L'Instant Magic

Guerlain L'Instant Magic 2007: Having Already Tried Out The Original L'Instant edp When It Was Firstly Launched This Was An Instant NO"NO (A Loud Screaming Scrubber) That I Honestly Couldn't Wait To Wash Of My Skin,I Never Even Knew This Existed Until A Week Ago When I Was At The Guerlain Counter To Purchase My Eternal Love "Apres L'Ondee" & I Lifed This One By Mistake!! Blame The New Style Bee Bottles Only Noticing That The Juice Was Pink In Colour & Not The Usual Clear I'm Used To!! Putting The Spray Top To My Nose I Actually Couldn't Get Over How Beautiful This Perfume Actually Was!! Hunting For My Glasses To See What Was On The Label,The Beautiful Mature Lady On The Guerlain Counter Saw My Failed Endeavours & Came To Assist Me!! "That's L'Instant Magic ,Launched In 2007" & In My Own Honest Opinion It's Far Nicer & Over The Original L'Instant Which Just Doesn't Work On My Skin As This One Really Does!! "Well Im Likewise" I Said! Let Me Spray Some On This Tester Strip For You, Although It's Always Best To Try It Out Firstly On Your Skin etc!! You See When She Did That First Spray Nearly Lifted Me Up Out Of My Highheels!! O.M.G That Is Absolutely Beautiful Wow!! I Couldn't Stop Sniffing The Thin Strip Of Paper!! "Could You Spray Some On My Wrist Please" Which She Promptly Did!! & The Wonderful Aroma Gently Wafting Up To Greet Me!! "Let It Settle My Love For A Good 30-40 Minutes Before You Decide!! lol'lol'lol'lol'lol "I'm Actually Here To Purchase Apres L'Ondee As I Absolutely Adore It!! "Well In My Opinion Love, L'Instant Magic Is The Younger Sister Of Apres L'Ondee,As They Both Share Very Similar Ingredients In Their Structure,Although L'Instant Magic Starts With A Fresh Lemon Aroma At The Start,With Really Beautiful White Musk & Woody Aroma It Then Becomes A Soft Baby Powder Scent!! I Was Absolutely Intrigued!! Anyway I Purchased My Usual Apres L'Ondee & Put Another Spray Of L'Instant Magic At The Back Of My Neck & My Front & Left The Counter!! Going Up On The Escalator To The Homewear Department Two Very Well Dressed Ladies Behind Me Promptly Claimed "I'm Only After Getting The Most Wonderful Waft Of Perfume Or Something Really Outstanding There!! I Smiled To Myself Saying mmmmmmmmmmm A Positive Reaction Already!! Then While Walking Around The Household Section A Girl Busy Stocking Out Said "O Wow What's That Really Beautiful Smell There" Greedily Sniffing At The Air!! & Yes Her Sniffing Landed To Me!! "Excuse Me,She Began But What Is That Amazing Perfume Your Wearing"?? I Laughed & Told Her!! "A Guerlain?? Your Kidding Me"!! "Well That Perfume Really Suites You, & Personally I'd Buy That Perfume As It's Outta This World"!! Im Going To Nip Down On My Break To Get A Squirt Myself,Thankyou For Telling Me The Name Of It"!! Around 50 Minutes Had Now Passed & Already So Many Positive Comments On It I Headed Back Downstairs To The Guerlain Counter To Make My Purchase & Then Head For Home!! "So Your Back Then Love" The Smiling Guerlain Lady Said, "I Had A Feeling That You'd Be Back To Make A Purchase"!! It Definitely Is A Really Beautiful Perfume,That I Own & Love Myself Too" She Added!! Well I'm Absolutely Thrilled With my New Purchase Of This Soft Musky Powdery Beauty That Lasts A Good 12 Hours On My Skin, & Even My Husband Absolutely Loves This Perfume When I Wear it!! If Like Me You Already Love & Use: Apres L'Ondee,Insolence,L'Heure Bleue Then This Deffo Needs To Be Firmly In Your Perfume Collection!! Simply Gorgeous!! & In My Opinion You Simply Can't Beat A Guerlain Fragrance Hands Down!! Pure Absolute Class In A Bottle!!

I waited so long to get this perfume. I wasn't sure whether to buy it or not, with me collecting predominantly powdery perfumes, I wasn't sure if this would be powdery enough. But boy, it is! It's actually better than I expected it to be. This is powdery goodness. I own the 3rd kind of packaging of L'Instant Magic from the "Collections Patrimoine de Guerlain" and as this is my very first purchase of this perfume, I can't really say whether this is how the perfume smelled before...but to my nose it's just like some of the reviews related to the older packaging described it - soft, powdery, baby powder-like (even though I would say it's more reminescent of baby lotion than powder, actually). It opens with some Guerlain-esque citrusy notes, then it goes slightly woodsy and aromatic, but soon enough this awaited pink/purple baby lotion scent comes. It feels like a fairy dust or something like that, very dreamy. Last night before I actually got this perfume in the mail I had this dream that I got it and I really loved it, and that it had some almondy notes as well - and yes, those are really there, too. :) Maybe that's why it feels like a baby lotion. Anyway, I'm happy I have this! By the way I also own Poudree by Jil Sander and that one is kind of close, although sweeter with a very prominent rice note. L'Instant Magic feels more intense and mature, while Poudree is more child-like. I love them both, though. UPDATE: I wore it today the entire afternoon and I had to respray it just now after shower. I kept getting whiffs of this delicious scent from my shirt. Honestly, this progressed straight to my favorite scents. This really has the best sweetish, baby lotion vibes. Strongly recommended if you love innocent powdery perfumes. How did they manage to create something so similar? This may not really feel like powder in the Teint de Neige sense, but it does feels like a beautifully smelling lotion, indeed.

Guerlain L'instant magic is in my wishlist for a long time even before testing it as I love L'instant edp and edt and I love powder so there was a big chance for loving magic too.now I have a sample of L'instant magic so I can see whether it really deserves a place in my wishlist or not It definitely does and even more.I have to buy it before fall arrives(maybe even sooner.it would be nice for cool spring evenings like today) Guerlain L'instant magic has almost nothing to do with L'instant sisters(edp & edt)but at the same time I can feel it belongs to L'instant family .the only thing they have in common is vanilla.a similar type of cozy,not sugary sweet,powdery vanilla which is very pleasant.magic is as powdery as it's pyramid suggests.when first sprayed I can pick up anise,very soon almond and vanilla showup and last all through it's life.I have couple of other almondy vanilla perfumes but there's something more here.there's powdery Musky flowers(I can't detect violet,instead there's plenty of iris,mimosa and a touch of musk)and creamy woods.becomes better and better as time passes and it's everything I'm always looking for in a powdery scent.a combination of gourmand powder,baby powder,makeup powder,muskyflowery clean powder and warm cream as a base.it's delicious,smooth,cuddly and feels very "me".my taste in perfume changes a lot but my love for this type of powdery almondy vanilla scents never dies.l'instant magic deserved to be discovered and tested much sooner,now that I know that I LOVE it,I need to have it ASAP.I can see that it's not everyone's cup of tea but it needs to remain in production as it's one of the bests of guerlain.so soft and comforting,original,charming,wearable in various situations,such a well-balanced powdery heaven ❤❤❤❤❤

As a guy I think this "genre" of violet-musk powdery perfumes is just the classiest. L'Instant Magic is no exception. Since the release of Armani Lei in 1998 I became addicted to these powdery formulas, and thousands of perfumes later my opinions are the same. The reviewer below is spot on, that this is just a success-proven formula, be it Armani Lei for more fresh touches, Massimo Dutti's Souffle Marais (though short-lived and almost impossible to find nowadays), Lancome's discontinued Iris Dragees, Victoria Secret - Heavenly/Dream Angels Heavenly and less but still in the genre Prada Infusion d'Iris and Prada Candy...the list can go on as there are some celebrity fragrances that smells like that too, it takes me back to 90s and giving me all the classy/down to earth vibes when I smell it on a woman. These are mentioned as "iris" scents but truly they are just violets fantasy creations and most times not iris. Even though both notes in the perfume marketing became almost interchangeable, in reality true-to-iris use is what you smell in Prada Iris. There's much more powder/violet ingredients (ionones) and musks than iris here, and touch of vanilla/coumarin (tonka) and sometimes combined with benzoin (as in Prada Candy). Often you start from the mid-base notes skipping all the top ones as they rarely come topped with citruses/fruits. And often it feels like they remain close to skin but in reality the diffusion of these scents are so good, it's a pleasure for people around. Comforting, clean, sexy, mild but recognizable, classy.

I just want to thank Fragrantica reviewers for leaving glowing reviews for this perfume. I have never smelled this before, but went ahead and bought it (along with many other untried scents) based on what I’ve read here. I am so so pleased with this purchase. I spritzed this blind buy on my skin about an hour ago. I am so moved by how lovely this scent works with my chemistry, I couldn’t wait to leave this review. It feels light and smells heavenly. For people who like soft, powdery scents, please pick this up and try it. Barely 2 spritzes out of my bottle, and I’m already planning on buying a back up. I am anxious to try my other blind buys. I hope I like them at least half of how much I love this. UPDATE: I wore it again today and the scent was much lighter and less complex. Maybe because it was hot and we were outdoors mostly. I still LOVE LOVE it, but I think yesterday's reaction must have been a result of accidental layering. I put on Salvatorre Ferragamo Dolce Fiore in the morning, which has good longevity on me, and when I got home in the afternoon, I sprayed some Prada Amande. There was still some very, very light scent on me when I sprayed L'Instant Magic before bedtime, around midnight. Maybe it was the combination of two or three of those, but the resulting scent was so wonderful and it lasted all night on my arms. I will try this again some other time and report back. It's going to be fun learning to layer with this perfume.

Call off the search, spread the good news, this is what I want to smell like for the rest of my life! Thank you for coming to my TED talk. *Mic drop* But on a real note, I blind bought this because I wanted a soft floral powdery scent that doesn't smell like febreze on me (air freshener) and the reviews were selling it HARD for me. I can't stand scents that are so sweet they are headache inducing and I can safely say that this is just the right amount of sweet (I think the lack of berries stop it from getting into that territory) The dry down reminds me of Nivea on steroids with a hint of marzipan. Definitely a very nice makeup scent. The powder can feel a little strong on initial application but just bear with it because it does mellow out (at least on me). It's so beautiful and delicate and it just smells like something a fairy princess would wear. After a while the dry down becomes a little sweeter with the vanilla and almond which reminds me of when your mixing butter and powdered sugar and it gets in the air and you can smell the sweetness of the powdered sugar (if that makes sense to anyone). The florals stay dancing in the background and I hope that they never discontinue this because my heart will legitimately break. It's a bonus that I personally really like the bee bottle design. I have never smelled the one in the old bottle so I can't compare, but if that was stronger, it's likely it would have been too strong for me.

I've held off from writing this review for some time - this perfume is so comforting and wonderful to me that I wasn't sure what to write about it. It's not a rational admiration or interest, here; it's pure emotional reaction and thus difficult to describe. First, a note on performance: this perfume has excellent longevity and moderate sillage. It certainly isn't 'soft' or negligible in terms of performance. You will carry the scent on your body all day, but in a fluffy cloud around you. You can detect all the notes within an arm's distance, but won't be blasting any rooms out. This is good because, overplayed, some of the notes here could be overpowering. Instead, the blend is perfect. The first notes for me are green florals, sandalwood and marzipan. The iris, woods and almonds just sing together. It is soft and powdery - there is nothing shouting here - it's just a beautiful symphony of blended notes. The sweetness of the marzipan is tempered by the dry, cosy woods, and then the slightly bitter green note, which I think may be the combination of almond and iris. On dry-down, the iris becomes softer and more powdery, the almond remains sweet and edible throughout without ever being cloying, and the sandalwood is a sexy, comforting anchor. Never underestimate the quiet ones - still waters run deep. This is the best almond perfume out there. The blend is masterful.

My first encounters with this perfume was two-sided. I was walking on a winter day and the cold wind brought whiffs of a beautiful scent. A cosy scent still classy which blended so well with that cold wind. I didn’t know what perfume it was... and thought I would hear it again either in my favorite perfume stores or in my circle of perfume lovers friends. But that did not happen. Until one day ... I blind bought it without knowing THAT was this enchanting scent. I sprayed it and the first impression was bad : something like too aromatic with the softness disturbed my nose, and I was disappointed, I shouldn’t have blind bought unknown fragrances. Then... About 30 mn after, while the scent was blooming I recognize the fragrance that I loved that winter day and was so happy I finally found it ! The aromatic scent that was disturbing me was the same as in YSL Cinema and it was the almond blossom note but in the evolution of l’instant magic it finally blended so so well with the dry down. It is wonderful by cold weather and will leave a classy, cozy, soft but noticeable and very unique trail. A compliment getter and hard to be recognized. It doesn’t have anything in common with the l’instant. L’instant is warmer and gets that wonderful amber vibe, l’instant magic is more about almond and very soft powder in perfect balance and in no way sweet.

I have the original style bottle (shown in this page). From what I've read, the newest "candle" style bottle that is currently available is faithful to the original juice, though I have not tried it myself to compare. Goodness - this is excellent! As a huge fan of Guerlain fragrances and powdery scents in general, I knew this would be a safe blind buy for me. In fact, it's quickly made itself comfortable in my list of all-time favorite fragrances! L'Instant Magic (not to be confused with the singular "L'Instant") boasts a creamy rendition of powder, much like a high-end body cream. Those looking for a light, airy powder may be disappointed. This is smooth, sweet, and comforting with a well-blended floral bouquet, velvety vanilla, and dreamy musky background - but what really sets LM apart from my other powdery fragrances is the sense of depth I get from the rich cedar and almond. These denser woody notes merge beautifully with the lighter florals and powder, creating a feeling of hypnotic sensuality that borders on the soporific. The longevity and sillage are also excellent; I apply this before bed and am greeted in the morning by creamy vanilla powder and musk. L'Instant Magic is beautiful, surprisingly rich, and very Guerlain. A new favorite!

White musk, mimosa and carnation stand out here with the slightest hint of vanilla. L'Instant Magic is a very soft, slightly powdery scent that is simple but well blended. It is different to the usual Guerlain signature iris dominant scents, although this note lingers in the background. While it is a fine powdery scent (not so thick as Chanel no. 5) it is not strongly reminiscent of baby powder or lotion to me; it just has the sweet softness people associate with innocence & simplicity. It is unique and comforting, enough to wear before bed, while still being sophisticated. L'Instant Magic is delicate, not sugary or headache inducing, and would be impossible to overspray. It is extremely calming - a happy, contented, dreamy and subtle scent that I enjoy wearing and very unthreatening, without being bland, to those around you. To me, this is the parallel mood to Apres L'Ondee, which I also own, the latter reflecting more serious, mature, reflective moments. I enjoy having both in my collection but I will wear the uplifting l'Instant Magic more frequently. While the sillage is low, the longevity is intermittent but generally good - others, as well as me, could still smell this on my wrist the following day. A truly beautiful scent.

Not a whole lot to say that hasn't been said by other positive reviews. This is a great fragrance for powder LOVERS. If you just "like" powder, it might be too much for you. You really do have to love powdery, billowing, soft, fluffy, feminine fragrances to appreciate this. This has nothing to do with the original L'instant. The only thing the two have in common is they're both great Guerlain fragrances! I personally dig it. Great silage and longevity. Guerlain quality for sure. It does kick off with a "fresh, clean baby" smell. The drydown after many hours surprisingly reminds me a bit of Hypnotic Poison... If HP had 3x as much powder as it does.I will say, I don't understand the reviewers saying there's no evolution to this fragrance because that hasn't been my experience at all. On my skin, it definitely takes a few twists and turns! Not boring nor linear. Anyway, I highly recommend if you're a powder lover. This goes from baby powder to cosmetics powder. As for packaging, I don't like the new bee bottle for this fragrance. I miss the old bottle. I do have L'instant in the old bottle. I should have looked for a older bottle of this one too. Oh well. The fragrance inside appears unaltered and that's what is most important.

First impression: Disappointment! First let me say I adore Guerlain and I also really love powdery fragrances. Cosmetic powdery, confectionary powdery, heliotrope, Iris, carnation, I’m there I love it! The issue I’m having with this is it barely smells of anything at all- just powder, I’m hoping my bottle just needs some air (it’s a vintage 2008 bottle and it looks to have 3 Ml used from its 50ml volume) I just expected a bit more- sweetness from the freesia or almond. Some spicy powderiness from the carnation. I can’t smell any of the notes above and the entire composition just smells of laundry detergent musk? I’m really hoping with time and allowing it to settle after shipping this blooms for me. Edit: after allowing my bottle to settle a few days, I came back and gave myself a generous misting: yay!! It’s beautiful! I smell the beautiful florals that are also on the original L’instant but they’re no longer honeyed and on a bed of warm amber. Now they’re on a bed of musk, fluffy, creamy and tinted with almond and bergamot. I can see why some don’t like this but it’s very relaxing and ethereal. Never make a decision based on the initial wear! Always wait and go back. It’s getting better and better with each wear!

This has been my signature winter scent for years now and I have gone through multiple bottles at this point. This is a perfume that makes me feel like I am sitting under a freshly washed duvet and eating an almond croissant while watching the snow fall. If you are not a fan of almond or powdery scents this won't be for you, but I absolutely love it and it tends to be a compliment getter when I wear it (particularly from other women). More importantly, I feel fresh, clean, comfortable and uplifted when I wear this. Perhaps it is the lemon and bergamot that give this scent a cheery sort of vibe? Overall, I would say this is a scent for a grown woman, but it also isn't old fashioned or overly mature in my opinion. It's appropriate for almost any situation in the fall/winter, though it is much too much for spring or summer, in my opinion. Still, L'Instant Magic is one of my all-time favorite powdered almond scents and I am always excited when the weather starts getting colder and I know I can wear this again. ETA: I see this has been reformulated and that's an absolute shame because the new version is not really the same as the bottle I have/reviewed above.

Oh, I'm a finicky little frolic. I go through my Chanel (only a few) phase, and think I'm in love. But when I come back to the house of Guerlain, I open that thick heavy wooden door, and therein I know I belong. I'm home. You feel the old leather, bump up against the wooden wardrobe, throw off your furs, kick your shoes off, slide in front of the sofa warming your frozen toes and feeling the tingling of your toes separating from your stockings. You can still smell this on yourself, especially as you are warming up. But before he arrives, you want to put that outer layer on for him to follow your trail to the cozy place in front of fire, whilst you lacquer lips up and hand him a glass of say....cognac Oh, yes....this is that good.....I'm panicking because I have only a few drops of the precious elixir, but thank you to my friend, I'll have a new beauty to spray when the moon is full, and my heart is fluttering..... You must never discontinue this.......that would make the blood run cold.... please......all women need to share this with their man....

I've been looking forward to this for so long, and I finally got my hands on a bottle. This is beautiful -- the sparkly, bright opening, the powdery iris drydown... But it quickly reminded me of something I already have and love - Prada Infusion D'Iris. I have both the EDP and EDT for Infusion D'Iris, and this one is so incredibly similar to that line. L'Instant Magic does have a sharper citrus note in the opening (lemon?), but it quickly fades into that lovely iris powder. The note pyramids are also very similar for all of them, except for the almond and anise notes in LM. However, for me, the almond and anise are very faint / not present, and they don't affect the overall scent. I am honestly shocked that Infusion D'Iris isn't higher on the "reminds me of" list for this. To me, L'Instant Magic could an Infusion D'Iris flanker. L'Instant Magic is a lovely scent, but for me, I'm happy sticking to my Prada Infusion D'iris, which is still in circulation and the price isn't overly inflated.

I have to thank the lovely lady at the Guerlain counter in Zurich airport for introducing me to this beauty. She was nattering away to me while I shamelessly tried out all the gorgeous Guerlains I had no intention of buying, and right at the end she whipped out a bottle of L'Instant Magic and asked if I'd ever tried it. Now, I cannot stand L'Instant. It is one of the few Guerlain perfumes that makes me feel genuinely sick (along with Idylle). I really, really despise it. So I was very reluctant. But she was very persistent, said I had to try it and sprayed a little strip which I put in my handbag. I was flying to Spain and I remember feeling all cosy and lovely on the flight because of the big spray of Mitsouko I had on one wrist. But later in the day, when the Mitsouko had faded, I opened my bag and this delicious, vanillic, lipstick-and-powder aroma filled the air. This has to be the ultimate powdery perfume. Its so deliciously feminine, soft and soothing. Divine.

At first I was disappointed but the more I wore it the more it grew on me. I thought initially it was too weak - for a Guerlain, anyway -, but while it is a very discreet one, it's always there, lasting throughout the day, always comforting and making me want to smell myself. That L'Instant Magic doesn't ever "try to hard" is part of it's charm. It is definitely softer, less "edible", more clean smelling than something like Mondorlo di Sicilia by Acqua di Parma, which always brings to mind delicious French pastries. I would say the almonds are there just for support and added texture, but it's the soft and gentle powdery floral notes that are really what L'Instant Magic are about. The vanilla is very gentle and non-cloying. The result evokes European elegance and spring-like romanticism but understated and laidback enough that it works equally well for the office as for a lazy weekend afternoon.

"Love you, because you're so easy to love..." I can't quite remember if this is from a movie or from a song, but it was my immedite reaction when sniffing this perfume. :-) It has practically all the elements i.e. flowers that I have loved most of my adult life (e.g. violet,freesia, mimosa) on a sandalwood, cedar base. (I'm a big, no, huge! Paris Springtime -perfume fan which explains a lot of my immediate love for this fragrance.) The only element that is missing from my usual favourites' list is the rose and the new extra element is the anise. When I smell this I see spring flowers all around me. I feel I'm at a garden party, maybe at a graduation party or at a wedding with people dressed to their best. The main colour of the affair is lilac surrounded by other pastels. Great longevity, can easily be oversprayed. Spring festivities in a bottle.

I get quite a bit of menthol in this straight off. It reminds me of a vapour rub. But powdery. So a mentholated powder? No. A powdered vapour rub. (Fendi Furiosa smells to me like an actual mentholated powder.) I think that's obvious to others as well, as after a colleague advised me to use a rub on my sprained wrist, he got in the lift with me a bit later and commented that I seem to have taken his advice. I hadn't. I thought, 'Hell no. You didn't just compare my gorgeous perfume to Vicks!' It smells better than Vicks! It smells expensive! I don't get a baby powder vibe because I get so much menthol throughout. I love it. It radiates about arm's length and will easily fill a large lift. I can smell it for hours without trying even with my dodgy nose. One of my personal favourite powdery scents. I have the old rectangular style bottle.

Despite being a powdery woody floral musk, L'Instant Magic is all abrasive sharp corners on me. I've had this bottle for years and have worn it maybe 5 times total--only when I have a strong need to be jabbed in the nose with my perfume. I think it's the type of iris that they use--a super silvery, slivery iris, surrounded by starched floral notes. There is nothing soft or even earthy here--it's all 2D, intensive, stripped "clean" floral notes. As it dries it becomes super powdery, not musky, but that too is abrasive, it reminds me of scented washing powder for some reason. I actually kind of like this, it is so aggressively clean on my skin...it is interesting but not a love for sure. Still, sometimes I feel compelled to wear this, this is the type of iris fragrance that I call "Ice Queen." Unlovely for sure.