Private Collection by Estee Lauder (1973)

Smelling Estee Lauder's Private Collection* is like being presented with a flower genetically engineered for maximum impact, the perfume equivalent of a beautiful face Photoshopped to erase imperfections and magnify beauty.

But this isn't just any beauty; it's angular, a little harsh, and definitely mature. I remember turning my nose up at Private Collection as a kid, wondering why anyone would want to smell so...bitter. This doesn't smell like perfume should, I said in my innocence.

Top notes: Green accord, Citrus Oils, Hyacinth

Heart notes: Jasmine, reseda, narcissus, rose, pine needle

Base notes: Oakmoss, cedar, musk, amber

At once inviting and formal, Private Collection is poised somewhere between Vent Vert in its orchestral floral nature and Inoui in its piney, woody verdancy, like a white flower whose face is toward the sun while its back buttresses cool, dark woods. 

The greening of Private Collection by galbanum (no doubt part of the "green accord"), pine, and citrus oils serve as the Photoshop tools that perfect, sharpen and enhance what's natural about this perfume, raising it to an almost scary level of beauty. PC is like a beautiful woman who catches your eye and who you cannot look away from, etiquette be damned.

And what floral notes! Private Collection features hyacinth; jasmine; rose; the difficult, sharp, almost urinous narcissus; and the new (to me) floral Reseda.** Reseda isn't, in this case, a suburb of Los Angeles, but rather the flower also known as Mignonette and whose scent is described as "ambrosial." The cumulative scent effect is akin to ripping a white flower bloom like Datura from its tree and taking in its peppery, bright freshness for a split second before it dies away.

I've been on a sort of green perfume kick, but Private Collection just upped the ante on beautiful green florals. Perfect for a formal night out in spring, which is in heartbreakingly gorgeous bloom here in New Orleans.

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*Thanks again to Qwendy of Notes on Shoes Cake & Perfume for inspiring me to dig deeper into Estee Lauder's library; this sample is from her vintage collection.

**"[A] genus of fragrant herbaceous plants native to the Mediterranean and southwest Asia...the flowers are produced in a slender spike. Each small flower can be white, yellow, green or orange." A Victorian favorite according to this source.

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A Basenotes review from Caltha: "A very green floral, but not green in the contemporary, fresh and light, often quite synthetic-smelling, citrus/tea/grass kind of way. No, this is the pungent, poisonous, green of days gone by. It's not entirely unpleasant though - not like Joy which turns into pure compost on my skin - it's more challenging, fascinating yet possibly sickening if you're not in the mood for it."

Fragrantica reader review from lemonlavendergl: "I just smelled this the other day and i was turned off by it.It smelled like heavy chemicals!! It almost smells dangerous to wear!! I just can't get that heavy unsafe smell out my mind,its almost like gasoline mixed with marijuana.It smells horrible!!"

Comments

[Elizabeth]

Gasoline mixed with marijuana? Old-style leaded gasoline, I hope. Mmmm...sounds nice to me! Just kidding; sort of. :oD Thanks for this post--I do love EL Private Collection and green chypres, especially.

[Perfumaniac]

She's from the Chandler ("Fur rubbed with mint toothpaste") Burr school of perfume-reviewing, Elizabeth! I do see her point, though. Private Collection is not for the faint of heart. But gasoline and marijuana is not a bad description of its slightly poisonous green accord — and it makes me like the fragrance even more! Go figure.

[Anne]

Those ads are stunning aren't they? I'm just not sure I measure up to that style of life. Who does? Still, I'll give this another try. Years since I smelled it.

[Anne]

I've just picked up two minis of PC (in the one transaction) from a seller on eBay. I'm applying it dab by dab until I think I've got enough. I've been sitting outside in the winter sunshine - still, cool, sharp and bright. The perfect enhancement for Private Collection.

[Perfumaniac]

Winter sunshine in July, Anne? Please explain! I love Private Collection, although I think I would have to be in a chic and formal setting to wear it.

[Anne]

Winter in July where I live, but ours is a dry winter where very cold frosty mornings lead to bright sunny days. Not a lot of warmth in the sun tho'. Just a touch, like Private Collection, which (thank goodness) does warm and sweeten on the skin just a bit. You certainly need a good bit of confidence to wear it, especially as so few of us these days go about is floor length evening dresses like the ones PC ads from the 70s and 80s. A pity.

[breathe31]

My mom got Private Collection as a gift from one of her colleagues when it first premiered. It was not one of her favorites so it remained unused in our medicine cabinet. After a while I became curious and gave it a try . Yes, it was sharp and at times bitter, but it intrigued me and I wore it often but only in the confines of my house (somehow I knew at the time that no respectable 9 year old should be wearing this mature fragrance!). There is mention of this fragrance as a spring scent (I guess due to its sharp green accord) yet I always envisioned this one worn in the dead of winter (as Anne described during "cold, frosty mornings" or around a warm fireplace fully ablaze!).

[Patricia]

To me PC is a fragrance to wear in winter months, I like how it changes on the skin after time, from sharp to warm and enveloping.

[Perfumaniac]

I've never thought of Private Collection as warm, Patricia, but it's an interesting idea to wear it in the winter...

[Lydia Fox]

To me, PRIVATE COLLECTION is the epitome of florals. I can just picture a bed of all kinds of blossoms & leaves and me rolling around in it going wild! I've always loved it from Day 1. I wore it on Dec.31st, 1979, to a New Year's Eve party -- a date with my lover/boyfriend/manfriend. He proposed to me and we were married June 7th, 1980. I still have PRIVATE COLLECTION (not the same bottle though) and I wear it whenever I need a little pick-me-up. It is nothing less than GORGEOUS! And I feel nothing less than GORGEOUS when I wear it!

[sea wolf]

"this isn't just any beauty; it's angular, a little harsh."
This is how I like to imagine myself. Maybe I need to try the perfume to match my face.
Have you tried Spellbound? Are they similar?

[Perfumaniac]

Its not a bad description to have, is it, sea wolf? I concur. Id have to resniff Spellbound. I have it around somewhere. Let me check! Something tells me this is much greener, though. Let me get back to you!

[Kathleen Smith]

Lydia Fox, like you, my boyfriend bought me Private Collection. He went to Neiman Marcus and "described" me to the Estee woman and PC is what she recommended. That was in early 1979 and we married in May, 1980. Thirty-five years later, I love wearing it and it makes my husband somewhat "nostalgic!"

[judy]

I love PC. I don't wear it to work because it is strong (the way i like it) and some employees have allergy's. I wear PC during the fall and winter on days off or at night to special functions. I feel sophiscated, sexy, and mysterious.