Shalimar Eau de Parfum

Revisiting Shalimar Shalimar evokes highly pleasurable memories for me. Its scent is simply deliciously decadent and devious. Guerlain designed this perfume to be just that. It is supposed to be a woman's scent. I don't entirely agree. It's for those who know who they are and when to indulge by wearing an unforgettable fragrance. It's a perfume that evokes the idea of the human body as a source of pleasure mixed with sweetness. Its dry down won't assault the senses with an overpowering floral scent or cloying musk, but rather entices with an intriguing blend of naughty and nice. It belongs to a faraway time and place, perhaps in the setting of One Thousand and One Nights, where the air is filled with the scent of incense burning somewhere in the night and the bodies are adorned with fragrances. Created in 1921, it has withstood the test of time. Shalimar should never be confused with any popular designer fragrance or used as an everyday scent. It is far more powerful than the hype surrounding today's fragrances and the sales they generate through magazine and television advertisements. It opens with a powdery scent, reminiscent of baby powder. As the initial sense of awe transforms into joy, the senses are enticed by further radiant blossoms and spices, accompanied by an impressive vanilla scent. This fragrance represents the quintessence of the Guerlinade, a characteristic that I discern in numerous other Guerlain fragrances. This vanilla is seductive and warm yet not overly sweet. A subtle hint of animality accompanies it, lending the whole fragrance a spicy edge without ever becoming intrusive. Yet this hint is clearly perceptible. This slightly rugged scratchiness is provided by a resinous note. It is brilliantly achieved. Contrasting notes should always work together effectively and expressively in a fragrance like this one. The scent is kept exciting by this, and it is prevented from becoming banal. Then it develops into an amazingly smoky, incense-like, leathery, Tonka bean delight. I'm always amazed by the way it develops. Finally, it settles on an incense and woody note. I just love it. I want to keep it ready and available at all times. It never fails to surprise me, and I'm even more delighted by how well it blends with my wife's skin. There's no doubt why this scent is so iconic, well-known and universally loved. It can only be described as a work of art. Fact: The word 'Shalimar' is Persian for 'the purest of all human pleasures'. It is also the name of an Indian garden that the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan enlarged for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The mausoleum he built for her after her death, the Taj Mahal, is a symbol of the magnificent splendour of the Orient today. The name 'Shalimar' thus evokes great love and beauty, conjuring up an image of the Orient. The "Oriental" perfume family has a benchmark fragrance in the form of Shalimar, which is widely considered iconic. Rumour: A not very credible rumour is that Jacques Guerlain created the fragrance by accident when he added too much vanillin while mixing Jicky. Opinion on Guerlain's Shalimar: Just go and grab one flask for yourself. If you already have one, get a backup bottle. Price is no excuse because it's not overly expensive. Gender issues? Come on... Perfumes have no gender. Is it good enough for a blind buy? Yes, it is! Music: Norah Jones - Come Away With Me

PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS GOOD, DO NOT TEST SHALIMAR IF YOU HAVE NOT PROPERLY PREPARED YOURSELF! This is directed to the harsh, almost violent anti-Shalimar reviews that are peppered in among the adoring, gushy, positive reviews here. It almost seems like nonsense to review Shalimar, but I feel like more than a fragrance review, it is essential to tell my experience. Once upon a time, not too long ago, I was a fragrance newbie. I loved light, sweet fragrances and anything with any silage whatsoever was "too much." Now that I look back I realize that I was culturally acclimated to believing that strong silage was a sign of age (not in a good way) or cheapness. Interestingly, I thought that high quality fragrances were subtle and watery. But then I "accidentally" met Shalimar Parfum Initial. I had smelled Shalimar at Sephora (I believe it was only the EDT at the time), and I almost retched right in the store. But being the collector I am, I thought I "needed" to have at least one form of this fragrance, so I did some research and decided that at the price I got it for and with the reviews, PI was the way to go . . . and boy, was it! I adored PI, mostly after I started getting rave compliments from people. It wasn't the initial top notes, but the drydown that was so stunning. And I thought "why not get right to the drydown," but realized that the top notes were essential or you'd have just a powdery, vanilla scent like so many others. As time has passed, I determined to try the hated Shalimar again, partially because of the rave reviews for its leather note. I gingerly sprayed a test strip, and let it dry down before carefully sniffing. Okay. There's my beloved leather! I can now put this in the "like" category. But then I got a decant of the EDT, and after avoiding it for several months, I started to spray a teeny bit here and there. Usually before a shower or before bed. I started to notice the development from one moment to the next, and was startled at how amazingly complex this scent was. Much more than any other scent I had tried (or probably more than any I've tried to this date), this fragrance continued to morph and change and wrap around me like gorgeous (and sometimes "stanky" in a good way) sparkling, seductive, serpents (ok, stupid analogy, but I had to use all "Ss" for effect). By the time I tried the EDP again, I was already in love. Now I don't wear the EDP yet, and don't know that I ever would. It's stunning, but almost like you don't wear your fine china. This one is a masterpiece to be admired, not for casual wear (for me). But all the other Shalimars are fair game. So please, please, PLEASE! For your own sake, do NOT spray this on, sniff, cough, and then write scathing reviews after disposing of what you consider to be toxic waste. This is art! And it's gorgeous to myself, who was once a hater. If you have not learned to love civet, oakmoss, aldehydes and other "big-girl" notes, start with some of the easier flankers. Souffle, PI (any of them, but especially Si Sensuelle), and Eau de Shalimar are a much better way to start. These are all beautiful granddaughters of the Grand Dame herself. As a perfume lover, you owe it to yourself to learn how to understand this one.

Ever since i was a child, i’ve had a habit of not enjoying being put onto things. Wether it be music, shows, food, games, products WHATEVER ELSE i always preferred to discover things on my own. Whenever i keep hearing people talk about something, i subconsciously try to avoid it. Its a terrible habit and i dont ever want to come off as pretentious, but it almost feels like its a core part of myself... And the same applied to Shalimar. My first classic guerlain was l’heure bleue, and i thought ‘why would i try l’heure bleue’s more popular more beloved more iconic sister? If everyone loves it, it must smell boring!’ And i was so wrong... Honestly there is nothing new to be said about shalimar. It really is the most beautiful amber of all time. It ticks every box, i have never smelled anything this layered. And i dont think i will. How can a perfume be so sparkly and dark at the sams time? The beloved bergamot opening is so wonderful and immediately backed up by deep and rich resins. After a few hours i smell a huge dose of realistic jasmine, combined with the resins, which creates an indian incense feel. Its not just jasmine + incense however, theres constantly much more going on with shalimar. And thats the beauty of it. You never know which layer it will reveal to you. Which makes it even harder to write a review and describe it online. Adjectives come in really handy here... it is extremely sensual, extremely sparkly, extremely rich, very powdery, opulent, dominating, warm, leathery and smoky. Truly the only smoky fragrance i like, probably because it doesnt smell like straight up ashtray or campfire And that is another part of shalimars beauty. The only obvious notes in it are bergamot and vanilla. Everything else is complex and ambiguous, not in a ‘modern perfume unconvincing thin synthetics’ way but an unfathomable, abstract and artistic way. It truly is its own thing. Many people of my generation would consider this way too heavy, which is strange to me because nothing overwhelms me more than that le labo ambroxan or whatever uninspired sterile stuff they wear. I really want to study the psychology behind this, is the lack of exposure to nature and sensuality the reason for so many artificial and metallic smelling perfumes nowadays? This generation is indeed the most disconnected from interpersonal relationships, maybe that is a contributing factor to the rise of such impersonal and meaningless perfumes. Or maybe i just dont see the meaning in them and my nose is broken... Shalimar is full of character and personality, it really is almost its own genre for me... l’heure bleue is still my personal favorite because it feels more like “me” but shalimar is a close second. And comparison is the thief of joy anyway so i wont try to explain why which one is better than the other.. Anyways please at least try out this perfume. It doesnt fit everyones vibe but its still a work of art you can admire every time u smell it in a store

I smelled Shalimar for the first time ever a couple of days ago. There's a local perfume shop right across where I live, I've always wanted to go there but I, as a fairly socially awkward person, avoided it. That's until I took a peek inside and saw they had some Guerlain classics I've always wanted to sniff. The owner of the shop is an older woman, she greeted me very warmly. I got to it and sniffed all the fragrances I've always wanted, but there was one missing, and that was Shalimar. Thinking this yet again wasn't my time for that, I was going to thank the lady and leave. But that's when she approached me and asked me if I personally liked Guerlain. We started chatting about our shared interest in perfumery for a bit, until I took a chance and asked ''Do you have Shalimar?'' Her face lit up and she said ''No not here, but I'll go check in the back for you.'' I waited until she came back with a bottle of this beautiful perfume and sprayed it on paper for me to sample. Then she told me: the bottle wasn't from the shop, it was her own bottle. Vintage. From her personal collection. I was so, so happy really I can hardly describe it. I guess she saw that on my face and asked if I wanted to sample on skin, took my arm, and sprayed my wrist. We kept talking. About perfumes she had on her shop, national brands, her own life and customers, along other things for quite a while. It got dark outside, and she gave me some sample decants to take home and we both thanked each other for the quality time together, and headed home. I really can't describe how happy I was. This lady was so kind to me, and I don't even know her name! At least yet. Shalimar is, honestly, everything I hoped it was. The reviews made no exaggeration, it's incredible. The citrus opening, the flowers enveloping the citrus, the vanilla and incense dry down that smells divine. I went to sleep, and after I woke up, the incense and leathery notes on my wrist were still there. I would call it a masterpiece, but I feel like my youth and little experience in this fragrance world doesn't make me worthy of that yet. What I can say for sure is, it's ageless. Timeless. I don't normally share my age online, I'm a young adult. My age still ends in teen. I love Shalimar. The lady I talked to, a much older woman than me, said that was her go-to scent most of her life, and that she treasures the current bottle she has. She loves Shalimar. We both love Shalimar. I'm not sure why this made me quite emotional I confess. Maybe the kindness of the lady, maybe the perfume itself owning up to all my naïve expectations, maybe the feeling of connection with other women throughout time because of love for a particular perfume. Maybe all of it. Maybe something more. I just know it did. I will treasure that day, that lady, and this perfume on my mind for as long as I can. Until one day, another young girl might ask me ''Do you have Shalimar?''

My Grandmother, a beautiful and elegant lady spent most of her working adult life behind the Perfume Counter at Famous Barr in St. Louis. To many, she was known as the "Perfume Lady". To me, she was my "Mimi", and I owe my love of finer fragrance all to her. We lost her nearly two years ago. It was heartbreaking to say "goodbye", and I am so grateful that I had the chance to laugh with her just one last time before she took her next step in this amazing journey. It was her dying wish that we all take a little something (or things) from her home by which we could remember and cherish her--and enjoy. The day of her funeral was mostly a haze. It was February in St. Louis, frigid, cold, yet hopeful. We honored her in a spirit of joy and laughter. I wore Neela Vermeire's Mohur. I knew Mimi would approve. My mom told me that I smelled "lovely", and took me in her arms and cried. My Great Aunts remembered with pride Mimi's Lunch with Elizabeth Taylor--not on one, but TWO occasions. It seems that she had sold the most White Diamonds AND Passion in the City, and that was her prize. Getting back on track--Shalimar. Where does this fit in? For Birthdays and Holidays, Mimi always gifted my Mom with Shalimar. She had all of the concentrations, Extrait in the gorgeous, small Baccarat bottle. So heady and luscious. I remember Mom telling me the difference between the concentrations, and smelling them all back to back as a child, all the way to the Eau de Cologne, with its conical top. I was hooked. After the funeral, we all went to Mimi's house, the home she worked hard to build and pay for, for so many years. There were no reminders to take off our shoes, or not to run by the stairs, in case we might fall down. No gentle voice reminding us to stay away from her succculents, lest the spines "jump out at us" and stick us. Just silence and reverence for a life well lived. I stepped into her bedroom, and on her night stand, I beheld her SOLE bottle of perfume displayed. A gold Guerlain atomizer. I picked it up, opened the lid and smelled the incense and leather, the vanilla and musk. I was home. Tears fell from my eyes, and I knew what gift Mimi wanted me to have. I treasure this bottle. When I want to feel close to her, I indulge myself, tenderly kiss the bottle that her hands held and again I feel her presence nearby. This is the beauty and magic of Shalimar for me. A fragrance of unparalleled beauty and refinement, just like my Mimi.