Elixir Charnel Oriental Brulant

An almost unpleasant laquer scent starts this fragrance (maybe the styrax?), or so I thought at first, I love that this site lets you edit reviews. This has really grown on me, and I think it is pretty much the ideal Shalimar for me. I have tried and tried, but I love this more than the classic Shalimar, it is just frankly more lovely. The alcohol-y beginning lasts about 5 minutes until the scent settles into something amazing and warm and subtle. Shalimar-like without the lemon/citrus and heavy powder, more similar to the drydown of Shalimar, the wearable aspects of Shalimar- Elixir Charnel Oriental Brulant is a very guerlain smelling smoky tonka bean/vanilla fragrance. I don't like it as much as the Guerlain Gourmand Elixir but it still is an honor to have in my collection, and I really enjoy wearing it! Not sure I would repurchase, but its just keeps growing on me the longer I have it.... A very subtle, light and pretty powder here for me with a very dark vanilla. I love these Guerlain Elixirs beyond words- it sounds dramatic but it's totally true! As for it not being unique, I disagree; I haven't smelled anything like this besides the already mentioned vague resemblance to the drydown of Shalimar. This is much more wearable than Shalimar in my book and I reach for it MUCH more often, but if you love that scent I would suggest a sample of this one. Lasting power 24+ Shalimar lovers who hate the citrus opening will go nuts Elixir Charnel Oriental Brulant... I have found the new, more expensive guerlains beat the crap out of their cheaper older counterparts. For me, this is the perfect shalimar and Angelique Noire is much better than Champs Elysees. I don't know if I can go back... If anyone wants to get this fragrance off their hands, i would gladly trade for it. Go through my 200ish perfumes and tell me what you want samples/bottles/decants of for trade. Just send me a message if you're interested!

If I could choose one perfume to wear for life, forgetting about money, I would choose Oriental Brûlant. Since its release almost 10 years ago, everytime I wear this perfume I realize I had forgotten about its magic, in the base notes! The top notes are quite gourmand, between orange and almond, maybe borderline too sweet, but the perfume quickly interacts with the skin to give the most gorgeous guerlinade, vanilla + tonka bean + resinous notes + skin = heaven. Some describe this as a younger Shalimar, and I would agree, it is a lot easier to wear and smells very modern at the same time, not soapy and not too powdery. I like to apply it at night, and the base notes are still present the next morning. It projects quite well without ever being strong or overpowering. This perfume manages to surprise me every time, the drydown is just out of this world (my other favorite drydown being Vol De Nuit extrait), anyone can pull this off easily (and I'd love to smell it on a man, if he likes sweet perfumes), it lasts incredibly well and leaves a nice sillage. To me this perfume summarizes Guerlain these last 10 years, a more gourmand direction, while clearly inheriting from Shalimar, L'Heure Bleue, Jicky with the complex evolution and base notes. (I am talking about a 2010-ish bottle, don't know about reformulations) And now it is being discontinued/in a super expensive new bottle, I don't understand this decision at all and I think it will be a long while before I fall for another Guerlain (last time it was Parfum Initial l'Eau, already discontinued!).

This is a lovely, modern take on the Guerlinade. It starts with a slightly spiced, subtle and sweet citrus (I've seen some reviews describe it as giving a bit of a holiday vibe because of that, which I agree with). This clears fairly quickly and segues beautifully into an almondy, coumarinic, vanillic, musky delight. There's some of the scent of styrax (the true liquid of which I kind of feel smells somewhere between sharp vanilla, cinnamon, permanent Sharpie markers, and leather...a hard to pin down note that's beautiful when well integrated!!!), but it's definitely tamed and tempered by the cuddly Guerlain-ness. It feels very much at home with the l'Art et Matieres line in aesthetic--the almond-tonka of Tonka Imperiale, the "chewy" and bittersweet vanilla of Angelique Noire, and the plush sueded/heliotropic feel of Cuir Beluga. I just might like it better than all of those individually, however, in terms of wearability and comfort. The tradeoff, of course, is that it's not quite as bold as any of those. You smell this and think that it really should be one of the scents Guerlain should have readily available at all times. It's a shame that it's not.

At first you get a rather strong dose of benzoine which smells sort of "chemical" but not unpleasant. Just strange. Almonds (or tonka ?) mingle from the beginning, too. A delicious perfume, really ! It is sweet, pleasing and seductive. Perfect if you are on a date with certain plans of spending the night :-) He/She will not be able to resist. OB develops softer, milder in the drydown but still sweet and almondy. The name truefully suggests something smoky. OB overall reminds me of a harem with lovely women eating delicious sweets and the room is perfumed with smoke. Oriental Brulant is not as smoky as Fumerie Turque/Serge Lutens, not as sweet as Loukhoum Parfum Du Soir/Keiko Mecheri and not as almondy as Baiser Du Dragon/Cartier but having less of each superbly mixed a big "more" was the result. OB is a gorgeous oriental-gourmand scent. Longevity is great, I applied it in the morning and still noticed whiffs of it on me at about 5 in the afternoon. Sillage is medium, it is not a loud scent. Unfortunately, OB is part of the exclusive "Les Elixirs Charnel" collection. The price is a true nightmare (around EUR 170-175 for 75ml).

This is my HOLY FREAKIN' GRAIL SCENT. I mean just thinking about sniffing it is making me swoon. Oh my gosh, it's perfection. This is definitely top 5 of all time. I am completely obsessed. It's oriental heaven. And the cost? 100000% worth it. It lasts ALLLLL day and I can NOT stop sniffing myself when I wear it. It's literally oriental (and a tad gourmand) perfection in a bottle. Look NO further. At least try it. You'll thank me later :) What does it smell like? It smells like the most sophisticated, resinous vanilla ice cream in existence, made by a French chef who probably dotes on Marie Antoinette or someone. Lovely edible oriental. The styrax just makes the whole thing so rich and beautiful. Stunning. I have no idea on earth why people are voting this to smell like Bois 1920 La Vaniglia, which smells like a vanilla Yankee Candle mixed with church incense. Ugh. And L'Instant Magic? Lovely, but it smells like almonds and baby powder- literally nothing like Oriental Brulant. There is literally nothing like Oriental Brulant. Sorry! Darn shame they discontinued this beauty!

I have waited a while before reviewing this because I wasn't sure what to say about it. The first ten minutes of this almost smells strange to me, I can't put my finger on what the note is. The first time I tried this I didn't think I would love it but wow it has really grown on me, I am finding that I crave the warm creaminess of this and have now worn it for about a week without tiring of it. It is sweet but not as sweet as Tonka Imperiale, it is smokey but less so than shalimar, it is creamy but not as smooth as L'instant. It definitely has that guerlainade base that I find suits me so well. It is like a mixture of all my favourite Guerlains. I know that some consider this a boring and a lightweight fragrance but I am absolutely in love with this, it is gorgeous and I plan to purchase a FB. Sillage isn't huge but that's ok with me because I prefer to wear my perfume, not have my perfume wear me. Longevity is amazing, I can still smell this the next day. A 10/10 in my book.

This is without doubt vanilla, yet I wouldn't place it in the gourmand category as it doesn't smell edible in any way. This is indeed purely the base of Shalimar, it's not smoky, citrusy or coarse like I myself find Shalimar to be. It's a very musky, thick, slightly powdery and almost hairspray like vanilla with salty heliotrope/almond like facets. It's even thicker than creamy - it's balmy in texture. Furthermore, I don't find this very sweet, the vanilla is elegant, mature and grounded. Very classic and timeless scent. I have smelled many perfumes quite similar in scent, for example Vanille Exquise by Annick Goutal, so it's not groundbreaking in its composition, but none that compares to the powerful presence, quality and sillage of Oriental Brulant. I see the comparison to Hypnotic Poison but they share only the almond, this is much muskier. It stays close to the skin yet lasts and lasts, it's undeniably a very high quality fragrance.

I adore this. It actually is easier to wear than Shalimar, or maybe it's just more familiar. It reminds me of my grandmother. So, when I wear it, it is a very "very" comforting feeling I get. I feel protected and loved. Nobody did that better than my "Nanny". I find that many of the Guerlain line just work well with my chemistry. Which is hard to do. Sometimes you read all the notes in a fragrance, assume they will work, and they are out of balance, linear not working. These elixirs are my favorites. Coquin Gourmand, Angelique Noir and Asian Brulant are 3 favorites of mine. I've gone through countless bottles, so that should speak volumes. I would love to try the others in this line, but sometimes I branch out to other houses, but I always and I mean always come back to Guerlain. They do fragrance like no other, and I might add.....makeup :) Love love love....Hope they continue to make these beauties. IFRA stay away!

A positive emotional scent. There is something very evocative about this wonderful scent. Smells amazing on its own or can also be layered with Cuir Beluga. Very romatic and comforting scent. Sillage is smooth. This composition was formulated with care and that is very clear on the top,heart and base notes. Well done my beloved Guerlain. XOXOXOX Guerlain my true love. This is not similar to another fragrance. Just the right sillage and so beautiful. Update: I have received more compliments then on most any other perfume. Some perfumes a lot of ladies will praise. However, This little tiger, Oriental Brulant is captivating by gentlemen ,politly asking what am I wearing. OB is a true masterpiece that can be praised. Nicely done and a rarity to find such a winning scent that is not unisex. Guerlain my hero, Oriental Brulant, more powerful than botox . My dearest confidant has become the Guerlain counter : )

Why Why Why Why??? Is. This. Gone?????? Guerlain, I've held my complaints about your "new" direction. I've even bought some of those new direction perfumes. Can you please now give me back my Oriental Brulant? Pretty please? But not if you screw it up like you did with Feve Gourmand. Seriously, tea? That you can actually smell? Sorry, off topic. Please, everyone email Guerlain. Call. Clog the communication lines with pleas for this lovely fragrance. If you think I'm nuts, try to get your nose on a decant and you can see how far Guerlain has traveled from her Motherland. This is now in my had section. I used the last of my bottle (well I've got a 5 ml decant back up for emergency sniffs) on Thanksgiving. Now I'm thinking my guests weren't worthy. :)

Oriental Brulant (OB) lovers unite! Let's get someone to make this glorious elixir again. Guerlain needs an army to tell them, we shall say of Guerlain, why oh why, are you so stubborn in keeping this masterpiece from us. Bring it back as you did others, bring it back sooner rather than later. For who knows what is going to befall us before we get to have this diamond encased in heavenly metals such as surrounds King Tut's dagger, which laid on his bosom in his sarcophagus along with his other treasures. Of all fragrances, this is one that reaches from our soul to the sky, in which we can only convey its richness in moans. It is far too glorious to describe in mere words. Oh Guerlain, please I mutter....please bring this back.............

Yes, it's pink and it has gourmand notes, but don't be fooled - the styrax note is very prominent and this dry styrax grip on your throat will last throughout the development; almost sour (tangerine) aspect as a contrast to the pink coloured sweetness. No succulence here (Brulant), but dry sweetness with a hint of oddness. Thankfully, it is what makes this perfume a serious and extraordinary composition (besides being an exclusive Guerlain), a quasi-gourmand with lots of character opposed to many frivolous, sweet pink-coloured examples in this category. And for sweeter, more supple, less challenging "pink" Guerlain exclusive - Gourmand Coquin would be more adequate choice.

Oriental Brûlant is a soft and warm Oriental Gourmand scent. It is powdery, nutty and buttery (almond and tonka bean), sweet (vanilla), and styrax gives it a unique amber-like resinous/balsamic quality. Oriental Brûlant is quite smooth and pristine with a cozy and comforting vibe, making it an ideal choice for the fall and winter. It shares some similarities with SDV and Tonka Impériale and is another classic and timeless release from Guerlain. Without a doubt, my favorite fragrance from the now discontinued Les Élixirs Charnels line (I own it in a 125 ml gold bee bottle from the Paris boutique). I love Oriental Brûlant and it is among my top five Guerlain fragrances!

the sexiest sophisticated perfume in the world (imo) -- and this includes the name, bottle design and color of juice, concept, and most of all the perfume...all of it together gives a very romantic idea that i think mixes well with any body chemistry and the idea of "sexy" in it's carnal senses (there's that french artist orlan who makes 'carnal art')...carnal to me means an acknowledgement of the fullness of the body...i don't mean to laud a perfume that is no longer being made and selling for very high prices now on ebay etc...it's worth a sniff for study if you can find a sample or decant (smells sweet-smoky, resinous-spicy, and citrusy-mandarin to me)

Like the reviewer several reviews down from this, I too could choose this perfume as the only one I would want if I could only only have one! I'm IN LOVE WITH THIS PERFUME and by the way, this layers beautifully with smokey myrrh perfumes such as Mitzah by Dior, Myrrhe Imperial by Armani Privee. I can get 12 hours on my dry skin! Can't say that about many frags. I'm really surprised to see only 3 people have it as their signature scent because if I ever have one, this will be it. It's SIMPLY STUNNING! What a shame it's another victim of discontinuation!

I have a decant of this and recently purchased bois d'armenie. They are 80% similar. This one smells more gourmand and sharper because of the tangerine note. The bois d'armenie smells more powdery and softer, more rounded, but the drydown is quite similar. So far I haven't encountered any other fragrance that smells similar to this. So if you want, you better get the bois d'armenie as that one is already discontinued too. Good thing they are just discontinued recently so there's probably still some in stock at the boutique.

Thank you to xrayer for this lovely swag of samples! This is softly musky, spicy and warm. The sweet spices waft in after the initial balsamic, slightly smoky wave. This one stays in the background on me - beautiful and alluring and oh so soft and come hither moreish, would adore a full bottle of this someday! (PS Smells a little Christmas pudding like on me!)

So Guerlain it hurts. It's just painfully good. It smells like the woman I'd like to be in 10 years. Indeed, it is the olfactory equivalent of admiring your mother dressed up for a special occasion when you were a child. Those occasions that had her looking so unfathomably elegant that it made you wish you could be even half as glamorous some day.

Oriental Brulant is one of my naughtiest fragrances ;) It's sweet, but not too sweet, it's musky, creamy, resinous, a little salty, a little boozy and very very warm. A come hither fragrance for sure (at least on my skin). I'd go further than that, I'd call it a gourmand version of Boudoir!

Oriental Brulant has an opening resembling some aged preserved Chinese tangerine peels with soothing, slightly savory sweet and balmy accords. It's sweet, balmy and vanilla base notes made me feel calm and relax for hours.

The best fragrance from guerlain shortly افضل عطور الدار العريقة جيرلان بلا منازع ثبات 10/10 فوحان 10/10 جمال الرائحة 10/10 نادراً ما اعطي عطر هذا التقيييم ولكن هذا العطر تعدى حدود الوصف

OMG OMG OMG, recieved this yesterday as a blind buy & it is so delicious I am totally in love with this frag & the bottle is just beautiful xxxx really happy :-)

What a soft and warm beauty, a man can easily wear this baby out and be sure you're not with a girlfriend/wife or you'll have a lot to explain later that night!

Rickyrebarco......have tried your recipe of layering oriental brulant with L'heure Bleue and it is just gorgeous!! Thanks for the tip.

this scent is warm and sensational. I feel almond , vanilla and iris. I like it. It sweet and luxurious gourmet perfum

In the realm of Tonka Imperiale/Le Parfum Du 68. Stunning, rich, deep, intoxicating. I will cherish my bottle.

I don't understand!! Another good one (+ Myrrhe & Delires) discontinued?? This was my favorite Elixir Charnel!

Powdery, incensey, slightly spicey vanilla-amber...makes me weak in the knees. A very sexy scent!

This review has been deleted because the site's owners are fascists.

GUERLAIN......please bring this back! Thank you very much :)

Please Guerlain bring back this masterpiece.

When I was a little girl in the late 80s, I would go into my mother's room and apply her makeup and perfume, and walk around in her heels and jewelry. My mother was a glamorous and complicated woman, both charming and tempestuous. She was so sexy and a total mystery to me as a little girl. Strong orientals like this remind me of her. I visited the Guerlain counter at Saks in NYC a few weeks ago because my beloved bottle of Gourmand Coquin had finally been spritzed dry. GC was my signature scent that I wore nearly every day for the past 6-7 years. A man working behind the counter gave me a sample size of this, and I've been wearing it for two weeks straight. Initially, this intimidated me a bit. In fact, my first reaction was, "Oh my God, it's beautiful and my mom used to have something like this," followed by, "Oh my God, I'm not quite old enough to pull this off." This scent is beautiful - it's for a woman who doesn't want you to see her as simple or sweet. It's for a mature woman who doesn't have time for your shit. And I love it, but it while it is a gorgeous gourmand-type oriental, a cousin of my beloved Gourmand Coquin if you will, I don't quite know if I will get the FB immediately...I'm sniffing a few other orientals first. I think it is the overwhelming styrax that hangs around it - on me, this never really goes away, not even into the drydown. It's gorgeous and likely will find its way into my collection eventually, but alas it's not quite the love-at-first-sight gourmand oriental that GC was...the search continues.

Yes this is not groundbreaking nor a spectacular display of fireworks. It does however make you keep coming back like an addict requiring yet another fix. The note pyramid makes it look deceptively simple. However I can't tell you where the unique taste of the sweet salty and sour preserved tamarind skin begins, where it becomes a creamy delicious rich and warm tonka and vanilla mix nor how it develops into a strangely wild smelling muskiness spiced with dry smoky styrax that kept my nose glued to my wrist. It doesn't seem to follow the normal pattern of opening, heart and base notes but is ever evolving through its own unique sequence. I wasn't overly impressed at first sniff with the Elixir Charnel range, to the gratitude of my bank account, however Oriental Brulant and sibling Gourmand Couquin have a siren call that would not leave me in peace. So back to the Guerlain counter a few more times and finally getting a decant of both to understand their secrets. I may never find the answer to their spell on my senses or fantasies but I will take back my initial dismissive assessment of their worth. Very pricy but it is more than worth it. Sillage is rather quiet on me but I prefer it this way, longevity is excellent. Yes it is reminiscent of other balmy sweet and opulent Guerlains but it has its own individuality. Christine Nagel has concocted another siren's scented beckoning.

This is a story where a sharp, resinous, smoky, leathery, carnal and spicy beast (styrax) is tamed by the angelic, warm, cuddly and sophisticated Guerlinade. This mix catches and hugs you and this hug is not something soft, you can really feel its wrapping arms. Don’t be fooled by the pastel color of it. It’s not a pink, girly, soft and sweet juice. It is still cuddly but in a serious and sophisticated way. It is like your favorite dessert from your childhood but now you are eating it in a fancy restaurant made by a famous French chef, who uses their most resinous vanilla, richest citruses, a sprinkle of a boozy drink, expensive spices and almonds. Oh and I am begging Guerlain to bring this back. It is my go to winter perfume.

Before I even looked at reviews, the dry down of this one reminded me somewhat of Shalimar without the citrus. It's softer and slightly...pinker? It's definitely got that familiar Guerlinade. This scent kind of underwhelmed me though, I'm getting hints of soap through the balsamic notes and vanilla - which are the main notes I'm getting in this. I also get a lightly powdery and sweet dry down. But after an hour my nose is glued to my wrist, as per usual with Guerlain scents that feature vanilla. It becomes quite comforting and delectable. A little too light wearing to make it worth it for me though. But I'll enjoy the heck out of my sample...mmmm...

This is very pretty. A soft, wearable smoky incense and sweet almond. A little powdery, maybe violet? It's slightly reminiscent of Kenzo Amour. However, I WISH this was what Kenzo Amour smelled like so I wouldn't be tempted to spend so much on this one. It's in the same family both Kenzo Amour and Hypnotic Poison but it's not as sweet or as overpowering as either of those. For some reason, I smell more of the tangerine in the dry down than I do in the top.

Interestingly layered. Balmy and powdery, a cloud of slightly greased soft pink. The funny thing is that the scent is getting stronger into the day, after sitting close to my skin for the first half hour. I appreciate Floofs comparison to Shalimar and I agree. This is like pink coloured Shalimar with rounded, fluffy edges. Maybe Shalimar for ballerina :-)

Beautiful. Soft powdery vanilla and incense. Smells like a gentle version of (1990's bottle) Shalimar Eau De Cologne. Despite the softness it has real lasting power. Would not buy a FB simply because it is so similar to Shalimar Eau De Cologne, which I already have and is much more affordable.

It smells like lipstick. A bit sweet, a bit vanilla, a bit almond, a bit powdery, a bit resinous. Neither unpleasant, nor difficult to wear (quite the opposite, actually), but mainly lipstick. And a hefty dose of Guerlinade. I get good longevity, though it sits fairly close to the skin.

I like this very much. I detect vanilla, almonds & I smell violets and raspberries or some other soft fruit that I like. Would be delighted to own a decant or FB but only if someone else was paying for it. There are other Guerlain Exclusives that I want more...

I remember being blown away when I first tried this. This is in a good way. I can picture a top female executive wearing this. Definitely a head-turner.

I was just in Neiman Marcus today and saw this as well as SVD at the Guerlain counter. I'm in Dallas and this mall is a very popular mall for friends that don't even live in TX. So it's not like it is older stock. They've had Charlotte Tillsbury show up in Nordstrom and next month, the head of Guerlain makeup from France will be at NM. The lady behind the counter said both are back. I was going to blind buy for over $350 on eBay but so glad I didn't....after getting to test it, I didn't love it on me. Instead, my next will be Tom Ford's Vanille Tobaco. I have SVD and it is different enough to get. So if anyone has given up looking, next time you're out, check at NM. It's back. I'm sure it is available on their website too.

L'Oriental Brulant is a very lovely scent, and I am appreciating it more the longer I own it. It is not groundbreaking but it is wonderful in the 'Guerlain way.' This fragrance is stripped down to the base that is so familiar in all the famous Guerlains- the tonka, vanilla and almond notes. It is, to me, the essence of the "Guerlainade." The candied tangerine notes give this scent a bit of difference, and there are definitely spices there as well. I can smell the lovely almond notes most in the drydown and they are very nice. The drydown reminds me very much of the bases of Shalimar and L'Heure Bleue. This is very nice layered with L'Heure Bleue.

Beuatiful warm, luxurious perfume with long lasting sillage for dreaming, relaxing and well being. I bought without hesitation a bottle of this beauty when first time "tasting" it. If you want to have more pleasure with Oriental Brulant you can combine it when applying a unique product by Guerlain Délice de Peau à Parfumer (Cream to Perfume) - it is practically a moisturizing no scented body cream, you can put it on neck, décolleté, wrist, arms,etc. . . and you can enhance its already long lasting sillage, olfactory power and pleasure of your senses. it is worth to buy it!!!!

Oriental Brulant is a great vanilla fragrance, leathery, powdery and soft. It also has a creamy orange note that brings a freshness to the composition. Its not a straight forward gourmand cause it has a woody ambery note that gives an animalic almost salty edge, like if there was a beast lurking behind the vanilla pods. That's what makes it great to me because I don't wanna smell like a pastry shop. I like to think that this is the grand daughter of Shalimar 4 out of 5

Finally sprayed my sample I received from Neiman. I need the bottle. Though it's not on the immediate list, unless they decided to discontinue this like Iris Ganache. Beautiful, and I'm a DUDE. I currently own, Tonka, Vanille, Couquin, and Anglique. I have the GBug. Bois Armenie, Cuir Beluga are ahead of those 2, but I will be happy to add them to the family ASAP. All I can say in Brulant is Beautiful.

This is an okay scent but it smells exactly like Shea Moisture Shea Body Butter. The body butter actually projects more as well. It also smells like another fragrance that I won't mention. Just so its not bought up before I get the chance to get some of the last stock, lol. I like that scent wayyyy more. I also like Bois D much more than this as well since these 2 are compared so much.

Oh I'm really enjoying this one - I'm finding it silky and opulent. Compared to other posters, I'm not getting much almond, hints only, getting more a balmy, spicy vanilla carried by the sweet tart tangerine. Over two hours, powder peeking through these notes. I agree with previous post - sedated Shalimar through rose tinted glasses.

This is a beautiful perfume but the notes pyramid is very misleading. It lacks violets, the Parma variety, which are presented in a feminine way and are apparent throughout. Not a safe blind buy if one dislikes violets, or is seeking for a smoky oriental as per the perfume's name

Does this remind anyone of the Emeraude from the 70s? It is so familiar, and that is what comes to mind when I smell this. I don't really remember what that smelled like. This does smell somewhat like Shalimar.