09/28/2019
Oriane
133 Reviews
Oriane
Helpful Review
3
Perfectly Named
Top Notes: Orange, Calabrian Bergamot, Neroli.
Heart Notes: Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Rose, Honeysuckle.
Base Notes: Chamomile, Patchouli, Mysore Sandalwood, Tibetan Musk, Vanilla, Abyssinian Ambergris, Tobacco, Abyssinian Civet.
Prince Matchabelli fragrances along with Coty, Dana, Houbigant, and a few other brands, were quintessential chemist shop fragrances for which I have always had a gentle fondness. Matchabelli's fragrances were romantic, pretty, and feminine. Both the paper ads and the telly commercials were as romantic as the fragrances with tunes that have stayed with us for decades, e.g. the well known ads for Matchabelli's most enduring and probably best known fragrance of all, Wind Song. I have no idea who composed the tune for Wind Song, but just like the song's lyrics proclaim the perfume unforgettable, I shall never forget the theme song either.
I do not recall if any telly commercials with romantic visuals and unforgettable theme songs were ever made for Beloved, but if none were made for Beloved then it is a pity because Beloved is a beautiful, warm, romantic fragrance.
I managed to secure a partially used bottle of the Cologne Parfumee formulation which may be Matchabelli's equivalent to an eau de toilette. I believe my bottle dates to the early 1970s or perhaps 1960s, and whilst it has not held up as well as I had hoped, it still smells wonderful. I detect more of the heart and base notes than the effervescent citrus top notes. However, the notes that have survived are very well blended so that no one note really stands out as dominant, but there is an undeniably deep warmth in the fragrance, no doubt lent by the civet and musk. Whether or not it has real Mysore sandalwood in the base I cannot say, but the base is very warm and enticing. As I close my eyes and inhale the scent on my wrist, it seems to beckon "come hither...." I can only imagine how breathtaking Beloved was whence it was fresh and new. Wind Song may be the best known Matchabelli fragrance, but I believe Beloved is much more seductive.
My bottle is the clear, femininely curved glass bottle with a gold coloured screw on cap. All at once, the bottle reminds me of a heart, a woman's shoulders, and her voluptuous bosom, and the bottle matches the warm, feminine, and dare I say sexy fragrance inside perfectly. I do not know who was Beloved's creator, but it is the kind of fragrance that I could believe was made by someone like J-P Guerlain.
Beloved is truly a fragrance to love. I fancy it is more a feminine than a unisex fragrance, and I believe it is more appropriate to evening wear than to daytime pursuits. Despite the somewhat faded condition of the fragrance in my bottle, I still find it intoxicating and beguiling. Given the scent, it easily could have been named Romance, but the name Beloved fits this fragrance perfectly. I purchased my bottle blindly, but babies, I have no regrets!
The below scores reflect the condition of the vintage fragrance I purchased. I believe if I had discovered this fragrance freshly made decades ago, my scores would be even higher. My bottle suffers more in the performance category than it does in the fragrance's composition and appeal.
Fragrance: 9/10
Sillage: 4/10
Projection: 4/10
Longevity: 4/10
**I would not categorise Beloved as a green-chypre. It seems more of a Floriental in my opinion.
Heart Notes: Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Rose, Honeysuckle.
Base Notes: Chamomile, Patchouli, Mysore Sandalwood, Tibetan Musk, Vanilla, Abyssinian Ambergris, Tobacco, Abyssinian Civet.
Prince Matchabelli fragrances along with Coty, Dana, Houbigant, and a few other brands, were quintessential chemist shop fragrances for which I have always had a gentle fondness. Matchabelli's fragrances were romantic, pretty, and feminine. Both the paper ads and the telly commercials were as romantic as the fragrances with tunes that have stayed with us for decades, e.g. the well known ads for Matchabelli's most enduring and probably best known fragrance of all, Wind Song. I have no idea who composed the tune for Wind Song, but just like the song's lyrics proclaim the perfume unforgettable, I shall never forget the theme song either.
I do not recall if any telly commercials with romantic visuals and unforgettable theme songs were ever made for Beloved, but if none were made for Beloved then it is a pity because Beloved is a beautiful, warm, romantic fragrance.
I managed to secure a partially used bottle of the Cologne Parfumee formulation which may be Matchabelli's equivalent to an eau de toilette. I believe my bottle dates to the early 1970s or perhaps 1960s, and whilst it has not held up as well as I had hoped, it still smells wonderful. I detect more of the heart and base notes than the effervescent citrus top notes. However, the notes that have survived are very well blended so that no one note really stands out as dominant, but there is an undeniably deep warmth in the fragrance, no doubt lent by the civet and musk. Whether or not it has real Mysore sandalwood in the base I cannot say, but the base is very warm and enticing. As I close my eyes and inhale the scent on my wrist, it seems to beckon "come hither...." I can only imagine how breathtaking Beloved was whence it was fresh and new. Wind Song may be the best known Matchabelli fragrance, but I believe Beloved is much more seductive.
My bottle is the clear, femininely curved glass bottle with a gold coloured screw on cap. All at once, the bottle reminds me of a heart, a woman's shoulders, and her voluptuous bosom, and the bottle matches the warm, feminine, and dare I say sexy fragrance inside perfectly. I do not know who was Beloved's creator, but it is the kind of fragrance that I could believe was made by someone like J-P Guerlain.
Beloved is truly a fragrance to love. I fancy it is more a feminine than a unisex fragrance, and I believe it is more appropriate to evening wear than to daytime pursuits. Despite the somewhat faded condition of the fragrance in my bottle, I still find it intoxicating and beguiling. Given the scent, it easily could have been named Romance, but the name Beloved fits this fragrance perfectly. I purchased my bottle blindly, but babies, I have no regrets!
The below scores reflect the condition of the vintage fragrance I purchased. I believe if I had discovered this fragrance freshly made decades ago, my scores would be even higher. My bottle suffers more in the performance category than it does in the fragrance's composition and appeal.
Fragrance: 9/10
Sillage: 4/10
Projection: 4/10
Longevity: 4/10
**I would not categorise Beloved as a green-chypre. It seems more of a Floriental in my opinion.
