Idylle Eau de Parfum

The first Idylle I got was gifted to me by a lovely neighbour with whom I became good friends after chasing her down the road to ask what she fragrance was wearing. She so kindly bought me a 30mL bee bottle, which before long I needed to replace with a 100mL bee bottle. As that one is now getting on the low side, and seeing that the new version in the 75mL bottle pictured was on sale, I’ve bought two more, just in case it’s on the chopping block (I’ve lost so many beloved fragrances to discontinuation). This fragrance smells identical to my bee bottle versions, which was a huge relief to me, and hopefully to anyone here who might be hesitating based on the bottle change and slightly different note structure from the other Idylle entry on here. My review on the original still stands; this is just such a beautifully blended and balanced floral musk, with a hint of bitterness in the opening, and which dries down to the most gorgeous, slightly sweet fragrance. I absolutely love it. Occasionally I layer it with Glossier You, and sometimes I add a couple of spritzes of Waterlily Tea Dress (Jo Malone for Zara) when I want to smell like a garden just after the rain. But Idylle doesn’t really need anything else; it’s perfection on its own.

I walked through the Marais streets and found the Guerlain Flagship store, what a treat! Wanting a Guerlain fragrance for years but had not been able to find it. Also the prices were high. In Paris I tried L'instant, Lui. Both really beautiful scents, but not for me. Back home I discovered Idylle, actually through this site! By the decriptions I figured it might be something for me. The notes, the Chypre. I ordered a miniature of the golden teardrop bottle and fell in love. The opening of Lily of the valley, the beautiful chypre in the middle and beautiful drydown. Very mature, almost niche, sophisticated. Now hoping it will be in stock again where I live in the reformulated Legendaires version. I do see the resemblance with Narciso for her, but for me Idylle is more chic and soft. More subdued. The bee bottle though.... Just gotten from my husband! A gem! I finally found my Guerlain! Longevity is very poor, but the gesture of him giving me this makes up for it. And maybe I can layer it with Narciso or with a good lotion. I think the new bee bottles have been watered down in formulation, so maybe when I finish this I will get the 2021 bottle. The Beebottle is gorgeous though!

Excellent projection. Soapy, clean, wet! A beautiful and lush dewy garden. You meander through in a white linen nightgown in early dawn light. You follow an organic path that is lined with lily of the valley, peonies, rose, and jasmine. The pale pink glow of the rising sun greets you and there is birdsong bidding good morning. This is... beautiful. It would be wonderful for a bride. It is not a synthetic perfume. Idylle is exactly that: idyllic. It reminds me of the ending scene in pride and prejudice, when Mr. Darcy makes his way across the field to Elizabeth and they both confess their love. You can smell the white musk and jasmine in the background, but I don’t get the white lily scent. I’ve been seeking out lily of the valley fragrances, but have been left... somewhat wanting. I’ve realised after this that it’s because they have been somewhat one-note, whereas this is a symphony. Lily of the valley is a star, for sure, but it is bolstered by a blooming orchestra behind it. This is also a much, much more elevated Dior Blooming Bouquet with better longevity and a lily of the valley focus.

What a pretty perfume. A Very crystalline bouquet of pure white florals,. White lilac, Lily, lily of the valley, white roses, white peonies, freesia, jasmine. Yes, there are fruits here but they are added to enhance the bouquet instead of standing out on their own. The florals are lightly enhanced by a soft musk and very soft patchouli. This is very strong IMO and very little is needed, could become a bit overwhelming if over sprayed but if applied with a light hand this is such a lovely and feminine perfume. Extremely ladylike. I see this as the perfect garden party, bridal shower, wedding, Easter Sunday type of fragrance. It calls for a very formal daytime spring early summer setting. IDK if I will spring for a FB I need to wear it a bit more before I make that call but it is so lovely, feminine, and ladylike that it does register with the clutching my pearls side of myself lol. I do love the 1950s style and this perfume smells like something Grace Kelly or Doris Day would have worn. Edit: wearing this now I want it. Pair it with Beekman 1802 lilac body lotion absolutely beautiful!

Bitter, green, musky and floral. Nothing creamy or noticeably powdery here (to me), but that doesn't lead me to call the fragrance 'fresh' necessarily. Yes, it has a soapiness (almost shampoo) to it, but, crucially, this perfume feels humid. Even smelling it from the bottle conjures a sense of someone's body heat warming up the smell- if it is shampoo, the shampoo has been used, rinsed, and the scent is lingering in a living person's hair... Recently, this humidity has led me to associate the fragrance with the idea of clean warm skin under a knitted jumper. Or giving someone a hug when they're fresh out the shower. An interplay of wet and dry- clean and lively. Maybe it's a little fizzy, perhaps it's springlike, outdoorsy, green, or a little earthy, but all of this is carried through by a marked human presence. Floral notes are finely blended- I don't detect a single dominant flower. I think Idylle is genuinely a joy to wear- something a bit different.