndl craze.
The bottle shows where Mr. Gaultier has copied, after all, more successful and creative than a defense minister without defense skills. Especially the X-bottles show the model.
Shocking You is a wonderful scent with a rather classic composition. The aldehydes are rather weakly perceived, the bergamot-floral infused opening quickly shifts into a floral-abstract direction. A very sparkling scent, my champagne scent,
like a good brut with a fruity note. The fragrance is truly elegant like the dresses, but certainly anything but conservatively boring, rather subtly feminine. Ylang-Ylang provides a certain softness without overt sweetness. And the wood brings the necessary depth.
I can't really recognize leather; I would have to lie. But maybe it is just waiting there, the little whip.
Speaking of whips. After our cats moved in, I bought a cat toy, a small stick with leather fringes. After a few days, it had disappeared without a trace. And promptly reappeared - during the move under our bed - which caused the movers to grin suggestively and make remarks. We also did not issue a counterstatement.
Whether with or without leather - Shocking You is a highly recommendable fragrance for women over 30 who want to wear a very individual, subtly erotic perfume that is not found everywhere and who like the scents of the 70s/80s. It is medium-heavy and wearable year-round.
Shocked - no, fascinated - yes, very! I think the name is more a reminiscence of the original scent from 1937.

Shocking You - the name fits. This was a truly brutal green scent, a fusion of the most intense green and oriental. "Fragrance direction green" sounds so light, so fresh and pleasing, but in reality, I find "green" to be the most difficult fragrance direction of all. Flowers are familiar and recognizable; one can easily fall in love with oriental notes, as they are flattering and balsamic; Chypre fascinates with contrasts; but how do you deal with green!!? It first presents itself as uncomplicated, claiming to be fresh or sporty; naively, you engage with the oh-so-simple green, and then the problems begin - green does its own thing, starting to live a life of its own on the skin whether you want it to or not. Shocking You was once in my collection, but it was far, far too green for me, I couldn't stand it, not even sometimes. After all, it triggers intense feelings, but perhaps that's also a characteristic of a great perfume.