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Evocative scents. Disappointed.

(60 Posts)
Nandalot Thu 03-Aug-23 10:40:22

Imperial Leather always reminds me and my DD of my DMI who always had this in her bathroom. I occasionally buy it and am always happily reminded of her, but no more. The most recent bar I bought no longer has that distinctive smell and indeed, seems to smell of nothing much. ( Not age related as DD said the same).

Georgesgran Mon 07-Aug-23 20:48:55

My Grandad, a miner, used to ‘relocate’ Palmolive from Kimblesworth Colliery (clue).
It said Palmolive on one side and was stamped PHB on the other - Pit Head Baths!!

Granmarderby10 Mon 07-Aug-23 20:15:16

Pink Camay soap and pink Andrex loo rolls

Casdon Mon 07-Aug-23 18:58:54

Georgesgran

Can anyone remember if it was (Lady) Katie Boyle who advertised Camay? Didn’t the soap have a cameo of a lady on each side of the bar - came in white or pink?

It was Katie Boyle, I remember the adverts. My nana always had pink Camay, which seemed very exotic to me as a child, at home we always had Palmolive, which wasn’t half as nice.

Dottydots Mon 07-Aug-23 18:37:29

I didn't know that Chanel No. 5 had changed its formula. Good job I didn't buy a bottle then. I've been unwell for about 7 months and last week I went to Cambridge on a longed for shopping expedition. Went into John Lewis, planning on treating myself to a small bottle. I thought it would be about £50 but it was £70, so I had to walk away empty handed.

Primrose53 Mon 07-Aug-23 17:55:33

PinkCosmos

*SachaMac - I also had Cachet and, later on Fidji.

When I was quite young I had Avon Pretty Peach. The little perfume container like a basket of peaches and the bottles, peach coloured with a peach on the lid. And the soap on a rope shaped like a peach. I loved them

Oh my goodness …. I was just planning to mention Avon’s Pretty Peach. That is the first perfume I ever discovered. I was about 12 and went to stay with a friend and she had a little tub of this. It was a cream perfume aimed at youngsters. I thought it was so glam as I had never had a perfume or scent myself.

Georgesgran Mon 07-Aug-23 14:44:05

Can anyone remember if it was (Lady) Katie Boyle who advertised Camay? Didn’t the soap have a cameo of a lady on each side of the bar - came in white or pink?

ParlorGames Mon 07-Aug-23 11:37:33

jaybee66

BRUT after shave or cologne from the 70s. I still seek it out and buy it for my husband.

You might be disappointed jaybee......it smells nothing like it used to.

Bella23 Mon 07-Aug-23 11:26:22

Charlie by Yardley always makes me think of my late MIL she bought me a pint bottle one Christmas and a pair of French Knickers when she thought babies were not coming along fast enough. DH took one smell and said I smelt and looked a right Charlie/tart and I never touched either again.

PinkCosmos Mon 07-Aug-23 10:18:50

Avon did some lovely bottles. I remember my grandma having Topaze. A tall yellow bottle with a 'topaze' on the lid

PinkCosmos Mon 07-Aug-23 10:12:18

*SachaMac - I also had Cachet and, later on Fidji.

When I was quite young I had Avon Pretty Peach. The little perfume container like a basket of peaches and the bottles, peach coloured with a peach on the lid. And the soap on a rope shaped like a peach. I loved them

SachaMac Mon 07-Aug-23 09:24:29

Yardley Sea Jade was my very first perfume PinkCosmos I loved it. I then moved onto Stevie B & Cachet which I wore through my late teens/early 20’s. My sister always liked Aqua Manda, it had great packaging, really captures the era.

Anyone remember Avon Pretty Peach soaps, we often got them as a stocking filler.

PinkCosmos Mon 07-Aug-23 08:49:47

hollysteers

I love Bromley lemon soaps (also used by the late Queen) and citrus smells generally now.

I remember getting Bromley soaps as gifts when I was young. The lemon one was lemon shaped and you got three 9I think) in a lovely box.

I also like citrusy smells but prefer orange these days as some of the lemon reminds me of cleaning products.

I used to love Aqua Manda when I was a teenager. The brown glass bottle with the fancy lid. Also Kiku which was in a yellow bottle but I can't remember if it was a lemony smell.

Other favourites were Yardley Caprice and Yardley Sea Jade. They revived Sea Jade a while ago but it didn't smell like I remembered it

SachaMac Mon 07-Aug-23 08:16:17

My maternal grandma always used Imperial Leather and my other Grandma Wrights Cold Tar soap, she also used Tide wash powder which smelt lovely (no fabric conditioner in those days). My mum
used to buy Knights Castile or Fairy.

Aveline Mon 07-Aug-23 07:47:58

I think it's a sign of being older but I really like good soap. The texture and scents are a real treat for me. I used to feel sorry for old aunts and grannies being given 'smellies' at Christmas but now it's me and I'm very glad to receive them.

crazyH Sun 06-Aug-23 22:35:49

Imperial Leather and Pears are my bathroom must-haves, but I agree, they don’t smell as nice as before. My sister in law always had a bar of soap, under her pillow …

Clawdy Sun 06-Aug-23 22:29:57

There was a lovely perfume called Ecusson, long disappeared I think.

nanna8 Sun 06-Aug-23 12:55:18

I love sandalwood. I went to a farm in West Australia where they grow it and bought up big but it is expensive now . I am glad they are growing it because it has become scarce and endangered apparently.

Caleo Sun 06-Aug-23 12:47:16

I suppose it must be that expensive ingredients have been omitted is the reason why beloved scents can't be got now. I stopped buying Pears soap when it was no longer Pears soap

Ramblingrose22 Sun 06-Aug-23 10:12:52

Imperial Leather was my mother's favourite and I still use it today. A few years ago they stopped making the large 200g bar and now the bars are quite small. But going through my mother's things after she died I found a pack of large bars she had bought years before so I took them for everyday use. Wonderful!
My first teenage perfume was Femme. I found that it was being made again and bought a small bottle. What nostalgia.....!

Redrobin51 Sat 05-Aug-23 20:37:47

So sad when they change the formula of a beloved perfume and it doesn't smell or last the same.
Used to love Pears soap but we tried the liquid version and it was vile. I used to love th4 smell of coal star soap, imperial leather with the small label and was envious of my friend who had the pink Camay soap as I loved the smell.

rafichagran Sat 05-Aug-23 19:32:37

BigBertha1

Imperial Leather reminds me of my Dad using it to shave with which insisted on doing in the kitchen despite having a bathroom.

Same as my Dad. This made me laugh.

hollysteers Sat 05-Aug-23 19:11:38

Bronnley!

hollysteers Sat 05-Aug-23 19:09:52

I love Bromley lemon soaps (also used by the late Queen) and citrus smells generally now.

Eirlys Sat 05-Aug-23 17:57:00

Oh I agree about Chanel 5. I used to like it. My late husband made special arrangements for the delivery from France of the last bottle I had. I didn't have the heart to tell him I hated it.

tickingbird Sat 05-Aug-23 10:19:12

Brut aftershave. It was a thing when we were at school and girls wore it as perfume.