Givenchy L’Interdit 2018 Review (Dominique Ropion, Anne Flipo, Fanny Bal) “A Walk on the Safe Side”

Givenchy L'Interdit 2018 (Photo: Despina Veneti)

L'Interdit (French for “The Forbidden”), although commercially released in 1957, had been created by Francis Fabron in 1954; its creation was commissioned by Hubert de Givenchy, for it was meant to be a bespoke fragrance for the great couturier's muse and friend, Audrey Hepburn.

Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy throughout the years (Photo collage: Despina Veneti)

The fragrance owed its name to a phrase attributed to Miss Hepburn herself; when her good friend, Hubert, announced his intention to release her signature fragrance commercially, she's supposed to have answered “Mais je vous l’interdis !” (“But I forbid you!”).

Audrey Hepburn photographed by Cecil Beaton and various versions of L'Interdit from 1957 to 2007 (Collage: Despina Veneti)

However evocative its name, there was never anything truly “forbidding” about the fragrance itself; in fact this tender aldehydic floral of the 50s was a perfect young lady scent. Even if it lacked the stroke of genius, vintage L'Interdit didn’t lack beauty: its merits were its well-blended, rather abstract floral bouquet (ylang-ylang, rose, jasmine, violet, iris), its non-excessive sweetness emanating from its ripe fruit (strawberry, peach) and amber accord, as well as its buttery and spicy drydown (due to sandalwood, vetiver, pepper, clove, patchouli, frankincense and tonka bean).

Audrey Hepburn in a 1960s ad for the original L'Interdit (Photographed by Bert Stern)

The original scent innovatively used Audrey's face for its advertising campaign, and it met a considerable (although diminishing throughout the years) success.

Givenchy L'Interdit ad from the 1980s

The perfume's name and its association with the great, beloved star remained iconic. In 2002 the LVMH group, owners of Givenchy, decided to capitalize on the name “L'Interdit”, by releasing an eponymous, but different scent. Instead of re-working on the original, while aiming at a younger audience (like Chanel did with Eau Première), that version of  L'Interdit (noses: Jean Guichard and Olivier Gillotin) was a fruity-floral, in accordance with the decade's  "young ladies" tastes. However, it met  with little success among young customers, and aggravated lovers of the vintage perfume, who found their favorite scent unrecognizable. In 2007 Givenchy offered a proper, quite well-made reformulation of the original L'Interdit, as part of its Les Mythiques Collection.

Audrey Hepburn and Rooney Mara (Photo Collage: Despina Veneti)

Fast forward to 2018, 61 years later. The face of the new L'Interdit is actress Rooney Mara, who bears a slight resemblance to Audrey Hepburn (a pixie-like aura, delicate features, distinctive personal style  and fine acting abilities).

Rooney Mara, the face of Givenchy L'Interdit 2018 (Photos: Giivenchy Beauty)

The 2018 Givenchy L'Interdit is a completely new fragrance, not at all like the vintage scent whose name it bears; it is a floral-fruity-woody-musky scent, that perpetuates the “best-selling trends”, popular with a more mainstream audience although there is nothing distinctive about it. The new Givenchy L'Interdit (created by Dominique Ropion, Anne Flipo and Fanny Bal, such talented perfumers) is at its best a pleasant, and widely wearable fragrance. The scent is rather linear, its sillage and longevity satisfactory, and its bottle sleek and elegant. It is a modern version of Givenchy's idea of  what "young ladies" might mean in 2018.

Rooney Mara in the promotional campaign for Givenchy L'Interdit 2018 (Photos: Givenchy Beauty, Collage: Despina Veneti)

However, the overload of  sticky notes is not for everyone; candied cherry, pear, caramel and vanilla collide with the freshness of bergamot, and the richness of the white floral bouquet (especially the tuberose). To my nose, I don't smell  the promised “dark undertones” of vetiver and patchouli. The advertising concept centers about the “thrill of the forbidden”, and Rooney Mara in a ball gown wandering inside the Paris subway, until she finds a secret party taking place inside. The pledge for “the first resolutely underground flower… interlaced with dark, mysterious notes…” and a “subversive” scent on “the shocking side of chic” bears no olfactory relation to the fragrance itself. The 2018 L'Interdit is a skilful combination of some of the most popular mass market perfume trends, it is bound to be devisive…many will like it, many will not;  nothing forbidden here, rather a walk on the safe side.

L'Interdit 2018 (Photo: Despina Veneti)

Top notes: Bergamot, Pear, Sour Cherry. Middle Notes: Tuberose, Orange Blossom, Jasmine Sambac. Base notes: Patchouli, Vetiver, Ambroxan, Caramel, Vanilla.

Disclaimer: I received my bottle from Givenchy. The opinions are my own.

– Despina Veneti, Contributor

 

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29 comments

  • tooka81 says:

    Wow, that a lot in one fragrance, they threw everything in it to try to appeal to everyone, fruit-floral-woodsy-musk! That may be its downfall!

  • cressit says:

    It seems like Givenchy is going for mass appeal. Tastes change with the generations and I assume they did their research on what young ladies want in 2018. I do like the bottle design and Rooney Mara as the face. It doesn’t sound like I’ll care for the fragrance.

  • Annatar says:

    Beautiful and honest review, Despina. Givenchy wants their piece of cake, too (why wouldn’t they?).

  • Monica Beaton says:

    Beautifully written Despina. But just as no one can hold a candle to the wonder of Audrey Hepburn, can we expect Givenchy to replicate the original beauty of L’Interdit? Is it necessary to “reimagine” a fragrance that holds an amazing place in fragrance history? This fragrance, while it sounds intriguing, does not sound like the L’Interdit of distant memory. Why create something lovely and slide on an vintage name? Marketing ploy? Perhaps I’ve become a little jaded.

  • RinB says:

    What a shame that with such a tempting name (and history), the reimagined fragrance is so tame. Still want to test it, though, if only to see what’s ‘forbidden’ nowadays 😉

  • Patricia says:

    As a young woman I felt very elegant wearing L'interdit and was sorry when it became unavailable. I was thrilled to see it again and my husband surprised me with it for xmas.  I can't say how dissapointed I was that it was completely changed.  Much heavier and more suited to a younger lady. 

  • Linda Motz says:

    Thanks for your review. I absolutely loved the original L’Interdit and I was hoping the 2018 formulation would be “it” again. No such luck I guess. Quite frankly ALL of the mass market perfumes are incompatible with my body and instead of tapering off as I wear them, the scents become stronger and more offensive over time. So I’m still looking for a perfume I can wear and enjoy.

  • Charli Hall says:

    So once again I am going to be disappointed in this “version” of L’Interdit? I have been wearing the original since the ‘60’s! I love it, but I am running out of my “buy as many as I could” to last a lifetime.

  • Heather Morin says:

    I got a sample of this perfume in the mail today, I tried it on. At first you get an almost citrus fruit smell, (personal opinion) and then upon smelling again it gives way to a darker toned smell. It’s unique and mysterious. I loved it!

  • Linda vaccarello says:

    I went to the counter and smelled it…givenchy
    Please please bring back the original…

  • Sherry says:

    I wish it was left alone it was great to have a perfume different from the others now this new version is headache strong and unpleasant.

  • Sue Barrett says:

    I was excited to learn Givenchy were launching L’Interdit again last year but SOOOOO disappointed on smelling the new fragrance as it’s nothing like the original! How can a product be launched with the same name and the same script on the packaging – what about the trades description act in the UK?
    So my task to find a bottle of the original L’Interdit goes on but I don’t think I will find one at a price I can afford.

  • Sally Russell says:

    Very disappointed in the 2018 L’Interdit. It is too harsh and lacking in the soft subtle fragrance of the earlier version. It is criminal, in my mind, to bring out a new fragrance and deceive those who are familiar with the first formula. Does not mellow out as it settles into the skin. Such a waste of money. Sob.

  • Mary Sutherland says:

    I wore L’interdit for years a long time ago. The nerve version sounds nothing like the original. I was going to order a bottle, but after reading about the new scent, I’m. no longer interested.

  • Carolyn Brown says:

    Love this perfume. I’m on my second gift set in two years. I would love to try the original though.

  • Ana says:

    So wish they would bring back the original. These remakes should not be allowed to use the same name. They don’t come close to comparing to the original scent. I save the little I have and use it sparingly, only on special occasions as it saddens me not be be able to get it again.

  • Linda Craddy says:

    I saw the advert and was so excited as the original was one of my favourite perfume when I was younger. The scent and its memory flooded my mind. I went for a tester today and imagine my disappointment that the fragrance has completely changed and is so not for me. How terrible sad that a beautiful original perfume has been changed.

  • Elizabeth says:

    I was very excited to try this because of the name, the history and it’s associations but was shocked at the mediocrity that Givenchy is pushing out into the marketplace. Despina Veneti has nailed it: it’s nothing like the ad and nothing like the original. What a missed opportunity.

  • Catherine Mischler says:

    I do hope the original version returns. Does anyone know where I can get a bottle. I got the new one but very strong and overwhelmed by the overpowered scent. I use the tiniest amount that stays forever.

  • Michele says:

    The original scent from 1957 is now gone and I loved it but do not care for the L’Interdit 2.0. It is disappointing. Why could they not just have a new scent with a new name an keep the old. It was my favorite.