Guerlain

Perfume Chat Room, November 22
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Perfume Chat Room, November 22

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Saturday, November 22, and it is almost Thanksgiving! I really enjoy Thanksgiving, because I like to cook, I love having my family around, and I enjoy setting a formal dinner table since I do that so rarely! I also love the scents that come with Thanksgiving, mostly from the aforementioned cooking. I grow many of the herbs that I will use: actually parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, as the song says. Their fragrance is alluring even before I start cooking.

I already know what my holiday fragrance will be: this year’s Shalimar flanker, issued in honor of the perfume’s 100th anniversary. Shalimar l’Essence is the first Shalimar I’ve really loved, though there are a couple of other “editions” I have liked very much, such as the eau de cologne formulation. My lovely husband brought me a bottle from his recent trip to Las Vegas, where there is a Guerlain boutique. To my nose, it has all the charm of the current eau de parfum minus the burnt rubber smoke that I always get from that. It’s very vanilla-centric without being sweet; it becomes soft and powdery, and it lasts for hours on skin and days on fabric.

I like it so much that I got the bigger bottle for my own Christmas gift from lovely husband! In fact, when I was picking it up at the big department store in our city’s biggest mall, I even persuaded a much younger woman to try it. She was browsing among the Guerlain scents, and I pointed out the tester and suggested she might like it. Then I moved along. She came rushing up to me a few minutes later, holding out her arm for me to sniff and exclaiming how much she loved it. She was browsing with her fiancé so I’m pretty sure they left the mall with a bottle. Do I get my enabler pin?

Do you have any special traditions, recipes, or scents for Thanksgiving, if you celebrate it? Or for other holidays at this time of year?

P.S. As always, I’m very thankful for all of you who read my musings here and especially those of you who share your own thoughts in the comments. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Bottle of fragrance with turkey-shaped top
Golden Turkey Wallflower; Bath & BodyWorks.
Perfume Chat Room, August 22
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Perfume Chat Room, August 22

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, August 22, and we are having seesaw weather again! It veers between very hot and humid, and cooler but with sudden torrential downpours. Next week, we’re supposed to get a stretch of cooler weather without the thunderstorms. I’ll believe it when I see it! Meanwhile, in the SLOW process of reorganizing and tidying, I came across an early favorite in my fragrance journey, the discontinued Blasted Bloom by Penhaligon’s. It was a gift from my husband that he brought back from one of his work trips, and he chose it himself. The man has great taste!

I still love Blasted Bloom and I was happy to wear it again. It suits this unpredictable but mostly hot and thundery weather, with its notes of sea water and green leaves. It’s very refreshing without being citrusy.

The landscape that inspired Blasted Bloom.

On another note, I find myself surprisingly excited by the 100th anniversary release of Shalimar! I know some of you are huge, longtime fans; I’m not, though I like it now, more than I did ten years ago when the only version I found approachable was the eau de cologne (I know, I know). Shalimar L’Essence sounds really great, and I like the bottle design. It is supposed to be available starting September 1, have any of you pre-ordered it or planned to rush out to get it asap?

Perfume Chat Room, May 10
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Perfume Chat Room, May 10

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Saturday, May 10, and I’m late posting because we’re on our way to London!

I have a long list of things I want to do, mostly special exhibits or events since I’ve been lucky enough to visit London quite regularly because of my husbands job, which takes him there often.

Tops on my list is the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which I last visited pre-pandemic (I think it was 2019). And of course, I plan to enjoy the usual spectacular displays by the UK’s top rose breeders, which are always so beautiful — and fragrant.

Then there’s a massive exhibit of Cartier jewelry at the V&A Museum, and an installation of the red ceramic memorial poppies at the Tower of London, plus a special exhibit of apparel at Kensington Palace. Whew!

To get in the mood for Chelsea, I’m wearing a sample of Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Rosa Verde. It’s very pretty and fresh, but I’m not sure how I feel about the dry down. It’s almost a bit sour, to my nose.

On the other wrist, I spritzed Cartier’s Baiser Volé, also very pretty but with a progression I find more appealing,

If you know of any more must-dos or must-sniffs, please add suggestions in the comments! And if you were going to a massive flower show, what would you wear as fragrance?

My own roses

Perfume Chat Room, March 7
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Perfume Chat Room, March 7

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, March 7, and we are about to leave Barcelona after a week in Vienna and Salzburg. While in Barcelona, I stopped by the Cathedral, which is as magnificent as always.

The niche perfume scene in Barcelona has changed in recent years. I was sad to learn that the legendary Perfumeria Regia on the Passeig de Garcia has closed as of the end of 2024. The business is now completely online. I haven’t found out what will happen to the Perfume Museum that shared its location.

The Basilica Galeria, which had a huge lower level devoted to niche perfumes, has changed location and has a much more modest collection of fragrances for sale. It felt as if they’re not restocking. I was happily able to buy two discontinued Ann Gerard fragrances by Bertrand Duchaufour, Rose Cut and Ciel d’Opale. Both are lovely.

El Corte Ingles, the big department store, still carries Chanel’s Exclusifs line at their big store in the Placa Catalunya. They also have No. 19 and Cristalle eaux de toilette, which generally seem to be more scarce even in Europe. I also noticed that Guerlain’s Les Legendaires line seems to have been pruned, in terms of what one finds in stores. I was happy to see that The Perfumery is still going strong, in its location near the Palau de Musica.

We visited Montserrat for the first time — what a beautiful and interesting site! I can’t imagine how people imagined, all those centuries ago, that they should climb those heights and build a basilica. I can’t imagine how they did it, either.

The Black Madonna of Montserrat

Altogether we’ve had a wonderful trip, and my husband’s company, which is what takes him to Barcelona for work, scored a huge success and everyone is happy. But I’ll be glad to get home to house, garden, kids (all young adults) and our elderly dog Lucy. Time for my garden to wake up!

How was your week? Any new fragrance discoveries? And hugs to alityke, whose DH is undergoing serious medical treatments.

Perfume Chat Room, February 21
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Perfume Chat Room, February 21

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, February 21, and we are on our way to Barcelona and Austria! I’m so excited to see Vienna and Salzburg. We have tickets to two music events (an opera and a concert) and a healthy list of museums and palaces to visit.

Last Friday, I failed to post here — my apologies! Valentine’s Day. Having bought myself Rosarine, I was given it by my husband for Valentine’s Day instead of roses, and I bought him roses when they were marked down the next day, lol. Gotta say, it was a nice bouquet. And my spring bulbs are starting to peek up, despite the recent freezes.

First daffodil is up!

As always, I took the opportunity to check out the duty free perfumes in the international terminal. I tried the 2021 version of Guerlain’s Champs Elysee , and the newish Barenia from Hermes. Champs Elysee was lovely, but I have plenty of Guerlain to last me a long while. Barenia is intriguing. Whenever I try it, the opening smells a bit fruity to my nose. I guess this must be the unique “miracle berry” note that is listed as a main feature. I’m not familiar with that Berry, but it’s real. Apparently it gets its name because it makes sour foods taste sweet.

The fruity phase doesn’t last long, maybe half an hour, then the fragrance becomes more floral, with a woody undertone. As it dries down, the woodiness becomes more evident. Barenia is very pleasant but I don’t feel the need to own it. Have you tried it? I’m looking forward to trying some new scents in Austria, too.

Perfume Chat Room, January 31
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Perfume Chat Room, January 31

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, January 31, and I’m back home from our quick trip to New England. It has warmed up here quite a bit (temps in the 60s) so I’ve been able to resume some gardening. I planted cool season vegetables this morning, and now we’re getting a gentle, soaking rain as expected, so I feel very productive!

I caved recently and bought three new fragrances, partly as consolation for having a much-anticipated trip canceled. Since most of our travel is based around my husband’s work ()which takes him to many interesting places, when that work schedule changes, so does our travel. No complaints — I’ll go with him on another lovely trip! And our trip to Vienna at the end of February is still on — whew!

I’ve been watching Parfums Dusita’s Cavatina and Rosarine for a while and had samples of both, so when one of the online discounters had them both for a significant price reduction, I bit. The third fragrance I bought was the 2021 Les Légendaires version of Guerlain’s Jicky eau de parfum. I already had an earlier version of the eau de toilette, which I love, and I recently learned that Jicky was to be discontinued entirely, so I took the plunge and bought the 2021 Jicky edp. I like it very much! Right now, I’m comparing the older eau de toilette on one wrist with the newer edp on the other wrist. I still prefer the opening stage of the eau de toilette — it has more citrus up top (bergamot, lemon, and mandarin orange) than the edp, which gives it a lively, fresh burst combined with the rosemary and lavender. The opening notes of the 2021 edp are lavender, bergamot, and rosemary, but the combination smells muskier to me than the edt. Within an hour, though, the two smell almost indistinguishable from each other (and they smell great!).

When I wore the 2021 edp the other day, on its own, I liked the opening but missed the lemon. After a while, the middle stage had almost an animalic tinge which I didn’t like much, and which wasn’t reflected in the list of heart notes (fougère accord, rose, pelagornium, woody notes) but that didn’t last very long and the drydown stage was lovely. It lasted a long time, too, about 12 hours; still detectable on my skin when I woke up the next morning. Fragrantica has a very nice review of it here: Guerlain Jicky Eau de Parfum: A Marvel in a New Dress.

Guerlain’s Jicky; image from Fragrantica.com

I’ll be interested to see what happens with the rest of the Les Légendaires collection; I’ve noticed that more mainstream outlets like department stores and airport duty-free shops only carry a few of the scents, and others are popping up for sale among the online discounters, which is often a sign that a fragrance is on its way out. I’m very happy to have the ones I’ve already bought: Mitsouko, Vol de Nuit, L’Heure Bleue, Après l’Ondée, and now Jicky. I’m intrigued by Chamade, as it has so many notes I love, but I have a bee bottle of that and I’m on the fence. Some commenters have said the 2021 version is much better than that, but not outstanding on its own. Thoughts?

Guerlain’s Jicky; image from Guerlain.
Perfume Chat Room, January 18
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Perfume Chat Room, January 18

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Saturday, January 18, and we are expecting snow again next week! I do not expect Lucy to be any more impressed with it than she was last week, lol. While she can in fact learn the occasional new trick, her opinions on the weather have hardened over time.

Lucy, not impressed by snow

I took advantage of yesterday’s and today’s mild weather to go out and spread more mulch on my plants as protection against the upcoming cold.

However, the Big News in our family is that my niece had her second baby last weekend! She’s just adorable, and I’m looking forward to seeing her and her sister soon.

My new great-niece!

Sadly, last week also brought the funeral of a beloved minister, the former Rector of our church. We couldn’t be too sad, though, as he was almost 90 and had lost his dear wife several years ago; he missed her very much. They had been sweethearts since toddlerhood. Also, he was one of the most joyful people I’ve ever met, and the service was filled with love and laughter. Even the Bishop told some funny stories! At the end of the church service, we all went outside to the tune of “When the Saints Go Marching In, one of the late Rector’s favorites, and the whole extended family was given Mardi Gras parasols of purple, green, and gold to wave over their heads. What a send-off it was!

Usually I don’t wear a favorite scent to funerals, as I don’t want to associate sadness with a special fragrance, but this time I wore L’Heure Bleue, the newish Les Legendaires version of the eau de toilette. I’m glad I did, both because the funeral was much more cheerful than I expected, and because it’s just such a lovely scent. I enjoyed it for several hours, and it really did develop over that time, from cool flowers and anise through spices and carnations to a warm, resinous vanilla. If you like Guerlain fragrances, I highly recommend trying the Legendaires line, I think they’re very well done.

How was your week?

Perfume Chat Room, January 10
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Perfume Chat Room, January 10

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, January 10, and it snowed here this morning! Since I live in the Southeastern US, this is a rare and exciting event, to be cherished as long as the power stays on and my friends and family are safely ensconced in their homes. We knew the snow was coming, so when I woke up very early this morning, I just stayed awake so I could see it. Our elderly dog Lucy was not so excited. I let her out at about 6 am, just as the snow was beginning; she went out very briefly then rushed back inside. When she went to the door a while later, I opened it for her, she stuck her nose out, and she retreated back into the warm house and her even warmer bed. Color Lucy not impressed.

Lucy, not impressed by snow

As of this afternoon, we’re getting the dreaded “wintry mix” of icy rain and sleet, which means some of the snow is melting but it will soon freeze over again when the temps drop below 32F. That’s one reason why snow and ice are actually quite hazardous here — we might get less than three inches of snow, but then it turns into two inches of ice. And because it’s a rare occurrence, most folks here don’t know how to drive safely in these conditions and the local governments don’t have a lot of equipment to clear the roads. Best to stay inside!

I’ve been enjoying some cozy fragrances, including Jo Malone’s small holiday set of Orange Bitters and Ginger Biscuit. They’re not so Christmasy that I feel out of sync, given that the twelve days of Christmas ended last weekend. We even took down our tree, though I haven’t yet packed away all the ornaments. Maybe today, while I’m indoors and can’t be out in the garden! This is the season we jokingly refer to as “second winter”, coming as it does after “false spring”, when we get a burst of warm days that fool many bulbs into peeking above ground. Luckily, the sudden return of the cold doesn’t harm them. Bengale Rouge will probably make it into my rotation this weekend; it’s a lovely warm fragrance that doesn’t scream “Christmas!”. Perfect for “second winter.”

I’ve also enjoyed wearing the Guerlain fragrance that was a Christmas gift, Après l’Ondèe. I think I’ll be putting it aside until we reach the “spring of deception”, when we’ll get another thaw and unseasonably warm(er) temperatures. It really is more of a spring/summer scent, I feel. What about you? Have you been wearing any holidayish fragrances, gifts or not?

Snowy day
Perfume Chat Room, December 27
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Perfume Chat Room, December 27

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, December 27, and we’ve had a lovely Christmas Eve and Christmas. And Happy Hanukkah and Kwanzaa to all who are currently celebrating those!

Christmas flowers and an angel

As I wrote last week, our son asked for a new fragrance for Christmas: Azzaro’s The Most Wanted Parfum. It smells great on him, woodsy and spicy. It’s strong, so I advised spritzing sparingly! I asked him how he had decided on that one, and he told me one of his friends had seen his bottle of Chanel’s Paris-Edimbourg, asked him about it, and said he was into colognes. So our son asked if he had any new favorites, he mentioned The Most Wanted flanker, which our son liked. Now he has his own! My husband gave me Guerlain’s Les Légendaires version of Après l’Ondée, as I had asked (and ordered, lol). It’s really lovely.

Do you have any special plans for New Year’s Eve?

Perfume Chat Room, December 20
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Perfume Chat Room, December 20

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, December 20, and we are almost at the longest night of the year! Not to mention Christmas Eve and Christmas. I went to a shopping mall today for the first time in several months, to pick up a couple of last Christmas gifts, and took the opportunity to stroll through a department store’s fragrance area. I didn’t want to linger, but I did spritz a bit of Tiffany & Co. Rose Gold on one hand. I quite like it — no surprise, as I really love the original Tiffany & Co. and Tiffany & Co. Intense. Thankfully, I don’t feel compelled to buy this one, though I would be delighted if Tiffany would issue a coffret with miniatures of all the Tiffany & Co. flankers! I do love those bottles.

Tiffany & Co. Rose Gold EDP; image from Tiffany

Fragrantica says that the perfumer for this one was Jérôme Epinette, and that the top note is Black Currant; middle notes are Blue Rose and Iris; base notes are Musk and Ambrette (Musk Mallow). I don’t know why the brand feels a need to specify “blue rose”, as there really isn’t such a thing — there are purple roses that look very bluish, but not a true blue rose. And the purple ones smell like other roses, when they have a fragrance.

As expected, this flanker is rosier than the original, but it is still dominated by iris, to my nose. The black currant top note works nicely, now opening the fragrance instead of being one of several middle notes as in the original. A few hours after application, I can still smell the fragrance on my hand and it smells very nice, sort of a soft rosy musk.

Speaking of fragrance and gifts, I was pleased that our son asked for a new fragrance for Christmas: Azzaro’s The Most Wanted Parfum. It was very popular among many perfumistas in 2023, and it sounds appealing: ginger, woodsy notes, and vanilla. I’ll be interested to smell it on him. I know I’m getting one fragrant gift from my husband, since I ordered it, lol! It is the Guerlain’s Les Légendaires version of Après l’Ondée. Are you expecting or giving any particular fragrant gifts?