Intimate by Revlon (1955)

"Intimate...the fabulous new American fragrance that even French women are talking about! Initimate never shouts, but oh! how it whispers. Give it for Christmas (see that you get it, too!) $2.00 and $3.59 plus tax."

I'm not sure what would qualify as a perfume that shouts if Intimate is one that whispers. (An entire truckload of Bandit, accidentally turned over, bottles broken, in the middle of Manhattan?)

This doesn't mean Intimate is not gorgeous. This floral/animalic chypre flew out of its 50's-era bottle like I Dream of Jeannie's genie from her pink satin-lined abode, hips swaying rhythmically to a cha-cha beat.

Crystal-clear aldehydes clear the way for sensual gardenia, rose and jasmine, but their impression is made even more overtly sexual by notes that give the perfume immediate libidinal heft — amber, castoreum, civet, and musk. Sandalwood, cedar, patchouli and coriander add a wonderful, intervening spicey/woody counterpoint, and orris transforms all of Intimate's angles into a creamy, powdery softness.

Top notes: Aldehydes, bergamot, rose, gardenia, coriander

Heart notes: Jasmine, orris, patchouli, sandalwood, cedarwood

Base notes: Amber, castoreum, civet, oakmoss, musk

Intimate is the perfume that promises sex — and delivers. It is not fooling around. But there's something good-natured and happy about its opening floral sparkle (something very American, rather than French?). It's not mysterious or dark about its sensuality. I keep picturing Rita Hayworth's Gilda, the femme fatale with the gorgeous grin plastered on her face; don't say she didn't warn you!

As for the ads, they're a treat on a whole other level. First off, "Even in the dark he'll know it's you" is one of the funniest lines I've seen in perfume copy. It is inadvertantly funny. (Or was it deliberate?) I mean, who else would he be in the dark with? Is the man of your dreams perfume-coding his paramours? 

I also love how the Intimate perfume ads wore their American inferiority complexes on their sleeve. Even FRENCH women are talking about this perfume! (Although I wonder if they were saying, "Quelle vulgarité!") 

In another Intimate ad, we're told that Intimate is "cherished by smart women as one of the world's seven great fragrances." (Love the underlining.)

Intimate, I want to say, don't be so insecure about your happy-go-lucky, come-up-and-see-me-sometime disposition. You're one of the beautiful girls who knows you are and we still don't hate you for it. Who could begrudge someone who is having so much fun? Not me.

(ADDENDUM) I would really love to try out this perfume in the real world, and ask for honest impressions. It smells dated, but there are certain fashions that can come back, or can be added to more modern clothes, and still work. (Chypre animalics, although to me they're the sexiest perfumes, get read as "old lady," ironically.) Whether anyone else likes it, I think I'll pull this one out when I need a pick-me-up. It just makes me happy.

Comments

[Flora]

I should try this again someday - back in its heyday, I was much too young for it, but now that I am "mature" - as in born in the same year as Intimate, not to mention a huge fan of Chypres in general - I should really revisit it.

[Lucy]

How fun. I do like to enjoy the back story of the vintaqe perfumes, which is a new continent for me to explore. I rely on these finds of yours to guide me!
I have an affinity for the fifties...

[Meliscents]

I first tried Intimate when I picked up a bottle from an estate sale. When I got back in the car I bravely sprayed it on my arm. WOW! After the initial sharp, soapy blast, it warmed to a gorgeous animal, chypre base. After that I was hooked & searched out more. I now have enough to last a lifetime, but I still love it. It does smell dated but it is thankfully NOT a candy, fruity floral disaster. It would be interesting to know what strangers think. I'd like to think the opinion is more about it being "interesting & unusual" than "offensive". And I'm even OK if they think it smells "old ladyish", which in the mass market world of perfume, is a compliment. To me it smells womanly, sexy, and a little worldly. The fact that people still talk about Intimate must mean something. I just can't see many of the current fragrances having even half the shelf life as some of the beautiful, classic ones of yesteryear.

[Perfumaniac]

Meliscents, I am so glad Intimate fans are coming out to sing its praises. It really bowled me over when I put it on, and it is the combination, as you describe it, of the bright blast at the beginning with the animal chypre base. Rrrreow!

[Perfumaniac]

Awww, thanks, Lucy! Ill send you a list of my favorite 50s scents (so far). They're not demure perfumes, that much is certain!

[Kristy Victoria]

I've been watching Mad Men lately and the ad strikes me as something I could see Don Draper selling to revlon :) As for the scent, anything with aldehydes has me interested, aldehydes + floral and well, I know I'm going to be putting this one on my wishlist.

[Perfumaniac]

Kristy,

I've been looking at a lot of 40s and 50s ads, and your observation is right on. A lot of the ads spoke to their female audience in ways that we would find condescending now. (The condescension is different now, but maybe not as obvious!)

[Scentsofself.wordpress.com]

You are a really fabulous writer, I love your choice of Rita Hayworth as a non-dark sex symbol. It's hard to know how well chypres will go over in the "real world". I love, love, love my Yvresse, but damned if I don't get a thousand "old lady" comments every time I try to wear it in public :(
Loving your blog!
-Ari

[Scentsofself.wordpress.com]

Okay, for some reason my ID didn't show up. My blog is: http://scentsofself.wordpress.com/

-Ari

[geraldine Holland]

In 1960 + my friends and I just loved this perfume now in 2010 we all say the same thing "Why did Revlon stop this perfume" 'INTIMATE; In the 60's our favorites were Shocking by Schaperelli, and Intimate for the day wear and sometimes night time also. I now wear Coco by Chanel but I still think the biggest mistake Revlon made was not going with Intimate. Does anyone know the closest to Intimate....where can you buy it. Some of the perfumes have to class to the 50 and 60 perfumes.

[Perfumaniac]

Geraldine, I can see why you love this perfume. It's so sexy! I would try to ferret out the vintage in an online auction site like eBay. It's loaded with animalic ingredients — castoreum, civet, musk — that are out of fashion and prohibited because of animal cruelty issues.  I didn't have a hard time finding mine on eBay. Good luck!

[www.katiepuckriksmells.com]

Can you believe I wore Intimate as a FOURTEEN-year-old?! My mom had the perfume and body lotion, and I adopted both as "my" scent. No wonder I had an 18-year-old boyfriend!

Thanks for your Intimate insights, as well as the historical background.

[Perfumaniac]

Hi Katie - Thanks for stopping by. I'm a big fan of your blog, and it makes perfect sense to me that Intimate helped pave your way to perfume-lovin'. How scandalous that you wore it as a 14-year-old! I though my wearing Diva at 14 was inappropriate!

For those of you who haven't checked out Katie's blog, she has a hilarious post on loving skank scents and how one man took it a wee bit too far! (I'll stick to Muscs Kublai Kahn, thank you very much!) http://www.katiepuckriksmells.com/2009/12/fumes-in-news-chasing-tail.html

[Lauren C. Tyson]

Great blog! I stumbled on it after my friend said Intimate is one of her favorite "smells." I was immediately propelled back 25 or so years because I used to wear it, and forgot all about it. It got me wondering if it's still on the market. Looks like it isn't.

My question to you is, what is the shelf life of fragrances? If you find a bottle at an estate sale or whatever, is it any good? If so, I'm going to try and hunt down some Intimate! Thanks.

[Perfumaniac]

Hi Lauren,

I got my cheapo bottle of 50s-era Intimate on eBay for about $15. Some things to look for: Has it been stored in a cool, dark place? Even better, has it been in its box the whole time? (Not a dealbreaker, but def better.) Has the color turned dark? You can also ask these questions of a seller on eBay. Basically, if the seller has a good reputation, if you ask them beforehand, "Does this still smell good?" and they unequivocally say, "Yes," it will probably be intact. Now, the older a fragrance, the more likely the top notes (lighter, more citrusy notes) may be wonky, but the basic heart of the fragrance will still be there. On the other hand, I have 1911 - 30s era fragrances that came in the box, never opened, and I swear, it's as if the fragrances were brand new, from top to bottom. Hope that helps!

[Carolyn Blake]

Until they stopped making it, Intimate was all I wore. People, women included, stopped me constantly to ask me what it was.

[Perfumaniac]

I bet, Carolyn. It's a sexy knockout. Would you still wear it now? There are some cheap, still wonderful smelling bottles floating around on eBay.

[Lauren C. Tyson]

I see some vintage Intimate on ebay (just bid on some), but also see that a brand called Jean Philippe is selling something called Intimate Original. What do you make of the latter?

[Perfumaniac]

Hi Lauren, the bottle of Intimate I got looked like this: http://www.basenotes.net/ID10212794.html. I can't vouch for the other stuff. Maybe someone else can chime in?

[robin]

I love Gilda (and all good film noirs...Double Indemnity is my absolute favorite). Gilda was pretty intense and complicated though, as a character. My favorite line is when she loses that cool grin, momentarily revealing her true emotional depth (and unintentionally highlighting the very thin line between love & hate), and says: "I hate you so much, Johnny, that I'd destroy myself just to take you down with me." (((chills)))

I'm kind of curious about Intimate. Chypres are my absolute favorite. My favorite perfumes are Ma Griffe, Miss Dior, Zen Classic, Mystere, Miglin's Pheromone, Magie Noir, etc. Do you think I would enjoy Intimate? I can't take perfumes that are too overly animalic (for example Chanel's Cuir de Russie smells to me like boiling beef...I literally get nauseaous)

[Perfumaniac]

Hi Robin, film noir is such a rich source for perfume inspiration. Women had such interesting roles in those films! As for Intimate and if you'd like it? Hmmm. Hard to say. I love it, but I couldn't wear it. It's very feminine in the "I'm wearing this to seduce you" conventional sense. Its lush base notes make it round, rich, disquieting, like Chanel No. 5's musk/nitromusks or Baghari's drydown combined with florals. But it doesn't smell like leather or (God forbid!) like "boiling beef." Does that make sense?

[Cathlyn]

I just snagged a vintage bottle from my sister who got it at an estate sale. A full 2 oz bottle of this wonderful stuff. Oh how lovely! It smells even better than I remember - when I wore it in it's heydey when I was a "young tart." lol. Do try this magnificent chypre. It's simply delicious.

[Perfumaniac]

Cathlyn: It's definitely a tarty scent, but it's not pretending to be made to wear to church! I love it. "Delicious" is right.

[Cathlyn]

I feel so lucky to have gotten this. I'd been looking around on Ebay- and there is a bottle like mine listed for 155.00 I’d forgotten how wonderful it was/still is. I didn’t go to church today- but I’ve been doing a lot of wrist huffing! Mmmmmmmm

[Cathlyn]

UPDATE… I AM HOPELESSELY IN LOVE…

Oh Intimate! (Always note that I am speaking of vintage). I wore it at 14 years of age, and even the football coach told me I smelled “lovely,“ and asked what I was wearing. Oh yes, I was aware, even then, that it was completely inappropriate for a man his age to approach a wee nubile thing such as I….As perfumes came and went- I lost touch with Intimate, but was reunited just this past Easter. Since then I have searched far and wide for my long lost love, for I simply cannot get enough. I am saddened that we ever parted…I now own perfume oils, colognes, and EDT- enough to last for many years. My inner animal self has reared it’s tasteful head, and I am having a serious love affair with Intimate, and I will never stray again…
This perfumed is not dated, it is not “old lady ish“… it is simply divine. Indulge yourself, love yourself. Have an illicit romance, get Intimate and be intrigued.