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.

April: This everthing a Guerlain fragrance should be. There is some spice but overall this frag makes me feel like I am in the most wonderful bakery, with the scent of cake batter, raisins, bread pudding. Not too gourmond, 68 still smells like it should be worn, not drizzled over a pudding. Unfortunately cost will prohibit my purchase of this delectable scent. Almost at the end of my decant. .......oh dear. May: so I will have to save up. Unless something else phenomenal comes along in the next year, this will replace my beloved Angelique Noire in 2016. Stay tuned.... October: Still one of my favourites. September of following year - finally purchased it. Glorious!

I love perfumes made with dedication and with attention to detail - to me, Le Parfum du 68 is the epitome of this. Some immortelle, spices, leather, benzoin - they’re all combined in an almost alchemical way, every accord is measured to perfection, to blissful balance of sweet, herbal, musky sophistication. Unlike many modern creations which collapse into mediocrity as soon as I’ve left the shop, it seems like the development of this fragrance has been closely monitored to retain its beauty throughout all stages - it doesn’t change much, it only slowly becomes sweeter and more balsamic. Great perfume.

Opens with a green burst of herbs quickly followed by a dryer grassier streak of immortelle. The benzoin is strong in this one, so ya gotta love the cool medicinal quality it imparts (i do) or this may not be your scent. It is tempered by powdery heliotrope, which, when combined with the spicy tonka lends it the Guerlain signature underlying many of Guerlain scents. The sueded leather dry down is reminiscent of Cuir Beluga. Gorgeous! Another must have from Guerlain. Their scents play so nicely with my body chemistry, and I just can't get enough of them.

A beautiful soft and delicate feminine scent that has all the class of a traditional french perfume, a classic Guerlain perfume, but also modern and fresh! However, I get much more Heliotrope and Rose (and definite citrus at first bergamot?) than any of the notes listed above, are we sure we have the right notes up there? Because even in the booklet that comes with the perfume it lists Heliotrope, Rose, and warm woods! Also, there is a rumor that every site, where it's sold, has a slightly different ratio of notes, has anyone heard this before?

Its in my top 10 scents from Geurlain House. Its France closed in the bottle to me. Classic characteristic of Guerlain, its Guerlainish I cant even say more. Its scent of Paris; essence of Paris; aura of Paris....entire culture of Paris closed in the bottle. Rich Vanilla and Orient and Guerlain classic lemon hidden in top accords. Its done so well ... Its one of the prettiest and best Guerlain scents. I cant wait until tommorow I will wear it all day Not anymore in boutiques.

Bittersweet Beauty! Tonka Bean Spice Bomb! Immortelle gives it that dry, herbal, interesting bitter juxtaposition to the sweet tonka and benzoin main theme. It is rich and luxurious and feels like your favourite cashmere sweater or that super expensive suede blouson. Either way a gorgeous and unusual scent, perfect for fall and winter. Pungent at first but dry down is to die for. 8/10.

I am a big fan of Guerlain house. To me ... can exist only Guerlain I might not use anything else besides him LE 68...is really ...classy.. zesty... fresh...scent. Reminds me something good from 1950 I can;t locate what it is. A Classy soap from France... I love to wear it on my hair.. one spray only.... Beautifull... there is nthg similar to this scent in the planet.

I got a sample from a fragrant friend. And, I have to admit that I love this. It is a bombastic animalic powder that just oozes with sweet sophistication. It performs fairly well; when I first sprayed it I was able to detect it from an arm's length, and it was quite strong. That's fairly unusual for my dehydrated skin.

The opening was really green and sour. I was kind of supriced because the notes given here didn't match with any of it I was geting att the beginning. And I hated this fragrance first 10 minutes. BUT the drydown turned out to be very nice - sweet tonka and immortelle, not a trace of something green and sour.

It reminds me of Hypnotic Poison EDP plummy and softly powdery and close to the skin but long lasting. Not as smokey and not as liquoricey. Lovely and subtle. Edit on a cold day the beginning reminds me of the Guerlain citrus notes in some of the colognes, but it's not sharp but soft and slightly powdery.

Amazing. Unisex but leans slightly feminine. I will definitely have to hide this from my wife. She has figured out that her metrosexual husband has a shit ton of awesome unisex fragrances she should commandeer, and this is right up her Ambre Noir alley. I love this. 10/10 and a Fragrantica score of 4.6

Gorgeous. The immortelle gives it a bright and slightly sweet opening with just the right herbaceous bite. Such a nice contrast with the warm resin, incense, and tonka bean. Classic powdery Guerlain DNA. This one is special and of course discontinued.

One of my forever loves. I get a powdery, incense-y, resin-ish, floral-ish gorgeous scent. A true classic, blended to perfection and I haven't found a replacement for it. Even among Guerlain greats, this one, for me, is a beauty.

Most favourite of all times! If I had to leave 1 perfume in life - that would be it! OK 2 fragrances - Guerlain 68 and FM Carnal Flower. Love for life💋

Stunning unisexe perfume : Guerlain did it again ! Soft, more skin lingering perfume like a luxurious cashmere jumper hugging you....

Oriental retrospect with the brightness of citrus and herbs. Very high quality!

Le Parfum du 68 takes its name from Guerlain’s flagship boutique at 68 Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris. In 2013 the store was renovated, and Thierry Wasser created this fragrance to mark the occasion. The bottle even features the façade of the flagship. The opening unfolds with florals and citrus, but the treatment is very soft, without the sharp acidity often found in traditional colognes. Soon immortelle and tonka bean begin to appear. The immortelle here leans toward a herbal tone with a faint honeyed, tobacco-like nuance, touched by a slight sweetness from the tonka. Personally, the tonka is not especially prominent. It seems to function more as a stabilizing element, keeping the fragrance smooth and close to the skin without letting it disperse too quickly. In the middle and later stages, incense and a soft leather note gradually emerge. The leather feels closer to suede, carrying a subtle sense of nostalgia. The incense remains light, more like a warmth slowly settling in the air rather than a dense smoky accord. Overall it is a clearly structured fragrance with stable layers. The sweetness is restrained, and the balance between woods, leather, and resin is well controlled. Longevity and projection are moderate, making it suitable for more formal settings.

Immortelle, floral sweet start. Projection is impressive for the one spray I did, quite strong throughout the entire day. About an hour or so in it becomes more spicy sweet. You can actually notice most of the notes, and it smells delectable. Still a few feet of projection around the 5 hour mark. It's now almost 12 hours and I can get wafts still. More of a skin scent but seriously impressive. When it gets heated up the spice and incense is more noticeable. In general it is a spicy tonka with a touch of the immortelle. Just wow.

I purchased this one a couple of years ago, but for some reason never bothered wearing it, and didn't think much of the scent at the time. Fast forward 2 years, recently started wearing it almost daily as a morning fragrance. The scent seem to have matured whilst in 'hypernation'. Loving the benzoin, beautiful dry down. A true compliment getter. 3-4 sprays a time. If you can't get your hands on 68 then opt for Al Haramain's Portfolio Royale Stallion which is almost identical.

Another zero performance decant from Guerlain. Whats common about the last three is that they are released for women so maybe women don't like to smell what they are wearing. 7/10

cloth test sweet anise mild spice, but sharp in a chemical way sharp chemicals

I already own the 2006 release of Eau de Cologne du 68 by Guerlain, which has now been sadly discontinued. Some reviewers mention similarities between Le Parfum du 68 and Eau de Cologne du 68. In my personal opinion, they have a similar musky drydown, but when worn side by side, it's obvious that Le Parfum du 68 is richer and less citrusy on the skin. Eau de Cologne du 68 is a Spring and Summer scent for me, whereas Le Parfum du 68 is more appropriate for Autumn. The tonka bean and benzoin accords are the most dominant on my skin, followed by a cacophony of herbal, citrusy, oriental and musky nuances. Le Parfum du 68 is a relatively complex fragrance which smells of money and sophistication. Had I not already owned Eau de Cologne du 68, I may have considered adding Le Parfum du 68 to my collection. What appeals to me most about both these fragrances, is their ability to merge various fragrance genres into one well-rounded composition. It has aspects to attract almost anyone and is versatile enough to be worn by any gender or in any season. Le Parfum du 68 has excellent longevity and moderate to strong projection, (depending on the number of sprays). I highly recommend sussing out the exclusive Guerlain range if your local Guerlain boutique stocks them. There are some stunning fragrances to be found outside of their regular line-up. Additionally, if you're looking for a slightly fresher more citrusy version of this fragrance, you can't go past Eau de Cologne du 68, which can still be found quite easily online.

I'd consider this a well-balanced an unisex scent that riffs on many of the well-trod Guerlain themes--anisic floral (Apres L'Ondee and L'Heure Bleue and other discontinued vintages), sweet heliotrope (Candide Effluve, Apres), aromatic fougere (Jicky), and spicy amber (Shalimar, Vol de Nuit). It manages to capture bits and pieces of all of these scents without clinging too hard to one particular genre. There's even a semi-masculine woody aromachemical scent in its base. To that end, this actually feels like a pretty solid summation of Guerlain's oeuvre as a house, while managing to be a well-constructed, balanced scent.

I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed in this. I was hoping for a richer version of the cologne with added leather and incenses, but this is a whole other scent. Parfum Du 68 is all about soft sweet tonkabean and a hint of green herbs. Underneath the tonka base I smell a distinctive heliotrope note but none of the leather. The herbs make this unisex, but the overall effect is very soft, sweet and slightly powdery. I was expecting a bit more ooomph, but it's a lovely perfume. If you're looking for a delicate sweet powdery scent with a green spicy kick, this is the one you need.

It took me a while to make an opinion of this fragrance. In my opinion it shines in its best in late fall, because leather and incense become more present on my skin. The opening of this fragrance is very tart, green and at the same time very realistic. In a few mins it mellows into a beautiful benzoin and tonka accord, although the herbal aspekt lasts through the time of wear. Although the sillage and longevity are moderate to good. It's so delicate, and feminine! If you are looking for a soft but yet interesting and warm fragrance you might like this one!

This, like all other exclusive scents, has been discontinued in order to make way for the new version of the L’Art et La Matiere collection. Sadly the new collection does not include Le 68, nor Mon Precieux Nectar or other Les Parisiennes fragrances

This is indeed very very similar to the House's Angelique Noire, so my review will pretty much be exactly the same for as that scent. Same herbal opening, leading to the obviously nice sweet notes in after an hour long wait; very disappointing.

this could smell like sht and I wouldnt care....that bottle makes everything bad in life go away. Anyone know the retail on one of these? Im assuming its expensive (even for a guerlain) due to it being an exclusive

At first I got baby oil plus incense. Now (3 hours in) it's more of a balanced powdery, not too sweet amber and I quite like it. I plan to update this as I get to know my sample.

Lovely opening with heliotrope, but too soon I'm sicked by the immortel and benjoin combo. That gives a cosmetic and make up effect.

Incense, tonka bean, and leather? I'm intrigued, and I will definitely be trying this once I can find someone who has samples of it.

Galbanum and benzoin version of Shalimar. Very underwhelming. I would go with Celine Nightclubbing instead

Very similar to Lalique Le Parfum (about 90%), maybe not quite as sweet. For whom likes gourmand

Super ambery and balsamic, very classic Guerlain. not like L'heure de Nuit at all.

@MrDeeva I feel in my heart that LES ABSOLUS D'ORIENT will disappear too.