Alchimie Rochas for women

Alchimie. My mother kept her bottle, carefully stored in its box, like a treasure.

I had a delicious but somewhat confused memory of a powdery vanilla scent, enhanced with a warm plum and a soft, enveloping caramel. A wonder.

Unfortunately, 26 years later, it has aged very poorly. On my skin, I could only detect a light and fleeting vanilla note. Disappointment, I who loved this perfume in the past, I would have liked to be able to smell it again in all its splendor. This will no longer be possible.

I would love for Alchimie to make a comeback, but it's a pipe dream...

Lo avevo comprato nel 99 perché mi piaceva la boccetta.
Però questo profumo io non lo capisco. Non lo capivo all'epoca e non lo comprendo adesso.
Sento una nota fredda e tagliente che non permette al bouquet di scaldarsi.
Resta troppo denso e troppo duro,mi ricorda Tocadilly o Tocade di Rochas ma non saprei definirlo.

Smells like old makeup to me. It's a very heavy and powdery scent. Persistence is good though, washed my hands with soap and could still feel the smell.

Atrevo-me a dizer que é um dos melhores perfumes alguma vez pensados e concebidos.
Na minha pele a duração era imensa e tinha uma grande projecção, não deixava ninguém indiferente por onde eu passava.
Uma fragrância Única, Audaz, carismático, doce, quente e atalcado e algo que nos deixa enfeitiçados.
Não percebo a razão para terem descontinuado esta maravilha, venderia milhões com certeza.

@Nimu if yours smells like window cleaner it is - definitely - off!

This is one of my all time favourites. I imagine a woman in her 30s, who's seen the world, who used to be free-spirited, and now her curiosity and unquenchable thirst for the world matured into a quest for wisdom and compassion through her past experience. It's gentle and sophisticated, but alluring and so charmingly intoxicating! Though I fall short of that imaginary woman, it grounds me and gives me a boost of confidence whenever I wear it. To me, this fragrance is an inspiration in a bottle. When I first discovered it in 2017, I bought a backup bottle without hesitation. My only regret now is that I did not get the pure perfume version of it that I could still find back then. Without hesitation, I call this fragrance 'the' floriental of my life.

Got a 2ml sample vial. I get Johnson’s baby shampoo - heavy on the florals. Pleasant & clean fragrance but it doesn’t spark something in me sadly.

I don’t know if it is just my sense of smell or the old sample but I didn’t get any fruit, except for a hint of coconut perhaps. Disappointed about that.

Overall, I wouldn’t bother paying ridiculous prices for a vintage bottle as it will probably smell as mine does. Glad I didn’t take the risk. If you can get a bottle for a normal retail price (not eBay prices) and like powdery scents you’ll enjoy it. Otherwise save your money.

Absolute love. Its a well blended compact scent, not too sweet, not too strong or coying, not tart. If you get your hands on it - BUY IT

Look like I'm one of the lucky few that found a vintage half full bottle rummaging through drawers. It was my mother's and is at least 30 years old. She stopped wearing perfume many years back. I primed my wrists, pumped 2 sprays and was reminded for a fleeting moment how good she smelled because it was gone in seconds. I'll be keeping the bottle, though. It's gorgeous.

Remembered that one as a magic perfume from my childhood and as many others was hunting it for years.
Finally got beautiful not used 30 ml bottle - definitely I expected much much more.
It's recognizeable peach and maybe bit plum, not over sweet, with hint of warm spices. I do not feel that crazy variety of notes from pyramid, it smells nice and warm and feminine, but nothing to die for.
I dare to say that for 90% of experienced fragrantica members that would be nothing special, and it's much more about how rare and expensive it is, and maybe bit of good memories))

I was lucky to score a brand new 100ml flacon, sealed and in perfect condition for a very cheap price, some years ago, and it is one of my most treasured perfume unicorns in my collection..

It opens with fresh sweet notes, of peach, florals and sweet caramel with a woody drydown, when it gets deeper and deeper.

A shame that original perfumes like this had been discontinued.. I wear it very sparingly since it's so ridiculously expensive and hard to find, but every time I wear it I feel enveloped on warm sweetness.

My bottle is from year 2000 and the color and scent still amazing, very happy to have it in my collection.. this is one of a kind.. and very representative of its time.

I found one unopened bottle in my aunts drawer. Still wrapped and boxed sitting there in the dark. She gave it to me and I am so happy. I opened it and I think it is still good no sourness at all.
What a fragrance! Elegance in a bottle. It is mixed so well, it is woody, sweet and musky at the same time but nothing is cloying or overwhelming. I can't get any notes on it's own. I feel so deep, elegant and sexy wearing it.

Love it, love it, love it.
Why oh why, has this gem been discontinued?

A perfect creamy balance of fruits, amber, and spices.
Never cloying, always enveloping.
Such a beauty. So glad I still have a small stash.
(not really very close but giving a similar albeit less complex- vibe, mainly due to the similar base notes: Cap d'Ambre by Dr. Ricaud -actually Cd'A is even closer to Caron's Aimez-Moi, come to think of it.)

If you find it, buy it.

World’s silliest think is to discontinue this georgous parfume. I cant believe. This is the best fragrance ever made since today. This must be a joke. When u wear this parfume everywhere you go, everything you touch smells. This is the fathet of all signature parfumes. The biggest problem today is always this: This parfume is so poor, its nice but poor. I want to ask ROCHAS WHY???? You have made one parfume and it was Achimie. Congratulations you discontinue 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Nazalost, ja sam ovaj parfem otkrila prosle godine kad je vec prestao sa proizvodnjom. Omg, koja ljepota mirisa. Tako je bogat, damski, zenstven, elegantan, zanosan. Mislim da bih ovaj parfem izabrala ako bih morala samo jedan da uzmem.


Unfortunately, I discovered this perfume last year when it had already stopped production. Omg, what a beauty scent. It is
so rich, ladylike, feminine, elegant, seductive. If I had to choose one for my whole life, it would be the one

Summary: A warm, sweet but airy powder. The sweet but airy part is an unusual combination and very well done.

I own a sample. (thanks olgaolga19)

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I have tried a lot of powdery perfumes and enjoy them and their diversity. This is the first one I tried that, in my opinion, manages to be both clearly sweet and warm, and clearly airy and almost crystalline. It is very very well done.

The peach is sweet and juicy, while the pear is watery and fragrant, but not too sweet. I experience these fruity notes in oscillation, sometimes sweet and fuzzy warm, sometimes watery and flowy like a river. The vanilla is elegantly present without overpowering, and the powdery flowers are light and airy like a white winter morning.

The other notes, I experience them as an elegant, balanced perfume-y (in the best sense) mix I cannot describe well.

The end result is simultaneously cozy, serene and energizing, very elegant but also sexy in an understated way. And bright, clear bright.

I like it very very much.

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Edited to add: after some hours (5 or 6h) it morphs into a sweeter peach-vanilla sweeter mix, but never veers into sticky or jammy territory. Just loses the bright and clear quality, keeping the warm and cozy one. This last phase keeps the scent close to skin only, but remains there for a further 6 or more hours.

I am so lucky to still have in a sealed box the special edition of a crystal bottle of Alchimie. I still have two bottles of the normal packaging that i do sparingly use. Its is a fragrance that is complex yet simple and clean. I love how the fragrance changes from fresh in the initial spray it is, then transcends to summery, warm and cozy. It is creamy and oh so smooth. When wearing the fragrance I do get people asking what the scent is. So sad it was discontinued. If anyone knows of anything similar I sure would love to know, but until thenIll be keeping my rare stash close. Truly a real jewel of a fragrance.

I received this in a lovely giveaway and it's quite an intriguing scent. It starts with a warm pear/peach on me with hints of vanilla. It's a warm, soft fragrance with some mystery. I'll have to edit my review as I try it again.

The bottle is an adorable little pumpkin shape, and that matches the season I imagine I would wear this in: Fall/autumn.

EDIT: Ultimately this reminds me of scents my great-grandma would wear when I was growing up. It's comforting in that way but not something I would personally wear as a perfume so I've decided to swap it for something I will appreciate more.

I've just snagged a bottle of eBay..
Mmmm it's a very sweet vanilla scent.
But nothing beats the random urges I get to sniff the bodyshop vintage vanilla.
It's the scent I crave

Up until recently I owned a small decant of the original Rochas Alchimie which I treasured as part of my collection. The top notes had sadly disappeared due to age, but much of the heart and drydown still remained and was as beautiful as ever.

Despite the fact that my decant of Rochas Alchimie lacked the fruity opening everyone raves about, I did thoroughly enjoy the rich, somewhat warm drydown of peach, pear, vanilla, tonka bean and amber.

It wore very much like a skin-scent on me; soft and inviting rather than brash. Rochas Alchimie would make a wonderful mid-season fragrance as it has a fresh fruity opening on a base of oriental and vanillic accords. I enjoyed Rochas Alchimie best when worn in the comfort of my own home, while relaxing after a nice warm bath. This fragrance was for me like a 'big, warm hug'.

It's unfortunate that this fragrance had to be discontinued along with many other beautiful, classic Rochas fragrances. Rochas as a fragrance house has lost the standing it once had within the industry, which is a real shame seeing that every single one of their fragrances were both unique and beautifully composed. If I had a never-ending bank balance, I would likely hoard them all.

It may be gone, but it is not forgotten. I eagerly anticipate the day when I cross paths with Rochas Alchimie once more.

This is so lovely. The opening reminded me of Boucheron Jaipur (also a discontinued gem) only this turns sweeter and more gourmand, but drier. At the same time, there is something punchy in this fragrance, that i cant put my finger on. Lovely fragrance!

Another wonderful fragrance that was undeservedly discontinued... One of my favorite fragrances from Rochas. Warm, cozy and with the right amount of sweetness, without being cloying, or overwhelming, or smelling like a dessert like most perfumes these days.
They should bring this one back one day, if not permanently, at least as limited editions from time to time so that we could enjoy it again. The bottle was stunning too.

It is a classic, elegant, everyday scent. Bright, feminine and warm. To me it is not a gourmand category, at least not that usual gourmand. I would rather tell it's a classy fruity-floral. However, the caramel note is intensive, so it could be called as a define gourmand. The bottle is very lovely, like a little pumpkin, so cute. And I also like the liquid color. And of course, the fragrance itself is also really good. When I showed it to my grandmother, she said, that it is the best perfume she ever tried. :)

Oh the holy goodness in a bottle! I want to bury my face in my armpit where I sprayed it and never come back out.
I'm going to have to find more elaborate words to describe it but simply, fragrances like these are not being made anymore these days. This is high quality.
It smells feminine, expensive, makes you feel happy. It's rich and warm and sexy. I'm blown away.

THANK YOU SCARBO!! :)

Sexy perfume, woody, musky and sweet at the same time. I used it in winter and my husband loved to smell it on me. I can't find it any more.

Gigi the Fashionista: I'm sure what you've written about Alchimie is interesting BUT your review is WAAAAAY too long. Sorry!

Fragrance Review For Alchimie

Rochas

Top Notes

Bergamot Mandarin Grapefruit Cassia Black Currant Cucumber Pear Plum Hyacinth Lilac

Middle Notes

Coconut Black Locust Wisteria Jasmine Heliotrope Rose Lily of the Valley

Base Notes

Vanilla Caramel Licorice Amber Tonka Bean Sandalwood Musk


Alchimie (1998) By Jacques Cavallier

The Alchemy Of Fragrance

Through where else eBay I got my hands on this very rare vintage beauty. The bottle is a unique artsy looking and very pretty chemical potion, like something you'd find in the alchemist lab in the Renaissance or 16th century courts of Europe like John Dee who served Queen Elizabeth I. The color of the liquid is pumpkin-orange and there is a charming retro quality to the bottle. Don't you just love these type of bottles for your fragrances? I collect fragrance bottles the way some people collect stamps! The idea seems to be that this is an Oriental but I was expecting something heftier smokier like an incense or something muskier and more mature but no. This is totally a gourmand, a sweet fruity Floriental. It smells of summer, fruit cocktails and tropical islands in the Caribbean. If this is meant to somehow evoke the alchemist magicians of the high Renaissance, well Nostradamus took a trip to the New World and discovered Aruba island and became intoxicated on fruit booze.

As it opens, the freshness of a slight aldehyde embraces all the different fruit notes. There's peach, bergamot orange, mandarin, grapes/currant pear and a cucumber. Now usually cucumber does very well as a fragrant aroma chemical note, but it's typically found in shampoos and conditioner. So for me this had a slight sort of fruity hairspray or shampoo kind of smell but it doesn't match up with most fruity shampoos either. It's very deep and juicy and that peach is more of an apricot. This is a fruit concentrate and boozy daiquiri. It reminds me of Yves Saint Laurent CHAMPAGNE or YVRESSE as well as Chopard CASMIR. It's also a very typical 1990's fruity floral. The fruits are front and center with a delicious mélange of peach and citrus not to mention plum, a very distinct deep plum juice which totally matches up with the purplish grapes and currant buds. This is a very fruity tropical drink with coconut and later on a vanilla and carmel flavor. So if you like fruity perfumes look no further than this big fruit punch.

The heart is floral with heady white jasmine, green floral notes of lily of the valley, fresh hyacinth, lilac, powdery heliotrope and rose. These are very pretty flowers sweetened up by the fruit notes and made unmistakably feminine with the vanilla and caramel that develops in the dry notes. As it dries it's a distinctive vanilla, amber, musk, and sandalwood, the Oriental touches are similar to Casmir by Chopard (whereas the opening and top notes are like Champagne Yves Saint Laurent). It's a delicious concoction and because it has been discontinued and hardly any one wears it's going to make quite the statement on you. One might say that this kind of fruit perfume is mature but definitely not old lady ish to my nose. It's youthful and fresh and quite sweet.

When dry this is a bit musky, it's a gourmand scent with caramelized amber, licorice or root of licorice (somewhat like the licorice root I smell from Guerlain Samsara) and with that sandalwood note all the more inky, perfumy, strong and sweet. This is a fragrance bomb so all you need is one spritz in the right pulse point. It will sweeten up your hair too if you spray it near your hair. Because of the fruit it's great for wearing to the beach in the summer time. It's also giving me a IBIZA HIPPIE from Escada kind of smell though not 100 percent like that. It's tropical fruity and sweet with musk and vanilla dry notes, caramel, amber and sandalwood. I love the notes and the number of notes. If they exceed more than 6 or 8 I'm happy! This is also not overwhelming or headache inducing though if you spray too much the whole thing is like fruit cornucopia in your face.

Sadly Rochas has discontinued this fragrance and the only site that I know of where you can make a purchase is on eBay. They sell the 3.4 ounce eau de parfum spray bottle and miniature dab on bottles. I think if you go with the minis you can more easily wear this by applying it to your neck bosom or wrists and not get too much of the sillage and power-fragrance that overwhelms you with the spray bottle of the eau de parfum. The spray bottle is just too cute for me to resist so I went with the EDP bottle.

Thank You Rochas

Oh come on!!!!!! Why does this have to be sooooo darn expensive? ????? This is friggen gorgeous!!!!! Ohhhh how I love thee sooooo much! This is like sweet warm peach pie with a vanilla glaze or fresh churned vanilla ice cream, with a whole lot of class. And talk about has some lasting power! Mais yeah, dats some good, cher! (Sorry...This scent brought out a little of my cajun side) lol

So happyy!! I have found two treasures: cheap bottles of Alchimie, on a Dutch website that is equivalent to ebay. One EDP and surprisingly an EDT (smaller bottle, and less potent) but still divine. I cannot imagine how I lived so many years without it. i had a bottle when I was in highschool and could never find it since. It now reached absurd prices on E-bay and even so, very few small bottles. Advice for everyone: Check out your national or local equivalent of Ebay, people often don't know how to use ebay, or dont have credit cards so they simply stay away. And so do their treasures, they fly under our noses :)

This is a much poorer and weaker twin sister of Chopard's Mira-Bai.
And although it may sound iconoclastic to some Alchimie followers, IMHO, there's no legend behind it and no alchemy in it.
Just a sweet vanilla scent...

And with my skin's chemistry it turns out that the sillage and longevity is almost NONE.
Disappointment.

Thanks to a lovely fragrantican i get to sample this....ive been curious about this for some time...initial sprits my nose zooms in on the mimosa heliotrope pairing...i usually cant tolerate these 2 at all but the coconut blurs them so that i dont scrub...i get the fruityness and the lovely amber caramel facets....yes i like this. Its soft creamy and multi faceted.

I love all Rochas perfumes, but this one is a bottle I truly treasure..the container is beautiful and it contains a beautiful fragrance-I only spray it on special occasions. Wearing it though feels almost as if travelling through time and being a woman across all ages..universal, eternal. Such a shame it`s discontinued..

Alchimie is so rare and beautiful that, most of the time, I feel like I'm not worthy of spraying it. When I do indulge in a squirt of this precious fragrance, the feeling I get is pure rapture with each whiff. I feel like Alchimie chooses to give us these elated feelings, and for that I love her like a friend and can see why others covet her as well.

Alchemie is shimmering, yet structured. When I smell it I envision swirling fabrics: Lustrous taffeta in shades of orange and gold with purple glass beading and magenta sequins adorning it. I see velvet in crimson and voile in plum; both fabrics embroidered with gold thread in a swirling filigree pattern.

Sun-warmed fruits (fuzzy peach, smooth plum, firm pear), decadent caramel, and dense, frilly purple florals stand out on my skin, while the happiest blend of sweet-spice (tonka, woods, and a hint of licorice) create a captivating base. The drydown takes all the facets and beauty of the opening and middle and adds a dusting of floral-like powder.

Alchimie is a feeling; a magical genie in a lamp. The bottle suits the scent inside perfectly. I wish it weren't so difficult to find, but the price is worth it.

Very elegant and classy floriental scent, enveloping, soft and cozy. I wonder how could the house of Rochas, having such gems as Alchemie, Lumiere and Byzance in it's treasury, waste them all? Sad story, but Alchemie is still Alchemie! By the way, the juice is very HQ. I have found an old vintage bottle, already used and "forgotten" on the shelf about 15 years ago, but still in perfect condition. Alchemie - what else?!

After reading of so many of so respected reviews I managed this one in an EDP version to be finally obtained.This creamy -soft-sweety-balsamic concoction evolves on my skin up to the sky and brings me a touch of so desirable sense of peace, calmness, contentedness and just of divine serenity of a soul. Such a beauty... But being so gloriously gorgeous herself she gracefully stays a half-step behind me.. She is surrounding me with this mesmerizing aroma as with an Angel wings shielding from the harsh reality of the outside world... so soft so comforting and so harmonious. Yes, this is an alchemy but of that kind where in its blending process of so many ingredients we witness the birth of one perfect soul which would never lie or betray. A true love I would call this one..

how warm,sweet and beatyful...it is not special, I have only a miniature, dont know from which year, but it is definitely old, still nice smell, i like it a lot. I love it after bath, in winter, evening, feel so cosy..

I am so impressed by it. Such heavy notes as caramel and peach and vanilla sound translucent and sparkling due to citruses and perhaps some white flowers. It is haute cuisine of perfumery - the blend of completely different textures, notes, hues creates a harmony and make you fly.
Also I like how gently this perfume gets your receptors - wave after wave, appearing and disappearing - it plays with you.
A masterpiece.

What a beautifully complex creation! This is a real perfume, not like today's products which are made of 3-10 fragrant compontents and shamelessly called "perfume".
They don't make such creations nowadays sadly. :(

For those who love Alchimie and have not been able to find a signature scent since it was discontinued... try Givenchy "Ange ou Demon Le Parfum & Accord Illicite"... Please understand that it does not smell anything like Alchimie... but it is just as unique and is very sensual and complex. I absolutely love it!

Alchimie was my beloved, The One Desire D&G reminds of it in the heart notes (caramel, amber and vanilla). At least smth similar if I cannot have Alchimie.

Ι had this gem back in the days and now is so difficult to find. It is totally unique. I cannot think something that smells similar to it. Sad that it was discontinued. All I can tell about it is elegance. I am thinking of a successful woman wearing it at the office. I cannot picture it as inviting or sexy, but as aloof and cold in a nice way. Oh the caramel and peers, along with the vanilla and sandalwood and a hint of orange! So unique, with great sillage and longevity. Perfect for a winter or autumn day or night.

Have a sample and it's intoxicating in a extremely pleasant way. I put it on when I go to bed on rare occasion because it feels sinful and indulgent ...like it will elicit a response from my husband that I can't afford or accommodate all the time. I have to admit he's not reacted that way but the fact that it makes me feel that way is enough. It's the type of perfume that you don't want to use too much of because it's so rich.. beyond rich!! A little goes a long way.

The "long way" strikes me as a to be a trip to past centuries where scents were meaningful and part of the whole early 1500's alchemy experience and way of life experience. I love the otherworldly experience that this scent imparts. I like that it's a little secret indulgence.

If I could afford it...I might try it on a regular basis but it might be a bit intense for co-workers on a day to day basis. It's like reading a great historical fiction book..which I LOVE!!

Pompous fragrance. Fruits wiped with spring flowers and polished by caramel. Pretty much gourmand on me. Among flowers cassia and wisteria are very prominent, the pollen of lilac made me sneeze few times, coconut leaves deep milky trail, similar with Serge Lutens Jeux de Peau's one.
Very complicated, but easy-to-appreciate, memorable scent.

I have a tiny sample of this, and I am afraid for when it runs out! I've had it sitting in my drawer for years!

Alchimie is that perfect fragrance for this time of year, when summer has faded, and autumn is peeking through. I don't doubt this would be a superb fragrace for wintertime too, but it has such a warmth to it, it feels like that autumn sun trying to warm the chilly mornings.

A warm, calm, fruity, comforting masterpiece. I don't find it cloying, it snuggles against the skin, and has a timeless elegance to it.

Now to try and get my hands on a bottle of the stuff! *sigh*

An oriental, fuzzy, fruity vanilla. Soft, warm & sweet.

The citrus top notes in my bottle have long since turned and upon application the opening is lacking some of the beauty I once knew back when this was gifted to me by my aunt at Christmas, many moons ago. The gift set I received contained a miniature bottle, a 50ml bottle and a shimmering body lotion - all contained within a lovely glittering golden box.

This was a love at first sniff affair and is still one of the most beautiful takes on vanilla I've ever known, even now that it's turned.

The "turned" scent has taken on a distinctly "sun lotion" vibe, like a sun lotion that's, pardon the pun, sat in the sun for far too long. Once the "bad" notes lift at around three quarters of an hour in, the middle and dry down is almost exactly as I remember. The blackcurrant is lovely here as it's very subtle and doesn't overtake the floral notes at all, so when I say to myself that this is a "fruity floral", I'm not really including the blackcurrant note. It's far from being a fruity scent in a dark berries way, but more so from the mandarin, peach, pear and grapefruit - in that order. The plum is subdued along with the blackcurrant and just stops the scent from becoming too citric.

I can't recall the sun lotion vibe being there when I wore this in the past, but it is probably caused by the mandarin, pear, coconut and cucumber. It actually makes the scent smell a little like Sweet Sun by Dior to me.

When I first read that this was discontinued, I stopped using my bottle and have regretted it ever since. I have this habit of hoarding, and so I refrained from using this for fear of finding myself unable to replace my bottle. I have therefore missed out on enjoying it to the last drop simply because I'm stubborn.
Now it's nowhere near as lovely as it used to be. However, it is, without a doubt, still very lovely.

I don't really smell much of the licorice, but I do get smooth caramel and sandalwood in the drydown. It's very sweet and slightly effervescent from the jasmine & heliotrope, with some smokiness from the tonka bean and musk. (Nothing animalic in the musk here).
The caramel, amber, sandalwood and heliotrope combo makes for a very enjoyable and unique vanilla oriented scent. The honeyed jasmine and lilac take the fore with the vanilla while the other floral notes all play off each other with none really standing above the rest. There's a slightly sharp edge to the powderiness of this which I think is the coconut, heliotrope and licorice combo, putting me in mind, though only tenuously so, of Hypnotic Poison.

Rather light, but this is a longlasting scent. It becomes a skin-scent after around two or three hours, but can last for up to ten hours on my skin.

A good replacement for this is Cinéma by YSL (PRE REFORMULATION - CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH). It has less going on; is more sparkling and linear, citrussy vanilla, but it certainly has the same aura and contains many of the same notes as Alchimie, not to mention both having the same "nose" behind them. I'm very surprised that almond, or almond blossom is not listed as a note here, given that this note is unmistakably present in both scents.

Actually, today I applied Alchimie solely because I received a sample of Omnia Crystalline Eau de Parfum by Bvlgari. The moment I applied it I thought of Alchimie. The orange in Omnia Crystalline is much more pronounced than in Alchimie, but there's a very distinct similarity.

Sadly, Omnia Crystalline, like Cinéma, is a far more airy, much watered down version of Alchimie.
So, Alchimie may reign supreme over both, but as it's almost impossible to acquire these days and is terribly expensive, I believe either one of those could (almost, nearly) fill the gap left behind by this unique and inimitably complex scent.

I treasure my two bottles of this. They're very dear to me. Over the years I have become eternally grateful to my aunt for turning me on to so many masterpieces such as this. (The most impressive of which was the original version of Yohji Yamamoto Essential, which has remained to this day exactly as it was the moment I cracked it open in '99! I dread to think what the re-release/reformulation is like!)

This is a beautiful scent, conjuring the image of sunshine peeking shyly from behind a cloud and casting its rays upon rows of sunflowers.
The drydown is truly unlike anything else, and Alchimie contains the best interpretation of blackcurrant that I've ever known in a scent.
A real masterpiece from the late nineties.

(Edit - just want to share my joy to discover that my bottle HAS NOT in fact turned! It was just the scent in the spray tube that was a bit "funky" - while the scent in the bottle remains intact and smelling heavenly, still!)

I feel compelled to write another review of Alchimie, as I have just received some sample vials that I bought on eBay and have been able to smell and wear this perfume for the first time in probably fifteen years or more. I have to say that I no longer like it… I love love LOVE it! It smells even better than I remember and is absolutely to my taste. Now to try to get hold of an actual bottle of this...

It is truly orient elixir, deep, warm, totally stunning. Not true that it matches only elder ladies! I was using it in my early 20ties. Felt like a goddess while wearing it:)

This is probably my favourite out of the perfumes that my Mum used to wear. I tried it myself when I was younger but didn't feel that it really suited me. Now I'm in my late thirties I could definitely imagine wearing this. It's a magical and unusual fragrance that's both sweet and sexy, just how I like my perfumes! What a pity it's been discontinued and so hard to get hold of now. Such a beautiful and complex blend of notes. I'm surprised that Rochas discontinued this one, it was very special indeed.

EDIT: Just to be clear, I'm in no way saying that Alchimie can or should only be worn by more mature women, simply that I feel it probably suits my personality now better than it did when I was younger.

Scratch my former review. That's right, I pulled my Alchimie outta the closet and gave it a good dusting as it will be a permanent fixture in my rotation from now on;) I've somehow managed to fall in love with this.. I refused to give up on it, and boy has it paid off;) Alchimie is remarkable, positively complex, and it gives me that classic, natural vanilla I've been looking for. Not overly sweet like today's concoctions. I'm no longer being bombarded with heady white florals here...though it's still slightly present, I now get more syrupy pear, black currant, wisteria, and caramel in its place. And ohh, This is so elegant and uniquely powdery; it smells like makeup; like my mom's old blushes and compacts. I think that's why I am so drawn to it in terms of comfort. This is 100% woman, an old Hollywood diva. A vintage smelling masterpiece that even the youngin's will love! Time to whip out the pearls and red lipstick 'cause I'm feelin glamorous! Prada Candy, take a seat.

I now have in my possession a new 30ml bottle of Alchimie. I LOVE the bottle! The beautiful translucent orange and the shape - lovely.
The smell is not something I would normally go for but I find myself being a little bit seduced by Alchimie.
I bought it with a view to resale, as it seems to be so rare and in demand, but am now wondering if it's a 'keeper'... hmmm.
I don't find Alchimie madly 'fruity', at least certainly not in the prevalent and modern sense of fruity.
I agree that this fragrance undergoes subtle changes - at first it s l i g h t l y reminds me of YSL Paris - a very mild version of that with a 'hairspray' edge to it.
That sounds horrible but when I sniff Alchimie, I don't feel that 'ugh, cheap!' reaction that you get with a lot of cheapo hairspray-alike frags. Instead, I feel actually, physically, strangely.. lulled by it. Calmed and lulled. And this frag feels PERFECT for the sort of hot Summer weather we're having (no doubt briefly!) here in the UK at the minute.
I've read a lot of online comments from people lamenting that there is nothing at all like Alchimie for them. A few frags come to mind for me when sniffing Alchimie. The above-mentioned Paris, which I think Alchimie shares a facet with - that rose/violet thing, at least it's that to my nose.
Not saying they're the same or anywhere near, but another frag I would suggest trying, if you're mourning Alchimie, is LaCoste pour Femme. They share a fresh but wistful quality.
Also, I find a passing similarity to Yves Rocher Cantate/Cantata, although that is 'nuclear' in staying power and Alchimie is much softer and more subtle.
Oh, and don't be tempted to get Casmir to substitute - Casmir and Alchimie are very different animals! Again, Alchimie is much more subtle for a start. I find the 2 smells very different too and as someone mentioned, Alchimie is much more of a 'skinscent' whereas Casmir is a fruit/vanilla POWERHOUSE that you either love or hate. :)
Finally, I find Alchimie to have almost an acquatic tinge to it - slightly reminiscent of something like Cacharel Eau d'Eden.
I may be willing to give up Alchimie within the UK, still deciding!
PS - another one to consider; at the end of its drydown, Alchimie smells JUST LIKE Donna Karan's Cashmere Mist!
Update 13/07/13: I am selling this on Ebay but still wavering over whether to end the auction and keep it! I bought Fath de Fath, based on the similarity votes on here, as a cheaper alternative and it's nothing like Alchimie - poo!

Oh I am such a fan of fragrances with a complex selection of notes, I love the changes in the development as you wear them. Alchimie has this cult status because it was one of few perfumes in it's day that were changing the face of fragrances which for a long long time had been dominated by aldehydes and cloying florals and unfortunately this was discontinued very quickly like a lot of other gems. I had dithered over this one due to the note that another reviewer had pointed out- the cassis/blackcurrant which I also find can have that cat pee aroma- I kept testing it and trying to decide,and then I missed out which I have regretted ever since. I have been lucky enough to obtain a mini and the top notes have just started to turn,so the cassis is no longer present. This perfume is so interesting and uses notes that you would never dream of putting together,but it has been blended so skilfully. To me, the fruit presence is in the opening only with the translucent cucumber and spring flowers, the development then leads more into the florals- wisteria,lily of the valley and a hint of coconut- so unusual,but it works ! I get warmth from the amber and a rich woodyness from the sandalwood and yes,there is vanilla but it doesn't overtake everything else. I can't say much more about Alchimie other than this is one fragrance I really do wish they would bring back,as I wouldn't hesitate to rush out and buy it.I prefer this in winter or autumn and find it has a moderate to heavy sillage and is long lasting. Love,Love,Love !

I am not into fruity fragrances that much except for a few masterpieces ( e.g. Poison ) and I include Alchimie among them .
Once again I bow to Great Art in perfume creation . When the notes of a complex fragrance are well blended I realize that I love the result even if I would not expect that as the perfume does not belong to my favourite family .

To UrbanBeautiful : I am surprised to read that you find Alchimie so light . My skin is a little dry and fragrances do not last very long on me but Alchimie is one of the more longlasting ones ! It sticks to my skin : I can smell it neatly on my wrists even after dishwashing ( without gloves ! )

So sad that this gem is very hard to find !
From now on I am going to say : I usually do not like modern gourmands but I love Alchimie sweet grace .

This is only perfume for which i can say Love it!
Its my favorite, the best for winter. Too bad its hard to find it these days.

On my skin smells just like Houbigant Quelques Fleurs Royale. I just got a bottle and I'm very surprized ( got the original Alchimie to compare ! )

Well I get headaches easily and this one does deliver that! I thought for sure I'd love this one; I was so excited to get it. I see gourmand lovers who swear by this one(I'm gourmand girl all the way,) but I don't see the appeal! On me, I got a powdery floral.. A lot of jasmine, and a very small hint of vanilla after dry down. It is sweet, ill give it that.. But it's too powdery. I love powdery vanilla scents, but this is a powdery, creamy floral to my nose....it's actually like a dusty feeling, if that makes sense. I keep thinking the more I wear it, ill fall in love like I do with other scents. But to me, this is cloying and I am a girl that loves strong, heavy scents where everyone in the room knows a sweet aroma is coming from me. I was quite disappointed. It was fun looking for a discontinued, rare item-- but the novelty had worn away from the scent. Ah. Still all I get is jasmine to my nose.

I have this perfume and do not consider it anything like Prada Candy. It is a light scent. And my message to people that are interested in trying this, based on the notes, that this isn't as great as you might think. So don't knock yourself out about the discontinuation! I think even though most people are rating the vanilla, tonka bean, and carmel notes being at the top of the spectrum in this forum, a new person who was to try this, would not find this a sweet vanilla like concoction like the gormands of the past 3 years. I think this is because when this perfume was first created, gormand notes were not as prevelant as they are today. So now that we have such a slew of these notes on the market today (gormand)...None of the notes pull through to be individual in this composition or are what most people would be able to pull out of this scent. It is more like a soft melange of hmmmm, maybe a bit of vanilla with something going on around it. But it is not the vanilla that would find in let's say Comptoir Vanilla Sud...It is a very subdued vanilla, that is not syrupy or sweetish..But like a vanilla that has a slight capture of Shalimar...It doesn't smell like Shalimar, but it captures that weirdness that comes from so many notes...I don't rate this as a terrific creation. I think there are better ones out on the market.

I just bought myself a 30ml alchimie bottle on ebay... it looks quite real (although ive never seen one in a store) and dusty ^^ but the problem is... the scent really is quite nice, but thats it. i kinda dont smell anything at all... its soooo light, really pretty but soooo light. nothing special at all. And I really want to smell all that, but it basically smells like nothing. is the sillage really that light? or do you think ive been scammed?

It does not have the same strange dusty undertone as Prada. In my opinion, it does not smell anything like Candy at all. I think Alchimie is much more complex and in my opinion, better to wear.

This perfume was my first real fragrance love, it's like a warm cashmere jumper and mulled wine in front of a fireplace. I don't understand why they discontinued this but I still have one bottle, still sealed in its box. I'm torn between offering it for sale (I'm in deep financial trouble right now) and keeping it for myself as I have not yet found a new love after my other favourite scent, Theorema by Fendi, got discontinued too. :-(

This is my all time fav perfume. I could literally cry because this was no longer in production. After it was discontinued, I moved onto Sensi, which a few years later was ALSO discontinued. Since then (approx 4-5 years now) I have depressingly purchased perfumes without really falling in love with any of them. However, all of that changed this week!! I have been on holidays from work and decided to research until my little heart was content and find something, ANYTHING, that I could fall in love with. I have ended up purchasing two perfumes through the entire process:

1. Givenchy Amarige Mariage is certainly not identical to Alchimie, but freaking close! Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. It is not something I would have even thought to try, but if you love Alchimie, drag your butt to the nearest store and give it a try. Allow it to settle on your skin and I'm sure you'll be surprised!

2. Gucci by Gucci for Her (edp) - which is a lot more like Sensi than Alchimie, but when sprayed with Givenchy Amarige Mariage, I swear to god I have Alchimie again!

I hope this helps mend some broken hearts out there... I know mine is :) xxx

Alchemie, come back! Please!!!

Loved the bottle, not the scent...

Prada Candy is the new version of this perfume. I find Alchimie more sophisticated than Candy.

I bought mine from a small and old perfumeshop from Finland (my homecountry) about a year ago for a song... It is in perfect condition and a real treasure for me!

This "fume", as nyoka from Fragrantica would say, is not about flowers - to me it is a versatile gourmand mixture with a flowery edge. What you get first are peaches and pears and other fruits with a lot of vanilla, some caramel and a hint of coconut.

I have to say that nowadays I am not very keen on vanilla - every other perfume seems to be sweetened by vanilla. And here we have A LOT of that black savoury bean. But what kind of beans they are! Definitely not cheap, definitely not one-dimension cloying and too simple specimens of that spice. They are so delicate, so eatable, so yummy that you can't but take a good inhale of this creation of Jacques Cavallier, father of many perfumes I really appreciate.

After a while this merry-go-round slows a little when sandalwood steps forward and presents this perfume some seriousness you have maybe even missed. Now this has developed such a great composition that you really have to admire it. Original and intoxicating. Recognizable and long lasting.

I am so sorry to hear that Alchimie doesn't suit with everybody. But then, what does? We are so different... and thank God there is a huge variety of perfumes, vintage and contemporary, to match one's own chemistry! I am luckily able to enjoy this amber-coloured gem and I certainly do that - especially in wintertime when it is cold outside and you need something warm and soft to embrace you!

I was excited recently to obtain an unquestionably authentic carded spray sample of this almost universally lauded fragrance.

Unfortunately, my experience was very similar to that of oopsfauxpas. Not only did black currant and jasmine combine to produce the dreaded cat box odor, that smell was quickly augmented by a prominent cucumber note that morphed into the sickly sweet smell of pickle juice, specifically that of a jar in my fridge containing "Bread and Butter" pickle slices. Oy! So totally unexpected and such a disappointment since no Rochas has ever before failed to please.

I am truly jealous of those fortunate folk to whom and on whom this smells delightful.

Defintely try before buying!

An amazing scent! I'm keeping the bottle with just a few drops of perfume in it, just to have the chance to smell it from time to time.

I hope I can find it again someday.

I am also waiting for the return of this great scent!

Krmarich, wonderful description! I am a fan and i'm waiting for "Alchimie the return".

I almost forgot, I had a small bottle of Alchimie
years ago from a closeout store. Everything about it was beautiful and exotic. It was perhaps the last big compositions of the 20th C. I foolishly gave my bottle away.

It was more purple than anything-hyacinth, lilac and wisteria waving prettily. It was also very gourmand with cucumber, vanilla, coconut, liquorice, caramel and peach. It was an all ages fragrance that was not childish, by any means. It followed the trend of Lolita Lempica-you can try this to substitute.

It was a very clean springtime fragrance that flirted well. I can understand its popularity and cult following. Sadly it fell victim to "perfumaggedon" in 2001. It was quickly yanked from the shelves without warning. There wasnt time for reformulation. This was one of the more foolish decisions of the time...Perhaps Alchimie will return one day. I see many fans waiting.

I'm searching this desperately...please, If someone have the eau de parfum and want sell it, contact me!I'm from spain. Thank you!

I love to put this on in winter and then snuggle up in a cashmere jumper. A sexy, intense smell, use sparingly but then this sort of scent should only be caught by the man nuzzling your neck, shouldn't it? Anything else would be screaming "hello boys!" ;-)

This is my first oriental flower fragrance and I loved it. I bought two bottles but now it is disappeared. Why?

This is my favorite scent,deliciously sweet and slightly powdery, definitely no cat's piss smell on my skin, and also no cucumber smell on my skin.
I can smell the scent throughout the day.
My most beloved fume.

Dearest Alchimie - how I love your soft sweet notes. Your fruit, your florals, your musk and spices interplay on my skin like the finest string quartet serenading me with a Baroque masterpiece.

Sadly, the serenade ends too soon and within an hour, you are gone, like the promise of love from a long admired star. I shall try you again in the warmer months in the hope that you will tarry with me a bit longer.

*Sigh*

Sooooo beautiful, soooo carefully blended, sooo harmonic! Oh, Alchimie is way addictive, amazing scent! A gorgeous light oriental! I call my bottle "my beloved treasure". Such a pity it's been discontinued. Masterpiece, try it if you can!

Here is my second review for "Alchimie".
This is really strange, but i have worn it today when it is very hot outside and it smells good and different now than it used to smell during colder time of the year. Now i can smell the flowers, coconut, vanilla and the pear very well. When i tried it back then when it was cold it was all so dull and now it is blooming. Guess if i want to enjoy "Alchimie" i have to wear it during summer time. Now i can fully appreciate it´s delicate smell.
That´s just a chemistry thing. That´s Alchimie.

I had it back then and liked it. It's so bad it has been discontinued since many people still want it. It's a warm elegant oriental that is not too strong. It's good for day and night wear.

I wanted to try "Alchimie" for ages since the whole Rochas range isn´t sold in my country since early 2000´s or even earlier. So i only could imagine how it smells like based on a reviews of other members written here.

This must be one of the biggest dissapointments in my history of purchasing perfumes blind. Based on the bottle, advertisment and reviews i expected something if not extraordinary, but at least truly remarkable. But this one simply smells like mossy wood to me. No flowres really (well, maybe a little bit in the opening) and only the slightest hint of vanilla. I don´t understand why, maybe it has not right chemistry with my skin????
Well, magic didn´t happen after wearing "Alchimie" for hours, it still stays very dry on me. Either i will try it later with different type of wheather or it simply not my scent.

Please do not remove this comment, since others might find it useful. Not every review should be positive, so people like me wanted to make a blind buy might find it very informative. Thanks.

Superb!!!!!!!!!!!!
So sad it is discontinued though
I will never let it disappear from me :)
It indeed smells like sweet pumpkin <3
So adorable.

Best perfume ever!!!

I'm surprised this was discontinued. It's warm and pretty, and I liked it. It's not terribly unique, but it's also not comparable to many other scents on the market today, if that makes any sense. I guess what I mean is that it's not strikingly obvious in its difference, it's just a comfortable, familiar scent - but not one that you find in many other frags. It's soft enough for the office, and it's a really pleasant scent.

When I think about fragrances like Alchimie being discontinued I seriously think we should start a FRAGRANCE GREENPEACE!

endymion, I do believe someone has the right to her opinion, especially for the fact that this is a forum whereby we can contrast opinions. This way comments will come out as a whole, showing the two sides of the same coin.

I understand you are upset - I guess you love this fragrance. BUT I don t think you should criticize and offend a person for expressing her views the way you did. That is disgraceful.

oooopsfauxpas, i love your review! :) you put into words what I couldn't and I just realised how right you are as i used to have cats when was a child! thanks for the enlightenment :))

i have decided there is really no such thing as black currant. they went out, and photographed some toxic berry that probably even kills innocent birds, maybe even rats, to put a face on a cheap and easy to get substance.

ok folks, the big reveal: black currant is...LE PEE DE CHAT.

i read a fragrance list that has my mouth watering, and then comes the stinger.

i don't have cats anymore, not because i don't like them, it's just that the 4 mangy mutts would tear it and themselves apart with one word in their little, pea brains: LUNCH.

however, having been a cat owner of many cats that lived many years, i have to say that only if i am dogless, and a starving waif turns up on my door, i am reluctant to have the entire house smell like cat pis ... black currant.

no matter how big a truckload of other ingredients they throw in to try to trick us, or at least me, that cat pee is, as one would expect, completely, totally and overwhelmingly THE only thing i can smell.

so i usually get some sandpaper and clorox to TRY to remove it. then, aha, an epiphany.

i pulled out the old pee wee - i kid you not, i think. anyway, it's what pet owners reach for instead of a gun when one of the beasties wees in the house.

but after reading the raves of you loonies (just kidding, folks. kindly called eccentric to my face, i'm the alpha loonie everywhere i go), i put up with having my palm smell like a ripe litterbox just to see if the urine evaporated.

i have to say, gradually, as in gradually the flood was over and noah unloaded his cargo, the smell did indeed go through a dramatic metamorphosis.

now i am 52. i don't know how many of you will relate to my final comparison.

the dry down, finally free of eau de kitty, is very different.

when i was a kid, they made these cheapo baby dolls made of a pungent plastic. you'd squirt h20 down their gullet with a water filled baby bottle, and immediately you'd find that baby had a very fast kidney to bladder to lap ratio.

anyway, that sickly sweet, and some other smell that is probably that of cheap plastic, has stayed in my nasal memory.

so alchemie is a brilliant combo of cat urine and disgusting, outgassing plastique. (i figure since we're talking perfume, plastique sounds better.) but frankly, this bottle of nature meets Mrs. Robinson ("plastics, my boy, that's where the future lies. go into plastics" i paraphrase, but that was the advice some idiot gave dustin hoffman in the graduate, at his graduation party), and neither cat pee nor plast-ICK deserve to be euphemized.

since it stinks to the max, doesn't have a good tune or beat, and you can't dance to it, and even though i am passionate about our civil liberties and don't believe in censorship, there is always an exception.

i would attend an alchemie burning with every bit of enthusiasm i could muster, and i am an enthusiastic kind of person.

i think what i'll do with my bottle of cat piss and liquid plast-ick is go out on halloween dressed as an acquaintance i actively dislike, ring the doorbell of my pain the ass neighbor, and set the whole bang shot ablaze with a flamethrower and run away.

this is among the most godawful smells in the world, and though i am devoted to hyperbolic metaphor, i promise that none of the above has an ounce of exaggeration included.

alchemie reeks to high heaven. it is well named, so i have read. alchemists of old (probably of today, as well) were infamous for producing smells so wretched they had to practice in secret, in the bowels of a castle or a dunjeon, IF they had a sympathetic, financially endowed patron. AND STILL they were constantly being discovered and driven out of town and country. if they were ambushed on their way to their next mole hole and met with a little accident, no one was surprised. they were just relieved.

so i say we mount a witches brew hunt against this good replica of the sludge at the botom alchemsit's athanor, and we change its status to that of the dinosaurs - (all of whom, bar none, probably smelled like heaven by comparison.)

i know somtimes i am vague, so in case i didn't make my point:

i hate, loathe and despise this bottled stench. it has me longing to antagonize a skunk, which, if it does its usual thing, will end up dousing me with a scent much easier to wear as miles higher olafactory appeal.

and that, my friends, is just one person's experience of alchemie. i can only assume that i am, or you are, nose deaf.

well it takes all kinds: those who are wrong, and me. (LO very L).

Ha ha Adrienn, I get a LOT of cucumbers too! I find it one of the most difficult notes in a perfume. I used to have the shower gel too and the cucumber was even stronger in the gel!

well, reading the reviews, I was expecting somewhat really magical. BUT half the time i only got CUCUMBERS.
I mean CUCUMBERRRRRRSSS?????

ok, i struggled myself thru and then I got somewhat like a nice caramel. Suspect this is not why other people adore it so much.

I think I am done with it. I do not like to smell like a grocery store, sorry. Would love to smell on someone with different chemistry , though

Does anybody know where one can buy this treasure at a reasonable price? To make the quest even harder, does anybody know an on-line fragrance store with worldwide shipment where Alchimie is still available?

So happy to find this a little mini of this perfume. Cant stop smelling my wrist. Its like floating in a magical cloud. Scent that changes and transforms into something that is so difficult to explain. Light and a dark notes together creating something special. Flowery, yet oriental. A real Alchemie of the perfume.

Sometimes a scent can tug at your heart in a way that you can't tell whether a sweet distant memory is resurfacing, or you have visions of your future self as you'd like to be - it's an entirely vague but utterly overwhelming emotional experience that you don't even want to describe but simply enjoy the waves of it. That's what Alchimie does to me. What an appropriate name for a potion that can do all that!

I don't even know how to describe the physical scent; decomposing it into notes seems sacrilegious, and is anyway best left to someone who has a less of an emotional response to this marvel (no judgment!). The best I can do is to remark on the dichotomy between its alluring sweetness at the top and the underlying dangerous darkness, present through all of its 4-hour life on my skin.

Alchimie is a master-genius, an elixir of feminity, sex-appeal, elegance and mystery. I am a lucky owner of 100ml EDP and have been using it for years, on special occassions.
It is a fragrance I immediately fell in love with. It is not a fragrance for a teenage glitzy Barbie girl. That sensual fragrance is reserved for a mature classy woman, self confident, determined to achieve her goals.
The notes are boldly composed in a way that it is hard to detect them on their own.
Alchimie is a magical mixture that will certainly get your man on his knees, you watch it :-)
I highly recommend it, not only to licorice lovers as to my surprise the note is not dominating others, unlike in other perfumes.
To me - all other fragrances may not exists as long as Alchimie is still available in some parts of our globe.
Shame that such a perfume wonder was discontinued - the Rochas decision that is completely beyond me.
It is like running a marathon and stop one meter before the finishing line.
A complete utter nonsense!

This perfume was made when the perfume industry was interesting. I like the bottle, the shape and the smell. I bought two bottles yesterday, they were VERY expensive since this perfume is very rare now and in my country Rochas doesn't exist anymore. Even if I'm a man I recomend this perfume in any way (for women of course).

This is an absolutely gorgeous scent which I wore during a dark period of my life so I can't wear it now without being so sad.

I brought it the same time as my best mate brought Thierry Mulger Angel. It boggles the mind that sexy, exquisite, floriental Alchimie has been discontinued and Angel is still out there terrorising people.

I have three sample vials of this that I am jealously guarding. I love this scent so much. The first thing I get is a gentle orange-peach, followed by soft florals and just a dab of caramel. It smells sweet without being too sweet, rich and almost "clean." When I wear it, it seems to disappear into my skin, but other people can surely smell it on me. It lasts about 4-5 hours.

I had heard that Naomi Campbell's "Naomi Campbell" smelled like Alchimie. The two scents are not identical, but very similar. I'm wearing NC right now, and it seems a little "fresher," but otherwise very much like Alchimie.

Wonderful and unique!
One of the best perfumes I've ever felt.
Sweet vanilla, slight but significant. Female, different, charming.
Could not have been discontinued!
Forever one of the best perfumes in the world!
I'm a fan of Cavallier.

I had this great perfume ones, many years ago and i still remmember it's wonderfull sweet fragrance. it's an amaizing perfume!! i love it very much. long lasting, sweet and floral... what a shame it's so hard to get nowdays.

A little bit old-fashioned smell, but absolutely in a positive way - reminding me of a tender and elegant upper class lady. Very delicate sweetness makes it sexy - not like a hot kitty, but smart princess knowing how to flirt appropriately

In addition to the fragrance houses, I am also very much in love with German ans Italian houses like:
German:
Joop!
Jil Sander
Bogner
Marbert

And Italian:
Luciano Soprani
Roberto Capucci
Enrico Coveri

But ROCHAS, together with Balenciaga almost have a perfect score for me (meaning, liking almost EVERY perfume they ever produced).

The thing with Rochas is, that they advertise very little in comparison with other houses. For me, Rochas is one of the top 5 houses, next to Balenciaga, Guerlain, Yves Rocher (vintage selection), Krizia and Trussardi. Rochas is outstanding and worth having almost ALL as far as I'm concerned.

I remember the scent, similar to Alchimie, it's Cinema by Yves Saint Laurent. It's a bit sweeter, but the light version is very similar, although I do prefer Alchimie. Cinema was such a hit in Europe, Alchimie wasn't and it was better. The advertising campagne wasn't that big, I think that made the difference, too bad many people are influenced by expensive campaigns (whom sometimes cost more than producing the scent).

I suspect that if you like Alchimie, you might like LouLou by Cacharel. Remind me very much of each other, although LouLou is definitely drier/colder and not as rich or carmely as Alchimie... but the fruit and floral notes are similar, at least on my skin. LouLou might be a good substitute since Alchimie is so difficult to find nowadays.

And, strangely, even the bottles look similar.

I utterly love this - my bottle is getting low and wow, is it getting spendy now that it's discontinued! Rochas was just CRAZY to stop making this gem. So sexy and unusual, warm and inviting, and yet mysterious. I get an almost nutty undertone in Alchimie below the fruit notes, and it's just addictive. I hope I can afford another bottle, but it seems to be very much in demand now.

update: this scent drives me crazy... ^_^

words fail me, this potion is just so divine. I finally got my unopened bottle today, & i am deeply in love. It smells so good! My fiance said it is one of the most sexy fragrances he has ever smelled on me. :-)

Once you smell this scent, you will never forget it.
The most expensive smelling perfume ever made.
I have never smelt anything so enchanting and intoxicating.
If i ever see a bottle of this i will buy it.
Up until a couple of years ago, it used to be available in
Myers, but it suddenly disappeared from the shelves.
Why do they discontinue perfumes when they are so obviously well loved. Makes no sense whatsoever.

I have to add,if anyone ever see it availible or something,please let me know because i am in love..

Really, for the life of me, i fail to understand why such a wonderful, SEDUCTIVE, fragrance had to be discontinued?!

This really is HEAVEN IN A BOTTLE. My goodness...

So unique, so sweet (not overpowering), so SEXY. I am normally very iffy about coconuts in fragrances but here, it's just so damn good. The coconut is just perfect, not too little, not too much. I immediately started dancing a little, when i sprayed it on - it's that good.

Perfect for day-wear (not for an office though), and great for nighttime outings.

I tried this on around the same time as Serpentine by Cavalli, and i do find bit of a similarity. Serpentine is greener and slightly lighter IMO. Alchimie is rounder, slightly deeper, sweeter, and definitely has more of a flirtatious flare then the latter.

Alchimie is synonyme for sex in a bottle ;-)
I miss Alchimie, I used to wear it years ago, and Iam so heartbroken because it has been discontinued. Rochas really made a big mistake! I've been searching all over Europe to find it, but so far haven't been lucky. There is nothing quite similar to it. I found some similarity in Givenchy Ange ou Demon top notes, but that scent is just not for me. I'll cherish Alchemie always in my heart, hoping I'll rediscover it someday , somewhere. Oh those sweet memories...

This magical elixir is just absolutely beautiful and one of my faves. To me it smells like creamy vanilla/caramel and has a softness to it...but still great sillage. I am sooo disappointed that it has been discontinued. I think Rochas made a big mistake. The sad thing is...there is nothing else that I have found that smells remotely like it.

my all time fav from Rochas! smells sweet and rich, warm and soft. it's a very femenine fragrance, had a good longevity. the bottle is gorgeous! sadly it's to hard to find it.

for me it smeell sexy, warm, hot and sweet

I've been looking for this perfume for quite some time. I have never been able to match up another fragrance quite as evocative and sophisticated as this one. It evokes a sense of mystery that is very classic and tragically romantic. However, I must say that this scent isn't for every skin type in my experience. I recommend 20 minutes of wear as a minimum to gauge whether or not it suits you. Very slight perspiration helps bring forward some of the more subtle notes...

For those that have it - this one is a little treasure. Gives every lady that wears it - the scent of aristocracy.

I bought it today without smelling it first and I am surprised in a good way.I liked it a lot.When i read about the frag I was expecting heavy, super sweet oriental with sticky sweet dry down ,but nooo,istead it is very soft ,light,creamy oriental , super sexy and addictive.fills me up with harmony....

I was in love with this fragrance! So warm and tender.But, yes, it's very hard to get it nowdays.

Simply the best, alchimie its a great name for a great scence, it makes you feel like a queen.

This is good, warm and comfy fragrance. Sadly pretty hard to get nowdays.