L'Instant de Guerlain

I loved this at the time of release. I luckily got a little fabric sample of it in an issue of Italian Vogue and was instantly wowed and wooed by this rich and lasting floral vanilla. However, after requesting it for Christmas that year the person I requested it from instead presented me with my usual signature scent and claimed this had been out of stock, though it definitely wasn't. Cheeky, huh? So I never bothered to buy this. The situation left a bad taste in my mouth and I ended up giving this scent a miss. A move I grew to regret. Still coveting it, years later when they changed the formula and repackaged it in the beehive design bottle, I decided it was about time to put bygones to rest (ha... erm...), bit the bullet and bought a dreamy looking dark liquid ye olden bottle from the internets. It was far too strong, certainly stronger than my memory served. It had not kept well. The hefty vanilla had become muddied, muggy. The stuff becomes too potent with age. This has its benefits, sure, and it's probably a contributing factor to this having become a cult fave, but it being so strong takes the scent outside of my comfort zone. The scent was no longer what I bargained or yearned for. Too much sweet and powdery iris with that overwhelmingly thick and syrupy vanilla. It no longer had the same effect and I found that even applied with an extremely cautious and light hand it would quickly overwhelm me. Most of all, it kept putting me in mind of Shalimar. All I could think about was that it was a modernised version of Shalimar, an attempt to bring a Shalimar-alike to a younger generation. But, you see, I've never been too keen on Shalimar myself. I can appreciate it for all that it is, but I personally find it too rich, thick, syrupy and woody for me personally. It isn't MY scent. I have been unable to shake this link. Their bases are too alike and this similarity is heightened when this perfume is left to fester for a few years, it becomes more and more like Shalimar. The only benefit of the older bottles is that the fresh apple notes in the opening burn off some - I never really dug that L'Instant opening, right from the off. I don't dig apples. Long story short - I turned against this scent. I tried multiple bottles. Old and new. It never worked for me again like it had all those years ago when I discovered that little fabric sample in an issue of Vogue Italy. Then, I tried Dolce&Gabbana's The One for the first time. We didn't hit it off, though something of it remained in my psyche. A whisper of it kept beckoning to me, tempting me. But I knew it wasn't THE ONE for me. So I looked into flankers and decided that either the Essence or the EDT sounded better suited to my tastes. Unable to find Essence to test anywhere I took the plunge and requested Essence for my Birthday. Lemme tell ya, Essence (THE ONE) by D&G is closer to my memory's rendition of L'Instant Guerlain than any recent formula, or any old and oxidised bottle of the original L'Instant. It elicits the same response. The Essence (thankfully for me) lacks the apple (peach taking its place) that I wasn't overly keen on in L'instant. It doesn't have any of that powdery iris (bergamot taking its place) like the L'Instant did/does. Most of all, it doesn't have that distinctly Shalimar esque base that finally burnt my L'Instant bridges. Well, not quite. There is a makeshift rickety bridge teetering between the two, some similarity in the spiced vanilla/amber, but it leans closer to the vanilla of the original L'Instant when it was fresh and new, rather than the deepened scent it becomes when left to sit for years on end. The Dolce Essence fills the gap that was left by L'Instant all those years ago. Sure, this should probably be a review for Essence, but I thought my message here might resonate with others who have grown apart from L'Instant over the years, for whatever reason. Maybe you're looking for something similar to L'Instant? If L'Instant is/was your jam, maybe Essence would float your boat too? Give it a try. Blind buy approved. Essence is a rich, honeyed yellow floral vanilla. In the end, L'Instant proved too much for me (being way out of my depth with Shalimar) and I recreated my initial reaction of love for L'Instant when I discovered Essence (THE ONE) by Dolce&Gabbana. ✨🫶✨

I have an interesting story to share. It takes me back to the years 2013 and 2014 when I was a student, around 22 or 23 years old. During this time, I stumbled upon Fragrantica, a website that delved into the intricate world of perfumes, exploring their notes, and featuring various reviews. Intrigued by this newfound fascination, I embarked on a journey to compile my list of the top 10 men's fragrances. Little did I know that there is no one-size-fits-all "best" perfume; it truly depends on personal preferences and tastes. Equipped with a pen and paper, I dove into countless articles and reviews on Fragrantica.com, meticulously crafting my list. The first two fragrances I decided to acquire were 'L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme Eau Extreme' and 'Legend' by Montblanc. Without hesitation, I visited the perfume store and confidently requested these two scents by name. I didn't bother with testing or asking for a tester; I simply wanted the sealed boxes of the fragrances and swiftly left once I confirmed the names matched those on my list. Upon reaching home and eagerly opening the box, I was met with disappointment. The bottle was different from what I had seen on the website; it was transparent with a hint of purple on the bottle instead of the transparent bottle with a black rim and cap that I had anticipated. My heart sank as I realized I had mistakenly purchased the women's version of the perfume. You can imagine my disappointment, especially considering how excited I was to experience the men's version after reading all those glowing reviews. In a bid to salvage the situation, I decided to turn this mistake into a thoughtful gesture. I presented the fragrance to my mother and explained that I wanted to give her something valuable with my first salary. Her gratitude and the joy it brought her genuinely made me feel good about myself. The following month, I saved up my money once more and returned to the perfume shop, this time ensuring that I received the correct men's version of the perfume. When I got home and finally opened it, I sprayed it into the air and on myself, only to be met with my second disappointment. The perfume was incredibly heavy and not at all to my liking. However, due to the significant amount I had spent on it, I felt compelled to use it until it was finally depleted, which took five long years. What's worth noting is that later, whenever my mom would walk by, and I caught a whiff of her fragrance, I would ask her what perfume she was wearing. Her response? 'The one you bought.' It was only then that it dawned on me that this perfume was, in fact, quite magical. Each time I smelled it, it unlocked my imagination to a world filled with extraordinary scents like vanilla, apple, and amber. It was truly astonishing, and this little mistake introduced me to my all-time favorite women's fragrance.

Well, this was an interesting purchase for me because it was a mistake. I actually ordered the parfum vs the usual toilette & although similar, the parfum intensity changes the game. I now have bottles of both and love them for different reasons. I like the term some other people have used; "Guerlainaide" because I get it. There is absolutely a DNA or basic composition to many of their scents I have had the privilege of wearing. My skin "eats scents". I have tried to do so many things in vain to make my scents last longer. This is, without exception the longest lasting scent I have ever worn. Not the strongest. The LONGEST. I find it to be very potent and pungent smelling for about an hour. So much so, I may have a few out of body style sneezing fits. My husband commented on the strong yet pretty muskiness, and I smell musk mixed with Maldon finishing sea salt, which in essence smells (to my nose) like oddly appealing body sweat. I decided to play around with that and, (I apologize if this is off putting), spray it only under my arms. Well, BAM-SHAZAM! That somehow made the magnolia behave, the musky saltiness actually blend up, and the honey & vanilla chill out, yet still show up to the pit party the entire day~not just at the end of the night. I didn't apply it anywhere else, and I have received so many compliments on this it is actually a strange curiosity for me since I don't receive too many as of late. It is such a comforting scent to me and I have enjoyed waking up to smelling it under my arms, in my hair, on my pillow and night gown. I finally smell like the entire point of my intended repeat purchase: Honey'd musky, "Guerlainaide" with an added magnolia scented stir stick. I would never be able to stick to one perfume, so of course I tried a few mixers with it. My favorites to use in tandem were Jean Paul Gaultiers Scandal Night, Hypnotic Poison, and Juicy Couture Couture. They all seemed to blend very well and it was like going from a delicious cup of coffee that is awesome on it's own but then taking that delicious cup of coffee, adding 1/2 & 1/2, a shot of butterscotch flavoring & heavy whip that just makes the whole cup superfluously worth it. If you like Avon's Rare Pearls, Dior's Pure Poison, or the a'fore mentioned JPG Scandal Nights, you may enjoy this (I think it's the magnolia or honeyed notes). Cheers!

I'm not sure what I expected from this fragrance. I really wanted a great honey fragrance, and based on a Fragrantica article on favorite honey fragrances, I decided to try this one. The first nose to skin scent I got was... orange blossom. Which is not even in this fragrance! There is something about the orange, magnolia, and iris that smells simular to orange blossom. I was disappointed. Not because I don't like that scent, but because I didn't want another boring orange blossom fragrance. However, this is not another boring orange blossom fragrance. As we have already established, this is not even an orange blossom fragrance. In the opening there is a wonderful citrus orange, and a hint of bergamot. Then the florals comes through, and it has this weird scent. At first it reminded me a little of Jo Malone Orange Blossoms, (which smells like tree anus to me), but upon closer inspection, it is not that. It is an authentic magnolia smell. Like when you stick your nose in a magnolia flower, and it has that unusual tree smell, mixed with the magnolia floral fragrance. Once this settles, it smells like orange, authentic magnolia, and a powdery iris. Dissappointed, I started making dinner, and with only one spray, on one arm, this beautiful honey scent was floating around me. Nose to skin, it was still orange, magnolia, iris... but my scent aura was incredible. I could not WAIT to finish dinner, so I could full on spray this all over me. During dinner, I kept trying nose to skin, and eventually the florals did start to smell sweet, and eventually it stopped smelling weird, and I became obsessed. When I finally sprayed this all over me, that authentic magnolia scent no longer smelled weird. In fact, it has become addictive. I cannot stop smelling myself. I love that the scent aura smells so different, than nose to skin, but they are both equally amazing. The dry down is the best part. One reviewer wrote that it was not worth the opening, but I disagree. Even if you did not quickly grow to love the opening, as I did, that drydown is everything. Honey, vanilla, amber, benzoin, musk... delicious. And it lasts, with good projection. I love this fragrance. It is special. Unique. I find it hilarious that my first reaction was another boring fragrance, because this is anything but.

I L'instant-ly fell in love with this! (see what I did there? hehehehe...ok I'll stop) L'Instant has been a safe love for 3 years, I always sprayed it when I passed testers and I always promised myself that one day I'd get myself a bottle, finally I fulfilled that promise I made to myself. It makes me feel like I'm wrapped up in a cashmere sweater or recieving a warm comforting hug, L'Instant feels warm and safe but at the same time it feels effortlessly alluring and sexy. The opening is waxy and powdery but it does have a fair heft of freshness provided by mandarin and bergamot with a smidgeon of sweetness from the red apple. Some floral notes emerge and sit sweetly amongst the citruses and apple for a while which is pleasant enough and nice, but it all changes by the one hour mark; the most gloriously silky, warm and powdery honeyed magnolia pops out. The magnolia is the star here in L'Instant, some jasmine and iris give some added depth but its magnolia that really steals the show, after about 7 hours, I get some vanilla and amber which temper the florals and smooths them out. In my review for Chanel Allure EdP, I said how its like wearing 3 different perfumes throughout the course of the day and L'Instant de Guerlain is exactly the same; for the first hour its like wearing a light, easy breezy fruity floral, by the next 3+ hours its the most sumptuous, classy honeyed magnolia and by the 7th hour it becomes a gorgeous comforting magnolia skin musk. The longevity is superb on me, it lasts for over 10 hours on me and survives through the shower, sometimes I can still smell it on myself the next day even if I spray on something else. Silage is also perfect, its noticable but not hideously strong and cloying, but I could see it being like that if you were to spray with a very heavy hand. I could see this working easily as a work scent because it feels professional but "human" and approachable, but personally this is reserved as my winter casual/going out scent because it just feels too good to wear to the office IMO! I would repurchase, its one of my top magnolia-centric scents along with Acqua Di Parma Magnolia Nobile. Gorgoeus!

A very subjective - and weird - review of L’Instant de Guerlain for women *So I’ll preface this review by saying that I am a very average perfume enjoyer with an average sense of smell* L’Instant De Guerlain is an enigma to me. It was a blind purchase and one I very much regretted at first sniff. I’d looked at the fragranticq page and expected something fairly similar to my other floral-musky-vanilla perfumes but my oh my was I wrong. The best way to describe L’instant De Guerlain on me is dusty vanilla. Imagine going into the attic and finding an old old chest that hasn’t been opened in years. So you open it, curious what the contents are, only to be hit by a moist cloud of dust that’s been stashed away for a couple years. It’s a familiar and somewhat comforting smell but not one that’s very pleasant. After an hour or so when the dust storm settles you can finally see a gathering of vanilla in the depths of the chest with a small smattering of white floral petals accompanying it. The dusty quality is still very potent but there’s a not completely straightforward sweetness accompanying it. A very interesting non-gourmand vanilla starts to develop and after say 3 hours or so it *finally* starts to take over. Like you’ve finally taken the vanilla out of the chest but without it loosing some of the almost stale (for lack of a better word) qualities that at first were so prominent. After the five-six hour mark it’s almost exclusively a very nice vanilla/benzoin mixture that most people would like. It’s not a fresh/refreshing scent, and never will be, but it’s one that’s comforting and captivating. If I imagine an old academia library this is what it would smell like. It’s the kind of perfume where you continuously sniff your wrist just to see what’s happening at this point in the aeration (or whatever the correct word is). After my initial scepticism I’ve fallen under its spell and it’s now one of my most cherished scents.

I have a 1oz.original style bottle of this for several years that I don't wear often. Wearing it today, I am seriously questioning why as it is such a beautiful, cozy scent with a gorgeous magnolia note. It is really the best magnolia I've ever smelled in a fragrance, and so beautifully blended with the other florals, the honey and fruit notes and of course, Guerlain's delicious vanilla. As it wears on it just keeps getting better and better, becoming lightly powdery when the iris and musk kick in. The overall profile is so soft, and feminine, and warm - almost like being wrapped in a fluffy blanket on a cold day. I am seriously considering a backup bottle even though I've sworn off backups. But as so little is needed to smell good I really have to mull that over before pulling the trigger as I still have more than half a bottle left. I did at one time consider purchasing the Légendaires version, more out of curiosity than any other reason, but that's missing the apple, iris, and benzoin. I can't imagine this scent without those notes and think it might be less fresh, powdery, and fluffy as a result. I'll have to get a sample and see but I suspect it is no longer the same - like everything else these days. If I do, I'll have to think of it as a whole new creation and not the Maurice Roucel masterpiece, otherwise I might be heartbroken over the change. Sadly, that's been happening too often with some of my beloved scents. As I seem to already know that it will be very different just by that striped down note profile, if I do buy a backup, it will be the original eau de parfum or nothing at all.

Despite its name, it took more than a moment for me to fall in love with L'Instant de Guerlain EDP. I delighted in a lovely aroma when I first sniffed the sprayer, but it wasn't quite what I expected, and I wasn't quite sure how I really felt about it. But once I actually started using it, I found myself loving it more and more. Whenever I wear it, I couldn't stop sniffing my wrists. L'Instant de Guerlain isn't the typical honey and vanilla one finds in a lot of gourmand perfumes today, though they are big players in this fragrance. It isn't a smell you would like to eat, but it is so very inviting. Sweet magnolia, rich ylang-ylang, and powdery iris, with a warm and resinous touch from benzoin and amber, all on a decidedly Guerlinade base. This absolutely sealed the deal for me. A fragrance that really makes me swoon! It is elegant and classy, very womanly, and it makes me feel like a proper grown-up when I wear it. It has also come to be such a comforting scent for me. I ended up getting the EDT later on, though I hadn't really planned on doing so. Based on the notes, I thought the EDT might not be my cup of tea, as I am generally not a fan of white florals. It turned out to be another great love, and I mention it here to to give a little comparison between the two. The EDP and EDT actually have a lot in common, definitely from the same family. I find the EDP richer, warmer and more balsamic, while the EDT is brighter and more floral. While I might reserve the EDP for cooler or at least less humid conditions, I think the EDP would really bloom in warmer weather.

L'Instant triggered a scent memory. It took me a few minutes to place where I was familiar with it. L'Instant smells similar to Lancome Hypnose! It opens with dewy jasmine and magnolia, in their most gentle and natural forms. Dainty and feminine. They are backed with a creamy "milk and honey" accord, where the vanilla is almost the polar opposite of my beloved and well-known Shalimar vanilla. Where Shalimar's vanilla has an opulent velveteen texture, L'Instant's vanilla is more like a warm cashmere sweater. Cozy and familiar. The honey adds a tinge of warmth and sweetness and melds seamlessly with the vanilla. I never get much powder, dust, or citrus, so if those bothered you in Shalimar you need not worry with L'Instant. It is not as dramatic as Shalimar, and makes a great casually elegant perfume. The drydown reveals an incredibly smooth, creamy, and lightly sweet vanilla-floral that mirrors Hypnose. They differ slightly- Hypnose is somewhat sweeter and richer, while L'Instant is cleaner and mellower. I think you could own just one and be content, but as fragrance collectors, I know many of us will want both. So if you like one, you will like the other. As for the bottle- it is not as purple as it is in the picture. I wish it was, the soft gold and purple are so pretty together and perfectly describe the tones of this scent.

I just inherited this fragrance from my late Mother. Not her usual taste, but I love it in the bottle - sweet, sexy, sophisticated. The color seems to have gone off, so I'm not sure about using it. She's used about 25-30% of a 50ml bottle. NUXE Huile Prodigieuse dry oil could be a wearable alternative for me. Someone else (chimidoro) wrote that it's a dead ringer. If it's an acceptable dupe, it's good enough for me. The bottle has seen some abuse but isn't broken, so I can't bring myself to get rid of L'instant de Guerlain. Someone else mentioned the top notes having gone off on her 2003 bottle and mine is also from 2003, but I can still detect the top notes for a brief instance. Update May 11th. It's like a luxury soap with some hints of honey and vanilla and a prominent iris on me. Even if Mom used 1/3 before she died, this could last me forever. . I can use the slightest spritz and L'Instant still has good projection and longevity. I don't know why I thought L'Instant would be a strong evening scent. I'm perfectly happy to wear it since this Sunday morning, and I can still smell it 4 hours later. It's not a very warm May day here though. If I manage to use up my inherited bottle or it goes bad on my skin, I'll go with NUXE Huile Prodigieuse dry oil as a dupe or actually buy L'instant.

I stumbled upon this in a combo online sale and I blind bought it because I love Guerlain perfumes. This fragrance is the epitome of a beautiful fragrance for a beautiful, confident woman. When I sprayed it, I was like “what is this?”. I was perplexed because it smelled really heavy and muddled but within 5 minutes, it transformed to the most beautiful bouquet of flowers I have ever smelt. I was transported to a garden full of the sweetest flowers. I can smell the gardenia and the ylang ylang but I can’t pick up any of the citruses or apple so they must have retreated after the crazy opening. In the dry down, I can tell there is vanilla, honey and Amber in the mix. It stays creamy and beautiful for hours. I love how it smells on my clothes. I always feel like hugging myself when I wear L’Instant de Guerlain (old bottle). Will I buy it again? Yes because I honestly don’t have anything that smells close to this intoxicating and comforting scent. The classics are winning big time for me now in my late 40s because most of the new creations are a bit boring and similar to each other. It makes me appreciate more and more the great perfumes we were spoilt for choices with back in the 90’s and early 2000.

This perfume is so very special to me. I was 15 and flipping through one of the fancy fashion magazines (ok, it was vogue) I came across a page with a little sticker thing , kind which once you peel it there’s a bit of fragrance. That fragrance was l’instant. I fell in love. I keep the flap of the sticker in my school bag, even through college and my bag and wallet smelled so amazing that my friends would be enchanted by it too. I couldn’t afford it for many years. It was the first “grown up” fragrance that I bought and always gifted to my mom. I love this masterpiece so much. Since it was discontinued and became so difficult to source, I use it only once in a while and always get compliments from people, mostly men but they seem to really enjoy it. It so feminine and soft and sexy and comforting. Absolutely amazing. I always reach for it when I want to feel special, only one other fragrance makes me feel like that but it became mainstream and Guerlain claimed the title of my favorite. I don’t know if the version they sell now on guerlain website is the same or it has been reformulated but the original one is perfection

L'Instant was almost impossible to find in my local stores. So I ordered it blindly based on reviews, the only thing available to me. I had been looking for a honey-like fragrance for a long time, but not too sweet as a whole. To be honest, the tribute for this beauty now mine (besides who has created it) must also be given to the stories that perfectly described in detail this scent I've never felt worn by any person before. Just by scrolling I could fully perceive the whole aroma and development on the skin, effortlessly. L'Instant is a very honeyed scent, is a caress to which we tend, a gratifying reward. A heavenly state of well-being that lifts us, isolates and relieves our troubles or problems, protects us at least for a while. My chemistry, unlike my husband's, emphasizes a kind of 'woody' creamy side, or rather, the feeling of crystallized and less liquid part of the honey, that suits me best because I sense it less sweet, while holding a little apple in my hands. On him is pure honey, sweet realistic wildflower honey. Fabulous whatever shade it takes.

Pure sexy in a bottle. Not a heady, woodsy-patchouli type of sexy, more like a goddess drenched in musky flower nectar and fresh honey! I seriously thought it would be too sweet on me, not gonna lie. But it’s just perfect. The honey notes are very prominent on initial spray, but are soon followed by the magnolia, iris and ylang. Oddly I don’t get any jasmine, but I’m no expert! The mandarin pops out beautifully in the drydown and the smell turns into vanilla cake topped with citrus and drizzled in honey. This is almost gourmand to my nose. Could be the benzoin doing this. Every note is superbly blended, and honestly I don’t find it to be a powdery smell at all. It’s light and yummy. I purchased this to wear more in the fall, expecting it to be a bit heavier than it was, but after wearing it for a few days I can safely say that this is just as suited to springtime as it is fall. I’d hoped for better longevity based on the meters, but it’s possible I’ve got a newer reformulated bottle. It’s still a great buy for me! Scent 8/10 Sillage 5/10 Longevity 6/10

L'Instant EDP is my SOTE. My husband always comments very positively when I wear this with "what are you WEARING?!?" I received this in a swap and I am very happy with how it performs with my body chemistry. It is a lovely, soft honeyed floral, long-lasting and surprisingly not too sweet. I am lucky that scents with a dominant honey note smell really good on me (like vintage Red Door, Quelques Fleurs Royale, vintage Ysatis). I would have never bought this for myself, let alone sample it, because looking at the list of notes, it was not something in my wheel house (White Diamonds parfum is my signature!) But I am so glad I received a FB in a swap. I can really pick out the musk, vanilla, a wee bit of iris and a touch of apple (a sweet, red, and fragrant apple, not a tart green one), and of course, honey. It's like an orange blossom honey (maybe that is how the mandarin orange and honey are playing together). If you get a chance to sample it, give it a whirl and see how you like it. I know I am glad that I did.

This beauty was delivered some moments ago from a super nice person in Spain. I bought a 2003 version (vintage) and, expectantly, unboxed the perfume. This is a real gem! It's full of flowers: imagine petals of delicately pink magnolia and white jasmine dipped in golden-yellow honey, so honey-honey you almost feel the pollen it was made of :) The fragrance is not aggressive, although it's rich, opulent and dense. I think it's an all-year round perfume, although might turn oppressive in high temperatures but must be tested to see how it behaves under scorching sun. Although the juice is brownish, in my imagination this perfume is yellow. It is office-friendly if you don't overspray but can be worn in the evening as well or at home, during winter, when a cosy woolen blanket warms your legs while you're sipping tea with honey and reading by the fireplace. As a matter of fact, we live once, life itself is a special ocassion so why keep perfumes for special ocassions? Enjoy them anytime you feel like!

My signature scent together with the EdT version. Has been for 15 years, from the date I discovered this. Leaves me pretty speechless, since I don't have words for anything this pretty and magical. To me it's like someone or something out of this world created this scent and there are no words for this in our "basic everyday world". But I'll try: this scent is cool, it's windy and icy, it's honey and cashmere, silk and vanilla with beautiful flowers, which grow in the gardens of heaven (and I'm not religious by any means!). I think I own around fifteen bottles of this, yet I'm still saving all of them and using other scents which I don't like as much, scents which are replacable, since this is not. And where I live this is not very easily available, since it's not sold in stores. You have to acquire this second hand or new at ebay or other web stores (and then there is always the risk of receiving fakes instead of genuine ones).

Tested this again. Have a four year old bottle of it in my collection. My taste in perfumes has changed so much this last year, and I am head over heals into gourmand perfumes now, so L'Instant De Guerlain EDP with its somewhat heavy flowers lingered close to the edge of being decluttered. It is a WONDERFUL perfume, don't get me wrong, and the quality is out of this world, I think, my taste has just changed. Overly flowery perfumes are just not really my thing anymore, even though I still do have a soft spot for jasmine ;) But right now - out of curiosity - I tried layering L'Instant with Ariana Grande Cloud, and something wonderful (in my opinion) happened: the creaminess of Cloud dampers the flowers in L'Instant, but mixes beautifully in with it as well. The result is a creamier, slightly sweeter, and slightly woody version of L'Instant. I believe I just found a great reason for not decluttering L'Instant as planned.

What a fabulous harmonious magnolia bouquet. My nose transports me to a fantastic world when I wear this perfume. I have the original EDP with the rectangular lid, when I tried the other versions (bee bottle briefly, then the one shaped like a house) they all did smell similar, but I think maybe the top notes of my vintage have gone off since the juice is considerably darker. This perfume makes me feel elated, happy, and wonderful. The image reminds me somewhat of Ostara by Penhaligon's, the same kind of "your nose up close against the flower" experience that I truly enjoy. If you are considering a blind buy, know that this perfume is the type that smells very realistic, multi-facetted and it will waft in canonical ways throughout the wear. I can only try with my awkward hyperboles what the good writers of fragrantica are conveying about this perfume. If you see a vintage bottle, don't walk, run to buy it.

This is the Guerlain I’ve been intrigued by but passed over for years, just because I thought it was “uncharacteristic” of a Guerlain (i.e. not dirty or complex enough to be a classic). Boy am I glad I finally got over myself. Sweet, and gloriously golden, L’instant is delicious but not in a sticky, honey-from-the-jar way. It’s neither foody nor floral, but folded somewhere between, with a whisper of cashmere-soft musk to keep things interesting. There’s a beautiful, gentle straight-forwardness to it, from the bright honeyed-magnolia opening to the soft amber-musk drydown, and I found myself literally craving the scent on some days when I didn't wear it. L’instant is a perfect comfort scent when I still want to feel “grown-up” (i.e. sweet and rich, but NOT like a piece of cheap dessert), and it can gracefully accompany me anywhere without smelling at all boring or out of place.