Estée Lauder, Aramis, 1965, by Bernard Chant
Notes: bergamot, clary sage, myrtle, clove, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, treemoss, leather
I’m fairly proud to say that this leather chypre is the first fragrance I ever bought with my own money. I think I saw it in a friend’s dad’s bathroom and decided it must be for the rich and mature. I bought it to seem grown up only to find it f*cking bizarre. I still have my original bottle from 1985 or something — a splash that makes subtle application impossible. Aramis opens with bergamot (sure), clary sage, myrtle, and clove (what the hell?). Strange and virtually unwearable now, in my humble opinion. I’d bet Robert Downey Jr. wore it as a young man.
Here’s a perfume-nerd heresy: To me, this smells like Guerlain’s Mitsouko (1919), the scent that defines the chypre, with fewer flowers and more leather.
