Vol de Nuit Evasion

I greatly appreciate Archivists (unfortunately now deleted) epic review here. This elusive perfume has seduced and puzzled even the more experienced perfumistas and fragrance bloggers from the time of its release, through its discontinuation, and even continues still in its legendary "unicorn" status. But if you dig a little, the mysteries surroundng this perfume begin to unfold. Guet Apens, Attrape Cœur, Royal Extract, Evasion... They are all the same fragrance. Why Guerlain does that I can only speculate, but "recycling" perfumes is one of their "things". I got a decant of the original Attrape Cœur from a very generous Fragrantican and it is thick and heavy and wears more like an extrait. The juice is that same peach color like Evasion only deeper. But I ended up buying a Bee bottle off eBay and the juice is yellow, and while the fragrance itself is the same, it definitely wears more like an EdP. I also have Guet Apens in the blue falcon and the juice is exactly the same as that original peach colored Attrape Cœur. On me, Evasion wears like an edp even though it is an edt. Though other reviewers have issues with longevity, I get a full 8 hours+ though it sits much closer to the skin about 4 hours in. I think THIS is what Guerlains are all about. Sure it's a peachy vanilla but it's not just any peachy vanilla. Indulge me a sec and scroll back up^. How many dupes are listed in "this perfume reminds me of" section? That's right, none. Evasion/GuetApens/Royal Extrait stands alone in its peachy vanilla goodness. It has an air of sophistication and depth most peach vanilla frags very much lack. Looking at the timelime of Guerlains releases, I interpret Evasion as their way of saying goodbye to an era. The ending of one chapter and the beginning of another. 2007, the year it was launched, seemed to mark the year that Guerlain really let go the reigns of family tradition and allowed the LVMH takover to fully manifest itself. As if the flood gates were opened full force, releases of reformulations, flanker after flanker after flanker, up went the prices, down came the quality and worse yet; gone the inspiration and romance. In came the Insolence then more Insolence then La. Petite. Robe. Noir 2 years later. I seriously could rest my case here but... The original Vol de Nuit is just as much of an icon as Shalimar but where are the VdN flankers? There is JUST. THIS. ONE. There are no Mitsy flankers. There are no L' Heure Bleue flankers. But they chose to put this juice in a L' Heure Bleue flacon and name it VdN. Do you KNOW the story of L' Heure Bleue? You don't think that's sending a message? They could have named it just "Evasion" but they didn't. This is Guerlain we are talking about here...everything is intentional. They ARE artists after all. Every thing, every detail, is an opportunity to make a statement when you are an artist. This is a very modern fragrance but with a very old fashioned vibe. Evasion combines element from all of the classic Grand Dames of Guerlain: This is Mitsoukos peaches with Shalimars vanilla. And the heart of Vol de Nuit: Iris. That is the cool night flight and the metallic edge of the propellers, flying through a cool "bleue nuit". Bottled nostalgia, meloncholy on the verge of heartbreak for a bygone era and memories of how things used to be. Ok, Evasion... so what exactly are we "evading" here? Evading change perhaps? Evading the inevitable degradation of traditions? I think so. Like I said before, they could have named it just "Evasion" but they didn't. They named it "Vol de Nuit" Evasion to be sold in airports no less with that iconic propeller logo. I think Evasion was intended to be a tribute to Guerlains past. It’s a nod to the classics as they were in their heyday. The world of perfumery has changed drastically since the days of Jacques Guerlain. Gone are the days of REAL perfume, before all the IFRA regulations. But for a moment, just one last thrill, one last romantic joy ride, one last time. Vol de Nuit Evasion was a tribute to the original artistry and romance that was the heart of Guerlain and there really hasn’t been another since.❤

To sum up this wonderful fragrance: Mitsouko peach + warm ambery vanilla + powdery florals = Vol de Nuit Evasion When perfume became a major hobby of mine last year, Guet Apens/Attrape Coeur was one of the perfumes I was most curious about from Guerlain because it was described as being modern with classic touches, with notes that I love. I gave up searching for it because it was discontinued, HTF, and outrageously expensive. But one day I randomly searched 'vol de nuit' on eBay, looking for a good deal on vintage EDT or parfum but saw Evasion testers sold at a decent price! I then alerted fellow MUA members about the listing, and the rest is history! From what I have read on MUA these elusive bottles are resurfacing due to duty-free shops clearing their old stock. I have a feeling we will see more of these on discount sites and eBay in the future! Evasion smelled so unique to my nose, yet so familiar at the same time. It is reminiscent of classic Guerlain perfumes, but modernized with its amber and vanilla base. Out of all the classics I've tried, Evasion is most similar to Mitsouko with its prominent peach- dry, not sweet or gourmand. Powdery flowers such as iris, rose, and violet lend to the old-school feel. Yet there was something else that Evasion reminded me of- I couldn't put my finger on it until days later. Finally it hit me- The One by Dolce and Gabbana! Crazy comparison, I know, but hear me out: The One used to be my favorite perfume for years, but after perfume became a hobby of mine, the peach become annoyingly screechy, synthetic, and cloying to my nose, overpowering the rest of the composition. I gave my bottle away to my mom because I didn't enjoy it like I used to. Looking at the notes pyramid on Fragrantica for both VdN Evasion and The One, it makes sense that the two resemble each other somewhat- they share the prominent notes of vanilla, amber, and peach, as well as jasmine. VdN Evasion could be what The One may have smelled like if it had the dry Mitsouko peach replacing the cloying synthetic peach as well as a powdery floral heart. I layered Mitsouko EDP and The One together to experiment, and it kinda does smell a little like VdN Evasion, minus the powdery flowers! I have to resniff them first to confirm, but I'm thinking VdN Evasion probably shares similarities with modern fragrances with vanilla and peach at the forefront like Burberry, Fancy Love, Allure, etc. And THAT is why Guet Apens/Attrape Coeur/Vol de Nuit Evasion/Royal Extract/etc (what's with all the different names Guerlain???) has that modern edge that sets it apart from anything else I've tried- the fruity sweet vanilla base (modern) mixed with the classic powdery florals (iris, rose, violet) is quite special. Being a college student, I limit wearing Shalimar, Vol de Nuit, L'Heure Bleue, Mitsouko, and Apres L'Ondee for home use because they are not practical for my lifestyle but Evasion can be worn anytime, anywhere! Evasion performs like a typical EDT in my experience, with moderate sillage and lasting about 6-8 hours on my skin. Also to note: Some of the Guerlinade components are present but the base does not smell like Guerlinade to me. UPDATE 4/8/2015: I now own Attrape Coeur and tested it, it smells just like Evasion! Has better sillage and lasts longer, that's the only difference!

I have the Lamplight bottle from 1999 (bought in France from my husband) and just got this, new old stock, shall I say. They are, to me, the same, except the bottle. It is without a doubt everything Archivist says. So wonderful, I am so happy I never did part with my Guet Apens. I had a love/hate relationship with it. Let me tell you, it is gorgeous. Just perfect, old school, everything blended so well. A time when fragrance was fragrance. Worth every penny if you can get your hands on a bottle. This is, like you're on The Road Show, you bring an old painting with you that you picked up an old musty flea ridden, dusty home sale, everything must go house auction. The old soul has passed. There you stand at the road show with someone from Sotherby's and they quite literally tell you, your painting is "perhaps the first ever painting by Renoir. You grab your chest, lean forward, want to cuss, but do not, and ask to them to please repeat the price, to which a dead calm comes over you, and you realize, you knew it, you knew it when you brought it home all those many years ago, and that is why you brought it to The Road Show in the first place, just to confirm that you do indeed have a masterpiece! Alas, deep down inside, you knew it for yourself when you first acquired it. Just needed that stamp of "authentication".

I love it and I appreciate that I received this in error some years ago when Fragrancenet mislabeled it as VDN (standard...without “Evasion”) on their website and sold it at a low low price. It’s completely unrelated to VDN that most Guerlain fans are familiar with. In fact, when I first received it, I did not notice it was Evasion, I just thought Guerlain had dramatically modified VDN. As it turns out, they had simply relaunched Attrape Cœur/Guet Apens and called it something completely unrelated. I discovered this via Monsieur Guerlain’s website. Is it the unicorn of fragrances? No, I don’t think so. It’s certainly a beautifully constructed fragrance, I appreciate the serendipity associated with receiving it, but I wouldn’t pay an inordinate amount of cash to secure it.

Soft powdery-vanilly fragrance without unnecessary ingredients. Top peach is fresh, then soft iris and woody amber-ish vanilla till last. This one may be too simple for some fragrance lover, but that’s what I love. I think fragrance business industry has been over saturated since niche fragrance businesses blooming. Sometimes (or perhaps most of times) less is more. If it had a edgy ingredient like other niche fragrance, it wouldn’t be good as it is.