Vintage Closet: J’Ai Ose by Guy Laroche
J’Ai Ose (”I Dared”) by Guy Laroche can hardly be called vintage as it was released relatively not so long ago, in 1977, when I was about to take my first steps. In my perception, however, J’Ai Ose is an old scent, probably because it was a big hit in the early 80s, and quite a few of my friends’ mothers cherished its every drop, along with Magie Noire, Fidji, Poison. Since my own mother preferred less sophisticated perfumes back then, my only hope of smelling these French beauties consisted of bribing my friends thereby instigating the Secret Smelling Sessions (which required some particular skill to avoid the wrath of the said mothers). The most vivid memory of J’Ai Ose takes me back to my high school years when a friend received a bottle as a gift from her boyfriend which I instantly applauded, selfishly interpreting the gesture as free access plus frequent application for my own persona.
When I open my imaginary Vintage Closet today, J’Ai Ose fills me with nothing but nostalgia for the scent and times long gone. J’Ai Ose can still be found today on various perfume discount sites (where I also obtained my mini of eau de parfum). Sadly, what I smell today does not ring true with my vision of it back then. What I smell today is a tailored, understated chypre tinged with jasmine, and I like it. But it’s somehow too rigid, too bitter, too reserved. I only hope it’s due to its age - quite often the base notes is the only thing you can smell with vintage scents. Reformulation is another possible reason which pains me to think about it. Sad as it might be, J’Ai Ose is miraculously alive in my memory. I can smell it so distinctly - daring, classy, and so grown up. It’s what I yearned to be back then… I close my closet with a quiet smile.
J’Ai Ose features the notes of jasmine, bergamot, vanilla, vetiver, musk, sandalwood.
Image source: parfumdepub.net
18 comments May 16th, 2007