Coty • Emeraude • Fragrances

Where To Buy?

*TOP REVIEWER* karebear0099 on 4/23/2013 12:51:00 AM more reviews by karebear0099

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

I got this for $5.99 at the Grocery Outlet so the price was extremely reasonable. I am not crazy about it, but I am not going to get rid of it in case I "grow into it" or something. Although I think that might take a long time.

Anyway, when I first sprayed it, it smelled very familiar to me, and had a spicy smell. The die down after that was just a sweet, powdery smell that reminded me of my grandma. I mean that very literally, I am not trying to say this is a perfume an old person would wear, but in my personal experience it reminds me of my grandma and her apartment. I don't hate it, but I don't really like it either. I would classify it under "okay"

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* rasputin2 on 2/17/2013 6:04:00 AM more reviews by rasputin2

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Medium   Hair: Silver   Eyes: Green    

I've never been privileged to try any vintage EMERAUDE, sadly; I'm just spraying on the EDC I got dirt-cheap at WALGREEN'S. And as others have said here, even though it may be a whisper of its former haute-couture glory, it's still HANDS-DOWN nicer than any of the new celebuscents made for women these days. I'm a fella and I have no problem wearing this EDC as a nice, clean daytime, all-purpose scent. At first blush it may seem like SHALIMAR, but really it is quite different: Where SHALIMAR is famous for its head of bergamot, lemon and citronella, whisper-kissed by galbanum, EMERAUDE has instead a head of what seems to me to be sweet orange, "clean" starched linen-like aldehydes, and coriander bestowing the faint lemony-green quality some detect on first spray. EMERAUDE also has a traditional heart of romantic rose laced with near-subliminal notes of cinnamon and clove. What makes EMERAUDE really different is its very prominent opoponax heart... opoponax, that sharp-smelling resin which initially smells somewhat like that spraycan adhesive we used to use in the 2nd grade in the 1960's on our Christmas projects (haha), but when it settles, it becomes this regal shaft of resiny yellow-gold, with gorgeous, surprisingly sucrée hints of burnt caramel around the edges. EMERAUDE's vanilla is more sweet, floral and unadulterated than the smoky/burnt/incense-y, WD-40 vanillin of SHALIMAR. In my opinion, EMERAUDE does not contain lime; rather, that "creamsicle" quality is a blend of straightforward sweet orange mingled with opoponax, benzoin and vanilla; I think EMERAUDE's verdant jus is what's convincing people they smell lime. EMERAUDE's oriental base contains a tonka bean much more obvious than that of SHALIMAR's; that cherry-vanilla-tobacco kind of smell, blended with sandalwood and amber. (to some, the cherry-like smell of tonka conjures up McDonald's restrooms). Strangely, I do not detect patchouly, though I'm certain it must be there in tinctured, "cosmetic" aura, rather than in its usual green/earthy musk. EMERAUDE contains noticeably animalic hints of deermusk (that "kitten's belly" tender, furry smell, so well-loved in MY SIN and others) and an indolic civet (lending it that slightly urinaceous, slightly "mothball" quality that is responsible for the "old lady" remarks, I am certain.). Personally, I adore the animalics, so these "old fashioned" smells thrill me. Maybe the crowning note of the base is a fairly prominent vetiver... a tarry foil to the perfume's sweetness, giving the whole fragrance that earthy, grounded, rooty, "tailored" aura... vetiver is also a very classy smell, I think, and the vet here is much stronger than any SHALIMAR might have. For a mere $11.00, one can get a real feeling of how great French EMERAUDE must have been when it was new. Interesting to remember that EMERAUDE predated SHALIMAR by four years. As I understand it, those now wishing to re-capture its vintage thrill need to look for it on auction websites in the "parfum de toilette" (sic) strength... (basically an EDP). This is a cheap way to smell really, REALLY good.

7 out of 8 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Zanita27 on 1/23/2013 9:01:00 PM more reviews by Zanita27

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I am on the drugstore perfume fix and glad i picked this up. This might not smell quite like the vintage perfume, but nevertheless it is wonderful. The initial scent is citrusy and slightly green. Then the draw down is a slightly powdery, faintly spicy floral. To me its beautiful and elegant, not cheap and cheeky. The sillage is moderate and lasts longer than your typical drugstore scent. This green lovely will have a place next to my other drugstore favorite, tourjois moi.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

TaTanesha on 1/23/2013 8:40:00 AM more reviews by TaTanesha

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Black, Curly, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

EMERAUDE!! Oh My Gosh, I use to LOVE this perfume. If you remember Emeraude, then you must remember Revlon's Jean Nate' (LOL) I had a huge bottle of Emeraude perfume and Jean Nate after bath splash and dusting powder. Old School indeed!!

Ja'net

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* Olfactoria on 1/23/2013 8:03:00 AM more reviews by Olfactoria

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

Current incarnation of this scent is an abomination. Smells like a citrus urinal cake. Vintage Emeraude is MJCH different and so much better! I have loved this fragrance since childhood and I own several vintage bottles. By far my favorite formulation is from the '80s/early '90s, distinguishable by the olive-hued rather than bright-green juice. At the time, Emeraude was available as a cologne, eau de parfum and parfum. They're all great-- smooth, plush old-school Oriental with a bergamot-lemon top and warm, oily, vanillic drydown. This is quality stuff, and every time I wear it I am surprised by its quiet loveliness, and reminded of just how cheap and one-dimensional some of today's high-end frags smell by comparison!


Emeraude may not be the most complex or dressy fragrance I own, but it's the most "me." After the zingy top notes, it's a warm and subtle skin scent with no harsh edges. Bosomy and almost maternal, Emeraude feels like home. It just plain Smells Good, even in its cheap downmarket packaging. Well worth a try, especially if you like Orientals like Shalimar, Opium, Youth Dew and Obsession. Emeraude shares the deep, velvety resinousness of these, minus the spice/animalic overload.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

lwhitener on 8/9/2012 12:46:00 AM more reviews by lwhitener

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Combination   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

A classic. I've loved this ever since my aunt gave it to me for Christmas when I was a young teenager, and I still wear it. It's a floral oriental (or "floriental") that has presence, but is never over-the-top. I completely disagree with the reviewers who think it smells like something an old lady would wear. Beauty is in the eye (or in this case, the nose) of the beholder, but to me it smells elegant and distinctive. If you don't want to smell like everyone else (vanilla, fruit, etc.), give Emeraude a try--there's a good reason it's been around for almost 100 years.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Coronet on 8/8/2012 7:45:00 PM more reviews by Coronet

Age: 25-29   Skin: Oily, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

Everyone's right when they say that this reminds me of baby powder. It doesn't smell chemically, but it does remind me strongly of powder. I don't think I would wear this anywhere. It doesn't remind me of a "youthful" smell. It's more something I'd imagine an old lady wearing.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* chayaNY on 5/2/2012 1:35:00 AM more reviews by chayaNY

Age: Unknown   Skin: Sensitive, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brown, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Many here have remarked on a beloved family member this scent reminds them of. A few others have remarked however of less than fond memories of someone they were perhaps less than fond of, who sprayed this on by the gallon and ruined this forever.. I'm in the latter category. I am too biased against ot because of the person it reminds me of. I've never liked this but to be fair, the association is the thing I can't get behind.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

nearfantastica78 on 5/2/2012 1:11:00 AM more reviews by nearfantastica78

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Green    

I adore this scent, VERY similar to Chantilly and Heaven Sent. Powdery, warm, classy..does not smell cheap at all. Another gem introduced to me by my precious Mum. She was and still is EVERY definition of a lady, mannerisms, fashion, and most definately fragrancewise. She wore this when her and Dad were dating in the early seventies and she always kept a small bottle in her bathroom. It smells like a lady should, polite, demure, classy. To me, Emeraude evokes all of these things and I wear it to this day.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

Bombshell222 on 11/16/2011 10:00:00 AM more reviews by Bombshell222

Age: 36-43   Skin: Very Oily, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

As one reviewer said below, "Poor Woman's Shalimar"....and she is definitely correct. I love the classic bombshell fragrances, and Shalimar is one of them. However, I was not going to waste $90.00 on a small bottle from Macy's. Being Ms. Practical, I went to my local CVS and remembered that Emeraude smells very similar to Shalimar. Haven't worn this since high school, but once I smelled the tester I knew it was still a pretty good knock off of Shalimar. The dry down is actually lighter than Shalimar, and I really like it. For $24.00 for a large bottle, you cant' go wrong. I have everyone fooled that it is Shalimar when I wear it...my secret :)

5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* awesomeness2 on 9/26/2011 6:56:00 PM more reviews by awesomeness2

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

This is fun to have if you can find a sufficiently old bottle for very little money. I have a bottle from the 60s and another one from the 70s. Both are very good, but you can tell that the fragrance became less fierce between those two time frames.


If you're unsure of the approximate age of your bottle, google images for Emeraude and find magazine print ads that have a picture of the bottle. Once you find a print ad with the bottle, you can find magazine with the year published.


Basically, old Emeraude is a Shalimar-like fragrance. In fact, for my 60s bottle, I actually like Emeraude more than Shalimar because I find it lighter and easier to wear. Yet both fragrances pack a punch and can come off a bit dated and dusty.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

russetandvermilion on 8/17/2011 5:55:00 PM more reviews by russetandvermilion

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Hazel    

This was my grandma's favorite perfume. She had long black hair and she was a cool lady. I like the vintage version of Coty Emeraude. The new version is very off--it doesn't smell as good. Emeraude reminds me of citrus (lime and grapefruit) mixed with the smell of face powder. I would really like to find a vintage bottle of this.

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* mmarrs on 5/31/2011 4:04:00 PM more reviews by mmarrs

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

Wow I was quite surprised by Emeraude. I found an old old bottle of this up at my cabin probably from the 1940s and thought ewwww it smelled really dated (like a little old lady perfume). However after spraying it on and starting really rough and awful it had a really nice dry down on me. a powdery scent I would wear Emeraude for the dry down

3 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* atomic_girl on 1/27/2011 8:36:00 PM more reviews by atomic_girl

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I've heard that Emeraude was a gorgeous oriental years ago. The current version (which I found at Meijer for less than $3, which should have clued me in) reminds me of baby powder and diapers.

    Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* highrise on 12/3/2010 11:12:00 AM more reviews by highrise

Age: 36-43   Skin: Other, Fair, Cool   Hair: Other   Eyes: Brown    

Beautiful, pillowy, powdery - but only in its older formations. Got a collection of bottles from about the late 70s, in cologne and parfum. There is a definite familial resemblance to Shalimar, but again, only the vintage version. The newer one is thin and generic. Lovely!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* BigEars on 11/15/2010 1:59:00 PM more reviews by BigEars

Age: 44-55   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

OK a shadow of its former self, but still a pretty floriental that is streets ahead of some of the awful fruit/fizzy pop swill that some young ladies like to douse themselves in.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* AntFarm on 9/30/2010 9:59:00 PM more reviews by AntFarm

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Red, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

This scent isn't for me, personally, but I associate it with my classy, kindhearted, red-haired Southern grandmother who passed away several years ago. This is what she wore when she sat me on her lap when I was a wee girl. Recently, I bought a bottle of this for my own mother, because I knew it would remind her of her mom. My mom is allergic to perfume, but she does wear this one because it's so mild. I bought her the EDC version, and I'd buy it for her anytime again. I wouldn't wear this, because my memories are so strongly associated with the women of my family who raised me, and it remains "their" scent when they pass through my memories.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* crickett85 on 6/25/2010 1:14:00 AM more reviews by crickett85

Age: 44-55   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Green    

The old version of Emeraude was a classic which I loved in the 70s. The newer version (sold now) is urinacious skank. I'm only giving this 3 lippies because the newer version ruins Emeraude but I can't quite tank it (1 lippie) because the classic Emeraude (a vintage bottle I own) is so lovely.
There is a slight citrus veil when one first spritzes on vintage Emeraude. Quickly thereafter; beautiful woody accords come to the front. Classic Emeraude is a lovely warm floriental with soothing woodsy accords. It exudes simple class and elegance (despite it's price range, still a simply elegant classic).
I can only recommend Emeraude if you can find a vintage bottle. But then I can highly recommend it.

6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* msm4slm on 6/1/2010 6:37:00 PM more reviews by msm4slm

Age: 44-55   Skin: Oily, Fair   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

This is for the vintage version. This is one I associate with my grandmother. It was a soft, inexpensive floriental back then (70's), not too sweet. While Shalimar was always more beautiful, Emeraude was more wearable--none of the skank nor the odd disinfectant smell, just a pretty floriental. Unfortunately, the Emeraude sold today in drugstores and Walmart is NOT the same fragrance. It smells very chemical and cheap. Such a shame to lose such a beautiful fragrance loved by so many generations of women!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No

*TOP REVIEWER* youdroppedabalmonme2 on 1/11/2010 3:46:00 PM more reviews by youdroppedabalmonme2

Age: 36-43   Skin: Very Oily, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

This is a review for vintage Emeraude (when it still came in a perfume or eau de parfum concentration, which hasn't happened since the late '80s). I found it on eBay for a song, and you can too if you're interested in classic fragrances. I must tell you that the Emeraude now sold in Walgreens at Christmas bears but slight resemblance to the old stuff, even if it has the Coty name on it. The current formulation has a jarring "antiseptic" note, like cheap lime cleanser, and has a urinaceous off-note when it dries down. The old stuff is smooth vanillic Oriental all the way, like Shalimar without the gasoline/burnt rubber accord. There is a pleasant citrus topnote but mostly I smell the opoponax and spicy base. Sweet, soft, and appealing. But ONLY the old stuff for me.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.     Was this review helpful to you? Yes   No