Arpege (for women)

joliefille

i love this one! it's so mesmerizing and uplifting. classy, long lasting - i get whiffs all day even with little application. although it may seem similar to no. 5(which i don't like and can never understand the fuss about it) but arpege has a personality of its own. very elegant, i love wearing it to office and special evenings.

iMaverick

I managed to snag a vintage set of 1/8 oz Extrait and a 2 oz bottle of EdT. One has to mourn these classic creations dying a slow death, its discount store dollar value insults the perfume's true worth in terms of artistry.

Arpege begins smelling reminiscent of Chanel No. 5, of aldehydes, powdery rose, iris, and indolic flowers of jasmine, lily of the valley, and tuberose. The aldehydes are not as pervasive as No. 5, and Arpege is less sweet.

After this heady floral aldehyde opening, a chypre tone appears with a clear note of coriander at its underbelly accompanied by green stemmy notes.

Woody and sensual notes come up pretty quickly as the coriander seems to be the only middle note left. It starts to smell much like leather. The base reminds me a lot of Joy (another sad swan song) without the uber-animalic notes of civet and musk. However, styrax seems to be the note that sensually rounds out the base until it exhales a woody trail of sandalwood and patchouli.

Interesting how Chanel No. 5 can stay alive all these years compared to Arpege. Honestly I don't think No. 5 is as interesting as Arpege, though given that No. 5 is definitely "prettier". No. 5 IMO seems to have nooks and crannies that need filling in to help a better transition. I think Lanvin would've stayed in focus if they had the boldness to market itself as the "quintessential" scent of femininity and a sex goddess to go along with it.

The extrait is full and rather bold with with its leathery notes, however the EdT is much easier to gravitate to. After the floral aldehyde opening, Arpege makes a great masculine scent.

True lovers of perfume can embrace vintage bottles of this for a steal and be happy that it could be had without killing themselves in a pool of their own buyer's remorse.

For those who like leather but cannot handle the animalic notes in Chanel's Cuir de Russie should give the more restrained Arpege a try.

hathor

to guest bg, yes there are still people around who like these classic smells!! they present more of a challenge to the senses than modern ones, maybe you have to learn to appreciate them. but, to me comparing these with modern smells is like comparing anna karenina with a throwaway paperback, or a beautiful old wooden boat with a lump of modern white fibreglass.they have so much depth and character. arpege does have something similar to chanel 5, which is my all time favourite, but also much more depth and warmth. i discovered it when 24 when a colleague gave me a bottle of the real perfume which she couldn't stand. now have it again as edp. with these little-known old classics you are guaranteed to smell different from the mass-produced sugary-sweet pink smells that dominate the market today, long live the classics!!

guest_amberberglund

This perfume is nothing like Chanel No. 5...and there's something kind of off-putting about Arpege. I just found a vintage bottle of Arpege from Ebay. It does smell vintage. It smells like men's cologne, but, (and I mean this with all due respect) it smells like a gay man's cologne. Gayer than Jean Paul Gaultier's "Pour Homme" which is, quite possibly, the gayist scent ever created.
Arpege, I find it androgynous, falling slightly on the manly side. Like a cross between your grandpa's Brut and CK1. There's a cliche about white people who smell like "wet dog" and after a while, when the top notes of Arpege subside, what is left is that wet dog sort of smell.
What I just did was dab Chanel No. 5 over the Arpege...and that some how balances things out.

Darling Starling

My grandmother adores this scent, and it truly works for her. When it comes to someone over the age of 60, fresh and clean scents don't often work well. Classic aldehyde and spicy scents work best, and this scent is truly classic! I find this scent feminine, but not in a screaming florals or rolled in pink sugar type of way. This scent is for the Jackie O type, very powerful and sure of one's self. I on the other hand can not wear this at all, it doesn't work with my body and seems to amplify as soon as it hits my skin. Half a spritz left me smelling life a perfume store all day. If you like very classic perfumes, this might be for you, but make sure you try it on before you buy it!

guest_guest bg

All the old classies smell alike to me-Chanel 5,Hermes Caleche,Arpege.They all give me terrible headache and make me dizzy.They are too strong and heady and i dont know if there is still someone who likes them(especially this one)They are from another era

chuaalba

if you like firs van cleff and arpels and arpege its almost the same.i love it

tessture

Smells a lot like aldehydic black rose on me. At the end of the day, there's a dark, resinous note that persists endlessly: This baby doesn't go away. Still, the peach and aldehydes together sometimes give me trouble, leaving a sort of muddy, tar-like scent that I've noticed with other fragrances of this era. It's not bad, but it's not my favorite. I love the idea of it's history, but Arpege and me may never become friends.EDIT: Today it has an almost cocounut note to it. Strange and compelling even when I'm still not sure it'll be a favorite. It does grow on you, hauntingly.

belle de sud

Arpege is a grande dame of perfumes; ladylike, powdery, a symphony of pleasing peach/rose/violet/santal loveliness and a homage to the woman who wears it like a fur coat! The fetching Art Deco logo of a mother and child bears witness to it's creator and her daughter's mutual love especially as the parfum was named by the little daughter. A must-have classic more pleasing to me than rival Chanel #5.

Belle de Sud

elgab89

This to me is the perfect example of a perfume that is timeless. Not old fashioned, not outdated - just classic and elegant. I love that starts on such a positive note and dries down in a warm and comforting scent.
I cannot see the comparison to Chanel No.5 -sorry, except for the fact that both have aldehyde in it, they do have a different feel to it: No.5 is more sharp and confident, while this one embraces and caresses you, like a protective grand lady.

sealprincess

I think and this is only think that the black bottle is the 1993 re launched version and the clear is the 1927 version.

gypsyrose

It is my all time favourite perfume, I am content to never wear a different fragrance. However my last bottle smelt different and I am somewhat confuded about the black and clear bottles can anyone tell me the difference?

Vickalena

To afraarfa.
I my opinion, many classical perfumes are "too heavy" in the modern conception of perfume. I'm sure, many "old classics" can be used by men and women as well.

I know a man, who's wearing Arpege, and it suits him!

Why don't try?..

sealprincess

This stinks! When I smell it I think of a really, REALLY old bottle of Channel No.5. Maybe this would be good on a older lady, like 70 or 80. I'll wear it once in awhile but not much. It's good to have for my collection though.

ljubica

I never thought I would once love an obviously classic, retro scent. I was always a type to go for the lightest, airiest of fragrances and couldn't imagine putting on something made in 1927, it would equal choosing a classic Chanel suit over my favorite jeans and a top. And then, as a part of my 'perfumista' training, I started testing the classics, and I instantly fell in love with Arpege. It has some golden quality to it, the feeling of being wrapped in the finest golden veil, woven of luxurious, warm, overripe flowers and soft powder.
It is very ladylike, but strong, and has to be used lightly, as it can be headache inducing.

Halvah

Afraafra, I would say it's definetely feminine - on me, but I've never smelled it on a man, so have a trial! I can't exclude that it may work on a man's skin, actually, it might be deep enough for that. Women or men - this perfume is not for young people.

xnyorkr

For the life of me, I cannot remember why I didn't like it. It's a warm, floral aldehyde of the classiest type. It does not have the bitter dry-down of Chanel #5. If you like this, you might also like #5, L'Aimant, Wind Song, Bourbon French Festival, and Leonard Tamasa.

Urban Skies

A warm, sultry, classic perfume from 1927. I recommend it if you like Chanel No. 5.