Norell Norell for women

i wasn't ready for norell when i first purchased a vintage bottle i stumbled upon. i just pulled it out from the back of a cabinet, i put the smallest spritz on. turns out, i'm ready now.

crunchy green take-no-shit elixir. there's strength and wisdom here in this sun-dappled thicket.

i put it on this afternoon and my partner called me Baba Yaga.

Norell might be my favorite.

It makes me feel decadent, protected, glamorous and desiring of a cigarette. It definitely captures a world gone by, but without nostalgia — more like a time machine or a SIM.

The most prominent notes for me are the hyacinth, cinnamon and rose, rotating in way that transfixes. The blend on this is seamlessly harmonious: a world-class orchestra.

I’m back one week after miraculously finding a well preserved original from 1968 to say that this is the most gorgeous chypre to grace God’s green earth. I hear angels singing when I wear it. (No I am not crazy you just need to wear this to hear for yourself) oh my…oh my… it is delectable. Perfect. Truly perfect.

An American beauty. This fragrance will make you want to pin curl your hair and carry around a little compact mirror to apply lipstick in an unconcerned manner. The most dominant chypre that could make any man weak in the knees. There’s nothing else quite like it.

Norell is like walking into a department store circa 1972 with all the popular scents swirling in the air. Worn in abundance, perfumes like this gave perfume a bad name. I had a large bottle some 25 years ago and somehow disposed of it because I never wore it. Too many notes, 28 are listed here. It is neither professional nor sexy, not sure how I could ever wear it. Too much all around

Bought a nearly full vintage bottle of this at an estate sale. It smells expensive and refined, old fashioned. A good alternate if I want something within the realm of White Diamonds but softer and brighter.

I have the body cream and while light in scent I can still detect the density of florals combined with the generous warmth from myrrh.
Catapano is famous for dense feminine perfumes.
Think Youth Dew and Zen Original.

Definitively a Grown Up type scent that is designed to embody the woman that would wear Norell couture which was extremely lush and stylish in it's time.
Autumn/Winter Fragrance.
As far as the body cream itself it's very nice and skin smoothing.

Great bargain for a 6.7 oz. (lovely) jar. at 22 dollars through Fragrancex.

✨

Norell is my latest eBay buy. When I was 18 - 20 I wore Norell, which was given to me by my well-to-do aunt as a high school graduation present. I wish I could say the scent is taking me back, but alas. It still smells fabulous. The bottom of the bottle is labeled Norell Inc, which the lovely reviewer below says was the original formulation, so yay!

This smells like old money to me. Or maybe it's my association with this scent and who wore it that is making me think that way. You see, this was the the signature scent of my godmother. Her apartment was a floor at the Stanhope Hotel, opposite Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum. She wore Chanel suits, tastefully exquisite jewelry, and Norell. I purchased a bottle of the vintage cologne and with just one spray was transported back in time. Sophisticated, worldly, classy, refined, elegant; that was my godmother to a T and exactly what this captivating fragrance exudes. It's very complex. As complex as she was. A beautiful chypre with strong dynamic florals and an Oriental backbone. It's said this fragrance shook the world of French perfumery when it was released. Of that I have no doubt. A fragrance with this level of complexity could certainly go toe to toe against anything created in France. Considering the popularity of this fragrance, even in that country, I'm sure French people at that time would agree.

After not having smelled this for over 30 years, smelling it again flooded me with memories of the lovely lady who was a second mother to me. Though she is long gone, I still have all those wonderful memories, and now something that will bring back those memories in even sharper relief. That makes this little bottle worth its weight in gold.

One thing I want to say about the versions that are available. I wanted to get the exact version that my godmother wore. I know it was the first. Something that impossibly rich couldn't possibly be anything else. While doing my research I learned that this was manufactured 4 times, as follows in this order:
Norell Perfumes Inc
Norell Prestige Perfumes
Norell Five Star Fragrances
Norell Norell Parfums New York

I've only smelled the original formula, Norell Perfumes Inc., so I can't speak about or recommend the others. But I do recommend the original Norell, especially if you want to experience something uniquely beautiful that will make you feel, and smell, like a million bucks too.

I remember getting this perfume as a set one Christmas... it soon became my signature scent and I wore it all the time. I was devastated when they stopped making it and I have yet to find something that comes close.

When capital "P" Perfumes went out of style, a lot of us felt lost. Reformulations had gutted our old favorites (if they were still around), and many just disappeared from shelves altogether.

Vintage Norell is not a beast. She is a Perfume. In my humble opinion, a perfume of this complexity does best in dab form, and that is how I wear her. Others have stated her notes and development better than I ever could. What I can say, though, is that my vintage dab bottle is an experience, not just a smell.

Side note: I bought this at an estate sale from a woman who was reeking of Light Blue, thinking, I am sure, that she smelled fresh and clean, and happy to unload this old dinosaur. If only she knew!

I remember I did a blind buy of this fragrance about ten years ago or so, it came with the body wash & lotion. I remember purchasing it because it was/still is very affordable & I said wth not?

When I first smelled this, it definitely is a vintage type fragrance if I could use that term ever so loosey... I knew from the first spray that this would not be for me as it is too floral with carnation & gardenia taking over & those are two florals that I detest so I put it up & never touch it again until about a few weeks ago.

A lovely fragrance friend of mine who lives out in the bay area in Cali loves vintage style frags so I gathered up a nice package with some samples & sent her the set, she was thrilled with this fragrance as she loves it. I am glad someone will get good use out of it & will actually enjoy it because I knew I was not.

I will give this fragrance credit for having good projection & longevity especially given the price point. I do enjoy my vintage types of fragrances, but this is a big thumbs down for me!

A beautifully spicy green floral, I would say it resembles the original Charlie in some ways except for the spice. Some time after it first came out it was reformulated, but thankfully was then reformulated again in 1997 back to the original 1968 formula; the bottle I have is from '97 and smells like the vintage I remember from way back. Faye Dunaway was brought on as the spokesperson for the perfume. It's one that I collect more than wear, I wish the green would hang around longer before it sweetens up to the extent it does with the florals and vanilla, but it's fun to wear now and then when I'm thinking of that era.

Norell is a fragrance created for women but it could just as easily worn by men. There's nothing particularly feminine about Norell, it's rather herbal in a very unisex way.

Green and woody, I don't get anything sweet or strongly floral from Norell. It's a well blended, almost elegant scent, and certainly not cheap smelling.

Norell reminds me of other 70's scents like Aliage. Not quite as masculine as Aliage, Norell is wearable, but it'll take me a while to warm up to it.

Wohooo... The perfect chypre!

I can't believe how perfect this fragrances is, just right on the spot! that sharp chypre, citruc, and white floral. I can smell some superb animalic notes but the dominant are the narcissus, galbanum, and the oakmoss beside the musky carnations.

Superbly addictive and indulging my senses! damn how perfect this fragrance is!

BTW, is this "Faye Dunaway" on the ad!!

I felt strongly the blue hyacinth by the spray colon of Norrell Ⅰ. It's a little wild and intelligent. I felt apricot and peony, so adorable that I thought that the contents are really Norell II. A very gentle sweet scent smelled a little lipstick a little. Both of them are fascinated by me. I think that it is Norell Ⅰ of I that goes well in February of Japan.

I am wearing this lovely Vintage today. There is a green powdery feel to this with the depth many classic vintage perfumes have. Along the lines of Chanel No 5 but with a touch of Fiji. It is elegant and a privilege to wear a fine example of historical perfume. And one I will turn to periodically, but not hurry to source another, as this one doesn't bring a longing to me to wear and wear again.

Edit: So I was wearing Norell Cologne (a very vintage bottle) all day yesterday. I was cooking dinner and my teenage son came in and said, "It smells like grandma in here". I twigged it was the Norell and I offered my wrist. "Yes, that's the smell". My mother is dead and she didn't wear Norell, but did wear vintage Rochas Femme in his vicinity and other perfumes of a bygone age. I do NOT want to smell like my mother, although Femme I do wear as I've also worn it since my teens on and off. I just gave my husband a whiff of it today and he likes it. So I might not give up on it just yet!

I am wearing Norell, a gift from a younger friend in the 1990s. I was in the 30s when I received it. I remember it from the advertisements in Glamour Magazine in 1970. Billed as The First Great Perfume Born in America.
Today I won an Ebay auction for an almost empty tube of gold Norell lipstick from the estate of Lita Baron, a Spanish born beauty, singer and dancer, who played Ricky Ricardo's dance partner. She also was in movies and some of the earliest TV jungle films and westerns. The lipstick is a grooved square gold tube with an N in the middle. I am trying to place the year. It came in a velvet pouch with a matching vial of Norell fragrance. The tube is aged. Ms. Baron died in 2016 at 92 years of age. If anyone remembers when this product first came out I would love to know!

I wanted to make space because I have to much stock. I mean too much perfume. Some I almost never wear like Norell. This morning, I try it again thinking it was maybe my last sniff. Oh no it will not. I just rediscover this beauty. A green floral woody perfume done by Josephine Catapano, the creator of Fidji one of my first perfume love affaire. It's a keeper, especially when I saw the very expensive price on ebay of the vintage version since the lunching of the new version.

This my recollection rather than a review. Norell by Norell utterly transported me with its burst of florist-fresh air. I ADORED it, but as a Junior in college, in 1971, couldn't afford it. Not to be denied, I walked to Saks from my university, and no matter the weather or season, I wore a sweater under a coat, carrying a sweater in a shopping bag. Upon arrival, I beelined for the perfume counter, liberally and heavily sprayed both sweaters, promptly closing both jacket & shopping bag nearly hermetically containing the fragrance. Returning to my dorm, I shoved one sweater in my underwear drawer and another with my other sweaters. I imagined the fragrance trailed lightly about me for weeks until I could meet my paramour and tryst again.

Fragrance Review For Norell

Norell

Top Notes

Lavender Mandarin Orange Galbanum, Hiacynth Bergamot Narcissus Lemon

Middle Notes

Mimosa Coriander Carnation Iris Gardenia Orchid Arum lily Cinnamon Jasmine Ylang-ylang Rose Cardamom

Base Notes

Sandalwood Amber Musk Vanilla Oak Moss Vetiver Myrrh Cedar Wood

Norell (1968) by Josephine Catapano

My mother had this fragrance in her dresser table at her old Long Island family home. This is still in her collection but she says it might have been reformulated because it doesn't smell the same to her as it did back in 1968 and 1970 when she first wore it. She tells me over a cup of tea everything she lived through in the 60's which fascinates me. That is my favorite era in American history. She told me about the way she wore her hair in updos and beehive domes and hair like the Ronettes wore them "Hairspray" hair! She tells me of the way people dressed and behaved in public, how smoking and the cigar scent was everywhere including in the grocery stores. She recalls the Bay of Pigs invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, race riots, the Civil Rights movement, LBJ, MLK JFK and RFK. For her this fragrance is the 60's in a bottle. Josephine Catapano the nose who formulated this perfume is also the nose who created 2 other vintage beauties I love to wear: Zen by Shiseido and Fidji by Guy Laroche. This is a very beautiful floral fragrance in the style of those other 2 perfumes although nothing like them that is not a dupe for either of them. A fresh green citrusy and soapy floral woodsy perfume of mature elegance, sophistication, lady like ways and tranquility. It gives me the same kind of relaxed clean coming out of a bath scent. I can't compare it too much to other vintages but if I had to drop some names as far as the category and essence this is in the same group as White Shoulders Evyan Chamade Guerlain Charlie Revlon and to a degree similar to Stetson Coty. If you have worn those type of fragrances, you'll know what I'm talking about. Soapy, clean, fresh, floral and powdery very conservative and no nonsense. It was probably worn by Lady Bird Johnson. It's also pretty modest and unassuming, straight forward and mature.

Norell opens with bergamot orange mandarin and a lemon that is rather sharp and a tad sour. The fruitiness does not last long and it goes from citrus to florals fairly quickly. A lavender is present in the opening that comes and goes before it embraces the flowers that make up this perfume. A carnation scent is what I detect most in the performance of the heart notes, but the mimosa and ylang ylang are also present. So this is a kind of carnation and rose reddish flower with yellow floral notes and white floral notes. The white flowers that stand out are the Arum lily the gardenia and the narcissus. For a while the narcissus is the dominant note and it is very soapy, like a kind of flower power scent. It makes me visualize flower print minis worn by young fashionable hippies in Haight Ashbury San Francisco. This is a soapy fresh and sudsy perfume. It smells very leisurely and laidback. It has a dash of spice in it too but it is never too smoky or sultry. There's ginger for sure. Cardamom ginger. There might be some cloves that are not listed but there is definitely coriander. Spicy floral and soapy floral at the same time. The myrrh seems to only lift up the florals and give them some support.

AS the perfume dries it turns into a very lovely soap and a skin scent, like your own natural fresh skin smelling of this perfume with a drier woodsy undertone. The cedar wood is the big note in the dry down. Very woodsy and yet feminine. Though there is a detectable musk, it's always feminine. This is not a unisex. The florals are rather lady like. The scent of musk is not too powerful. Finally my nose sensed a greenish note of vetiver a warm resinous amber and sandalwood. Not enough of it to make it even slightly Oriental. The floral note of iris from the heart comes around full circle and the whole thing turns powdery.

Norell is a casual day wear perfume. She matches up with white blouses, dress shirts, long sleeves, buttons, and conservative neutral colors. Nothing about this is glamorous or attention grabbing. She is mature in today's world of youthful gourmands and fruity florals. She takes herself seriously. This is a great perfume to wear in job interviews and to work in an office. My mother wore it when she was ages 18 through 22 and said it was a very lucky perfume. She got the jobs she wanted every time she wore it. She is also very attached to it and continues to wear it. I am very enchanted by it as a vintage and will wear it from time to time. I love the flowers and the vanilla note that creeps its way into the base although it's more about the woodsy note of cedar. This is a gorgeous floral for the lady who loves her flowers and her perfume to smell of flowers.

This smells like spicy floral soap. Carnations are sharp and there's something else with carnations that makes it heady.To put it politely, makes me smell ancient.

VERY complex and BEAUTIFUL. One of a kind. A keeper in my book.

I really wanted to love Norell but it just doesn't work for me. I tried the vintage perfume, circa 1970. Love the bottle but can't get enthused about what's inside despite the fact that I love pretty much all of the stuff that makes up Norell.

I smiled when I saw RobBob's review here because I remember seeing Norell in "The Eyes of Laura Mars" too!!! And, to me at the ripe old age of 17, and just having started to wear Norell, I thought that was so awesome! I LOVE Norell and have for almost 40 years. When I was in high school, my favorite Biology teacher; Mrs. Sunny Denes, wore Norell, and I always complimented her on her perfume and asked her a million questions about it. I was lucky enough my Junior year to be an aide to her biology classes and as thank you at the end of the year, she gave me the most wonderful present - my very first bottle of Norell!!! I was so touched and thrilled - it meant the world to me - there was no way that my family or I could have afforded such a luxury. I still have the empty bottle. I was really sad when I could no longer find Norell at Department stores, then it started to be carried very cheaply at drug stores and then it disappeared here in San Diego, CA entirely. I still can't find it - not even at our higher end stores like Nordstrom...and while I do see it very often on eBay, I'm too suspicious to purchase there again - in 2012 on eBay I bought a bottle of New Sealed In Box Climat by Lancome and it was a total fraud from the Soviet Union and it smelled like hairspray. Sigh...

The first time that I remember seeing Norell perfume was in a movie that Faye Dunaway starred in called "The Eyes of Laura Mars". It's a thriller where Faye plays the titular character who is a photographer. She has prescient visions of who will be bumped off. There is a killer who is after her. So she decides to leave town. She packs a suitcase with clothes and throws a huge bottle of Norell on top. She is being stalked by a killer and STILL she cannot be without her favorite perfume NORELL! I did not know until now that Faye Dunaway was the beautiful advertising face of Norell. So it was also product placement in the movie. Whatever, Norell is a beautiful perfume that is green, metallic and floral at the same time. I love this perfume.

I just got a 1980s ample at a garage sale. I had never smelled it before and one dab and I am in love. Wow this is a beautiful, sophisticated fragrance. I love Chanel 19 and Jean Louis Scherrer for their crispness but this just tops them all in my book. Not over done, some green, floral, woodsy thing that smells divine to my nose. And did I say sophisticated? Wowsa - I will look for more. Even though I dress like an old hippie most of the time I wear perfume for me and no one else. LOVE THIS STUFF.

I love this. Fresh - green - but with cream. PERFECT. ...Peace...

Testing Vintage Mini 71% perhaps 1960´s or 70´s. Some mentioned top notes have maybe faltered, but I get quite an amazing sort of hybrid between a powdery floral aldehyde such as Chanel No 5, but then there is also a green aspect, but a different sort of green, a soft green, almost like a little Cristalle and No 19 were added.

I use three Chanel examples because I want to mean harmony because to me, Norell is very harmonious. I am not a big fan of Chanel No 5, but Norell is a more pleasant cousin I find. It is fresher, still sweet mind you.

I've read so many lovely reviews but sadly this does not work on my dry olive skin neither does Ch 5. Norell was gifted to me in the eighties but I never liked it. Maybe now that I'm older I might have another go and see if I have changed enough to be able to appreciate it... I can only hope.

Norell...WOW. I hoard the vintage stuff whenever I can so I will never be without it! This is my number 2 favorite fragrance, only slightly overshadowed by my signature, Estee. Norell's composition is complex and sophisticated but still warm and dreamy. I am biased because it has some of my top favorite notes: Coriander, Myrrh, and Cardamom. The strong carnation and rose notes are moderately heavy. It can remind me of Tea Rose (which I love), but Tea Rose is linear and has little warmth. The Coriander, Myrrh, and Cinnamon make this fragrance more pleasantly approachable.
The bath oil (which I also occasionally use as perfume) is slightly sweeter and translates the same as the cologne spray, but lasts on my skin until the next shower. The cologne has good longevity too and 2 sprays lasts through the work day. When I wear Norell, it adds to my confidence and assertiveness and definitely ramps up "FIERCENESS" in my persona. LOVE!!!

I know Faye Dunaway was once the face of Norell, and when I wear it, I think of that scene in Mommie Dearest when she's meeting with the board of Pepsi and shouts,
"DON'T F*CK WITH ME, FELLAS!!!!"
---Norell :o)

Hello, All!!
While I do remember seeing the box in my youth (Gen Xer), I never had the opportunity to smell Norell. Was this still popular in the 80's?

I was happily surprised to read Whit’s comments about a new version of “Norell” being sold on the Bergdorf Goodman site. I can only assume this is a new reformulation and not the ghastly Five Star version of this masterpiece. I consider “Norell” as Josephine Catapano’s best creation ever. Even better that “Fidji” or “Youth Dew” (allegedly created by her). I have five vintage bottles of this perfume. On four of them the sticker at the bottom of the bottle states “Dist by Norell Perfums”. Onkly one of them is “Dist by Prestige Perfums”. “Norell” was made by Revlon who sold the license to Prestige. There is no difference between the Norell and the Prestige perfume. However, there is a huge difference between the Prestige and the Five Star version. Also, the original was a Cologne, never an Eau de Toilette or an Eau de Parfum. If you have an Eau de Toilette or Parfum, then it is a reformulation and not the original one. My most beautiful version is the one exclusively sold by Tiffany jewelers. The shape is the same however the color of the bottle is black and gold. It really looks like a Tiffany gem made of ebony and gold. Let’s hope that the new version will do justice to this olfactory masterpiece.

The new Norell has nothing to do with the original. It is now a bland floral of no distinction.

This isn't a review, but I was on Bergdorf Goodman's site and they have the "new" version of Norell. The notes of the new version are as follows:

Top: Galbanum, mandarin, bergamot and pear

Middle: Jasmine, peony, gardenia and orchid

Base: Orris butter, vetiver, sandalwood, vanilla and musk

Anyways, this is just for anyone who is interested in checking it out. I vaguely remember this scent, but I do remember it being fairly potent. I'm sure the new one probably pales in comparison. But, who knows, it might be good.

I have worn nothing but Norell, daily, since I was 16 years old. I was introduced to it by a woman in her twenties purchasing it in the drugstore where I worked. She and her roommate shared a bottle, and it was her turn to buy.
To say it is my signature scent is an understatement. I've used it exclusively at the back of my neck for 30 years, and can actually hear men inhaling when they hug me. I've had so many people stop me to ask me what I am wearing. People whom I know have bought Norell for themselves, but then have noticed that it doesn't smell the same on them as it does me. Thanks, more for me!
I'm heartbroken it's discontinued, but just keep taking chances and buying vintage bottles on EBay. The scent just intensifies with age. So far, only one has been counterfeit, and the seller refunded my payment without question. I wish a perfumer would consider producing it again! I will need it for another 40 years, I'm hoping!

My mom wore Norell back in the 70's and of course, my sister and I did too. It made us feel sophisticated and grown up. Over the years I've seen the reformulated Norell in various places, but this past weekend I found an almost full vintage EDP bottle at an estate sale. I bought it along with a vintage bottles of Mitsouko EDT, L'Heure Bleue EDT, and First parfum. I sprayed each wrist with Norell before leaving the house to run errands. I could not stop smelling my wrists. I adore this stuff! It reminds me of 1000 and to some extent, Chanel No 22.

I have Norell in vintage parfum and vintage edt. I remember a bottle of this sitting on the vanity in my paternal grandmother's bathroom when I was a little girl. Had I smelled this 10 years ago I would have despised it, but a whole lot of perfume experiences in a few short years have helped me aquire a taste for the classics. If you like fresh, fruity florals, stay away from Norell as you'll find the oakmoss/galbanum/narcissus aspects of this too dense and bitter. But those of you who are classic chypre lovers that haven't tried this, you should, as you will not be dissappointed. Coincidentally, I was wearing vintage Chanel No. 19 this week so when I put this on today, I immediately thought of that only to see nightmyst's review just now asking if anyone else noticed the similarites. I wear this now and think of elegant women from the 1960's and 70's wearing crisp pants-suits, which is exactly what my grandmother was. Faye Dunaway was the perfect "face" for this scent.

I've been using Norell as my signature fragrance since I was introduced to it by a best friend, erudite, classy, and a fashionista extraordinaire. That was in Saratoga Springs, the summer of 1978, if I had to make a guess -- and it makes me cringe today, to hear the fragrance described as an "old lady" blend, or "something my mother used to wear," although, truth be told -- I am probably old enough to be your mother!

My question is, as the formulation has changed, vintage is difficult to locate (and costly), is there another recommendation along the lines of, "If you loved Norell ... you'll enjoy _____."

Home with a bottle of Modern Muse by Estee Lauder, this scent chafes my nostrils and must be returned.

How does an ... alright, I'll admit it ... "old lady" find her way around the perfume counter these days? Nothing seems likeable, and nothing close to the fragrance I've loved for so long. Thank you! Temmie

One of my Mom's favorites from late 60's to 70's it truly was fab! I wore hers occasionally in the 80's
The new stuff is not as fragrantly feminine nor is it pretty. Vintage blends only for me!

Miglin's Pheromone was my signature scent in the late 80's and early 90's. I've moved on to a love affair with oakmoss and stronger chypres, a bit more bitterness in scent appeals to me now.. Neroll reminds me of a slightly more floral, greener, less aldehydic Pheromone if that makes any sense. Neroll has enough oakmoss to satisfy my craving while reminding me of my signature Pheromone wear from decades ago. Note to Jake.shouse - Neroll is going for a song on ebay right now. Some of you have mentioned disliking the strength of the fragrance. On my skin it does start out strong but after a while fades to lovely. A forgotten treasure.

The first time I smelled Norrell I was 15 and thought it was too old for me, so I waited until I turned 16 to buy it. Only God Himself knows how many bottles of this I wore or how many people I blew away when I walked into a room. I felt strong and pretty in this perfume and I was in high school. It's the first bottle of perfume I ever bought for myself--again and again and again. Last year I bought a bottle for the sake of nostalgia and discovered it was in no way the same, which was okay. Truthfully, I could't wear it again if I tried. I didn't know it back then, but I smelled of promise and class. Today, at 50, I still feel strong and I still feel pretty. That makes me smile.

The great perfume love of my life! An impossibly elegant show-stopper just like the Norell gowns. The imposter of today is hideous. I feel I shall never inhale the true beauty of Norell again.*sigh*

Vintage. I like this scent very much for acerbic, aromatic greenery with that resounding bitter note it gives me. I like the scent very much for the flowers peeping through the greenery, as they get softer or louder. Narcissi, hyacinths, roses, and jasmine. They smell very natural to me. And those wonderful animalic notes of Norell... I like it. Very much.

Not being a purist about fragrance formulations, last year I bought a bottle of the Norell EDT at TJMaxx. Unlike the reformulations of other well known fragrances, I could find no improvements over the old scent, only very very bad characteristics.

The new EDT opening is so harsh it's almost unbearable and the opening is very long lasting, over an hour. The dry down is not much better. The original was a beloved fragrance of mine back in the 60's and 70's and this new formulation made me question my olfactory memory.

I just had to check my memory so I purchased a bottle of vintage extrait. There indeed was that wonderful fragrance of my past. This led me to purchase a lot of 2 partial bottles of the vintage EDT, one a splash, the other a spray. These were also excellent specimens of the original fragrance. These EDT's have the longevity and sillage of the best of today's extraits.

Loving the Alien wrote the most apt description of this divine scent. I had to laugh at the comment about Norell being suited to outdoor activities. I first encountered Norell on my Lacrosse team opponent during a game in the spring of 1969. Isn't it amazing how often we can recall the first time we smelled a fragrance?

If you are looking to try a vintage fragrance, there is a lot of Norell available at reasonable prices. All of the concentrations have held up well. I've since bought several bottles for friends and they all agree that a vintage bottle of this is a priceless treasure!

The original Norell was a lovely fragrance and I wore it for years in the 60s. Give me the old vintage perfumes; you can NEVER go wrong with them. If I'm not mistaken, the Norell one can buy now has been slightly changed from the old. Seems to have cheaper ingredients. I have a small round Norell container with the sticky gel-like perfume which is at least, 35 to 40 years old. I've kept it in dark spaces and it smells just like it did when new. Much better than the Norell of today. I wear Norell from time to time; takes me back to the 50s and 60s; days of elegance and good manners.
southerngirl

This musky, strong mature scent is a hybrid of Joy and L'air du Temps.

Update: My old bottle still smells fresh, now I notice it to be soapy and clean, like the original Zest soap.

Update: Reminds me of my early teens when I would mix perfumes to smell original. Way too much going on with Norell. But still refined and decent.

(parfum, 1st formulation)

This one is an extremely 60s green floral chypre. It is largely a "clean" scent of the 60s genre: think Estee and Climat.

Norell has a brilliant and lifelike hyacinth opening which is just picture perfect. On fabric and paper this crisp delight lasts a long time. It is so difficult to find a good hyacinth note in perfumes but this one nails it. Shortly afterwards a spicy and intensely waxy carnation comes onto the scene with a big slug of yellow forals, a "soapy" overdose of linalool and a touch of galbanum. There is a lot to admire here - the buttery ylang, the beautiful daffodil, and the smooth spices float like a puff of smoke over the golden chypre base. There are other aromas in here that give a hint of golden fruit.

The whole thing dries down somewhat close to Estee, its strange, musk-laden, golden chypre base being unmistakable to me. It has great longevity and is delightful for sunny mornings. It has a distinct sillage that is both airy and implacable. As such, it would be the perfect scent for daytime outdoor activities which conveniently matches its affinity for picnic weather.

It's very intense, though it doesn't seem that way when you first dab. Apply less at first for a better effect later on.

EDC/Vintage bottle
Yum, this bottle of Norell goes on sharp and green and floral, it is loud and strong, the green has a pleasant bitter screechy texture to it. Once the citruses in the top disappear it becomes a darkish floral, maybe a little spicy--is it the carnations? The top and heart burn off in an hour.
The base is quiet and sweet, even a little soapy. There is a bit of oakmoss, a tinge of sandalwood, and some sweet woody soap. Far into the drydown I detect a note of leather. Lasting power all together for my bottle is 3-4 hours.
Norell makes me sad, because I love bitter green oakmossy perfumes, and they are so out of style it's not funny. If I want to smell fresh and clean I'll take a shower and shampoo my hair, really!

Not bad, reminds we quite a bit of Tendre Poison, but more old-fashioned and not as fruity or clean. This one should bring you back to the 60's, when times were less complex. I had a large bottle that I got for a song, I will have to dig through my various drawers as I am making up a box for the Salvation Army. Not because this is bad, its just boring and non-descript.

LOVE Norell and always will... It's the biggest bang for the buck you will find... It's like walking into an old fashioned garden... The narcissus and carnation are dominant on me... You do not need much and it will last all day. It's a very old school glamorous fragrance... When you think of perfume... THIS is perfume...

A crazy-strong, old-fashioned green chypre with lots of oakmoss in it. The opening will definitely wake you up - piercingly green oakmoss and galbanum, like Givenchy III or a greener Cristalle. However, give it some time, and it will dry down to a smooth, ambery, decadent chypre. If you're a chypre lover, then don't worry about the low price or dated packaging; this stuff is a hidden gem worth trying.

Saw this during the holidays in a two-pack for a song. I couldn't agree more that this smells like an expensive soap. When used sparingly, it is the perfect office scent.

I have a little vintage bottle and now I am hunting a great big vintage bottle! It smells, rich, spicy and makes me want to hug myself! It does have an edge of soap, but I am finding that I can still love something with that if it isn't the leading player.

Doh!! I just received my vintage Norell from eBay. Hmmm. When will I ever learn not to blind buy?! Based on the reviews below I took the plunge and I'm afraid that it's not one I'm mad about - a cross between Chanel #5 and Arpege in my opinion, but slightly fecal. I'm more of an oriental lover, and I should have known that it might not have been my thing. If you love it, enjoy but from me it gets a big fat 'meh'.

I have a fond memory of my mother scooping me up in a hug wearing this when I was little. The smell mixed with the cold rainy smell of the pacific northwest USA on her sage trench coat makes me smile...and wish for just one more hug.

It's loud and I won't wear it, but it is what I'd call classy on the right person (it was on her). I keep the half full bottle to smell every once in a while.

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to find a full 2.5 ounce bottle of this beautiful powerhouse at a Thrift Store (vintage, in its box) for 3 dollars. well, you know I snapped it up and am giving it a wear today. I applied it at 8:30 a.m. and it is now 4:30 p.m. I smells as strong and as good as when I dabbed it on. I was born in the 1960s and Norell nails that vibe. Wear it and you will feel as if you are Doris Day dressed head to toe in vintage no matter who you are and what you are wearing.

Loud!Loud!Loud!!! Holy Smokes this is so loud everybody will know you walked into the room!!!! Its very much like the scents of the 50's, crisp and very loud. I don't think there is such thing as a light spray of this perfume.

Smells like soap, perfumed hairspray, shampoo, air freshener, flea powder, and somehow -- cactus. Complicated yet unsophisticated all at the same time.

BIG mistake! I added two sprays to my usual two or three of Norell. Norell reminds me of " NOEL," thus I was celebrating the season. Never, never has my husband referred to my fragrances with anything but positive comments. He uttered the disrespectful, "uuuugh, smell like an old lady's perfume." I'm waiting for the floral to emerge before I decide to swab some of it off. Happy Holidays, all.

As far back as I can remember my mother wore Norell as her signature and periodically Estee and Bal a Versailles. She was a force of nature, an amazing saleswoman, loved world travel and always dressed a little "over the top". I have a few of her vintage things: angora beaded beret, beaded/spangled evening bags, scarves. Ok, folks this is DECADES later and there is still an echo of Norell where there's a small stain in one purse, a scarf I never wore, but couldn't part with...you get the idea. This chypre has some serious staying power. I had a Mother's Day bottle stashed for her before she passed away. Awhile ago I opened it and sprayed a scarf. It wasn't the same and now I know why...reformulation. It wasn't as "rich" and full, just an echo of the original, a more shallow scent. I love scents with "presence" like Aromatics and Eau de Star, but I can't carry this newer addition, nor the vintage. It smelled gorgeous on my mother, maybe you have to be a Diva, or have been royalty in another life. I curtsey to those who can carry off this forest-vetiver cloud, queen of all you survey :) enjoy and definitely wear some spangles and satin!

I have to say, that I like green, but I am not really a fan of green. Maybe I am biased because of that.

Norell is boring in the bottle. I'm sorry, I am only honest.

:/

I tried NORELL at a perfume counter in a local Drug Store recently. First reaction...no...does not work for me. Not even a possibility. This was the reformulated version, mind you. I was so disappointed!! I would imagine the original smells so much better, based on all the reviews I've read. I love so many of the vintage perfumes and so wanted to love this one. Maybe one day I'll happen upon the vintage version and I will then understand what everyone is raving about. :o)

A haiku for Norell:

Cosmopolitan
An elegant extrovert
Class in a bottle

Being a huge fan of classic old -timer fragrances, I couldn't overlook this cheapie, because it definitely fits within the category.

I had the same reaction from Norell as from L'air du Temps: the first spray made me recoil as it was sharp, pungent and obnoxious. But just like Nina Ricchi it settles into a complex, smooth old-school carnation-dominant floral with huge projection.Maybe a bit sharper than L'air because of galbanum. Together with L'air du Temps, I find Norell more of a comfort scent than something exquisite and statement making. I like to put it on before bedtime and drift off to sleep lulled by the wafts of carnation, cinnamon and daffodil.

Norell turned the perfume worlds attention to NYC. It is as glamorous as the NYC skyline. Indeed, the bottle itself remind me of one of those towers from the 1930s. Its stands as strong and as bold as any.

The composition itself is powerful and pushes the envelope of the chyphe class with lots of spice and powerhouse florals. The oakmoss and vetiver hold everything up quite well. Imagine waking up on a cold April morning and hyacinth and narcissus envelope you!

It is a feminist signature without being overwhelming. Strong, yet refined. One drop of the EDP project far and last for hours. Fortunately, the original formula is still in tact. A must for vintage lovers!

I just got this in the mail, due to the great reviews I read here and being a HUGE fan of anything falling into the chypre family. My go-to is typically scents like Ciara and Aromatics Elixir. Norell did not disappoint. From it's "in your face" opening to the lovely drydown, it's definitely in my top 10 spots. Will be wearing this in heavy rotation among my other scented friends.

If it's good enough for Faye Dunaway, it's good enough for me!

I consider the original Norell as one of the greatest and most sophisticated compositions ever. I was always very intrigued by Norell II (red) but was unable to get it anywhere. Finally, I got a large, 1 ounce bottle of the pure perfume on Ebay. Is it nice? Yes. Is it as nice as the original? No. I am sure rose lovers will love this one. For me the original Norell is irreplacable.

This is an elegant, captivating perfume. It makes me sing that old song, "sweets for my sweet, sugar for my honey" cos that's what I get. Honeyed, enduring warmth and sweetness with a great balance of depth. Goes on nice and strong, and mellows slowly from the green, flowered opening through the beautifully balanced middle notes (loving the carnations!!!), into the final, lasting depth that for me really makes a perfume matter and endure as a stayer.

Very female, in a refined and classy way. Filled with that classic 60's vibe, both in the notes and the balance. No screeching here, just mellow, enticing moments.

10/10 for this one...already getting another bottle.

I want to say something about J Catapano, but let me think about it first. (I think she could hold her own against E Daltroff, the Guerlain family, and E Beaux; but that might be sacrilegious of me)

I got this because I LOVE Fidji, and my swap partner thought I'd like this too. I do! I wanted to compare the two side by side, but there is something about them together that made me lose my sense of smell.

So I'll focus on Norell. My sample is vintage. What stands out on me is the hyacincth opening, a raspy midphase (carnation), and warm base. There seems to be a cold vein here, something keeping is crisp and clean. I'm afraid to ask how the modern compares, but it is worth my time to find out.

A very, very lovely green chypre!

I love Norell. I had it in the Vintage years ago. I sampled vintage Chanel #19 a few days ago and it reminded me a lot of Norell. Does anybody else get this too..

Fell in love with Norrell as a child. Don't know if they have kept the formula the same. Have a feeling they haven't. Yet I purchased this for a song and am still fascinated with it. Such femininity. Such elegance. Men seem to love it and I understand why. Not as sharp or crisp as the way I remember it when I was younger, but gorgeous nevertheless.

When the americans can creat a perfume much more glamourous than any european one !!!
Norell is the perfume to have !
the scent of carnation is just awesome !!!!

I just love the scent of Carnation in this perfume
Norell is one of my favorite perfume with Calèche by Hermès.

Norell cologne reminds me so much of something my granny would have on her vanity. I'm sure that I've smelt something like this when I was fingering among the small porcelain perfume jars, powderboxes, lipsticks, jewelry (on a piece of sea-shell) and the lovley small perfume bottles. Of course I did it secretly, a bit thrilled by the whole experience of womanhood.

Norell smells so wonderfully dated. I especially like the citrus-lavender mix that smells so fresh and clean. In combination with the flowery and slightly powdery heart it seems like two fragrances are at work: One that provides an air of fresh soap and newly washed clothes and then another scent built on more classical perfume ingredients like jasmine, hyacinth, iris, mimosa, and ylang-ylang. (Somhehow this part reminds me alot of Givenchy III minus the strong amber note). From this point of view Norell is a very intelligent innovation from a time when people probably not took a shower or washed their clothes every day: A perfume that makes you smell both clean, fresh AND scented.

However, this part is not going on forever: gradually the basenotes enters the scene and Norell becomes warmer, rounder and sweeter. And several hours later the freshness is replaced with a slihtly dirty note from the oakmoss.

I've bought a small bottle of the cologne, that was low fill or evaporated eventhough it was new and sealed. I read somewhere that the edt was created during the 90's when Norell was relaunched, and that perfume and cologne were the only alternatives until then. I'm therefore pretty sure that this is the original vintage cologne. If you like vintage smelling fragrances you should really give Norell a try. The cologne has a great sillage and is very longlasting.

edit: This is super strong stuff even for my nose, so apply carefully, or surrounders will drop dead around you (as suggested in the first ad above)

I got a bottle of vintage Norell as I remembered my older sister having it back in the 1960s. I thought it smelled heavenly back then and I was too young for perfume. I found it to be a very heavy floral but intoxicating to smell. The heavyness was very typical of good perfumes in the 60s.
I like the smell of it but it's too much to wear really. It's like wearing a costume, fun but just once in a while . Even after I washed it off the scent remained on my skin. It's really strong like Youth Dew but it's floral not Oriental. If they changed the formulation it was probably to make it weaker than the original. It's a great vintage perfume and should remain as it was in the 1960s. All those wonderful flowers in there should be allowed to bloom even if that makes it too strong.
The 60s were times of great change and any fragrance from that time should be powerful.

How I wish I loved the current formulation. I wore this in the 1980s and got so many compliments. Five Star took over in 1999, and it hasn't been the same since. I ordered the bath oil and the cologne spray, thinking they would be closer to the original than the toilette spray. Then I ordered vintage Norell from The Perfumed Court to compare, and though the current cologne spray begins the same, it falls apart. Oh, to have the vintage back!!

I was always intrigued by Norell, i finally got to try it a few days ago when Nyoka generouslly sent me a decant sample.

Norell is a beautiful floral green - it is the only foral green that blended well with my chemistry (so far).

The projection is wonderful and staying power good.

I wore this on Wednesday and as usual carried the sample along with me when i went out. In the bus i decided to retouch (not because it was necessary but simply because i like building up mega sillage) so i took it out and applied it discreetly to my wrists; well i fell asleep and when i awoke my sample was gone. The lady sitting next to me had pilfered it! I guess she found it's beautiful aroma irresistible but i would have happily given it to her if she had asked!

if you want to make yourself known
this is the right perfume this fragrance demands your attention.
the begining the cypre greens with undertones of bergamot lavender & hiacynth the lemon just floats into the
backround. a couple of minutes later
going though a sweet narcissus gardenia
stage but the spicy residue of cypre still lingers but in a earthier scent
with rose cinnamon and cardamon.

the drydown is an intoxicating myrrh.
a bit dated now but i think it was ahead
of it's time released in 1968 but the perfume design and the box with it's
big bold black lettering NORELL
makes you think of a 80's bussiness
advertisments or a barbara kruger famous
piece of work your body is a battlegroun

this is one of those sex in a bottle
perfumes because it is sexy
a perfume for a young women with an
old soul.

This stuff would kill a city if they put it into a bomb! unbelievably stong!!!! Along the lines of Chanel #5 but 10 fold stronger. One of the few perfumes left with any staying power. A crisp scent that lasts into eternity.

I've got a new bottle (definitely current reform) and I'm so torn by this one...It opens right away with earthy moss that just isn't in line with the beautiful top notes it's supposed to possess. I expect more citrus and lovely light floral but all I get is oakmoss overload!! It overpowers everything and never softens. It's really sad as the notes all look so beautiful, this should smell like a heavenly forest romp. Instead, it smells too much like moldering dirt and decaying leaves.

Update: Duh!! The lightbulb just went on! This is a chypre floral by every possible definition. The dark heaviness is just too much of the oakmoss monster. It drags the fragrance down and won't let it up for air. If they would cut it in about half, this would be perfection!

Fragrantica people, you need to re classify this one!

before I joined this club,I had read the term chypre, but had never really known what it meant. I knew that certain perfumes contained oakmoss or cedar but did not know how it affected the perfume. After having read several reviews and doing some research I decided to try a chypre floral,now I had tried Norell several years ago in a local drug store and had really liked it but for some reason did not buy it. I have preferred oriental and oriental floral perfumes, most of my life. After trying Cuir de Lancome and Nike de Saint Phalle, I decided that I love chypre florals and am trying to branch out. I saw Norell at a local department store for a very reasonable price and decided to get it. One of the Fragranitica members was asking about green chypres and mentioned Norell. I realize it is considered a floral, but it is much more complex than that. I am still trying to improve my reviews so bear with me. Norell does start out fresh and green and soon after blossoms into a rich and beautiful floral. I can smell the carnation and mimose, but the other flowers and spice seem to become one opulent note. The dry down is amazing, warm, but with a fresh note as well. It like Niki,is very underrated. It is elegant and classy, perfect for any age or sex. It can be worn anytime day or night. One of the best 1960's perfume out there and(this is the best part)it is very affordable. I bought the cologne because I understand it has not been reformulated. Even though, a cologne, it last several hours.

I can remember seeing this one frequently at discount stores for the last 20 years or so. I never really gave it a chance. The "plain" box and bottle and the inexpensive price led me to assume that Norell would not be a pleasant scent. It seems I should know by now to never judge a fragrance by its packaging. Norell is a humble reminder of this.

I purchased the Bath Oil, after hearing that its scent was closest to the original formulation of the fragrance (pre-1997). The bath oils works just fine as a perfume, by the way.

And oh, lovely Norell, I am so sorry I passed you by all these years!

The scent opens with a blast of sharp green, followed by heady florals and spice, all on a woods-and-moss base. The floral phase lasts the longest and the flowers are bright and powerful, reminiscent of Patou's Joy. I get a waft of oriental spice every now and then. Something in this phase reminds me of Molinard de Molinard as well. The beautiful dry-down, however, is classic chypre. I agree that "Floral" doesn't adequately classify this complex scent, but neither would "Chypre."

The scent is a perfect match for what I now recognize as the understated elegance of the box and bottle. Norell would be a classic beauty at any price, but it would be a shame if any Chypre or Floral Chypre fan let this one slip by when it is priced so low.

I am using the Eau de Cologne and very sparingly but still, this stuff is so strong...

It's such powerful complicated stuff that I am struggling slightly to seperate the notes.

At the top there is a LOT of narcissus, with some dry lavender running underneath it. I also get some carnation which gives it an interesting warm/cool see-saw effect with the lavender. There is something ever so slightly sweet that comes in a few minutes later. I can't quite put my finger on it...not quite hyacinth and not quite jasmine..sweet pea is probably the closest thing. Oh wait...here comes the jasmine!

As it dries down it becomes very very soapy on me. It's like an expensive, top quality triple milled french soap, but soap none the less. Vetiver comes on strong now and rose as well.

To be honest, I am having a really hard time with this. I definately agree with Jalutschka about it being an earthy green chypre, but it's also definately floral. It is rather sophisticated I suppose, it's definately not for shrinking violets. It brings to mind an authoratative woman with absolutely unshakeable self confidence. For some reason I envisage Sigourney Weaver in Working Girl! This would probably put the fear of God in all your employees if you were the executive wearing this.

I doubt that this one will help you break through the glass ceiling, but if you were clutching a bottle of this, you could probably put quite a few cracks in it.

A vintage-style, lovely scent. Slightly metallic floral with a soft unobtrusive base that breathes class in a refined, elegant way. Suitable for most events, including tea parties and a night out dancing.