Wanted by Helena Rubinstein

@chrystiane here are eBay listings from private sellers offering this perfume

Understood, I just wanted to provide a cross-reference to another site, but I’ll make sure not to do that next time, sorry 😉

What about Helena Rubinstein? Being an old, prestigious, and pioneering house, it seems they’ve only focused on cosmetics. I think L’Oréal hasn’t been able to exploit it as it deserves for such a fine and legendary line; it could be a giant in perfumery like Lancôme. They need a creative director to lift the low-key marketing that currently maintains the brand. This 2009 fragrance is the first one after 24 years for the line. The company was founded by the Polish Chaja Rubinstein, who moved to Melbourne at 20 and started a small cream business using leftover lanolin from wool. Success allowed her to open stores in Melbourne, Sydney, London, and Paris, later moving to New York after WWI, where she had constant rivalry with Elizabeth Arden until her death in 1965, which fostered intensive advertising, celebrity endorsements, and a sense of luxury in the packaging. By the late 20s she sold the business, and at the start of the Great Depression in 1930 she was able to buy it back at a fraction of the price, reinvesting to cement her empire and donating part to charities. This fragrance takes its name from a makeup line based on the ‘wanted’ or ‘desired’ concept, inspired by the bond between a woman and her lover. On the brand’s website, they highlight notes of ylang-ylang, woody magnolia, and iris cream. The opening is creamy, with mandarin and bergamot that within minutes refines into a fragrant magnolia with fruity hints like peach, apricot, and almond. In the heart, the magnolia accompanies the creaminess, giving a floral idea similar to some Avon perfumes (maybe a touch of In Bloom). Upon application, the magnolia dominates, with neutral fruity notes layered over and the first hints of powdery iris and traces of wood. Ylang-ylang is also noticeable as a classic floral tone that provides support without dominating. There are also vanilla sensations that gently remind of Givenchy Organza, until the magnolia block with almond and powdery wood comes back to the forefront. After an hour and a half, the iris shows a violet facet with anise, a bit like the violet and licorice in Lolita Lempicka, which lasts until the 5-hour mark, by which time the flowers evolve into classic jasmine or rose tints with vanilla and powdery florals, with more presence of sandalwood but not reaching cypress. In the final phase, the creamy tone integrates as a warm base for the flowers, highlighting the magnolia over the ylang again, with a final touch of wood and a vanilla or musk layer that brings memories of classic florals, with sporadic points of sweet violets and a small spicy tint that blends with the light wood. The perfume recalls part of its founder’s philosophy, with her phrase ‘there are no ugly women, only lazy ones’, following a classic high-sillage floral scheme that is very feminine, with a creamy opening to appeal to new generations, projecting striking but not overdone elegance. Despite its intensity, it doesn’t feel too complex for daily wear; it has a summery and springy first impression, but accepts cold winter indoor use. It stands out in the office, socially noticeable but with a clean professional image, suitable for a well-educated woman capable of being the center of attention at meetings. As an evening fragrance, it performs well in formal settings like weddings or galas, adequately countering competition in the mid-range, feeling clean and cared for in semi-formal situations like dinners. On the romantic side, it has sensual and warm floral layers that invite getting close and smelling near the skin, perhaps a bit linear and stuck to the old-school seductress playbook. Age range between 25 and 60, showing more personality and aggression in a young woman and feeling more natural over 35.