Guerlain Le Parfum du 68

Where do I start when it comes to my love affair with Guerlain? I remember, very clearly, the first time I got my nose on a Guerlain fragrance (Shalimar), and the revelation it was for me. Not only that, however. It is the only fragrance house that can stack up against Frederic Malle, and if that isn't high praise, I don't know what is. Rare is the fragrance that they've made that isn't absolutely stunning. And Le Parfum du 68 is no exception. The history behind LPD68 is interesting. It's a creation penned by Thierry Wasser (a reinterpretation of Cologne du 68, which is a giant in its own right) to mark the completion of the renovation of Guerlain's flagship boutique on Champs Elysees in 2013. Interestingly, it is this same boutique that adorns the bottle as well! As for the fragrance itself, like Guerlain's L'Art et La Matiere collection, this too has some sorcery baked in. What I mean by this is that it smells different the closer, or further, you get. Which I will get into shortly. Le Parfum du 68 opens up with an absolutely stunning floral citrus composition which quite quickly moves into what I can only describe as "classical" cologne structure. However, it is done in Guerlain style which is to say (confusingly) it is a cologne and simultaneously not a cologne. The citrus here is not sharp or bracing at all, far from it, infact. It is soft and heady, calmed by the addition of immortelle and tonka bean. Immortelle is a note I have often struggled with (because it can smell like curry more often than note), but here it smells herbal, almost like a honeyed Tobacco. As for the Tonka, it's present in all facets, and done to perfection, which came as no surprise to me considering that it's a Guerlain fragrance. The result is a soft, slightly sweetened bouquet of citrus and florals dancing amongst a field of a tobacco-reminiscent immortelle. As it dries down, these soft citruses and florals seemingly fade, as a soft (non-churchy) incense begins to make itself known, accompanied by a suede-leather mix that can only be explained as elegant. The incense flits in and out if view, almost playing hide and seek, and the leather note has an odd sense of nostalgia to it. The result is the feeling of being swathed in a cocoon of the coziest cashmere scarf, sat on a well loved leather couch, surrounded by the scent of roasting tobacco and the softest touch of Tonka. It is not a traditionally sweet fragrance, however. Yes, the tonka lends to some fleeting sweetness, as does the immortelle, however this is, at it's core, a woody, leathery incense fragrance. But again, far from the mainstream of any of these scents. It is elegant to a fault, upscale beyond belief, and blended to perfection. Now, about that Guerlain sorcery. If I catch a waft of this scent in the air, then it is exactly as last described. However, if I bring my nose close to wherever I've sprayed it, I will get the "classical cologne" from the opening. It makes no sense to me, since it shouldn't be possible, and yet they've managed to do it. Le Parfum du 68 is an absolute pleasure to smell, and nothing quite compares to it. Sophisticated, elegant and incredibly delicious, it's yet another one of those "long-lost" gems that I'm happy to have in my collection, and one I reserve for special occasions. I'm not often one to care about performance, especially when it comes to Guerlains. But for those that do care, it is a powerful fragrance in terms of longevity, and projection is moderate to strong (depending on how much you spray). Also, if ever there was a fragrance built for a velvet tuxedo, it would be this one. It's far too elegant for anything but formal attire.

MIND FUCKING BLOWN! one of the most beautiful fragrances i have ever smelled in my life. People keep saying guerlain this, guerlain that, specially l'art & la matiere bottles which are super overrated imo, sure they're all masterfully blended but they don't last, and a lot of them have this powdery nutty vanilla DNA that make them smell very similar to each other, off topic. ANYWAY, 68 is THE BOMB. Very rarely in my life have i experienced such intense olfactory moment that i almost cry, lol, but no seriously. The first 5 minutes it has this powdery green kick, it's literally like a punch, which i suspect is the immortelle or something else that's not listed. Then it settles into this oily resinous powdery, but not baby powdery or nutty, rather a purple flower. when i say it's MASTERFULLY BLENDED TO PERFECTION, it's an UNDERSTATEMENT. It's very feminine imo, kind of exactly the my perception of the definition of femininity in a bottle. There's a natural sweetness i get from this, that's like just meant to be there. I get very slight aldehydic touches in the dry down if i really try and idk if this is what's binding everything together or the resinous quality. An absolute masterpiece, truly amazing, i can't say enough, goddamn, bye.

Though I don't usually think of fragrances with respect to season (more paired to my mood, clothes, who I want "to be") this one is more of a spring summer scent to me, very wearable, very lovely, but quite ephemeral. The first burst to me is citrus-bergamot with a few low spicy notes. The bezoin, leather, incense notes keep a very low profile on my skin,while the immortelle (more angelica smelling to me) and amber (a light amber) are at the forefront. This is a perfume I can wear and that doesn't wear me (unlike a lot of my favorite heavy hitter fl/oriental bombs or resins/ouds/woods). Just when I think it has drifted off, a bit of it will waft up to my nose (I don't know if that is a "ghosting" effect), but it reminds me that it's still there. The disappointment with this one is one that others I think are intimating as well: sillage is quite low, disappointingly, while longevity is right in the moderate (maybe even moderate-low) category. I would like this fragrance more with the volume up a bit. I would also like it more with the price tag down a bit! I would probably buy this to wear this summer--and more generously-but am not enough in love to go FB.

Blind bought a full bottle for less than half retail value which I received today, and to say I was just pleased would be an understatement. Whilst I'm not a fragrance expert, I can comprehend what other reviewers mean in their opinions that this is blended to perfection, because it is so smooth yet complex. For me, the synonyms that come to mind for this are: sophosticated, mildly spiced, tasteful, dry and dewy (weird I know), sweet, fresh, exclusive, creamy, smooth, warm, comforting, cool, trusting, natural, 'perfumey', soft, present, timeless, opulent. Colours: beige, sage, ivory, ecru. Gender: Unisex, leaning feminine, but can be easily pulled off by most males. Ratings: Scent = 5/5 (everything about it is perfect) Longevity = 4/5 (lasts about 6 hours - probably up to 7 hours with moisturiser/body lotion) not amazing longevity, but it is packed with natural ingredients, so in that regard the longevity is above average. Projection = 4/5 Silage = 4.5/5, particularly good Overall: 4.5/5

The notes listed here are not true reflection of the complexity of this gorgeous fragrance. Parfum du 68 EDP is not a mere concentrated version of Eau de Cologne du 68 but a sensual fragrance with opening of soft warm citrus intertwining with fresh and warm spices. The more prominent floral and herbal heart consists of notes from Immortelle and some unidentifiable flowers and herbs is warmed and enriched by smoky incense with a touch of sweetness to it. The scent of Immortelle stays strong with a quite noticeable leather note lasting through the warm sensual dry down of Tonka and Benzoin. This fragrance has soft to moderate sillage and stays soft but noticeable on my skin for around 7 hours.