Les Absolus d'Orient Épices Exquises

My wife and I were in Guerlain and I sprayed this on my hand. My wife was enchanted by this fragrance. She said it smelled amazing, and bought it for me immediately. She thinks it’s one of the sexiest fragrances she’s ever smelled. I have almost all of the Les absolus D’ Orient line. Most of them are really her preference on men. She’s very much into the Middle Eastern style fragrance dna and Epices Exquises may be the most true to that style. It’s a spicy cardamom, coffee, sandlewood, oud, and patchouli masterfully blended. It’s definitely a cooler weather fragrance, which I always find interesting that we feel that way. Is it ever “cool” in the Middle East? But I digress. I’ve also worn it on summer date nights because she loves it so much. It’s worked fine in summer evenings. It could be a signature scent for a well put together person who dresses well. However I did wear it on a hot summer day on the days she bought it for me, and I found it to be just too much in the heat. This is a tall, dark, and handsome fragrance. I get 10-12 hours on my skin. The projection is monstrous for about the first 30 minutes, then it still projects about an arms length for another hour or an hour and a half. Then it becomes a scent bubble in your personal space for a long long time. It became a skin scent 9 to 10 hours in. If you like sweet fragrances, this definitely would NOT be for you. There’s virtually no sweetness. It’s dark, woody, and that cardamom and pepper is almost culinary. The coffee note is more of a note that makes the cardamom full of what I’d describe as “flavor”. It doesn’t really give off a coffee smell. The patchouli brings it all together into something that really is a masterpiece. If you want to stand out and you have a lot of confidence, this may be for you. My wife is very turned on by this fragrance, but her taste in fragrances tends to be on the dark and heavy side. So consider all of this. And this is niche. As is the rest of this particular line. It won’t be for everyone, but if it is, you’re going to fall in love with it. Standing ovation for Thierry Wasser.

So my first sniff yesterday. On a blotter. Blast of black pepper! BAM! Fades quickly though, and cardamom - a cardamom bomb! If you do not love cardamom, do not this! I get the coffee / cardamom combo and there is something more can not put my finger on it. It smells like something I know. There is a “leather” note og perhaps it is my brain wanting for it to be there. The “oud” is barnyard/horsestable - but not stinky, and it “shifts” I mean, I can smell it and then it is gone only to apear again. Angelica also a main player for sure! The coffee is..like the scent it carries when you brewed a freshly grinded coup of coffee. From the finest arabica and well roasted. There is something familiar about it, it is comforting, “pretty”, then “masculine”. Some 14 hrs after I sprayed the blotter it is subtle - still very much detectable but definately not as nuclear as some of the other from the line - a plus in my book. Coffee, angelica (wow!!), cardamom and woody notes carries on. Resinous! Sandal wood? Hmmm not how I perceive it..to me more oak, the woody notes are more “sour” and earthy than “creamy” ! Perhaps it is the patchouli? Some...iris? I find it Guerlain - and would not call it mainstream but not so avantgarde that it is unwearable. It is inoffensive warm, cold and calm. A tad “introvert” - but not “reserved” if that make sense to you? Yoink! There it was - the “oak” reminds me of Room 1015 Electric Wood! Hmmm Take this all with a pinch of salt. I easely get carried away when I test a perfume. This one is very much a like for me, maybe even love. Something that I see myself using for date nights or smaller social gatherings. It is inviting. So wearing it, a hole different animal! Earthy and “dank” in the opening - love it a bit like Cœur de Noir! The “oud” at blame I guess. It does not last long, but the few minutes it does I am in Edgar Allan Poe heaven!

Love from the first sniff! Definitely my favorite in this Guerlain series! In tight competition with Heritage as my favorite Guerlain creation of all time. Blended to perfection, it comes as one its own delicious scent, and not as a cocophony of idividual scents fighting each other for your nose attention. For me it is not bad, but rather very good thing that I can't detect as an individual note coffee, oud or even patchuli here. Only cardamom and peppers stand out, and even they as one amazing spice accord. On the opening and first 2 hours it mostly smells to me as freshly cut Siberian pine wood and spices (former cabinet maker here). So it kind of third corner in triangle with other 2 of my favorite perfumes: Serge Lutens' Fille en Aiguilles and Comme des Garcons' Avignon (all while smelling nothing like either of the two). Epices Exquises definitely less sweet than Serge Lutens and has no smoke of Avignon. After 2 hours cardamom becomes more prominent, and at the third hour it becomes even more so one whole scent where no intividual accords sticks out. It lasts 9-10 hours on my skin, with 2 hours of strong projection and 4-5 more hours of moderate projection before becoming skin scent. It stays more than 24 hours on the shirt I wore when I used it day before. I think it is very versatile. I see it appropriate for any occasion, and although it is more of a cold weather type of scent, it can be used any time of the year, even on summer nights. Could even be used as an office scent if you go lighter on the trigger. To me it definitely leans toward masculine, but could be used by women as well. I think it is relatively safe blind buy for men. Final verdict: Scent - 10/10 Longevity - 8/10 Sillage - 7/10 Projection - 8/10 Versatility - 10/10 Originality - 8/10 Price for quality - 8/10 (if you catch it at discounters, 7/10 at retail price)

EPICES EXQUISES, translated from French means "exquisite spices". As I knew, Guerlain never disappoints me, this is another unique from the orient series, but I would rename this one to "magnificent spices". This fragrance is different from the others in the series, it is really refined, a unique effort has been put into the composition, in general, some say that it is not as intense or long-lasting as others, but from experience I can confirm that this fragrance lasts more than 25 hours on me! In the morning when I take a shower, it smells like I applied it before entering the bathroom! I can't smell it a meter away from me, but I definitely got compliments because the fragrance smells very nice around the person wearing it. It creates a very subtle and delicate trail behind you when you walk, these are not fragrances for the "Bay Guy" because few people understand Guerlain perfumes in general, and few of these "bar millionaires" will pay the necessary amount for an authentic fragrance, they prefer to buy the same ones for BGN 100 and claim that they are using the original, but alas... In general, this composition has signature/ingredients from Mon Guerlain and Shalimar, the fragrance is shared / unisex, it will appeal to ladies who appreciate the real, natural and to men, be they bachelors or not, because the perfume also has its male part, the combination is very refined, delicate and gives a density that opposes competing brands. Recently a guy I also got a compliment from, he had sprayed himself with Montale- Arabians Tonka, when he said my perfume was very nice, I could feel how montale despite the intensity and their clashing chemical ingredients, couldn't drown out the Guerlain scent, just could not! My review is 10 / 10 for GUERLAIN 68 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris, France

I sampled this back in March at duty free and I liked it from everythig else I had smelled. A few months later I bought a bottle and was strangely very underwhelmed so I left it aside. A few month's down the line (Autumn) I have revisited and this is becoming a real favourite! I get the Arabic coffee thing, galbanum, cardamom which to my nose results in something like a 'blue fragrance' aspect a the top which catches me by surprise each time. I quite like how unique and juxtaposed this combination smells and the way it intrigues me without fail. It obviously has faux oud in the dry down, something like deep caramel woodiness just as the transparent bottle's colour suggests, exactly like that! I do find similarities with Amouage Opus VIII (old version black bottle) and I sadly no longer have that so I am happy that I have something that reminds me of it in this offering. It's one of those fragraces that you don't think is 'much' but then it suddenly turns out to be 'much more' and that's where this wins.

When we read 'coffee inspired fragrance' with a strong coffee note our minds takes us to something like Starbucks, Nescafe or even strong Turkish coffee. However if you have ever frequented the Arabian peninsular you will know that when you order coffee, what arrives is a rather tiny cup of very boiling hot brown watery liquid that smells almost entirely of green cardamom (often accompanied with dates).... It almost feels as if your are consuming a heavy green cardamom tea drink but without any tea. This fragrance is a pretty good approximation of that type of coffee but instead of being hot it's top notes have a cooling effect whilst the base notes do add some warmth. When discussing this fragrance at the Harrods Guerlain counter I was told this was designed to be a very much fresher fragrance than the rest of the line and therefore is more versatile as noted in many of the reviews below. It's good stuff and I highly recommend.

wooooow..... I ́ve just tried it twice at Guerlain boutique and am so glad I got it in a pre-reformulated Les Absolus d ́Orient bottle ....,wooow such a delightful, deep fragrance .... this is mysterous, satin/silk waft of orient ..... that spicy cardamom/pepper on top transform into mild, divine oud/resinous sandalwood ... I think this is probably the most niché perfume of my entire collection. 10/10 - a masterpiece - am so glad I got that Les Orients pre-reformulated bottle. Lot of people describes prominent coffee note there too - maybe a hint of that in a middle phase. Greetings, Enjoy - this is for real connoiseurs who don ́t care about hype but seeking/searching for unique blend, quality, original combination of notes. Brilliant artwork! simply brilliant - To me - this could be easily sold as a part of Frederic Malle Collection (it has lot of similarities with French Lover to my nose)

It’s a masterfully blended oriental woody fragrance that gets me plenty of complements. It actually carries a very complex spice accord throughout the bases. Aside from the dominant Angelica and the beautiful piercingly fresh cardamom, you’ll find a cinnamon and vanilla notes. Also, the coffee brings some sourness into the opening, but the sandalwood and agar wood are blended with violet/iris accord making it less oily and more powdery. There’s a smart use of cashmeran musk which is also used to balance the harsh opening I believe and surrounds the agar wood accord with a warm veil of softness. I’d recommend it more for a colder weather, unless you want to feel sticky and sexy on a summer evening. It’s well balanced and thought-through and at the same time it leaves a long lasting impression so could easily steal a spot of your signature scent. 9/10

@creamy_ambrette have you tried Jo Malone Cardamom & Mimosa? Not sure if that’s the sweet kind of cardamom fragrance you’re looking for, but may be worth checking out. I have it and love it. As for Epices Exquises, I also love this fragrance. It smells warm, refined & elegant and I can see either a man or woman pulling it off (if they like a spice forward fragrance with oud/patchouli dry-down). Notes & ingredients seem to be high quality as initial spray from my new bottle was exquisite—nothing synthetic about it or headache-inducing like my Rayhaan spicy frags before maceration. Office-friendly with reasonable spraying (1-3 max). Overall, very glad to have this beauty in my collection.

This is such an amazing rich spicy oriental scent. It smells vintage, expensive and luxurious. I was surprised to find it in a modern Guerlain perfume instead of a vintage or niche perfume. It starts quite strong but I have to say it dwindles down to a pleasant, still strong but not as loud scent after the first thirty minutes. It also develops, slowly giving all ingredients their time to shine before it disappears around 4-6 hours later, which is a bit of a shame. But I have to say, it's a lovely warm rich scent, and if you're into vintage spicy perfumes or rich modern orientals from more niche houses, this one is worth checking out.

Clean green spicy soapy and refined. I believe the bottle color should be a green color, and not a warm brown. It reminds me of a less sweet, sharper and crisper Starlight from xerjoff - a fragrance I love. EE is more wearable and lighter than starlight - but gives a similar feel with the cardamon note. Excellent, wearable fragrance. Update: tremendous on skin, oud and freshness combine. Very clean, powdery spice. Greenish as opposed to brown. Extremely classy, masculine and clean in a deep spicy oud way. Rating: 8.9

I smelled this yesterday at Corte. After smelling all the latest designer releases I had to go to the Guerlain display to calm my senses and enjoy some real perfumes. This fragrance stood out for me, absolutely beautiful. It's like a little sibling of Patchouli Ardent which still floors me with its complexity and magic. You have to like spicy fragrances to enjoy this, but the blend is smooth, relaxing, and just an amazing value. A love for me.

Very high quality oriental fragrance opening with a mix of spices, the most prominent being cardamom, and later dries down to a spicy citrusy scent. Warmer, spicier version of Santal Pao Rosa and some similarities with Agar Ebene. Longevity and projection are moderate. Unisex, but depends on the female's taste. Absolutely worth the price.

Testing my sample; opens green and peppery like spicy tree bark, becomes spiced coffee beans that are a touch powdery but with enough of a 'fresh' briskness that keeps it engaging. Autumn and winter only, stays at arms length but my little sample is chugging along strongly. I would absolutely purchase a full bottle.

Epices Exquises is an oriental treat for those who love spicy fragrances! Fresh cardamon, pepper and a base of earthy yet creamy sandalwood, oud and patchouli! This fragrance doesn’t scream but its presence is surely felt!😎👌🏼

This is absolute beauty and class. Dry masculine grownup spices and woods. The coffee is subtle. This is in the same family as Houbigant Bois Mystique and Creed Royal Oud. Superior to both and unique to both. 9.5/ 10

One of my favorite favorite favorite perfumes. The spices all come together, and create a slightly sweet yet dark scent. The sillage is amazing, people used to tell me they knew where I was because of this perfume.

Earthy arabic coffee and cardamom 🤌 That is all. (I wish it lasted longer but damn do I love this stuff. I have the whole collection and Santal Royal + this are my favorites of the non-discontinued bottles).

O. M. G. After only few minutes it reminded me of the sadly discontinued Escada Magnetism! Very good indeed. Wearing it on a hot summer evening I feel a bit sticky and sexy. 9/10

Absolutely beautiful. Takes me back to my trips to the Middle East: Cardamom, Coffee, and Oud. Warm, spicy, but not too spicy. It’s just a great Cardmom scent!

It gives me picture of a spicier and slightly sweeter Creed Royal Oud. It lingers around very gently but noticeable. Very carefully blended perfume.

Criminally underated, which shows me how most of the people aren't in this hobby because of the art and craft of the perfumes, but for the hype.

Unique scent and has the same opening of Khuzam from Ibrahim Al-Quraishi the recent collection but the dry down totally difference scent,

Creamy spices in a very good way.i see people make comparison with creed royal oud,reall? Are u serious not even 10% similar

Exquisite top note! Dry ground cardamom with peppery touches and woody green facets. In about 20 mins in I start getting a leathery oud note, upsetting me a bit as I don’t enjoy sticky smokey oud accords, but it quickly tones down and sweetens up with a radiant musk cutting through with some sandalwood to clean things up and stay classy and elegant in typical Guerlain style. Although I am slightly biased when it comes to woody orientals, which are definitely not my favourite genre, I really enjoy this one. Had not contained that overbearing oud accord that can be found in other offerings of the same line, this would have been an instant purchase. Nonetheless it is a definitely contender on the top of my list of winter spice scents.

This is a spicy, mature, unique scent that settles beautifully on the skin. I bought it yesterday and the scent lingered for hours with only one spray on my wrist. Today I'm wearing it on my clothes and it's incredibly strong. I think this is a scent best placed on the skin. I've paired it with my signature: Blackmail by Kerosene and they compliment each other beautifully. The spiciness from Epices combined with the fruity smokiness of Blackmail makes for such a fantastic scent. This is definitely not everyone's cup of tea, and I can see how it's being placed into the "older audience" category. With the right combinations, skin chemistry, and demeanor, though, I believe that this scent can work on anyone!

Amazing spicy woody and a bit green concoction. Let me start with the note of Oud, you won’t really get it, it is somewhere in there magnificently blended, and so light it won’t bother anyone... and the same goes for the coffee, creamy latte also very well blended, it doesn’t stand out on its own... for those of us who don’t like coffee in general (yes, we do exist), and specially in our perfumes, but at the same time, really like orientals, this is a must try, if not a must buy. Sadly, as many have said before, projection is quite limited, it sits right next to your skin... maybe that’s the price of softening very loud notes such as coffee and Oud... also, longevity is not that great.

This one was a real surprise, but in a good way. The opening wasn’t great, but it quickly opened into a warm, thick fragrance. I got a sweet, bright clementine accord combined with something thicker and heavy, almost like amber but not quite. The main surprise was the lack of spice. I would not call this fragrance spicy, but it is warm and comfortable. I really love the dry down. After a few hours, there’s a really beautiful, rich, delicious woody scent with a touch of vetiver and a perfect mix of smooth sandalwood and earthier wood. Sooo good.

Epices Exquises is a soft, powdery, spicy, woody type of scent. Compared to the other in the line, this is very faint and subdued. Having oud, patchouli, two types of pepper, cardamom, sandalwood and coffee I expected something beefier. But it stays true to its name, Exquisite Spices, extremely beautiful and delicate. It’s not a bad fragrance, I love it, but for the price, I want more intensity and a longer lasting fragrance. The bottle is very beautiful and has a sophisticated design, I think that brown colour it suits the scent well.

A fragrance inspired by Arabian coffee And it’s true to its inspiration for 30 min only Then it turns into cardamom and sandalwood merged with a couple of tamed down spices It’s good Is good enough for Guerlain ..... I don’t think so Average creation that couldn’t keep the theme for more than an hour If I didn’t get a bargain for it I wouldn’t have bought it Performance is good projection is weak For some reason it smells like bois D’Argent by Dior not necessarily what all of you get but it’s my nose and this is what it got

I was expecting Epice to deliver the same intensity as the other members of Les Absolus range, but this was not to be. There’s a certain finesse to this one which delivers an understated spicy elegance but without the sledge hammer effect. For me, it makes this a suitable every day office friendly option but it doesn’t excite me as much as the rest of that family. I find the subtlety of the cardamom a little too polite, but again I’ll use this when I don’t feel like standing out too much.

Delightful. I've gotten comments like "you smell like an older woman with too much power", "i feel comforted", "spicy, powdery, but light". When sprayed on the skin the warmth of the coffee and patchouli notes rises. But on my clothes after a few days I get a clean floral scent that makss me feel ALIVE. Its alchemy. The evolution is addictive on this one.

i hate guerlain scents and think all of them are overpriced and/or a waste of perfume oil BUT THIS!!! beautiful unisex woody spicy fragrance. i'm still not gonna buy it but if i smell this on anyone they're getting tackled in the street and sniffed head to toe :)

I really like this fragrance. It’s sweet, warm, spicy, woody, grounded. It’s awesome for winter. I definitely do not recommend blind buying this, it’s very strong. But I recommend giving it a try

The black pepper note is too much for me.. Very spicy even for a middle eastern fragrance style! You need to try it before you buy for sure.

در شروع؛کمی دودی،انیمالیک و اسپایسی ظاهر میشه و بخش انیمالیک به مرور کم رنگ میشه و از صحنه خارج میشه عود شیرین و نسبتا مخملی توی درای داون سر و کله اش پیدا میشه و از طرفی فلفل سیاه با تم چوبی_اسپایسی؛سهم یکسانی در میانه های عمر عطر دارند عود فضای عَربی نداره و در اوایل کمی هم حس میوه ای داره و شیرین کار شده که صندل هم به پودری شدن اش کمک می کنه بعد از این رفت و آمد آکورد ها؛رایحه ای سبز و روغنی استشمام میشه؛چیزی شبیه به بوییدن برگ اُکالیپتوس یا روغن های مُعطر حاصل از سوزنی برگ ها در کل عطر من نیست ****************** scent:6/10 longevity:7.5/10 sillage:7/10 purchase value:5/10 ******* overall:6.4/10

I've tried it on my skin and I had thought it would last very long, once faded the sharp opening. I'm a bit disappointed, all I can smell after a couple of hours is a lame leather skin scent. It's extremely spicy at first - as promised - but it's cold, harsh, difficult to wear. I was hoping for a warmer and sweeter drydown but it just disappeared altogether, like there's a hole in the pyramid.

Cardamon, angelica and oud. Both watery and bitter. Rather masculine. A spicy-woody cologne.

The base notes in this perfume are simply amazing! 👌💖 Smells heavenly! 🥰

This was not my favorite either, it smelled very feminine to me too, and it was fine and it was pleasant but not my style. People say it’s lots of cardamom but I don’t get that, I Love cardamom and honestly would love to have a parfum that is heavy cardamom. But this wasn’t it. Again though it is very pleasant, just rich lady parfum.

Dentist's chair. Though not listed, cloves, cloves and more cloves ! Awful. Cheap smelling. Guerlain has gone to the dogs.

العطر سعره اكثر من 110 دولار ولكن لايستحق ان تدفع فيه اكثر من 30 دولار أدائه ضعيف جدا وجودته رديئة يعني بجودة اي عطر ديزاينر وقد اقتنيت عطر من ارماف اسمه بلاك اونيكس فهو نفس الجودة بالضبط ونفس الحبكة بالضبط فالعود وخشب الصندل والهيل لا تكون جميلة إلا ان تكون جودتها عالية اما طريقة حبكة العطر انا اضمن انها تتلائم مع واحد رايح يشتري خروف العيد من سوق الخرفان اقسم انه من اكثر العطور ملائمة لهذا المشوار😊👍 ولو مصر انك تشتريه يبقى لازم وضروري تجربه قبل ماتشتريه لانك احتمال كبير تندم لو شريته بدون تجربة مسبقة . ودمتم سالمين

♻️for SWAP♻️ ISO? Literally thousands- I know that doesn’t ‘sound’ all that helpful BUT trust & believe as I have entirely too many swaps Arabians- high niche & everything in between for men, women & unisex & they aren’t ’secret losers’ 😹... just my luck 🍀 I have to be passionate about perfume & pets, not people & ambrox (in any iteration, whether a small amount (mostly as a fixative for performance), as a note or it can be 90% of the frag (ie BR540 etc) or both... siblings, cousins other very closely related odor molecules (NOT any ‘other’ odor molecules that have no relation- not that I know of yet at least & I ❤️ iso-e super, mahonial, mystique etc etc) Ambrox will let me get in ☝️ (2 if I’m quick enough) good sniff & then within 90 seconds I can’t smell any part of the composition - at all 🥹. So anything that I have bought & this happened after a couple sprays - she’s on the chopping block - & it’s not just the scents people think 💭 of when mentioning abrox(an) commodity gold 🚫, Bianco Latte 🚫, ANY of the mochi’s, any/ ALL Yum Bougie og or similar 🧬 🚫(EVEN Rayhaan 💋) makes up about 1/2 ish of my swap &/or sale frags. Next I swear, I ❤️ unisex scents, including male leaning (just got black afgano & in 2 weeks - I’ve put quite the dent in her (bottles are itsy bitsy BUT she is quite beastly 😍) point? I love many scents most women would scrub off w/ the quickness BUT ... even when it’s pretty faint & most would just use a good sweet vanilla like Escapade Gourmand & call it a day when a ‘unisex’ perfume has that ‘testosterone accord’, the one that would signal our brains when super young & playing with fashion & fragrance that a scent was ‘made for men’ (not my doing 🤷♀️, I am a 🦖 gen x’er - it was ingrained in us from before even hitting the double digits yet!) this is the category I find putting this frag in AND it IS faint (my daughter loves it- thinks I’m crazy, she just took a Clive Christian (Matsukita) a partial of LV Symphony 😑 she is NOT getting this without an xfer of fundage. I did impulse buy this one - sounded like Althair & Santal 33 w/ some coffee ☕️- I mean to my nose 👃 it scratched that itch BUT I can NEVER 👎, under ANY circumstances get past that hint of ‘cologne’ or eau de dude. It is a 4.2 oz bottle (125mls) & she is missing maybe 7? Max 8? ml ... naturally I will provide pics w/ dated nameplates so you can see the fill level for yourself *If interested, lmk what you have - no need to filter out anything worth more (even considerably more) or less (even much less) if we wanted to we could find a win win ... we absolutely could. I don’t shy away from decanting my personal collection, I do have $ sometimes to supplement a swap (you likely have some scratch yourself from time to time if your side is lacking considerably- I too like decants from other people’s carefully curated collections... worst case scenario we try to carve out a swap that is mutually beneficial & it doesn’t pan out... more than once this has been the case BUT I retained the contact info & either someone is searching for something i remember you having or I came around to getting my nose on something that’s not for you BUT I am then 👀 for something I recall you having. 💫 best way to get my attention is to email 📧 me [email protected] 🙂

The best blend of 2022 in my opinion. This precious perfume I did not regret making a hasty and blind purchase, as, from the first sight of smelling the perfume, you will feel that it is a perfume for something daily that you drink and smell at home, coffee and others. It's better than ''intoxicated'' blend from "kilian" and "Awake" from the "Akro" brand, here the feeling will be cool as the breeze because when you smell this perfume, you will remember that you were passing by walking next to one of the famous cafes while they were preparing coffee, which is more like Arabic coffee than black coffee, as the addition of cardamom plays a role in making This perfume luxurious and pleasant to the last smell, regarding oud, patchouli and sandalwood. They were helping the main elements in keeping this perfume in the same smell without much change and maintaining its purity significantly. This perfume is very excellent for all seasons of the year, and I find it unconventional, not heavy, not light, and this makes it a perfume for all seasons. I thank the beautiful perfumer, "Thierry Wasser", for the aromatic masterpiece, and this is not surprising for a master perfumer like him who always amazes us with his unexpected ideas and plots. longevity: between 6 to 8 hours. projection: 7/10 uniqueness: 10/10 overall : 9/10

I would not have associated this actual scent with the note breakdown, as this comes across very much like an ethereal incense to me, like a more masculine version of Encense Mystique from the same line. Very sparkling and lightly spiced opening, there is definitely cardamom, but not so heavy as in many oriental style or modern mens fragrances. Not a performance beast, but a light lingering aura, which separates it from most of the line in this regard. Very woody base with a smudge of an interpretation of black pepper, finishes with a dry wood feel, in a familiar way that reminds of other dry masculine fragrances like Gucci PH or Bentley Absolute but without the resins/sweetness- something like a Montana Graphite or one of the less sweet Commes des Garcons perhaps. Edit- After a bit of time with this I’d say it starts off Ensence Mystique with dry cardamom and dries down to TF’s Ebene Fume. I would describe this as an incense like fragrance

In Epices Exquises, Thierry Wasser tried to replicate the the spicy aromas of cardamom coffee. The scent is built on a spicy pillar and a woody pillar. On my skin, it is dominated by Cardamom which is supported by some peppery effects to provide a very cool spicy top. This cool spicy top is contrasted against a warm and sensual woody combination. Overall, the scent is very pleasing and likeable. In fact I enjoy it a lot! I see it doesn't have high rating here, but I honestly like the scent on my skin. My only complaint is about the strength as the good part only remains about 3-4 hours and has moderate projection. The notes start falling apart after that. The application of Cardamom here reminds me of Voyage by Hermes which smells different but still I am reminded of. I should add that Guerlain's creation has the character and style of itself.

Bought EE for myself, it’s the first Guerlain ‘unisex’ scent I have blind bought (mobility issues, confined to a wheelchair... I would much rather indulge in my passion for perfume than spend the better part of 80k to equip an automobile with a lift, all hand controls etc, especially in a day & age where one rarely doesn’t have a delivery option. I have my packages prepared & always overpacked for pickup. Should I need or want to go somewhere I have a 24 year old daughter, my ‘earth bound’ angel who loves to get me out & about & likes pushing my wheelchair - she leans into it taking pressure off of her lower back. 125ml bottle missing 5-6 mls (I have pics) for swap or sale 🙂

Tried the sample (a few times, a month apart). Lovely fragrance, I would buy a FB, but (1) it doesn’t stay long on me (I’m seeing this is more of the perfume problem, not my chemistry) and (2) it’s not widely available, as compared to other frags of this series, I have flown from a few major airports this summer and EE was only available as a tester, not on sale. Therefore there are not too many discount options or aftermarket offers around. Not worth $205-260 given its rather poor longevity. But I will be on the lookout for the price drops. Again, it is a very lovely coffee-cardamom-Euro-Oriental scent.

The cardamom note here is to die for; someone said it was subtle (lol no, not at all, it's the first thing that jumped at me) and I remember thinking "Wait, am I smelling coffee? No, Guerlain wouldn't." Oh the hell yeah, guerlain did. I'm massively into this. Expertly blended, high quality. Sexy as hell, sweet, warm, resinous, ambery, spicy; and has this fudge/brownie burning thing going on with it, that apparently I'm kinda into even though I'm not really a gourmande.

On my skin it starts peppery, but then it settles into what I would describe as angelica and oud. Dark green, woody almost “hemp-like” smell. No cardamom (apart from short appearance at the top) and certainly no coffee. I will have to keep testing and coming back to it as it has potential to grow on me. To be honest I was hoping for something entirely different, but the quality is still there (as is with every single Guerlain from this line).