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lunabee34Oh, Guerlain. I had such high hopes for you with your beautiful French names and your beautifully artistic bottles. I thought we were going to be such friends. Alas, you are not the house for me. :(
I'll start with the few I actually liked.
Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune
According to Fragrantica: This fragrance welcomes you with festive fireworks of freshly squeezed grapefruit, lemon and bergamot juice, whose aroma then is melting in patchouli, sandalwood and vanilla mix. It was created in 1999.
I liked this well enough. It smelled like grapefruit, sweet with a bit of a bite. Like every single Guerlain I tested, it was fairly powdery. It wasn't very long lasting, unfortunately. I think I would like this better as a shower gel or soap, but it doesn't look like any bath products are made in the Aqua Allegoria fragrances.
Vetiver
According to Fragrantica: Vetiver by Guerlain is a Woody fragrance for men. Vetiver was launched in 1959. Top note is lemon; middle notes are tobacco and vetiver; base notes are nutmeg, tobacco and pepper.
I liked this one well enough, too, although not well enough to wear often. It is much longer lasting than the previous perfume, and smells green, spicy, salty, and powdery to me. It didn't smell like an old man to me (as many reviewers have lamented), but it didn't smell like whatever it is that I'm looking to smell like either. LOL
Jicky EDP
According to Fragrantica: The top notes contain lavender and citrus (bergamot, lemon and mandarin), which perfectly match the cold, metallic orris and rose shaded by vetiver. The cold top and middle notes are an elegant counterbalance to the warm base created of patchouli, vanilla, amber and musk.
This is the Guerlain I was most intrigued by because of the civet. I wondered if I would smell a litter box or vomit or lady bits or any of the other appalling/intriguing scents people seem to get from civet. What I ended up smelling was something that began wonderfully--lemon, lavender, cinnamon, anise, clove--and then faded to a nice and inoffensive, powdery lavender. I was super underwhelmed. Love the way it smelled on me wet, but the drydown was nothing special.
Habit Rouge EDT
According to Fragrantica: Habit Rouge is a classic fragrance for men which was launched in 2003. This is a reorchestrated version of the original fragrance from 1965. The composition is based on the harmony of fresh and intense citruses in the top (lime, orange and bergamot) and warm oriental balsamic notes in the base. The smoky and leathery nuances in the final notes are contrasting with the juicy beginning. The sophisticated heart is composed of flowers, precious woods with a warm touch of cinnamon.
Well, I didn't smell any of that. LOL Habit Rouge smells powdery, sweet, perfumey and flowery to me. It does not at all ping me as a masculine scent; I was surprised to discover that it's intended for men. This scent does not offend me, but it's totally not me. Nothing I'd ever wear.
L'Heure Bleue EDP
Notes include: aniseed, bergamot, rose, carnation, tuberose, violet, neroli, vanilla, tonka, iris, benzoin
Initially, this smells green and powdery with a vanilla undertone. It gets more and more powdery as it dries down. It's not very strong and stays close to the skin but sticks around for hours. It's pleasant but not me. I don't know if my nose is just unsophisticated or if my skin chemistry damps this one down, but it's not very complex smelling to me.
Now for the ones I straight up disliked.
Apres L'Ondee EDT
According to Fragrantica: It is a beautiful, delicate combination of orange blossom and violet, with spicy anise note. Smell of a spring-time garden after a downpour, smell of wet leaves and flowers warmed by the sunshine. The heart is composed of spicy carnation and violet, not traditionally sweet in this composition. The base notes include luxurious iris and soft vanilla touch.
This is by far the worst scent experience I have had since I started smelling perfumes. This smells so bad to me. It smells like plastic and poop. It smells like a scented trash bag full of poop. Emma says, "This is worse than Antony!" I don't know what in this smells so awful to me, but it was a full-body visceral reaction of no no no no no do not want.
Mitsouko EDP
According to Fragrantica: Mitsouko is mysterious fragrance, not allowing everyone to see its beauty. The opening is long, like a play of all beautiful notes, and, of course, this fragrance is not for ordinary day use. On the skin it sounds as if it starts from far away, without any allusion to its intensity and sensual side. Mitsouko is one of the well known aromas of chypre olfactory group with cool top notes and oak moss in the base. But it also has a note of a juicy peach, which gives a clear and quite gourmand nuance. It features bergamot, peach, jasmine, may rose, spices (cinnamon), oak moss, vetiver and wood. The fragrance is exuberant, unusual and elegant, not too sweet, nor heavy, it is well balanced. Eau de Toilette is much sharper, while Eau de Perfume is warmer and nicer. The full richness of the composition, however, is revealed only in the perfume concentration.
I quote this description in full because I am one of the many not allowed in the Mitsouko Fan Club. LOL This smells like an old lady to me. An old lady wearing a powdery, kinda spicy, flowery perfume. It reminds me a lot of a box of bath powder that was in my mom's bathroom. I have no idea what the fragrance was, but the box was a lovely orangey red. By the time I was smelling it, it was probably at least a decade old and had probably been an Oriental fragrance to begin with but at that point just smelled vaguely of itself. That's what Mitsouko smells like to me. A seldom used box of bath powder that should have been tossed years ago.
And finally, Shalimar EDP
Fragrantica says: Perfume is composed of citrus notes; lemon and bergamot, jasmine, may rose, opoponax, Tonka bean, vanilla, iris, Peru balsam and gray amber. Coolness of the citrus notes leads to floral heart ending with a warm and luxurious trail.
This smells like plastic and wood to me with vanilla underneath. It's unpleasantly astringent. Something that it is in Apres L'ondee is also in this; looking at the notes, I suspect it's the iris. I think maybe Shalimar is suffering unfairly by reminding me of Apres L'ondee, but I could never wear this.
I HAVE NO TASTE, Y'ALL! *DESPAIRS* SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH ME! I CANNOT APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY OF THIS ANCIENT AND NOBLE HOUSE OF GUERLAIN! *cries*
Oh, lordy, I hope I can find something to love in the Chanel samples I bought. Otherwise, I think I'm gonna have to just deem myself a heathen, slather up in Bath and Body Works White Citrus, and call it a day. LOL
I'll start with the few I actually liked.
Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune
According to Fragrantica: This fragrance welcomes you with festive fireworks of freshly squeezed grapefruit, lemon and bergamot juice, whose aroma then is melting in patchouli, sandalwood and vanilla mix. It was created in 1999.
I liked this well enough. It smelled like grapefruit, sweet with a bit of a bite. Like every single Guerlain I tested, it was fairly powdery. It wasn't very long lasting, unfortunately. I think I would like this better as a shower gel or soap, but it doesn't look like any bath products are made in the Aqua Allegoria fragrances.
Vetiver
According to Fragrantica: Vetiver by Guerlain is a Woody fragrance for men. Vetiver was launched in 1959. Top note is lemon; middle notes are tobacco and vetiver; base notes are nutmeg, tobacco and pepper.
I liked this one well enough, too, although not well enough to wear often. It is much longer lasting than the previous perfume, and smells green, spicy, salty, and powdery to me. It didn't smell like an old man to me (as many reviewers have lamented), but it didn't smell like whatever it is that I'm looking to smell like either. LOL
Jicky EDP
According to Fragrantica: The top notes contain lavender and citrus (bergamot, lemon and mandarin), which perfectly match the cold, metallic orris and rose shaded by vetiver. The cold top and middle notes are an elegant counterbalance to the warm base created of patchouli, vanilla, amber and musk.
This is the Guerlain I was most intrigued by because of the civet. I wondered if I would smell a litter box or vomit or lady bits or any of the other appalling/intriguing scents people seem to get from civet. What I ended up smelling was something that began wonderfully--lemon, lavender, cinnamon, anise, clove--and then faded to a nice and inoffensive, powdery lavender. I was super underwhelmed. Love the way it smelled on me wet, but the drydown was nothing special.
Habit Rouge EDT
According to Fragrantica: Habit Rouge is a classic fragrance for men which was launched in 2003. This is a reorchestrated version of the original fragrance from 1965. The composition is based on the harmony of fresh and intense citruses in the top (lime, orange and bergamot) and warm oriental balsamic notes in the base. The smoky and leathery nuances in the final notes are contrasting with the juicy beginning. The sophisticated heart is composed of flowers, precious woods with a warm touch of cinnamon.
Well, I didn't smell any of that. LOL Habit Rouge smells powdery, sweet, perfumey and flowery to me. It does not at all ping me as a masculine scent; I was surprised to discover that it's intended for men. This scent does not offend me, but it's totally not me. Nothing I'd ever wear.
L'Heure Bleue EDP
Notes include: aniseed, bergamot, rose, carnation, tuberose, violet, neroli, vanilla, tonka, iris, benzoin
Initially, this smells green and powdery with a vanilla undertone. It gets more and more powdery as it dries down. It's not very strong and stays close to the skin but sticks around for hours. It's pleasant but not me. I don't know if my nose is just unsophisticated or if my skin chemistry damps this one down, but it's not very complex smelling to me.
Now for the ones I straight up disliked.
Apres L'Ondee EDT
According to Fragrantica: It is a beautiful, delicate combination of orange blossom and violet, with spicy anise note. Smell of a spring-time garden after a downpour, smell of wet leaves and flowers warmed by the sunshine. The heart is composed of spicy carnation and violet, not traditionally sweet in this composition. The base notes include luxurious iris and soft vanilla touch.
This is by far the worst scent experience I have had since I started smelling perfumes. This smells so bad to me. It smells like plastic and poop. It smells like a scented trash bag full of poop. Emma says, "This is worse than Antony!" I don't know what in this smells so awful to me, but it was a full-body visceral reaction of no no no no no do not want.
Mitsouko EDP
According to Fragrantica: Mitsouko is mysterious fragrance, not allowing everyone to see its beauty. The opening is long, like a play of all beautiful notes, and, of course, this fragrance is not for ordinary day use. On the skin it sounds as if it starts from far away, without any allusion to its intensity and sensual side. Mitsouko is one of the well known aromas of chypre olfactory group with cool top notes and oak moss in the base. But it also has a note of a juicy peach, which gives a clear and quite gourmand nuance. It features bergamot, peach, jasmine, may rose, spices (cinnamon), oak moss, vetiver and wood. The fragrance is exuberant, unusual and elegant, not too sweet, nor heavy, it is well balanced. Eau de Toilette is much sharper, while Eau de Perfume is warmer and nicer. The full richness of the composition, however, is revealed only in the perfume concentration.
I quote this description in full because I am one of the many not allowed in the Mitsouko Fan Club. LOL This smells like an old lady to me. An old lady wearing a powdery, kinda spicy, flowery perfume. It reminds me a lot of a box of bath powder that was in my mom's bathroom. I have no idea what the fragrance was, but the box was a lovely orangey red. By the time I was smelling it, it was probably at least a decade old and had probably been an Oriental fragrance to begin with but at that point just smelled vaguely of itself. That's what Mitsouko smells like to me. A seldom used box of bath powder that should have been tossed years ago.
And finally, Shalimar EDP
Fragrantica says: Perfume is composed of citrus notes; lemon and bergamot, jasmine, may rose, opoponax, Tonka bean, vanilla, iris, Peru balsam and gray amber. Coolness of the citrus notes leads to floral heart ending with a warm and luxurious trail.
This smells like plastic and wood to me with vanilla underneath. It's unpleasantly astringent. Something that it is in Apres L'ondee is also in this; looking at the notes, I suspect it's the iris. I think maybe Shalimar is suffering unfairly by reminding me of Apres L'ondee, but I could never wear this.
I HAVE NO TASTE, Y'ALL! *DESPAIRS* SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH ME! I CANNOT APPRECIATE THE BEAUTY OF THIS ANCIENT AND NOBLE HOUSE OF GUERLAIN! *cries*
Oh, lordy, I hope I can find something to love in the Chanel samples I bought. Otherwise, I think I'm gonna have to just deem myself a heathen, slather up in Bath and Body Works White Citrus, and call it a day. LOL
no subject
Date: 2014-07-08 01:24 am (UTC)CB has one called Burning Leaves that I know I want to try.
no subject
Date: 2014-07-08 03:40 pm (UTC)