L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme

L'INSTANT DE GUERLAIN EDT / LIDG (2016): It's a unique fragrance. It's somewhere in between "fresh" (more than the EDP version) and woody-spicy, with certain sweetness touch to it (chocolate-anise vibe that it reminds sort of coconut to my nose.) It's not heavy / incisor at all, in fact I personally find it absolutely exquisite in every aspect: perfectly balanced (the blend is more than good, it's just perfect), delicious opening and dry down, raw materials of high quality, natural smell (nothing chemical), correct projection and longevity. I'd say it's a distinguished 4×4 "all terrain", classy, distinguished and with a slight old-school vintage touch to it, nothing out-dated but modern. Its extreme versatility makes it matching perfectly all seasons, day and night, what in other hand means that it doesn't shine especially in any particular ambient, because there are fresher ones for Summer, warmer ones for Winter and other ones better focused for nights, dating and seductive purposes (more sexy); although its aroma is, like I'm saying, exquisite and with such a versatility that's really hard to match. It results to be really delicious and tremendously equilibrated, in the opening as well as in its dry down. A true masterpiece. L'INSTANT DE GUERLAIN EDP / LIDGE (2016): The differences with the EDT are: the EDP is more dense and spicier, less fresh and less sweet, even a bit incisor (too spicy perhaps) especially in the opening. It's less versatile. I don't find it to be as equilibrated and "rounded" as the EDT, although it does certainly have more longevity. Its dry down is better than its opening, but I still think the EDT is a better aroma overall and a more equilibrated scent, in spite of having less (yet good enough!) projection and longevity than the EDP. Both have true class, but versatile class. SUMMARY: I'd say both are suitable for all seasons, day and night, with an outstanding versatility (right in the middle of freshness and warmness), being the EDT even more versatile than the EDP. Suitable for all occasions. Although you have to bear in mind that their 4×4 "all terrain" capabilities (versatility) make them also shining less than others in certain seasons or situations. Even so, their aroma (especially the EDT) is truly original and delicious. Whereas the EDP is good, really good indeed, but the EDT surpasses it, it's simply PERFECT. BOTTOM LINE: I do prefer the EDT version (LIDG) over the EDP version (LIDGE). It's both: more refined/equilibrated and more versatile. Yet classy. It's neither too citrusy (fresh) nor too oriental (spicy-harsh) or gourmand (dark and dense), but something in between all three (like in the middle of the triangle), thanks to the right mix of citrus, anise, wood, cocoa/chocolate, etc, making it just perfect for all year-round use. The EDT comes to be a perfect candidate to be chosen as a signature scent. Opening: EDT = 9.5/10 >>> Delicious, very equilibrated and nothing harsh / incisor. EDP = 7/10 >>> Too spicy. Dry down: EDT = 9.5/10 >>> Exquisite and addictive. EDP = 9/10 >>> Much better than its opening. Projection: EDT = 7.5/10 EDP = 8.5/10 Longevity: EDT = 7/10 EDP = 9/10 >>> A true winner.

Late evening in the Café Camille, Marais Pairs: The erudite waiters were all in blanched linen shirts, black wool pants and crisp spotless cotton aprons as they elegantly attended the thinning clientele. The noisy American tourists had left and only a few neighborhood regulars lingered over coffee or a dying bottle of wine. As I sat there drinking in the night from the sidewalk table I caught a whiff of something so utterly delicious, a euphoria of blending and slowly unfolding scents. It was chocolate, but not of this earth for it was richer and deeper than the darkest cocoa bean could ever produce. Then I realized that it was something more like a bouquet of jasmine dipped in warm dark chocolate and sprinkled over with anise and lavender....and a little slice of orange on the side. It was so impossibly rich and enticing and sensual. Then sadly it began to fade like a gypsy’s dream until it was finally gone. Only then did I realize that the man who just walked past my table toward the Place Des Vosges was the source of that incredible scent. If only I could know what it was that he was wearing. Days later as I sauntered past 68 Avenue des Champs Élysées I picked up the silage of this siren like fragrance. I turned to see the man from a few nights before in the Marais. He slipped into the doors of the Guerlain Perfumery. Without hesitation I spun on my heel and followed him into the palace de scent. Nowhere to be seen, he had again eluded me. As I turned I caught in the smallest corner of my eye a glimpse of him. He stood at the counter talking to an impossibly chic sales girl. In his well manicured hand he was holding a golden bottle up to the light. It glimmered, it winked in deepest gold, and he turned and smiled at me as if he knew what I was after.... “L’Instant” he said in less than a whisper. L’Instant by Guerlain is so incredibly wonderful. I was immediately enveloped in a vale of coco and jasmine on the opening notes. Not feminine at all as one might expect but so confidently masculine in the blending in of anise, cedar and Indian sandalwood that take over the bulk of the middle. It is never overpowering but still commanding and insinuates a certain confidence that is very Parisian. The dry down is incredible. Lapsang Tea and Hibiscus seed and musk it is almost oriental in feeling. But all the way through and what got the most comments from those who noticed is that scrumptious rich dark chocolate that never quite leaves. Very long lasting, a great silage, an all around winner that drew praise from both women and men. Guerlain is the master of luxe and elegant fragrances of such depth and complexity that really makes them stand out as a top fragrance house of impeccable distinction. Five Platinum Stars ****

This is a simply gorgeous fragrance and definitely one of best fragrances from a French perfume house in the last ten years. Prior to this I had been familiar with Guerlain predominantly through their Vetiver and Habit Rouge fragrances, so when I smelt this it immediately struck me as being really quite different from its predecessors (a little bit like the way Terre d'Hermes is also quite different from its Hermes relatives). After getting familiar with the beautiful cacao, patchouli, lavender and sandalwood combination - giving something of a very Parisian smell (pain au chocolat being baked next to a parfumerie?) - I realized that there was one essential ingredient which redeems this fragrance and definitely makes it unmistakably masculine: anise. It is the slight effect of the anise that is the stroke of genius in this fragrance, giving it the refreshing tendril of a nearby barbershop in the same neighbourhood. (I have noticed the same effect with the Extreme version as well but here it is amped up through the use of star anise and some other accords to give a different result.) All said, L'Instant is a beautiful fragrance which is suitable for day or evening wear in the Autumn or Winter. For me, it is a perfect Autumn work scent as its gourmand tendencies are fairly minimal once it settles down. The projection is in the moderate range you could hope for and the longevity is very generous. This is also probably the most Parisian fragrance I know - even the packaging is in a very art nouveau style reminiscent of the Metro - and it can be broadly appreciated. Well done, Guerlain, this brought the classicism of the house very much up to date... Highly recommended try.

I went to a local store and tested ir both LIDG and LIDGE. Both smelled 99% the same on my wrists so I tought I'll buy LIDG online becouse it is 125ml and cheaper so more bang for the money i guessed. The thing i didn't know at the moment was that I was testing the old and the new LIDGE with the clear bottle same as LIDG. So when i got it I tought i got a bad bottle but i went to 3 local stores and compared it( i made sure it was the EDT this time :) ) and it was the same as mine,nothing different. It smells kinda strange to me. I sprayed it on me, a friend and my girl and all got the same result,low sillage,very close to skin and about an hour of longevity. All i get are some citruses and smth kinda spicey and as soon the cacao and patchouli started to appear the thing backed down so much i can hardly detect it and stayed like that for some time before it's totaly gone. I sprayed on my shirt and left it in the closet for 24 hours. After that i smeled it and BOOOM!!! there it is,the gorgeus smell i tought this is with lots of cacaoo and patcouli still going strong.Not projecting much,about 2-3 inches but still strong. I don't know what is the problem here. My initial tought was,great,i got a bad bottle. But after i made sure that is not the case i tought that mu skin does not work with this at all but it didn't work on another two friends allso. So i have no idea what is it. Could it be the weather? Summer just enden here few days aggo and it isaround 20 celsius. Opinions?

l'instant de guerlain edt smells very early 00 but it's still here, surviving against any trend, any hype, any change. lidg is still a masterpiece and it's a shame that only few people gives the right spotlight to it. lemon, herbs, vanilla, patchouli and a fantastic note of cacao: this mix makes lidg a unique blend still relevant today. 4 or 5 years in my collection and i love it like the first day. now lidg fits better for people over 28, for formal and causal situations but not for sporty events. only for cold seasons. performance slightely above average on my skin(good projection for 1,5h longevity about 7h).very elegant, very french! merci guerlain! the review is based on the old edt bottle, never tried the old extreme or old edp. i also have the current edp in the long bottle and i have to say it's quite close to the old edt. maybe the old edt is a bit brighter, richer and better performing, but the differences are not big. l'instant de guerlain è un grande profumo, elegante in stile francese. sa di primi anni 2000 ma è riuscito a sopravvivere ad ogni cambiamento e moda. limone, erbe, vaniglia, patchouli e cacao lo rendono speciale e unico. ho il vecchio edt e il nuovo edp e li trovo molto simili, con pochissime differenze. scent-9 longevity-7,5 sillage-7,5 uniqueness-8,5 versatility-8 presentation-7 compliment factor-7,5 back up bottle? yes my vote-9 in one word- sophistiquè alternative- any flanker or reformulation of the same line, jpg kokorico.

Incredibly well-balanced fragrance that smells great, I mainly get citrus at the beginning which is mostly lemon and a bit of lime, mixed with the cocao backed up by some soft and subtle woods. The strange and disappointing thing is that I get no projection off this, 10 sprays literally gives me an instant skin scent, it feels like water but it does last a long time. I find this happens with the Extreme version but ofcourse amped up, so average proje tion with 12+ hours longevity. It's a very classy, sophisticated fragrance that is still a fantastic casual scent for anybody with a slightly mature style/personality. Such a versatile fragrance, it's sometimes nice to have a quieter, more subtle scent but this is unfortunately not bottle worthy for me due to how weak it is, after 1hr it just turns into a plasticy-smelling mix of powdery cocao and a mix of sandalwood, cedar and a fair bit of dry patchouli. It's a great scent and the opening is beautifully well-balanced and just so sophisticated yet versatile and casual in it's own way. It's like a casual scent for a mature guy, not like most obnoxious juvenile sweet scents that are popular nowadays. Scent: 10/10 Projection & Sillage: 2/10 practically non-existent Longevity: 7/10 Around 6hrs which is decent for a lighter scent like this

This Scent is somthing very special to me, because it's the first scent I really loved from the first second and I just bought it for myself. Of course I like/love my other scents, too, and I got some "Stars" of the fragrance community, but this one was different. Normally I always take a girl with me, when I'm in the perfumery and ask her if she likes it, a few days later I come back and try the scent again, and again, and then I buy it. But this time I went in, sprayed it on and just was totally convinced by the first sniff. It opens with somehow warm Citrusses. The anis gives this spicy warm tone to the bergamott and lemon. And even if it's not mentioned in the Notes, I can get a small hint of Cinnamon in there. Then it dries down to a warm, woody, citrusy Gourmet smell. Before I looked up the notes, I was pretty sure to smell some oakmoss and iris, a little bit like Dior Homme, but not as strong. But I think I misinterpreted the mix of cacao, patchouly and sandalwood. After all, I'd really say this has niche quality! I also tried the EDP, but I think the EDT fits better to me, cause I'm only 25 years old and the EDP smells somehow mature. Also I think the EDT is more versatile. You can wear it day or night, at work or for a Date. Scent: 9/10 Longivity: 8/10 Projection: 7/10

This fragrance has so many facets and is so complex that I could take 10 different people and they'd describe it 10 different ways. I have an older bottle of this beauty. It's citrus, it's patchouli, cacao, sandalwood, florals, spices (anise is prominent) it's musky. It's everything you could ever want in one perfume. There's something about it, that is just so pure, smooth, relaxing, refined, and classy without trying too hard. This fragrance has been copied and spun off a million times by a million houses. To me, this is the quintessential French gentleman's fragrance. What gives it that distinct French flair and is an underrated but key linchpin here, is the musk. It's something that is only found in classic French perfumery, and gives it a little sweet, tangy and slightly vinegar twang.I'd swear it's a pheromone type ingredient and you don't smell it in 99% of modern releases. Classy, classic, and brilliant perfumery that has been often replicated, but never quite matched. New bottles I'm told have sadly lost the magic so I will cherish my vintage bottle and hopefully find another for a fair price because it's a masterpiece. -------------------------------------------- Scent 10/10 Performance 6/10

This is the fragrance that has unequivocally proven that quality doesn't need to come from a niche house, and it doesn't need to cost hundreds of dollars. This scent is unique, versatile, well-blended, complex, and high quality. The complexity starts off in the first seconds. The fragrance starts out as a blast of citrus and anise. The citrus dominates the top notes, but the anise is present enough to let you know immediately that this fragrance isn't going to be your typical designer citrus. The dry down is complex and in my experience, can vary quite a bit under different conditions (indoor/outdoor, temperature, etc.). About ten minutes in the signature cacao makes a strong play, pushing the citrus to the background. The cacao is joined by a beautiful supporting cast of sandalwood, tea, patchouli, and musk, creating an absolutely symphonic dry down, complete with what I would consider four movements (including the opening). In these movements the cacao is always king, with all of the supporting notes playing off of each other in different ways as time goes by. Performance is what it should be for a classy scent like this. There's no beast mode here and that's exactly the way it should be.

This is modern Guerlain at its best, blending the house’s classic style (signature citrus top against an ambery backdrop), on the one hand, with a contemporary sensibility (a warm and dusty cacao that gestures toward gourmand-adjacent territory), on the other. The late Béatrice Piquet did something special in this 2004 masculine. The hesperidic top with anise and lavender feels bright as day, but it’s the marriage of cacao and patchouli that’s the main story here. It makes for an earthy, chocolatey, warm, and ambery profile; an impression that the elemi resin in the base serves to deepen. A lapsang souchong tea leaf aspect is present, giving it a faint but distinctive peaty smokiness. The overall effect is bright, warm, boozy, and semisweet, with a silky smooth creaminess that is suave and inviting. The patchouli threads a needle to the musky floral base provided by the hibiscus seed, rendering the long drydown soft, supple, and natural. It wears lightly yet has a robustness and an elegance that make it versatile: it feels just as fitting with a suit and a tie as it does with jeans and a white tee. My favorite Guerlain masculine of the 21st century. Gorgeous.

L'instant is one of the smoothest, most composed mens' fragrances ... ever. The opening is a somewhat androgynous yet exclusive refined sweet-citrus, anise and jasmine combo that yields over time to a woody, cacao and patchouli middle. The cacao note is subtle, complimentary, never overpowering and not as obvious as many have described. Some don't detect it at all. I certainly wouldn't classify this as gourmandish either. It initially projects a most beautiful ambery-sweetness (ala Guerlinade) that evolves into a glorious skin scent of earthy patchouli, cacao and musk. The scent and bottle presentation (the old style bottle especially) is luxurious and evokes gated European Estates, six-figure cars and four-figure watches ... and how cool that the elegance, charm and style of L'instant is this accessible. Although the composition is utterly beautiful, I agree with the many other comments about longevity being average at best. Maybe not a bad thing when in close quarters or among co-workers. Enjoy the rich sophistication and beauty of L'instant!

I would never be bothered to describe the notes of this beautiful offering because what is much more important to me is the way it makes me feel. I love everything about this fragrance. Its name, the bottle, the smell. It produces an enveloping, uplifting and warm sensation resulting from the ingenious reconciliation of the opposing trends in masculine vs feminine perfumery. I love the alternating olfactory perception. A game of contrasts. Use LIDG when the weather is hot and it's bright, sparkling, hesperidic. Use it in winter and it's balmy, calming & smooth. LIDG's edible everlasting lemony vibe, infused initially with anise and then sprinkled with cocoa, is so harmoniously mixed with further warm and creamy notes, that resembles the type of upper class gourmand dessert you would enjoy in a fancy French restaurant. Along with Dior Homme, one of my favorite choices for my private aromatherapy evenings at home, especially when I crave for a discreet yet embracing scent. Inviting, comforting, delicate & fresh. 9/10

I bought this wonderful gourmand-ish perfume (EDT) for a winter dinner recently after a smell wearing test against the newer L'Homme Ideal (EDT version). Was initially disappointed as the first blast from the sample didn't scream 'gourmand!' like the LHI's cherry but decided to leave both on to develop over the day. I am very glad I did as this wonderful and very tasty smelling cacao note started appearing bit by bit. It eventually developed into a great smelling drydown which was very warm, comforting and as some have reported, quite sensual long into the night. My bias towards cacao smells (I love chocolate!) likely swayed my purchase decision but there has been no regrets since. One thing I learnt with this experience is to always allow a Guerlain to develop as the drydown is where the good stuff is. Overall 9/10 with great longevity and moderate projection. Need to check out the EDP in the future too. YUUMMMMM! Edit: It worked great over the winter dinner. Was feeling fuzzy all night!

Talk about a fragrance that exudes class and sophistication. This stuff blew me away upon initial spray. I actually bought LIDGE (Extreme version) before this and I wasn't nearly as surprised with that as I was with this one. LIDGE is almost too much patchouli. It's good, but it's almost too mature. This version is just amazing. It suits nearly all ages, and it's a universal gentleman's fragrance. To me, this stuff initially reminds me of Terre d'Hermes....but WAY less mature smelling. I get lots of woods, orange and patchouli. I know lemon is the main citrus note listed, but orange is what I get. Cacao starts showing as it starts drying down. It then becomes a cacao/patchouli mix with a nice citrus hiding in the background. Gosh dang this stuff is good. This is equivalent of Dior Homme to Dior. Class, Sophistication, Gentleman...absolutely gorgeous. I guess I feel the need to say I have a vintage bottle....who knows if that makes any difference!

🎼🎻 🎻🎼 Imagine sitting in front of a Chamber Music ensemble. Now imagine the musicians start tastelessly tuning their instruments, loudly and obnoxiously. The sounds of discordant tuning irritates you. You wonder if the music to come will reflect this jarring experience. The lights dim slightly, then the magic happens, you hear the most soft and beautiful rendition of Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik II Romanza being played. You are hypnotized by the peace and beauty that the music creates. This is Guerlain’s L’Instant pour homme (LIDG), vintage bottle. A cacophonous opening of citrus and cocoa, leaves the wearer wondering where the scent is taking you. After a few minutes “tuning” the scent settles into the beauteous cocoa/ ambrette musk notes that envelope the wearer. Two sprays have carried me from 9:00 am to a lingering skin scent at 11:00 pm. A soft, dignified fragrance. P.s. A beautiful Art Deco bottle

This is one of the few perfumes that I've bought more than twice, and it's one that i love at times and i completely forget at others. Bought a new bottle 6 months, and didn't use it until today, and wow, this captures the essentof french perfumery at heart, its complex, yet appealing and the more you use it, the more you appreciate it. A masterpiece piece, and it's even more refined and balanced than the EDP. I don't recall any differences between the new version and the old ones, but I think the citrus notes in the new editions are more round, refined, and do last longer than the older versions, and it might just be me, since i don't have an old bottle, it's all from memory. This is my third review for this masterpiece, first was 2011, second was 2014, and I'm really happy and also surprised that I've been using and loving this for over 13 years now. Thank you Beatrice.

This is a MASTERPIECE in the History of perfumery by Madame Beatrice Piquet and Guerlain ! A niche Perfume with High Quality and A lovely jewel. It is hard to find and I'm so glad that I have it in my collection. Elegant, Classy, Unique, Complex and Airy. It opens up with like fresh spicy, bitter citrusy, green, cacao and spicy notes in the background then dry down is green musky woody. The Patchouli and Cacao notes are dominant in this perfume. This is perfect for the spring, fall and winter. Longevity is good and this review is based on Vintage Bottle. I really enjoy it and I love LIDG Pour Homme EDT by Guerlain. Madame Beatrice Piquet rest in peace and forever in our hearts. Two Thumbs Up. Bravo Guerlain ! Rating 9.5 / 10

This is a likable and well-priced fragrance. Many claim this is some sort of a masterpiece and peak in perfumery. I'm in no position to comment on this, but personally I tend to save those feelings of awe and delight for most Creed compositions. This is a predominantly powdery-citrus smell a la Chanel, but with a very nice grassy, green-tea like feel. There might be a splash of cocoa, but I can barely sense it. Wearing this to me feels like swimming in an ocean of green tea with a lemon in it. A fresh scent with some edgy grassy character that will definitely sit well in a variety of occasions. A very universal smell also, maybe a bit more suited for daytime rather than the night.

The opening of L'instant de Guerlain is very similar to Tom Ford for men, very citrusy and sharp (in a good way though). In fact it smells similar as TF for a long while. I would not be able to tell the difference between this and TF. Some people say that it is for the older crew but I must say that it is not true. It is not unique but it definitely is classy and modern for anyone above 16 y.o. Guerlain knows exactly what they are doing in comparison to all these designer companies that are marketing hundreds of disgusting colognes each year which are all similar. The projection is the only issue with this one. Scent: 8/10 Longevity: 7/10 Projection: 6/10

I bought my bottle in 2014 and literally never wore but a few times. Tonight I pulled it out of my drawer and decided to give it another shot. My wife who rarely compliments what I wear, immediately perked up and told me how good I smelled. It's still floating around my skin. I'm getting a sweet and creamy, somewhat citrusy, patchouli scent. It really is quite nice. It's unique enough and nice enough to be a dressed up signature scent for someone. I'd say age range for this is 30+. To me, this is almost too decadent for casual dress. Don't know if I will wear this much, but it is much nicer than I had remembered. 8/10 scent!