Sikkim

6 Reviews

1. 

   giddyDunbird1

   Reply

   Beautiful, complex, elegant fragrance both in vintage and reformulation. It unfolds over a long time on skin, writing a well-thought composition that is – to me- a joy to witness.

   Sikkim opens with white, fuzzy aldehydes – more Rive Gauche and Dia to my nose than more yellow-smelling, maybe peachy or stale aldehydes. Some very lush galbanum joins immediately, transporting me to an enchanted forest after rain. The galbanum here is not very dark, bitter or powdery. It’s lush. From this emerges a big and beautiful gardenia, again clean to my nose. Maybe there are other watercolor flowers in the mix. This is a classical floral world which I like and I find it refreshing after having to smell tuberose almost everywhere nowadays. In the blend, there is a beautiful soapiness as well. (Luckily, not that wet, stale smell). These notes are in such harmony, like different parts of an orchestra playing their own part and also coming together in a thematic unison.

   Just this into lasts longer than the entire story I get from some fragrances nowadays.

   It is in the heart that Sikkim starts warming up on my skin, giving that chypre vibe. I cannot distinguish flowers anymore but they are sweet on my skin. This phase also hints at what is to come – leather, civet etc- but just a bit. These notes are present, adding character to Sikkim without turning it into an animalic bomb. There is certainly an old-school feel to it. Perhaps more wearable than many of its sisters because it is more ambery.

   The powdery drydown is not suffocating at all. It has a beautiful leather element that supports the perfume without suffocating it. The deep drydown is one of the most elegant skin-scents I have experienced. A bit of makeup, a bit of powder, a bit of soapiness, a bit of leather. Not super clean, not spicy and sultry. A beautiful, lived-in smell.

   What I love about Sikkim is that this is a mellow fragrance in comparison to its peers. It has certain characteristics of its time with their edges rounded. Chanels are more ambitious and dominant than this for instance. Sikkim is more easy-going but not lacking in elegance.

2. 

   aloofPorpoise4

   Reply

   People who love classic old-school chypres should check out this reissue, which does justice to the chypres of the past. Everything you want is here: aldehydes, florals, moss, leather, soap. It reminds me a bit of Norell but smoother. It is very well blended and probably less aggressive than the older fragrances, but anyone who finds vintage chypres to be too musty, soapy, and old-fashioned probably won’t like this. While I enjoy smelling it, I tend to prefer more modern-smelling fragrances (Parfumerie Generale’s Corps et Ames comes to mind as an even more updated take on this kind of perfume).

3. 

   lovesickGranola9

   Reply

   As GlamDiva wrote, there is definitely basil in the composition, or at least a combination of ingredients that results in a sweet green note to my nose. Gorgeous scent, very complicated and surely very different from the Sikkim my mum wore in the 80’s. I like this one more, it is sharper, crispier and leaves a long”veil”. A perfume that leaves the room hours after you’ve left, or so I was told. There is nothing synthetic about it, and it is an Olde School fragrance – perfumey, rich..

4. 

   enviousChough3

   Reply

   As another reviewer has commented below, this is classified into the oriental category, but to me this is a classic, well grounded excellent chypre.
   Like many chypres, it starts off with the typical combination of cold aldheydes and bergamot.

   Then you get the classic flowers jasmine (not sweet here!) narcissus and carnation, rose and ylang.
   A green (typical of chypres) notes is detectable also in the drydown (moss, vetiver)
   The base is indolic (castoreum), warm (amber, soft leather) and sexy (patchouli).
   The combination is sophisticated, classy but sexy at the same time. It has a vibe and I can see very well how this frag would be a hit in the seventies, when it was created.
   VC&A First, Calèche and Arpège lovers will love Sikkim.
   Incredible staying power and a lot of sillage.
   A must try.
   Excellent fragrance, and I must say The Collection by Lancome is a series of great fragrances of the past, brought to our noses again some years ago; pity is that they do not put anymore the same effort in all the other frags they launch for the mass market, that are far below as per quality.

   ____________
   Notes:
   aldehydes, ylang ylang, bergamot, galbanum, gardenia, thujone, carnation, jasmine, narcissus, orris, rose, amber, castoreum, leather, moss, patchouli and vetiver.

5. 

   excludedGarlic3

   Reply

   I get more of a light clean basil from Sikkim, akin to JM Lime Basil Mandarin.

6. 

   wornoutWhiting7

   Reply

   This scent, described by Lancome as a floral-oriental, was first released by Lancome in 1971. The scent is meant to evoke a vision of an oriental princess looking out over her spendid garden. Notes of ylang-ylang and jasmine drift languidly over a base of oakmoss and galbanum.

   This scent is really lovely, but the oakmoss makes it feel more chypre-ish than strictly oriental. The opening is light and tinged with green. For a few seconds, it reminds me faintly of other scents from around that general time period(late ’60s – 1970s) such as Ivoire, Florissa, Calandre or even Cristalle. However, this slightly green/aldehydic quality blends swiftly into hints of light floral mixed with something more exotic and earthy, and the resemblance to other scents just drops away as Sikkim comes into its own.

   Though the floral notes remain strong enough to give this scent a light feeling, the somewhat mossy base lends it an exotic and sensual quality that is irresistible. This scent doesn’t completely sweep me off my feet to the degree others by Lancome (such as Magie, 2000 et Une Rose or even O de Lancome) have, but my 4 rating here should really be more of a 4.5. Sikkim really is a treasure.