Maroc Long Lost Perfume for women

I wore the original by Ultima II in the 80s. I loved it dearly while I wore it, during one of the brighter times of my adolescence, so I am hugely nostalgic for it. At a time when Maroc could not be found even on eBay and, in a fit of longing, I bought the Irma Shorrell version directly from her website (longlostperfume.com). When I received it, I was elated because nothing - not even Coriandre by Jean Couturier - could come close to replicating this for me. I could detect the most important notes for me: geranium, coriander, jasmine, vetiver, patchouli, oakmoss, but most importantly, the rose. It was the champagne desert rose fragrance I remembered it to be.

However, after wearing it for a few days, the nostalgia wore off and I became more critical. First, it was *way* more powerful than I remembered. But I thought this may have been my nose's lack of exposure to the powerhouse perfumes of the 80s. The I realized that the concentration I had been wearing in the 80s was a cologne, though it was the most substantial cologne concentration I'd ever worn. The I.S. creation was an eau de parfum. Maybe this is the difference? But I was missing some aldeyhdes, too. And I didn't remember gardenia being in the original. This was skewing more towards an unctuous muscat fruitiness not the brut champagne rose chypre I remembered.

Well, I still wear it frequently and enjoy it, but there is always that feeling that I'm not quite wearing the fragrance I was expecting. And whereas I could wear the Ultima II version without creating too much of a sillage wake, the I.S. version I wore mostly at home or when I was outside all day because I had comments from friends & family how overpowering it was.

Not too long ago I purchased a wee 1/4 oz. bottle of the original Ultima II Maroc on eBay at not too outrageous of a price. (Thank you to the seller for not gouging me!) Even though it wasn't the lovely, frosted, rounded-square bottle I remember, as soon as I popped the lid, I was there. 1987. Bam. I even got a bit of a headache from it but didn't even care, I was so happy to experience that smell again. Luckily, it is strong enough that I only need the slightest dab because I'm going to need to ration this little baby!

I don't mean to disparage the Irma Shorrell version. It is an extraordinary, I dare say super-human effort and accomplishment that she managed. It is a fantastic fragrance on its own standing and I wildly applaud her efforts not just in this one but in several of her other recreations (the doppleganger of Crepe de Chine, the even-better Chaos imho, and the scrumptious Bakir). If you are nostalgic for any of these fragrances or maybe have never smelled them in the first place but want a more affordable way to enjoy vintage fragrances, I recommend these without hesitation. If you, like me in this particular case, are intimately familiar with the original, you may want to spring for a decant, partial or mini bottle of the original like I did but lavish yourself in the extremely competent reproduction.

(Sorry this review was so long, but as you can tell this fragrance is very dear to me and, I believe, what truly launched me into my obsession with fragrance.)

I have worn Maroc since it first came out in 1987. It became my signature fragrance and security blanket. Now I can not find it any place. HELP