To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
VetpabReree – :
Mothballs.
Going to let it sit another few months then try again.
Pure mothballs.
Edit
It has changed since I first opened it.
The mothball smell isn’t up front and I can detect the florals.
Edit
Sigh.
Mothballs.
Ultimately.
petzve – :
So interesting to find Pompeia here .. it was my grandma best perfume ever 🙂
purgen666 – :
I’m smelling it now on my skin, but I think this is more suitable to spray in atmosphere, not to wear on body!
It lacks something, this lotion is not complete yet, think with me if you wear it next time, and please please comment here, what do you imagine will fill this gap in the notes (if you agree with me that there is one).
My favorite lotion from L.T Piver is Reve d’Or by all means.
Edit: the longer the time Pompeia spend on my arms, the more Fougere it gets! do you notice that it is a soft Fougere!? Maybe thats why it suits men too… masculine.
It sells like cake, the supplier in my city told me they import it in huge quantities and send it to supermarkets and small shops, together with Reve d’Or.
gintaras248 – :
Pompeia is a beautiful abstract accord based on amyl salicylate. It is wonderfully complex and does not really smell of anything recognizable in nature. It is a smell unto itself similar to how No5 is its own entity. The performance is great for what it is; a beautiful perfumed lotion that stimulates and refreshes at once.
grand2036 – :
Pompeia Roman Perfume
This is a beautiful floral patchouli fragrance which can be purchased at an affordable price.
I admit I’d never heard of it until a good friend of mine told me about it and convinced me that it was my type of perfume.
I’m a shameless floral fragrance lover and patchouli lover and this fragrance is essentially a very aromatic, rather green floral with distinctive patchouli leaves, and heady iris, rose, jasmine and lavender. These are old fashioned florals with enormous sillage and projection, just as I like.
These flowers are quite graphic.
This fragrance is composed of floral distillation and patchouli oil, which can smell a bit medicinal. That lavender is the biggest note to my nose or on me at least. The lavender embraces a deep iris, and they smell like night blooming flowers.
A lemon note sweetens and freshens the fragrance but it deepens rather than softens and it never becomes powdery. In addition to the lavender and iris, there’s a jasmine and rose which smell somewhat soapy and a lovely geranium.
The patchouli leaves are noticeable as the fragrance dries down and the florals disappear, leaving behind only a faint iris scent. This is an herbal dry down. There might be more going on as I detected a little bit of musk.
The fragrance can be worn by both men and women. Though it’s a floral perfume, they are deep and dark patchouli-florals which can be worn by men as well. This is a unisex fragrance. It’s also coming off as Oriental, but because it lacks other signature Oriental notes like sandalwood and amber, and it’s mostly patchouli, this isn’t even a quarter of an Oriental fragrance. It’s a floral with a dark patchouli in the base.
Neither too sweet, fresh nor feminine, it’s a sexy Gypsy type of perfume. The woman that this fragrance embodies is a mysterious and dark haired psychic with a crystal ball and with an eccentric and dominant personality. She wears black or deep purple colors. She is regal and aloof. At times this fragrance smells like it would be worn by a witch. It might even suit your Halloween costume this year.
This is a strange fragrance indeed.
I have never before come across a floral that embraces patchouli as intimately and as completely as this fragrance does. The sillage is excellent and duration is an all day affair.
I think this is worth a try and the price can’t be beat. It’s under 12 bucks online. The concentration seems to be more of a cologne than a perfume, and yet it can last as long as a parfum.
Deeply floral. Not for the faint of heart and hard to wear because it is such an old fragrance, and far more outdated than any of your 1970’s perfumes. This perfume dates from 1907, and at the time, fragrances were mostly floral. It’s possible this is the first time a patchouli note was used in perfumery.
The patchouli dominates this scent. At times it smells like an old lady Church fragrance but that’s not a bad thing. I am an old lady and I do attend Church. For me this fragrance is a God send.
gvc52 – :
Fragrance Review For Pompeia
By L.T. Piver
Top Notes
Lemon Lavender Geranium
Middle Notes
Rose Jasmine Ylang Ylang Iris
Base Notes
Patchouli
POMPEIA CLASSICAL ENCHANTRESS’ LOVE POTION
“Send him to me Dagon God of Love! Make me the most desirable of women, my lips sweet as honey, my skin as soft and fragrant as the petals of a flower. Give him to me! I want him at my feet! – Gina Lollobrigida as The Queen of Sheba Praying To Her God To Make King Solomon Fall In Love With Her, Solomon and Sheba, 1957 Film
I’m currently exploring these affordable classic treasures of perfumery by the French house of L.T. Piver, regarded by historians as the first established fragrance line in France dating from the 1700’s. Their scents still sell! Cedre and Cuir de Russie are still beloved and popular. You can purchase Pompeia cologne along with a lotion on ebay and Amazon.com for under 15 bucks. This is the kind of high quality but inexpensive historic fragrance we associate with such perfumes as Florida Water. As a history lover, this is totally my bag! This is a beautiful little gem. It affected me quite deeply. I’ll begin my review with the technicalities and practical uses of this fragrance before I get into the realm of the spirit.
When you smell Pomepeia vintage cologne, it smells like something your grandmother would wear – if your grandmother was a Creole lady from New Orleans at the turn of the century. It also smells Haitian and Caribbean, like an oily floral cologne for women and for men. It opens with a unisex lavender and lemon, almost the same way that Guerlains’ Jicky opens. A sweet lemon citrus gives it a freshness and cool quality (again just like Florida Water) which smells even better in the summer, at the beach, or on vacation or something to put on after a shower to elevate your mood. In simplest terms, this is a floral with an herbal medicinal dose of patchouli. It’s aromatic and green-flowery but the patchouli is more an oil and not really an Oriental type of patchouli, nor anything like the patchoulis I’ve experience in other fragrances. Because it’s in the base and dry down, the patchouli is what gives this scent it’s character, it’s foundation, it’s life. But unfortunately on me although the patchouli is not lost, it doesn’t give the scent a long enough longevity for me to enjoy. This smells like something to wear for a little while, while the flowers wear off, and for something awfully serious. It smells like Church, but there’s something pagan about it. I would recommend this for fans of vintage fragrances, flowers and patchouli. Best worn in spring summer and early autumn, and definitely a night time evening cologne. It’s also formal/romantic.
It’s very unisex as the lemon is that of a man’s aftershave. The lavender scent is also found in men’s colognes and it gives the scent an aromatic, spicy floral touch which seals the deal for me. I’m a big fan of lavender. The lavender is not alone. An iris flower joins her, both violet and blue in color, the color of twilight. It’s nocturnal, and if it were more elaborate and even more powdery, it could almost pass for an early prototype of the had-not-yet-been-released Guerlain L’Heure Bleue.
Keep in mind this fragrance is from 1907!
Aldehydes had not yet been introduced and only anise and citrus served as a fresh sparkling opening in the top notes as the wearer first put on the perfume. It is also more like oil or scented water. All the flowers come at you at once and the fact it’s not a very elaborate fragrance makes this a bit linear in it’s progression. The flowers are like someone deliberately put the flowers together for a reason, for a purpose. The jasmine, the iris, the geranium, and the ylang ylang flowers appear to give it a touch of magic. After a while if you are paying attention the single flower that takes over is the geranium.
It’s ancient geranium. I wondered why they called it Pompeia, an ancient Roman noble woman’s name. Sounds like the wife of one of the Roman Emperors. The feeling it gives me is that this was a magic potion, elixir, a scent of seduction, a love spell. A Roman noblewoman put all these flowers together into water and used it in a ritual magic to get the future Emperor of Rome to fall in love with her and ask her to marry her.
This is reportedly a fragrance that is used in voodoo magic, for the same reason: a love spell. And it really does smell like a spring time floral scent of a woman in love, desperately in love, a woman of passion who must have the object of her affection or die trying. I would not be surprised if this fragrance, used as a magic potion for a love spell, actually worked.
I have never been more moved by such a cheap fragrance! I was feeling this exact same way with Coty’s Emeraude which to me is a bit like this, except with additional notes of incense, bigger patchouli and a sandalwood. This feels like it should be an Oriental, like it was trying to be an Oriental, but it’s missing that sandalwood to go with patchouli, or an incense. And yet it does smell like it could have these notes. It’s an aroma of power and substance despite it’s brevity.
I love this perfume and every time I wear it I fall in love with it more and more. I have known love and heartbreak. I date when I’m not wrapped up in my career but I hope that one day I can find the perfect match, my male counterpart, my soulmate, the man my soul would marry even if I never legally marry. If this perfume is indeed a love potion, I pray to my patron goddess Athena to find me the man that can complete me.
virodok – :
LT Piver est une des plus anciennes marques de parfumerie française.Le flacon n’a pas changé et tant mieux, très vintage. Elle ne coûte rien et c’est une belle eau de cologne rétro (je l’ai en lotion).
Je sens des fleurs capiteuses, l’impression de tomber dans un poudrier ancien et en effet un fond un peu canaille.
Elle a une très bonne tenue pour une eau de cologne, des heures plus tard on la sent encore chanter sa petite chanson au gré d’un mouvement.
Rien à voir avec les parfums modernes, mais quel charme désuet!
don.dworydkin – :
When I first smelt Pompeia I was immediately hit with memories of sunny days rolling in a field of clover, making clover chains to hang around my neck. When I couldn’t find those notes on the list, I went and researched the fragrance.
Pompeia was one of the first fragrances to use a synthetic scent Amyl Salicylate discovered by Georges Darzens.
He describes the scent of Amyl Salicylate as “the fragrance of flowering clover under the heat of august”.
Yes there are Roses, Geranium, powdery Iris, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, Citrus and Patchouli notes but….
This IS a field of flowering Clover under the heat of August.
Memories of my childhood, perfect…
Meops385InsuffBooni – :
Voodoo hoodoo?
And that real skanky note…
Yeah that makes sense.
I found this for sale amongst the crystals and tarot cards at an occult bookshop.
Thanks for the low down.
vavani444 – :
My favorite of the Piver fragrances however is Floramye, a beautiful green perfume something like Heure Exquise by Goutal. I should have bought more of this when I had the chance! I’m writing about it here since Fragrantica doesn’t have it in its database.
NiksaKrizic – :
I had a similar experience. Having purchased many bottles of perfume and cologne on ebay, opening a bottle to find a nasty skanky smell is not unusual. However, I have nearly always been able to fix that problem by leaving the cap of the bottle for about 24 hours. If it’s a spray bottle, spraying a few times onto a paper towel will also clear up the remainder. Even after doing so, I didn’t think I would care much for Pompeia, but after wearing it for awhile I was surprised by how beautiful it became. It’s been too long since I smelled this, guess I’ll retrieve my bottle and wear some tonight.
reyver – :
Using Amarige in Voodoo? Now THAT’s scary!!
Piton1977 – :
Yes, I shared the experience had by Ann.Sundwall!
When I initially opened my new bottle, the scent was horrifying. I was CERTAIN it had gone bad. But then something strange happened. A few weeks or months later ( can’t recall which! ) I again opened the bottle and more generously sampled the juice. Now the metallic or sulphuric note had all but vanished, leaving an old fashioned lavender based cologne in it’s wake.
Some of my first dismay seems to have been the way the cologne reacts with it’s metal dispenser. This is not a spray bottle, but the kind designed to be shaken over the skin. Once evaporated off the metal – with which it seriously clashed! – I could actually smell what it was intended to be. Furthermore, it most certainly improved for having been allowed to air and then rest.
While lavender based colognes are hardly my cup of tea, Pompeia is a good example of a cherished traditional scent. Those who enjoy a good Florida water might give this a whirl. To do it justice, Pompeia has the same uses and benefits as the beloved 4711, and is an absolute bargain.
Vagrant71 – :
I bought quite cheaply all the old Piver’s fragrances I could find, out of curiosity and also as an attempt to find good ‘nostalgia’ fragrances (i.e. recreations/reissues of old formulae). The bottle is charming and it does have a vintage feel to it, with an old fashioned plastic cap and simple packaging.
It is called ‘lotion’ in French, which is sometimes interpreted as eau de cologne strength, but I think it is much stronger, definitely EDT.
It has a genuine old fashioned ‘vintage’ vibe, both the bottle and the juice. Strong resemblance to Tweed, but better than the current Yardley version. I think the Tweed style was a fairly widespread and generic fragrance in the 50s and 60s and this one comes very close to that.
It took me a while to think this through and get used to it, but I think it is wearable, even as a unisex fragrance. It is a decent lavender-patchouli-floral combo, not sweet and not cloying. It is somewhat simple, but avoids smelling cheap or vulgar (I also bought Reve d’Or from the same range – pretty bad, that one). It is not modern – actually, it couldn’t be further away from modern perfumery. But one would buy and use this for its evocative charm and retro feel.
vikwww2011 – :
I have a bottle that has a manufacturing date of 2013 good though 2018. Perhaps that’s why it “goes off” as it is a light “eau character” that seems rather fragile.
Regarding the composition, its perfect in the heat and keeps you fresh for about an hour or more with welcome splashes to follow. I get lavender, rose and jasmine all with a very vintage character. Its pleasant yet not for the “fruit-choli” crowd.
Bear in mind this was introduced in 1909. It is a piece of history and for serious noses only. L T Piver is one of the oldest perfume houses still in operation. I have some Guerlain Eau Imperial and Florida Water that are from the same genre.
aka_ares – :
I am very confused by this lotion. I ordered a bottle two years ago, based on the reviews and price…and when it arrived and I opened it, it was about as offensive as it is possible for a perfume to be. No flowers, or patchouli or spices…just sulfur. Very strong sulfur. I tried it on, thinking something must happen in the dry down…but although I got a faint whiff of flowers, it remained pretty repulsive. So I set it aside, and every time I opened it, sulfurous fumes emerged. This is so unlike what anyone else is experiencing that I am inclined to think I have a bad bottle. Recently I ordered L. T. Piver’s Heliotrope Blanc..and it is heavenly! So I went back to the Pompeia languishing on my counter and it is better now, having been opened and aired out over two years. Not great, still a little sulfury, but I can now sense very pleasant flowers and patchouli lingering in the background. Has anyone else had this experience? It wasn’t a matter of individual sensitivity to scent or skin chemistry, because others I had smell the bottle had the same reaction. It is so inexpensive, and the notes sound so good, that I am inclined to try again. But I do wonder, has anyone else opened a sulfurous bottle of Pompeia?
ilya.96 – :
@ Matusha,
Thanks for sharing your experience with us. As I said in my earlier review of Pompeia, it really does bring out the romance!
I’m never without L&K Florida Water. It is so lovely and refreshing, I use it for everything from dry scalp to make-up remover and pore cleanser to when I have a stuffy nose from allergies as well as when I’m just hot and need something refreshing. It’s the greatest well-kept secret!
Kananga, as it is referred to in hoodoo, is none other than that beloved floral scent Ylang-Ylang. I do believe that scent is tremendously magical in many ways. It can certainly alter our perceptions of ourselves and others. It creates glamour and beauty, can make us feel like we can take on the world and bring up the past and give us dreams for the future.
jabobesolo – :
I have an old bottle of this magical potion sitting on my vanity. The southern heat never bothers its potency. This is pure New Orleans hoodoo bliss. It is a classic love potion. Imagine the mist descending on the French Quarter and a mornful steamship cries out in the darkness. There in the gas light, appears your true love…
Rosey and assured, this radiates confidence. It is not common. Its now over 100 years old. A bottle has perennially been in my family for years. I am too old for love spells now. Yet when I wanna feel love in my heart, I take a drop every now and then. Where is the love? In this perfume, of course. Young ladies might wanna try some to find love.
Florida Water is used in hoodoo, as well. It keeps one calm and is a hexbreaker. Kananga water helps summon spirits. Ysatis, its modern form, brings them very close. Modern marvels update and fortify the magic. Fragrance is closely connected to our psychic sensitivity. I have no problem updating hoodoo practices to fit the modern market.
ZmEy1 – :
Great review from Jennifer60656!
I had a quick encounter with Pompeia while I was testing Heliotrope Blanc. I know a place in Italy where they sell these perfumes but not Reve d’Or anymore. Pompeia is brilliant and multi-faceted. What impresses me in these perfumes is a kind of unfuss semplicity matched to old French elegance.
I heard that it is used in Tahiti Voodoo and also Reve d’Or and this could be scary indeed, but if you keep it at the perfume you can enjoy without worries!
The reason why it is used in that case it is probably historical. Piver is one of the oldest French perfume maker. It was famous at the age of slavery to New World from New Orleans down to the south.
Rich, elegant pale ladies of European descend used to wear Piver from France, pearls, silks and drank champagne and also smoked fine sigarettes and were generally kept much cleaner than servants.
All these became symbols of richness and feminine beauty there also for lower classes and they associated with their own deities.
I read somewhere that when Reve d’Or is not available anymore they use Amarige or even Chanel 5 instead with same purposes.
If you find this line somewhere, just try it because it is worthy enough and not expensive, regardless of alla associated beliefs, it is an old fine maker with soft, elegant never sickening vibe.
irondv – :
This is the enchanted forest scent of my dreams. Seriously, you can almost picture wild roses, the lavender, and the woods, along with unicorns, a full moon, the fairy castle in the distance and along comes Prince/Princess Charming. Not a sexy, knock-em dead scent, but truly, hopelessly romantic.
A big problem with very old fragrances like this is they are typical cologne waters that are VERY subtle and last approximately one second – this one is not like that. You can actually smell this and for quite some time.
Additionally, what I like about this fragrance is that it would be great for anyone – young, old, in-between, male, female, anyone at all. There is something about Pompeia that is very youthful without being “dumbed-down,” that I think is great and is what could make it wearable for anyone. I think that a pre-teen or teenager who doesn’t want to smell like all her or his friends would like this.
I don’t think this is actually a chypre – it’s more of an aromatic woody/floral. The lavender and patchouli are top-notch. I never thought that geraniums smell minty like it says in the description of geraniums (although there are many varieties). The typical geranium I am familiar with is somewhat vegetal and woody to me. There is nothing sweet about the fragrance except the sweetness of the magical-ness you feel when you wear it. At the same time, there is no bitterness.
Yes, it is true that Pompeia is used in Voudou and in Santeria; I did buy my bottle at the botanica, but that does not make it bad or scary, or “dark”. As far as I understand Pompeia is something to put on when the body feels tired but the mind is restless. In other words, it is used to revive the body and calm the mind. I don’t know about that, but I do know this is a glorious summer scent, maybe more for daytime but it would work well for lovely strolls in the moonlight with someone really special.
I don’t mean to wax poetic about Pompeia but I guess it does bring out the romantic side.
rfnjdcrbq – :
Finally I found this perfume 🙂 I just had a chance to use it once when I was just a little girl. It was classy and really a must-have perfume for vintage loving people. In fact, I first smelled it from my grandfather’s handkerchief and daddy’s sweater. You guys nowaday may fancy Miss Dior Cherie’ or DKNY Be Delicious or whatever, and laugh at the old-fashioned brand name but this has been my childhood’s obsession (I’m seriously addicted to this scent):)
I’m looking for it but what a pity that is not available in Vietnam or anywhere else in the world, so sad…
Deroxpzozt – :
I read it is used to Tahitian Voodoo???, scary! :), but i will order it online because is cheap, super curious for this “lotion” fragrance 🙂