This is the tenth installment of my monthly classic actress beauty tips that I have read about and tested.
I love perfume. It’s nice to be recognized with a particular scent. It’s feminine and fun.
Several actresses were perfume addicts as well. The Turner Classic Movies documentary “Movies and Moguls” said Gloria Swanson spent $500 per month on perfume in the 1920s.
The ad reads “Once she was the only woman in the world allowed to wear this perfume. L’Interdit. Created by Givenchy for Audrey Hepburn.”
Recently I’ve been trying out different perfumes used by actresses. This month, I tried out Givenchy’s L’Interdit which was created and worn by Audrey Hepburn. The scent was created in 1957 and was made solely for Audrey. It was only offered in stores after she had worn it for a few years.
I’ve had a sample of this perfume for at least five years. It came in a gift set with my Very Irresistible Givenchy perfume and I simply forgot about it. I only realized that I had it, and that it would make a good beauty tip, last weekend.
I wore it last week so I could smell it, get others to smell it and see if I could tolerate it for the whole day.
The perfume doesn’t smell bad. In fact, it’s pretty light and airy, but it is a very mature smell. It has that musky, powdery smell that fills your nose when you sit behind an old woman in church.
My thoughts about the mature scent were confirmed when I had friends smell my wrist and say, “You smell like my mom” or “Aw that makes me think of my grandmother.”
To review: The perfume smells nice and is light, but is probably a little mature for a 22-year-old. I may try again in a few years to see if my opinion changes. On a side note, I read that the L’Interdit sold now isn’t the original scent. One blog said the original L’Interdit was much more spicy and exotic and not as flowery and musky. It’s a shame it was changed because that sounds much more appealing.
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I know exactly what you mean about a perfume being musty and powdery and filling my nose when I “sit behind an old woman in church.” That’s definitely happened to me before. Haha.
Too bad they changed the original scent. Since Audrey is still so popular, I bet the original perfume would do well if it were marketed with Audrey attached to the campaign.
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Yeh, I’m not sure why they did change it. It may have smelled pretty good for all we know.
I do think it’s really hard to find a good perfume. Alot of them do have that “old woman” smell.
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These hooligans have changed literally ALL the classic scents, the ones who had their own personalities and were so attractive to smell. It all smells the same now..out with the perfume oil and in with synthetics, which are cheaper to make. It’s all about profit in our upside down world. My dream: To go to the store and find Divine by D’Orsay on the shelves. The most gorgeous, beautiful perfume ever made by human hands. Not availble for over fifty years, alas. Now we’re stuck with the same smelling harsh scents and the rip off versions of the classic perfumes. Sad world.
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I wonder of there is a perfume that is close to the original formulation that is sold currently?
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I’ve wondered that too. I wish I knew what the original smelled like! I hate when perfectly good products are changed. Also seems like maybe an insult to Audrey? This is a scent for her and it was altered lol.
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I’m wearing the original L’Interdit right now. You can find it at decanter perfume places. I have a tiny sample vile but I am thinking about getting more. I really like it. It is warm, feminine, sensual, yet classy. Maybe there is a bit of powder coming through but it is not overpowering. I don’t care for the old powdery scents either. I haven’t smelled the newer version of L’Interdit, but this vintage one is nice.
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Do you mind if I quote a couple of your posts as long as I provide credit and sources back to your blog?
My blog is in the exact same niche as yours and my users would genuinely benefit from a lot
of the information you provide here. Please let me know if this ok
with you. Regards!
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No problem as long as -like you said- their are quoted and linked back to the blog. I’d love to see your blog, send me a link 🙂
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Where can I find entries #1 through #9? Fascinating!
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I lived in Italy for many years and heard Audrey actually wore a light “cologne water,” also created for her. I didn’t track this down when I lived there, and think this is now forgotten, except maybe by the Italian perfumeries. THIS is the one I want to find.
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Pingback: Actress Beauty Tip #31: Elizabeth Taylor perfume | Comet Over Hollywood
I can’t believe I’m reading this! You know, just getting christmas ideas for the wife and such. 😉
But how shameful that they’ve changed the scent! But if you look at the designs that Givenchy is creating these days, it’s no surprise that they would piss on their heritage.
The Givenchy brand has changed into something that doesn’t even resemble the elements of its roots. Its likely that Hubert would burn the world down if he saw what’s been made of his once respected name.
Well, anyway… I guess I’m not getting the wife this for Christmas. Lol.
I’m going to leave now, ‘cuz I sound crazy.
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I hate how the scents change over the years! Makes no sense. Thanks for reading! Hopefully you got your wife something nice for Christmas 🙂
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Givenchy’s L’Interdit original is a wonderfully charming scent. I bought one bottle and got the original on EBAY, then I ordered some samples that smelled like AVONS cheap migraine causing skunk smell. I wish they would bring back the original scent. It had the scent where you are drawn to the person to take in the sweet light scent. The new version screams at you and all you want to do it back away and then run. I do hope they bring back this scent!
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