L’Homme Ideal Cologne by Guerlain

January 22, 2020January 17, 2020 / AustralianPerfumeJunkies / 10 Comments

Narth

Hello friends, it’s Narth here reminiscing about a recent perfume frenzy in perfumeland. I was walking past a small perfume stand in a shopping centre, the sort with everything ON SPECIAL and where at times some real gems show up. Stuck in the middle of all the Joops and Rober Cavallis was a Guerlain I had never noticed before and it was only 20.00! After a bit of phone research I bought it, ripped it open and sprayed myself all over. This was fantastic! I posted about it in perfumeland and seemingly simultaneously did many other people. And that’s when the frenzy began as information flew about as to where to find more bottles, could you still buy it on the website? Was it really that wonderful? Were we all lemmings? It was fabulously fun and I bought five, three for myself and two for gifts.

Guerlain L’Homme Ideal Cologne 2015

The Frenzy and The King

Top: Orange, Bergamot, Pink Pepper, Grapefruit
Middle: Almond, Neroli
Base: White Musk, Vetiver

This scent, now sadly discontinued is a multifaceted freshie which truly has earned the moniker THE KING because it’s such a wonderfully affordable treasure. It’s bright and creamy, not in stages but all the way through. The almond is impressive. It’s not a marzipan but rather the white smooth interior of the nut. That and the white musk are always there, providing a beautiful backdrop to the citrus. It’s a fantastic hot weather scent and on cooler days it surprises with its depth.

Perfume frenzies are a lot of fun.. and a lot of pain, depending on your wallet and how likely you are to have regrets over being caught up in them. During my BPAL days I was on that frenzy train monthly. Yes there’s an addictive element, a definite high with the ordering, the searching, the speculating about notes. Nowadays these bursts of excitement mostly pass me by. I’ll look at my phone and whatever amazing thing appeared is already gone. And while I’m okay about that because I am now supposedly a responsible consumer of perfume I very much enjoyed my Guerlain L’Homme IDEAL frenzy and if I find another one I’ll be buying it!

Tell me your perfume frenzy stories, triumphs or tragic misses!

Bye for now,
Narth xx

Neroli Outrenoir by Thierry Wasser and Delphine Jelk for Guerlain 2016

January 11, 2018 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Portia

Hi there APJ,

I tried Neroli Outrenoir when it was first released while Jin and I were in the Champs Elysees flagship store. I was totally overwhelmed by the venue and underwhelmed by the scent and really haven’t given it another thought. Recently though I bought a 10ml decant in a split. To be honest I don’t remember putting my name down for it. You know that late night cyber crawl after a couple of cuppas and Continue reading →

Le Petit Robe Noire L’Extrait by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2012

September 26, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Val the Cookie Queen

Hello gorgeousnesses,

Blind Buy Part II

As you may or may not recall I blind bought Guerlain Black Perfecto LPRN a not long ago. It wasn´t really blind as I bought it for the bottle and could see that quite clearly. It was a big bonus that I totally liked the perfume in the gorgeous bottle. On thing led to another and I got it stuck in my head that I had to have the LPRN Extrait

Thanks to both Portia and Vero I have vintage extraits of Chamade, Shalimar, and Mitsouko. I am not a Guerlainophile nor am I a vintage digger. All three get worn and they are exquisitely beautiful. I would like to have a L’Heure Blue vintage extrait and perhaps one will come my way one day but I am sure not hunting for one as I am utterly terrified of buying old perfumes online and have never done so. If anyone has a spare, contact me please.

I thought it would be interesting, in the name of science of course, to try a modern Guerlain extrait. After a couple of weeks of hunting around I came across a 20% offer on the 7.5ml bottle of LPRN Extrait. That made it about 80 Euros. My husband was biking in france, I had his credit card, so it seemed just to good a chance to miss out on and I ordered it. I couldn´t imagine for a second it could go wrong as I liked the BP so much. I was offered a 250ml bee bottle for 1100 Euros or a 500ml one for 1660 Euros. I never buy blind in such large amounts.

Le Petit Robe Noire L’Extrait by Guerlain 2012

Le Petit Robe Noire L’Extrait by Thierry Wasser

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Fruits, Glycyrrhiza, Lemon
Heart: Cherry, Almond, Rose, Violet
Base: Musk, Patchouli, Smoky tea, Vanilla

LPRN Parfum – Completely Gorgeous.

Velvety Amarena cherry, rich and with a dark and bitter edge. It is an adult cherry, not a Maraschino. Tendrils of black liquorice, sweetening the fruit, and lending a smoky tea effect. A hint of rose gives way to the classic orris, vanilla and tonka magic of a Guerlain. The cherry remains and the whole experience is one of pure pleasure, so thick you could chew it. Divine. For adults, all genders.

“She walked up to me and she asked me to dance.
I asked her name and in a dark brown voice she said “Lola”
L-O-L-A Lola, lo lo lo lo Lola

Well, I’m not the worlds`s most physical guy,
But when she squeezed me tight she nearly broke my spine
Oh my Lola, lo lo lo lo Lola

Well, I´m not so dumb that I can´t understand
Why she walked like a woman and talked like a man
Oh my Lola, lo lo lo lo Lola, lo lo lo lo Lola …….. “ Ray Davies

Kirschen Bussis
CQ

(Ed: Photos supplied and taken by Val.)

Black Perfecto GIVEAWAY WINNERS

July 20, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Portia

Hey there APJ,

Thanks to the lovely Guerlain SA at David Jones Sydney City Store for his generosity.

Let’s see who our winners are
Portia xx

Black Perfecto GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Sour cherry, almond, black tea
Heart: Rose, liquorice
Base: Leather, musk, patchouli, tonka bean

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 3 winners who will receive:
1 x Black Perfecto carded manufacturers sample
1 x Mon Guerlain carded manufacturers sample
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Wednesday 19th July 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winners were chosen by random.org

ESG23

Laura

Monsie Beaton

The winners will have till Wednesday 26th July 2017 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit

Black Perfecto: La Petit Robe Noir by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2017

July 17, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 29 Comments

Portia

Hey there Frag Crew,

Recently while purchasing Black Perfecto the SA asked me if I wanted extras for a giveaway! I was so freaking chuffed that she recognised me from my previous begging visits. It was nice, she was nice and I got Black Perfecto. Now honesty compels me to mention that I only bought it because of the bottle. Yes, I’m disgusting but cum’on, it’s freaking gorgeous.

Black Perfecto by Guerlain 2017

Black Perfecto: La Petit Robe Noir by Thierry Wasser

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Sour cherry, almond, black tea
Heart: Rose, liquorice
Base: Leather, musk, patchouli, tonka bean

So yes, Black perfecto opens noxious, the first minute is quite overwhelming. Once the crazy settles I’m left with a plastic and sour cherry that surprisingly leaves the taste in my mouth of a cherry flavoured tea infusion. The almond is real and the liquorice noticeable too. It’s kind of medicinal, like cough mixture and band aids. I like how the whole fragrance dries out in the heart like biscuit base.

AND THEN IT HITS ME

Black Perfecto smells and tastes like the slices of mass made cherry cheesecake that look so incredibly delicious in the window and are invariably a slightly plastic version of the real deal.

PDI

Is Black Perfecto bad? Nope, I like it. Will I ever go through my 50ml? Probably not. To be honest I think Mon Guerlain a much better fragrance and I would choose to spritz it ahead almost always.

That bottle though! It is PERFECTO!
Portia xxx

Black Perfecto by La Petite Robe Noire – GUERLAIN

Black Perfecto GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 3 winners who will receive:
1 x Black Perfecto carded manufacturers sample
1 x Mon Guerlain carded manufacturers sample
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us which bottle in your collection is your favourite.

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Wednesday 19th July 2017 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 26th July 2017 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit

Mon Guerlain by Thierry Wasser and Delphine Jelk for Guerlain 2017

May 15, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 43 Comments

Portia

Hey Hey Frag Heads,

Well, hasn’t there been uproar on the scentbloggosphere around this one? Guerlain’s first stand alone pillar fragrance since the Limited Edition turned regular range Terracotta Le Parfum and L’Homme Ideal, both arriving in 2014. It seems though that this one was to be launched in the grandest of old styles like back in the 20th century. All over Europe and Australia the bus stations, buses, cinema ads and TV showed Mon Guerlain. They picked a controversial celebrity, Angelina Jolie, to be the face of it and then made her a silhouette. It all seemed like we had returned to the golden age of fragrance and because of all the hype, it being a Guerlain and the strange lack of hype for anything else they’ve done except those fun cartoon ads for La Petit Robe Noire (how CHANEL didn’t think of that I’ll never know) we were all expecting a masterpiece, a stroke of genius. Could it be the new Jicky, Shalimar, Mitsouko or Samsara? How could anything live up to such wild expectation?

Mon Guerlain by Guerlain 2017

Mon Guerlain by Thierry Wasser and Delphine Jelk

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives thee featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, Provençal lavender
Heart: Paradisone®, Jasmine sambac, Coumarin
Base: Iris, Tahitian vanilla, White sandalwood

OK, I need to tell you that I bought my bottle of Mon Guerlain 100% for the bottle. I had sniffed it in passing and found it to be a fairly predictable rehash of most of what is on the market currently. Sweet, candy like cordial with little to help it rise above the celebuscented fairy floss storm except the bottle, which I adore. So, while in a small corner perfumery across the road from Luxembourg’s central station earlier in the year they had a 20% off Guerlain sale. Could I resist? No I could not. With my purchase I was also gifted a 5ml Boxed mini of Mon Guerlain EdP and a 30ml Mon Guerlain Body Lotion. Both of which are up for grabs in our giveaway tonight.

Once I had bought it I was able to wear it on my own, had time to really enjoy it and get to know the personality buried under the uninspiring scent it feels like in the mall or airport. Suddenly I found myself not only enjoying wearing Mon Guerlain but choosing it over other favourites.

I am reminded strongly of recently D/Cd Guerlain beauty Oriental Brulant with added Lavender. Mon Guerlain sparkles with lavender and it makes the whole fragrances gourmand-ness less stickily sweet and adds a historical linkage to one of its all time most popular scents Jicky. Not the same as Jicky but a passing reference to Guerlains history. The dry down is a 21st century Guerlinade reinvention with the same or similar vanilla in pride of place, cooled by iris and creamed by sandalwood.

Is Mon Guerlain a masterpiece? No, not in my opinion. Is it a modern LVMH money making adaptation of a Guerlain? Yes. Some of the heart has been removed but the soul remains.

Further reading: Scenthurdle and I Scent You A Day
David Jones Australia has $102/30ml
Surrender To Chance has samples from $4.25/ml

Want to try it? Now’s your chance.

Mon Guerlain GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 5ml Mon Guerlain EdP Boxed Mini
1 x 30ml Mon Guerlain Body Lotion
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us in the comments which Guerlain fragrance is your favourite?

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Wednesday 17th May 2017 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 24th May 2017 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit

Habit Rouge Dress Code by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2015

January 17, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Robert Herrmann

Wait.

You HAVEN’T tried Dress Code yet???!!! Go order a sample/decant/bottle RIGHT NOW!!
You’re welcome.

I had been waiting for this since first hearing about the pre-release in the summer of ’15. It was at that time strictly a limited edition, and would only be available at 2 select retailers in the USA and at the Guerlain flagship store in Paris. So faster than you can say “Thierry Wasser” three times, I popped online and found ONE bottle available at Bergdorf’s in NYC. Three minutes later that bottle was on it’s way to my house…..

Now fragheads who know me, know that I am absolutely a Guerlain Ho’ of the ‘nth degree, hell I have one whole shelf in my Perfume cabinet stuffed full, and dedicated exclusively to Guerlain. New Guerlain offering? Come to Papa! Every. Single. Time.

Habit Rouge Dress Code by Guerlain 2015

Habit Rouge Dress Code by Thierry Wasser

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, neroli, rose
Heart: Spices
Base: Woodsy notes, leather, tonka bean, praline, vanilla

Aaaahhh Dress Code. Guerlain certainly hit it out of the ballpark with this wonderful flanker!

The regular HR has long been in my top 5, and a few years back I was lucky enough to purchase a vintage mid-90’s new-in-mint-condition bottle thanks to the largess of a Facebook fragrance friend. (Looking at YOU, Jake!❤❤❤)

But about Dress Code…..

Let’s just say that Mr. Sulu would give Dress Code his “oh myyyyyyyy” stamp of approval.

Do you love a fabulous Gourmand? HRDC opens with a huge blast of caramel/chocolate/vanilla which within minutes adds a wispy back note of orange blossom.

Right away however the spices and rose peek through, followed by a resin/leather and woody vibe.

All perfectly blended and seamlessly drifting in and out with no single note taking up the spotlight. Just a gorgeous amalgam which like the energizer bunny, just keeps going and going and going….there’s a smoky aspect as well, as if the spices have been roasting over an open fire with some tonka thrown in for good measure.

WikiCommons

By this time HRDC is firmly established in the drydown phase and swear-to-god if asked for a comparison, I would say that to me it’s solidly rooted in Shalimar territory. But purposely skewed masculine, although I suspect a woman would feel TOTALLY comfortable wearing this, especially to buttress up a “take-no-prisoners” attitude.

And HRDC has attitude.
In spades.
That first edition sold out in a heartbeat, but have no fear because Guerlain re-released it last year with their updated bottle. EXACTLY same perfume, just different packaging despite what you may read online. It’s the same, trust me.

And so for creating HRDC, and then bringing it back….Thank you Guerlain. Love it..

Flickr

Further reading: Scent Gent and Persolaise
Sadly Australia isn’t getting Dress Code but it’s available in Guerlain in major department stores of Europe & USA

Have you tried Dress Code yet? What other Guerlain’s do you adore? (I know right? There are so many!)
My Name Is Robert Herrmann (but I forget sometimes)

Teazzurra GIVEAWAY WINNERS

September 25, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Post by Portia

Heya APJ,

Thanks Guerlain, and thank you all for getting involved.

Portia xx

Teazzurra GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, yuzu, grapefruit
Heart: Green tea, chamomile, jasmine
Base: Musk, calone, vanilla

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Carded Manufacturers Sample Teazzurra by Guerlain
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Tell us your favourite Guerlain Aqua Allegoria fragrance or which one you’d like to try

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Saturday 24th September 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winner was chosen by random.org

Sue Mills

The winner will have till Wednesday 28th September 2016 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Teazzurra by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2015

September 22, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 21 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello Tea Freaks,

I was in David Jones city store recently and was chatting with the Guerlain SA. She was so kind and offered a couple of Teazzurra samples, one for me and one for you.

I would like to take a moment here to say how distressed I am about Guerlain stopping the Sample/Decant services selling their product. As an Australian far from the Guerlain main markets it is nearly impossible to get my sniff on their products any other way. My list of Guerlain purchases while overseas is made in the year or so leading up to travel by sampling through these services. Not to mention being able to do as early as possible writing for APJ. GRRRRR!

Teazzurra by Guerlain 2015

Teazzurra by Thierry Wasser

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, yuzu, grapefruit
Heart: Green tea, chamomile, jasmine
Base: Musk, calone, vanilla

Love the fizzy citrus opening that tickles my nose and feels luminous and fun. My nose does get the yuzu in there originally that bittersweet’s up to grapefruit. It does dry out through the heart and is slightly like a herbal infusion but basically it heads straight for a very soft, radiant vanilla/jasmine over laundry musks. Sadly I even miss out on the calone, which could have given me that fun salty melon thing it does so well. I fear Teazzurra has been a miss for me. BUMMER! If the opening and heart had lasted into 30 minute territory on me I would have forgiven it the less than exciting rest of its lifespan.

YouTube

I used up my whole sample to write this so there was plenty of fragrance on my skin but it just did not live up to my expectations. I think I will pass on Teazzurra. If it was a lot less expensive, maybe. It’s not terrible scrubber material, just boring.

Obviously your mileage may vary and Teazzurra might be heavenly on you. Lucky you, I wish it was for me.

Further reading: Arabia Style and Now Smell This
GalaxyPerfumes has Au$86/125ml

Teazzurra GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Carded Manufacturers Sample Teazzurra by Guerlain
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Tell us your favourite Guerlain Aqua Allegoria fragrance or which one you’d like to try

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Saturday 24th September 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 28th September 2016 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Shalimar Cologne EdT by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2015

May 18, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 17 Comments

Post by Erica Golding

Hello my fragranced loves! Today, I’m pondering the latest flanker of one of the world’s most timeless, enduring, beloved perfumes. Shalimar has a new spinoff, and she’s lovely. However, the name is a bit misleading….

Shalimar Cologne: Eau de Toilette by Guerlain 2015

Shalimar Cologne EdT by Thierry Wasser

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, lim, grapefruit
Heart: Freesia, rose, jasmine
Base: Vanilla, orris, white musk

Yes, you read that right! This is not Eau de Cologne strength classic Shalimar; rather, it is an Eau de Toilette strength perfume that represents the emerging secondary definition of the word Cologne: A fresh, bright, inviting, lighthearted fragrance. Don’t let the term cologne fool you into thinking that this scent is a subtle, dilute concentration. Two sprays, and I’d be willing to wager that this beast is Eau de Parfum or even Extrait – it’s intense!

Shalimar Cologne opens with a shimmering lemon bergamot effervescence. The lemon is much more prominent in the first few minutes than any other Shalimar I’ve experienced. Frankincense lends her mysterious resonant signature, a woody incense cloak as familiar as a favorite silk scarf. Innocent white musk purrs at the base. As the scent wears on, the fresher citrus notes fade and the laundry musk really takes over, smooth yet loud.

On my skin, this scent has much more in common with the aroma of classic Shalimar than, say, Parfum Initial or Souffle. It’s still its own creation, but definitely recognizable as Shalimar. I’m not really sensing vanilla or any animalic musk, and the impression is lifted and clean with a whitewashed hazy roundness.

Personally, I like this more than Souffle, but not quite as much as Parfum Initial. I had trouble finding a brick-and-mortar retailer, so my bottle came from Strawberrynet. It was so hard to find that I wonder if this ship has sunk before it’s even had a chance to sail. Why name a new fragrance in such a confusing fashion? Even experienced perfume lovers see this at a glance and immediately assume it’s classic Shalimar in the EdC concentration. Shalimar Cologne is NOT cologne strength – my goodness, I said it already but this fragrance is very concentrated and intense!

FTPhoto

Guerlain counters the world over have Shalimar Cologne EdT, go grab a free spritz

How do you feel about this little variant? Do you think it’s doomed by its confusing marketing? Are you curious or are you sick to death of flankers?

Until next time, let perfume help you appreciate life’s little pleasures.

-Erica