Le Muguet 2013 by Guerlain: Surprise

/ Sandra

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Sandra

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Hey APJ. How are you all doing?

Do you ever blind purchase perfume? Have you ever had regrets over said purchase? Or to make matters worse, did you react negatively to the perfume?

I am not generally a blind buy gal. I wish I could be more spontaneous and just through caution to the wind. I get the itch to pull the trigger on something I really want when it is not available near me. Especially a limited edition that comes up once a year for 1 May.

Le Muguet 2013 by Guerlain: Surprise

Back in 2013 my husband bought Le Muguet by Guerlain for a special occasion. I was thrilled to be able to even try such a delicate perfume. I remember quite clearly dabbing some on, raising my wrist for a quasi celestial experience and recoiling in horror. Le Muguet was, to my inexperienced nose, too brash, cold and green. Immediate regret set in together with a bad case of an asthma attack. One of the notes was not compatible with my lungs. Well, that was that.

Then came the idea that I needed to sell the perfume but alas did not. Giving it away was not really an option because who would have understood the beauty or uniqueness of the perfume if I could not stand it. So in its box it sat in my closet reminding me not to blind buy another perfume.

Two countries later, and here I am in Switzerland with a completely new climate, new trees with their pollen and Le Muguet is six years old. I do not know what tempted me to try it after such a long time, but there it sat in my box from Rotterdam. I took the box out and actually removed the bottle of perfume from the box and I stared at it for a couple of days in a row.

Once I mustered up the courage to try the perfume again, I was blown away by its beauty. This is what lily of the valley actually smells like. It is almost life like in its composition. The harsh opening is gone or maybe I have matured or perhaps it has to do with the climate. I do not know nor care. It is unadulterated pure lily of the valley with a touch of rose and jasmine. It is so tender and caresses my skin lovingly. The composition is exquisite and needless to say I am quite smitten that I did not get rid of the bottle. The lush green landscape of our neighborhood dappled in sunlight reminds me of Le Muguet 2013.

Have you ever experienced a 180 degree change in your reaction to a perfume? To what do you attribute the change of heart?

Until next time.

Oodles of fragrant kisses.

Sandra xo

25 thoughts on “Le Muguet 2013 by Guerlain: Surprise”

  1. Mine was not so much a blind buy as blind gifts. My nemesis’s were Lancôme Trèsor and Dior’s J’adore. To my young 30 something nose they were cringe, nose wrinkling hideous scents. Thank God I am a sentimental booby and hug myself for not getting rid of now ‘vintage’ scents. My nose has developed over time like ones palate for Roquefort and red wine, which took less time than my love for these gems.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Abby, How wonderful that you kept those scents! I love Lancôme Trèsor and Dior J’adore. Definitely give yourself a big hug. Ooooh and cheese and wine too. Love a good red wine.
      Sandra xo

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  2. What a gorgeous bottle! I lust after the 2016 version of Guerlain’s Muguet, which was reformulated by Thierry Wasser. It’s very beautiful! I’ve read that the earlier Muguet is very similar to an early Aqua Allegoria, Lilia Bella, which was created by JP Guerlain in 2001. I have that, and it’s beautiful too. I think yours is one of the prettiest of the limited edition bottles. So glad you kept it and can now enjoy it!

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    • Hi Matty, I hope you can get a sniff of one of the Guerlain Muguets and that you like it too.
      Sandra xo

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  4. My biggest about face was with Revolution à Versailles by Jean Desprez. I loathed it when I put it on. I almost threw it out. It sat in my closet for a few years. I tried it on before selling it and liked it. Surprise. My exact notes: ick; think this has gone off, floral but smells very woody and kind of tobacco, a chypre; dries down woody floral reminds of Estee; on the next testing a year or more later I really like it, completely different, a sweet, fruity floral with a hint of tobacco and civet, very animal and sexy with a sweet fruity edge; nose changed

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    • What a wonderful story Gina! I love it that you kept Revolution à Versailles. You make it sound so good. Thank you for sharing.
      Sandra xo

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  5. For me, the 180 was Shalimar. My nose has matured a great deal since I started down the rabbit hole. When I first sniffed Shalimar I just did not get it, and actively disliked it. Fast forward a couple of years and many many perfume samples and I not only appreciate it but really enjoy.

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    • Hi MMKinPA, I had to mature as well to finally love Shalimar. Now it is one of my all time favorites. I am terrified of trying a vintage Shalimar for fear of falling in love with it. 😅 Enjoy your Shalimar.
      Sandra xo

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  7. I loved the Guerlain Muguet, but never mustered sufficient motivation to actually buy it. I have an empty sample vial I whiff now and then. How fortunate you didn’t get rid of it. I have a few regrets over bottles I should have kept (but many more over bottles I should never have bought.

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    • Hi Tara, I normally would not have bought it either. And oh hell yes to understanding the regrets over perfumes I should never have bought. I can’t even count them anymore. 🥴
      Sandra xo

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  8. such beautiful pictures that i forgot for a moment it is review for perfumes.. this is how one imagines to be the setting of novels from classic literature era

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    • Thanks Fazal. To be perfectly honest with you it is almost surreal living in such a beautiful area. It is either an E.M Forster book or a secret garden full of garden nymphs or fairies.
      Sandra xo

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  9. We live just outside Basel in a village called Arlesheim. Do visit – there is so much to do and see.
    Sandra xo

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  10. Gorgeous photos! I’ve only sampled one Guerlain Le Muguet, and I need to find it to determine which year it was from, a sample from STC. Guerlain is one of my favorite houses, and I’ve yet to purchase a bottle. On my wishlist!
    My change of heart was with Hermes Caleche. I purchased the bottle maybe 20 years ago, and never could pull off wearing it. It was too mature for me at the time in my younger years. Now I think perhaps it was the woodiness that I was not comfortable with. I’ve kept it all these years and only recently attempted to wear it. It’s very elegant and a special occasion fragrance for sure.

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    • Hi Kathleen, Oh how I adore Hermes Caleche. When I was a lot younger my mom gave me a bottle of Caleche and I wore it all the time. You smell divine. Which Guerlain do you like to wear?
      Sandra xo

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      • My favorite Guerlains are Shalimar, L’Huere Bleue, Chant d’Aromes, Ne m’Oubliez Pas, Champs Elysées, and L’Heure de Nuit. I also have Insolence, Samsara, Idylle, a few Le Petit Robe Noirs, French Kiss, and Mon Pricieux Nectar. Recently I’ve become a fan of L’Instant and L’Instant Magic.

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        • Gorgeous perfumes! I love your choices. L’Instant is a comfort perfume for me. I also really want to buy L’Heure de Nuit.
          Xo

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          • I am loving my newly purchased bottles of L’Instant and L’Instant Magic. I can’t believe I missed out on these beautiful fragrances and am late to the party. But I’m loving them now, and the price is very reasonable now at discount fragrance site!
            L’Heure de Nuit is very soft and elegant. I recommend it if you love L’Heure Bleue; however, it does not have good projection.

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