Hello and welcome! Please understand that this website is not affiliated with Guerlain in any way, it is only a reference site for collectors and those who have enjoyed the classic fragrances of days gone by. All trademarks belong to their respective owners. The main objective of this website is to chronicle the 200+ year old history of the Guerlain fragrances and showcase the bottles and advertising used throughout the years. Let this site be your source for information on antique and vintage Guerlain perfumes. Another goal of this website is to show the present owners of the Guerlain company how much we miss many of the discontinued classics and hopefully, if they see that there is enough interest and demand, they will bring back these fragrances! I invite you to leave a comment below (for example: of why you liked the fragrance, describe the scent, time period or age you wore it, who gave it to you or on what occasion, what it smelled like to you, how it made you feel, any specific memories, what it reminded you of, maybe a relative wore it, or you remembered seeing the bottle on their vanity table), who knows, perhaps someone from the current Guerlain brand might see it. If you have any questions, please send all images of your bottle and pertinent information directly to me at cleopatrasboudoir@gmail.com. I will try to assist you the best I can.

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Saturday, February 2, 2013

Ode c1955

Ode by Guerlain: launched in 1955, created by Jacques Guerlain with assistance of Jean-Paul Guerlain. This perfume is an ode to flowers, especially rose, it is Guerlain's answer to Jean Patou's exquisite Joy perfume and Lanvin's wildly popular Arpege.


Original Fragrance Composition:


So what does it smell like? It is classified as a floral fragrance for women.
  • Top notes: neroli, lemon, linden blossom, sweet pea, aldehydes and hyacinth
  • Middle notes: hawthorn, lavender, lilac, lily, rose, jasmine, violet, peach, orris, almond
  • Base notes: ambergris, vanilla, privet, musk and heliotrope

 

Reformulated Fragrance Composition:


So what does it smell like? It is classified as an aldehydic floral fragrance for women.
  • Top notes: aldehydes and hyacinth
  • Middle notes: rose absolute, jasmine absolute, lily of the valley and tuberose
  • Base notes: orris, musk, vanilla, sandalwood 


Vogue, 1956:
"Evening elegance with a whole new air Ode to beauty — great new perfume. An event for the woman who understands fine perfume: the arrival of Guerlain's "Ode," first new perfume from this house in several years. It's subtle and romantic.."

The New Yorker, 1956:
"The great Guerlain has a new item, too, named Ode, in which we detected plenty of rose, delightfully blended with jasmine and spring flowers. (It comes in a leather-covered purse-size flacon, for $9.90, and in amphora-shaped crystal bottles, $22, $40, $75."

Town & Country,1958
"Guerlain's subtle complexity, Ode Cologne, fuses roses and jasmine with countless other blossoms."

The New Yorker, 1958
"Ode . . . perfume triumphant . Perfume $22 ... In the elegant tradition of GUERLAIN. . . always a gift of distinction Ode Cologne $6, $10, plus tax.

Harper's Bazaar, 1960:

"Also, for spring, Guerlain's floral Ode in a new size small enough for your handbag."


Bottles:

The fragrance was sold in the parapluie flacon (parfum), the parapluie spray flacon (eau de cologne) Amphore flacon (parfum), Montre flacon (eau de cologne) and the Goutte flacon (eau de toilette).








Photo by rubylane seller dollyology

Photo by ebay seller pkolesnikov57


Fate of the Fragrance:


Discontinued (date unknown), it was still being sold in 1975.

Ode was discontinued for years before being reformulated by Jean Paul Guerlain with modern ingredients and was relaunched in 2005 for the renovated flagship Guerlain store on the Champs-Elysees. Unfortunately, the reissue was only made for demonstration purposes at the boutique, and not released to the general buying public.



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