Back in September, I wrote about a fragrance called The Party in Manhattan and noted that it was not to be found in the U.S. and next to impossible to track down any distributor or retailer willing to ship an order into this country.
I emailed a woeful message to Franco at Lucky Scent and lo and behold, five months later, I received word that they now have it available for sale in their L.A. store and on their website (if it's not posted yet on their site, it soon will be).
Here's what I wrote back in September: "The vetiver and patchouli rein in the sweetness of the amber to a good extent, the musks melt into the skin and the florals exist to bring balance to the composition rather than acting as a main focus. There's a good argument that can be made regarding the perfume's 'sweaty' party vibe, as the Party in Manhattan does not function as a distraction from the smells of everyday life, but rather, it works to enrich your own natural (skin) scent by adding a dollop of brown sugar to your body-heat and a sense of depth to your personal space."
In other words, this is not your teenaged babysitter's bottle of love potion. I probably have no business owning such a creature, but it was too sultry to refuse (cue saxophone music in 3, 2, 1 . . . ).
From Perfume Posse, the fragrance creator Paulo Borgomanero had this to say about his Party in Manhattan: "It is a beautiful chypre scent that transcends generations and comes in beautiful bespoke packaging, evocative of the 1930s. I hope it will appeal to discerning customers who appreciate how special it is."
Photos of the bottle and packaging for The Party in Manhattan below:
The price is a bit steep ($265.00 for 50ml), but when I checked into ordering a bottle from Harrods in London back in September, the exchange rate between the dollar and the British pound made it almost twice that. The dollar is much stronger against both the pound and the euro at this point in time, and apparently Lucky Scent was able to take advantage of this one positive glimmer in our economy (god knows how long it'll last).
Needless to say, a bottle of Party is now a steal compared to what I would have shelled out if I'd ordered internationally, so I saved myself several hundred dollars by sitting tight and waiting for Lucky Scent to come through. Thanks, Franco!
UPDATE:
And Lucky Scent now has it available on their site -- The Party in Manhattan
12 Comments
Oooh, perfume porn! Can't wait for my bottle to arrive. So exquisite!
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It's been way too long since I've been able to post a Perfume Porn entry. It feels good to be back home! ;)
And The Party in Manhattan smells just as good as I remember.
Hi Nathan!
I see you're a fan too! I bought my bottle from Harrods a few months ago. I loved it so much, I even bought the 200ml. The big size comes with a removable atomiser, similiar to Guerlain bee-bottles. The SA told me it was inspired by a certain house. I don't know about them, but I recently smelled Acqua di Parma's Profumo (the new reformulated one) and the similiarity is striking. When I first sniffed Profumo, I was dumbfounded. I couldn't stop smelling my wrist, knowing that I had the same perfume. Turns out, it was The Party. Anyways, I could go on forvever, enjoy your awesome purchase. FYI: Your post about OJ Seraphim inspired me to purchase a bottle before it was too late. I'm sniffing it now, and I'm lovin' it! TC!
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200ml? Ach mein Gott! That would take me, like, five lifetimes to work my way through. I tried to get Harrods to send me a bottle, but they insisted that they would not ship to the U.S. Thank my lucky stars for Lucky Scent.
Glad you found such a great purchase, and I'm happy to have been the one to introduce Seraphim to anyone, so enjoy yours as well. Both are beautiful scents, and for completely different occasions and reasons.
BTW: in case you didn't know (though I think you do) -- Paulo Borgomanero, the creator of Party in Manhattan, was a principal player with Acqua di Parma before it was sold to LVMH. Now you've got me curious about the AdP Profumo . . .
Ooh, I remember reading about this and loving the idea of a retro chypre - bless Luckyscent for obtaining it! And I love your bottle porn.. :-D
Welcome home! Remember to do a layering experiment with Labdanum 18 and Bal a Versailles. Just met a lady today who told me that she has an unopened bottle of BaV parfum from the 70's in a drawer at home, and she's going to give it to me! Dear, dear lady. Dear, ship-passing-in-the-night random lady who's going to give me amazing original-formulation parfum!
Will be interested to hear what you think of AdP Profumo vis a vis Party in Manhattan. Profumo is very old school dense and perfumey. Not sure if I've smelled the latest reformulation.
Question: which Ormonde Jayne is your favorite? I'm trying to select one long-distance, and I share a lot of your tastes. I'm thinking I might be a Tolu gal....
Perfume porn, indeed. Those pics are beautiful, Nathan.
Now, if I could just get you to do a sexy photo essay on Royal Secret II, which is housed in one of the most unglamorous, utilitarian bottles in the industry. Perhaps together, could change powder's Granny image....!
Nathan, I envy you for this. But only until Mid March. Harrods would not ship this beauty to Germany either. I found a place in Italy that sells this one in both sizes and I will get mine next month when I will fly down. It is such a great perfume. I consider myself lucky that a good Sniffafriend and fellow traveler to Sniffa in Florence last year forwarded a sample to me.
Would I have know this fragrance last summer I would have been all over Florence to get this. Guess I dont have to mention that I love your pictures.
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Flora -- I agree! My interest in The Party fragrance was piqued precisely because of its blatant retro leanings, and when I first took it for a test, I totally fell for it. Bless Lucky Scent, indeed.
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Katie -- thanks for the memory jog re: Labdanum 18 and BaV. I knew there was something I was supposed to remember when I opened my scent cupboard the morning after returning, but I got so distracted with my Party package/bottle that it flew right out of my head.
I'm thinking I need a few dear, ship-passing-in-the-night random ladies of my own who might have original formulations to spare. I'm putting an ad on Craigs List immediately!
It's difficult to recommend one specific Ormonde Jayne, since so many of them are terrific (though I was not at all pleased with Ta'if), but if push comes to shove, I'd say that you likely are a Tolu girl with all its rich, bold, balsamic loveliness; however, I have a friend of mine who totally *hearts* the Ormonde Jayne Frangipani -- a bright and exotic tropical floral with a hint of vanilla at its core. Perfect for the upcoming spring and summer months.
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Diva! I'm kind of loving the idea of a sultry photo session with the unglamorous, stubborn bottle of Royal Secret II.
I'll have to throw a feather boa around its neck and see how it goes . . . ;)
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Bettina -- I tried to contact a store in Florence regarding the Party In Manhattan, but I never received a reply and I figured it was because they wouldn't ship to the U.S., so (again) thank god for Lucky Scent. Congrats that you're flying to Florence soon and can get a bottle in your hands. As you're well aware, it's worth the effort to seek out.
And that was a very kind SniffaFriend, indeed.
Thanks for appreciating the photos, and for taking the time to leave a comment!
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