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nick572007 – :
I recently tested the reformulated Cinnabar . I actually like it . It smells very similar to Opium in the 1990s. I am buying it , even though I own Opium EDT . The Cinnabar is richer and smells like the original Opium.
delkudorodov – :
There is definitely the resemblance to the vintage Opium, however with more of that Estee Lauder DNA. In the drydown, there is a urinal note that just does note sit well with me. Perhaps the vintage formulation is where it’s at, however the newer version doesn’t really do it for me.
Vinai – :
The best oriental Spicy scent ever created, Yes the very best!! So much better than Opium, and YouthDew! This magical love potion, can definitely draw men too you easily!, I adore this scent. I’m testing a bottle from the late 80s. It is magnificent in (Vintage) form. This is my fall/winter signature!!! ❤️
vener3-6666 – :
As a lover of spicy orientals like Tabu and Obsession, I can’t wait to get my smelly little paws on this one. Never had the privilege of sampling it before but.. soon. And I doubt I’ll be disappointed.
alfa19872402 – :
Please find the old Cinnabar. I purchased this when it first came out. Hot! Is what I have to say! Bought this in my beginning of my perfumaholisum (made-up word). Did not know the jewel I had and gave it to my sister (half of a bottle).
The carnations and cinnamon makes it warm-hot. Smells forever! Haven’t worn this in years. Will look for old formula on ebay.
подорожник – :
Cinnabar nella sua prima formulazione dal 1978 aveva una struttura diversa,molto più ricca di fiori (mughetto,gelsomino,ciclamino,camomilla,ylang ylang,giglio, garofano, rosa,fiori d’arancio)e una nota di galbano verde e fresca che dava la linfa vitale al bouquet,circondata da tutte le spezie (cannella,chiodi di garofano, pepe,coriandolo)e dalle resine calde (balsamo di tolu,ambra grigia,olibano, zibetto, patchouli,sandalo,muschio, vaniglia,benzoino,vetiver)e poi mandarino, arancio, bergamotto e pesca.
Dal 2000 è stato modificato,resta un orientale meraviglioso,caldo,speziato e balsamico,ma mancano alcune note floreali e altri elementi.
Rimane una bella nota di incenso olibano,le spezie piccanti e rimane un profumo magnetico,caldo e appassionato.
Riformulazione dopo riformulazione pian piano viene impoverito il bouquet,infatti ne ho uno del 2014 che rispetto ai precedenti risulta sempre molto buono ma si sente che ha meno elementi,quindi minore evoluzione e poca sorpresa.
Dopo il 2015 ha subìto un’altra riformulazione ed è quella attuale nella bottiglia col tappo trasparente che,a quanto leggo nelle recensioni, non ha più niente del vecchio e originale Cinnabar.
Io amo la prima versione,quella di fine anni 70. Cinnabar è un profumo caldo, ardente,appassionato ed avvolgente, i suoi vapori di incenso inebriano,i fiori incantano,sono fiori estivi dai profumi intensi,notturni e opulenti,ipnotici.
Le spezie sono ardenti,le resine lasciano una scia ariosa e calda attorno al bouquet.
Un profumo da sogno.
танечка – :
Estée Lauder has a very tight distribution network, so I recommend that you buy from a department store and not online. I have observed fantastically high prices online and can get the same fragrance at Dillard’s or Macy’s for one third of the online price. I would suspect online vendors of this particular house. Having said all that, I think this is a wonderful oriental, not as heavy as Opium, and I do not find it dated.
mmalder – :
As a 57 year old lady this fragrance brings back memories of my young adulthood and cold winter nights , but I loved wearing it all year round.
hkm136speagoessenda – :
A gorgeous spicy and resinous scent, Cinnabar was a fragrance my mother wore. She had this red decorative disc on a tassel, which must have been a bonus gift with purchase back then … it hands on the door to my clothes closet now.
This scent took me back, and I’m delighted to have found it again. The little micro mini that arrived in the mail today seems far too small to contain such richness.
Cinnabar, I’m glad to have you – stay as long as you like!
I have to compare this to Youth Dew, the older fragrance which may have been the inspiration for Cinnabar. YD is deeper and smoother and timeless where C. is more modern and a bit sharp at first. There is a note of dried orange peel in Cinnabar, which is sweet and comforting.
I like both frags! Maybe I’ll try layering them, see what happens. It’s a shame Cinnabar is so expensive, my little mini bottle won’t last long.
mihael0102 – :
I bought this perfume in the 1970s, when I was in graduate school, and I wore it straight through 2013. It was definitely my signature. Then, I had trouble finding the red bottle–for years, it was sold only at Christmas, when I would buy two bottles at a time–and tried the new bottle.
The new formulation is yellow, not the golden amber of the original. It also lacks the cinnamon and cloves. I never bought another bottle.
Then, I went on a buying spree trying to find a substitute for Cinnebar. I bought just about every “Oriental” or “Arabian” perfume out there–can’t even remember some of their names, but Opium and Cafe were among them–but none of them smelled as good as I remember Cinnebar smelling.
Today, I got an old bottle from Ebay. Sure, it cost more than it used to, but I could smell the spices through the plastic-wrapped box! And I felt like I was in a time machine. I felt like me again. Buy the red-cap bottle on Ebay. You won’t be disappointed.
hco128speagoessenda – :
I just bought a new bottle of Cinnabar today, 6 May 2018, at Macy’s. Yes, this is for sure NOT the exact same Cinnabar from the 70s, 80s, 90s and early-mid 2000s, but the DNA is there! It is, sadly, not as cinnamon and clove rich as it once was…but it is still spicy and warm. Longevity is very good, 6+ hours and sillage is strong, but not offensive (as long as you don’t overspray).
I know Youth Dew is Lauder as well as Cinnabar, but what is strange to me is that I almost cannot differentiate between current Youth Dew and current Cinnabar :-O Cinnabar is for sure a tad lighter, but not weak. And while Cinnabar is slightly “spicier” than Youth Dew…they are so similar, that I feel I did not need a full bottle of Cinnabar, when I still have an almost full bottle of Youth Dew. If you like Youth Dew, you will like Cinnabar and vice versa. I am actually a little shocked how they are virtually the same fragrance now!!! As it wears on my skin and shirt…I do not think I can tell them apart. Very odd for Lauder to do this!!!!
MAHTAHAskill – :
Love the juicy side of this, a side which is not easy to obtain when you have such an abundance of notes behind. Complex and spicy, mature yet playful, rather cold yet warm(ish).I just love to smell it. Gourmand? Not sure, drinkable may be a better word.
The bad news however is that I’m alergic to it. Maybe it ‘s something wrong with my bottle, maybe I’m reacting to one of the ingredients, and I don’t know if it happened to anyone else, but I get a strange rash on my skin after I spray it
tri5 – :
I recently purchased a new bottle of cinnabar. The bottle has been changed it now no longer has the red cap. On me sadly the fragrance also seems different . There is still the amazing spiciness that is Cinnabar’s trademark but the underlying sweetness which I felt always made this nicer than Youth Dew seems to have gone. I wonder is this something to do with me and Estée Lauder fragrances as I feel White Linen has also changed . I will finish the bottle and see if it changes per season and body chemistry but this may well be another favourite I will be retiring. So sad
sophos – :
Just gorgeous. The silage is sublime. Fabulous fragrance.
djchera218555 – :
This perfume, I have been in love with for eons. My mother wore it in the late 70s and I loved smelling the richness of it on her. I will forever associate it with my late mom. For years I felt I was too young to wear it. Now, in my 60s I will buy myself a beautiful bottle of this rich and potent concoction with pride.
In the mean time I will enjoy wearing my other heavy hitters. Opium, Youth Dew, Ragba and some other spicy Arabian fragrances.
Cinnamon is my favorite spice so my loving Cinnabar is a no brainer.
qweasttgxwheyar – :
I adore Cinnabar, it’s the epitome of class and elegance. Growing up my favorite aunt Dana wore this among others such as Youthdew, & Beautiful and bill blass nude And Chanel No 5 so all these perfumes have wonderful sentimental memories tide too each perfume. I just turned 61 in October and as the journey of my life I wear each and every perfume my aunt wore. Cinnabar is among one of the most beautiful spicy scents too have ever been created. Mrs Lauder went up and beyond by creating Cinnabar. My bottle is a (2013) formula. This will be in my collection until the day I take my last breath. Just phenomenal!! Edit: I am just at home today so since I don’t care how strong my perfumes is I sprayed 6 sprays of cinnabar on me if I am going out I never wear more than 3 or 4 sprays…
Skydaynek – :
I bought this nice perfume when I was very young, later on I gave it to my mother. Now as I’m much older, I want to buy a second bottle :))
stasik4486 – :
The opening is spicy, amber goodness with some sweetened florals. 3 hours later all spice is gone and the florals are all that remains. The dry down reminds me greatly of youth dew
korsac – :
Jenise, sad but true. Cinnabar isn’t what it used to be. As you said, “where is the Clove?, Where is the Cinnamon?”….
Where is Cinnabar? Gone forever, I’m afraid.
ispanec – :
I eagerly awaited my brand new bottle of EDP from Amazon, and when it came I was so excited to try it. I love the bottle, it is very nice. I loved the way it smelled when I opened it, but as soon as I sprayed a tiny bit on my wrist, I was disappointed! Where are the cloves? Where is the cinnamon everyone is raving about? The spices? The precious sandalwood that I love? Where is the citrus, rose, lily of the valley? I’m getting nothing but a horrible medicinal, cloying, awful scent. I must be the only one stuck with the tolu balsam and vetiver?. It seems all the spice is repelled by my chemistry and the flowers are also hiding from me.I swear I’m smelling a little urine in the dry down. Awful. I am so incredibly disappointed. I love Spice/Orientals. I love Opium and Shalimar. I love Youth Dew. But this stuff? Could I have received something else in a Cinnabar bottle? So wanted all those delicious spices. I would caution against a blind buy as I did. Try it before you buy it. I will keep it and try it again in a year as someone advised. Maybe it will develop in the bottle, but I really doubt it. My search continues for spicy orientals.
Innonteda – :
I’m new to Cinnabar, so have never experienced the original. I love the clove-y spiciness. I think it’s a cooler weather scent,as this would be a bit much in the summer. ( unless you limited it to a micro-dab.)An enchanting, sniff-your- wrist- all- day scent. Yummy!
dinamikiixiomu – :
It has changed. It’s not as potent, so, weaker, less oils, cheaper to make. BUT~ The DNA of the original IS still there on the drydown. It just isn’t going to last 600 years on your skin like it used to. For some people, that may be a plus. First spray, I knew it was different. 10 mins later, I couldn’t tell a difference. A few hrs later, I am sure it’s there & I am a little nose blind to it, but w/ the original, it was still POtent at that point. It’s just weaker.
As for Opium..I’d say same family, but that is it. To me, the difference is huge. This is closer to Youth Dew, if anything. Better than both to me 🙂
nick4ever – :
I loved this in the 80s, so sexy, but do not know what it smells like now with the reformation I guess I should not blind buy?
zurikkkkk – :
So much better than Opium!!!! Cinnabar is gorgeous I love it so much.
Intarriaw – :
huge spice, cinnamon, carnation bomb in the family of Opium and Rumba but I smell oakmoss in this one; fills a room with three squirts
pushkin2003 – :
based on original EDP sample from perfume site, this is absolutely gorgeous. immediately reminded me of the original YSL Opium which is also absolutely gorgeous. classics of a bygone era. sadly, they just don’t seem to make them like they used to. it’s a love for me.
ViRuPo – :
The Sexiest perfume on the face of this earth! Very Unisex, They don’t make them like this anymore which is a shame. Cinnabar is for the femme fatale who wears it heavy and can really pull this scent off. Just phenomenal.
ALENKA993 – :
Review for Vintage Original Bottle in Collector’s Flacon: Iv’e given a review for the current EDP of Cinnabar, but felt that the Vintage needed it’s very own and not an edit. What is this sorcery? OMG, although the current is lovely, it pales in comparison to the Vintage 10 fold. This is the warmth and spice of a holiday evening carefully presented to you in a beautiful little bottle. If you can get your hands on this vintage I suggest you do so. You will not be sorry. You will fall in love.
Mecvl965InsuffBooni – :
How I loved this scent. Loved. Would like to give the new version a try sometime. The “House of Lauder” with the new bottles and often ghastly reformulations began in 2015.
axs16 – :
One of the most Beautiful Spicy scents ever created in all perfumery. I crave Cinnabar in the fall and winter season I usually spray 3 or 4 sprays which is more than enough. Cinnabar is top 5 favorites of all time. I’m talking about the Cinnabar in the bottle tha pictured above (Vintage one) Just breathtaking.❤️
corjow – :
I visited my local Dillard’s yesterday and impulse purchased the Cinnabar Christmas gift set as I haven’t worn this beauty since the reformulation. Yes, it opens with a medicinal blast, but within five minutes I was rewarded with a beautiful gift of warm spices and incense, just what I craved for cool weather. I am very pleased with the reformulation and longevity, I still smell wafts of loveliness after 12 hours. Bonus: My husband loves this scent!
_ivanoff_ – :
If you find your newly opened New Cinnabar too strong, keep it for a year, it will mellow out, same with Youth Dew.
I keep them in their boxes, but a year, their scents are much more mellow and lost some of the medicinal sharpness.
So don’t despair.
I love them both….it’s awesome stuff.
Anel – :
I was shopping with my husband, and tried cinnabar in the perfumery. Most of perfumelovers will recognize the irresistable need to enter the perfumeshop and try something new.
We were both disgusted by the harsh, medicinal opening. But I couldn’t wash it of.
Then we were having a coffee. And I kept getting a waving cloud of the most wonderfull scent. My husband is experimenting with arabic perfume so I asked him which one he was wearing. And then I realized it was me who was spreading this heavenly scent!
I immediately bought a bottle on EBay like the one above, and I find the opening different, much softer and more agreable then from the bottle in the shop. Most probably old formula.
This perfume to me is the most comforting and warming and soothing of all the perfumes I’ve ever smelled, I can’t express in English how. Just like another reviewer stated: Christmas in a bottle. Without the vulgarity of some similar kind of perfumes which I never liked. Though reading through the ikreviews is amazing and intriguing how completely different the perception and appreciation of a scent can be.
And the longivity is unbelievable : I wore a leather jacket just one time and it still has the smell of Cinnabar, just as my seat belt in the car. So be careful if that is unwanted.
Serge2007 – :
I had been using my old bottle of Cinnabar, and thought I’d buy a new bottle only to find that they reformulated the fragrance. I have been wearing Cinnabar since 1978, and hate the new formula. I have allergies to many chemicals and only could wear Cinnabar for years. Now with the new formula, and new chemicals I can no longer wear the new version of Cinnabar. Why change a good thing….it is always because of Money….cheaper chemicals ruin the fragrance industry. Good thing I could find an old version/bottle on ebay and bought one right away. Estee Lauder, you should be ashamed of yourself. You took a wonderful fragrance and TRASHED IT!
TS – :
Just gorgeous one of my favorites. Strong sillage & very long staying power! My bottle is from (2013)
keds1507 – :
Tried this one yesterday at a perfume store. I get the Cristmas-scent in the beginning, tangerine and spices, yummy. After the drydown benzoin and cloves take over, and it also smells “woody” to me, but not “sandalwoody”. Yesterday I tested both Cinnabar (left wrist) and White Linen (right wrist), and though White Linen by now is not noticeable any more, I remember that the two fragrances seemed really similar to my nose yesterday the whole day through. Is there any dominant ingredient that they share, anything “signature” for Estee Lauder? Aldehydes perhaps, or this woody note?
I do find them both clean and unsexy and ladylike in an old-fashioned way. Someone wrote about their prude aunt and about nuns, and I agree with that impression. Oddly enough this is not meant disapprovingly. I find both scents lovely and very “classy”. These are both scents you can safely wear at your workplace without having to worry about projecting the wrong image.
Appolon_92 – :
BLECH. Just…blech. I blind bought this because it was in the same category of ‘spicy’ as Shalimar and Jungle L’Elephant, both which I have and love. I just got this yesterday and put it on before bed. I sprayed it on and it was instant revulsion. All I could smell was the medicinal tolu balsam. I had hoped so much for a peaches/cloves combo, but that’s unfortunately not what I got. I didn’t wash it off, because in my experience…sometimes a perfume smells differently (better) after it ‘settles’ and dries down on the skin. I had to cover myself with the sheets up to my neck to keep the stench at bay so I could sleep. I woke up in the middle of the night to close some windows (torrential downpour) and the stench hadn’t changed AT ALL. I felt actual disgust as I smelled myself. Passed back out under the sheets and thankfully it was all gone by the time I woke up the second time. Words cannot describe the level of disappointment I have for this fragrance. I’m a huge cinnamon lover and had high expectations for something that had ‘cinna’ in the name. I posted the bottle for sale on Facebook today. I’ll take that money and use it to buy something good.
Skylexx – :
This is Christmas in a bottle. No better way to describe this gorgeous scent!
TifoloSaila – :
I love Cinnabar so much it’s strong heady perfection in a bottle. Sillage is amazing and longevity is amazing to. (Vintage) my bottle is from (2013)
alekskobelev – :
Alas, a lack, the new reformulation of Cinnabar is not like the original. When I apply it, the opening. Toes are rich with promise but the dry down is horrible. On me, the dry down is something I’d rather not be wearing. Sorry, I don’t have the right terminology or knowledge to name what the drydiwn ends up being, but I can tell you this, I can’t wait to wash it off.
I loved this when it first came out years ago. I bought a new reformulated bottle about two years ago, and I won’t be replacing it if and when I am out of it, unless I can find the vintage Cinnabar.
Muero – :
I have a vintage version I picked up at a yard sale and had been unable to wear because some component in it made me feel a little ill.
But now-! I’ve paired it with Demeter’s Holy Smoke, which tones down whatever it was that was getting me, and amps up the incense and smoke aspects. Holy Smoke on its own isn’t particularly sexy, but Cinnabar takes care of that. Yummy!
lxxxxxx – :
I have a new 2015 version. I like it but I think that it is not so strong as many reviewers say, I can´t feel it after some time. Maybe it is true that new version is much lighter than the original. But I can´t compare them. On the other hand the scent is very nice and it has beautiful development. If the longevity was better, I would be really happy with it.
Nostradamus – :
The latest reformulation of Cinnabar makes me feel like crying. They need to change the name, because it’s not Cinnabar anymore. It’s something else…and whatever it is, it doesn’t smell nice. It’s a very bad imitation of the original perfume, and should be sold as an imposter perfume at the drugstore.
Ssolyara – :
My Third E.L. Fragrance…My First being The Now Elusive Fabulous METROPOLIS the Second BRONZE GODDESS, Anyway On To This Beauty, I Just received my package today of the Original Packaging 50ml CINNABAR Sealed & New from ebay, After opening the Box I wanted to Quickly spray it but I held back My Excitement and looked up the Batch# with anticipation…Wondering Just how Old is My New Bottle??…I was actually surprised too by The Very short 3 digits, well anyhow My girl was Born In AUGUST of 2012!! So How funny that She turns 5 this Exact Month!…I’m Happy with the year because is’ still Fresh Yet RICH “Not “Watered Down” the way some people are saying the latest Version in the New Style Bottle seems to be..I sprayed her and what a Gorgeous AUTUMN Fragrance she’s gonna make, I’m Getting Mainly Juicy Tangerine with Amber, Cinnamon and Spices, she’ll be right at home with My Vintage OBSESSION,OBSESSION For Men And My Chanel COCO…Looking forward to making some beautiful memories with her starting this Fall….Oh And HAPPY Birthday to My New Baby!!
ypo878speagoessenda – :
I remember when I first met Cinnabar about 15 years ago. I was at the Estee Lauder counter at Foley’s Department Store. Estee use to present all her fragrance on the counter, usually on a gold tray. I was such a(novice) fan of oriental scent, however Youth Dew smell something awful on me. I had like Azuree and probably pick up the wrong bottle to sniff and ..combustion!—Cinnabar. I had never smell anything like it. It had such a strong orange tent to the juice and it smell of clove, cinnamon and oranges (Bigelow’s /Celestial Season Orange Spice Tea ) –I just could not put it down! It was around a very Sunny Christmas in Texas, because I remember wrapping present and smelling the test card frequently, which was leisurely place under a sun spot on my dresser , through the window. I threw someone’s Christmas present under the bus that year ( probably ’99) and brought a bottle of this. The price was amazing ( I think 35.00 at the time /50.00 now).
I remember thinking, at 22 yr old , how bold and eccentric I was to wear this strong announcing fragrance. I had thought YSL Opium was the most intense thing I could project , but this… this was pretty powerful. It was one of the first fragrance I had that stuck to everything, –clothes, pillows, etc, and one that I could smell well into the next day. This automatically said I was fast and the was no ‘well?”, or “Um?” about it. I even got to see an ad of it in a 1980’s Harper’s Bazaar, unblushingly celebrating Asia and sophistication. Many of my friend who would smell this and would automatically laugh and tag it as “older woman” , but to me I just thought strong , wild, sophisticated , uncontrollable, sexy.
I remember retiring it two years later after I got it and use the it all ( just too strong; I wore during the oncoming of a bronchitis attack one yr) but then in 2006 I went to buy another bottle. I have recently retire it again . However, it lives on in a recently brought bottle of Chamade and Diptyque L’Eau De L’Eau I still have the empty bottle with the oblong red top and it reminds me of the wilder me the lays dormant–O.k ..well..the wilder me that still is!!!
rtj561speagoessenda – :
Just ordered a 50ml EdP bottle online. Never smelled this before. I know it’s a risk, but I loooooooove spicy orientals! I’ll update when it arrives.
Update Jul. 31, 2017
Yep, I definitely love this scent. It has a bit of an aldehydic top, but this is quite familiar to me. Then it turns into a Youth Dew-esque type of scent, with heavy cloves and cinnamon. I can’t speak about the vintage formula, but this modern one satisfies my spicy craving all the same. I know this doesn’t work on some people, so I would sample this before you buy. I know, I didn’t do that. But I absolutely love Youth Dew, so I figured this would work with my chemistry too, which it did. This is so so much better and high-quality than all these floral cotton candy toilet waters they’re doling out these days. If you love hot, seductive spice, and you can handle the fiery heat, try this baby out!
P.S. Omg nopasho, I admire your review!
giggs – :
This is up there with one of my biggest loves.
It opens with an awesome orange flavor and lingers on all day long with a delicious spicy taste….
If I was to move to Venus, I would take Cinnabar, Opium, Poison and Chanel No.5.
Mmaak – :
Spicy, resinous amber perfumes are a feel-good genre in perfumery. The individual components (vanilla, benzoin, labdanum…) are like prefab bases and can single-handedly provide the blueprint for an Oriental perfume. The risk is the kitchen-sink syndrome.
Cinnabar’s topnotes juxtapose a bright, aldehyde/bergamot accord against a boozy amber mix, a trick learned from Youth Dew. The segue from citrus to sweet brings out the matte, rubbery side of amber, but it doesn’t jibe well with the vanillic undercurrent and the custard doesn’t quite settle. Despite aldehydic jazz hands the topnotes don’t have nearly enough torque to dig the spices out of the trenches. Little light escapes the cinnamon/clove event horizon and wearing Cinnabar gives me olfactory claustrophobia. It’s a quick journey from the topnotes to the perfume’s next and only other phase, drydown, which lasts from the 30 minute mark until about 24 hours later. Cinnabar does grow less dense as the half-lives pass but it never becomes any less opaque.
Cinnabar might have cribbed some tricks from Auntie Youth Dew, but it should have studied history more closely. The pairing of citrus/aromatics and balsams was the compositional coup of the 1920s. Shalimar and Habanita steered the pairing toward leather and Nuit de Noel and Bois des Isles went the cozy fur-coat route but they all share a similar design concept.
The perfumes of the 1970s and the 1920s had a lot in common. Aldeyhydic florals were chic as hell and bitter chypres were all the rage, but the voluptuous orientals were the shit. Cinnabar and its exact contemporaries Yves Saint Laurent Opium and Lancome Magie Noire reinvented animalsim via spice and opened the door to a new style of oriental perfume that Chanel put on the map with Coco, Bois Noir and Egoiste.
The identity of the perfumer of Cinnabar is not 100% certain, but rumor has it that it was Bernard Chant. For the life of me I can’t imagine that the perfumer of Cabochard and Aromatics Elixir didn’t know how to square the bergamot/amber circle. If he is in fact Cinnabar’s author, I have to imagine that the fault lies in reformulation. Chant was just too good to be credited with the murky version of the perfume available today.
The proof will be in the pudding. I’ve just found an unopened bottle of the original Cinnabar (“Soft Youth Dew”) on ebay and it’s en route. It’ll go head-to-head with a pristine bottle of YSL Opium that I recently found. More to follow.
from scenthurdle.com
Dini2 – :
I’ve been drawn into wearing Cinnabar earlier than Christmas time this year, due to loss of one of my pets I was in serious need of comfort, loss is such a lonely experience. Cinnbabar gives me comfort. The warmth of the spices and incense is what helps.
radionn – :
CINNABAR!
Estee Lauder
Year
1978
Looking For Some Hot Stuff This Evening!
Donna Summer’s disco song HOT STUFF come to mind when Cinnabar has played it’s entire performance from start to finish and your skin is warm with that amber & incense dry down. A beautiful fragrance straight from the late 70’s with it’s penchant for spicy Oriental unisex fragrances a la Ciara Coco Eau de Parfum & Opium. A hot scented candlewax on your skin, a balsamic Arabian Nights perfume for the confident and bold dynamic independent woman. This frag described me then and it describes me now. This was my kind of perfume. I wore her with saucy red jumpsuits when I had the ass to showcase. Cinnabar was a hot date night perfume and a disco dance club cologne. Totally unisex by today’s standards so guys can rock this but not in ’78 when women were the foxy mammas all over it.
Opens with spices instead of fruit or aldehydes. The Opium touch was on it when I first smelled it and didn’t mind because I was equally as in love with Opium. There’s a brief fleeting fruit scent of tangerine and citrus plus peach but it fades and turns into a spicy clove earth scent. Smells mainly of a blast of cloves. This clove scent reminds me of Christmas with dimly lit candles on a table and incense in the background, myrrh, “oh Holy Night” religious type of air. I’m not religious. In fact I’m downright pagan but I like how this smells of a Cathedral. Smells like the dead of winter when it’s so cold that the warmth of the interior of a cathedral with countless candles burning by the altar is welcome.
A spicy floral heart with prominent lily of the valley, carnation, and ylang ylang. The other florals are not coming through. A rose and carnation can smell quite similar to me so the rose might be sneaking in but it’s mostly carnation to me. This is the same kind of reddish flower scent you get from Opium and reminds me of holly or poinsettia, a Christmas flower. There is also orange blossom as it begins to get away from the top notes and starts it’s middle stage. The citrus gets warmer and more intense with deep florals and then the cloves.
A warmth envelops you as the dry notes emerge. Now your skin is like a masculine soap has been lathered on your skin. Smells of Persian soap made of real ingredients. The sandalwood comes through first followed by incense notes smoky and fragrant. Spices are there as well and patchouli leaves. Not too herbal though as it seems more like a balsam or myrrh. Finally I detect a dash of vanilla and amber.
This is a complex long lasting and very luxurious Oriental perfume in a class of it’s own. Estee Lauder wouldn’t formulate a fragrance like this anymore. It’s a time capsule of the 70’s like Opium and that’s a crying shame because younger generations are missing out on smelling like this. It’s a sexy provocative and yet spiritual/ glamorous perfume. It doesn’t seem to match up with anything I have right now. This was my 70s wardrobe perfume.
Absolutely gorgeous.
milgqp – :
I am shocked this has so many positive reviews. I tested this when shopping for a frag for my wife. Absolutely terrible, I couldn’t get it off my hand fast enough.
Gusqpfjc – :
Oooof!
This is a humdinger of an oriental fragrance
I prefer this to youth dew….its like youth dews older wiser sister
I really must treat myself to a bottle soon!
I would wear this in winter
kiruxa – :
I’ve never smelled the vintage version of this, but I tested out the current version on the Estee Lauder counter yesterday…and I was impressed. It’s a lovely spicy fragrance which IMO could certainly stand up with the likes of Opium. Given that I’ve put off buying this due to the negative reviews I’ve read for the reformulated version, I was expecting a bit of a watered down excuse for an oriental fragrance. But it’s not at all. It has plenty of punch and spicy goodness. Perhaps it doesn’t compare to the original scent but if you’ve not had the pleasure, then I’m confident you would still find pleasure in this version, especially if you are a fan of spicy orientals.
katyasambura – :
My winter signature!
razuvov – :
The reviewer @emyalda described exactly what I came here to describe. She took the words out of my mind’s mouth (;
My Cinnabar is also a vintage one, the liquid inside it is an extremely dark and opaque one, similar to the current YouthDew(if not darker),unlike the current Cinnabar, which contains a yellowish transparent liquid ! The top-note is completely different than the new Cinnabar, it is much nicer and creamier to my nose. If you smell the vintage you will not compare it to Opium, you will only mistake it for YouthDew. I can say now that vintage EsteeLauder perfumes were really made of one of the best qualities ever, as a lot of my vintage perfumes have been altered in smell….except those by EsteeLaud