VINTAGE - Lanvin Pretexte Parfum

Pretexte by Lanvin is an Amber Floral Leather fragrance with woody undertones for women launched in 1937 and discontinued in 1969. The nose behind this fragrance is Andre Fraysse. This is the parfum / extrait concentration.

Notes: Aldehydes, Narcissus, Bergamot;  Opoponax, Carnation, Rose, Iris, Hawthorn, Hay; Leather, Civet, Oakmoss, Castoreum, Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Palisander Rosewood, Patchouli, Vetiver and Amber.

REVIEWS

Fragrantica - "Pretexte starts with a soft and sweet aldehydic floral, which I was very surprised by. Daffodils, gorgeous and bright daffodils!  The background of Pretexte is of course Lanvin style, deep and dark....On an oriental-inspired amber-woody base, graceful narcissus dance on top of which the ever-glamorous roses are eclipsed.  The sweetness of hawthorn and the sourness of ylang-ylang are well balanced.  Aldehydes give the flowers a chill, and then they are combined with eugenol, rose, narcissus, ylang-ylang, orris root...the micronized carnation fragrance is intertwined with the warm medicinal fragrance released by red myrrh and patchouli.  Gradually, I can Analyze the structure, rosewood, cool cedar, dark smoked leather, plus sweet herbal elements, musk-benzoin is soft and smooth.  The salty taste of ambergris lasts until the rose is no longer wet, and the texture turns to dryness.  The mysterious floral fragrance... Pretexte just drifts away in the cold wind, which is very beautiful."

Fragrantica - "Pretexte is the Lanvin masterpiece and FAR OUTSHINES Arpege and My Sin ....Pretext is sweeter and agree is a slightly more described as a FLoriental Chypre. I also find the sillage and longevity 2b the best among the Lanvin group. If you enjoy heady Vintages, DO try to get a hold of this one. Definite keeper!  I've (now) over 2600 frags in my collection and Pretexte (Vintage Extrait) DEF qualifies among MY top 50 frags."

Fragrantica - "An opening sniff from the bottle reveals PRETEXTE to be sweeter than either ARPEGE or MY SIN, with a head not only of bergamot and aldehydes, but sweet orange. Indeed an almost Cointreau-like note is felt; a slightly dusky hay-ey quality haunts it, pricked delicately by some black pepper.  The rose and hawthorn bloom perfumily to give the scent a noticeably "happier" vibe than other Lanvins. There is a fleeting "varnished wood" note that one recognizes from ARPEGE.  The base is rich with tonka, a ghosted patchouly, opoponax and vanilla, a combination which almost seems to confer a caramelized sucree hint beneath the hay-ey soft florals.  PRETEXTE seems more festive and extrovert than MY SIN and ARPEGE."

Fragrantica - "Pretexte is my favorite Lanvin. It opens with aldehyde and a gorgeous narcissus and bergamot. The leather is very evident from the start, an herbal unndercurrent introduces the heart (hay? patchouli). A slight spice (carnation), Hawthorn (probably aldehyde), a starchy iris and rose (wonderful when it unfolds) keep this relatively soft , supple and dry. Its made with a different thought and age, no sweetness to be found, only upper class refinement.  The ambergris amplifies the florals and makes them shine. A slight musky marine and the leather is courtesy of a well heeled castorum that does not come off animalic in nature at all. Oppopnax gives it a silky powdery feel and a strong wood note comes from the base.  I feel Pretexte steers much more into leather-chypre. Theres a green undercurrent to it and the flowers bloom atop of it. Its gorgeous if you can find it."

Basenotes - "PRETEXTE is a gorgeous little oldschool number, with the "Lanvin-ade" aldehydic afoot. It has a slightly sweet vanillic/balsamic accord to it mingled with an herbal something... It almost seems to presage a marine oriental like DUNE (femmes) or even Mugler ANGEL.  It differs from MY SIN and ARPEGE in that its yellow floralcy is bright and cheerful. But like those two it is undergirded by ambergris, amber and an enduring warm styrax/leather note.  Gorgeous stuff... Almost sweet, but not quite... just sweet enough to be alluring and delightful. Wish I had a larger decant of it!"

Basenotes - "Pretexte is an amber chypre, very much of the 1930s school of scent. It is totally unique, an original as I have never encountered in any other. Perhaps it is the hawthorn, a scent I do not know, that gives it the unique dryness and fizziness. This is helped no doubt by the hay-like coumarin and the dry orris.  It is quite perky and uplifting, very unisex by today's standards. This is one of Lanvin's classic six and is very worth seeking out.

Basenotes - Pretexte announced itself with a rush of fine leather, followed by a spicy-herbal, ambery warmth. Sometimes, as the scent unfolds, I can detect a floral note, sometimes a whiff of vanilla. It seems very much a fragrance of its time (late 1930s) and place (France) and that's a good thing. For an approximation, imagine Messe de Minuit or Black Cashmere, left to mellow in an expensive handbag, and you might get some sense of Pretexte."