Rimbaud

I am working my way through my Celine discovery set, and it has been such a treat so far. The perfumes are consistently excellent, and are in keeping with the style of the house, incidentally one of my favourites. Understated but beautifully-composed, they are utterly chic. Rimbaud is no exception. A lavender-iris-vanilla marvel, this is compelling from its opening. It is an unusual combination of notes in my experience, but works really well here. It is most reminiscent of Chanel Jersey to me, but this is more iris-forward. Rimbaud opens with a bright, bracing lavender note, aromatic and realistic, bringing to mind Provençal lavender fields. Some citrus enhances the freshness nicely, but is not the focal point. I love lavender, but it feels quite masculine to me when prominently featured in perfume. Not in this case. The lavender here grabs the attention before mellowing into a smooth, powdery orris-lavender accord. As it develops, smooth white florals emerge, adding body and enhancing the iris-lavender accord. The white florals are softly sweet, with neroli giving it a soft orange nuance. Some powdery vanilla emerges as it dries down, complemented nicely by dry, woody notes. Sillage and longevity are moderate. It is a unisex, year-round daytime scent. A deceptively simple scent that is as cohesive as it is compelling, Rimbaud is beautifully-composed. Refined yet relaxed, sensual yet breezy, unusual yet wearable, this is French elegance, bottled. Another gem from Celine. 4.5/5.

Yes, Rimbaud is being discontinued, as confirmed to me in an email from Celine. New discovery sets are being made without it. Me, being smitten with almost all of their fragrances that I tested, and realizing that the notes of Rimbaud sound dreamy, ordered a bottle immediately. I kind of expected to return it (they always send a sample of the fragrance you bought), because with the amount of perfumes I have, my standards to add to the collection are very, very strict these days. Nope. Celine has done it again to me. Their unmistakable DNA is me in a bottle. This gorgeous orris/vanilla motif that is present in all of their perfumes, and that makes Celine fragrances absolutely unmistakable, is here as well. Rimbaud is such a gorgeous take on Lavender. It is, perhaps, one of the few feminine leaning lavenders, or at least the one that doesn't scream "Men's". Incredibly soft and calming scent, a bit sweet. The absolute best part is the first 20 minutes or so, when the lavender is the strongest... like a sweet lavender tea with milk a a touch of lemon zest. I wish this stage lasted longer! Overall though, it is VERY long lasting. This gorgeous, lightly smokey lavender (yes, it is still very much detectable in the drydown)/vanilla/orris is eternal.

Much lovelier than I expected or first experienced even at the initial spray. It opened as a pleasant, slightly sweet combination of Bois D'Argent and Eau Noire. The lavender note is the same herbal, green, slightly candied note found in Eau Noire (totally minus the immortelle, coffee, etc.). This rests upon the orris root, Iso E Super/Ambroxan/Dry woods accord of Bois D'Argent. This is all undergirded by a dry, sweet vanilla. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, though, and the final drydown is an addictive mix of vanilla, lavender, amber, orris, woods that wafts a beautiful sillage that is delicious but never too sweet. I get the comparison to the "ur-vanilla-lavender fragrance" that is Caron PUH, but this is woodier, more ambery, and smoother and not quite as powdery and opaque. Going through my travel spray quickly. Edited to add: I've been wearing this almost exclusively for a week or so now and I find it a really beautiful, accessible, and still interesting "easy reach." The far drydown that lingers on shirts is a crisp, sweet lavender tonka that is just beautiful.

Rimbaud is perhaps the most calming fragrance that I've ever sprayed in my life. It is on the sweeter side of the Celine offerings, which I love. I would rate it the second sweetest after Zouzou. The opening of the bright citrusy lavender and sweet florals is exceptional. Just when you think it is gone, you get a faint whiff of an airy, cool, dimensional vanilla. The lavender is more of an earthy supporting role, vs. a full on blast. On par with usual Celine performance, but this is so special I don't mind decanting into a travel bottle and applying a few times per day, or just overspraying. It also smells amazing on clothes... 200ml bottle worthy- I regret not getting this ahead of other Celine offerings... This should be rated much, much higher.

This is the first “your skin but better” scent that has actually lived up to the your skin but better idea. The blast of neroli and lavender are intense at first spray, but what I end up with is a soft delicate cloud of vanilla lavender citrus goodness that floats around me and lingers on clothes. I have gotten compliments with this. It’s sweet but not gourmand sweet. For such a tender fragrance this has surprising lasting power, even in the summer heat. This is full year worthy, full bottle worthy. I think it can be worn casually but absolutely feels chic enough to dress up. I can’t wait to see how it performs in the dead of winter. So happy I have this in my collection.

Lavender is my favorite flower and note and I’ve been looking for the perfect lavender perfume, so when I knew about Rimbaud, had to get it. Not the lavender I’m looking for, however it’s such a beautiful, light, baby, citrusy without being overwhelming, calming scent and I love it so much. Heard it’s getting discontinued but it’s still easy finding at Celine stores in Japan. For me, this is the son of Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino with O Boticário’s Thaty, two of my favorite fragrances that now have a third. On my skin, projects beautifully and lasts a decent amount of time.

The opening and initial lavender hit is very reminiscent of Pour un homme, but this calms down relatively quickly. What comes next for me is the orris and vanilla, and I was very quickly reminded of the 2014 reformulation of Helmut Lang's Cologne. Very gentle musk-like scent, with the sweetness of the vanilla and a now quieter lavender still present. Very nice, dandy-like indeed, but a bit redundant in my view if you own one (or both) of the fragrances mentioned above. Fits well within the existing Céline line though.

@xxdarkstarxx, I think I read that they are discontinuing this fragrance. Like you, I went back and forth for what felt like forever, should I buy it, is it worth the expense, etc. I finally broke down and got it. There's something about this fragrance that is so comforting to me, and on the days that I crave it, I'm absolutely SO HAPPY that I own it. I reach for it more frequently than I thought I would!

Beautifully blended unisex lavender. Photorealistic lavender right out of the bottle. 20 minutes in, the lavender melts down into the mid/base notes and I find it smells like a dry lavender biscuit on me. Very comforting scent and is one of my easy crowd-pleasing grabs when I don't know which scent I'm really in the mood for. Also love these Celine bottles!

Really like this stuff! Like others have said, it’s essentially a powdery lavender and vanilla scent. Nice and airy. I think 4 sprays would be perfect for this one. Two on the neck and two on the chest. Pretty unisex but I’d say leans a little more feminine, so this isn’t a scent for guys who aren’t secure in their sexuality and masculinity. ;)

photorealistic fresh lavender scent : reminds of the time I was in huge lavender on top of the mountain in Tasmania. Love how the vanilla is not that obvious because it can be distracting or take away from lavender. Performance is tragic especially for the price point : it's shockingly short living.

Remarkably similar to Pour Un Homme but ten times more pricey Today I spayed one on each arm. There difference is only in the first twenty minutes, with the lavender of Rimbaud being more natural smelling and more effusive whilst being less screechy. But the dry down is 100% identical to my nose.

The best lavender to ever exist. Fresher than Caron, thanks to the modern touch from neroli and citruses and a less vanillic base, less sweet than TF Lavender Extreme. Moderate performance but with a few sprays can definitely smell whiffs from morning to evening.

I am so sad that Rimbaud is being discontinued. This fragrance is shunned because of the herbal opening, but those patient enough for the drydown know the unspoken beauty of the soft vanilla combined with that buttery smooth orris note Celine is known for.

This fragrance has the most sensationally beautiful soft herbal vanilla dry down. The trouble is I have to bury my nose in my wrist to smell it. What a bummer. Absolutely not worth the price. I freaking bought a bottle anyway.

powdery vanilla and photorealistic lavender. absolutely beautiful. very airy but has surprisingly good longevity. you can smell the lavender for hours after applying. tied for my favorite celine frag with black tie.

A lovely and distinguished, soft fougere centered around a beautiful lavender. Fresh, subtle and cold. A little too transparent and airy for me but it's certainly enjoyable.

I know nothing about Rimbaud the man, but I like to think I know a little about fragrance, (although that's debatable) this is a very fine lavender. How ever that is conjured, maintained, sustained, created or circumstances leading to the curation of fine lavender material, whatever is going on here the lavender note itself is superior. I would say I don't like a lavender centric perfume and yet it's the basis of fougere's and other predominantly masuline fragrances which I love. Also two which spring to mind, and I find to be clever lavender's are Eau noire and Frederic Malle's Music for a while, two perfumes you wouldn't imagine a non lavender lover would hold in such high regard, but the instant I smelled Rimbaud I left the lavender possessed a certain inimitable quality. Then the softening of the top notes, a fresh bergamot or something? and the pominent lavender dying back into a creamy, white floral wax. It's no where near as cologne, neroli/petitgrain or perhaps big jasmine as you might think, Rimbaud mainly leans on the lovely materials of Nightclubbing namely Orris butter and musk. Now if this was some indy sticking orris in everything as some sort of opulent, signature, calling card, I might cry...'Cheat!' that's cheating everyone loves orris butter, a quick way to phone in luxury, appeal and general thickness. However, here in Celine it appears to be done with great skill and subtlety, masking itself from view and having real development, I haven't checked but I'm assuming they all contain this lovely, creamy thread? Not a bad signature and reminiscent of the arts and materials line from Guerlain and the perpetual custard vanilla. Rimbaud is not quite on par with the lightness of Chanel's Boy or the creativity of Music for a while, however it's more interesting than the reference in this genre, Caron Homme, which is a really lovely vibe between vanilla and lavender. It's nice. I mean is nice good enough at this price? That's upto you, but if you crave those uncluttered aesthetics, and a bit of luxury without the bells and whistles, gold shit and baubles then Celine is a good option for you.

Wow this is one of the most beautiful and soft uses of lavender that I have come across. I love the combo with the iris and vanilla. Fleeting is a (sadly) perfect way to describe this. I see so many negative reviews for Celine’s HP line but personally have fallen in love with almost every scent I have tried from the discovery set. They (to this point) have all been very soft with intimate projection and Rimbaud is no exception. The bright spotlight that the neroli / citrus points on the dry and herbaceous lavender in the opening is so fresh. (I also want to point out how soft and delicately the neroli is used here...not brash or soapy.) The transition into the powdery, fluffy “vanilla / iris +” combo that Celine seems to do so beautifully is quick. The rest of the wear envelopes you in a cloud of exactly that...slightly sweet vanilla, smooth powdery iris with hazy lavender and tendrils of white floral. It’s close to skin, but I still catch ephemeral wisps of it (which of course I wish for more of). Understated elegant perfume that’s pricey and not for someone looking for a “beast mode’ perfume. Easily unisex although leans a bit feminine despite lavender being more typically masculine. A beautiful and comforting day dream of a perfume.

Straightforwardly enjoyable, wholesome, naturalistic lavender. Like a big sheaf of dried lavender hanging in a French farmhouse. Not even remotely metallic as lavender can often be in perfume, just soft and centre-ing. The softness is down to a perfectly-blended orris root in the Celine house style — buttery, fine powder, slightly woody — with heliotrope and the tiniest smidgen of vanilla that never oversteps the focus on lavender. There's nothing here like the back-and-forth between lavender and vanilla of Jicky , for example. Almost purely aromatic-floral, a celebration of traditional lavender, with a subtle white floral twist buoyed by smoky neroli in the opening and that super-soft base. For some Rimbaud may struggle to escape natural lavender's dried flower/pot pourri association (or laundry day for French people) but I think it's close to perfection.

The opening strikes strong with a bold blend of neroli and citrus bright and a little biting, tempered by a cool, camphorous lavender. Fresh, definitely, but with an herbal sharpness that feels slightly stark to me at first. As it softens, though, the lavender becomes prettier, more delicate, settling into a smooth base of sweet vanilla that adds a subtle warmth. Slowly, woody and floral powdery notes drift in, lending a soft and feminine, airy texture. Smells of calm and quiet luxury. While this doesn’t break new ground, there is undeniably a quiet charm in its simplicity. Once past the sharp opening, this wears like a soft cashmere sweater, understated and so effortlessly soothing.

not blind buy safe if you are like a huge lavender lover because this is mixed with iris and orris and such- my friend loves lavender and has mixed feelings about this. That said, I love this, it has such understated and casual elegance, easily wearable in blue jeans. Calming. I am a sucker for Celine’s orris vanilla base, it is SO THERAPEUTIC to me. It is really a pity that I don’t feel like they last me long at all, I’ll try overspraying Celine perfumes and seeing if it... lasts longer 😅 Because seriously, they’re addictive. My favourites are La Peau Nue, Dans Paris, Zouzou, and Rimbaud. I appreciate Nightclubbing, Reptile, and Black Tie.

As Rimbaud is my favorite poet,I was waiting forward to smell this as I hoped it smelled like his poem Sensation. "Par les soirs bleus d’été j’irai dans les sentiers, Picoté par les blés, fouler l’herbe menue : Rêveur, j’en sentirai la fraicheur à mes pieds. Je laisserai le vent baigner ma tête nue." and to tell the truth it didn't disappointed,when I smelled it I had a similar feeling to this poem! the lavender the cleanliness ,babies,fields of lavender and clean linen.Such a relaxing fragrance! A better and modern young twist of Caron pour monsieur and a softer Prada Infusion D'Iris

Basically, it opens up with citruses, to reveal a slightly salty, powdery vanilla-ish lavender. Really gorgeous, subdued fragrance, it doesn't scream at all. This is by all means a beautiful creation, but i can see how it can be "boring" to some people. Still, there is a really quiet beauty about this. I would not mind getting a 50 or 75ml bottle, if Celine would think about making those sizes. This is easily unisex btw, any man can wear this, it has a gentle side to it, but very comforting.

So classy and dreamy to me. Works very well with my skin chemistry, sad that this is going to be discontinued. The perfume isn’t named “Lavender Dream” but it’s okay that the lavender is the star of the show, no? 😅🤣 I understand if people prefer lavender to blend into the background more; but this perfume recreates the scent of real dried lavender very well, in combination with other notes to create a calming and idyllic scent cloud.

Reviewing a sample from 2024. Rimbaud was launched in 2022. A lovely powdery iris vanilla scent. Opens with dry lavender and ? violets (not listed) soon becoming powdery with a base of musk. The vanilla is subtle. I don't sense the wheat accord. Quality- very good 4/5 Unisex Performance- stays close, average longevity 4/5 A poetic nod to iris and lavender, clean, powdery and elegant. Totally unisex. 8/10

First impression: Lavender scented cigarettes, in a good way! The lavender is very fresh and herbal, which I love, but I'm also getting something menthol-y, which is making me think of an unlit cigarette. Like sniffing a fresh pack of cigarettes through the cellophane wrap. Surprisingly enjoyable!

Rimbaud is my favorite poet and I was influenced by him in my youth(still do).This fragrance fits the profile of Rimbaud as it's herby,earthy and mostly lavender.It's fresh,calming and airy.I can wear easily wear it.

This is a really beautiful, soft lavender scent but I find it quite weak. Definitely not worth the price Celine is charging. I’ll stick with Camomile Satin from Dries Van Noten which is on my wish list

I was very excited to try this, for it being a soft lavender. It's a brisk and zesty yet softened lavender fragrance. It's not medicinal or too masculine, as lavender can be sometimes. It's pretty!

A beautiful sweet lavender fragrance, very realistic. So calm, so unisex. For all seasons and family members. Very good quality of ingredients. For sure, you need to love lavender!

It's a very refreshing scent; the lavender is more herbal (almost basil-like) than floral (soap). One of the standouts in this solid collection :)

Lavender, iris, and soft musk. Calm and poetic, like a whisper on warm skin.

This is very nice, leaning masculine on my skin but on someone else’s skin, I am sure it would pull unisex. I really like it because it is calming (the lavender probably) and dreamy (the iris in there is fluffy and cozy). I am not sure about Rimbaud as a name for this scent, to be honest. Arthur Rimbaud was a French poet who led an interesting existence. He became an explorer in his later life (he died relatively young) and I am not quite sure this cozy scent would quite match who Arthur Rimbaud was...but to each their own and scent wise, this is beautiful and I love it! It’s a clean, cozy lavender dream. I hope to acquire it soon 💜💜

The opening is very nice, what you get is a blend of fresh lavender with creamy orris and eventually it morphes in to a more airy La Peau Nue (the airiness coming from the lavender and neroli). However the drydown is a very harsh, the white musks and wheat accord creates a very dry and "hot" feel similar to H24 without the metallic aspect.

Very Lavender, powdery Iris. A little too sweet for me and the saddest thing is that it wears so fleetingly. I would be through a full sized bottle in no time. These are beautiful fragrances but slight. Not everything ought to be a beast mode overwhelming assault leaving olfactory scars the next day but I’d like a little longer with it.

Pleasant mild lavender scent with sweet and green facets. It does have some complexity but it's not original. It's mind blowing how many "niche" perfumes I smelled, which are a copy of old designer perfumes, but with an inflated price tag. A pass.

Can anyone imagine Arthur Rimbaud with a white shirt sitting in an antiseptic office? The loftiest name and the blandest creation in the line. I almost wanted to throw the beautiful bottle to the floor at the Celine store to protest!

Not a fan of this one because lavender and I just don’t work well together. This is being discontinued by Céline so if you love it, better stock up...

This is so comforting, beautiful, soft. I love it so much and I want the rating to be higher 😅

I already purchased 3 full sizes based on the discovery set. Celine quickly became one of my favorite fragrances houses. That being said, this one won’t be next. For some reason it smells like a sweaty T-Shirt after a full day of wear, my body chemistry works awful with the lavender in it.

The lavender in Rimbaud immediately reminds me of the lavender in Hedi's Eau Noire. They both share a similar herbal, hot and dry feeling. However, in Rimbaud's lavender, there's also facets of fresh sweet mint, floral and subtle camphoric spicy qualities reminding me of dried tea leaves and chrysanthemum tea. The lavender is quite elegant and beautiful, and is worked in a way that is more than just natural smelling lavender common in aromatherapy, but just as comforting. It brings an aristocratic and regal feeling to the fragrance. After the lavender settles, I detect a powdery puff of vanilla icing sugar sweetness, clean musk, and orris butter, which also reminds me of facets from Hedi's La Peau Nue and Saint-Germain-des-Prés. I can imagine Rimbaud and Saint-Germain-des-Prés as twins, with Rimbaud being just slightly more masculine and Saint-Germain-des-Prés being just slightly more feminine. The sweetness brings a youthfulness to the aristocratic lavender. As the fragrance develops, the orris butter cloud grows and envelopes me like a gentle golden aura. The lavender paired with delicate airy sweetness and orris butter makes Rimbaud feel like a modern and haute parfumerie version of Pour un Homme de Caron.

To get Rimbaud or not — that’s the question I’ve been asking myself for years. Like many Celine fragrances, it carries that signature powdery-soft, vanillic orris base, but here it’s wrapped in a creamy blend of lavender and vanilla - like lavender ice cream. The dry down reminds me of Le Labo Vanille 44. The issue? The projection and sillage are nearly nonexistent. I catch fleeting whiffs throughout the day, but it’s so subtle it plays tricks on me — is that me, or just the air? Rimbaud isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s beautifully executed. Maybe its softness is intentional, designed to feel effortlessly chic and like “your skin but better.” And maybe that’s the magic. But still... I’m torn. Update: I picked this one up. Celine’s dna has me in a choke hold.

It smells like a beautiful day in the summer in Paris and I love it so much like love at the first sign. But when I get out of the store I feel like it's gone so fast. I cannot smell anything on my wrist but I received the sample from the store and I try to spray it on my skin once again, but yes it's so light, very very light but I cannot find some fragrance that smells like this Lavender and Iris and sweet scent, this is like a good memory that I have when I came in Paris, so I decided to buy it even though it so light, but do you know when I spray it on my body and my shirt once again, it stuck on my fabric for sooooo long and I do fall in love with it, so glad that I bought it, one of my favorite from Celine.

Rimbaud is a nice but weak performing lavender scent. This is the 4th Celine scent I've test worn thus far, and with the exception of Eau de Californie, they are all fatally flawed in performance. And I'm not a stickler for beast-mode performance by any means. Lavender is my favorite note, so of course I had high hopes. But Rimbaud disappoints. The scent profile itself is OK, with a nice lavender-iris pairing, but overall not superlative. My favorite lavender-heavy scents are the Fougeres, and some standout lavender creations such as Serge Lutens Gris Clair. I've got a Celine Discovery set, so let's hope there's at least one more full-bottle worthy scent other than Eau de Californie. But my expectations are low.

To give some context to those confused about why the fragrance is named after Arthur Rimbaud. "I remember that picture of Rimbaud which I kept with me religiously. Already, it seemed to me to be the image of eternal and universal youth. I have always wanted to create a perfume that evokes utopia, the very essence of youth, illustrating that portrait of a 17-year-old Rimbaud." This is not the disheveled, and dirty, Rimbaud that eventually devolved into degeneracy. This fragrance is to capture a very specific snapshot of the very beginning of Rimbaud's life, when he was only 17, not the entirety of his life.

This is a very beautiful sweet lavender fragrance (at least on me) with some vanillic undertones, it reminds me of a lighter, transparent, and much better balanced version of Lavandes Trianon which was incredibly rich and didn’t work for me. So far not sensing much else in complexity. Today is my first wearing but it is very enjoyable so far. Edit: my favorite of all Celine and I love to spritz my sample on clothes before bedtime, it lasts decently long this way. Not in the market to buy yet but if I finish the sample and miss it, I just might be!

Something about the orris, vanilla and lavender combination is a little bit off-putting to me, although I can see how others may fall in love with Rimbaud. It shares something with Caron's Pour Un Homme, but that fragrance is a masculine barber shop scent whereas the gently aromatic, earthy nature of Rimbaud with its touches of natural non-sweet vanilla reads as unisex-leaning-fem to me. It's an artistic scent but whenever I smell this, it just makes me want to reach for my bottle of Mon Guerlain, as I prefer its unmistakable femininity.

Ugh it’s such a shame this is discontinued. I love a lavender fragrance. This has all the best facets of Chanel jersey with none of that antiseptic note (just me? lol idk) plus a little creaminess à la Lavandes Trianon. It does turn a tiny bit sour on my skin so I will not be seeking to full bottle this, plus I already have 200ml of Lavandes Trianon to scratch my lavender itch for the rest of my life.

i understand why this was discontinued. The opening is a very sharp lavender that i did not like for the first 5 to 10 minutes. After that it did dry down to a pleasant vanillic lavender and iris similar to the drydown of all of their over iris vanillas. The addiction of the lavender honestly only harms the celine dna here and is not worth the price. sharp opening. Nice dry down 5/10