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Notes11/19/2021
Carlitos01
378 Reviews
Carlitos01
Top Review
12
A well-kept secret
"By my window pane, I keep oranges, limes and peaches from Andalusia. On my dresser, I have painted flower pots with roses and jasmine. An ancient bowl is filled with cloves, vanilla beans and cinnamon stalks. On my bedside table, there is a brass oil lamp I brought from Arabia. Its oil is clouded with balms and myrrh.
It is here I want to meet you at sunset, and spend one or many wise nights."
This piece of text is an excerpt from an old poem. In my imagination, these words seem to describe in detail the scent of Cinnabar.
This classic Estēe Lauder perfume was co-created by Bernard Chant and Josephine Catapano, two legendary perfumers of the 1960s and 1970s who were the "noses" behind many of the Lauder Group's creations. It was also rumoured at the time that Estée Lauder herself secretly added the last portion of ingredients to keep the secret of a new fragrance solely with her. And by the mid-1970s, secrecy was already key to the business. Both Yves Saint Laurent and Estée Lauder had undertaken a task aiming to revolutionise perfumery with a new deep and intense oriental fragrance.
Opium (1977) Parfum was a direct blow to the bland (bland?) citrus and moss scents that were conquering the perfume world at the time. The new YSL perfume was a joint creation of Jean Amic, Jean-Louis Sieuzac and Raymond Chaillanand. Lovers of the fragrance were dazzled by its erotic sophistication. The same situation happened with Cinnabar. But the impact was diminished as it was seen as an Opium copy, only because it was launched a few months later. No doubt there are some similarities between both perfumes, but there are also important differences to consider.
First of all, the name "Opium" was deliberately provocative. In the USA for instance, the perfume only became widely available after a study showed that the product did not encourage drug usage. However, it not only had a strong oriental character but was also stunningly erotic and overpowering like no other perfume before it. A launch party at Studio 54, where Andy Warhol was also a guest, turned into an "opulent bacchanal" as described by the press, rather than an industry premiere as expected. The fragrance confronts us with strong frankincense, myrrh and a turmoil of various other resins. The balsams fight their way through a fierce army of spices including cloves, cinnamon, pepper and coriander, as well as a variety of sweet florals. A fresh, pungent carnation note serves as the referee in this energetic and voluptuous game. The fragrance revealed itself as mysterious and luxuriant as only some occult oriental ambiences and atmospheres can be.
In contrast, the name of Cinnabar (1978) Eau de Parfum stands for a bright red mineral (mercury sulphide), sometimes used as an orange or reddish pigment, the colour that both perfumes flasks also have in common. The name may also suggest "Cinnamon Bar", possibly a reference to the strong warm cinnamon note it contains. Although Cinnabar is obviously very oriental and close to Opium in fragrance style, it doesn't remind me of an Arabian caravan loaded with many different spicy and smelly goods on its way to a remote Souk. I picture it more in the style of a flamboyant and elegant James Dean driving down the Pacific Coast Highway in a Porsche 356. If Opium may stand for a half-naked Sherazade behind veils and curtains, Cinnabar reminds me of a typical, very well-dressed American socialite from the 60s and 70s strolling along Rodeo Drive. The spice blend is a little fuzzier and less lush. I also detect warm notes of caramelised mandarin or orange, the inevitable strong carnation and the characteristic "Lauder" accord dominated by cinnamon, flowers, incense, resins and balsam (mainly tolu), that we also find in other creations such as Youth-Dew Eau de Parfum.
Cinnabar does not assault us with an array of blunt spices. On the contrary, it wraps them in the surrounding balsams and woody notes, in a seemingly orderly way. These are very beautiful chords, but in the form of a well-conceived beauty, a beauty that does not at all give us the arousing and sensual impression of its Opium rival.
Certainly because of its intrinsic quality, but mainly because of its lead time and commercial daring, Opium won the market war between the two competitors, and slowly Cinnabar became a well-kept secret of an exceptional fragrance that could have led the way in the perfume industry.
How can we rate this masterpiece?
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
- Opening: 9.0 (Caramelised citrus with warm spices and cloves, giving way for a heart with strong cinnamon, a bold carnation and sweet flowers.)
- DryDown: 10.0 (The cinnamon endures till the drydown coveted by incense, balms, resins and a woody touch.)
- Longevity: 9.5 (3 sprays last up to 12 hours)
- Sillage: 8.5 (6~7 feet of sillage and up to 3.0 hours of projection with 3 sprays)
- Uniqueness: 9.0 (similarities with Opium (1977) Parfum and Youth-Dew Eau de Parfum)
- Wearability: 8.5 (not suitable for hot weather)
- Versatility: 7.5 (can be worn almost anywhere, but never in the office, beach and gym, I recommend it as a fragrance for dusk or night)
- Praise: 9.0 (it will reward you with lots of compliments and some passionate praise).
- Quality: 10.0 (Fantastic)
- Presentation: 7.5 (Simple and very discrete; the revised Cinnabar (2015) is a lot prettier)
- Price: 6.0 (125~150 euros / 50ml vintage bottle)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Overall rating: 8.59 / 10.00
- between 7 and 8 = above average;
- between 8 and 9 = recommended;
- above 9 = definitely not to be missed;
My opinion:
This is a perfume that I consider timeless and a striking masterpiece. Both its "somewhat outdated" scent (not for my nose), as well as its high price on the parallel market, justify never making a blind purchase. The "modern" Cinnabar (2015) is much easier to use, more feminine, and more "tame" than the vintage version. The vintage version is "only" a phenomenal perfume and a truly very precious item on any collector's shelf.
Music: John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John - "Summer Nights".
Note: My special thanks to Parfumo colleague WildGardener (from France) who helped me get my hands and nose in this precious gem. Merci, mon ami!
It is here I want to meet you at sunset, and spend one or many wise nights."
This piece of text is an excerpt from an old poem. In my imagination, these words seem to describe in detail the scent of Cinnabar.
This classic Estēe Lauder perfume was co-created by Bernard Chant and Josephine Catapano, two legendary perfumers of the 1960s and 1970s who were the "noses" behind many of the Lauder Group's creations. It was also rumoured at the time that Estée Lauder herself secretly added the last portion of ingredients to keep the secret of a new fragrance solely with her. And by the mid-1970s, secrecy was already key to the business. Both Yves Saint Laurent and Estée Lauder had undertaken a task aiming to revolutionise perfumery with a new deep and intense oriental fragrance.
Opium (1977) Parfum was a direct blow to the bland (bland?) citrus and moss scents that were conquering the perfume world at the time. The new YSL perfume was a joint creation of Jean Amic, Jean-Louis Sieuzac and Raymond Chaillanand. Lovers of the fragrance were dazzled by its erotic sophistication. The same situation happened with Cinnabar. But the impact was diminished as it was seen as an Opium copy, only because it was launched a few months later. No doubt there are some similarities between both perfumes, but there are also important differences to consider.
First of all, the name "Opium" was deliberately provocative. In the USA for instance, the perfume only became widely available after a study showed that the product did not encourage drug usage. However, it not only had a strong oriental character but was also stunningly erotic and overpowering like no other perfume before it. A launch party at Studio 54, where Andy Warhol was also a guest, turned into an "opulent bacchanal" as described by the press, rather than an industry premiere as expected. The fragrance confronts us with strong frankincense, myrrh and a turmoil of various other resins. The balsams fight their way through a fierce army of spices including cloves, cinnamon, pepper and coriander, as well as a variety of sweet florals. A fresh, pungent carnation note serves as the referee in this energetic and voluptuous game. The fragrance revealed itself as mysterious and luxuriant as only some occult oriental ambiences and atmospheres can be.
In contrast, the name of Cinnabar (1978) Eau de Parfum stands for a bright red mineral (mercury sulphide), sometimes used as an orange or reddish pigment, the colour that both perfumes flasks also have in common. The name may also suggest "Cinnamon Bar", possibly a reference to the strong warm cinnamon note it contains. Although Cinnabar is obviously very oriental and close to Opium in fragrance style, it doesn't remind me of an Arabian caravan loaded with many different spicy and smelly goods on its way to a remote Souk. I picture it more in the style of a flamboyant and elegant James Dean driving down the Pacific Coast Highway in a Porsche 356. If Opium may stand for a half-naked Sherazade behind veils and curtains, Cinnabar reminds me of a typical, very well-dressed American socialite from the 60s and 70s strolling along Rodeo Drive. The spice blend is a little fuzzier and less lush. I also detect warm notes of caramelised mandarin or orange, the inevitable strong carnation and the characteristic "Lauder" accord dominated by cinnamon, flowers, incense, resins and balsam (mainly tolu), that we also find in other creations such as Youth-Dew Eau de Parfum.
Cinnabar does not assault us with an array of blunt spices. On the contrary, it wraps them in the surrounding balsams and woody notes, in a seemingly orderly way. These are very beautiful chords, but in the form of a well-conceived beauty, a beauty that does not at all give us the arousing and sensual impression of its Opium rival.
Certainly because of its intrinsic quality, but mainly because of its lead time and commercial daring, Opium won the market war between the two competitors, and slowly Cinnabar became a well-kept secret of an exceptional fragrance that could have led the way in the perfume industry.
How can we rate this masterpiece?
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
- Opening: 9.0 (Caramelised citrus with warm spices and cloves, giving way for a heart with strong cinnamon, a bold carnation and sweet flowers.)
- DryDown: 10.0 (The cinnamon endures till the drydown coveted by incense, balms, resins and a woody touch.)
- Longevity: 9.5 (3 sprays last up to 12 hours)
- Sillage: 8.5 (6~7 feet of sillage and up to 3.0 hours of projection with 3 sprays)
- Uniqueness: 9.0 (similarities with Opium (1977) Parfum and Youth-Dew Eau de Parfum)
- Wearability: 8.5 (not suitable for hot weather)
- Versatility: 7.5 (can be worn almost anywhere, but never in the office, beach and gym, I recommend it as a fragrance for dusk or night)
- Praise: 9.0 (it will reward you with lots of compliments and some passionate praise).
- Quality: 10.0 (Fantastic)
- Presentation: 7.5 (Simple and very discrete; the revised Cinnabar (2015) is a lot prettier)
- Price: 6.0 (125~150 euros / 50ml vintage bottle)
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Overall rating: 8.59 / 10.00
- between 7 and 8 = above average;
- between 8 and 9 = recommended;
- above 9 = definitely not to be missed;
My opinion:
This is a perfume that I consider timeless and a striking masterpiece. Both its "somewhat outdated" scent (not for my nose), as well as its high price on the parallel market, justify never making a blind purchase. The "modern" Cinnabar (2015) is much easier to use, more feminine, and more "tame" than the vintage version. The vintage version is "only" a phenomenal perfume and a truly very precious item on any collector's shelf.
Music: John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John - "Summer Nights".
Note: My special thanks to Parfumo colleague WildGardener (from France) who helped me get my hands and nose in this precious gem. Merci, mon ami!
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