Shalimar Millésime Vanilla Planifolia

I managed to secure a bottle for myself after watching it go in and out of stock, I think that it's officially out of stock for good! I have a feeling that Guerlain will not bring this back in any sort of form or even to add this to the permanent line just by judging on the rest of the vanilla flankers of Shalimar, including their other lines like the LPRN flankers. I was lucky enough to just happen across this at my local Guerlain boutique, I had honestly not even heard of this release because Shalimar just wasn’t on my radar. Until I saw the bat sticker which caught my eye and I immediately became curious, the manager of the boutique informed me that this was a limited edition and that there was only one bottle of this left in my entire state. I won't lie...this wasn't an instant love for me as I did have my mask on and I had been trying numerous other fragrances beforehand so my nose was already fried by the time I tried this. I came back the next day however because something about it drew me back. I spayed one spritz on my wrist and one on paper, I decided to walk back to my apartment because the weather was lovely outside, whilst embarking on my journey home I kept getting wafts billowing off my wrist and with every sniff I was slowly falling in love. In that moment I knew that this was the one and it had to be mine! To my nose this is dainty in the opening with lemon zest, hand kneaded dough (much like that doughiness in Cuir Beluga), and a heap of pure vanilla pods. This is a special occasion dessert reserved for the crème de la crème, only the head-chef was permitted to make for a Duke and Duchess at their stately country manor during the 1800's so of course the ingredients would only be of the finest quality that money could buy. It's a little boozy, the most faint bit of citrus but it's not the sparking type of citrus that would be present in something meant for the summer time. It's a more dulled down and muted type of citrus like the white part of a lemon rind without the bitterness...it's absolutely divine. The vanilla in this is much like SDV and CB therefore, possessing the best of both worlds and for a fraction of the price. The quality is not only retained but amped up along with the vanilla and something else in there that makes this so much more special. This is my first from the Shalimar family and I think that I've chosen the best from the line...I will definitely be trying to get myself a backup bottle because I have never smelled anything like this and this is a bold statement but I think that I've found the perfect vanilla fragrance for me and that I can officially stop looking now as I've finally found it! I honestly don't know when I'd wear this or if I even would because I know how hard to find it will be when it's officially no longer available, every spritz hurts my heart so i'm going to treat this like somebody who's been put in whiteness protection. This will never see the light of day in fear that even the slightest ray of light, heat or moisture will degrade it which I cannot afford to happen 😭

Notes: Top: Almond, Bergamot Mid: Rose, Vanille Base: Vanille, Musk, Opoponax This is a luscious vanilla, a spicy vanilla that dries down to a tonka chocolate vanilla with those spices. A different take on Shalimar. If you want the OG Shalimar, buy it, it's a lot cheaper and more interesting to your nose, but it is challenging, whereas this is easy to wear and enjoy. This is an amped up Guerlinade, with a heavier opoponax base making it a touch more powdery. I don't think people should feel fomo, Millésime Iris and Millésime Jasmin gives a similar feel with the powderiness and a similar vanilla. The prices on eBay aren't warranted, no matter how lovely. I'm sick of scalpers, especially since Millésime Jasmin can be bought at Jomashop for $59.99 + S&H, and I'm not affiliated with them at all. And if you miss that one, News-Parfum in France has it for $79 (the Jasmin one). I only bought 2 bottles of this when I had the chance and I just finished the first. I try not to buy more than 100 ml of any fragrance bc there's just too many new, good ones, being introduced. But now with the amber/woody/oudy accords/musky bases or ambroxan, iso e super, amberwood being used in too high a concentration; I'm finding my purchases are really curtailed. I'm discovering, wearing and loving fragrances that I bought years ago. Long way of saying - I'm seriously sorry I didn't buy a 3rd bottle. To be fair, Iris and this years Jasmine give you the feel of VP at the end phases so I'm not heart broken by any means. The opoponax is heady, powdery and just a luscious base. I know that Opoponax is in the base of all Shalimar it iterations, but is really highlights the Guerlinade in this flanker, making that vanilla pop golden sparks. The tonka, and there's tonka in this, gives a chocolatey vibe at the dry down and lingers nicely with the opoponax. And before anyone starts screaming about flankers, remember Shalimar is 104 years old with only roughly 40 "flankers". A lot of those are simply rebottling of the OG and they're very open about that. Anywho, I like that Guerlain is keeping Shalimar relevant, making it appeal to a younger demographics taste. That way Shalimar the OG will continue to thrive, because once you've been hooked by the love of any of her sisters, your nose will fall in love with the Queen eventually. The cycle will start all over again and she's secure in her relevancy. I truly hope they'll re release this one, it's the best vanilla in Guerlain portfolio if you ask me. Spiritueuse Double Vanille would have gotten my vote, but the bottle with the red wax was replaced by a watered down version and then that one was stripped even further. It's more Soufflé de Spiritueuse Double Vanille now. So, may the OG reign supreme but may Shalimar Millésime Vanilla Planifolia come back around. It'll make them a lot of money and that's all they care about anyway. Right?

Upon first spray on my arm this was an instant big love for me! According to the Guerlain website this is a limited edition. It is getting very hard to actually find a bottle and when I purchased mine it was the last one in the shop! As of today writing this review, the Guerlain website is out of stock. What is so special about Shalimar Millésime Vanilla Planifolia? I have been testing this fragrance on my skin for two days now and saying this is an addictive fragrance is an understatement. I am honestly hoping that Guerlain retains this version as it would be absolute blasphemy to discontinue it. For those who have always found the EDP so overwhelming with aldehydes and smoke are going to be blown away at how incredible this one smells. Whilst I am a fan of the EDP I personally need to find the right mood to wear it as it's not the easiest fragrance to wear. This however is on another completely different level. I probably need to lock it up otherwise I will be finishing this bottle in less than a year! Haven't we all smelt vanilla, leather and spice before you might say? Yes...but never like this! There is something in this fragrance that makes it so pleasurable to wear. The magic of it all is the Madagascar vanilla which is along with a slight touch of leather and spice. You really need to experience the beauty of this fragrance on your own skin to understand how truly outstanding it is. According to the Guerlain website the vanilla tincture exudes a woody, slightly leathery and spicy note, this is achieved by mancerating it in wheat alcohol from organic farming for several months. This process allows them to develop the unique richness of their aromas. Shalimar Millésime Vanilla Planifolia has excellent longevity so much that after two days I can still detect the fragrance on the chair I sprayed it near to. Please ignore the 'for women' caption. Vanilla is a unisex note. Gents do not sleep on this fragrance! I am totally blown away by how beautiful Shalimar Millésime Vanilla Planifolia is, this is easily one of the biggest surprises of 2021 and personally for me an instant true masterpiece by Guerlaina!

Kicking myself for not buying two of these. Gah, I hope they come back into stock. I know I'm going to want to wear this a lot this autumn/winter. Unmistakably Shalimar, but with a comforting chewy layer of vanilla. The review by dsantiago02 further down perfectly described how I experience this fragrance. On my skin it sweetens a little over time and definitely does not need overspraying. It has everything I enjoy in Shalimar edp, and everything I find more challenging is now pushed further back - still there, but softened. It's not a sugary baking cupboard vanilla to my nose, although it does sweeten a little as it dries down. There is certainly more to it than vanilla and powdery notes. It's not linear, I get so bored of linear. If my fragrance smells exactly the same 3 or 4 hours after spraying then I'm scrubbing it off. This has that lovely vintage quality where it shifts and dances around you. Everything about it feels like a high quality fragrance. When testing upon unboxing I spritzed onto a tissue that I left on my desk. That was 3 days ago and I'm still getting lovely wafts of it when I walk around the room. Good stuff. ETA... my 13 year old son gets very perplexed when I wear this. He notices it all around the house and says it smells like something very familiar from when he was a small child, but a little bit more flowery, Christmas-sy and with a hint of peanuts. Not sure what to make of that, but he gets a very confusing nostalgia from it that makes me chuckle. It's like watching someone try to recall a dream that keeps slipping away. ETA2...Got my back up. Phew.

Having fallen in love with Shalimar Millésime Tonka, I rooted out my sample of Vanilla Planifora, the previous Shalimar Millésime limited edition. I love and have a deep appreciation for Shalimar, and find that the modern flankers are excellent variations on a classic. SMVP is no exception. A soft, muted version of Shalimar with the powdery vanilla note placed centre-stage, it is a warm, cosy and fairly intimate scent. The Shalimar DNA is there (the notes list is clearly incomplete here), but perhaps less obviously than in Millésime Tonka. SMVP opens with dry, powdery vanilla that dominates this scent throughout despite its subtlety. There is some bergamot in the opening, characteristic of the Shalimar DNA and adding brightness. A hint of almond rounds it out, complementing the vanilla with a hazy edge, making for a slightly gourmand quality. Some powdery rose emerges, but, unusually for a Shalimar flanker, there are very few florals. The vanilla develops, remaining dominant, with a hint of sweet amber emerging as it begins to dry down. It becomes musky as it fades. Sillage and longevity are moderate. Like in Cuir Beluga, the vanilla that dominates SMVP is papery and dry. It is a sweeter and simpler scent than Millésime Tonka and the Guerlinade accord, while present, is much less obvious. Softer, brighter and sweeter than the original, the leathery animalic base is absent and it is less challenging for a modern audience as a result. A beautiful riff on a classic, this is vanilla done right. 4.5/5.