Most of us can remember the delight of being allowed to try on mom's pearls or dab on her red lipstick -- but that was nothing compared to being able to spritz on one of her perfumes.
Tastes have changed over the years, with clean, fresh, fruity scents making more of a splash these days. But there's just something about the heady, strong, sometimes downright overpowering fragrances of yore.
We asked our Facebook followers what old-school perfumes their mothers and grandmothers used to wear that they still fondly remember. Here are 10 iconic perfumes we wish we could get a whiff of more often:
1. Evening in Paris
According to Fragrantica, this scent was first introduced in the 1920s and was discontinued in the late 1960s.
Evening in Paris, or Soir de Paris, includes both fruity (bergamot, apricot and peach) and floral (rose and lily of the valley) notes, with a base consisting of amber, sandalwood, musk and vanilla.
2. Chanel No. 5
The decades-old perfume is as well-known as the woman who made it famous. Marilyn Monroe was once asked in a now-iconic interview, what she wore to bed. Her response? Chanel No. 5.
"My mother loved Chanel No. 5, it smells like Dial Gold Soap," our reader Cheryl Dunn said.
The scent contains notes of rose, jasmine, citrus and vanilla which -- according to Chanel -- give it an "incredibly sensual trail."
3. White Shoulders
This classic perfume was reportedly launched in the 1940s by Evyan, according to FragranceX.
It's a mostly floral scent, with notes of gardenia, lilac and jasmine, and also touches of amber and musk.
4. Chantilly
Chantilly was created in 1941 by perfume house Houbigant.
"We couldn't afford the fancier stuff," reader Mariann Cadmus said of the popular perfume. It's still sold by Dana Beauty today, indeed, at a more affordable price point.
The scent is supposed to have an air of "romance and mystery," according to Dana Beauty and contains exotic and spicy notes including rose damask, patchouli and jasmine.
5. Shalimar
Created by perfume house Guerlain in 1925, the first oriental fragrance was inspired by the Gardens of Shalimar, which the Indian emperor Shah Jahan built for his wife. The scent is still sold today by Guerlain.
The potent fragrance contains notes of bergamot, rose, jasmine and tonka bean.
6. Youth Dew
This Estée Lauder classic has been around since the '50s with Lauder herself saying "Women still like to feel beautiful, pampered and loved, And that is what Youth-Dew is all about." It now comes in two different bottles -- a more modern design and a version based on the original packaging.
It contains notes like patchouli, lavender and rose.
7. Charlie
The ultimate '70s fragrance, Charlie was formulated by Revlon in 1973. The cosmetics company created the scent to appeal to the "young, working woman" and it became the top-selling fragrance worldwide soon after it hit the market. By 1977, it had raked in over $1 billion in sales for Revlon.
The fragrance contains notes of hyacinth, gardenia, violet and musk and is still being sold today.
8. Arpège
This classic scent was reportedly created in 1927 by Jeanne Lanvin, to mark her daughter's 30th birthday.
It contains notes of neroli, ylang ylang, vanilla and sandalwood.
9. Tabu
Tabu has reportedly been around since the 1930s and is still made today by Dana Beauty.
It includes notes of oak moss, amber and lemon oil.
10. Opium
With a scandalous name, the fragrance reportedly caused a stir when it was launched in 1977. Some countries banned the scent, but the controversy only raised its profile and popularity. It's still a best-selling fragrance today and Yves Saint Laurent has even launched another version of it called Black Opium.
It has notes of mandarin, myrrh and amber.
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