My Sin by Lanvin (1924)

My Sin is like nectar, manna. What the hell am I smelling and why is it so wonderful? Is it lilac? Neroli? Lily of the valley? Whatever the notes are, they've converged to create a sexual flower, one that is at its peak of fragrance, like  a meadow in full bloom on the hottest spring day, visited by the horniest, healthiest bees. It smells indolic, lush, overripe, decadent — fecundity in a bottle.

My Sin is a floral animalic.  "Carnal Flower," Frederick Malle's modern perfume, would be the perfect name for this perfume.

I'm realizing that the difference between modern and vintage perfumery is like the difference between polyester and velvet, between a two-dimensional photograph and a 3-D hologram, between digital and analog. Just when I didn't think a perfume could be more beautiful, My Sin knocks me over with lush, velvety, langourous flowers. My Sin is like a beautiful woman who doesn't even have to try. All eyes are on her. Wicked, sweet, sensual. And again, she's not even my type.

Top notes: Aldehydes, lemon, bergamot, clary sage
Heart notes: Neroli, jasmine, clove, rose, Muguet (Lily of the Valley), jonquil, ylang-ylang, lilac
Base notes: Vetiver, vanilla, musk, woods, tolu, styrax, civet

Comments

[mary]

My mother wore this when I was a child. The bottles were rectangular, though, as I recall. I went to Catholic School and had a nun for an aunt: this perfume worried me. My mother smelled wonderful, though. (She also had a Lanvin perfume called Spanish Geranium which really smelled just like geraniums. That was a strangely attractive scent.)

[Perfumaniac]

Hi Mary,

Yes, this round bottle is from the '60s, I believe, and the rectangular one (which is what I have as well), is from the '20s - '50s. My Sin is accurately named; it's quite naughty! Your comment made me laugh. Your instincts as a good girl in Catholic school ("this perfume worried me") seem spot on! Between the name and the actual raunchy notes, I doubt this would have been encouraged there!

[Angela Cox]

I just got two vintage bottles ( square)and now I really know what I'd like my signature scent should be . Sadly I doubt I could afford to keep up with it or indeed find enough.

[brigitte]

I just got my hands on a sample of this and I have to say that this fragrance is gorgeous-rich and velvety. Now I know why everyone makes such a fuss over civet!

[Carol Merfeld]

Can I buy a bottle that smells fresh somewhere. This and Flambeau are the fragrances from my youth (mom 92 wore them) and I would love to smell them to bring back those days. That's what fragrances do, don't they? I don't live in the past, but it sure would be wonderful to have these fragrances available. I think perfume was great back in the 50's/60's. Evoked more feelings - passion, comfort, etc. Are these fragrances really available. I want!

[Perfumaniac]

Hi Carol,

Both My Sin and Flambeau are available on eBay for not that much money. They're cheap enough that the benefits of getting these for your mother would outweigh the risks, in my opinion. There's a My Sin extrait there now for 9.99. It's that cheap because the bottle isn't full. And a full bottle of Flambeau cologne is $19.99. You could also ask the seller if the perfume still smells good. Obviously, after decades, it's not going to smell exactly the same, but from my experience, it will smell close enough that it's worth it. Good luck! Come back and tell us how it goes...

[julie]

just got a half-full 2 oz. bottle of the Eau de Lanvin splash on ebay. As per my usual ritual, I daubed this on before bed. The top notes would drop in anout for the better part of half an hour, which is more than fine; I like aldehydes to hang around long enough to enjoy them. The floral heart is lovely and not overly sweet. The last part of this ritual is, of course, waking up and sticking my nose under the neck of my nightshirt,and the melding of floral into spice (coriander? cumin?) into civet was as brigitte says, velvety, far from the rock-em/socke-em punch of many animalics. Still, not something to wear to work ;)

[Mary Hillen]

Where can you purchase My Sin ? Is it still available? and where can you purchase Arpege by lanvin preferably the body creme or perfume and powder

[Andre Moreau]

Hi,
finally, after so many years, a scientific analysis performed on "My Sin" (in its latest version dated 1980s)
Maybe a bit different from previous versions.
here:
http://raidersofthelostscent.blogspot.it/2014/05/gcms-my-sin-lanvin-1980s-version.html

[myles Garcia]

My mom was the only female in my immediate family (i.e., 3 sons; no daughters). She passed away 4 years ago; and would've been 94 by November 28. We were not rich; my beloved mother was a small-town physician who was trying to make it on her own. Dad was a college professor. Anyway, as I said, Mom was the only female influence in my early life. So I remember her MY SIN perfume by Lanvin. I was so intrigued by the Lanvin logo--and this was all before I knew that Paris was the center of where all these wicked, wonderful things came from. Later on, Mom graduated to Chanel no. 5; and the one time I crossed the Irish sea, I bought her the world's most expensive perfume, Joy by Patou on the duty-free ferry! That was the least I could repay all her sacrifices for me.