Tosca Maurer & Wirtz for women

I go to a Muslim-owned business that sells both modern and vintage fragrances. They don't keep them in a cool climate controlled place like they do at Macy's but once I buy the vintage fragrance I put it in a cooler behind glass space at my air conditioned home. I bought this one when it called out to me in a big white tall glass bottle. Tosca was released at the same time and year as Chanel No. 5 - 1921 - by German brand Maurer & Wirtz who let's face it no one ever heard of. So this scent was overshadowed by Chanel 5 and became an obscure perfume that as most cases do, end up becoming a drugstore cheapie. So yeah this is an affordable scent at under 40 bucks. But the aroma is ultra luxury if you go by the standards of '21. I like to 'live in the past' with my vintage fragrances when I wear them so I don't look at them or smell them with modern eyes and nose. To me this is like entering a beautiful white mansion, the walls inside and outside are white, marble floors, long staircases, tables with vases of only white flowers. There is minimal furniture - sofa in white, white linen tablecloths, white bed sheets, covers and pillows and white marble bathroom with a big white circular bath tub. This is actually closer to smelling like Chanel No. 22 and not No. 5 despite people saying it's very No. 5. To my nose it's No. 22 but 'cheaply priced'. Opens with the aldehydes which were beginning to revolutionize the fragrance industry as the 1920's began. Fresh and cold aldehydes. So if you know what aldehydes feel like in a spray and you like that this is for you. Aldehydes aldehydes aldehydes. When you put your noe to the top of the spray it comes off as cold. When you spray it's fresh and bathy like soap and or fresh after shower smell. Then you may detect a white citrus and orange blossom. Definitely a melange of citruses like bergamot orange and lemon but mostly a white orange blossom note at the top. As the citrus top begins to wear off, the ylang ylang makes a brief cameo and then you come to the real heart of the fragrance: the white flowers. I'm smelling jasmines, white roses and iris; listed here on Fragrantic as orris root. The iris gives the scent a very powdery vibe. It is soapy and powdery like a kind of luxurious high end bath product. The white floral heart of jasmine, little powdery rose and iris are very similar to the white floral heart of Chanel 22. Then you get vanilla but it's not in the gourmand vanilla we get today in modern fragrances. It is a base of vanilla that makes it smooth and sweet to heighten and prolong the florals. There is amber and white musk. The musk is not heavy but it is there in the form of a recreated civet note but it is not real civet or terribly musky/dirty. It's clean soft musk. The perfume fills your head. It lasts well over 4 hours if you spray a lot and smells great in the air and soothing like right before bed to spray on yourself the air or your bed sheets. I put this on after a shower and before bed or before going out. Because this perfume is so uncommon no one will recognize it if you wear it and you will become even more interesting a person. This is a vintage rarity and a beauty. I love it very much. Great for any season winter spring summer or fall. Casual and clean, not dressy-formal, just for any purpose like going shopping, going to church, going to pick up kids at school, going to work at the office, going to bed. It's a daily perfume to wear to smell good and clean. I am so glad I found this treasure.

A yesteryear fragrance, yes, similar to Chanel No.5. But it reminds me even more of the original Zest soap from my childhood. I also have a smaller vintage bottle that is straight up citrus, nothing like this newer blue bottle.

Tonight I got a distinct civet note at the top, not the bottom. Lasted about 5 minutes until the white flowers and citrus blending with the aldehydes, pushed the civet down. EDT bottle is 1 years old and half empty. Gee I love Tosca. I usually wear the cologne or EDP, not the EDT.

carolyn.parker - we have EDP in Europe. Hard to find in shops but easy to find online.

This is a 2 euro gem! I am not kidding. It is very rich, lots of flowers, incense, spices- typical 90's scent. To me it smells like a mix of Jil Sander no 4 and Gabriela Sabatini in the dark blue/purpleish packaging. Staying power is excellent, as well as sillage.

I'm familiar with Tosca, the well established German cheapie fragrance, but I don't like it. T. is probably best known as an inexpensive gift item in sets with soap etc. But I had not smelled Tosca in decades, so I ordered some from Ebay. A bit leaked in the package, but it's no big loss.
It reminds me of Windsong, another cheapie. Tosca isn't as sour as WS, but it's very aldehydy. Maybe it's the orris root, which I dislike in any way, shape or form. I can't make out sandalwood or anything else.
Somehow this fragrance reminds me of Chanel No. 5, which I also dislike. Some reviewers mention a similarity to Shalimar (also not a favorite), but I don't get that.
Tosca isn't bad, but it isn't great. It's a vintage from a time when perfumes were understated rather than big and bold. T. has a demure elegance about it but don't underestimate this perfume. It's remarkably long lasting, with moderate sillage.

fresh original Shalimar without the patchouli

in the family of Shalimar; citrus, vanilla, musk/civet and some odd sour note

Maurer & Wirtz Tosca

Eau De Toilette Glass Spray Bottle

Oh my goodness! This is such a lovely underrated even obscure fragrance of heavenly beauty!

Thank You Fragrantica!

I would especially like to thank reviewers Lucia Lawson & Gigi the Fashionista whose deep insight and knowledge about this fragrance was particularly helpful in my search for a vintage aldehyde fragrance from around the same time as Chanel No. 5 that didn't smell like No. 5. I went on eBay and found a small glass spray bottle of the Eau de Toilette. I don't see any Eau de Parfum version available. There might be some out there but this is all I could find. First of all, let me start by saying, this is a very lovely fragrance. If you are a fan of vintage aldehydes, florals, and vanilla scents, this is remarkably good. I was so pleased with the performance of this perfume, despite it being linear and simple skin freshner. Like an EDT, it's a lighter concentration and doesn't last long but smells great while it's on you and it's suited to day wear, morning wear, something to put on with your fresh after a shower skin. A pick-me-up scent to get you through your day.

I agree with those reviewers who have said that despite the theatrical or operatic name Tosca, which is an Italian opera by Puccini, this is neither glamorous or dramatic. It's not formal enough to wear as an evening perfume. It's a scent that reminds me of boudoir dresser table talc powder, smelling of vanilla flower, white florals, and roses. It's an aldehyde floral but the aldehydes aren't that strong. It has a fresh citrus as it starts, a bergamot orange that quickly embraces ylang ylang and orange blossom or a mimosa. It's yellow tart sweet citrus turns into a jasmine and rose combination that is very pretty. It's quite powdery as well. Like I said, it just smells like a simple talcum body powder, the kind that was popular in the 20's and 30's in the dressing rooms of Hollywood movie stars like Jeanne Harlow or Vivien Leigh. Quite old school, mature, but gorgeous.

The florals are my favorite part of the scent. I was certain there was more going on here as I could detect enough white flowers to make it into a soapy white floral fragrance. It has the feeling of being both spicy and soapy. Never before have I come across something like this. The spices are coming from notes like the cloves. I love cloves and it's very detectable here. There's ambers and vetiver benzoin and vanilla. It all seems to boil down to vanilla. I don't get any musky civet from this. It's vanilla over amber. The spiciness and powdery quality is enough to project so that if you spray liberally, the fumes become too much. It's the kind of perfume you need to apply with only one two spritz on the sides of your neck and that's it. Matches up with white blouses the kind that button up. Conservative, clean, a suit, a white dress, plain vanilla but with a hint, like a wink or a nod to an undertone of spice and sex.

Smells like....white bar of soap, vanilla, root beer.

It's easy to wear if you are used to the notes that you see here: aldehydes, florals, amber, cloves, vanilla. This is comparable to fragrances like Chanel No 5, Chanel No. 22, and perhaps Lanvin's Arpege L'Air du Temps by Nina Ricci. I don't like to say that this is a No. 5 clone, but it smells most like No. 5 only with a lot less of that civet or musk animal note. This is more about the powder and vanilla, as well as the soapy aldehydes and florals. It's quite feminine, never unisex, and clean, sweet, powdery, and makes me feel so good.

Again thank you Fragrantica

Questo Il Bacio Di Tosca!

The Puccini operatic heroine is my all time favorite and it's a role that I have performed on stage. Floria Tosca. Beautiful, passionate, the Italian diva who lived for art and love. While this scent is not evocative of her personality at all, it's still a very good perfume.

Maurer & Wirtz created this fragrance. They are better known for 4711 Eau de Cologne, with those refreshing summer citrus notes. Tosca was released around 1921 at the same time as Chanel No. 5 when aldehydes in fragrances were a bold innovation.

while I can compare this scent to No. 5, I think of this as being rather like No. 5 without the musk. There is supposed to be a civet note but for the life of me I can't detect any civet, or any leather, musk or animalic accord. So for me this is a pleasant aldehyde floral with a powdery dry down of vanilla.

The aldehydes are fresh and joined by invigorating notes of citrus: bergamot orange and lemon. The lemon and orange are on the unisex side for they smell like astringent men's aftershave. However it's soft and very much like an eau de toilette to spritz on after a shower. For years I wore this after my shower when I was a student myself and couldn't wear strong perfume in the morning.

It's a morning citrus scent.

The powdery florals are sweet with pink roses and white jasmines, and yellow floral ylang ylang. These are the same florals as No. 5. In addition there is iris and orris root. The powder notes are very pretty. It's feminine when it reaches this stage, the flowers and the powder.

These notes make me visualize the dressing room or boudoir of Tosca, or an opera singer, with bouquets of roses from admirers (and her lover Mario) and some caskets of talcum powder. It's something straight out of the 19th century. I close my eyes and can almost see that dressing room! It's so feminine and pink, the wallpaper is striped in pink, the powder puff is pink and the roses are pink.

The dry down is pure vanilla on me and perhaps a benzoin. It's a creamy base with cream of amber, and a light sandalwood or woodsy note. There is no civet.

This such a beautiful fragrance and I'm overjoyed to be wearing it again.

The fragrance (with the same formula from 1921) can be purchased on ebay and online sites and from the Maurer & Wirtz site. For those of you who have never experienced this perfume, and you like vintages and aldehyde florals, this should be of interest to you.

I had stopped wearing it for a number of years. For me this was not a mature scent. This was the perfume of my youth. I wore it in the early 50's when I was a University student and developing my soprano voice.

This perfume is sweet and powdery, citrusy and floral. It doesn't make a statement and it's subtle and fresh. Like I said it's unisex as it's a citrus and after shower toilet water. Even with the powdery florals, you still feel like it's a scent for anyone who enjoys fresh summer scents.

Beautiful & highly recommended.

"Tosca you make me forget God"

I have the eau de parfum and one of my first reviews was for another Tosca Fragrance. This is the Tosca created by the German Fragrance Line Maurer & Wirtz in 1921. The eau de parfum is extremely rare. The original formula sells as a cologne splash cologne spray or eau de toilette spray. This is beautiful. It's simple, elegant, classy and warm. I find it suited to winter time and for formal wear but it can also serve as a day time fragrance. This is really more of any day any place fragrance. I've used up my bottle and will be getting a new one very soon.

Notes In Maurer & Wirtz Tosca

Head Note: Aldehydes Orange Blossom Bergamot Lemon

Heart Note: Cloves Orris Root Jasmine Ylang-ylang Rose

Base Notes: Sandalwood Amber Musk Benzoin Civet Vanilla Vetiver

The aldehyde opening is a warm aldehyde not cold or harsh. I find it very soft. Then I got orange blossom and bergamot. It opens up with a warm summer orange scent. Then you get to the heart which is floral, but all I could detect was ylangylang so I'm guessing that's the one note that is dominant and they must have used heavy ylangylang. It gives it even more warmth because the aldehydes really never go away and serve as a sort of warm wine spilled onto the flowers. When the fragrance dries down it feels like luxurious soap. I believe that's the effect of the amber which is very strong and envelopes the fragrance with even more warmth! This is probably the warmest fragrance I have it almost feels like honey. I could not get any vanilla or civet. If there is civet in this frag it's not a big player. Vanilla was never a note used in 1921 fragrances so it's probably foun in the reformulations. I have a vintage eau de parfum and it has no vanilla. It seems to be mostly an aldehyde floral with amber base. It's beautiful. It's classy and clean, soapy, warm, and feminine. I don't see how this can be unisex and worn by men unless the men are equating the opening aldehydes and citrus notes with men's colognes. Men and women's fragrances both usually contain citrus notes. Fruit is always in the opening notes. I am looking to find rarer fragrances with less fruit. But this never feels that fruity. It's a warm alcohol on my skin like a lover has poured warm honeyed wine over my skin and we're in bed about to make love. It's sexy but in a very sophisticated way. I can see why they called it Tosca. This wears more like an Italian fragrance and she is the heroine of Puccini's tragic opera Tosca, the opera singer who loves a revolutionary artist Mario Cavaradossi and is the object of lust by the Baron Scarpia. If she smelled anything like this fragrance, I can see why both men wanted her! I'm in Heaven discovering vintage old classic fragrances. I wear them for variety as I also wear a lot of modern ones. Tosca is a long lost beauty that I wish could get more credit. It's not a Fracas, Emeraude or Shalimar and you cant really call it a chypre despite it's sandalwood. This wears more like an aldehyde floral which in 1921 was an innovation in fragrances. Beautiful. Please give this one a try if you're a vintage perfume collector. This smells like an elegant 1920's woman that went to the opera or put this fragrance on at home for her husband (or lover) to smell on her lingerie or nude flesh. Yummy.

Today I tried Toska and the first thing that came to my mind was Madame Rochas! It's a great substitude for those classy vintage, but Toska is less potent. It starts with a blast of aldehydes, bergamot and chivet, which makes it masculine, but after awhile it becomes so soft and even sweet. I don't find it old-fashioned, it's a nice perfume and I may buy it for winter.

This review is for the vintage parfum - I don't know other versions.
The initial opening is extremely sharp and bitter to my nose. The last thing I would have expected from this shock was the metamorphosis into a gentle, elegant powdery-flowery beauty! It settles sweet and classy - not femme fatale like Habanita, but I agree that there are similarities. Vtg. Tosca is not dramatic, makes me think of one of those women with impeccable style - never a loose thread from the ivory suit, never a single stain on her shoes or the matching purse. It's an incredible polite fragrance, yet you're curious to find out what lays behind all this polite elegance. There's something surprising and exciting there.
Love it. Thanks to passionata20 for the swap :)

Special thanks to all reviewers of Tosca ! When judyk stated that Tosca is like Habanita without the leather note, I knew I had to have Tosca !

YES ! The current Tosca EDT is very much like Molinard's Habanita, powdery, floral, strong, but without Habanita's leather note.

I don't notice much lemon and bergamot, as they remain far in the background, but are just enough to keep Tosca from being too heavy. Civet note is strong with the first sprays, but quickly settles WAY down as Tosca drys. Florals here are rich, lush, wrapped in amber, with spicy cloves and orris to keep florals from being too sweet. VERY classy fragrance !

Tosca has great projection and longevity, easily lasting more than 12 hours. Sits closer to skin after the first hour, still creating a soft, powdery, noticeable feminine cloud around you.

YES ! Very well blended, Tosca is great for layering, AND it's totally beautiful by itself. Tosca isn't expensive, but it doesn't smell cheap. Great to wear any time of year, day or night. Highly recommended !

My first attempt at layering, almost accidental, was down to Tosca - and it was a first-rate success!

I have a parfum mini, still very light despite being parfum, so I'd applied a fair bit to my wrists, etc before venturing out shopping. While in the chemist (pharmacy for those of you across the pond ;-)) I spotted a Miss Dior tester. I sprayed a bit on the back of my hand... Disappointing. All I got was talcum powder.

To make up for it I flipped my hand over to sniff at the Tosca, which I find a very nice scent but too faint, and got a whiff of the two together. Wonderful! So I applied a bit more Tosca on top of the MD - Tosca's earthy base notes added some much needed depth to the MD and the MD added body and staying power to the Tosca.

Dime store meets Christian Dior - who would have thought it? Now I'll be looking at *all* of my less that perfect perfumes with an eye to finding their soul mates.

ETA Tosca reminds me of Habanita without the leather.

Tosca was not what I expected at all. I was in need of perfume and my boss had been bidding on unopened containers at an auction and in one of the crates was a bottle of the perfume, cologne, and eau de toilette spray as well as 3 bottles of the shower creme. Well, I was not really impressed with the packaging it was just so dimestore ordinary and I like pretty bottles for my dressing table, however; I got my attitude handed to me on a plate when I sprayed some the EDT on me. OMG! I was in love! It was warm and sensual and feminine and dang me if I didn't meet the love of my life 2 nights later while wearing it at a party!

I have learned my lesson about judging books by the cover.

I wore this special fragrance in 1970 while I was living in South America and although I haven't smelled it in over 40 years, I was reminded of it yesterday when I tried my new bottle of Cerruti 1881.

So, I went to my favorite website, Fragrantica, and checked it out only to find that Tosca's "who likes this, also likes" list includes Cerruti 1881!!

They are both soft, distinctive and delicate scents that are uplifting yet discreet and not the same old, same old.

This is as dirty and naughty, as it gets. I have a vintage Eau de Cologne and it's weakened, but still - it is dirrrrrrty.

In Germany today only very very old women wear it, I never once smelled it on somebody younger than 70, I suppose. Man, dirty smelling grannies, that's never a nice combination. Outside Germany you might can pull it off, if you are a vintage lover (go for a vintage bottle, they are dirt cheap on ebay. The picture above is not vintage, it's contemporary, you don't want to buy that).

It wouldn't be bad to have a bottle of this around now after so many years of first testing!
I could only find it in Germany on many perfume stores shelves together with 4711 Kolnish Wasser. I found it quite a simple fragrance yet pleasant, soft floral with powdery drydown, not expensive and long lasting. Nice!

i admire this parfume!!! i love this. long lasting

We used to love it, my mother, my sister and myself. It was the only perfume that fitted perfectly to our skins so there was a period that our house smelled of this scent!!! For me it's memorable and brings me back lots of good memories.

Oh, it's a very nice floral-aldehyde! I got it as a present when I was 15 or so, and of course I could not appreciate it then, but now, as I remember, I would definetely like it. Classy, divine scent!