Or des Indes

Yes, it's indeed a younger sister of L'Heure Bleue but different in many ways. I can detect a note of smoke (or at least this is how it develops on my skin) and a faint trail of leather, both of which I cannot find in Guerlain's masterpiece. Instead these remind me of Habanita, a tamed Habanita more of a college girl than a navigated lady. It is certainly a perfume made with artistry and with the clear intention of offering a good creation with very good lasting power, this last has reduced in the recent versions of L'Heure Bleue. If you like the genre, you should try L'Or des Indes, I am a long term Guerlain's devotee and I find no heresy in loving this MPG perfume too.

This scent is beautiful and draws comparisons with several of the older Guerlain's, when wearing this I do get glimpses of an almost L'Heure Bleue like aroma, at other times in closer confines a hint of Mitsouko may be glimsped, other draw comparisons with Shalimar. I also see a hint of Penhaligons Cornubia in this, maybe even a smidgen of Moschino Moschino or where the oppoponax and resins meet powdery femininity. So yes, the scent itself is delightful. But. Longevity of this scent is abysmal, possibly the worst longevity I have ever encountered and this purports to be an EDP! I bought a bottle for a decent price from a clearance sale because it had sounded interesting when I looked on here and the smell seemed pleasant. But literally, within about an hour the smell is gone, completely. Not a trace remains, even on clothing or hair. And this to me is an extreme disappointment especially with the price point this sits at. I mean yes the scent is very lovely but for it to only laugh an hour is beyond a joke. I suppose it is lucky the bottles come in 100ml size as you'd burn through this otherwise. All in all the scent itself is beautiful and it projects like mad for the whole hour it actually lasts, so for that 60 minutes you will waft around in a breeze of beautiful scent and then it is gone. I have been trying different layering combinations now in an effort to get this to stick around long enough to enjoy its beauty.

Nostalgia for ever Some fragrances are timeless, and impossible to date. L'Or des Indes could also be a creation of the years 20, 50, or a recent launch of a brand new niche. It dates from the late 80s and the offset from is period makes it almost even more attractive. I love perfumes in which we can be projected, and here is a music room decorated with wood paneling and dark and thick fabrics, the blond polished parquet, and this peculiar smell of old piano, both wooded a little dusty and resinous. If lavender and geranium, stealth, making neat and nostalgic at the start, the result is largely under the sign of balms, especially opoponax a resin that delivers powerful leathery and waxy smell. The allusion to Guerlinesque universe is also amplified by a spicy and honeyed cloud of powder, which can evoke L'Heure Bleue. This vanilla talcum aspect recall an old rice powder. Cottony and cozy softness, this Indian Gold does nothing flashy, he would rather have the discreet charm of nostalgia.

Or Des Indes by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier opens with a puff of aldehydes and powdery notes and immediately reminds me of Ombre Rose L'Original by Jean Charles Brosseau. Like OR, ODI has a vintage makeup bag vibe and eventually evolves into powdery resins and soft honeyed woods. Touches of lavender, iris, and rose serve to round out this composition. I definitely categorize ODI as a fragrance that smells like vintage makeup and powdered resins; for example, Drole de Rose, L'Heure Bleue, and Chantilly can be considered as sister fragrances. Did I mention that ODI is powdery? :) 4/5 PS--Although there is a subtle soft leather vibe hiding under all the powder, ODI is miles away from smelling like Mitsouko, especially considering that ODI is lacking oak moss, patchouli and peach.

With the nip of fall in the air, my thoughts turn to wrapping myself in cashmere and curling up by the fireplace. This perfume is a lovely choice for crisp autumn days. Rich, soft, redolent of golden amber and soft musk, and caressed by a hint of white flowers, Or des Indes is the perfect choice to keep you warm in chilly weather. There's a classic retro vibe to this scent, hinting at lipstick, powder, and the last roses of summer. It radiates just beyond my arms, it lasts throughout the day, and it dries down quickly to a golden veil. This perfume is grounding and introverted, to be enjoyed with a steaming cup of Earl Grey tea and a leather-bound book. Lovely.

On my skin, this is hardly an oriental. It opens with an interesting note, a bit dry, a bit lightly spicy, and a bit metallic...but as it develops, it seems like a lightly sweet powdery note takes over completely. It has excellent longevity, and is almost a skin scent, but the overall impression on my skin was a light powdery fragrance.

It's hard to love something that fades so quickly, so I won't even bother describing it. One hour and poof! Gone with the wind . . . Unlike the glorious Ambre Precieux by the same house, which projects and lasts like a seasoned opera singer.

lavender and a bit fougere in the top but then dried down more balsamic with opoponax, amber, sandalwood, lavender; very short-lasting as noted by others

Very spicy chypre (although this is classified as a vanilic oriental). Bold and strong, makes no apologies. This is not a subdued or a skin scent! Even if it was born in 2005, this frag screams shoulder pads of the Eighties and power suits. It is a loud perfume, reminds me a bit of First by VanCleef and Arpels. The drydown is the best part, when all the spices calm down and make room for a powdery-vanillic accord. Does not have the staying power you would expect, though. Not something I'd like to wear. A nice to test, but there are better chypres around.

It smells of powdery, ambered sandalwood, with dry rose and a soft floral note. The wood itself is discreet and creamy, a little sweet and a little bitter. Overall, it feels old-fashioned, dry and warm. Not quite my kind of sandalwood. I prefer it cooler, drier, aged, without that ambered warmth. Of all the sandalwood-led fragrances I’ve tried, Gypsy Water remains my favourite.

My immediate impression was of a scent similar to the sticky yellow substance on fly paper. The paper traditionally comes in rolls that spool out and was hung from the ceiling during the summer by my grandmother. Printer's ink is another close description. I immediately disliked this. I would recommend this for a man...probably because of what I detect as an "aftershave" type quality of this particular bergamot note.

I don't care for the opening at all, it's very floral to me, but after half an hour I get a creamy, calming scent from the sandalwood that's pretty nice, if somewhat old fashioned. Doesn't last long or project though.

If you are bored with candy-like, fruity and girly scents and are looking for something more mature and sophisticated, you should try this one. Or des Indes is not only interesting, but beautiful as well. It does smell a bit metallic (like gold?...), a bit like hot sand or soil, a bit salty, but is still pleasant and soft. OdI reminds me also of such masterpieces as Caron Parfum Sacre (rose+incense), Chanel Bois des Iles (that salty-leatherly accord...), L'Heure Bleue or Mitsouko, but I personally like it more than any of them. I just can't take my nose off it...

A seller in the Parisian boutique told me that faithful clients of the bygone Guerlain adore Or des Indes. And I can see why. I own a few Shalimars from the 70s and later and I can see what Or des Indes offers that modern Shalimar doesn't. (I still adore it though.) It's blissfully old-fashioned, rich, and refined. At the same time it's very soft, like a memory of a scent. Definitely works best in colder seasons and compliments the Classics of Guerlain. I only wear it on clothes and on the inside of my umbrella.

Uno Shalimar meno vanigliato. Il profumo di un piccolo bouquet di fiori di lavanda e iris rinfrescato da bergamotto e da un velo di vaniglia. Ha una delicatezza e leggerezza antica, provenzale-vintage. Gradualmente, gli unici protagonisti diventano lavanda e bergamotto, che si alternano in una specie di minuetto aromatico. Il profumo ha un'eleganza semplice, poco sofisticata. Nessuna opulenza dorata. Solo la freschezza di un campo di lavanda sotto un cielo azzurro terso.

Lovely. I get faint rose incense and printer's ink first on, then drying down to a lovely layered scent of faint clean lavender, green florals and soft musky base. There's a sense of powdery opoponax in the base that warms and smooths this scent into something gently lovely. Really like this one.

Notes acc. to Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier's website: Head Notes: Bergamot, Geranium, Lavender, Lemon Heart Notes: Opoponax, Benzoin, Incense, Heliotrope, Jasmine, Rose Base Notes: Sandalwood, Myrrh, Vetiver, Vanilla