The fact that a friend of mine once bought a giant 500ml bottle of vintage Jicky along with a boxed, display case edition of Caron’s extrait of N’Aimez Que Moi for under fifty dollars (the Caron now goes for approximately $1,500) at a Tokyo discounters
shows just how much the times have changed.
We went there again recently, after a hiatus of two or three pandemic years, to check out whether there was still bounty. But not only had one of the two shops at that station closed down. all that was left in the locked, glass cabinet of the remaining store (whereas before there had been rummageable, overflowing boxes of cast away fragrances positioned outside the front of the shop in the indoor arcade) were a handful of old perfumes – admittedly including a vintage Chanel No 19 extrait – but a quite startling, Mother Hubbard’s contrast to what there once had been.
The Jicky in question – perhaps three quarters full – had lost all of its top notes, but the swill of the ambrous, quietly herbaceous, base was still sensuous and intact. Having used up my original parfum a long time before, I begged for a refill, and was obliged. I added a lot of bergamot essential oil – two-four years ago? I can’t quite remember – to freshen it all up, but yesterday, on an impulse after buying a small bottle of very nice smelling French lavender essential oil, I suddenly decided to make my own personal Jicky flanker.
The judgement ? Simply holding the two next to each other, and knowing. The lavender smelled perfect next to the already adulterated Guerlain – after all, this is the fundament of Jicky’s essence – so I just spontaneously poured the lot in (about 5ml of essential oil in a 30ml perfume).The result ? It probably wouldn’t hold up in court. But I am rather liking this alternative take in any case: once the lavender field brightness of the new essential oil fades, you are left with the same, familiar sandalwood Franco-animalia : sensual- discreet; placatory. Rather than letting the fatigued juice just sit abandoned and never worn in its gold decorated green felt box, as I definitely would have done, my new, Lavender Jicky can now be actually worn : a placed-on-the-dresser-next-to-the-futon, private night scent.
The Black Narcissus 
I should have tried this with my vintage Shalimar EDC. Will think of it next time.
I mean don’t mess with perfection, but if it is semi-defunct, playing with a potion like this can be very exciting.
Lavender Shalimar sounds rather enticing
Nice.
It would never pass your test. But still.
Exactly: “But still.” I approve!
Glad to hear it. And no regrets this side either. x
Like the idea of monkeying w shattered vintages but i know it’s personal and the supply is vanishing or vanished.
But if you do have a cheap vintage base that is otherwise unusable, definitely worth a shot. I still want to tinker with this further, maybe put even more lavender in it, because I am quite enjoying it.
You are far braver than I. I never tamper with the vintages, I just wear them.
So pleased you revived it though.