Bijan by Bijan

@catheantonia, we are definitely talking about different scents. The one described here and known by those who own it is the real deal. It does not smell like dessert, fruit, or floral tea; it is a gem of perfumery. If you are looking for what the previous reviewers say, this is one of them. So I support you: it is worth celebrating that you were tricked, but only by $5, and that you were tricked, there is no doubt about it.

It’s not rare to see the different female archetypes Bijan advertised: the mother, the femme fatale, the nude woman, the working girl à la ‘Arma de mujer’… In the end, they wanted to say this perfume was for all kinds of women; Bijan was for whoever fell in love with him. But they did have a common thread: it wasn’t for shy ladies. It wasn’t exactly a jar of sweet honey and resins, though it might seem so; Bijan was almost a masculine perfume. The woman wearing it didn’t have two testicles hanging, because she had them tucked inside. Bijan is an 80s essential and I love it: being overwhelming and powerful, it’s a super austere perfume, with a terrifyingly earthy and natural mysticism. It has an ultra-rough talcum coating; it smells like a talcum powder box left in a 1987 apartment, like an uncorrupted Pravia Hay tablet from thirty years ago, a bottled place with incredible evocative power. My review is of a version from about thirty years ago, and I testify it was a nuclear bomb. Careful, don’t think of the 80s intoxicating floral and wood perfumes or floral orientals; there’s nothing here like Poison or LouLou. Bijan is a talcum with a cat-tongue texture, acrid, cardboard-like, and pot-like; a kilo of talcum where classic French notes like carnation, ylang, amber, and jasmine predominate, as if preserved in paraffin or acrylic, resisting time. Something similar to a functional, rustic, and abstract soap formula from classic French soapmaking, but with the typical ruthless 80s millionaire smell, with its animal and ultra-powerful thing. It has lots of luxury and power, of 80s skyscrapers and shopping galleries, but curiously it’s a functional and sober perfume, because it’s luxury soap, but richer in nuances. Vanilla and honey are listed, but don’t be fooled by the sheet; there isn’t a drop of sweetness here, only a faint tone of waxy, almost fecal flower in the heart phase, with flashes of very timid, treacherous floral things from jasmine and narcissus. Bijan makes you think of a leaden, gray beach, a modern Hamptons house, with a wild storm shaking the shrubbery while some woman who no one tells what to do takes a black coffee on her glass porch. Bijan speaks of empowerment (what a horrifying word), of women who don’t want to be princesses and who will punch you in the face if you say ‘darling’ to them; nowadays, it’s very masculine. I read somewhere it’s been tampered with and it’s not even a shadow of what it was; the current one has lost punch and fat and smells very artificial, and it’s no surprise seeing how past bestsellers go into decadence and are sold for two bucks. Imagine a Chanel No. 5, a Madame Rochas, a First, or a Fidji imbued with the most sinister and artistic 80s power. Bijan was like eating a tablet of sandalwood soap and clay and flowers and injecting it straight into your vein. A masterpiece.

A perfume with all the personality of the 80s, strong, complex, imposing, very far from the current fashion of fruity-chili and sweet gourmand perfumes; here sweetness is just one facet, complemented by amber, and I really miss the sandalwood wood. A true classic that earned its place by force; it’s delicious and intense. Definitely, I don’t feel it’s youthful; it’s for a woman who doesn’t mind centering attention on herself. Very good sillage, lasting longevity.

An exquisite fragrance, refined, nothing like the current market offering. It’s floral, ambered, powdery, woody, with honey but fine honey, nothing common or vulgar like some scandalous honey perfumes today. While it’s a classy classic that inspires you to act the part, with appropriate doses for the occasion. Like fine fragrances, it has its dose of moderation because its quality is excellent; sillage is moderate to heavy and longevity is long. I totally recommend it for cold and nighttime seasons. A beautiful perfume forgotten by time, which is why its price is well below the great quality and high luxury of the house. Totally recommended to try on skin.

Honey and amber on full blast! Bijan moves away from the 80s chypres into a floral oriental. The honey is narcotic, with a spicy, balsamic touch thanks to benzoin and tonka bean. Vanilla gives it that greedy, sweet vibe, while ylang-ylang and sandalwood seal the deal. In short, honey, amber, and vanilla are the stars. As it warms up, the citrus side comes out more. The floral, the carnation, stays very quiet compared to the rest. This is the current formula; I haven’t tried the vintage. A top pick for lovers of amber and vanilla perfumes. Bijan is much more interesting than Chopard’s Casimir.