Description
“The iconic fragrance of the House Le Galion and signature perfume of the famous Stork Jazz Club in New York in the 1930s, Sortilège returns today in a composition faithful to its origins. A floral aldehyde composition, a totally seductive fragrance full of history.
Sortilège, displays an intense and mesmerising vapour trail of floral aldehyde, beginning with a soft blend of white flowers and ylang-ylang from Madagascar. The explosion of its floral bouquet reveals Egyptian jasmine and delicate notes of mimosa, sustained by narcissus. Turkish rose is the beating heart, partnered with Iris and leading into Indonesian sandalwood and vetiver on a background of animal and amber – an intense, mythical fragrance.
Sortilège has a balanced bouquet of perfect elegance: feminine, refined and distinguished – the scent of a mysterious and confident woman. Intense, elegant and sensual, it exhibits the perfect alchemy between perfume and skin.
“Sortilège, the fragrance that makes women faithful. To their fragrance” advertisement from 1965.” – a note from the brand.
Sortilege was launched in 2014. The nose behind this fragrance is Marie Duchene.
kata – :
A kind member sent to me a decant of the original Sortilege extrait recently. Thank you, sweet lady. I really hate to gush, but honestly, that small bottle of parfum contains one of the most heart-breakingly beautiful fragrances ever created. Really.
I’m so surprised that there is absolutely nothing “off” in the notes. Top notes are there, nothing is sour or smells anything other than what it should. This is a Floral like few others. Sortilege is so well blended, that I’m having trouble picking out individual notes. It plays on my skin like the most beautiful bouquet and is absolutely entrancing.
It’s interesting to read about the history of this fragrance and the Manhattan night club “The Stork Club” and the celebrities that visited there, and wore Sortilege back in the day.
If you can find a good bottle, or even a small amount, get it… and experience joy.
CaHbI4 – :
By pure chance got a vintage bottle of this few days ago,real old times smell,cannot imagine a woman younger than 65 using this in the current days,still a glorious,imperial,barroque and rich juice,like a visit to a 17 century palace
loyarrykese – :
(this review is for the 2014 version)
True decadence.
Sometimes it opens with extremely inky indolic scent: one sniff you’ll understand why indole is found in feces.
Probably after my nose going numb, it reveals its mellow side: Soft aldehyde on warm base, with lazy, yawning florals. Sometimes I get a coconut-creamy aspect——coconut oil to be precise.
So the name makes sense: it’s a spell that put you somewhere dim-lit and warm, and along with still lingering indole, you may fell asleep and never wake up.
Vidocq1977 – :
I got the 2 oz vintage splash today.
Typical fragrance of it’s time. Nothing ground-breaking.
Opens with aldahydes,naturally, but stays linear on me for the most part. Nothing springs up front to me…notes wise…just all blended. Average scent.
It says “parfum de toilette” but I feel this is more in the “cologne” category.
нафтан – :
My mother used Sortilege and I loved it as a child. It was discontinued many years ago but I found a vintage bottle of it on auction at Ebay. It was wonderful and the fragrance still evoked dear memories. I feel very blessed to have found it 🙂
pokcbivSAZi – :
This IS for the 2014 version ( don’t know why everyone has chosen to review the vintage version on here ). I have never smelled the earlier incarnation but I feel this current iteration is very lovely indeed. A buoyant, effervescent floral bouquet, sparkling with aldehydes, settling onto a creamy sandalwood/musk base. More ethereal and less soapy than Quelques Fleurs. Crisp, clean, floral, unisex. I like it very much.
dante4 – :
Sortilege is not a 2014 perfume it is a much much earlier scent. When I was a kid my father gave me a miniature of Sortilege. It is a by the numbers high street 20/30s aroma of aldehydes and civet with a bit of sandalwood to make it a bit better.In the 20/30s this was the way to go: make the perfume as exotic as the house could (civet/sandalwood) and as artificial as possible (aldehydes).They were loud/”heavy” scents that were mainly sold as eau de cologne. In these pre-transatlantic flights world, this was as far as you could go, travelling by scent. When I think how many civets were killed , how many sandal trees felled so mediocre perfumes like this one existed, I could cry.
Scorpionad – :
If was very lucky to become the recipent of a perfectly preserved set of vintage Sortilege by Galion, both Parfum de Toilette, and extract, courtesy of my SO. At first sniff, I was not impressed, as I struggle with powdery fragrances and aldehydes in general. I waited, and tested it over & over again, because I was determined to find something appealing in what I then perceived as a “powdery mess”. My diligence was rewarded after about the fourth test, when I dared to use the extract. A gentle, polished, honeyed aroma greeted my nose, as the softly powdery aldehydes behan to burn off, revealing lilac, iris I believe, a bit of a slight green grassy scent, and hyacinth. Sortilege has a dense floral heart, there may be some ylang ylang creating rich buttery effects as well. The standout feature for me is deep, honeyed civet! Civet not found in many current releases, and gorgeous creamy sandalwood. This is the real deal! The famed civet & sandalwood of years past, it is truly authentic, and honest in its unabashed showcase of them both. Sortilege to me is ladylike, mannered, polished. She is immaculately coiffed, in cashmere and pearls. Not flamboyant, not pushing sexuality, but confident in her presence, which is bewitching in feminine grace. It speaks to me as something Audrey might have worn, or Grace. Feminine and sweet, it’s the perfume of gloved hands, of fur collars, and warm embraces. A thing of the past, which modern releases can only hope to imitate. Sortilege was released about the same time as No 5, but this lady is less brash, more composed. For lovers of perfumes past, powdery florals, and sweet, sweet civet, do yourself a favor and find a bottle of the vintage formula on the Bay. This gorgeous composition, has nothing to do with the fragrance listed here, which is a modern reinterpretation. Do you want to smell old world elegance and grace? Sniff some Sortilege!
utkinot8 – :
My review is for the vintage Le Galion Sortilege. I have not tried the 2014 version but a glance at the notes makes it seem that the name has been given to a completely different fragrance. There’s no way on earth that any modern fragrance company would try to sell a true re-release of the original at this time in history; floral aldehydics are so not a thing now, and too many of the ingredients are restricted to boot. The hideous Long Lost Perfumes attempt to squeeze some bucks out of the name has it’s own seperate entry, thank goodness. Please don’t think you know Sortilege if that’s the one you’ve tried – it would be unfair.
So on to the vintage Sortilege. I have several bottles of extrait and several more of parfum de toilette. Unlike No 5 and many other fragrances of the time, Sortilege is the same basic scent in both varieties; the perfume is simply stronger and longer lasting. The parfum de toilette is roughly equivalent in strength to most modern parfums. There is no “light” concentration of Sortilege – the “Eau Sortilege” is at least as strong as a modern edt. It’s sadly prone to evaporation if not stored well (especially in parfum concentration) so be very careful if an Ebay seller wants top dollar for a sealed box. If you don’t know the proper weight odds are very high you will get half a bottle or less. I know the full weights of the various sizes of Le Galion parfums and it never ceases to amaze me how many sellers who know perfume are trying very hard (and no doubt succeeding with those who don’t know better) to pass off an empty sealed box as a treasure to be charged double for, always with no returns. It’s an aldehydic, so the top notes can often be off if stored improperly for years – though in my experience even almost entirely evaporated bottles of the parfum will most likely still have quite a lovely scent and more strength than many of todays expensive extraits. If you can find a parfum with minimal evaporation, preferably in an *opened* box so you can see how much is there and know it was probably kept in the box away from the light, it’s the way to go. The parfum de toilettes are generally not much evaporated since they don’t have a glass stopper so that might be a safer bet, though for me the parfum is worth the extra effort to find.
It’s compared by many to Chanel No 5 but the resemblance is really just that they are both aldehydic florals. 40 years from now people will no doubt think Flowerbomb, Coco Mademoiselle, Angel,and La Vie Est Belle are exactly the same, too. Sortilege is much prettier than No 5 to my nose. Lovely is the first word that comes to mind when I wear it. The aldehydes are very strong but not harsh (for one used to aldehydes – to a millenial I’m sure it’s probably pretty weird, but I feel the same way about Iso Super E and ethyl maltol; different generations and all that) and without any of the No 5 citrus. It’s a warmer, gentler and more overtly feminine fragrance than No 5. Jasmine, peach, strawberry, rose, hyacinth, lily of the valley, orange blossom, violet, orris root and probably other florals rest softly and sweetly on a smooth, luscious, animalic and powdery bed of honeyed sandalwood, vetiver, tonka, civet, musk, oppoponax. It’s so well blended, so dynamic – so incredibly complex and yet simply gorgeous. Even my almost anosmic non-perfumista husband who wrinkles his nose a little at most aldehydics always, always says that I smell pretty when I wear this.
jfu071intitytek – :
I don’t have the new one. This review is for the vintage. I have 3 bottles of perfume with glass stoppers and tiny gold foil labels on the side and stopper. I also have a bottle of Eau de Sortilege which I believe is a cologne or toilette. It has 2 paper labels. All seem fresh but one partial perfume that seems to be extra civet-y. I’ll only talk about the good ones.
This is one of my absolute favorite vintage fragrances. It almost “not quite” feels like a powdery floral chypre. Vetiver, moss, orris, narcissus and civet? I don’t note aldehydes specifically but there is a slight fizz. I smell something slightly balsamic and vanillic but not vanilla or Tonka. That’s all I can guess by smelling it on my arm. I’m just starting to be able to pick out individual notes and I could be wrong.
It reminds me of the old Faberge fragrances listed under Brut Parfums Prestige. It start’s out a little like Aphrodisia and the middle is almost identical Flambeau but the end of Sortilege is deferent.
I use it a lot but I want to be carful because who knows when I’ll find more at a good price. My husband sneaks a drop here and there too.
AmaplyPap – :
My mother used to have this and I remembered it as beautiful. I tried the Long Lost Perfume version which stirred no memories at all and was certainly not beautiful. The New Le Galion version was familiar from first scent and took me back. My favourite from the sample box though they are all lovely and different.
nightclavler – :
I´m sure the original must be great, the new edition is a classic floral chypre in the same vein as Miss Dior; floral with a dusty, classic wood/powder base.
Foomealek – :
Liberty’s of London in Regent Street has this new range of Le Galion scents. There are several and all except Sortilege are new to me. I used to buy Sortilege in the late 70’s as a student. It was very affordable. Currently, a bottle of Sortilege is priced at £125 in Liberty against approx. £2-£5 in the 70’s.
The colour is pale now whereas it used to be honey coloured. The scent is less pungent and intense particularly at first, but does dry down to what is recognizably similar to the original – but only similar. However, personally, it was lovely to try it out again and brought back memories of my youth. It was one of my favourites and no doubt I will head to Liberty’s scent department to sample it again.
infiggimbopib – :
The smell is COMPLETELY different from the original. T. Fontaine, here he did what he did with Patou, invented new fragrances, inspired by the past, without original formulas (in many cases) and without identical materials. The new Sortilege contains notes of modern amber and musk, not in the least resemble the classic Sortilege Osmothèque, or in that you can find on Ebay (if well preserved).
It’s a smart commercial operation, and incorrect. I have been in their store and I got out in disgust.
There are many bottles of Sortilege 50s perfectly preserved, sealed and filled. If you try this genuine beauty, you understand my resentment for those who make speculation on popular credulity.
I ask Fragrantica a page for the Original Sortilege of P. Vacher, that is not certainly the one produced in USA, we do not know on what basis of law, by Long Lost Perfume, since 1999.
Эмиль_73 – :
Well, I thought I got burned by buying a vintage bottle. First, it ended up being a splash instead of spray. I was surprised because I hadn’t seen a bottle of this size not spray…..totally my fault. THEN I tried this on my skin. I thought it had turned but after about 10 minutes it started to soften and not be so harsh and chemical. What a lovely scent. Very feminine.
viktorijar – :
Vintage Le Galion Sortilege
I am struggling with this one a bit because the bottle I have has gone off just a tad in the top notes, however, I can tell that this was gorgeous in it’s day. This is a very well done copy of Coty L’Aimant, with a few minor differences. What I love about wearing vintage fragrances is how they can transport you back to a particular time and place. This was created at the time of the great depression, when haute couture was in fashion and it smells like elegance in a bottle. In this perfume, I feel like I should be wearing a silk bias-cut dress with an ostrich overcoat rather than my conservative work dress.
It opens with very sharp aldehydes – sharper than my vintage Chanel No 5 but about the same as vintage Crepe de Chine. I get a gorgeous, indolic jasmine blended with a sparkling ylang-ylang. Ylang ylang is one of my favorite notes and this is the first time I’ve seen it presented in this way. It’s beachy, warm and tropical, such as in Guerlain’s Ylang-Vanille or warm and subdued as in L’Artisan Vanilia, but in Sortilege, with the aldehydes, it’s sparkly, warm, and bright which gives it a vintage feel much like an art-deco jewel encrusted brooch.
Compared to L’Aimant, L’Aimant is a tad more green and crisp while this is more blended and subdued with just a bit more aldehydes. Both are beautiful and have a classic vintage feel.
Nova163 – :
the resurrection of this French brand is the best news of the year. All their perfumes are really beautiful creations, delightfully classic. They compete with Guerlain quality or Rochas. Here in this case it’s very similar to Madame Rochas. Lovely
marto4ek – :
My mother wore this perfume and I loved it. I wore La Rose for awhile. Does anyone know when it’s coming out and how to purchase it?
spander94 – :
Waiting for someone who has actually smelled the new edition of this wonderful fragrance to give a review. Note that they say it is a “new” perfume! ??Different notes? If it is anywhere near the old one will definitely be purchasing.
AnGeL – :
My review is for an old bottle with Le Galion on the label, and judging by the bottle’s design, I am guessing it dates back to the 60’s or 70’s. Sortilege is a lovely soft floral aldehyde. There are a lot of flowers in this mix, but iris is the most prevalent note on me. I can also pick up subtle hints of jasmine and rose, but the notes are all blended seamlessly into a cloud of soft airy florals. I find Sortilege very classic and very lady like, like dried flowers and powder. Classically pretty, rather than daring or unusual. This doesn’t have the massive strength and sillage of some vintage perfumes. It is a much softer whisper of a scent. This dries down with the slightest suggestion of civet. I was surprised at this, but it was very common for scents of the era. I would love a comparison to the new version, which I have never tried.
Drolukserok – :
Oh how wonderful to read that Sortilege is back – I wore this beautiful perfume over 55 years ago when I was young and carefree and loved ballroom dancing. It reminds me of so many happy nights – it was the last thing I put on when I left for the dances – many a comment “you smell lovely” and “what are you wearing” – often wondered if it was still around but haven’t heard anything about it for years. Do hope the new one bears similarities to the original and that we can get it in Australia.
Alexandrarae
jli461Unlogrere – :
Ah! Sortilege! My favorite scent. None can touch it. Of course, I’m speaking of the original – I have not had the pleasure of trying this new version as yet. But my signature scent is on my nightstand, on my vanity, in my bathroom. It’s perfect. When I first discovered it I put it on and I could have sworn the heavens parted and angels sang. Sophisticated. Sexy. Warm. It’s perfect. Just perfect.
bpt713bedyWelty – :
where did you smell that new Sortilege ? Thought this was only vintage
dimkomissaro – :
I LOVE the ORIGINAL SORTILEGE!! THe vintage one is GREAT!
But this new reformulation is only… a poor Ghost of that one…
KloD73 – :
Sortilege by Le Galion is the first perfume I recall from childhood and the genesis of my life-long love affair with fragrance, aldehydic ones in particular..
When I was only 4 or 5 years old my father won a sales contest at work and chose as his prize a 1oz bottle of Sortilege parfum extrait in a fascinating crystal bottle with a glass stopper for my mom. Even though she didn’t care for the fragrance she wore it for special occasions because it was a gift from my father (good advice for anyone who receives a gift of fragrance from a loved one!). While preparing to go out my mom would put her red hair in a french twist and dab that little crystal stopper on her neck and wrists and then would dab some on me, making me feel very special, indeed.
A few years ago I found the very same bottle, still sealed and in the same green and white box, from an auction site and I was instantly swept back 50+ years to my parents’ bedroom, watching my mom open her bureau drawer to take out that that scent of heaven. Without hesitation I hit that “buy it now” button and a week later, for just $40.00 (!!!!) my childhood arrived in my mailbox.
Many bottles of the original are still available on-line but I will surely purchase a bottle of this recreation. I realize my emotional connection to this fragrance means no one will experience it as I do but if you love aldehydes Sortilege belongs in your collection. There’s a honey-sweetness and oakmoss bite that’s very “French” and truly intoxicating. The edt & edp have soft sillage and stay close to the skin but you’ll know it’s there for 8-10 hours. If you splurge on a bit of the extrait you’ll have wider sillage and 12-14 hour longevity. With any concentration I promise you will feel like a queen!
ulia-detka – :
My grand used this, a long lost perfume, so good that is relaunched so can buy it!
Firledis – :
Le Galion is an Old Brand exhumed back. Luckily.
Sortilege was made in 1937 and created by Paul Vacher, the owner of Le Galion and father of Arpège and Miss Dior.
The bottle is lovely: Essential, clean and vintage/classic.