Shalimar Souffle de Lumière

Now this is a Souffle I can get behind!!! Unlike the original Souffle, which I found so cloying it sent me into a choking fit, this is a nice balance of sweetness and tartness. It's a beautiful, citrus vanilla floral that's slightly sweet from the tonka with a very soft and light feeling that is almost fluffy. The initial tart bergamot notes quickly calm down, though it is always there, and the whole composition becomes very smooth. In a way it reminds me of lemon swirl gelato. Creamy vanilla gelato with lemon syrup swirled throughout. Yum!!! This perfume was on my want list a long time. I put off buying it because I already own Shalimar Cologne and Shalimar Eau de Cologne and thought the note profile might be too similar to them. I also asked myself whether I needed another Shalimar citric floral, especially since I am so happy with both colognes. While similar in composition to the other two it lacks the Shalimar spices prevalent in the colognes. (I wonder how it would be layered with the Cologne?) The sweet creaminess of the fragrance makes up for this lack. It is also not as sharp as Shalimar Cologne. (Sharpness isn't a problem with the Eau de Cologne for me.) Sometimes I find the Shalimar Cologne a little sharp in extreme heat, or if I get careless with the trigger. This has none of that sharpness. Shalimar Cologne is a sparkling fragrance and Shalimar eau de Cologne refreshing. This is dense and rich, but at the same time soft. Using an analogy, the composition is sort of like a marshmallow (or gelato) - light and fluffy but at the same time dense and rich. Like Shalimar Cologne this has great silage and longevity, which is much better than the eau de Cologne, which I need to reapply. I sprayed after a shower at night (same way I test out all new fragrances) and woke up the next day with it still going strong. Overall, it's a creamy, luscious and soft fragrance different enough from both Shalimar Colognes to justify a purchase. I think it is delicious now. I can only imagine how much better it will be in the summer. I'm so glad I found a Souffle that works for me. It's already a love.

What a stunning fragrance! I thought at first it was a bit ordinary but then when I got heated up while cooking I noticed Souffle Lumiere started to develop in full venom. And she is sexy! The Italian Bergamot is strong on the onset and is dominant on my skin on through the drydown. Concentrated Bergamot does this to me which it is in Lumiere and I love it.. Then there is the Jasmine. I love this Jasmine. It is dense and animalic but not heady. This is definitely not your ordinary Jasmine. The Ylang is gorgeous adding its delightful essence. It is not a faint one either but boldly present. The Benzoin I noticed mostly on the drydown after the floral notes calmed down. Which along with the prolific Guerlainian Vanilla gives off a beautiful creaminess. I would say the drydown on my skin is a soft Creamy, floral, Bergamot with light Musk. Creamy being the key word here. I think this juice will be better here in Florida in the Fall or Spring for daytime when there is a crisp wind blowing from the North yet the Sun is brilliant. In the height of Summer here Lumiere is a bit cloying. I have read previous reviews and while some say this was light and fleeting on them I did not find it thus on me. My experience has been different. We all are unique. If you like heavy musky or gourmand perfumes this one may not be suited for you. So this is one to skin test first I suppose as we all should do really. Lovely and very sophisticated. I see this Souffle for the woman with a head for distinction and fashion. SL is somewhat similar to Chanel Gabrielle but is much more well composed. Monsieur Wasser (much love!) does not disappoint with this baby!. Longevity is outstanding on me. I could still smell SL this morning but lightly. Sillage is moderate. If you wanted to love Gabrielle but were disappointed with the soft sillage this one may be for you. Good luck finding Shalimar Souffle de Lumiere but if you can I highly recommend. 10/10+

Edit 6-3-24 I’ve worn this a few times and I lasts for me. I worn it to bed last night and it was going strong when I woke up. Oh wow! Okay, first I must say I love Shalimar -my must haves are my 1970’s goutte flacon edt and the 2000’s (built in atomizer) formula (I found the edp to be too condensed and shrill) I also adore *most* of the flankers (Eau de Shalimar, Shalimar Cologne (edt) and Millesime Tonka and Iris (still havent sampled the Parfum, cologne concentration, vanilla planifolia or the ode a la vanillas) sometimes I love Shalimar Parfum Initial and sometimes the patchouli irritates me. I have completely fallen head over heels for the Souffle line Side note: it’s Souffle as in breath or breathless not *soufflé* as in custard -causing many to believe this is a gourmand take. “Breath of Shalimar- a slighty airy and more sheer veil of Shalimar - resins removed, bergamot toned down, vanilla amped up- Not sheer or when it comes to projection and longevity. Lumière has the same gorgeous vanilla/benzoin from Souffle Intense (my favorite from the Souffle line) but with added florals in the opening and mids, creating a sort of solar feel to the Calabrian bergamot. I don’t always get along with Ylang-Ylang, it sometimes smells too mature and or raunchy on my skin. Musk is also in the composition and so I was concerned Lumière might smelled too indolic and carnal if you will. Not at all. I’m very happy I added Lumière to my collection. The bottle it stunning, white gradient with the top of the flacon clear becoming more opaque as the eye travels downward. I don’t smell any woods or woodiness in here and I’m not sure why that’s listed as a accord. Overall it smells like a creamy floral with a fluffy vanilla base accented by a very rounded citrus. Expertly crafted and expensive smelling.

Ok - this is most seriously one of the loveliest perfumes I have ever smelled. I love the original Shalimar, and I have it, but it is quite strong and a bit challenging, and it took some time for me to get to know it. I have tried the Souffle de Parfum, and it it lovely as well, but in my opinion it dries down to a somewhat half-generic laundry detergent musk with just a little citrus and the weakest touch of vanilla... but if I got it as a gift I still would be very happy. But this one!! Oh - how can I describe it??? It is oldfashioned. Though it is not anything like original Shalimar, it is what I imagined Shalimar to be before I ever tried it. It is deep, soft ”old” vanilla. From the pod. And it is citrus, in a way that I must describe as toilet cleaner, but in a GOOD way!! If you can even understand that crazy statement. And I am surprised that there is no leather. Musk, yes. And it is oh so feminine, like a strong and strongminded woman, who can carry her own burden, but loves when a good man sees her for what she is. And she wears beautiful clothes. She eats salty caramel icecream with black dark roasted coffee and a glass of smoky whiskey. Her hair is put up, with strands hanging down, and she does not laugh at stupid jokes. She is not playing hard to get; she IS hard to get. I must have a back up bottle.

A lovely summer fragrance that smells like creamy lime desserts, ylang ylang, holidays and happiness. At first I wanted to write that it smells like lime cupcakes, but that's not really true, it just smells like the topping, there is nothing bakery-like in this. A bright, light and creamy vanilla is the only gourmand note here. And yes, I know that this lists bergamot and not lime, but it really smells like lime to me, not like the characteristic bergamot of the original Shalimar. In the opening it can almost be a little too sour and harsh, but it settles in a couple of minutes, so I don't really mind. This flanker doesn't remind me of Shalimar, maybe there is a whisper of its DNA in the background, but I'm not sure if I would have even noticed if this was presented to me in a neutral packaging. It's really a tropical beauty of citrus and flowers with just enough vanilla to make it loveable for me, a person who usually isn't that much into citrus. Some have complained about the performance, but I can't echo that. It makes a nice little scent bubble and lasts decently long on me, especially for a summer scent like this. Of course this can't keep up with base-heavy nighttime fragrances, but it doesn't have to. This is the first Shalimar Soufflé I have tried and it makes me curious for the rest of them!