What do Spoiled Fragrances Smell Like?

[Puig]

Gents, I occasionally blind buy some old standards, where samples would often cost nearly the cost of a new bottle. I have found a few good things, and a few not so good. I got a bottle of Moustache today which was all of $30 from Fragrancex, it's clearly a very old bottle, the box is yellowed and worn. It smells nearly the same as a bottle I got a while ago of another Rochas, Eau de Rochas Homme, which seemed even older, the liquid had turned amber and was 20% empty, there was this resiny, caramelic, celery smell that told me that bottle was way passed it's prime, so I sent it back. This bottle of Moustache has the same caramelic celery smell about it, no lime, or pine, it just sits there and smells awful. I am assuming this may be spoiled as well, either that or Rochas has a terrible house note. I do have a spoiled bottle of Bowling Greene which has a similar issue, at least on that one I know what it should smell like, and my bottle of Creed RSL seems to be heading in a similar direction. Anyone else have any spoiled fragrances, is there a common smell when similar fragrances go bad? I probably need to stop buying unpopular classic fragrances online...at least they are cheap.

[KarlMaldensNose]

At first I thought every fragrance would have its own particular stank when it turns, but I'm not so sure now. Most of the listed ingredients on boxes, regardless of brand or title, are very similar. Without digging out a box of mine to check, I seem to recall these being standard ingredients (at least in designers): linalool, limonene, geraniol, citronellol, and various salicylates, cinnimates and methanes. Tough to say, though. I've only recently had a couple turn on me and it probably wasn't due to old age. Because the plastic atomizers they were in might have had something to do with their demise, their smells could have been different if they died of natural causes. Who knows. But those two certainly smelled very different than each other. Still smelled like the original scents but with a sharp sourness.

[Puig]

I tend to chyphres and fougeres, each family of which has a similar structure, which is perhaps why I seem to be getting the same sort of scent when they go bad. It's sort of a bad variation of Yatagan. I have pretty much decided that the Moustache must be turned as it smells just like the terrible ancient bottle of Eau de Rochas I had, and they should not smell the same. I'm pretty sure Moustache doesn't smell of caramelized celery.

[slugg77]

I was going to post a picture of the Veg, but this thread seems more serious then I thought. Sorry for the thread jack, I will move along.

[smalltank]

I had a bottle of Drakkar Noir many years ago..had it for many more..it smelled better as time went by ;-)

[Matt555]

I recently smelled some Chanel Allure that turned. It smelled very sour and nasty.