Voulez Vous by D'Orsay c1960

Launched in 1960 by the storied French perfume house D'Orsay, Voulez-Vous was a fragrance designed to seduce not only through scent, but through suggestion. The name itself, Voulez-Vous, is French—translated loosely into English as “Would you like to…”—an incomplete question that invites curiosity, flirtation, and possibility. Though incomplete as a phrase, its open-ended nature creates intrigue: Do you want… what? Love? Adventure? Seduction? Pronounced voo-lay voo (with each syllable gliding smoothly), the phrase teases the imagination. It evokes candlelit conversations, daring glances across smoky Parisian cafés, and the promise of something just out of reach. D'Orsay, known for its romantic and often provocative branding, chose this name deliberately—both as a nod to French sensuality and as an open-ended invitation that mirrors the very purpose of perfume: to allure, to attract, to begin something.

The year 1960 marked a turning point culturally and stylistically. This was the beginning of a decade known for seismic shifts in art, fashion, music, and social norms. Often described as the cusp between post-war elegance and the cultural revolution of the late 1960s, this era—sometimes referred to as the Jet Age or Space Age in terms of fashion and design—was marked by a fascination with modernity, movement, and international glamour. Paris still reigned as the capital of fashion, but the fresh, youthful energy of London was rising, and American consumers were eagerly embracing European sophistication. Women were beginning to assert more independence in their choices—from clothing to careers to the way they presented themselves. Perfume became not only a personal accessory but a form of self-expression.

In this context, a perfume like Voulez-Vous would have resonated strongly. The name alone carried an edge of mystery and feminine confidence—suggestive without being overt. For the modern woman of the early 1960s, balancing tradition and emerging freedoms, this fragrance could be worn like a secret—intimate, alluring, and entirely her own. The tagline associated with the scent, “The spark that starts the fire,” underlines its role as a catalyst for desire, making it particularly appealing not just to the wearer, but to those who encountered it.

As for the scent itself, Voulez-Vous was classified as a green floral chypre—a sophisticated genre of perfumery known for its contrast of freshness and mossy warmth. This particular composition blended a base of woodsy, musky, and fern-like accords—classic markers of chypre—with a bright, happy bouquet of rose and jasmine at the top. The result was a fragrance that felt grounded yet luminous, traditional yet intriguingly modern. It was not an everyday floral, nor did it follow the syrupy-sweet trend that would later define the late '70s and '80s. It had character. It had restraint and sensuality.

What made Voulez-Vous stand apart was not just its structure but the intensity of craftsmanship behind it. D'Orsay's perfumers spent seven years refining the formula, evaluating no fewer than 339 variations before settling on what they believed to be a modern classic. This dedication paid off. The final creation was said to possess a “charming disarming difference,” a quality that couldn’t quite be pinned down—a perfume with personality. While it aligned with the enduring popularity of chypres at the time, particularly those with green or mossy profiles like Cabochard (1959), Voulez-Vous offered a softer, more romantic twist. It was less severe, more emotive.

In scent, the phrase Voulez-Vous might translate to an unfolding sensation: a flicker of intrigue at first spritz (the crisp green and floral top), followed by a deepening warmth (the musky-fern base), much like a conversation that begins with a coy question and ends in intimacy. It was a scent that invited engagement, never demanded it—a perfume as much about anticipation as it was about presence.

Created, bottled, and sealed in France, Voulez-Vous remains a testament to D'Orsay’s flair for elegant seduction. It captures a moment in time when women were redefining their roles, desires, and freedoms—and doing so with style, sophistication, and just the right hint of mystery.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Voulez Vous by D'Orsay is classified as a green floral chypre fragrance for women with green, woodsy, and fruity notes. A perfume that blends a woodsy, musky, ferny base with a rose and jasmine top note.

• Top notes: aldehydes, Persian galbanum, green notes, Calabrian bergamot, Italian neroli, Amalfi lemon, fruity citrus accord, Dutch hyacinth
• Middle notes: Bourbon geranium, Bulgarian rose, Alpine lily of the valley, Grasse jasmine, spices, Tunisian orange blossom
• Base notes: French fern accord, Haitian vetiver, Yugoslavian oakmoss, Lebanese cedar, Virginia tobacco, Mysore sandalwood,  Indonesian patchouli, Venezuelan tonka bean, ambergris, Maltese labdanum, Tonkin musk, Abyssinian civet, leather

Scent Profile:

As you bring Voulez Vous by D'Orsay to your skin, the first impression is sheer light and greenery—crisp, dewy, and luminously fresh. The opening is built on a classic aldehydic shimmer, that elegant sparkle often likened to the fizz of champagne or the clean snap of starched linen. These aldehydes—synthetic molecules used since the early 20th century—don’t smell of flowers or fruits, but rather of abstraction: airy, soapy brilliance that elevates everything around it. Here, they act as an atmospheric lift, heightening the vivid natural notes to follow.

Almost immediately, Persian galbanum unfurls its potent, resinous green intensity. Harvested from the mountains of Iran, this variety is prized for its raw, cut-stem greenness, sharper and more penetrating than galbanum from other sources. It's the olfactory equivalent of snapping a wet twig, releasing its bitter sap—arresting and alive. Supporting it is a blend simply labeled as “green notes,” likely including a mélange of violet leaf or grassy molecules that keep the composition verdant and unflinching.

A breath of Calabrian bergamot, cold-pressed from the rind, lends a bracing citrus sparkle—more floral and rounded than lemon, with an almost tea-like refinement. It's joined by Italian neroli, distilled from bitter orange blossoms, and Amalfi lemon, known for its soft brightness and lower acidity than standard lemon, offering zest without sharpness. These citrus notes are softened by a fruity citrus accord, perhaps incorporating peachy aldehydes or a trace of blackcurrant to lend dimension and warmth. The brightness is then tinted with the ethereal coolness of Dutch hyacinth—a watery green floral that feels both delicate and distant, like flowers blooming in early spring under a gray sky.

As the scent begins to settle, the heart pulses with subtle florals that speak of vintage elegance without becoming cloying. Bourbon geranium, cultivated in the Indian Ocean islands, adds a fresh, rosy tang with a minty undertone—sharper than rose, and more vibrant. The Bulgarian rose, rich and jammy, lends depth and true floral warmth, while the Grasse jasmine, with its creamy, indolic character, brings sensuality. Grasse jasmine is coveted for its balance of heady richness and smoothness, a quality difficult to replicate elsewhere.

Twined among these florals is Alpine lily of the valley, a clean, green floral note that adds clarity and airiness to the heart. Often constructed using aroma chemicals like hydroxycitronellal, lily of the valley is typically a synthetic interpretation—since the flower itself cannot be distilled—yet it is softened here by Tunisian orange blossom, heady and honeyed, with a faint trace of spice. A subtle hint of “spices” in the heart adds warmth and mystery; perhaps clove, nutmeg, or even cinnamon peeking through to tether the otherwise ethereal bouquet.

Then the base begins to unfurl: complex, mossy, and grounding. The French fern accord is a tribute to fougère traditions—aromatic and forested, constructed from coumarin, lavender, and oakmoss-style accords. It provides a classic structure: cool, dry, and clean. Haitian vetiver—earthy, smoky, and dry—is less sweet than its Javanese cousin and lends a serious, mineral depth. From the Balkans, Yugoslavian oakmoss contributes its inky, forest-floor darkness—damp, bitter, and essential to the chypre structure. This mossy density is further enhanced by Lebanese cedar, dry and pencil-sharp, and Virginia tobacco, which lends a warm, almost hay-like note with a wisp of smokiness.

Then comes the plushness. Mysore sandalwood, now rare and often regulated, offers a creamy, buttery softness that wraps around the woods and moss. Indonesian patchouli is earthy, woody, but also slightly sweet, providing depth and linking the natural to the animalic. The Venezuelan tonka bean adds warmth and a touch of almond-like richness, its coumarin content bringing a nutty, hay-like sweetness that tempers the darker notes. Ambergris, likely a synthetic reconstruction here, adds a saline, skin-like sensuality—warm, musky, and diffusive.

The final trail is warm and deeply animalic: Maltese labdanum, sticky and leathery, brings a resinous, ambery glow. Tonkin musk, most certainly synthetic today, recreates the warm, furry sensuality of natural musk. Abyssinian civet, once obtained from wild animals but now ethically mimicked, brings a smudge of dirty-luxury—that unmistakable, almost primal richness that once lingered in the great perfumes of the 20th century. A final hint of leather, suede-soft and smoky, closes the experience, like a velvet curtain falling on a sultry performance.

Voulez Vous is not a shy fragrance. It smells like mystery, memory, and a glance that lingers too long. It is unmistakably French, green without being austere, floral without being sweet, and animalic without apology. A product of its time, but also—like its name—a question that never fully answers itself.

Bottles:

In 1960, the fragrance was available in the following:

• 1/4 oz Parfum retailed for $7.50 (equal to $81.86 in 2025)
• 1/2 oz Parfum retailed for $12.50  (equal to $136.43 in 2025)
• 1 oz Parfum retailed for $23.50  (equal to $256.49 in 2025)
• 2 oz Parfum retailed for $40.00  (equal to $436.59 in 2025)
• 4 oz Parfum retailed for $67.50  (equal to $736.74 in 2025)
• Parfum Press-sent Purse Atomizer, refillable, white and gold spiral case, contains 300 measured sprays, retailed for $5.00. (equal to $54.57 in 2025)
• 0.15 oz Parfum Purse Flaconette in same style of refillable spiral case, retailed for $4.00. (equal to $43.66 in 2025)
• 1/2 oz Perfume "Dramatizer" refillable spray atomizer in fluted, silver plated cylinder canister ringed with gold, retailed for $12.50.  (equal to $136.43 in 2025)
• Eau de Toilette splash retailed for $3.50 for 2 oz and $6.00 for 4 oz. (equal to $38.20 and $65.49 in 2025)
• 2 oz Eau de Toilette Spray Mist Concentrate in refillable white and gold satin polished metal  container retailed for $5.00. (equal to $54.57 in 2025) Refills retailed for $3.50 (equal to $38.20 in 2025)

• Dusting powder with fluffy green puff retailed for $10 in 1961. (equal to $107.32 in 2025)
• Huile de Bain, bath oil in 1964.
• Spray Dusting Powder (an aerosol) retailed for $2.50 in 1964 (equal to $25.87 in 2025)
• "Creme Parfum" 5 grams of solid perfume contained inside in a gem-studded, antiqued gold case, topped by simulated fire opal, faux turquoise stones in filigree, the locket suspended from a decorative pin, retailed for $7.50 in 1964  (equal to $77.62 in 2025).
• 1.5 oz "Mist Unique" Natural Spray retailed for $3.50 in 1966.  (equal to  in 2025)
• 8 oz "Cool-ogne" splash, tingling, with a trace of menthol, a cooling cologne for summer retailed for $3.50 in 1966.  (equal to $35.20 in 2025)
• 3 oz "Nuage Parfume" retailed for $5 in 1966. (equal to $50.28 in 2025)
• 3 oz Cologne Mist retailed for $4 in 1967. (equal to $38.88 in 2025)
• Bain de Ecume, a foaming bath oil in a 4 oz size retailed for $2.50 in 1968.  (equal to $23.45 in 2025)
• Perfume Solidette retailed for $2.50 in 1969.  (equal to $22.46 in 2025)

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued, date unknown. Still being sold in 1975.