Vermont Country Store Fragrances

 The Vermont Country Store has long occupied a unique place in fragrance culture, particularly among perfume lovers searching for vanished classics and nostalgic scents from earlier decades. For many consumers, browsing its perfume pages feels almost like entering an olfactory time capsule filled with memories of grandmothers’ vanity tables, teenage romances, department store counters, and fragrances believed lost forever. Yet purchasing a discontinued perfume from Vermont Country Store can be far more complicated than it first appears. Although the company offers many beloved vintage names, not every fragrance sold there is the original formula, and understanding the difference between authentic continuations, reformulations, and modern recreations is essential for collectors and vintage perfume enthusiasts.

The fragrances sold through Vermont Country Store generally fall into two very different categories. Some are still produced directly by the original perfume houses or their legitimate corporate successors. In these cases, the perfumes represent official modern versions of the fragrance, even if reformulated over time. Examples include Lanvin’s Arpège, Penhaligon's fragrances still manufactured in England, Elizabeth Arden’s Blue Grass and White Shoulders, Rochas Femme, and Myrurgia Maja. Although these perfumes may differ from vintage bottles due to reformulation, they still maintain a direct lineage to the original manufacturer and composition.

The second category is far more controversial among collectors: recreated or “inspired by” perfumes produced by companies such as Long Lost Perfumes/Irma Shorell and Timeless Perfumes/Evyan Perfumes Inc. These are not genuine vintage formulas recovered from secret archives. In most cases, the original formulas either no longer exist, remain proprietary, or cannot legally be reproduced due to modern ingredient regulations. Instead, these companies attempt to recreate the memory of the perfume through surviving bottles, advertising descriptions, customer recollections, and olfactory approximation. Sometimes the recreations come remarkably close to the originals; other times longtime wearers find them dramatically different, lacking the depth, richness, or distinctive character that made the vintage fragrances beloved in the first place.

One major reason for these differences lies in the sweeping restrictions imposed by International Fragrance Association, commonly known as IFRA. Throughout the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, IFRA introduced increasingly strict regulations limiting or banning numerous traditional perfume materials because of allergen concerns, toxicity studies, sustainability issues, or animal welfare considerations. As a result, many vintage perfumes cannot legally be reproduced exactly as they once were. Natural oakmoss, for example — once the backbone of classic chypres such as Femme and many Coty fragrances — became heavily restricted due to allergenic components. Real Mysore sandalwood from India became scarce and regulated. Nitro musks disappeared entirely. Animalic ingredients such as civet, castoreum, and natural musk were largely abandoned or replaced synthetically.

This means that even officially produced fragrances often smell noticeably different from their vintage counterparts. Chanel’s reformulation of Evening in Paris after acquiring Bourjois in the 1990s is a perfect example. Although the relaunched version retained the name and aesthetic identity, many enthusiasts noted that it lacked the mysterious powdery violet-amber richness of the original prewar and mid-century formulations. Yet some modern wearers still found it beautiful in its own right, even if it no longer fully resembled the classic scent. White Shoulders, reformulated by Elizabeth Arden after 1989, similarly softened and modernized certain vintage facets while retaining enough of the original floral-aldehydic identity to satisfy many longtime fans.

Several fragrance names sold through Vermont Country Store today survive only through reinterpretations by new companies unrelated to the original manufacturers. Jungle Gardenia, for instance, is produced by the resurrected Evyan Perfumes Inc., operating under the Timeless Perfumes name. Timeless Perfumes has recreated numerous cult classics such as Cie, Pique, Imprévu, Chimère, Carnation, Eau de Love, Fame, Havoc, Electric Youth, Babe, Scoundrel, and Blue Stratos. These fragrances function less as archival reproductions and more as nostalgic tributes — attempts to preserve the emotional memory and general olfactory profile of perfumes that disappeared decades ago.

Some of these recreations face additional legal complications involving trademarks. Long Lost Perfumes and Irma Shorell often recreated discontinued fragrances whose original names remained trademarked by other corporations. As a result, they released perfumes under substitute names such as Cannes, inspired by Catherine Deneuve’s Deneuve; Duality, based on Anne Klein II; and Anarchy, inspired by Donna Karan’s Chaos. This reveals the complex intersection of intellectual property law, nostalgia marketing, and perfume preservation. Even when formulas are gone, fragrance names themselves may remain valuable corporate assets protected by trademark law.

The revival of older perfume brands further complicates the issue. The Tuvaché trademark, for example, was acquired by Irma Shorell in 1999 before later becoming owned by Hypoluxe Inc. Under this revived ownership, new and reformulated versions of Jungle Gardenia, Gardenia 1933, Gardenia 2012, Nectaroma, Tuvara, and Oh de London were introduced. These perfumes occupy an ambiguous territory between restoration, reinterpretation, and commercial reinvention. They preserve the names and partial aesthetic identities of historic fragrances while adapting them to modern ingredient availability, regulations, and manufacturing realities.

Many fragrance enthusiasts discover that recreated vintage perfumes differ most noticeably in texture, depth, and diffusion. Vintage perfumes often relied upon dense natural materials used in concentrations and combinations no longer practical or legal today. Oakmoss gave old chypres their damp forest darkness; natural civet added intimate animalic warmth; real Mysore sandalwood contributed creamy richness impossible to replicate exactly. Modern substitutes attempt to approximate these effects using synthetic aroma chemicals such as Evernyl for oakmoss, polycyclic musks for animalics, and sandalwood molecules like Javanol or Ebanol for creamy woody softness. While modern synthetics can be beautiful and technically sophisticated, they often create a cleaner, brighter, more transparent effect than the plush, shadowy density associated with vintage perfumes.

Yet recreations and reformulations also serve an important cultural purpose. Without companies like Long Lost Perfumes, Timeless Perfumes, and revived niche labels, many famous fragrances would survive only in evaporating collector bottles and fading memory. These recreations allow younger generations to experience at least an interpretation of perfumes such as Sortilège, Intimate, My Sin, Venezia, Bakir, or Midnight. Even when imperfect, they preserve fragrance history in wearable form rather than allowing it to vanish completely.

For collectors and perfume historians, therefore, purchasing from Vermont Country Store requires both emotional openness and realistic expectations. A recreated fragrance may not transport you perfectly back to the scent you wore decades ago, but it may still evoke fragments of memory, atmosphere, or emotional familiarity. Some recreations capture enough of the original spirit to feel genuinely moving; others diverge dramatically into entirely new territory. Vintage perfume itself was never static anyway — formulas changed constantly due to ingredient availability, economic pressures, corporate ownership, and evolving regulations.

Perhaps the most reassuring aspect is that Vermont Country Store maintains a generous return policy. Fragrance is intensely personal, and nostalgia can create expectations impossible for any modern reformulation to fulfill completely. The ability to return a disappointing recreation allows perfume lovers to explore these resurrected classics without excessive risk. In many ways, the experience mirrors perfume history itself: a mixture of memory, illusion, artistry, chemistry, commerce, and longing for something beautiful that time has altered but never entirely erased.

At a Glance:

The Evening in Paris is the new reformulation from the 1990s when Chanel bought out Bourjois and reformulated it and relaunched it. It doesn't smell much like the original, but I found it nice.

White Shoulders is the reformulation made by Elizabeth Arden since 1989.  

The Penhaligon's perfumes are still made by Penhaligon's in England.

Interlude is still made by Frances Denney.

Arpege is still made by Lanvin.

Joy is no longer made by Jean Patou.

Blue Grass is still made by Elizabeth Arden.

Femme is still by Rochas.

Maja is still made by Myrurgia.

L'Aimant, Emeraude, L'Origan and Muguet du Bois are no longer made by Coty.

The Lucien Lelong perfumes are from the new Lucien Lelong company, they are pretty good, but lack the intensity that the original vintages have.

The Jungle Gardenia is by the resurrected Evyan Perfumes Inc company also doing business as Timeless Perfumes. Timeless Perfumes is not associated with the previous manufacturer of any original fragrance. They also make their versions of beloved but discontinued favorites like:

• Cie (by Jacqueline Cochran/Shulton)
• Pique (by Paula Kent/Redken)
• Imprevu (by Coty)
• Chimere (by Prince Matchabelli)
• Carnation (by Mary Chess)
• Eau de Love (by Menley & James/MEM)
• Fame (by Corday)
• Flora Danica (by Royal Copenhagen)
• Forever Krystle (by Carrington)
• Geminesse (by Max Factor)
• Great Lady (by Evyan)
• Havoc (by Mary Quant)
• Musky Jasmine (by Love's)
• Styx (by Coty)
• Taji (by Shulton)
• Midnight (by Tussy)
• Mary Chess Tuberose Gardenia (by Mary Chess)
• Electric Youth (by Debbie Gibson)
• Scandal (by Lanvin)
• Babe (by Faberge)
• Fiamma (by Princess Marcella Borghese)
• Scoundrel (by Revlon)
• Blue Stratos (by Shulton)

The Hai Karate (originally made by Leeming Pfizer) is made by a new company, Miners International.

Jade East (originally by Swank) is made by a new company called Songo since 2005.

Over the years The Vermont Country Store has sold the recreated perfumes by Irma Shorell/Long Lost Perfumes such as:

• Bakir (by Germaine Monteil)
• Replique (by Raphael)
• Casaque (by Jean d'Albret)
• Apple Blossom (by Helena Rubinstein)
• My Sin (by Lanvin)
• Crepe de Chine (by Millot)
• Ecusson (by Jean d'Albret)
• Memoire Cherie (by Elizabeth Arden)
• Uninhibited (by Cher)
• Most Precious (by Evyan)
• Sortilege (by Le Galion)
• Intimate (by Revlon)
• Gardenia (by Tuvache)
• Bond Street (by Yardley)
• Maroc (by Ultima II)
• Tuxedo (by Ralph Lauren)
• Venezia (by Laura Biagiotti)
• Golden Autumn (by Prince Matchabelli)
• Braggi  (by Revlon)
• Pub (by Revlon)

as well as some of Irma Shorell/Long Lost Perfumes own branded perfumes which are recreations of vintages such as:

• Cannes (knockoff of Deneuve by Catherine Deneuve)
• Duality (knockoff based on Anne Klein II)
• Anarchy (knockoff of Chaos by Donna Karan)

They had to rename these as the names were already trademarked by someone else.

The Tuvaché trademark was acquired by Irma Shorell in 1999, and today the Tuvaché brand is owned by Hypoluxe Inc. Hypoluxe Inc. began introducing new fragrances under the Tuvaché brand in 2012. The Tuvache company has released some recreated and reformulated versions of:

• Oh de London (by Yardley)
• Tuvache Jungle Gardenia
• Tuvache Gardenia 1933
• Tuvache Gardenia 2012
• Tuvache Nectaroma
• Tuvache Tuvara

I hope this helps you all...If you are unhappy with your perfume from the Vermont Country Store, they will let you return it, so that is a good thing :)

If you tried any of these fragrances - please share your experiences with us.