L'Heure Bleue Eau de Toilette

I've put off writing this review for years, actually, both because L'Heure Bleue is such a personal favorite and also such a monument of perfumery that it's kind of like when you see a favorite celebrity -- or when you're a little kid and see Santa Claus -- in person, and you don't know what to say because that person is both so CLOSE to you -- even if just in your fantasy life -- and yet so far off, distant, and above you because of the scope of their influence. It's also hard to wrestle with the fact that other people may be feeling an equal intimacy with that same person or character or (in my case) perfume, as you, because it or they are so magical. So yes, L'Heure Bleue is a little like Santa Claus for me ... That being said, my road to L'Heure Bleue began about 12 years ago when I read Turin and Sanchez's perfume guide and discovered there were a lot of gaps in my perfume education, especially in Guerlain fragrances. So, I got myself some vintage samples of Jicky, Shalimar, Mitsouko, and Apres L'Ondee. As a chypre lover, I especially loved Mitsouko, and liked Apres L'Ondee, and I already loved Shalimar and found Jicky, well, interesting as its precursor. Somehow, I decided to just blind buy L'Heure Bleue based on the reviews. But it was pretty much love at first sniff... <3 Since I love things with a patina of age -- antique clothes, old houses, art, literature and music from the past -- I was already primed to love L'Heure Bleue. Perfume -- just like music that similarly surrounds us -- is like a time machine, and L'Heure Bleue transports me back to what Guerlinade pointed out was the very end of the Belle Epoque, when hope in progress, power, and expansion was at its peak in the western European world, before the destruction of World War I, splintering of perspective, and triumph of Modernism. At the same time, it also feels perfect to me NOW! L'Heure Bleue merges opposites, at once joyous and solemn, wistful and hopeful, earthly and ethereal; it was perfect for my wedding, but is perfect for just every day, too. I love its musty-fusty smell, its bitter, cool, violet sweetness. That gorgeous combination of bitterness and sweetness, wet earth and dry powderiness. As Scented Pianist said, it's a scent that's "dense, powdery, but not heavy" or, as Blueflowers puts it, balanced between "floral crisp and pastry sweet." It's true for me, too, that it inspires an introspective, reflective mood. And, on top of all this beauty, it dries down to the most beautiful deep incense note reminiscent of our local Tibetan import store. As LightofJoy put it, L'Heure Bleue is "soothing but not boring... an ethereal fragrance ... almost a spiritual experience." Dense and delicate, grounded and ethereal, the perfect combination of opposites. In case you haven't caught this already, it's definitely one of my Top 5 for Life, as the YouTubers put it! Even if you decide it's not for you, you need to put your nose on this one; it's epic.

...The unknowable details of a landscape blurred by twilight; the secrets of a heart that make it an enigma to the heart nearest it; or the softening gaze of a wild beast approaching a newborn baby;... This scent commands a certain gentle reverence out of me, which is why I've had this a long while before reviewing. I didn't grow up with this one, and so she's enigmatic & mystical to me; a little foreign smelling though not exotic; delicate but with a point of view that evinces a melancholic wisdom. She's not to be approached with the same bold unctuousness as Shalimar, nor the haute worldliness of Mitsouko, nor the exotic sensuality of Samsara. What then... is this what Dickens called the mystery that lies within every beating heart? The unknowability...? In the opening, there's an impression of vintage French perfumery, and it's softly-spicy anise with powdery iris swelling through. There's also an impression of aldehydes, alongside bergamot blending in to help strike the Guerlainade accord. Iris is the star of the show here, and takes you through many cascading violet undulations with florals and basenotes. I also get trace amounts of oakmoss & civet, although my bottle is pretty old (refill spray bottle, gold & black box). Performance is excellent. While it's not a safe blind buy, it's a must try for any perfume lover. It's a love for me. Enjoy! Batch Code: 4F01 (likely 2004 or prior)

Well, where do I start here? My love story with the house of Guerlain was born with l'Heure Bleue, it was my signature scent when I was in the 19-23 age range. This perfume is the only one that gives me synesthesia. Upon spraying it, I am put in a pensive, introspective, introvert mood. Not sad, but wistful. It makes me think of the past, not so much of what it has been, but of what has never been. The thing is, when I used to wear it as a signature scent I didn't feel it as I do now. It electrified me, and undoubtedly it has a electric allure, his abstract flowers are brought to life from the first throes of electricity spreading throughout the lives of people and changing them forever. It's the last Belle Epoque baby, bringing us the zeitgeist of a bygone era with amazing modernity. It carries an essential virginity - of an eye that had not witnessed the horrors of WWI, and a quite literal chasteness in its accords. It's by no means frigid, but it's cold, of a coldness that demands to be warmed up by hot skin. It's so avant-garde that could easily fit in as a new launch from a niche house, at the same time so ancient that you need to treat it with respect. A gem!

L’heure Bleue is a desert island fragrance for me. Even though I adore the EdP, I think if I had to chose one out of three of my fragrances to leave a doomed earth with, I’d leave the EdP and take this one. I love all versions, don’t get me wrong...but... This version is more ethereal, more floral, and so delicately exquisite. The EdP is slightly stronger, and while I adore iris, I think the stronger concentration of iris and tonka present in that version make it a bit more dichotomous, where the EdT is right in between floral crisp and pastry sweet...more representive of the inbetween blue hour that is said to have so inspired Jacques Guerlain. I think the gorgeous floral accord is more vibrant here, while the tonka-vanilla balance is still present. The anise works better for me in a less intense dose as well. Classic, powdery, familiar in a dreamy way—but still singular. It isn’t nuclear like all the classic Guerlain EdPs are, but performance is still very respectable, an intimate sillage with 10 hours longevity at least. Just stunning. Eternal and irreplaceable.

I have a vintage mini EdT and a vintage refill EdP. The mini is much much older, in a small, rounded oval bottle in which other Guerlains can also be found. Maybe it's gone past it's best days, as the Shalimar-like leathery juiciness stays for only some minutes, compared to the newer EdP, in which it lingers for hours. After those notes are gone, it smells, just like someone said somewhere, a headshop or a new age boutique with all the incenses, crystals and tarot decks. And I do love that. It is definitely not a youthful perfume, but I don't think it's old lady perfume either. It feels more like ancient, genderless, mystic (not mysterious), and brings back my hippie days of incenses, yoga and meditation. Back then I would have been insanely in love with this. I love it now also, but not in an everyday fashion. I layer the EdT with a tiny dap of Shalimar to keep it poignant.