Aliage Estēe Lauder 2015

… that have appeared over the years in the name of the Estée Lauder house is indeed impressive.
This American woman with Hungarian roots (birth name: Josephine Esther - nickname: Etsy) has established a still very well-known empire in the world of cosmetics, even in the shadow of the "dragons" Helena Rubinstein and Elizabeth Arden, who dominated through their "trench battles".

Her journey into the realm of fragrances began in 1953 with the magnificent, still so impressive "Youth Dew"; from there, a wide-ranging scent trail leads to the current modern and light series.
Most of the fragrances reflect the respective spirit of the times.
To follow a trend of our time, the two well-known compositions "Aliage" and "Spellbound" were likely re-edited and relaunched in 2015.
They were freed from many potentially allergenic substances, but unfortunately also stripped of their previous glorious opulence.
As beautiful and successful as they now appear, I feel that they lack the "resonance" that brought the individual fragrance notes of their predecessors together in such harmonious waves and tones.
This certainly applies to "Aliage"; I have not yet tested "Spellbound" in the new version.

Thus, "Aliage" from 1972 is darker, earthier, and woody-resinous, a typical so-called "Green Chypre fragrance," full of richness and equipped with all the necessary "corners and edges" that its classic base notes possess.

The modern fragrance creation is less overwhelming, already due to the citrus-floral entrance with a rich sensual jasmine garnish, where the characteristic creamy, sometimes slightly sticky sweetness of ripe peaches is missing, which conveys the warmth of rich summer so specifically.
This graceful scent being comes across as lighter and younger right from the start, but no less lovable.
This "younger sister in fragrance" features an unusually but very tastefully spiced heart of fully bloomed fragrant roses with wormwood and nutmeg, which vibrates impressively with increasing skin contact, thus slightly tending towards the orientals.
Oak moss has also been somewhat clipped in its effect here, cozy musk and myrrh with their resinous barbs have disappeared; they were stylishly replaced by the silvery-silky cedarwood aroma: Everything has been somewhat "smoothed out"!
Only the classic fragrance note vetiver has been retained, resulting in a composition that is certainly more accessible to many, which, despite all the changes, rightfully bears the name "Aliage".

This lightness is, of course, noticeable in sillage and longevity, which brings me back to the previously mentioned "resonance": Nothing comes from nothing!

The name similarity of the two sisters forces me to do something that is otherwise foreign to me: I must compare!
But I do not have to decide which variant is more beautiful or wearable.
Fortunately, that is a matter of taste and adapted to the respective occasion.

Both are charming and elegant, with the older version, of course, coming across as a bit more "dressed up": It is a true child of its time!

However, it is always worth diving into the world of Estée Lauder fragrances and discovering them more closely.
I have not yet been disappointed.