
Krmarich
3
After many bottles of various age...
After nearly 10 years and 7 bottles. I have come to the end of my Arpege exploration. I have mist bottles from the 1960s, extraits from the 1970s. Eau d'Arpege from the 1980s and a current formula from around 2006. Finally, I have the 1993 relaunch in the clear 'boule', this the strongest golden liquid. It is as iconic as Chanel no.5, Shalimar and Joy, yet it keeps morphing into it current incarnation each decade, unlike its contemporaries.
Wow! They are all different and yet somehow the same. Its strange how the older formulas are fragile and potent at the same time. Memories of pearls, furs, gloves and heavy powdered makeup that are mostly forgotten today. They are dry, nocturnal and wintery, holding many secrets. It is a "ghost perfume" as I have never encountered it in public, yet it haunt my dreams, like the many lives I have never lived. It is heartbreakingly beautiful and somewhat elusive. The fascination with Arpege is that it carries these mysteries that we will never solve.
The 1993 formula from Cosmair is really a flanker(Arpege du Jour?) that turns down the aldehydes and focuses on warmer notes. Its heart is still true to the original miraculously and simply reinterprets the original notes. Its not as dry and just as alluring as its predecessors. Its the loudest Arpege ever gets almost to the point of shouting "hey don't forget me!!!" Its later 2006 reformulation seems to loose something, yet echoes the classic. Eclat d'Arpege from 2002 is whole other story and continues to sell well.
This is perhaps the most vivid evolution of a perfume I have witnessed in modern history. This is evidence that "this floral aldehyde" is still relevant when you have outgrown caramel coated fruitchoulis and need something more grown up for your wedding. Its spirit continues on as it is a true classic into the 21st century. It keeps the promise of romance and refined elegance in our rushed and busy lives. Each new generation dares to explore is mysteries and love it or hate it, it still carries its own.