Liu

It goes without saying that this is extremely similar to chanel no 5. This does influence my opinion on liu, but not in a negative manner. Actually, it works in liu’s favor. This is like the chanel no 5 for people who want the perfect version of it. I want to start off with saying that i have always found no5 to smell ‘animalic’ and ‘indolic’, but i might have a wrong idea of what animalic means in perfume. Its indolic in a real jasmine way, where it smells like manure in the most beautiful and elegant way possible. We all know this. A real jasmine flower smells slightly of poop and decay and that works in its favor. No one seems to mention this though! Its always considered a clean soapy fragrance and i dont agree. Soap tends to be way more fresh and serene, while no5 has claws and is a diva in the most elegant way. Its the perfect combination of extravagant and elegant. So no, i dont consider liu or no5 soapy laundry detergent scents. I WISH laundry detergent smelled this way. Maybe its a different kind of aldehyde being used? Or maybe its blended in a way where its not too clean smelling? Or maybe its a civet substitute to maintain the smell of the original formulation? I dont know. Please tell me im not alone in finding both liu and 5 to smell animalic AF The difference lies in the development of these perfumes. The only difference i could detect in the opening of liu and no5 (saying L and 5 from now on) is that L smells way more heady and powerful while 5 smells sparkly and effervescent. But they do smell the same. Its just minor tweaks The difference lies in the development. 5 goes into soapy and woody territory while maintaining a lot of its opening components. Honestly i cant say much more on tgat because everything already has been said abt 5. Liu’s development however, takes the opening and intensifies it through the jasmine. This really is very jasmine prominent. Not a fresh, clean jasmine. No, this is a very classical interpretation of jasmine. Which is the best kind honestly, i cant stand cleaned up white florals. This reminds me of turkish jasmine cologne u can find at the markets. Those already smell surprisingly luxurious, but liu makes it even more complex and powerful. This is a BEAUTIFUL aldehydic jasmine full of character. Its powdery and sparkly as well. Its also way warmer than 5, but not in an ambery manner. Idk how to describe it. Liu has sunrays inside its bottle. Sunrays with ionones, oily heady jasmine and strong aldehydes. The vanilla is slightly noticeable but guerlains vanillas are always good. Never play doughy or cheap or too gourmand. It lends well with the sunniness of liu. Yet i cannot seem to imagine myself wearing this in summer! Maybe a winter sun? It doesnt go as woody 5 and thats alright. Its nice that it creates an identity of its own. I love this and if u love no5 u will love this too! I dont think u need to get this if u already have no5 since the differences are rather minute. One major difference is the performance. Liu is way more potent, powerful and vintage smelling than modern no5. Maybe thats something to consider

First of all, the notes upstairs are incomplete, things are much more complicated than that. My first thought was how the opening resembles l'Heure Bleue. It's the combination of bergamot, neroli, violet, iris, rose and jasmin on the bed of vanilla that is the best part of the old girl. That bergamot is so distinctivly Guerlain. And the aldehydes are pure magic, the composition is so airy and transperent, while the old girl l'Heure Bleue's opening is often described as waxy fourniture polish. Liu might be a historical floral aldehyde, but she is first and foremost a Guerlain. I was smitten from the first sniff, beautiful perfumes do that. Comparaison with No 5 is inevitable, it's the closest to edt and perfume concentrations. Many forget that edp is the '80 child and shows her age more that the others. Strangly, Liu is closer relative to the original concentrations then edp. But nobody's dupe. Probably closer to the original L'Interdit from Givenchy but less fruity. L'Interdit had a lovely strawberry note. Nothing to do with that sticky tubereuse they call it now. To many, this type of perfume is the grandmother personified, it smells like soap, powder in makeup bag and hairsprey. While smelling this, you might expect to see someone with blue freshly permed hair. When I grow up, I will proudly become that old lady with blue hair. Anyway, if you like your classics and are not afraid of vintage charm and hairsprey and want something that is as bright and happy as No 5 Eau Première and L'Eau, you will love this. It's a joy to wear, it has a gorgeous effervescent quality. Beautifully transperent, light and airy. The colours I see are ivory, lemon yellow, pale blue and lilac. Everything is just so smooth, soft and pastel. I get at least 6 h out of it and that's good enough for me. Several days on clothing, I don't know, I washed them before they stopped smelling. There is a special place in my heart for perfumes that perfume my laundry basket. Big hurrah for Guerlain for bringing it, along with L'Initial, to the masses. It's beautiful. Update... It's mid June and we are having a heath stroke, wave, whatever. I sprayed it more from dispair than refreshing expectations and it's absolutely gorgeous! You know how No 5 even in edt can be suffocating at high temperatures? I think it's civet and musk...anyway, not this baby. It's even better than in springtime. I feel my melted dignity comming back to me.

It's funny but I don't find this all that similar to Chanel #5 like so many do here. Are they the same "style" of fragrance? Yes. But while the opening of both are sparkling with aldehydes and citruses particularly lemon, neroli, and bergamot after that #5 and Liu part ways. Chanel #5 stays sparkling throughout the duration of the fragrance and the lemon and neroli are much stronger for the fragrance as a whole along with it being much woodier than Liu. I own #5 premiere instead of the original. The original is nice but I find it a bit harsh and don't enjoy wearing it either in a vintage formal or in the newer formulation. Now Liu on the other hand does open sparkling with aldehydes, lemon, neroli and bergamot but it has a distinct rosemary note that I enjoy. I love the smell of rosemary and remember a time when it was used more often in womens fragrances. It is a subtle aromatic quality that is refreshing and makes this fragrance different and when it combines with what I suspect is anise it gives this perfume the smell of icicles. Or what comes to my mind is icicles. It is frosty but in a fragile way. It smells exactly like what I imagine Elsa from Frozen would smell like. Or the Snow Queen a woman with a ring of ice around her heart waiting for someone worthy to melt it. As Liu progresses as if by a miracle Liu begins to melt. The fragile blue 💙 becomes white and smells of the purest jasmine. It is so pretty, feminine,. There is a daintiness, an extremely delicate and fragile quality to this fragrance. Not in its performance, no it performed very well. But it captures the delicate and fragile innocence of the young heart of a beautiful Lady who was once guarded but now has awakened to the possibility of love. I see colors of the palest blue, violet almost as stark as pure white snow. The softest white and pearl grey feathers of a small bird. This is so beautiful, classic, timeless. It is the perfect snow musk, or snow jasmine. For me it beats #5 in any ideation hands down. I will buy this in a FB ASAP. Edit: the original Chanel #5 has a boss lady quality that just isn't me. The eau de premier version tones that down by quite a lot and that is why I really love that interpretation of #5. Liu is delicately feminine in a way #5 can never be. I always kind of found the original #5 to showy to brash and a bit snobbish. Liu has a fragility that I relate to.

If this LiU EDP (2021) is really that close to the original, that means it actually is the mother of “soapy” aldehydes+white floral compositions of today famous: Amouage Gold Man and Dia Woman/40, Xerjoff Pikovaya Dama, and MFK 724. I have worn vintage Chanel N5 EDT & Eau Premiere, and tested the EDP and else. Guerlain LiU (soapy aldehyde+ clean white florals) is actually distinguished from Chanel N5 (woody aldehyde+ animalic/indolic florals). Current LiU Edp opens with a clean&clear soapy aldehyde (like a detergent & similar most to opening of Xerjoff Pikovaya Dama), without mixing with any citruses, and indolence florals like Chanel N5. A few minutes after, the jasmine (unmistakenly it smells like a tiny dose of Jasmine Gradiflorum that Guerlain uses in Jasmin Gradiflorum Extrait 30) reveals itself slowly with its slight green indolic quality and some bits of rose petals just to keep the composition fresh. Then in the mid it smells like a baby powder with noticeable jasmine and the sparkling aldehyde glitters around it. There are some smooth sweetness to it, I think comes from the vanilla. I’d say LiU is a pure, minimalist and colder version of Chanel N5 that prominently emphasizes on the clean aldehyde and powdery jasmine. I think it is easier and has more sentimental value to wear than the diet Chanel N5: Eau Premiere I own. Simple, Classic, Minimalist, Clean.

Modern Liu is absolutely beautiful. It’s aldehydic. It’s cool. It’s creamy. Its soothing. It reminds me of how N°5 body products (cream, lotion...) used to smell some years ago. Underneath the flowers, the icy aldehydes (very smooth here), the sandalwood backbone...there’s a cosmetic creaminess that elevates it above N°5. It’s closer to Arpège. The magic of it lies in its smoothness. This, Arpège, White Linen and First, seem to be the best standing aldehydics today, while beauties such as Rive Gauche, Calandre, Caleche and many more have either been discontinued or butchered. But Liu is a lovers dream! Edit: while it shares similarities to N°5, it veers towards First, courtesy of the glorious jasmine they both share. As an aldehyde perfume, it inevitably resembles many, but that beautiful jasmine brings it close to the beauty of First.

Pleasant. Not groundbreaking but no one can deny that it is beautifully blended and has that gentleness for which I love Guerlain. It’s definitely built on the legendary aldehydes of the 20’s and does it unapologetically well with some extra (when compared to No5) oomph of almost ginger-like citrusy soapiness. Something I’d wear for the careless spring weekend breakfasts served outside in the garden amongst trees awaken by the cool air and sharp sunlight. I like this bottle more than the original although it’s a shame that Guerlain steered away from the individual designs. To be sprayed generously. 9/10

Blind buy, just arrived and Oh I love it! It opens with a blast of aldehydes. Intense, old school laundry smell. It evokes happy memories: I see myself as a child running through the garden where freshly washed bedsheets are drying in the zenith sun. On the other hand, it’s not young and playful. It’s beautiful and classy. Soapy iris with a hint of vanilla. I cannot identify any rose or jasmine. Perfect scent for a mother? I think so. I am not convinced it would work well in cold climate since it may get too sharp and sterile. I will wait until spring to fully enjoy it. Updates will follow.

First year of the new heart bottle was very weak, now it has finally got its shine back. A wall of sweet soapy aldehydes that hides an animalic and a bit of a sneaky dirty musk that i love - very very nuanced, only opens up about one hour after you put it on. Not an easy reach - but when you reach for it you know its meant to be. Oh and yes - much more like Eau Premiere than the original n5. I always hated n5 until i sampled a vial of eau premiere and got taken aback by its powder - this then led me to appreciate og n5 and liu.

@aero.tale3 as someone who lives in the netherlands i must say its pretty rare to come across anything from this collection. the only ones ive ever seen in any store are mitsuoko, insolence and vol de nuit. and thats not even in just 1 store. they do go on discount online, but since stores dont carry them u cant find discounts irl. idk how its cheap behavior to point out that someone cant find these perfumes anywhere. u are the one thats cheap and unnecessary for randomly insulting someone...

Few weeks ago, a lady on the counter of the local home improvement shop complimented me on the perfume I was wearing and asked what it was. Yes, it was Liu. - It's Liu, old, forgotten Guerlain, in the style of N°5. I love smelling like soap. - I like how fresh and airy it smells. - I can write it down for you... There you have it, people. It's been ages since I got compliments on an oldie I wear. I just think that smelling clean and fresh, like soap, is classy and timeless.

This grew on me! I wasn’t sure how I felt about it initially, as I am not typically a huge fan of aldehydes, but Liu won me over. Timeless scent that is signature-worthy. It smells like an expensive fancy soap in the best way. The aldehydes are present but retain an airy quality and are never overwhelming. This dries down into a nice soft classic powdery floral. Suitable for all seasons and occasions, in my opinion. A very underrated Guerlain.

This is becoming my workday at the office & easy choice scent now during the time of late summer, approaching autumn. I do understand the comparison to Chanel no 5, especially due to the aldehydes at the beginning. For me Liu is more relaxed but simultaneously formal enough to suit almost any situation - though that is according to many also common with the No 5. Choose the one you prefer, or enjoy both.

Most beautiful and regal soapy scent I've found so far. Chanel 5, but better. It's hard for me to explain this. She's soapy with florals in the background. The aldehydes sparkle and really bloom, they're so present! It really is soapy, but a very sunny soap to me. I absolutely adore this. Clean, incredibly elegant, simple and still has a strong presence. Can't wait to buy a full bottle of this.

A lighter take on Chanel no 5 edp without the heavy civet and muskiness. It is like No 5 flanker to be honest. All those gorgeous initial notes of No 5 appear to remain throughout. Beautiful but very low in sillage compared to no 5 after a while. Definitely prefer the scent of this over No 5 in all concentrations.

"Liu was launched in 2021", the original was launched in 1929, is this q different version? Just bought a bottle as this is a scent I have worn since 1986. Often only available in eau de Cologne and in small quantities. Bought the Bee version a while back and it is pure heaven. Curious ...

I discovered Liu beside other classics of the new Guerlain line 'Les legendaires' recently at our local perfumery and instantly fell in love with it. Certainly a modernized version of the original from 1929, with a slight Chanel No.5 (EdT) vibe, a bit more tart but oh, so beautiful!

Testing my sample; soapy delight, feels cool and clean yet warm and sunny. Gets noticeably more rosy and woody on my skin as it dries down, muskier too. Warm/hot weather is best for scents like this. Sits above arms' length on my skin, lasts all day.

If you want to replicate what it might have felt like to sneak into your grandmother's dressing table when she was downstairs cooking dinner, Liu is a fragrance that will lead you into an olfactory nostalgia. You open the bottle, the elegant upside down heart, spray on just one time, and then..... Powder, aldehydes, jasmine, vanilla. Nothing is overwhelming. There is no civet note, nothing unpleasant, just gracefulness, soothing notes, somewhere between the warm hug of a loved one and the kiss on your forehead when you are leaving grandma's house. There is nothing "modern" about Liu. No patchouli, citrus, cherry, oud, lime, caramel, tonka bean, or coffee. No connections to any celebrity, nothing bad, rebellious or cool. No political statement. Nothing related to protests or statements about saving humankind. It's just a calmly lovely scent that stands the test of time.

Liu shares its aldehyde notes with several other fragrances of the same era. No5 immediately springs to mind, but there are more yellow florals in Liu. Less citrus than Caleche; not as green as Chant d'Aromes; less white florals than No22; not as sharp as Rive Gauche or Climat; heavier and richer than L'Interdit (the original, real L'Interdit), First and Arpege; less pink florals than Le De; and definitely none of the violet notes of Le Dix. On my skin Liu starts off somewhere between No5 and Fleurs De Rocailles; after a few hours it develops an oriental woody note, reminiscent of Patou's L'Heure Attendue. Though it's probably impossible not to compare Liu to No5, they are definitely not identical

Signature worthy, your skin but better scent. I am intimidated by the no. 5 Family. It's so loud if you know what I mean. Whereas Liu is soft. It's powdery and delicate, smells very clean but also very nostalgic. This is something similar with L'Heure Bleue - when I want to feel sad I always sniff LHB because it's painfully nostalgic, reminder of days long past... Liu is current... it suits daytime and "business casual" clothes best... It's my white-shirt scent... don't worry it's not that pungent although the opening is a bit old school. The dry down however... it becomes a skin scent but very luminous, bright, rose-powder, that evokes put together woman. Recommend

Stating my information directly from Guerlain’s employee he said this is the perfumer’s favourite fragrance based on the legendary no.5 Just as majestic as no.5 and with almost equal charm but the differences are very subtle that I believe doesn’t make it a must have especially if you have already acquired no.5 The difference is the airy nature of this creation No.5 is a bit aggressive in the opening but it smooths out later on The truth is if you own no.5 just forget about it and search for other creations by the same house they have plenty of gems to delve into

Liu is a clear and direct copy of Chanel no.5, but without the original's je ne sais quoi or longevity. I have both and would wear Liu for daywear but would keep no.5 for special occasions. It has to be said I rarely reach for this bottle. Chanel is richer, creamier and longer lasting and I won't be repurchasing Liu, whereas I would always want Chanel no.5 in my collection.

Definite Chanel No. 5 vibes, but this is more easy and breezy, more sparkly, effervescent and bright. If not the note list, I would have thought there is some citrus in it, but apparently that's all aldehydes. Beautiful. +

This is a Ylang bomb on me. Hey, Fragrantica, why isn't that listed in the notes? Ylang is there and the strongest note to my nose, just as it is in No. 5, and as is in Le Rive Chatte, and Ulric de Varens Issme Gold, both of which are somewhat dupes of No.5. They all have the strong ylang and waxy aldehydes of No. 5, and many of her other notes, though none have No. 5's silage, longevity, intensity or depth. While I have all these fragrances, and like them, I always find myself passing them by and just going for the queen. This is just a sweeter, shallower, poorer performing take on the theme, that smells so similar to No. 5 I'd just rather wear that instead. The main difference is this also has that lovely Guerlain vanilla deep in the base, but No. 5 and her flankers also have a touch of vanilla though a different kind and unlike here, not such a main feature of the scent. Still, despite loving Guerlain's vanilla, I'd just rather wear any of the No. 5's over this.

As many have noted, similar to Chanel no 5 though a tiny bit lighter and not quite as offensive. Heavy on aldehydes that last and last, and quite powdery and gets more so as time goes on. Not my style at all and not really Guerlain house style either - I prefer more life like florals. Consider only if you like Chanel no 5.

Today I had the chance to rey Liu, I was curious after reading reviews and comparison with Chanel N 5. And yes , to me a very disappointing experience: it smells like Chanel N 5 though much weaker, on my skin it disappeared after 2 hours. Do not get me wrong, I really love Chanel N 5, but I do not need a weaker copy of it and not from Guerlain ! I am astonished that Guerlain invests in creating such a scent. So.. if copying is trendy - Why not focusing in bringing us back gems of passed days such as original Byzance - Rochas or original Vivre - Molyneaux.

Yeah it does smell like Chanel N’5 BUT more aldehydic and morning breath like with the guerlain special mature dna Alll i get is morning breath scented soap and hints of mature powderyness

im sorry but on my skin this has that weird old person smell or bathroom smell...

Can not scrub it off fast enough. A blind buy- mistake. Husband says I smell like a nursing home..

At first I wrote off Liu as a rather boring copy of Chanel No.5 that falls flat compared to the sparkling effervescence of No.5. Boy was I wrong! The drydown really is so nice and has a completely different feel to it than No.5. Sure, Liu admittedly doesn't have the bright rush of aldehydes and lacks the interest of No.5, but I'm finding it so much more comfortable to wear on a daily basis. It's lovely! Chanels often come off as austere and as cold as their namesake to my nose, and, despite truly loving it and owning many different concentrations (I love-love the vintage extrait of no.5!) and flankers, I feel odd wearing No.5 most days because I live in stretchy pants and oversized tees, racing here and there to play chauffeur for my 8-year-old. I don't want my fragrance to wear me, so to speak. Guerlain, being Guerlain, has created a variation on a theme that wears much more personal and warmer. Yes, it's lighter, but I'm finding it part of its charm. A couple of hours later and it sticks around as a beautiful skin scent, and, despite not being as strong and loud as No.5, I can still smell it at the end of the day, even if just a whisper. I'm happy to have not only sampled a decant of Liu but scored a *very* affordable full bottle from 'the net.'

We are spoiled in Europe for access to the Légendaires collection. A shopper with patience will eventually be offered each one of these 75ml gems for under 70 USD equivalent. Even under 60, very very occasionally. They never all go on sale. Just one or two at a time, on Internet fragrance shops. I've built quite the collection by waiting patiently for the ones I have wanted to own. So I waited, and waited, and waited... for Liu. And finally lovely Liu is mine. The low price lasted 7 days then went back sky high. Now it makes sense and respects Liu's creation story to compare it to No. 5. However, sometimes I wonder how many reviewers haven't smelled all that many other aldehydic florals besides No. 5. One could just as well compare Liu to Arpege, White Linen, First, or Coty's L'Aimant. Among dozens of others. So I'm going to do that for a couple weeks and come back to report my results. Cheers.

The first 30 minutes are a challenge because Liu is such an old and cold style it shocks. Aldehyde tops are conceptual. So old it's new again. Let me summarize that everything is so old-fashioned but delivered with the latest molecules, so a bit uncanny or timeless, finally. All the lesser aldehydic fragrances are evoked but Liu doesn't make mistakes. Coty L ́Aimant Eau de Toilette in in the wheelhouse and 10 bucks for 50ml. L'Aiment is cozier than Liu. I find a similarity to Chanel No 5 EDT, which is a 100 year old concept, much older than Chanel No 5 EDP, which is a Department store of the 1980s concept. Liu is the soap flanker of No. 5 EDT. Yet Liu finally is very chic and beautiful, like model Carmen Dell'Orefice at 90, or airy elegant diamond pieces by Van Cleef & Arpels. Liu can be found on the grey market for 65 USD equivalent, and that's good value.

A beautiful perfume. It reminds me a lot of Chanel No5 and Shalimar, so if you're a fan of these two, like I am, you will like Liu too. Shalimar smells like intense aldehydes and a delicate jasmine, like good sex during a summer day, on vacation, in a crispy clean hotel room, between freshly changed bed sheets. The aldehydes in Liu are much stronger than the ones in Chanel No5. After it dries down, the delicate jasmine note fades away.

I found some similarities within Guerlain’s old perfume like Liu, vol de nuit, mitsouko. It always has old pungent smell at the beginning, might be type of popular scent in the past but for current era not everyone can accept this. I would suggest to try it before buying this

Oh I hope this comes to the US along with Nahema and Apres l’Ondee! Might have to call the Las Vegas store and see what they have and if they can ship it.

Not No 5. No 22. Lady Stetson. I might be too impatient to wait for the dry down, but the opening aldehydes are considerably harsher than Chanel.

💛💛💛 A blast of real jasmine flowers, effervescence, sunshine, happiness, and old school chic vibes. What is not to love?

Green soap my grandma would wash us with when we were tiny, before my mum picked us up. Soap nothing else.