Un Air de Samsara

From time to time our beloved Fragrantica really does have some misleading, confused, and downright erroneous pyramids. In this case there are no doubt quite a few notes missed out - which i shan't postulate upon - but most incontrovertible is: the sandalwood. I do love original SAMSARA - it just smells classy, clean, & GOOD... as an occidental take on Eastern ethereal. And 'Un Air' is definitely an heir to that fine aesthetic. Apparent throughout - and purportedly genuine Mysore, no less - the sandalwood of 'Un Air' seems downright luxurious in 2020! And despite the gentle lightness of this composition, that creamy, increasingly rare wood is nonetheless solid and very satisfying here. The opening minty/leafy zest is, at first, unexpected, but instantly ingratiating. Accompanied quickly by Narcissus (a stroke of genius, in my humble opinion) and delightful where it all melts in the middle, helping Jasmine ladle a quietly intoxicating élixir oriental into one's nostrils as an herbaceous iris(?) swirls further on down below with the intent of rendering one more devotional. But by dry down... the addiction is real. And a delicious, Guerlinade infused dry down it is. So smooth. So supple. So... serene... in the distance but all about you like a nostalgic, not forgotten dream. For something entitled "Air" and an EdT, this performs like a 21st century EdP... with the longevity of the increasingly remote past. And what a petit luxe treat it is at that. The 1995 batch code bottle I've got consistently delivers 10 hours in a dryish, 22oC climate. No less impressive is that in tropical heat & humidity is still gives five to six... though more generous sprays may be required from its old-school quality atomiser and elegant frosted bottle. Not sure how many many moons ago this was discontinued, but it's a crying shame. I'm just grateful to have it in my hands. A beautiful late French classic worthy of its imposing name! I find it uplifting, reassuring, and relaxing... often wearing it to bed in warmer weather... and awakening to its pleasantly unctuous yet sheer residual. There's a far-off, delicate sort of "spirituality" here expressed in an idiome français that is, well... coûteux, raffiné, somptueux... whilst floating light as an orange & canary turning pink & purple coloured horizon on the evening's breeze in early summer... which makes me wish this came in massive half-litre bottles to splash about. (A luscious soap to lather up it would make, too!) Beautiful stuff! ★★★★☆

Lovely. Lovely is an adjective that doesn't get used nearly as often as it should. Un Air de Samsara is lovely, meaning soft, elegant and solid feminine energy. The frosted 30ml bottle with the amber juice inside and the white lettered script is charming. Another word that doesn't get used enough. It's a rainy afternoon in early March in New England. The buds for spring blossoms are visible on the bare dark branches outside. I imagine wearing this fragrance for a date at the museum or a cafe in Paris or Amsterdam or even Newbury Street in Boston. Alternatively, this is a nice fragrance to wear when you're practice your figure skating jumps on the ice or playing pool with friends. If you're visiting a loved one who is at the hospital, wear this. This is also a lovely perfume for a low key garden party in early summer. It's the kind of fragrance someone who hugs you will smile and say "Oh, don't you smell nice!" I do pick up on the narcissus middle notes - not so much jasmine. My bottle is pretty old/vintage so I completely miss the top notes of mint and bergamot other than to say this perfume does have a fresh opening, like the breeze from an open window rather than super scrubby spa-like shampoo clean. Or maybe the bergamot in this perfume is similar to the bergamot in a high quality Earl Grey tea. I guess the wood notes give it a more grounded feel. An hour into the drydown the woody notes, sandalwood, I believe, become more apparent. I could definitely see this as a signature scent. This fragrance would work for the college student or teacher/professor, precisely because the projection is intimate by design. It's strong enough for you to smell it without disturbing others unless they get really close to you. For people just getting to know Guerlain this leans more closely to the Mon Guerlain (OG) scent profile than La Petite Robe Noir. It's the baby sister or granddaughter of Shalimar. Based on cost/affordability, quality, mood, scent profile and likeability I rate this 9/10.

SAMSARA with a NEW LEAF. For those who know the original well, this version of Samsara (an ancient concept which refers to the cyclality of all life) is the original sporting new growth, having turned over a new leaf so to speak. While this may sound as cliche to you as it does to me, the scent is anything but... Ahead of its time, this 'new leaf' is most evident in the opening with a sharp, aromatic green citrus of mint & multi-faceted bergamot that reads to me like fig-leaf, basil & mint, in a manner that will remind some of the openings of scents like Un Jardin En Mediterranee Hermes, Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic Guerlain & the tomato leaf in Un Jardin Sur Le Nil Hermes. The sharp, aromatic green leaf, however, is where the comparison to these scents ends. Deepening into the oriental-floral heart of narcissus-jasmine, resting on a mysore-sandalwood base the similarities to the Samsara range are dominant. The sandalwood & vanilla are not listed, but other reviewers also describe sandalwood. There is a subtle perfume-y quality in the background. Long discontinued, vintage bottles can still be found on Etsy. Contrast to Samsara EDP Guerlain: This is distinct from others in the Samsara range, with a unique opening, but the drydown is most similar to Samsara EDP 1989, but with a little lighter performance. Overall: groundbreaking for its time, with a stunningly beautiful scent profile and well above average performance, this is the perfect scent to wear while making resolutions to recover/uncover your beach body. It's a love for me. Sandalwood lovers, enjoy! Update 02/11/24: I do pick up a toothpaste note here sometimes with the mint (toothpaste/peppermint-tea) which is a bit of a turn-off, but the drydown is still gorgeous.

One of my favourite perfumes of all times. This was delicious, a fresh take on heavy (yet beautiful) Samsara... I contacted the Guerlain house, and they confirmed it would not be re-edited as it was a special edition. What an absolute shame, Samsara shine is very poor in comparision to Un Air de Samsara... Sometimes I do not understand the motivation behind discontinuing a perfume that is amazing yet keeping blander, more boring ones... I must add to my review as I have recently found this treasure! I spotted it in the shop window of a perfume shop. I was suprised that a shop would still stock it, but delighted all the same. I would have bought it there and then if the shop had not been shut. I was going away for a week straight after this, so I asked my boyfriend to go and buy it for me. He dutifully went, and I came back to a bottle of this beauty. However, as I kind of expected, it is only eau de toilette, and it does smell a bit "off". But what else could I expect from a fragrance that was discontinued almost 15 years ago? It is the real thing (I examined the box and bottle very carefully) so it was probably produced back then (in 1995). But if you go past that nasty smell (which fades after a while), the beauty comes out... The bottle was cheap, so I am still happy to have one. Not sure if I will wear it out, but the joy of smelling this again, and reviving happy memories was worth the (cheap) price tag... Oh Guerlain, why did you discontinue this amazing scent? But it should be a lesson learnt, when trying to buy a fragrance that has been discontinued a long time ago on the internet or in a shop, chances are it will be a fake, or the real thing that is past its sell by date...

If perfumes were wine, Un Air would be Samsara champagne! It's light and fizzy in the beginning. Effervescent. I would be hard pressed to find any major differences between this and the original other than it's lightness. I don't really get the mint note, but it's possible that it contributes to the brightness of the opening along with the citrus. Other than that, the REAL sandalwood, combined with what seems to be either vanilla or tonka make it obvious that you are wearing Samsara - not like or similar to Samsara, but identical to the original. I have the vintage perfume on one wrist and Un Air on the other, and with the exception of the opening notes, they are the same, with Un Air coming across more shear compared to the depth of the perfume, almost as if Jean Claude Ellena got ahold of it. If you love Samsara, like so many perfumistas do, than definitely pick up a bottle on Ebay or wherever you can find it. PS - I do not understand why Fragranticia doesn't list both ylang and sandalwood among the notes. Those are the two notes that make Samsara in any version Samsara! I can't just be imagining this, can I? EDIT 5/13/21 WOW!!! Wore this today for the first time this season and now I get the mint in the beginning. It works but the initial intensity can be overwhelming. I own 2 bottles - one is a splash EDT and the other a spray. I think that that makes a big difference at first as the spray diffuses everything while the splash feels more concentrated at first. It's still amazing and the both dry down to the most delightful essence of Samsara.