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!

I recently purchased a bottle of Souffle Intense and comparing it to Lumiere I have to respectfully disagree with fillifelle that this dries down to Shalimar Souffle Intense. I find that after the benzoin subsides in Intense, which is very heavy in the beginning of the fragrance, the dry down smells almost identical to Shalimar Cologne. Same heavy use of Shalimar spices aka. Guerlinade, vanilla, and sharp citrus. Whereas Lumiere loses most of the citrus by the dry down, it also lacks that heavy Guerlinade presence so prevalent in either aforementioned scents. I only smell spices very, very, lightly when the scent becomes a skin scent, many hours later. The dry down of Lumiere is more similar to Souffle than Intense but even somewhat different than that because it lacks Souffle's excessive sweetness. It also maintains the strong presence of jasmine and ylang throughout the life of the scent. Lumiere's composition after the citrus dries down is light, fluffy, creamy, and floral, ending in the Guerlain vanilla and extremely subtle spices. Personally, I think it's different enough from Intense and Shalimar Cologne that it is worthwhile having both in your wardrobe. I could not say the same about Intense and Shalimar Cologne since they are so similar they are almost interchangeable.

One of my family's favorite things to eat is lemon pound cake. Shalimar Souffle de Lumière is equally delicious! It's an elegant scent, not overtly foodie, but it is evocative of a dignified morning tea break with a cup of Earl Grey and a slice of citrus cake. Luminous and beautiful, the ylang ylang adds a golden floralcy with sun-ripened petals; jasmine delivers a whisper of enchantment. The benzoin really balances the vanillic quality giving Lumière a depth, sensuality and signature Guerlain sophistication. Styrax benzoin sometimes delivers a slightly plastic-vinyl note for me and is like the styrene one might detect in ballpoint pen ink. It also has a delicate amber and spiced cinnamon quality. I find it intriguing and slightly provocative yet cozy. The citrus delivers a quietly sharp vein and along with the intriguing texture of styrax, reminds me of civet, giving a clean nod to the animalic quality in original Shalimar. I love this all-weather vanilla scent. Aromatic and bright yet warm and intimate, pure bliss!

I was quite skeptical towards this flanker. Partly because of the negative comments, partly trying in a parfumerie, where all I got was some weak citrus scent (heavily air conditioned, by default full with other scents). After all I could not resist and at the end I bought it recently, and I’m STUNNED. Naming is spot on, it is really a shining gorgeous version of the original SSdP. I specifically love the opening, cheerful sweet citrusy-flowery, on me the yang-ylang opened beautifully. I did not get large blast of bergamot, just as much as it made the composition perfect. In an hour or so it changed to very close to the Souffle de Parfum, but still a bit brighter. I agree with a comment below that it is not like a vanilla-lemon cake (try L’Instant - that’s the cake :P), jasmine and yang-ylang are both prominent. I assume this scent really need the heat to show its beauty the other older sisters are for the other seasons. I’m very happy for buying it.

Oh my I love this scent for it smells so lovely!! It started off with a bright burst of the Calabrian bergamot which is delightful in scent. Which has a very good inviting, enjoyable projection that appeals to the people around your for it is quite feminine, dainty! Enter the lovely floral scent of the Jasmine flower and the pretty Ylang-Ylang. I really like the white and yellow floral mix, they work well together. I like how I can catch scents of each with a light Vanilla musky background as it dries down. The Benzoin balances these notes together for a lovely perfume scent. This is the brighter more playful side of the original Shalimar which I love also. It lasted most of the day before I reapplied (6 hours) but I didn't have too I just like a stronger scent. A must have, a keeper for my collection. A good anytime scent and for all seasons.

A blind buy. I was longing for a new scent, and having accepted that I'm a "Shalimar flanker" kind of person (Parfum Initial is one of my staples), decided to give this a try. Souffle de Lumière is very similar to Aqua Allegoria Lys Soleia from some years ago, also created by Thierry Wasser. Ylang-ylang is very prominent on me right from the beginning. Overall SdL has an ice cream-y, dessert-y feel, just like I remember Lys Soleia. Though I had envisioned something a bit fresher (prominent bergamot), and a bit cooler (more jasmine), I find SdL very pleasing as it is. For me it's a sibling of Lys Soleia's, but not very closely related to the Shalimar family. But I can't really complain about that, because as I just confessed, I bought it because of some infatuation with the Shalimar brand. It's a bit embarrassing really!

Edit: Yep, two months later and 100% love. And have been rightly called out about the melon ball comment--it IS banana! Thank you, neonlegs! I get sugar free sprite with melon balls floating around in it. At first, I feel like chemicals slap my face, screaming at me to believe they are air. It settles down into a quality that pleasantly reminds me of carbonation. Vanilla makes a very, very subtle appearance much farther down on my skin. It's not currently my jam, but is actually not bad at all. Every sniff makes me like it a little more. Summery and tropical in a way I find unconventional--no coconut, no sunblock, no mango or whatever, but inexplicably calls to mind warm easy days. I expect my wariness to eventually warm to love, as that seems to be how I feel about everything from Guerlain. They grow on me.

I’ve decluttered many of my blind bought Shalimar flankers, except for the brilliant lemon cake Eau de Mathilde one from many years ago This however stays, there is something about it. It has the extra dose of citrus and a slight sunny ylang thing. (Is it the bans on aromachemicals and ingredients, choking down everything, or just cost cutting and fashion that is giving us the *not a perfume stuff*?). There is a real ghost of a funky Shalimar in here, like it’s gone on a sweaty summer holiday and had nothing appropriate to wear but spritzed Shalimar anyway. Strangely my afternoon wearing of a sample of ‘Fire At Will’ made me go digging in Shalimar. I’ll save my review of that one after I’ve hosed down from a full bottle purchase. Anyway I treasure this little Shalimar flash in the pan.

Oh this is amazing. I LOVE IT. Every moment of it, from the bright bergamot opening to the heavenly vanilla drydown. As a side-note, this got an unsolicited compliment from my husband, who is very picky about fragrance. He stated, “you smell good... like the lobby of Caesar’s Palace in Vegas!” I was, uh, not sure what to make of that. But he assured me that was a good thing, and a smell he associates with happy memories. Apparently they pump fragrances into the lobbies of the Vegas hotels, so maybe the fragrance for that hotel is similar? I dunno. But I would wear Soufflé de Lumiere just to make myself happy no matter what anyone else said about it, it’s incredible.

This is one of the perfumes where I can actually smell every note listed - almost from start to finish. The bergamot dominates the opening. But the creamy, sunny floral notes from jasmine and ylang-ylang is also present and quickly grows stronger. I sometimes struggle with ylang-ylang finding it a bit heavy but here it is warm and creamy with a touch of spice. Both the lovely Guerlain-vanilla, the clean musk and the balsamic-sweet benzoin is also present on my skin. I tried this in winter, and it felt a little cold and flat. But now in spring it is blooms and sits perfectly on my skin. I almost desided to resell it, but now it has really grown into a love.

Does the world really need another Shalimar Souffle flanker? Apparently I do. This is a beautiful, balanced vanilla and bergamot perfume....the familiar Souffle DNA is recognizable. But this time, the florals— jasmine and ylang—are amped up. The result means this is easier to wear, more transparent and bright. Like the other Souffles in my collection, Lumiere is light enough that I can wear this to bed. Perfect for warmer evenings, I’ll wear this throughout the spring months. While Lumiere won’t win any originality awards, it is my favorite of the Souffles.

Whenever I wear this gorgeous perfume I feel like a subtile, gentle cloud of hope and comfort wraps its arms around me.. This is insanely delicious! In the opening I smell a warm lemon meringue pie, while the drydown turns into ever so beautiful Guerlinade. The white florals with vanilla are balanced and blended so perfectly. It's a masterpiece! I am so happy that I was able to get my hands on this one before it vanished for good.

Shalimar Souffle EDP with rich ylang ylang. Took a second for my nose to adjust because it was banana-y at first but now I’m obsessed. All of the Souffle line is amazing. My absolute favourite perfumes other than Mon Guerlain Sensuelle & La Petite Robe Noire! Guerlain is the forever Queen perfume house in my heart.

What a beauty this is. It opens with the freshnes of lime, that last for about half an hour before it turns into this soft vanilla floral scent. Not too sweet, but just very elegant and feminine. Like feathers touching my skin. It last for about 8 hours. This should be the best vanilla scent ever!

This perfume is beautiful and has a quality you don't see everyday. I have no idea what the reviewer below is talking about? I could smell it on me all day. Nice Jasmine and Citrus. Far more beautiful and classy than was stated. If you want to write artsy trash there is Wordpress.

I miss this beauty. Sold it to a fragrance friend for a little less than what I paid. If anyone wants to declutter it pls message me. It’s very close to souffle but with a huge sunny ylang ylang added.