Jean-Louis Scherrer is one of the hidden classical gems. In the US, you might have to search for it at the discount shops, but the Europeans can easily find it at most perfumeries where it sits someplace between Ralph Lauren and Stella McCartney on the alphabetically organized shelves. The tall oblong bottle filled with pale green liquid is not flashy, and the first whiff of the perfume doesn’t reveal anything extraordinary–leafy and peppery, with an unmistakable wet earth note that you find in many classical green perfumes. It takes a few moments for Scherrer to weave its spell.
Classical is the best way to describe Jean-Louis Scherrer, because it’s a perfumed time capsule. Taking a deep breath of this green, earthy perfume is like stepping back three or even four decades. They don’t make them like this anymore. Scherrer was launched in 1979 by a French couturier who dressed women like Françoise Sagan, Jackie Kennedy, and Claudia Cardinale. Shortly thereafter, he added Scherrer 2 and Nuits Indiennes (now discontinued) to the collection.
I wonder if the ever chic Jackie O loved Scherrer’s perfumes. All of his fragrances are impeccably elegant, but the original Scherrer is even more so. It was created by IFF perfumer Josette Ramisse whose only other fragrance I know is Paradigm by Shiseido. Scherrer takes cues from Chanel No 19 and Estée Lauder Private Collection. While at the time of its launch, it may not have been groundbreaking, today it stands out because rich green perfumes are hard to find, and rich green chypres are even more rare.
If you’re new to green mossy scents (also called chypres)–the brut champagnes of the fragrance world, then I encourage you to first try milder examples like Balenciaga Paris or Stella McCartney L.I.L.Y. before working your way to Annick Goutal Heure Exquise and Chanel No 19. It’s definitely an acquired taste. After the intense green opening, Scherrer reveals a graceful heart of hyacinth and iris. The modern Eau de Parfum is even more transparent than the vintage formula. The dewy floral notes draped over the dark backdrops seem even brighter and more delicate.
The earthy richness that you glimpse in the top notes unfolds fully in the drydown. The vintage version is leathery and mossy, but the modern one is clean, with a stronger accent on woods. The moss is still there smelling of damp leaves and wet bark, but everything is toned down. Either way, Scherrer retains its polished, elegant aura, and whether you try the new or reformulated version, you will find it well-balanced and distinctive. To some people its green moss trail might seem old-fashioned, but nothing about it is dated.
I enjoy Jean-Louis Scherrer for its polish, and for its glamour without too much glitz. It’s the kind of fragrance I would wear for myself, when I sit down with a book or plan a solitary walk. I love its introverted character and its understated presence. It also inspires me to re-read Sagan’s Bonjour tristesse and look for clips of Cardinale dancing the famous waltz in The Leopard. A perfume for daydreaming, in other words.
Jean-Louis Scherrer Original includes notes of bergamot, tangerine, galbanum, blackcurrant buds, iris, jasmine, rose, patchouli, sandalwood, oakmoss, and vetiver. Available from Ebay, discount shops (in the US), or at Ici Paris XL, Planet Parfum, Sephora, and other perfumeries in Europe and the Middle East. 25, 50, 100ml Eau de Toilette retails for 33, 63, 84 euros; 100ml Eau de Parfum–74 euros.
Sample: my bottles of the EDT and parfum from the 1980s compared to a modern sample of the EDP
84 Comments
Kristina: Oh, how I loved the original Scherrer! It’s a complex and confident scent, elegant but in a “little black dress” sort of way. The reformulation however was a big disappointment for me – I find it rather screechy and soapy, it lacks the roundness of the original. March 18, 2013 at 7:28am
nikki: yes, that is well put, Kristina, it is not round and elegant anymore, but flat in the EDT version. Try the new EDP, it is better. March 18, 2013 at 10:03am
Kristina: Thanks so much for recommending the EdP – I will try and maybe it will bring back the old spell! March 18, 2013 at 10:54am
Victoria: I agree! The EDP is much better. March 18, 2013 at 1:10pm
Victoria: I prefer the new EDP to the EDT. Of course, if you wore the original for many years, you will right away notice the holes in the reformulation. But all things considered, I think that they’ve kept it true to form. March 18, 2013 at 12:53pm
Irene Esch: I totally agree. The new Scherrer is horrible. I have used this perfume since it came out but unfortunately no longer. November 8, 2020 at 8:17am
Rowanhill: I have adored this perfume since I was 11 years old at the end of the 70’s. It was then worn by my terribly elegant, tall and slim choir instructor whom I admired to no end. A couple of years later I finally plucked up my courage and asked her what she was wearing and she told me the name and that this was the perfume to wear instead of a classic lavender perfume, paired down as was her style. Of course I was also far too young for such a fragrance. Not that it stopped me from looking. But even then it was not that readily available, at least not in Finland. Hence I never acquired a bottle although I did send my parents on fragrance missions on their trips abroad. Then finally I was old enough and lived in a country where finding a bottle isn’t a mission impossible. Although it does not have quite the depth it used to, I still love it, and aspire to the elegance of the original wearer of my memory. March 18, 2013 at 7:33am
Victoria: Such a great memory and association! I’m also happy to hear that you enjoy the reformulation. A reader emailed me not long ago and asked me to review JLS. I approached the new version with some concern that it might be defaced, but I was pleasantly surprised. I do prefer the EDP though. The EDT feels too thin. March 18, 2013 at 1:12pm
Rowanhill: I tried both concentrations as well and strangely enough went for the EdT which was closer to the scent memory in my head. March 18, 2013 at 6:33pm
Linda: This sounds really wonderful. I admire EL Private Collection, No.19 and L’Heure Exquise, and I love your comment about it being the understated type of fragrance to wear whilst sitting quietly reading…Ashamed to say that I’ve not heard of this before, but now you have inspired me to seek it out. Perhaps in London? Thank you for the introduction! March 18, 2013 at 9:41am
Rowanhill: Works a treat for a board room too. 🙂 March 18, 2013 at 10:31am
Victoria: You will definitely enjoy it then, because all of these fragrance have that elegant, a bit austere but not overly so character. In France and Belgium it’s sold at most perfumeries–Sephora, Ici Paris XL, etc. March 18, 2013 at 1:14pm
nikki: I love Scherrer! I have worn it since 1987 in hot and humid Caribbean weather. I recently bought the EDT on e-bay which was very cheap, only to send it back as it didn’t smell at all like Scherrer. In the meantime, I was able to find the original extrait. The new EDP is ok as well, more like the original than the EDT. This is one elegant scent, very 30s and 40s, tough femme fatale and so refreshing at the same time. This is the non plus ultra of mossy perfumes for me…just great. Now I will splash it on, thanks for the great review! March 18, 2013 at 10:01am
Victoria: I agree with your description–it’s not a pale wallflower. While it doesn’t shout, it feels very distinctive. March 18, 2013 at 1:16pm
Nicola: Oh I am going to look out for this. The photo is soooo sexy, isn’t it in that sharply tailored way of green chypres. And the notes remind me of Deneuve a little. It’s odd. I had no problems whatsoever wearing green perfumes in my twenties and thirties but latterly (late forties and now, gulp, 50) I still love the scents but find them difficult and sometimes unforgiving to wear. I think it is why I veer towards fruity or leather chypres now as more “skinlike”. Still I love some green. Thanks for the review. March 18, 2013 at 10:30am
Victoria: I love the ad too. It reminds me of Lancome’s Magie Noire ad–same pose, same gesture, but the tuxedo jacket gives it a different vibe. March 18, 2013 at 1:17pm
irem: I guess it is not just the perfumes whose quality went downhill in the last 10-20 years. Back in the day even perfume ads were so much classier. I love the ad for this one. I do not want to use the word “sexy” because the most recent incarnations of it bring to mind nothing but cheap and easy. This photo is seductive, you keep looking at it, it is sexy yet tasteful, refined and does not forget that we have brains, too. I am sure the perfume (original formulation at least) plays along the same lines. Would have loved to try it! March 18, 2013 at 11:14am
Victoria: Sexy yet tasteful is how I would describe it too. I love how it leaves something to imagination. March 18, 2013 at 1:21pm
Austenfan: This sounds so good. I will definitely try it when I see it somewhere.
I love the ad by the way. Very tasteful and discreet. March 18, 2013 at 11:43am
Victoria: Jillie’s comment about the similarity to Aromatics Elixir makes me think that you might enjoy this perfume too. At least, it’s easy enough to find in Europe. March 18, 2013 at 2:07pm
Austenfan: I noticed that too! I have put a search on eBay. I may just blind buy a mini. March 18, 2013 at 3:22pm
Victoria: Please let me know what you think, if you do end up trying it. March 18, 2013 at 4:22pm
Jillie: I managed to get hold of a fairly vintage bottle and was amazed to find that it reminded me of Clinique Aromatics Elixir, but less deep and more green. Not such an “in your face” perfume as AE! March 18, 2013 at 12:34pm
Victoria: Aromatics Elixir is a great comparison. It’s definitely less heavy and earthy, but if one enjoys AE, Scherrer is a good perfume to try.
Lucky you to have a vintage bottle! 🙂 March 18, 2013 at 2:06pm
Sherry: I almost bought this at an outlet store, two weeks ago. They had a bottle that was a tester for sale and an unopened bottle as well. The prices were very good. I have never smelled this before, but it sounds like something I would love, knowing my passion for Chanel #19. Still, I was reluctant to purchase, because there was no tester for me to sample. Who knows…if I go back sometime soon, maybe I will take the chance and buy it!! It sounds like a wonderful fragrance!! March 18, 2013 at 12:51pm
Victoria: I would hesitate to recommend buying it unsniffed, because these green, earthy chypres are really love or hate perfumes. Maybe, you could check Ebay for minis? Those tend to be reasonably priced. March 18, 2013 at 2:08pm
Nancy A.: Dear Victoria,
The tried and true fragrances still reign up there for me! Jean Louis was one of those that I used to wear. I hope to fit some fragrance sniffing in to my schedule today: Tom Ford, Chanel and Bond Street. March 18, 2013 at 12:52pm
Victoria: Sounds like a fun exploration! 🙂 March 18, 2013 at 2:09pm
Elena: I love 19 and my brief experience with Private Collection was a good one, so this sounds tempting. Austenfan, irem, and Nicola, I am with you on loving the ad! There’s so much confidence and strength, offset by the exposed throat. March 18, 2013 at 12:58pm
Victoria: I was recommended it years ago by a friend who noticed my love for No 19 and suggested that I try something else. I don’t think that they are identical, but if you like green notes, it’s such a great discovery. Truly green perfumes are so rare today. March 18, 2013 at 4:28pm
nikki: I used to wear Chanel 19 for years, but now sold all of it…as I find it somewhat cold and metallic while Scherrer still has some kind of magical note that seems to make it more feminine… March 18, 2013 at 8:31pm
Victoria: I recently bought a bottle of No 19 EDP, and while it’s different from the EDT, it feels warmer, more rounded. I also love No 19 Poudre, even if it’s very subtle. March 19, 2013 at 6:23am
Rachel: The ad is gorgeous! It’s seductive without being overly exposed. Speaking of exposed, did anyone catch Halle Berry on Jay Leno? She’s a beautiful, sexy woman … but the dress ruined everything. Halle, you need not bare it all!
Back to perfume, why today’s launches are never as good? Or was this perfume a more specialized release (aka niche)? March 18, 2013 at 1:04pm
Victoria: Scherrer was not a niche house, and in the 1970s niche was just a tiny movement. Then again, the quality of the launches even in the mass market (like Revlon, Charlie, etc.) was so much higher than what’s passing for luxury today. To answer your question, today’s launches are designed to sell instantly, so they have to be inoffensive and likable. In the past, brands were more willing to take risks. Sometimes the risks paid off (Dior Poison), sometimes they resulted in big flops (Dior Dolce Vita). But it was seen as par for the course. Today, on the other hand, the costs of launching a new perfume are so high that it doesn’t pay off to incur any risk lest you be left without a job. The sad outcome is that we as consumers have mostly unexciting choices.
Of course, I wanted to add that I speak in general terms. There are still brands that pay attention to quality. March 18, 2013 at 4:33pm
jujube: Hi, I love green scents. I wore Cristalle Eau Verte for St. Patrick’s Day. March 18, 2013 at 2:19pm
Victoria: Nice scent match! 🙂 March 18, 2013 at 4:34pm
ojaddicte: This sounds as though it was meant for me! I adore green frags: Nikki de St. Phalle, Coriandre, Jacomo Silences, and Clinique AE all have a home in my collection. I will be seeking this out. 😀 March 18, 2013 at 2:48pm
Victoria: Nikki de St. Phalle is another great green fragrance! And that bottle is a work of art. March 18, 2013 at 4:35pm
nikki: absolutely! great fragrance and art work! i adore Niki! March 18, 2013 at 8:32pm
Victoria: It also had amazing ads! March 19, 2013 at 6:24am
nikki: I would love to see some of the ads…I wasn’t in the country when this perfume came out…did you know she only agreed to it so she could finance her work on her Tarot garden in Italy? That would be a wonderful place to visit, and the train ride is so lovely if you travel via Italian Riviera with its Mimosas in full bloom! Maybe you will review the old and the new Nikki perfume soon? March 19, 2013 at 10:44am
maja: I should check this out as I love green chypres as much as my husband hates them 🙂 March 18, 2013 at 3:11pm
Victoria: Oh well, you can wear them when he is not around. 🙂 March 18, 2013 at 4:35pm
minette: very first time i sniffed this, i thought, “rich lady shopping at neiman marcus.” the image was so vivid and frozen in time almost. great stuff!
have you tried “s” by scherrer? it’s a sweet, fluffy, light thing but also well-done. March 18, 2013 at 4:33pm
Victoria: I tried it a while ago, and I liked it too. The original is still my favorite, but other Scherrer perfumes are really well-crafted. March 18, 2013 at 4:36pm
Eva S: Thank you for the review, I really adore this perfume! I bought a bottle online recently-I had a sample of the EDT which I enjoyed but after reading some descriptions online I decided to order the EDP instead (fortunately). I find it easier to wear than no 19, somehow it’s warmer? March 18, 2013 at 4:44pm
Victoria: Yes, that’s it–it’s warmer and softer. I have been wearing it on and off for the past couple of weeks as I was working on this review and comparing different versions, and I loved how I discovered some other new facet as I wore it longer. The EDP is really superior to the EDT, and it’s also easier to find. March 18, 2013 at 5:37pm
AnneD: This brought back memories. Back in the ’70s there was an ad in a fashion magazine for free mini bottles of a new fragrance by Scherrer. Scherrer II I believe. I mailed it in and received a tiny little miniature bottle of the loveliest fragrance ever, but way too mature for me at the time as I was only twenty. I was interested in Guerlain at that time and knew nothing about this line. It did tempt me to go exploring and find the original Scherrer. I did buy a small bottle of the original even though it seemed too mature for me as well. (Everything seemed too mature back then except for Babe) I have no idea what happened to those Scherrer bottles, but I wish I had kept them. Anyway, two decades later I smelled the Scherrer fragrance on a lovely lady the same age as myself and the memories flooded back of being a young mother, having no money, the ’70s etc. I simply must seek this fragrance out again. Thanks so much for this review! March 18, 2013 at 5:34pm
Victoria: Anne, thank you so much for sharing this lovely story! It really moved me. One of the reasons I love talking about classics is that they often bring out poignant memories. I do hope that you get a chance to smell Scherrer again and that it will be just the right fit now. Sometimes we do have to grow into perfumes, which makes exploring scents so exciting. March 18, 2013 at 5:48pm
Gretchen: I’m getting hooked on green scents, and am seriously thinking of purchasing this “blind,” which is, of course, crazy. I like aldehydes, I am in LOVE with Perle de Mousse, but don’t want to smell myself coming and going, which is what happens with No. 19 in Washington in the summer in certain circles. Insane? or worth the splurge? March 18, 2013 at 7:37pm
nikki: definitely, who wants to smell like everybody else? i always found that is the main problem with Chanel as if Chanel means good taste and luxury, sometimes, maybe byt certainly not always.. when one has an individualistic point of view, Scherrer may be a much better bet…and it is not expensive, but try the EDP… March 18, 2013 at 8:36pm
Gretchen: Nikki, thanks….my lemming purchase is winging its way to me shortly, in EDP concentration! This will be so much fun, a change from my summer white florals, which I tend to tire of more quickly than I’d like, and I can put Perle de Mousse in rotation to extend its deliciousness! March 18, 2013 at 9:01pm
nikki: wonderful, Gretchen, you will really like the edp. try to get one which seems to have the almost jungle green color, they seem to be the old stock. enjoy! it really is a great fragrance! March 18, 2013 at 9:16pm
Victoria: Incidentally, I’ve been alternating Perle de Mousse with Scherrer for a dose of spring (the real spring is not yet here!) I’m keeping fingers crossed that you will enjoy JLS. Blind purchases are often so risky. March 19, 2013 at 7:05am
annemariec: Wonderful review and I love reading everyone’s memories. Even if I wear less vintage perfume than I used to, I still love reading about it, so many thanks!
JLS is very much my line of country and I have a sample of it, and maybe Scherrer II, which I must dig out. I remember being impressed with both.
One of the reasons I am attracted to Patricia de Nicolai’s work is that many of her fragrances preserve a classical feel that has a deep history going way back into the twentieth century, but subtly oriented towards modern tastes. Odalisque comes to mind, as does Number One. March 18, 2013 at 7:44pm
Victoria: Thank you, Anne-Marie! I don’t wear that many vintage perfumes day to day, but whenever I do, it’s such a pleasure. They really give a glimpse into another world.
I completely agree with you on Patricia de Nicolai’s creations. The best of her collection have that classical richness, which I often miss in many new launches. March 19, 2013 at 7:08am
kaori: I didn’t have any association with Jean-Louis Scherrer perfumes. It sounds great and must be added “my must try list”! I love vintage green chypres.
Yesterday I found the cap of YSL “Y” perfume, a tiny vintage bottle, was broken and leaking the liquid a bit. I recall how wonderful bona fide “chypre” is! March 18, 2013 at 9:52pm
Victoria: Y is another gem! I realize that I keep forgetting about it when I talk about other excellent chypres, which is unfair. March 19, 2013 at 7:10am
nikki: yes, Y is a great perfume! March 18, 2013 at 10:20pm
kaori: I agree. Speaking of Perle de Mousse, that was one of my best, only a few :), of 2012. Isn’t it memorable? We need these types of perfumes more. March 19, 2013 at 4:35am
Victoria: I love Perle de Mousse. I have been wearing it more often these days, and it feels so effervescent and bright. March 19, 2013 at 7:18am
Ariane: Oh,this takes me back-1985,Bayreuth Festival,I was young and had never bought a perfume,a glamorous actress with long red hair introduced me to Scherrer,and that’s what I wore during the next years as a student,I bought one of those minis recently,it takes me back but makes me a bit sad as well,because it lacks the depth it had!Thank you for this lovely review,love the ad as well! March 19, 2013 at 3:36am
Victoria: Beautiful story! I’m glad that you revisited Scherrer anyway. It’s not the same, of course, but then again, few classical perfumes are. Just about everything has been altered. March 19, 2013 at 7:31am
nikki: such a lovely story! I was a student then, too, in Berlin, and wore it all the time, also the perfume by Must de Cartier which came out around the same time and was very heavy and delicious. March 19, 2013 at 10:48am
Ariane: Oh,a student in Berlin in the eighties wearing Scherrer-did you go to the Schaubuehne? March 20, 2013 at 3:46am
solanace: I will try this as soon as I have an opportunity, sounds right up my alley, since I adore No. 19! Thank’s once again V, this is another one I would never be able to discover by myself! March 19, 2013 at 9:32am
Victoria: It’s worth discovering! I was told at Planet Parfum here in Brussels that it sells well enough, so I hope that it will stay around. March 19, 2013 at 10:29am
Astrid: Nothing compares, even with the new formulations. Is it actually still in production? I’d like to know so I can plan stockups. It was sold to Designer Parfums LTD a couple of years ago and is on their website. It doesn’t look like the website’s been updated in a long time though. March 19, 2013 at 10:17am
Victoria: Yes, as I mentioned in the post, it’s sold in Europe and is very easy to find. I have never seen this brand in the US though, so I assume that it’s not distributed there. March 19, 2013 at 10:25am
@19coco76: Is the Parfam version available from the new formulation March 19, 2013 at 12:59pm
Victoria: I haven’t seen it at the stores here, but I will check again. March 19, 2013 at 3:41pm
Susan: Thank you for the lovely review, Victoria. I am delighted that your impression is so favourable. JLS is for me, that delicious first bite of air at the end of winter that holds the promise of spring not yet arrived. It is a mysterious fragrance of bulbs burtsting through the damp earth, and one that makes me feel in harmony with nature. It evokes childhood memories of picking spring flowers for my mother.
By the way, I am reading two wonderful books on fragrance, that I highly recommend: The Perfume Lover and A Scented Palace.
Happy Spring! March 20, 2013 at 11:03am
Victoria: I love how you put it–“the promise of spring not yet arrived.” Perhaps, that’s why Scherrer feels so perfect these days when our spring is slow in arriving. March 20, 2013 at 7:18pm
Flora: Great to see a review of this gem! Scherrer is “MY” perfume, the first chypre I ever bought after wearing nothing but spring florals in my early years, and it’s still my favorite of the genre. I have the vintage in all three formulations, and although the reformulation is better than most and I could live with it if I had to, nothing compares to the original. (I would give four stars to the new version, and five BIG stars to the vintage.) So much oakmoss, a virtual overdose, and I love it so! If any one fragrance could be said to reflect my personality, this would be the one. March 20, 2013 at 4:25pm
Victoria: I’m very happy to meet more fans of this beautiful perfume. When I started reviewing it, I wasn’t sure how many of us are out there. The combination of green notes, white flowers and moss is so exquisite. March 20, 2013 at 7:20pm
Caroline: Victoria, I appreciate that you sometimes revisit the classics. Never heard of this one prior to your review, but I recently got a half bottle of vintage edt, and am so pleased! It’s green, mossy and sophisticated. Much as I appreciate new scents (and enjoy reading about them), they just don’t make them like this anymore. Thank you! August 1, 2013 at 1:36pm
Victoria: I love writing about the classics, or even perfumes that weren’t launched recently. Very happy to hear that JLS was a great discovery for you. You’re definitely right, they don’t make them like this anymore! Dramatic and elegant is a rare combination. August 1, 2013 at 2:58pm
Doris: I have enjoyed reading the remarks about this classic fragrance I have been wearing for more years than I’d like to admit. It has become such a part of me that I don’t even know I’m wearing it until someone comments on it. I fell in love with it when a customer of mine was wearing it and I had to ask her what fragrance she was wearing. Luckily for me she had a vial of it with her and was nice enough to let me spray some in myself. I had made the mistake before of buying a perfume that smelled good on someone else and horrible on me, as everyone’s body chemistry is different. She said her boyfriend was a pilot and had brought this fragrance back from France for her as a gift. It was unavailable in the United States at that time. I never smelled anything so beautiful, in my life, certainly not on me. I have been wearing it ever since….over 30 years. Sadly, it no longer smells like the original. I was told the oak moss ingredient was lowered due to the cost of it. But I still buy Scherrer and continue to wear it as nothing smells quite like it on me. I love it’s clean green mysterious earthy scent. When it finally did make it’s appearance in the states it was not very well received and after a few years was difficult to find except on excursions to the Caribbean, where I was still able to purchase it. And then, even that came to an end. Now I can only find it online and I buy various size bottles as it is the only fragrance I wear. Sadly, the body cream they made…way back when….is no longer made. I have never since found a body cream that made my skin feel like silk or one that smelled as good. This is my signature fragrance and one I’ll probably wear for the rest of my life. I just hope it is going to be continued to be made, as the ownership of the fragrance has changed hands several times. It would be sad to lose such an elegant classic. It truly is a one of a kind. August 10, 2015 at 11:18am
Victoria: It really is, and I also worry about it being affected by the regulations further. As you say, you can already notice major differences in the mossy part. August 10, 2015 at 2:44pm
Doris: Hi Victoria…..It truly amazes me just how many fragrances are out there. Probably, hundreds of thousands. It is an endless array to the senses. It seems like every “A” lister star has a fragrance in her name. The part that gets me is that people try to be individual and yet they all smell the same. LOL! There are probably just a handful of fragrances that have EVER been created that truly have a unique, distinct smell. They have endured the test of time and become classics. You can probably count them on your fingers and have fingers left over. IMO Jean Louis Scherrer is one of them. I wish they hadn’t altered the ingredients. I’m sure the Scherrer lovers would be willing to pay the increases in price as long as the formula stayed the same. I know I would…..as I continue to buy it, even with the changes. I think the most important thing to remember when wearing a fragrance is how it smells on the person wearing it. You can love it on someone else or, when sprayed into the air….but how does it smell on you? I have made that mistake a few times in my life….spent hard earned money on perfume that was great on someone else and awful on me. Lesson learned…..So, sticking to the one I love and can live with wearing, without be nauseated. I do try new fragrances sometimes when in a store but nothing comes close to my signature fragrance Scherrer. August 11, 2015 at 10:50am
MrsDalloway: Just blind bought the (modern) EDP due to the love it gets on here and it’s so gorgeous! Thanks. I like it much better than No 19, though it’s obviously a relation. Interesting too the comparison with Aromatics Elixir above. I only have Aramis 900, a gentler version of AE, but definitely see (smell) the likeness. August 20, 2016 at 11:49am
Victoria: Very glad to hear that you liked it. It’s an underrated gem. August 23, 2016 at 5:21am
Shan: I decided to look up JLS perfume to see what’s been going on with it. It’s a fragrance that no one I know has ever worn or known about. Everytime I wear it, I always received compliments about it. I loved reading everyone’s experiences with it. It’s the first time I have discovered others who have loved and worn it as long and as devotedly as I have.
It’s a fragrance I discovered when I was 19 while visiting in Hong Kong and I stopped in a French perfumerie. That was 41 years ago! It is my signature fragrance and I have never lost my love for it. I have tried to experiment with other fragrances, but I find that I always go back to JLS. At one point in the ’90’s I discovered that the formula was lost in a divorce and there was talk that they would either stop production or change the formulation and so I stocked up on the EDP, EDT and perfume. I am so glad I did. I also kept the empty bottles and boxes that they came in.
Tonight I learned about what makes it so special by all of the information provided by you and the commentators here. Thank you so much for sharing all of your knowledge and experiences with this remarkable perfume. I love how you all love JLS as much as I do! May 7, 2019 at 2:42am
Bela Ladja: Hello,
I was searching for info about Scherrer edT and edP from 1979 and found Your site. I need to get info about real ingredients and am conused, because some describe the edT as made of: “Top notes are Green Notes, Hiacynth, Aldehydes, Cassia and Violet; middle notes are Orris Root, Rose, Carnation, Jasmine, Gardenia and Tuberose; base notes are Oakmoss, Vetiver, Civet, Cedar, Sandalwood, Musk, Amber and Vanilla.”, but others name a different list: “Top Notes: Galbanum, Calabrian bergamot, Sicilian tangerine, Blackcurrant bud. Heart Notes: Florentine iris, Bulgarian rose, Jasmine absolute. Base Notes: Oakmoss, Bourbon vetiver, Patchouli, Mysore sandalwood.”
Is the second list for the edP?
Can You please help me in my search, which one is the true list.
I am crazy for all GREEN stuff in perfumery, but most of all I prefer such with hyacinth, lily of the valley and so on… So it is VERY important for me to know, if I will get hyacinth in this one or not, BEFORE I buy it.
Thanks so much in advance for any response! <3
Bela Ladja July 22, 2023 at 3:04am