Samsara Eau de Parfum

I have never smelled the vintage version of this, so I don’t really have the luxury to compare this to its original version. That may just be a blessing though, since now I can appreciate this formulation for what it is without comparison ruining it for me. This perfume is shockingly more layered than initial sniff would have you think. On my first wear i felt like this was quite boring and stale compared to other guerlain classics like l’heure bleue, chamade, vol de nuit, shalimar etc... it felt dry and woody with just a hint of sweetness, very reminiscent of iris poudre by frederic malle which is a scent i’ve grown to dislike. After wearing it a few times, suddenly I started noticing a very realistic, strong and heady jasmine. This appalled me because 1. most jasmine perfumes suck and dont smell like actual jasmine flowers spreading their scent in the air 2. i did not know it would be this prominent 3. I never knew samsara would be about jasmine at all. The top notes say ylang ylang, the accords mention yellow floral, but to me this is much more about jasmine. Yes i get this sticky waxy ylang ylang note in the very first hour of samsara and i love it, but the jasmine takes it to another level for me. And then the sandalwood in here is nothing like the nuclear dill pickle inflection having sandalwoods of today. I’m 100% this part boring for those who have smelled the formulations with real mysore sandalwood, but i think it still smells amazing in here. Calming, creamy and meditative while being woody and dry at the same time. Later on the waxy ylang ylang gets replaced (or usurped) by a waxy iris with more violet inflections than usual. The scent becomes warmer and warmer, completely straying away from the initial blast of iris poudre that i still experience in the first few minutes. The jasmine is still present in this phase and it is just so beautiful. A creamy waxy powdery sweet warm sandalwood with strong jasmine. Doesn’t that sound heavenly? As time goes on the vanilla definitely starts coming more to the forefront while still only being a complimentary note to the sandalwood jasmine combo. It is wonderful. This vanilla isnt cupcake esque or ambery dark, just a warm sweetness without too much depth. Yet the scent carries so many more layers that i keep discovering each time i smell it. It is wonderful. I’m surprised that i love it this much, i remember smelling it 2 years ago in a store and not being impressed by the stale woody quality of it all. I find this type of warmth just perfect for sunny weather. Somehow i find stuff like this to work better in hot weather, its like you’re matching the season instead of fighting against it by wearing sharp clean fresh citruses or musks. Definitely perfect, and also very strong! I never feel overwhelmed by it, but it stays on me forever and doesn’t really ‘thin out’ like many scents do. It just starts projecting less. Still not my favorite from this house, but its hard for me to like something more than l’heure bleue. I think it is a 9.3/10 whereas chamade is 9.2 vol de nuit is 9.5 shalimar is 9.9 and l’heure bleue is a 10. If that helps!

When I first reviewed Samsara, I looked all over the site (or thought I did) for the reformulated version in the bouchon coeur bottles that I have for the EDP and EDT, and didn't find them, so I mistakenly posted my reviews on the pages for the vintage bottles (the much more appropriate bottles) of the EDT and EDP instead. At this point, I have only the current versions of each concentration of Samsara (Legendaires Collection), and it's hard for me to imagine being able to love them any more. I find Samsara uniquely soothing, calming, serene, and beautiful, like being inside a beautiful piano. It smells rich, woody, and resonant--it is to my nose as a gamelan orchestra is to my ear. I put this on as a palate cleanser after scrubbing off (in a Karen Silkwood-style shower) a vile fragrance that I won't name, out of respect for Samsara, a real sacred temple of a scent. UPDATE: A generous friend and fellow Fragrantican sent me a generous vial of a 1990 formulation. Yes, it is superior, especially in its base notes, which almost made me weep--the deepness of the woods against the slightly smoky vanilla just sends me! But I am relieved to report that as much as I treasure the vintage (and am considering hunting down a bottle someday soon, before they disappear forever), I am still just as impressed with my current formulation. Hats off to Wasser et al. for a beautiful take on what would otherwise be an impossible perfume, given the scarcity of real Mysore sandalwood. I think the new Samsara, both in EDT and EDP forms, is a revelation, and a million times better than most of today's trendy perfumes. It isn't the same as the vintage Samsara, but it's a beautiful approximation, and I will be distraught if Guerlain ever stops making it. I just noticed that Fragrantica classifies this as a "woody floral musk fragrance for women" now, whereas the original formulation is classified as an "amber woody fragrance for women." Personally, I would describe this as a woody-amber-floral fragrance for women. I'm not sure where they got musk, which I don't believe was ever listed as a note in the original. It's powdery because of the orris, presumably. On second thought, not necessarily for women. I would love this on my man, even though he wouldn't wear it under any circumstances. Update: I still love this, and it irritates me to no end to see it ranked as low as 3.84. A travesty! This is so much better than 99% of the fragrances on this site with four-plus ratings.

Dear Fragranticans who reflect upon the legacy of Samsara, I would like to contribute my thoughts based on owning a 1989 100ml bottle of Samsara, a 90s 7,5ml splash miniature and several tests of the current Eau de Parfum, including spraying both side by side on one day. Disclaimer - I wasn't even born when Samsara appeared on the market, thus I have no memory of the scent as it was, my judgement is based on how the 34-year old, well kept perfume I own smells NOW, compared to the current EDP. This was even before the red bottle, my vintage Samsaras both have transparent glass flacons. 1. Do not worry about differences in the actual fragrance profile. Yes, they are there, but very minor! Despite the change of ingredients, the scent profile remained very well preserved. To me however the differences I observe concern mainly the intensity and sillage. These are noticeable: my 1989 Samsara is more intense, more potent, only one spritz required to smell it for hours. It is a masterpiece of perfumery. I like the current version a lot, although it doesn't have this power. There is something slightly softer, more coccooning in its blend and expression, which suits me personally very well. The longevity, intensity and sillage is good, just less intense than the 1989 version. Some ladies may even enjoy the current blend more, I believe. 2. There are also slight differences in the 1989 Samsara and 90s miniature. I probably enjoy the 90s miniature the most! There is something lively about it, more élan vital as one would describe it in French. I would say that the sandalwood in these both vintage versions is indeed creamier, more opulent, than nowadays. 3. To me personally the ylang-ylang flowers are more pronounced in the 1989 version. Overall, I will be happy to get the now available bouchon coeur flacon very soon. I hope it was helpful! Best wishes!

This review is for the newest version of Samsara EDP with the inverted heart cap, exactly as in the photo above: A very well-blended scent-- warm, inviting, elegant but not overly formal. It has a slight scent of powdery aldehydes, citrus, yellow florals, and a smooth sandalwood. Brightness and creaminess simultaneously. It feels like the rising sun. A comparison with the newest EDT, also in the inverted heart cap bottle... Newest Samsara EDT is much more loud and sparkling to start. Powerfully soapy-aldehydic in the top notes and throughout the base notes if you're in a cold climate. I wore this out the other day and I overheard someone say they could smell Chanel No. 5 when I walked past them. Then I realized new Samsara EDT really does smell a lot like that perfume on me. Of course, Samsara EDT is a beautiful fragrance, but I do not want the scent of aldehydes taking over the sandalwood. I want to smell the sandalwood. The EDT might be better suited for summer because I did notice some sandalwood towards the end of wear time, but only if I was cleaning house, or feeling warm. A little strong in the beginning, but only lasts 4 hours on me. Newest Samsara EDP is much more linear, the notes are woven together like a basket, and it's smooth. All components of this fragrance dance together with the sandalwood present throughout the duration of the wear time, and neither the bright notes nor the creamy sandalwood are shouting above the other. EDP is more calm and introverted in feel than the EDT. Projects more like a skin scent, but does waft just a little. Feels like a comfortable golden cocoon. Lasts longer but less sillage. I prefer the EDP.

I have a client who is a perfumer. One day we were talking about which fragrances we disliked. I mentioned Santal 33 by Le Labo. It’s so repulsive to me. I’m sure it’s just a matter of my particular sense of smell because so many people adore it.....kind of like how people either love or hate cilantro, which is a genetic disposition. To me, Santal 33 smells exactly like pickle juice and pencil shavings. I despise it. My client recommended Samsara. She said I would get the sandalwood I was looking for, but Samsara would have a creamier and more lovely blend of notes. So I did a blind buy, and it arrived the other day. I’ve been wearing it nonstop since then. And I have to say, my client knew what she was talking about. It’s dreamy and light, and is giving awesome unisex vibes. I’m already thinking about what to layer it with. I realize this is a new formulation of the old Samsara. I realize people are comparing it to the old, and don’t like it as much. But the type of sandalwood that had been used is now endangered. Climate change and consumer demand has left far fewer trees, and it’s now prohibited for use by the perfume and incense industries. So Guerlain remade Samsara with a different type of sandalwood, and also made it less complex to suit this new woody note. Since I’ve never enjoyed the old version and have nothing to compare the new Samsara with, I’m just gonna enjoy it because it is utterly lovely. I’m very pleased to be adding it to my collection.