Shocking Elsa Schiaparelli for women

Shocking definitely lives up to its name! I have read about this one for awhile and finally got a vintage sample from TPC, and couldn't wait to try it. And it did not disappoint!! Very sensuous and not for the faint of heart (or nose!). A big mouthful (or noseful, I guess I should say!) of honey, accented by flowers. When I put it on this morning, I actually got honey with some incense, even though incense isn't listed in the notes. Might be the combination of the flowers and clove? I usually don't like civet, but in this, the honey balances it out nicely so it's not so strong. One of my new favorites!

Just received my decant of the vintage version of this, from The Perfumed Court. 2.5 ml was really all I could afford.
One small sniff took me right back to childhood when my mother used to wear the pure parfum of this when she went out for special occasions. Perfume and memory make a very, very strong partnership!
I can recommend the perfumed court for buying small samples of original fragrances just to get an idea of how they used to smell.

I love Shocking - it's one of my all time favourites. I had the vintage bottle and it was unbelievably beautiful and unique. Then I bought the re-orchestrated version, and although it's lost a little something in the translation, it's still a gorgeous head turning fragrance. On dry-down it quite musky to me. Be warned though, it's a powerhouse and a little goes a long way. After only applying once, I can still smell it on my wrist in the morning after a night out. I wish all perfumes had this ability.

This was a inspiration for Gaultier to produce his first womans fragrance both in composition and bottle design.

I have a sample of the vintage EdT, which is amazingly strong and full-bodied, stronger than many EdPs. It starts out sweet, floral, and powdery, with a hint of aldehydes and a definite old-fashioned feel. It certainly isn’t the civet-bomb that I expected, although the civet is certainly there in the background, nor is there much in the way of spices. Instead, it’s the sort of scent that you expect to catch a whiff of still clinging to vintage clothing, abstract and perfume-y in the classic sense.

As it dries down, the floral aspect intensifies, producing a powerful narcissus-like scent, then narcissus plus jasmine. There’s plenty of sillage, and the scent lasts for 6 hours or more on skin. It’s really not a perfume I’d want to wear except for curiosity, but I’m glad I tried it.

rendez nous les parfums de cette époque .....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I recently got a vintage bottle of Shocking and I couldn't wait to try it. It's old fashioned, reminds me of something my grandmother would wear but not in a bad way.

At first smell, it came on really strong but as it started to dry down, I got a baby powderish scent which was really nice. My daughter remarked, mom you smell like baby powder.

Not bad for $20 :-)

Got it! A privilege to try this scent. Very 30's, rather dry and dusty, as if it really had lay dormant for all those years. Sophisticted, best worn with designer clothes? ;-) Love it, but....for me parsonally a bit more sweetness would be perfect. Complex and looong staying. Classic. Honey-heavy.

I am waiting for a parcel from theperfumedcourt where, among others, this scent is. What fun!!! But folks, the BOTTLE!? Mustn't Jean Paul Gaultier been isnpired by this for his Le Classique et al?? Iäm sure of it. ;-)

This is a full on, classic beauty ! Not for the shy and reserved, more for the Femme Fatale. Certainly not for the meak and mild Fruity/Floral type. The fragrance on the market now is gorgeous, but if you enjoy it, then try and source some vintage juice...more Civet, more heady, and much more sexy.

Shocking is a heady fragrance with great sillage which radiates voluptousness and 1930's glamour. Very different from most modern scents and not to everyone's liking.

On me the honey is the dominate note and it remains through the drydown mingling with bergamot, spicy cloves and civet on the way. The florals appear only briefly.

This is a great fragrance which I wish was better known. Apply sparingly though: a little goes a long way!

"From 1937: Bergamot, Aldehydes, Tarragon, Narcissus, Honey, Rose, Clove, Civet, Chypre accord."

Heavy spices, a touch of honey and a load of civet. I dislike civet intensely, mostly for the way it's harvested, but this fades down to a lovely, intense incense. Too bad about the civet. I am reviewing the vintage variety of this fragrance.
UPDATE: Tried the new version. It starts as a jumble of sharp tarragon and citrus, followed closely by plastic jasmine. On dry down, it blends finally into a pleasant melange of floral candy spice. There are powdery notes that mellow the sweet edges, but in the very very end, it's all sweet powder with little dimension.