Shalimar Parfum Initial

Parfum Initial behaves differently when sprayed into the air than it does when sprayed directly onto my skin. Regardless of how you use it, this fragrance opens with a citrus blast. PI when sprayed onto the skin: Parfum Inital can come across as intense/medicinal when first sprayed onto the skin, it has an almost tea tree essential oil quality to it to my nose. As the citruses & the vetiver settle, the florals at the heart start to come through & it transforms the scent info a citric/talcum powder/old-style cosmetic scent. Up close, Parfum Inital at this stage still smells a little astringent, dated, strange & unpleasant. **The key is to smell it from a distance** as after about 20 minutes of spraying the MUCH NEEDED vanilla, caramel & tonka start to show up to the party to smooth those rough edges out somewhat without making the fragrance sweet. When experienced this way Parfum Initial is a stunning, powdery cosmetic scent that I immediately associate with Guerlain. PI when sprayed into the air: The citruses are no way near as obtrusive when used this way, in fact, they’re quite refreshing. As the perfume settles onto my clothing I Immediately get a beautiful fresh zing of citrus instead of limes and oranges shoved up my nose & down my throat like when I spray this on my skin. The fragrance quickly changes into a more powdery/cosmetic fragrance & that is what persists. I get amazing wafts of this from time to time & I am really glad I gave Parfum Inital another try. It isn’t one of my usual choices of fragrance, I love sweet florals & fresh aquatic scents so I was a little surprised to find myself sniffing my clothes so often 😂 This fragrance is definitely for those who love citruses & powdery cosmetic smells but it is not a safe blind buy in my opinion because it may be problematic if you like to spray your perfumes onto your skin. If you can, I’d advise you to get a sample/decant before buying a full bottle & try spraying into the air and walking through it first. You’ll be stunned by how beautiful this is. That being said, Parfum Initial IS discontinued & L’initial has replaced it at a jaw dropping £205 for 125ml so if you are interested in Parfum Initial a decision needs to be made before prices sky rocket. The remake (L’initial) does not appear to be identical to Pafrum Initial though, the vetiver has gone as has the Jasmine from the heart, replaced? instead by Jasmine petal in the opening. It seems as though L’initial addresses the astringency of Parfum Initial which may have played a part in its sales figures however, the price tag of L’initial is definitely prohibitive so I don’t see this fragrance making Guerlain’s sales any better! Sadly, this version may quickly become discontinued too.

Oh my gosh. French perfumery at its finest. First off I adore the OG Shalimar and it will never be out of my collection so that is what drove me to this fragrance to try it. When I first tried Parfum Initial years ago I wasn't ready for the iris in this. But years later my tastes have evolved and I crave it and i'm in love with iris fragrances. I wanted to give this fragrance another chance to have it in my collection because everyone kept emphasizing that the iris in this is beautiful. I bit the bullet and finally got it for a good price. I figured if I love it I will get the new L'initial. Parfum Initial has to be one of the most beautiful Shalimar's I have ever tried. This is a gorgeous iris fragrance. A fresh effervescent citrus on the tops but not sharp and it's green. You can also smell the fresh vetiver in this and the vetiver from Guerlain always reminds me a bit of Mitsouko. But what really blooms is this lush powdery even slightly waxy iris. This is iris done right where it really does shine and not sit in the background. This is a wonderful entry fragrance into Shalimar. PI is Shalimar without the heavy leather & dense spices(though there is a slight spice in there) and vanilla but it smells suede like a bit. Like the leather is lighter and smoother. It's like having Eau de Shalimar and Regular Shalimar mixed in one because of the brightness of the citrus & suede in Eau without the vanilla and yet the DNA resemblance of the original Shalimar without it's daring darker notes. I love Anatole Lebreton's Incarnata for it's lush iris waxy lipstick fragrance along with Chanel No19 & Poudre for it's green iris. And Maison Lancomes Iris Dragee for it's sweeter powdered almond candy iris in the same realm as Chanel No19 Poudre. But now this is competing with them. I adore the original Shalimar but this creation is equally just as beautiful as the original. Parfum Initial is like a daytime Shalimar while the original is a daring evening fragrance meant to be intimate with. I can see why this was released because of the early 00's chypre phase with Miss Dior & Coco Mademoiselle. But had I been ready for this I would of reached for it more and bought back-up's. Hand's down. Now I want to get a bottle of the new L'initial just to collect it. Think Mon Guerlain pretty but with a lighter Shalimar edge. If you couldn't handle the original Shalimar this is the version to have to start your Shalimar journey. I was told this is the same as the new L'initial. I will compare them when I get the newer one and let you know to confirm but Parfum Initial is one of my top favorite purchases of the year. Just take my money Guerlain!

For me this was my very first 'grown up' perfume. I thought it would be easy to transition from light Victoria Secret and Bath & Body Works fragrance mists and body sprays to this more refined perfume house of Guerlain. I was already into florals and fruity florals or floral musks. So this was just heaven on me. The bottle is so cute like a 'pink Shalimar'. As it opens it is very Shalimar with the citrus top notes. Lemony, zesty. Bergamot orange. Bright and refreshing, sweet citrus. The Shalimar connection is later reaffirmed when you get to the vanilla dry down. But the heart of this scent is far more feminine floral than Shalimar which can be unisex smoky vanilla. This smells very pink and rosy, like a powdery pink powder puff in the vanity table of a ballerina. Sweet soft rose and jasmine in the middle stage. There is something subtle about it so despite the powder it never gets heavy or old lady ish. Smells like a young girl with powder and lipstick on. It has a cosmetics vibe and I go for those kind of scents. As the flowers of rose and jasmine begin to fade away, the vanilla comes through. It's not as dark and rich and smoky as the vanilla in Shalimar. It's sweet and gourmand vanilla, creamy and delicious like vanilla frosting on cake. There could be amber here but something about the dry down is delicious and light, not heavy at all. There is soft white musk. I don't detect any green notes or patchouli. It's like a soft musk and feeling the inside of a handbag made of leather. This feels like you are well dressed not necessarily formal but in a nice blouse and pencil skirt, like a very pretty feminine and elegant secretary. It's not sexy just a clean floral with a powdery body, very subtle and womanly. Smells great and good for wearing in semi formal clothing, a dress, a skirt. It's perfectly safe for office/work. But also on dates or to be with either your man or your girlfriends. The season to wear this is spring and summer and early fall. The sillage is not great it sits close to the skin and only someone you allow close to your skin can detect it. Longevity is also pretty poor at about 3 to 4 hours or less. But I really love this perfume. I wish they could still sell this mainstream but one has to find either the flankers or reformulation. The original first edition is best. You can still find authentic ones on ebay by sellers who have them.

What a great, unique fragrance! And its not a flanker as many could think. It's a perfume that has its own life and personality. The only great concern is that they discontinued it. A crime. Nothing like the original Shalimar (that is in my top 10 ten frags anyway) Shalimar Parfum Initial was created to please a younger audience, that's for sure, but not with the usual fruity floral berry mess! Here we have a completely different story. And a pleasant one. Beginnning: resinous, medicinal in the opening. A balsamic note, like coniphers give a hint of freshness. Then the classic Shalimar notes: vanilla, amber, and benzoin with a hint of jasmine. Powdery note, like orris. And this is the end of the Shalimar (original) phase. Some flowers - roses- some powderyness (=iris). The story continues with a caramelized note, gourmandish, vanilla-esque in a subtle way: I get a stunning Cuir beluga resemlance here! merging with some white musks. I'd call this phase "Narciso Rodriguez meets a subdued Angel". Bottom line: this is sexy. Seriously. The drydown is really getting you hooked. It's hot, and it's close to skin - not a sillage monster, but it's better this way in my opinion: you have to lean over to get a whiff, and I love when people come close to my neck and inhale...LoL Back in time I loved it so much upon 1st spraying I bought it on an impulse - after having it working on my skin for 30 minutes. It was love at first spritz and I knew it was the beginning of a romance. And I very rarely do that. I was so very happy with Shalimar Parfum Initial, and still am that I dare to call it my Signature fragrance for it mirrors well my personality. Absolutely feminine but not girlish in the least. Definitely a must try if you're lucky to find it. I will cherish my 2 remaining bottles as if they were the Pink Panther Diamond.

Discontinued but extremely popular fragrances always make me feel a little wary. I'm afraid to be sucked in by the hype and feel the need to buy an overpriced old bottle off ebay that isn't that great in the end. But of course, they also pique my curiosity. So I test them extra carefully. With Shalimar Parfum Initial, I was additionally hesitant because my mother wore Shalimar for decades. I love my mom and Shalimar is beautiful, but I find it weird to inherit your mother's old signature fragrance. Well, to make it short, the hype around this is justified, and while it shares some aspects with the original Shalimar, it's different enough to make it wearable for those who don't want to use the original for whatever reason. The opening is very waxy with lipstick-like iris, thick and creamy, with an underlying vanilla and the same beautiful sparkling bergamot you find in most Shalimar fragrances. The iris is so buttery, almost reminiscent of soft suede. As it dries down the fragrance becomes more powdery, sweeter and warmer. I don't find the caramel note dominating, this doesn't smell edible at all, it just softens the scent. I can also smell the patchouli and vetiver, both add depth and a hint of cool spiciness that keeps Parfum Initial from turning too sweet or one-dimensional. It's a dreamy, fluffy cloud of a vanilla and iris perfume and very typical for Guerlain. I knew I need this when I fell asleep after sampling and dreamt of buying a bottle. When I woke up the next day, I could still smell a light but distinctive skinscent on my arm. So sad this was discontinued. Now they brought it back under the name "L'Initial", but only as an expensive 125 ml bottle in the exclusive Les Parisiennes line. I think I'll rather try to get a partly used older bottle for a reasonable price.