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This is a new perfume to me, and I am over-the-moon happy that I found Evening in Paris. Reviewing it will only be challenging because I’m fighting the urge to shove my arm through the computer to everyone reading this and say, “just smell it!” (If only that worked.)
I think it’s so good, I want everybody to experience it. But since it’s only available at a few sites, that’ll be a challenge. I’m hesitant to say it’s safe to blind buy because it’s not the kind of fragrance most people will probably want to wear.
I’ve sampled, worn, gifted, and reviewed hundreds of perfumes. Still, not all of them have mentally transported me somewhere else at first sniff. This one did, and I didn’t see it coming.
I’ve been let down by perfumes I was excited about trying before. I honestly expected a generic-smelling fragrance I’d just consider “nice” if I was lucky. I figured it would smell like alcohol at first spray, then fade away to nothing in a couple of hours.
It’s always a welcome surprise when a perfume is an experience, not just something that smells good (though I do love a beautiful fragrance, don’t get me wrong). For me, Evening in Paris is an experience.
Bottom Line Up Front
It was love at first spritz for me. It’s got that sweet, floral-powder combination that somehow comes across as candylike but not especially youthful. It’s just syrupy enough for me to associate it with a rainy day (or maybe humidity, which I enjoy in some situations).
I’d tell you to run out and try it right now if it were widely available at brick-and-mortar stores.
I will say, if you tend to like perfumes that have been around for more than a decade or two, love violet and jasmine notes, and don’t mind a dash of powder in your fragrance, you might want to consider adding Evening in Paris to your collection.
About Evening in Paris Perfume
To me, Evening in Paris smells like the comfort of love feels. Not just romantic love. It’s not the thrilling zing of new love butterflies or the spiciness of passionate love. It’s the love you get anywhere you know you belong and are cherished.
It’s the love where you can drop the mask you wear in public, comfortably hang out in silence, open the windows on a balmy summer evening to let the scent of flowers in, and enjoy a movie from a bygone era, leaving the glamour to Old Hollywood.
Still, the scent hangs like a veil between the present day and yesteryear, almost as if you could sweep it aside and step through to another time.
Key Features and Some History
Its notes are bergamot, jasmine, Turkish rose, violet, iris, ylang-ylang, peach, cedar, and vanilla. I notice the violet the most, supported by jasmine and iris, resting on vanilla and…sandalwood?
Sometimes, you might see Evening in Paris perfume called Soir de Paris. Unless you’re looking at a retro version of Evening in Paris, they’re most likely the same fragrance. It was renamed in the 90s with the reformulation, but the bottle I have (not listed as vintage or retro, so I’m assuming it was the modern one) still says Evening in Paris.
It comes in a cute, half moon-shaped cobalt blue bottle with a tall silver cap. The font the name is written in reminds me of something from the intro to a fun 1960s film. It’s made in France by a makeup company established in 1863, Bourjois. Bourjois started making perfume in 1900 and created Evening in Paris in 1928.
It was the most popular perfume in the world in the 1950s. Evening in Paris was discontinued in 1969 but came back in the early 1990s, reformulated with the help of Chanel perfumers Jacques Polge and Francois Demachy.
Pros
- Stayed on through a shower (this won’t be a pro if you hate it, obviously)
- It is inexpensive.
- It has excellent projection.
- One spray is enough, but two wouldn’t be overkill.
- I’m not sure if it’s just my bottle, but the cap is very tight, so I’d feel comfortable traveling with it (I’d still package it with care, just in case).
- It doesn’t smell like what everyone else is wearing these days. However, it’s still a pretty, feminine scent with florals, fruits, and depth (I don’t personally find it outdated or “old,” just different). It reminds me of vintage makeup.
- You can try a retro sample from Surrender to Chance to see how you like it. Unfortunately, I’ve never tried the retro one, so I can’t say how similar the reformulation is to the sample you’ll get. I haven’t been able to find samples of the newer one. I imagine they’re pretty similar, but some notes are different at each level (top, middle, and base).
Cons
- I could only find it at one online store: The Vermont Country Store. Sometimes, you can find it on Amazon, Walmart.com, and eBay.
- Some people might consider it too old-fashioned.
- There’s not a lot of complexity. It doesn’t evolve much over the course of the day and smells the same when I spray it on as it does at the end of the day.
- The packaging and bottle are pretty but a little on the basic side.
Other Perfumes Evening in Paris Reminds Me Of
Though I’d never heard of Evening in Paris perfume until recently, I had worn a few fragrances that smell a lot like it. Here are a few similar scents to try:
Guerlain Insolence
This was the first perfume to come to mind. It’s more complex, which I usually love. Still, I think I prefer Evening in Paris over this one because it’s not so overpowering.
Plus, Insolence only comes in the 2.53 oz. size for $110.00 (get it at Guerlain.com). When I wore Insolence, I had to spray it on my ankles and let the scent waft up. Putting it directly on pulse points on the upper half of my body was just too much, and I’d get a headache and nausea. I can spray Evening in Paris on my wrists and just feel happy, not sick.
Both have a strong, sweet violet smell, and all the other notes support that. I’m tempted to call Evening in Paris a dupe for Guerlain Insolence. Insolence notes include violet, red berries, orange blossom, iris, tonka bean, musk, resins, and sandalwood.
Pros
- A little goes a (very) long way.
- The bottle is beautiful (the old and the new one) with a sleek, simple design.
- It has that intense violet and powder combination that transports you to another time and place.
Cons
- It’s not as easy to get as Tresor, but about as easy as Evening in Paris.
- It’s expensive.
- Some people say it smells too youthful, while others say it smells too “old.” (I personally think it’s neither, and it’s just right for any age.)
Lancome Tresor
I knew Evening in Paris reminded me of something else, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. I was so focused on the violets. When I went to look at the list of notes again, I saw it compared to Lancome Tresor. Many of the notes do overlap, like violet, peach, rose, amber, sandalwood, and musk.
The violet in Evening in Paris is more pronounced, and there’s more sweetness there. The powder and warmth stand out with Tresor, but it doesn’t smell especially sweet to me.
Lancome lists Tresor’s notes as rose, muguet, lilac, peach, and apricot blossom, but I also smell vanilla, sandalwood, amber, and a hint of smoke there. There might also be jasmine, which would also overlap with Evening in Paris.
Pros
- This one is easy to find.
- It’s not especially expensive.
- It’s available in a travel spray size, so you don’t have to commit to a big bottle.
Cons
- The smoky note can be off-putting sometimes, but not everyone will smell it (there’s no note in there to suggest this; I’m not sure what I’m smelling).
- It’s more of a cozy, maternal scent to me than a romantic date night one.
- I wish they’d give the bottle design an update.
Guerlain L’Heure Bleue
Some people think this smells like Guerlain L’Heure Bleue, but they must be picking up on more powder than I am in Evening in Paris.
Evening in Paris is all about the violets to my nose. In contrast, L’Heure Bleue is less sweet and heavier on the powdery notes. L’Heure Bleue smells “drier,” I guess you could say. Evening in Paris has a syrupy feel to it, but it’s not cloying or overpowering.
They’re both a little old-fashioned, romantic, and have a melancholy vibe. Both make me feel nostalgic for a different era and for a place I’ve never even visited. I picture cozy, rainy days in France, decades ago, with a special someone.
Notes of L’Heure Bleue include aniseed, bergamot, carnation, neroli, iris, violet, vanilla, benzoin, and tonka bean.
Pros
- A little goes a long way. I can spray this on once, and it’s plenty.
- It’s not as sweet or heavy on the violets as Evening in Paris.
- You can probably find a sample online to try before you buy.
Cons
- It’s expensive.
- It might be hard to find in person (but so is Evening in Paris).
Where to Buy Evening in Paris Perfume
I have seen it online at The Vermont Country Store (where I got mine) and Amazon and Walmart.com. When I ordered from The Vermont Country Store, it took about eight days for it to get to me (three days for them to ship, five for it to travel). The perfume was packaged very well.
It was about $60.00 for 1.6 oz. I was bummed I had to pay for shipping, too. That was almost $14.00.
However, you might be able to add something small to your cart and use a promo code to get free shipping. As I write this, there’s a code at the top of their page advertising free shipping with orders of $65.00 or more.
Walmart.com has Evening in Paris listed at around $40.00, but it’s currently out of stock. Amazon’s price is much higher, and Prime shipping isn’t available.
FAQs
Question: Is the perfume Evening in Paris still available?
Answer: Yes, but you can’t find it in many stores (and they’re all online).
Question: What does Evening in Paris perfume smell like?
Answer: Sweet violets with hints of powder and warmth. Like a romantic, rainy afternoon in Paris and the warmth and freedom of unconditional love. The notes are bergamot, jasmine, Turkish rose, violet, iris, ylang-ylang, peach, cedar, and vanilla. They blend together so well, that it’s challenging to pick out specific notes.
Question: What does Soir de Paris smell like?
Answer: Soir de Paris is the same as Evening in Paris (notes listed above). It smells similar to Guerlain Insolence, Lancome Tresor, and has some similarities to Guerlain L’Heure Bleue.
Evening in Paris Perfume Review Conclusion: Should You Buy Evening in Paris Perfume?
Well, I sure love it, but I know it won’t be for everyone. The fact that it’s not easy to get your hands on to try it before you make a purchase makes me hesitant to say yes, you should get it. However, if you tend to like these kinds of perfumes, get it.
If you’re familiar with–and generally like–Tresor, L’Heure Bleue, or Insolence, but they’re not quite right (due to particular notes or cost), it might be worth trying Evening in Paris. The notes are similar, but each one has its own personality.