I wasn’t sure whether to get a second bottle of Infini after half using another one. My first one was a pressurized atomizer, early 70’s PdT that, while green and wonderful at first, became sour, stale and ugly after a few minutes. I’m guessing poor storage and expired propellant had the upper hand upon that gorgeous tobacco green haze that couldn’t survive more than a couple of minutes. Some weeks ago I came upon a pristine and boxed infinity bottle of the PdT as well, in the gray geometric box. 1974 batchcode and a bargain price. And here goes. This version of Infini is vastly different from my previous one, although both are roughly the same year. Infini, as many Caron’s, is known to be notoriously batch sensitive; the same concentration can vary significantly from one bottle to another. One greener, the other heavier on tobacco, ones with a prominence of narcissus while others offer a nondescript floral melange. My bottle goes from a Calèche/Madame Rochas prim aldehydic-ness to a greener, irisy N°19. My first Infini opened with a bitter herbal green; grassy, wheaty, smoky. Soon after, it died. This Infini opens with sparkling aldehydes. Soapy, a little bit astringent even. What follows is a tender floral medley that doesn’t show a prominence of narcissus. Hence the comparison to the above two same period classics. At this point, even though stronger than Calèche and Madame Rochas, I don’t find it particularly different or memorable. Had it been a narcissus heavy variant, I would’ve felt different. And honestly, it doesn’t start to impress me until the heart notes start showing. A smoky vetiver, rich foliage and spicy coriander take center stage, along a very Chanelesque iris, touch of galbanum and what I believe is a dollop of Mousse de Saxe. Among the golden tobacco tendrils, the abundance of green and the lick of civet, a leathery narcissus creeps timidly, but the floral star becomes the iris and the lilac. I can smell the cool beauty of vintage N°19 edp, but, with the leathery undertones of a 1940’s perfume. At this point it has nothing to do with futurism but more with the past. It lingers like this for hours, projecting vividly, before the base engulfs me in sandalwood with slight coumarinic sweetness. The greenness never really subsides but the leathery darkness slowly takes over before fading away almost a full day later. The 60’s and 70’s were all about space age, pixie do’s and mini skirts among spider lashes and plexi chairs. Shag carpets, orange and maroon furniture amidst avocado green bathrooms, all the while Paco gave us Mētal and Calandre, Yves gave us Rive Gauche and Robert Piguet was taking us into the Futur while Courrèges was Empreinte(ing) us its signature! Infini tries to tap into the future, but after the sparkle of the opening starts to fade, it really just goes to the past. The classic and solid bases of the house are still here, even if less noticeable. Is it possible it harks to the original 1912 Infini? I couldn’t say. Infini was marketed to the young and free woman of the time. Modern, vivid, full of life. But underneath it all, it can’t hide the good upbringing of the house, its masterpieces that came before, and offered another excellent perfume with quality and class. Subtle differences and a different approach to the green and floral aldehydic, make Infini one to try. It didn’t win me over easily, but it has become a favorite in no time. Stunning!