“Conversely: contrariwise: the order or meaning reversed…”
Vice Versa, a limited edition released by Yves Saint Laurent in 1999, was a fragrance that was said to play on two sets of contradictions: a heads or tails role-reversing of sweet notes and savoury; and of simplicity vs sophistication.
“It’s not very sophisticated, though, is it?” were in fact Duncan’s exact words the other night when I asked him to smell this perfume on me, putting paid to the idea that this scent is in any way sophistiqué (and I agree). He did, however say that it was “very nice”, and this is key: Vice Versa is in fact so easy, and pleasing, that I have been wearing it a lot over the last few days, loving every minute of it. Sometimes I just need something easy and upholding, an unmoody background into which I can just nuzzle.
When this perfume came out I remember seeing a rare sight: a Japanese woman, on the train one evening, engrossed in her shopping bags, really excitedly inhaling and smelling, and constantly resmelling, the bottle of Vice Versa she had just bought, exclaiming : “kore wa sugoii ii nioi, sugoi ii nioi – this just smells amazing, amazing”, quite delighting herself with her purchase ; I remember smiling to myself at the rarity of such overt public perfume love in Japan and also because I had just sampled it myself in a department store and thought it was rather good with its appealing, mandarine goodness. So, when I saw a sharply discounted bottle at a ‘recycle’ shop here recently, I didn’t hesitate for a moment in buying it. I enjoy collecting these moments in time; these disappeared, uncool curiosities from the turning point of a decade that are no longer manufactured, like unloved CDs, or books that have gone out of print. They seem to encapsulate, in physical (though evanescent) form, actual temporal shifts, even (especially) when they are housed in such gauche and clumsy bottles as this one. Such items, these unwanted throwbacks, in fact form a substantial part of my collection and are handy as olfactory gap-fillers: you can hardly spend your time entirely in the perfumed presence of legends.
Vice Versa, if your interest is in anyway piqued, is essentially an almost contemptuously familiar kind of scent (trust me, you have smelled this before). A vanillic, cedary, blandly generic base layered, convincingly but predictably, with that tuberosey/orange blossom ‘Saturday night heart’ that features in so many a sensual floriental (anything from Byzance and Fleur De Rocaille back in the day to the more recent Elie Saab or the (underrated, in my view) Serge Lutens Nuit De Cellophane): those vervy, shimmering scents with their honeyed light and silken bedspreads that glam up their surroundings with a light, intrinsic sensuality. Psychologically uncomplex, these perfumes are designed perhaps for quiet nights in with a movie, or else relaxed nights out on the town with the girls: everyone likes how this woman smells, even if they themselves are barely conscious of that fact: she just eases herself nicely into whichever scented space she happens to find herself in and gets on with the conversation. Though possibly outdated in some ways, I still vastly prefer this kind of scent on a woman to the prim-lipped neo-rose trend of the new Chloé(s), Paul Smith Rose, Valentina etc, those decorously demure ‘l’eau roses’ that seem to hold in, almost ceramicize a woman’s sexuality into an unrealistic, porcelain corset of ‘refined’, dubious, integrity. I must admit that I personally find that kind of scent repulsive. At least with this (admittedly more vulgar) genre of perfumes, the ‘Saturday Night Florals’, you have a sense of skin, of a pulse beating beneath.
What makes Vice Versa stand apart somewhat from the many other fruity floral woodies of this ilk you have smelled so many times before is the airy, luscious freshness of its opening: a nose-tingling dance duet of Chinese mandarin and fruity tomato, whose molecules pirouette enticingly into the atmosphere when you spray the perfume on (to an equally appealingly green, sparkling backup troupe of peony flowers and raspberries). It is the combination of these elements, the seesawing (but perfectly married) mandarin and tomato, that gives this perfume its quirk.
The tomato vine has been inspiration for several classic scents, including Sisley’s brilliant basil-green Eau de Campagne from 1977 and Christopher Brosius’s legendary tomato ‘solifruit’ Memory Of Kindness of 2006 (the adorable concept of a wayward child emerging timidly from a bower of tomato vines expecting a harsh punishment, but instead simply meeting the tender and forgiving eyes of his grandparents). This, like Demeter’s Tomato and Green Tomato, are based on nothing but notes from the leaves and flesh (and earth surrounding) this climbing, delicious vine fruit. The note can also be used effectively, however, with flowers and other green notes: an appreciable note of tomato leaves was to be found in Nina Ricci’s Liberty Fizz (from Les Belles De Ricci series -the one in the green bottle), also a very big hit in Japan when it came out in 1996, paving the way for the clear commercial appeal later here of Vice Versa. Tomato notes have become more absorbed perhaps into mainstream perfumes I would say, but are still perhaps considered a touch wacky.
Any intimations of Through The Looking Glass mayhem or surreality intimated by the clunky and chunky Queen Of Hearts cap on the top of this bottle are unfortunately unfounded, though. This is categorically middle ground stuff. It almost worryingly takes me back to my hometown, Solihull, in the West Midlands of England, with its deep-rooted conventionality, its beige furnishings, its refurbished ‘wine bars’: a scent to cuddle up to with TV and the latest Michale Bublé. But this is also (my own vice versa?) why I like it. It is unpretentious, reequilibrating. A place to just go back to: the parental home – comforting; easy; uncerebral. She is no poetess, this Vice Versa, her tastes probably ranging from Mariah Carey to Whitney Houston: her penchant for female romantic comedies boxed in pink DVD cases starring Kate Hudson or Reese Witherspoon hardly qualifying her as a ‘buff’. She has lived but is unphilosophical: no political consciousness to speak of, few dilemmas. But she is lovely also: direct, disarming, her sensually, red, orange pink, and perfectly balanced scent a tactile, warm-breasted arrow in her archery.
I was planning to finish this post by saying that if you like the sound of Vice Versa, it can be bought for almost nothing from Amazon and e-bay, one of those ‘fall back on’ bargains you can just spray on when can’t think what else to wear (a friend came to stay recently and LOVED the smell of this, even if she would have to probably hide the bottle away somewhere at the back of her closet). It seems, however, that it has a bit of a cult status now, and you can’t seem to get it for under a hundred dollars. I am obviously not alone in thinking that this perfume is nice. One to watch out for, anyway.
The Black Narcissus 
I have never heard of this before. But anything featuring tomato will prick my interest, I love that smell. 🙂
Here it is to be found at its most sparkling and innocuous though. This is NOT a challenging tomate ( and thus kind of why I like it: I love the mandarin combo ).
I will feature a much more astringent, green tomato scent tomorrow.
Dearest Ginza
I do like tomato.
True Grace do a wonderfully olfacto-realist version in home fragrance and Eau de Campagne is one of my all time loves.
I even seem to recall that in an earlier incarnation there was a little in l’Omber dans l’Eau became it became all too cassis for words.
Whilst I don’t think a Saturday night on the sofa in Solihull watching Reece Witherspoon merits £100 of money good money, I’ll keep a look out for this cheeky little thing… I’m sure it will be lurking for much less in a chemists somewhere!
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
How hilariously, but elegantly, phrased. The Solihull Sofa thing had me laughing my head off this morning.
Dearest Goinza
So pleased, for in amongst the myriad typos one does at least try to amuse.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
I recently realized that I like tomato notes. The crisp green of the leaves and stems adds just the right feel of the fresh outdoors in the summer heat.
I think so, too. Though this is very much an MOR fragrance, the tomato in the top notes is extremely stimulating and refreshing. I just wish that that stage lasted longer.
That sounds nice, Mr. Ginza. If I ever see one of those sitting on a shelf languishing somewhere I’ll rescue it.
Reblogged this on The Black Narcissus and commented:
ESPIED ANOTHER BOTTLE OF THIS YESTERDAY
I so love your blog…you bring me back to fragrances that I haven’t thought about in a long time. I remember owning this once and wearing it, but think it was kind of frown upon by most of the reviewers at the time. In most cases when I read about a perfume I once wore or owned, I can actually recall the scent and remember the smell, but with ViceVersa I cannot. Although I know I’ve been a perfume collector probably long before you were. I never realized how much of a perfume collector I have really been for so many years until I found your blog when you first started it. Thank you for all the great scent memories and all the present good sniffs.
What you say here though makes perfect sense. This is dull and unforgettable in many ways except for the fact that it is not (because the top notes are so appealing). I know exactly what you mean though. All the money we have spent….(and I don’t even have a pension plan…..no joke)
I apologize for my incorrect punctuation and misspelling. I hate it when I type too hastily and hit “post” before I review what I wrote. I should know better,
spanky schpanchy
A duet between a mandarin and a tomato either the fruity or the human version merited a nice after breakfast laugh.
And what lovely cheeks on that first tomato photo!
You would yawn at this scent (but you wouldn’t flinch at it either)
Tomato as in tomato leaf? That is a note I really do like (remember AG’s Folavril? Loved it in there….and Pucci’s Sole 149 which was reasonable affordable at Sephora’s for a brief time and then once pulled off the shelves became ridiculously expensive on e-bay). Providence Perfume was selling essential oils at mark up prices (she must have gotten the idea from Mandy Aftel who does the same) and I was so tempted to buy her tomato leaf essential oil but it was a bit expensive.
Won’t seek this one out , though, as I have plenty of other bottles to use up and I don’t do ebay….
I’m a just a shadow follower of this wonderful blog. I’m nobody except a scent lover and collecter ,not at all a noise. I’m buying perfumes by closing my eyes and just sniffing them. If they make any impact/pulse in my heart or taking me somewhere else then I’m buying. Once, I came a cross a giant size vintage Madamme Rochas for 1.000 yen which was nothing for that miss beauty. Although, I knew too many perfume lovers would jump on it my heart was not willing to have it. For a second, I said don’t be fool think about you are going to have that one in your collection, what a proud !! But, naahhh….sorry miss beauty wait for some one else as lilybelle commented ” rescue”!
I know Neal it may sounds crazy, but reading your posts is like watching a movie with some else eyes, I like observing your transforming into different forms of soul through the perfumes and you are reflecting it by writing musical composition. I’m not able to define what’s the indigents of ( base notes) perfume when I’m buying of them. You, always wonder which people likes which perfumes. It Seems like that if you know the favorite scent name of someone you can more or less can be idendify that person. ( I never meet in my life someone like that ability)
I wonder is it like that fiot you ?? Do : ylang ylang ?? Re : geranium ?? MiFa : iris or whatsover.., then you are starting to play music according to the top, middle and final “nota’s” teflecting your real soul according to the relatef topic/ scent…. Honestly, brave, fairly….
I dont completely understand every simgle world with my poor English but somehow i feel it, i smeel it.
You are a beatiful soul, thank you very much pouring yout soul seriuosly , using your energy for your readers or at least for me.
Ps : btw I couldnt dare to make that much long comment on someone else blog. If I had to buy ” rose base scent” Paul smith’s perfume would be mine prefer. After reading that i couldn’t control myself.
Zubeyde: what can I say ? Firstly, I can’t stand you saying ‘I’m just..’ but neither do I feel I deserve what you say about me here (but thank you anyway).
I know we do connect on some subterranean or high level though…..