L'Interdit by Givenchy c1957

L`Interdit by Givenchy: launched in 1957 and created by Francis Fabron. The perfume was made as a tribute to Audrey Hepburn.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is described as a modern floral aldehyde fragrance for women, heavily laden with sweet jasmine, fruits and woodsy notes. It opens with a bright blast of citrus zests, neroli and sparkling aldehydes, softened by a heart of rose and jasmine absolutes from Grasse, pungent carnation and geranium, made heady by the warm woody notes including labdanum, oakmoss and precious Mysore sandalwood.

•  Top notes: pepper, aldehydes, neroli, clove, mandarin orange, peach, bergamot and wild strawberry
• Middle notes: carnation, geranium, iris, violet, narcissus, orris root, Grasse jasmine, Italian jasmine, East Indian ylang-ylang, lily-of-the-valley, Oriental rose, Bulgarian rose absolute, rose de mai, and Grasse rose absolute
• Base notes: labdanum, incense, patchouli, pepper, Mysore sandalwood, amber, musk, oakmoss, benzoin, East Indian vetiver and tonka bean

Vogue, 1968:

"Givenchy's Le De, brilliant, fresh, and flowery, comes on light, almost innocent — but don't be deceived: it Builds. His L'Interdit is equally enchanting — the flowers here, laced with spices."

Bottles:

By the 1960s, the fragrance was available in the following:

• 1/4 oz Parfum
• 1/2 oz Parfum
• 1 oz Parfum
• 2 oz Parfum
• 4 oz Parfum
• Purse Spray
• 4 oz Eau de Toilette
• 8 oz Eau de Toilette
• 16 oz Eau de Toilette

To open the classic Givenchy crystal parfum flacon, use the following tip provided by Parfums Givenchy in 1963:

This bottle has a thick, gripable top. The main thing is to cut off all paper and cord. The top will probably twist off easily - if not, tap lightly.

Fate of the Fragrance:

The original L'Interdit was discontinued and was subsequently brought back in a reformulated form in 2007 as part of Givenchy’s Les Mythiques collection. The reformulation was due the fact that they replaced one of the natural ingredients (oakmoss) in L'Interdit with a synthetic. They stated this was the result of changes in European and International Fragrance Association (IFRA) norms. The perfume is close to the original but not quite "it".

From Givenchy:

"A Givenchy classic. L'Interdit was created as an exclusive homage by Hubert de Givenchy to his good friend and muse, actress Audrey Hepburn. Its name was inspired by an exclamation said by Audrey upon learning that her personal fragrance would be released to the general public. A sort of "oh my!" if you will... L'Interdit like Audrey Hepburn, possess a unique mix of fashion, grace and spontaneity that is exclusively, Givenchy."

So what does the reformulated version smell like? It is classified as an aldehydic floral fragrance for women and is available as 100ml Eau de Toilette.

• Top notes: aldehydes, Bulgarian rose, peach, osmanthus, peony and violet leaf
• Middle notes: jasmine, pink pepper, orange blossom, tuberose, plum and heliotrope
• Base notes: iris, tonka bean, sandalwood, amber, musk, patchouli and cedar

Bottles:

Beauty Packaging, 2005:

"In September, Parfums Givenchy partnered with Lord & Taylor for the relaunch of L’Interdit, the signature scent of Audrey Hepburn. The bottle has a simple silhouette with rounded shoulders accented with a matte gold cap and collar and a plain square red label with an in-set white border and simple text."

2007 Bottle:
-Clear glass, tall, rectangular shape and transparent plastic cap
-Rectangular lavender label
-Only one EDT size 3.4 FL.OZ. / natural spray
-Presented in a lavender box emblazoned with many Givenchy Gs logo


2014 Bottle:
-Clear glass, tall, rectanguar shape and transparent plastic cap
-Rectangular off white label with gold border
-Only one EDT size 3.4 FL.OZ. / natural spray
-Presented in a beige box with matching label, and emblazoned with a single gold Givenchy Gs logo.