Shalimar Eau de Parfum Guerlain for women

@melll9302 I know what you mean. But there are special occasions such as formal family events (weddings, anniversaries and such), Opera/Classical music concerts, formal business dinners, fancy cocktail parties, where you can wear it.
And to the reviewers below comparing Shalimar to bad breath, musty furs or cat piss.
Dear Lord, I know perfume is a subjective issue but to associate Shalimar in such a gross way is beyond me!

Shalimar is sweet and creamy, as the description tells us. There's a tad bit of powdireness from the Iris (the so called "guerlinade") It's a perfume that I own but I don't use because it requires a special occasion to wear and it's way too sophisticated. It's in the same vein as Chanel n°5... But with a vanilla note as the showstopper.

My mom doesn't like it on me which is regrettable. I think every perfume lover should at least test it. Also, it's quite unisexe to my nose so men can try it too!

Overall, I have mixed feelings about it as its difficult to find an occasion to wear it, it's a simply difficult perfume to wear. I wanted to like it because of the whole history surrounding it but it's quite outdated, sadly. I imagine a very sophisticated, mature lady wearing it.

Delicious. I can’t understand why I resisted buying Shalimar for so many years. I love love love this fragrance. The cool bergamot opening is tempered by the warmth of sandalwood and leather. Sorry to quote Beaudelaire here, but luxe, calme, et volupté are the three best words to describe this scent. There is a reason it has been loved for generations.

Tonsil stones? Bad breath? I think that is a YOU problem and nothing to do with Shalimar.

I am completely enamoured...I had so much hesitation towards trying Shalimar as it did intimidate me, hearing people saying that it was animalic and pissy really didn't sell me. When I finally tried this I sprayed it onto my skin and went about my day, as time went on I kept getting these sweet powdery vanillic wafts emanating from my wrist.

It then clicked and I knew that I had been missing out on a masterpiece. I am sitting here just kicking myself over not trying it sooner!

Le Lion smells like an early draft of Shalimar but it completely missed the mark, the irony is that Le Lion was inspired by Shalimar and yet Le Lion still falls face down into the dirt. I do pick on a similarity but unlike Shalimar, Le Lion makes me feel sickly.

@lauanevan... OMG! YES, yes, yes! The bad breath, halitosis note is very prominent every time I try and wear Shalimar!! Most of the flankers are safe for me, but regular Shalimar makes me smell like chronic bad breath, but more specifically tonsil stones :-o If you do not know what tonsil stones are, Google them #iamsorry LOL

I'm going to commit “blasphemy” here by saying that I don't find Shalimar AS complex and intricate as others think it is, at least in this modern Eau de Parfum version - the Extract is another story. In fact, I think L’Heure Bleue and Mitsouko are much more complex to understand than this one, but of course, for those who aren't used to vintage perfumes, it can be scary.

In a very rough and summarized way: Shalimar EDP opens with a lot of citrus, bergamot and lemon at the highest volume and with a very pronounced acidity, bordering on the natural bitterness of these fruits. Despite being citrusy, at no point does it convey the idea of freshness that we are used to have in an eau de cologne: Shalimar's citrus (30% Bergamot oil in its original formula) has the function of “lifting” the perfume by account of its dense, heavy notes that would remain at the “bottom” of the bottle, so to speak.

After opening, it begins to take on the characteristic smell that will last for hours and which is the reason for its fame: a sweet vanilla, extremely powdery, with a dry and smoky touch of incense along with a soft leather base. I don't feel flowers, except of iris, of course.

The description may seem complex, a perfume with extreme sex appeal, but the whole set reminds me too much of the scent of baby powder: soft, innocent, velvety, dry, sweet baby powder. Other times it reminds me of a black leather jacket with pockets full of vanilla beans and a makeup palette. It's very, very comfortable, cozy.

When smelling Shalimar, you must take something important into account: from the moment it was created and in the following decades, it was the epitome of sweet perfume, as vanilla is clearly the star of the composition. But by modern standards, with perfumes increasingly sugar-laden and syrupy in sweetness, Shalimar can seem quite bitter.

When we eat excessively sugary processed foods, our taste buds become desensitized to the natural sweetness of fruits. In smell, this also occurs. But we just need to pay attention (and perhaps a little abstinence from “sugar”) to begin to feel the nuances of the smells again, and it's at that moment that Shalimar leaves the bitterness and reveals itself to be surprisingly sweet, in a vintage and measured way, but still sweetened.

Excellent staying power, +7h and good projection with just a few sprays. I don't recommend using it on excessively hot days, as it's suffocating, but I don't think it's that prohibitive to wear. I love it!
A great classic!

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Instagram: @odorteca

I had such high expectations for this perfume, and was happy to finally see it in a Sephora. So many people on this site reccomended it to me, and I was eager to smell it. Sadly, I totally hated it. At first spray, it reminded me of gross musty fur coats hanging in an old closet, where a cat p*ssed on the floor. Sorry for being blunt, but I guess this is what "animalic" is supposed to smell like. I took that sample home and kept smelling it. It was really bad for many hours, then had a regular sweet vanillic dry down. I was really hoping this would be my perfect winter perfume, but, for me, it sucks.

I love shalimar, but sometimes there is this note of old person's breath, like tooth decay. Is my 2015 mini cursed and a ghost appears? Is it the poopiness people are talking? I love the citrus, the vanilla smoke, crisp leatheriness.

Im selling a 7.5 ml bottle of vintage extrait late 90s. Sealed in pink velvet box. DM if interested

to @SUTU: this might be Civet, you can also check EDT version, it doesn't have anything like that and it's smokier IMO;)

I have been a perfume lover since my childhood and I was 14 when Shalimar launched.
Back then, I belonged to the Poison Dior fan club, with some excursions in Opium territory.
I even wore Lou Lou!
I was definitely used to the opulence of the '80s-'90s' offers, but Shalimar? It was a no go. Too much going on.
I tried this perfume every year, but nothing changed in my tastes, until today.
I really don't know what happened, but today, a fairly hot day in my country (I live in Europe), I was in a perfume shop and this marvellous, gorgeous cloud was hanging over me. I asked the woman behind me what she had just sprayed, and she went: "Shalimar eau de Parfum".
I seriously didn't believe her. So much so, that I sprayed it myself on a blotter AND on skin: oh my goodness I am in love!
I went into 4 more shops and sprayed it just to check if it was a batch thing, but nope: I have fallen in love with Shalimar 34 years after getting to know it.
It's moments like these that really make this hobby so interesting and worthwhile!
To the review now: the citrus is just the bliss of the opening, the rest is a powdery, yummy, oriental concoction, with a smokey Tonka as base. I can't believe this is so old: it oozes modern, brave and empowered woman vibes.
A 9/10.
Bravo Guerlain!

I was surprised how much I loved Shalimar eau de Parfum when I first smelled it, considering I had never thought about trying it before. Wanting to buy it for my wife, I took a sample home to get her opinion. However, when she smelled it, she hated it. She said it smelled terrible, like poop. The next day, she still didn't like it and asked me to get rid of it. I don’t know what note makes her feel this way and hopefully they remove this note in a new flanker. Now, even though Im in love with it, I can't buy it.

I'll be honest, while I definitely appreciate Shalimar, I've mainly hung on to my bottle as a reference. In actual wear, the smell turns a bit too much toward baby wipe on me. However, I gave it a shot again today and I'm getting more of the resins than I have in the past and it is beautiful.

Anyone have a 90ml bottle of Shalimar edp they'd like to trade for my nearly full 90ml bottle of Shalimar Philtre? Continental US only. PM me if interested!

I wonder if people that refer to "Old Lady" have ever thought that maybe the older ones are wiser, cut through all of the crap, & don't waste their money on janky scents anymore. They are smart enough now to know what really actually has class & that's all they care to wear now that each day is even more noticeably precious. Awareness Refined.

If you remember the movie Midnight in Paris -> I believe this perfume is what Marion Cotillard's character Adriana would use
I'm not into sweet/vanilla fragrances usually, but this one is phenomenal

I wish I could experience this in the 1920s without so many scent associations for stuff like cleaning products, makeup, and air fresheners. I have to imagine it hit different in that context than the way it lands today. I guess that means I'm not in the "timeless" camp. I do like the longevity and pungent, assertive spicy fragrance. Nothing is unpleasant as various notes come to the front throughout the day, but there are a lot of associations for me in our modern, fragranced everything world. Shortly after spraying it the citrus came across briefly as pine sol and for a while in the middle it had a waxy/makeupy note. On a test strip it reminded me of a very nice, well-maintained porta-potty. I'm sure these associations have to do with the way that fragrance is used in contemporary products, but I still can't shake them. I enjoy Shalimar for its historical value and for its fragrance for outdoor activities in cool weather, but it's not something I'd keep in my collection if it didn't represent a significant point in perfumery.

It took me many flankers to finally get to the OG. What a journey it has been! I will cherish the dainty 50 ml bottle and wear the grand dame very now and then.

I inherited a crystal bottle of the original Shalimar from my grandmother way back in 1979. It still had the perfume oil stuck in the bottom of the glass. The velvet box it came in originally was purple, but had faded to gray by the time I got it. She passed away in early 1979, and the bottle was gifted to her right after World War II. It's one of my favorite memories, and kickstarted my love of perfume. Pretty wild for a little girl! I love the dark, heady, swooning nature of this fragrance, like a very elegant woman with secrets to hide. Just one of my favorites, always.

Shalimar stands as an influential icon in the realm of perfumery, revered for its pivotal role in shaping modern amber and oriental fragrances. Its enduring presence on the market attests to its status as a timeless masterpiece and a veritable benchmark in the annals of perfumery.

Upon initial application, Shalimar unveils its potency with a robust burst of citrus notes, which may initially overwhelm the senses. However, this assertive introduction gradually yields to the fragrance's true essence, where the real allure emerges. Central to its composition is the presence of vanilla, albeit in a form that transcends mere sweetness. Rather, it exudes a nuanced complexity, characterized by earthy, leathery, and animalic undertones, evoking a sense of Oriental mystique.

Shalimar's evocative blend of smokiness, sweetness, and powdery accords renders it an enigmatic experience. Its intricate layers invite contemplation. With its rich heritage and captivating aroma, Shalimar continues to command admiration and fascination among connoisseurs and enthusiasts alike, solidifying its place as an enduring symbol of sophistication and refinement.

The edt is more beautiful. I felt this EDP was a compressed and more dense version of the original edt formula. Usually I enjoy that but the EDP felt as if there was no space between the notes for it to breathe. I sold it and bought another vintage edt

Shalimar was my first love and still in the top of my favorite, i feel luxury when wearing it.
for me it's a must have!
it's a just masterfully crafted perfume.

@Suzanne loves Perfume - I noticed your review is for Shalimar Eau de Toilette. There’s a separate page here in Fragrantica for that one. Maybe copy & paste your review over there? 😊

A classic beautiful scent that I've always loved. I've purchased this one many times over for special women in my life, and they've all loved it. Smelled it again recently and it still smells great albeit maybe a little less potent than I remember and a bit more scratchy.

Perhaps it's still long lasting, I don't know, I didn't wear it.
There's a reason this is still sold today, it's a masterpiece and in my opinion, one of the great benchmarks in women's perfume.

Savage!
A nostalgia inducing scent that invokes beautiful memories of happy days gone by.
I couldn't help it, l had to buy it. I've wanted it for so long my mum and aunt told me it's beautiful and one of the best. It's been in my ebay basket for many months taunting me, luring me in, calling me every payday, "buy me, smell me, wear me, love me,"
Soooo....l unwrapped it quickly like a child at Christmas who knows the present they've been asking for all year is in that parcel. I love the bottle, it looks like 100mls even though its 90mls. Love that.
The fragrance- omg its beautiful its like a bag of sweets from my childhood like pear drops the boiled sweets l used to consume by the mountain load every day for my whole teens on route to school with some rhubarb and custard hard candy sweets in there. I smell a bit of sherbert in it as well that must be the citrus edges, vanilla, and some faint spice going on in the background that I'm not mad at, it's a bit almondy too, and has a saucy touch of the Miss Dior Originale powder about it thats making me go weak at the knees oh it's a creamy sweety sexy powdery beast, I'm in love, if it was a man id be swooning saying "take me to the bed lover and do with me what you wish." I can't detect the leather in it but I don't feel I'm missing out though with what's in here already l am entertained enough.
l will wear this fragrance my whole life l know that for sure!
Oh what a beautiful surprise to have all these happy reminders of childhood where I'd be on route to school with my friends scoffing sweets and swapping them with each other and telling stories about the boy we loved oh so much that month, and talking about how we can get him to notice us and like us back, whilst arguing and laughing about who had the most sweets, and the best this, and the best that, those innocent happy days where we loved every boy with the intensity of a thousand suns, practiced smoking cigarettes to look older and wore far too much makeup on our young faces, all in a fragrance. Its instant love for me. ❤️ 10/10. ( I wore it to work it was gone in 4hrs but l have the EDT l couldnt smell it anymore, but maybe others could? You can go a bit nose blind with fragrance sometimes) still adore it though. Maybe the EDP would last longer I'm so used to EDP that l tend to write off EDT as not worth it. Maybe l convinced myself it should have been EDP strong still after 4 hours when l wasn't being fair but for a £80 it should last the day.

I adore this fragrance. However, I understand why it's so polarizing. I have had a few large 100ml bottles over the years. My last 100ml bottle lasted me for many years because I have a massive collection and it takes a long time to go through everything. When I bought a replacement bottle of Shalimar, I was taken aback. It was so sharp, so pungent, and so reminiscent of gasoline. This was especially true in the opening notes, but it still felt very rough and dirty throughout the wear. I used to get partials of Shalimar off Ebay, so this was my first time buying it brand new. I'd usually just find someone selling one that was 95% full or so for a discount. I revisited it a week later, and yep, still reeked of gasoline. I ignored it for three months or so. I went to spray it again after three months of avoiding it and it was a much smoother experience. The top notes can still be a bit too much for those who dislike leather, but luckily for me, I love leather. After three months of maceration, the gasoline smell subsided. It's still quite strong in the opening, but it's Shalimar. The citruses, the woody notes, incense, and leather are strong for a while, but then it mellows out into this absolutely gorgeous vanillic dry down. On me, it dries down into the most gorgeous suede leather kissed vanilla. Cuir Beluga, also by Guerlain, reminds me very much of the dry down of Shalimar. The dry down is my favorite part, and if Cuir Beluga didn't wear so closely to the skin (it's virtually a skin scent on me) and cost a small fortune, I'd opt for Cuir Beluga over Shalimar. I don't mind the journey that Shalimar takes me on, though. I enjoy the leather, I enjoy the incense, the citrus, the patchouli, and finally, the subtly leathery vanilla dry down. It's definitely an acquired taste. If you get a new bottle and are taken aback by a gasoline-esque sort of note, in my experience it definitely mellows out with time. I've had bottles of Shalimar with batch codes going back into the 80s and 90s. It just honestly gets better with age. My older bottles smelled much nicer than my current bottle. I don't know if it's been reformulated or not, but I had older bottles that definitely aged like fine wine. Once I use up my current bottle, I'll definitely try to seek out older batch codes, but I still love Shalimar regardless.

As a perfume enthusiast, it pains me to have to leave a negative review for Shalimar Eau de Parfum by Guerlain, but unfortunately, my experience with this fragrance has been less than satisfactory.
To start, the opening notes are overwhelmingly strong and overpowering. Instead of the delicate scent I was expecting, I was hit with an intense blast of what can only be described as an old-fashioned, musty odor reminiscent of mothballs. It's not at all the sophisticated and timeless fragrance I had hoped for.
As the perfume settles on the skin, the initial sharpness fades, but unfortunately, it doesn't improve much from there. The scent morphs into something oddly synthetic and cloying, with an underlying chemical undertone that lingers unpleasantly throughout the day. It's as if someone attempted to recreate the allure of vintage perfume but missed the mark entirely, resulting in a concoction that is both artificial and off-putting.

An addictive, enchanting smell, the first time I smelled it I just had to have it, it's so unique and distinguished, as well as feminine.

Shalimar, the myth, the legend, the Perfume. Yes, I capitalized perfume... stuff like this doesn't hang around as long as it has by being anything less than legendary. I love Shalimar, so this review will be a bit biased towards Guerlain's flagship fragrance.

I thought I'd do something different. Let's do this as a shootout; Shalimar vs. Le Lion by Chanel. There's been some discussion that Le Lion is the Chanel take on Guerlain's classic. So, I sprayed Shalimar on my left wrist and Le Lion on my right. Just to complete the mood I made a French 75 to sip. Sinatra with "I Love Paris" is playing in the background. All this is bringing back wonderful memories, I got engaged in Paris years ago. Out of the blue, she proposed to me! Ah, I digress...

Whenever something comes out and it's "Exactly like... (fill in the blank)" it's always fun, for me, to experience the two things together and notice the differences. And there will always be differences. These two perfumes are definitely from the same neighborhood but they are actually quite different.

Shalimar opens with a bright, almost fizzy, blast of citrus. It's balanced with amber and sweet vanilla. But the opening is just that super refreshing, for me anyway, perfect take on citrus in a perfume. The citrus always hangs around but it does fade a bit as the amber/vanilla thing starts to bustle its way forward. The darker amber takes over at the midpoint and is the feature, with the vanilla accord, during the long dry down. It's very "Oriental" and mysterious; slightly smokey and sweet powder.

Le Lion's emphasis, from the starting line is much more smoke and resinous amber. It' starts dark, with a hint of citrus on the side, but it's the dark, smokey resins that are pushed to the front of Le Lion's profile.
Le Lion's pitched a little lower than Shalimar. To borrow some musical terms, Shalimar's emphasis is the upper mid-range, it's brighter and there's not so much push with the dark amber resins as Le Lion. It's simply much brighter than Le Lion. Le Lion way more dark, smokey and mysterious; very much emphasized in the lower mid-range. Le Lion's so dark and smokey that it kind influences the environment you're in. Whenever I wear it I'm always reaching for a light switch to tame the darkness.

About an hour after application they both are in the same ballpark, rather dark amber and smokey. Shalimar's still brighter though with that citrus top end that never quits. It's always there. Le Lion gets super dark and smokey as it dries down with a hint of citrus but it's way in the background. LL's super mysterious and sexy. Shalimar retains its bright(er) side all the way through as it dries and develops; while still retaining it's sexy allure. For me, this part of it is so addictive. It's like I can't stop smelling my wrist. Incredible stuff.

Longevity is good for both. LL's kind of a beast and a little goes a long, long way. Shalimar's less concentrated and after a few hours a re-application may be needed.

I love both fragrances but for me, Shalimar's a must have. I could probably live without Le Lion, I wouldn't want to but I'd figure out a way, lol. Cant' live without Shalimar. It's just a beautiful, masterfully crafted perfume. An absolute classic for good reason. 5/5 stars.

Vanilla bourbon by the side of a fire place.

The smokiness is unmatched by any vanilla fragrance. Iris adds some powdery femininity, while tonka and sandalwood gives depth. It’s so well blended, I’m amazed by how smokey it is and how it still manages to be feminine. Similar to Shalimar EdT, yet EdP is a little deeper and darker.

Projects well and one spray lasts all day for me.

One of my favorites on other people. Absolutely beautiful. Rich, deep and cultured. For a person who loves travel, art and expensive things. I think the person who wears this is authentic and original. The person who wears this must be sure of themselves.

A weak watery disappointment by comparison to the older formulations. Not even a ghost. The fantasy of a ghost concocted in the mind of an unimaginative child. It seems Guerlain would make a myriad of flankers in order to detract from the sad fact that this once majestic phantasmagoria is weaker than water. Eau de Simulacra.

@ julian1985 I often wear Shalimar and have recent batches. How many "sprays" do you wear? Experiences can't be compared if one is an oversprayer and the other a tiny dabber. The current formulation of the EDP has a pretty good quality IMO (have been using Guerlain's for the last 4 decades...)

Le sigh. Le weep. I'm re reviewing this. I bought this in the summer, and was shocked that I can barely smell it past the 1st 10 mins of powdery citrus..
I let the bottle sit for a while, and now its winter..and tho it does smell more complex in the opening after sitting and in the winter air... it still all but disappears after a half hour. I get a slight vanilla powder smell if I press my nose directly where I sprayed it...

Any explanations as to why a scent that is dubbed as overpowering, and huge is just barely existent on me?
And it's not just becoming nose blind! Bc friends and family can not smell it on me either.

I tried an early-aughts Shalimar eau de cologne, Parfum Initial, Millesime Iris, and classic Shalimar lotion all before trying modern Shalimar edp. At which point, I thought, "You mean I could have been smelling like this the whole time?!" If only I had gone straight to the [modern] classic!

Do not be put off by some of the descriptions of this scent. Shalimar edp possesses no skank, dirt, fur, or fangs. Which is also to say, if you love and/or seek any of those aforementioned things, you may be disappointed. In the best possible way -- and in a hazy, chronological order -- Shalimar edp smells like posh citronella, cola, sweet leather, baby powder, almondy tonka, and bittersweet vanilla smoke. Familiar, yet always has something interesting to say. Sophisticated and regal, yet cozy.

I am very impressed by how the flankers are somehow all contained in this one complex composition; or, put another way, by how many unique compositions this inspires — compositions that still hover close to the essential Shalimar core, and yet all have something interesting and worthy to say in their own right. *That’s* how you do a flanker.

This is a really special fragrance to me. I originally bought a bottle in Aguascalientes, México for around $150, which I think included a 16 percent tax and/or import taxes, so my price may have been different from others. I purchased this scent over the others at the Guerlain counter because the sales representative was so passionate about it as a vanilla-y remix on amber scents. It's a weird one, on my skin it personally smells quite powdery, more powdery than the tester did. However, when I use it I can smell it hours later, though my husband disagrees. But most of all, my grandmother recently passed away and as I was going through her things one last time, I found a tiny bottle of Shalimar from the 80s. It feels really special to connect to a fragrance that was so remarkable for a loved one that they kept a small, empty bottle as a keepsake. I recommend for collectors who are looking to build an intriguing collection and aren't afraid of not wearing this one everyday, but perhaps only for special or momentous occasions.

citrusy opening, rose & vanilla dry down, performance is good on my skin, I know this is marketed towards women, but the scent is just beautiful I had to get my hands on it.

Rose and lemon turkish delight in a crystal shop

a long cigarette
a fur coat
creme brûlée
Nicki Minaj saying "Big boobs. What? Um, chile, anyways so-"

FallenLeaf - Thanks!

yesterday i came back to grab it after a year .. it beautifully opens up in winter times, that richness and elegance screams timeless perfume quality .. everything what´s needed as a true timeless classic!
Smells like a red carpet, simply Red carpet Perfume No.1.

What can I say after everything that's been said? It was a blind buy due to the legacy of this perfume, which I guess is well-deserved. The opening is very fresh citrus, a dewy bouquet; could be misleading because it dries down very quickly. What I smell in the air is very charming, intimate, and powdery, diffusing through the mist like golden sun rays. On my skin, though, it's a lot more mature and complex, becoming one with the skin. I like the smell that's carried to me through the air more than what's on my skin. I'm also getting a gourmand accord and I don't know how, maybe that's the vanilla everybody's talking about.
However, I'm not wearing this. I even thought about gifting this to my grandma, because my mum may find it heavy. As for me, I could only imagine myself wearing this when I'm older, maybe, because it's too big for me. It comes with baggage, one could say. I feel like I have to be in a certain way to be able to carry this perfume. For now, Shalimar will sit on my dispenser. Maybe one day.

This is a magnificent perfume. I want to say that when I first smelled it, blindly, I thought it was either a unisex or man's cologne. My first experience with Shalimar was at a Muslim owned Arab perfume shop that sold mostly vintages (and some modern fragrances). The seller sprayed it on a scent paper and on my wrist. I fell in love with it from that moment on. The first spray and you're nose is caressed by very bright and fresh and piquant, sharp citrus notes. Lemon for sure. Smells like lemon scented men's cologne or aftershave. There's orange on top. Very citrus forward scent. This part of the scent is not my favorite though because it's very typical citrus in fragrance. The heart and the dry down are my favorite. After the lemon-orange top begins to fade, the floral heart emerges. I can sense the jasmine. It's a very smooth and simple white jasmine which is also paired with patchouli. This smells exotic at this point like a jasmine garden in Saudi Arabia or India. The Oriental body is developing. Then I am smelling the incense and or spices, the vanilla, the wood or rather sandalwood. The amber note is also there. The current edition is not as long lasting or strong but I like it very much. The dry down has some musk but mostly a delicious dark and gourmand vanilla cream. The perfume is unforgettable. To me this is not formal or sexy just a very well made classic perfume for both men and women. I find it casual to be worn in winter and fall time with your winter clothing. Simple and very dear to me. I have happy memories with this perfume. It's popular and an eternal fragrance classic icon like Chanel 5 without smelling anything at all like Chanel 5 but right up there in the big leagues of vintage masterpieces.

I really didn’t know what to expect from Shalimar, but now I see it is a classic for a reason. I was nervous to wear it because my only other experience with such an historical fragrance was Youth Dew, which I loved on my grandmother but on me the civet was too challenging. Shalimar on the other hand was pleasant from start to (many hours later) finish.
What stood out most to me was the makeupy iris and the leather, which blend together in such a soft and elegant way. My husband mostly smelled the incense, which I definitely noticed after he pointed it out, but didn’t find overpowering.
This is a fragrance that is perfectly at home in the daytime at the office, but that would really shine in an evening gown.

This is timeless and unisex elegance in a bottle - sophisticated, bold, and opulent. The scent profile is smoky, woody, citrusy, animalic, and floral all at once. I utterly enjoy it as a man, and can rock this at any time, season, and occasion, although using Shalimar on a daily basis would be a waste of money. Shalimar demands grandiose celebratory events such as a golden wedding, a festive mass/worship service, or a graduation ceremony. At first application, it's very smoky, woody, and citrusy with a hint of floral and vanilla - very homogenous which means Guerlain did a great job with blending these notes. I can see the inspiration behind Shalimar which makes this fragrance especially beautiful. I just love it!

A true beauty. There is nothing better than Shalimar. Full of citrus and amber, dark leather and spices with the added richness of vanilla. She is assertive and bold, yet still sweet to the core. Guerlain fragrances are something I treasure in these times. They just don't make fragrances like this anymore.

Probably the best perfume of all time. Smokey leather-citrus that becomes a sexy, animalistic vanilla. Smells like a morning-after in the 1920s winter, going home after dancing all night to jazz, and then taking the pianist back in his bachelor’s pad. It’s clean in a weird way, like smoking a cigarette after a long shower. I’ve never smelled anything quite like it, and probably never will.

Ah Shalimar, my first love! I waited so long to grow up and wear it. Women in my family wore it and now it's my turn. I fell in love with this one when I was 3 years old. I asked mom to wear it all the time. For me it is so comforting. Reminds me of childhood. However, it is not for everyone. I see a lot of people don't like it as it is strong and unusual but that's why it is so perfect. Bitter opening and strong incense and leather drydown. Amazing!

Shalimar is the most tantalizing and effervescent perfume I have ever smelled. It is nothing like modern scents, it starts with an amber/leather scent before giving in to the animalic scent (which is very brief). It is definitely an older scent, but it lasts a long while. It melts into a citrus vanilla smell that carries itself throughout the day like that. It has remained on my skin for HOURS! True, it is an older scent, but it works best for those who enjoy warm, boozy, vanilla smells that can be worn for any season. It doesn’t need to be worn often, do not overspray this. One or two sprits will do. If you want to layer this scent, I think pairing it with another vanilla fragrance would work best. But the scent is perfect on its own.

For me this perfume has 3 phases- the first phase is 30 min and it smells like gross citrus and amber but my partner loves it. Second phase is about 1 hour and it smells like amber and cedar or patchouli with some leather and tonka coming out. Last phase lasts for 5hours and smells exactly like coty émeraude. Love Shalimar overall, but to get the last phase id rather just wear émeraude. Perhaps it’s différent on others

The initial leather and resin remind me of souks with leather goods. I love resins and this starts with piney, slightly smoky incense, leather and citrus before the smell of classic, powdery, mildly soapy amber and a bit of vanilla take center stage.
Moderate sillage, strong longevity, lasts a full day and more on me.

@Mystères du Château de Dé there is a date selection just before the reviews, in case you need to look at old ones again. Will save you some time :) xx

Today was my first time smelling it. I was very curious, so I got a decant of the vintage formulation. It's not at all what I imagined it to be, though definitely the notes from the description are accurate.

It's a weird scent for sure. Dusty, balsamic, leathery, not at all sweet. Oldschool, as it is supposed to be.

This is so weird. I've had it on me for only about half an hour so far, the vanilla has just kicked in. I'll return with an update later on.

Update: I love the drydown. It's a sort of warm powdery leathery vanilla. I have no idea where I could wear this, but smelling it just for me is very pleasant. This is more like what I initially imagined to be – a clean classy lady from the past.

This wasn't a love at first sniff for me, it has taken me awhile to appreciate it.
The top notes are a mix of sharp citrus with heavy incense and a bit of civet. It is strong and the incense/civet gives an old fashioned feel because this isn't a popular style in new designer perfume releases.

When the citrus settles a bit and the vanilla starts to come through, it becomes a rich and decadent scent. It's warming, cozy but also luxurious and dressy at the same time.
I really don't like leather notes in perfumes, but I don't mind the leather in this.

Best scent ever made. I bought my bottle of EDP four years ago and it’s simply great.

I change scents often, to prevent me from getting used to certain scents and not being able to smell them anymore. Every time I use Shalimar, it surprises me again.

Phantastic creation.

I have both the modern iteration and a vintage bottle from the 60s and they are both beautiful fragrances, however the current one is a bit more sharp and harsh from the citruses whereas the vintage one is absolutely gorgeous, deep, powdery, & rich. The vanilla and leather accord are so devine in both, its no wonder why they are so iconic.

A classic, I love it until the dry down when it becomes too leathery for my taste, so I donated it. Someone will get more enjoyment than me

I prefer the oomph of the EDT although EDP is certainly purr-fect fur-fest lovely. Same deal w/ Chanel No. 5. Project the EDTs out on the town, and exude the EDPs for intimate occasions. The top lasts all of 10 minutes and isn't brilliant, and I wonder how many millions have walk away from perfume counters unpersuaded by these first impressions. Pity.

This is another fragrance that was discounted frequently throughout the Covid Pandemic. The 2016 made 90ml bottle that I'm wearing today cost under $40 in 2021.

Had production stopped? Were shops and distributers clearing out any old stock they could unearth? Réminiscence Patchouli, mentioned by Lovaloo below, was $15!

Prices today are nuts. Shalimar costs $150 in a high street department store this week. It's not worth that price, sorry to say, beloved classic fragrance notwithstanding.

I was curious to see what Fragrantica members wrote about Shalimar in 2016. My lord, it took at least 10 minutes to scroll down to 2016 reviews in this thread. There must be hundreds or thousands of reviews! Clearly Shalimar is important in perfume history, and an example of the art of perfumery. Its heritage impresses fragrance lovers, whether they like it or not. And it's a miracle we can still run to the shop and buy and enjoy such fragrances. But all fragrances are commodities, too.

Sacrilege, Shalimar EDP is wonderful support for contemporary fragrances that lack base.

Got my bottle a couple days ago and not at all what I expected. I enjoy it and will be spending more time with it. I thought I would recognize it from smelling on others but I’m not sure I do. The initial spray is extremely citrusy and juicy, in a limey, pine-solish way. It does smell complex but not in the balanced way I was expecting. I can pick out the individual notes when I think about it, but they all morph into the citrus in a very weird and bold way. I like it. But it is definitely giving alien pine-sol.

I was incredibly eager to try Shalimar Eau de Parfum, as I recently tried the Extrait (modern) for the first time and really love it. I was pretty sure that I would at the very least *really like* the Eau de Parfum; as it turns out, I like it, but it's a far cry from the Extrait.

Shalimar Eau de Parfum has a strong yet ladylike bergamot opening, along with a surprisingly noticeable (though not overwhelming) dose of skank that continues into the drydown, which is quite powdery and not nearly as vanillic as I had anticipated. The Extrait is bright bergamot, powdery iris and lush, creamy vanilla on my skin, with the barest hint of darker notes beneath that never fully emerge. It smells classic without feeling old-fashioned, while the Eau de Parfum does have an "old-fashioned" aura to it. I wish the vanilla came out more on my skin and the animalistic notes didn't, as I had been hoping I could wear this to the office.

At any rate, I do like the Eau de Parfum, even though I'm a little disappointed in it considering how I love the Extrait.

UPDATE:

After wearing the Eau de Parfum several more times...I love it. The skank is still there but far more muted then it was on my first application, and I'm getting more of the plush, smoky vanilla and incense.

I'm rather surprised I love the modern Eau de Parfum so much considering how it's spoken of as if it smells like a cheap watered-down shadow of a thing. I've never tried the vintage stuff but to those who think Shalimar might be right up their ally and feel like they *have* to go vintage, I say, the modern stuff is still masterful.

This is marketed for women but the scent profile is unisex.
Old fashion spicy, citrus animalistic vanilla with musk.
I love this classic frag and the story behind the Shalimar

Very bitter when first applied. After a bit, it smells like 'imperial leather' soap to me. Then a long time after applying it morphs into a nice vanilla smell. It is very long lasting to me, Definetly interesting, layered and worth the reputation but it's not for me - 2/5

on first application, definitely just a blast of oranges that gradually deepens into like…if someone made some vanilla+orange dessert and placed it right next to you, and there was an open can of wood varnish far away on the other side of the room, and a man in a leather jacket were somewhere close by. it’s giving sexy 40-year-old businesswoman in the 80’s. and there’s something sour in it that i can feel in the back of my teeth, that makes me salivate. other people have mentioned a “lemon with powdered sugar on top” smell - i agree.

i never really got the hype with her :. it’s definitely sexy and enjoyable, but definitely also feels dated and too mature for me at 24.

my favorite fragrances highlight something in my personality or vibe or mood that i want projected, but shalimar and i can’t find any common ground. she wants to be at a disco, flashing a dazzling smile and laughing, hair big and permed and shiny, but…that is not really ever what /i/ am trying to express.

i really want to like it. it’s a nice scent. but i can’t make it match me to save my life. i do already know from previous experience that it has a very long life on the skin…i’ll still smell it tomorrow morning (it’s 7pm now). the throw is strong, but not at all overwhelming.

i think i might LOVE it on someone masc. it would be very surprising and intoxicating and addictive on a man. there’s enough leather and wood for it to approach traditional dude scents, but the citrus and vanilla haunting it…oooof. that would be so sexy on a guy, in the way that a man biting his lip with glasses on and a sweater with the sleeves rolled halfway up the forearms is sexy, yknow? something about it..

anyway. !

Well, I guess I'm not destined to love this scent. To me, it smells like Johnson & Johnson baby powder. It eventually mellows down into a more mature powder scent. But if I want to smell like baby powder, I'll just buy a much less expensive container of baby powder and leave this alone. It makes me ponder the process of coming up with the scent for baby powder though and what it actually smells like. Maybe it's a little bit of rose and a hint of cinnamon. I can maybe catch some cedar and vetiver in there. I have to wonder, though, if my perception of this scent is that I got it in a dabber bottle rather than a spray bottle. Maybe it's missing some depth without going through the atomization process.

I later tried layering it with Angels's Share (which I also felt was lacking depth), and suddenly I was in love with both. I think I'll be using the rest of my sample it in the future to mix with other perfumes to add a powdery layer. However, I can't imagine wanting to wear it otherwise.

First time I smelled this I hated it. Straight up cat litter 🐈💩🤢

Over a year later I decided to try again. Purchased a small bottle to play around with: I’ve done a full 180°.
I love it 😍

The difference: DON’T SMELL THIS UP CLOSE RIGHT WHEN YOU SPRAY IT. That was my mistake the first time. Just spray and go!

Initial spray/sniffing the wrist can be jarring. Starts as a very bitter citrus. The sillage however is a stunning & elegant vanilla. Powdery, sweet, smoky vanilla.
I find the same thing with Samsara (also a favorite of mine). Initial spray is bitter citrus, not that nice. But the sillage is the most GORGEOUS sandalwood.

Great longevity & performance.

Shalimar Eau de Parfum smells exactly like spanish bar soaps from the 80s like Heno de Pravia, Nivea or Fa.

Smells like soap. Old, expensive, designer soap.

THE Perfume : for an immortal beauty, it brings with him an heritage, resinous, mysterious, bewitching, obsessive, animal, . I do not think it is a seductive perfume, but just that kind of scent you meet and cannot forget , and want to have some teases for your own pleasure.

This fragrance violates the 1925 Geveva protocol, it's that strong. I can only enjoy it if someone else wears it, it instantly gives me a migraine. It's like the new Devotion from D&G, but very powdery. Opens with lemon, like old English furniture polish, ends with a really nice floral musk. Not bad!

Hmmm, Shalimar left me a bit lukewarm. To my nose, it starts off very gingery and has a strong cinnamon, spicy quality to it. A little while after I got a citronella scent poking through, until it settled into a fairly unimpressive vanilla. On my skin it smells far too sickly sweet. It’s an okay scent, but vanilla has never been my favourite, and after a few hours of wear that’s all I can smell.

Initially it smelt much like a perfume my Nan used to wear which felt nostalgic. That smell didn’t linger long and what I was left with made me a little disappointed. I wasn’t a fan of Mitsouko either, and I’m beginning to wonder if Guerlain isn’t for me. I’ll happily keep trying!

My god, this is incredible.

A burst of citrus quickly gives way to a woody, spicy, dirty powder. And she's pretty pungent for the first couple of hours, the animalic notes are very strong. But it doesn't smell displeasing at all.

It's not hard to see why this stuff has been around for so long - it's beautiful, and it makes a statement unlike anything else on the market today. Originally marketed as a women's perfume, this is perfectly suitable for anyone to wear in this day and age. It's definitely better-suited for colder weather and nights at that, but its brother, Habit Rouge, goes wonderfully in warmer weather.

A true classic that I hope will be around for many years to come. I will have to buy a bottle at some point, and I'd love to try the extrait one day.

Madame Medusa's signature scent! 🧡

I remember the first and only time I bought this perfume back in 2017. It was back when I only bought perfumes for their beautiful bottles and nothing else and Shalimar of course had the most beautiful bottle of all! I loved the Oriental curves of the bottle that makes one think of the Taj Mahal, the beautiful sapphire blue cap that scintilates like a gorgeous gem stone in the afternoon light and the little sweet ribbon around the neck of the bottle.

It's too bad that the fragrance housed inside is almost the opposite of the beauty of the bottle... it's just plain bad! I couldn't get most of the citrus that other people were talking about and instead a smell that reminds me of dusty old spice cabinets and nursing homes. Certainly not very pretty or youthful smelling!

I almost felt like I could smell the notes in reverse in this fragrance, with the woody base notes coming first and a hint of citrus coming last. I wasn't crazy about the dusty vetiver and the earthy patchouli in the heart notes and the opoponax and civet in the base gave this fragrance this very strange, spicy, pungent and fecal smell to the whole composition. The musk then just intensified this feeling and the incense combined with this made it smell like someone had thrown something in a dumpster along with a pair of leather shoes, lit up a match and let it catch fire and then came back and used the remains to make Shalimar.

This perfume transforms from a hate to a dislike though because of what I smell at the very end: the vanilla and the tonka bean combined make this very beautiful and almondy créme brûlée smell with burnt sugar on top. It is sad that Shalimar didn't smell like this from the get-go... that's an oriental fragrance I could get behind!

If I had to say what seasons I think Shalimar make me think of, I'd say fall and winter. I'd also say that it is a night time fragrance and that it is more meant to be worn for formal events and not casual outings so much. I'd also say that this fragrance leans masculine too, despite the fact that it is made for and marketed towards women and comes in a very pretty and feminine bottle.

The sillage for this fragrance could of course stink out a whole room and this fragrance lasted a whopping 14 and a half hours on my skin. Suffice it to say, Shalimar gave me a mighty headache, despite the lovely dry down not doing so on me.

Despite its beautiful bottle, lovely story behind it and its storied history as one of the very first oriental fragrances, I'd give Shalimar by Guerlain a rather unimpressive 3/10.

I attend a high church each Sunday complete with bells and smells. It only makes sense to wear an incense fragrance because everyone emerges smelling of olibanium. I have a large collectiin of perfumes but Shalimar has been my Sunday easy reach for all of September and October.

Shalimar by Guerlain, a fragrance steeped in history and inspiration, indeed possesses an undeniable charm. The very name rolls off the tongue with an enchanting allure. The bottle, elegantly footed, offers a unique touch rarely seen among perfume vessels. Its design invites one's hand to assume a graceful posture, accentuating the aesthetic appeal when the fragrance is sprayed.
However, the fragrance itself ventures into excess. The citrus notes startle with their sharpness, while the vanilla asserts dominance. Leather unveils its primal, animalic facet, and iris takes a powdery turn. Many liken Shalimar to the scent of a bygone era, that of a demanding lady adorned in mink, golden chains, and ostentatious gemstones. In contrast, my preference lies in the radiant elegance of L'Air du Temps by Nina Ricci – my personal favorite when i want to wear a well-known classic Parisian scent with a great history behind

With the release of the newest Shalimar Iris, I decided to try out the original amongst other scents while shopping the other day. Shalimar was a stunner. I kept coming back to it throughout the day. Needless to say I now own the OG Shalimar. Citrus at first, then a stunning vanilla that is tamed by the leather so it doesn’t read juvenile, but elegant instead. There is a real reason this scent has been around forever, and hopefully into eternity.

God the things this fragrance does on my skin. When you first spray this you get a huge burst of citruses, which at first shocked me and left me a bit confused but then I allowed it to dry down and it became such a gorgeous vanilla mixed with a bit of leather and a tiny bit of that animalic touch. I am in my 20s and as a guy I rock this it's just amazing. On me this projects quite well and lasts the whole day when I'm out which is like 8-10 hours.

There are many in depth and good reviews, but to me it straight up smells like granny I'm sorry, this has such intense "I walked into an old persons house" vibes, like the smell of nonenal, that inevitably all people that age end up having, it is so strong

It has a lasting citrus, which is nice, but it's mixed with this old person leather couch/house smell, where some rooms have not been walked into for a long time, and it is quite bitter too. Overall, it is very odd and unpleasant to my nose.

The first time I watched Leone's magnum opus "Once Upon a Time in America" I felt as though I'd sat through three great feature films rolled into one. Emotionally exhausting but profoundly expansive, it put the medium of film into perspective and made many others seem lesser by comparison.

I experience the same feeling when I wear Shalimar. After hours of wear time, whiffs of the stunning base bring to mind Reminiscence's Patchouli (1970). Wearing the legendary Shalimar is like experiencing three great perfumes at once. So incredible it brings tears to my eyes, it elicits a smile and makes me happy to be alive.

Legendary as the tale behind it. It's like a fresh lemony, vanilla-y Turkish delight sprinkled with powdered sugar. I simply adore it and find it addictive. It is so unique and very long-lasting. One of the most memorable scents ever.

I refuse the notion some have that this is an old lady (smelling) scent. It just isn't. It's very uplifting and joyful, but not immature. Maybe that's why people experience it as old lady-ish. It's definitely not targeted towards the youth of the world but it can be worn by anyone in my opinion. It also does not smell old-fashioned. It's very well rounded. A masterpiece.

A classic masterpiece. Citrusy to start with, then resinous and balsamic, and the dry down is musky bitter vanilla. If May smell too recognisable for some. I tried the Millesime vanilla and it’s pretty much the same as the classic, plus some more vanilla than citrus to start with.

What an olfactory luxury this is.

I have had Shalimar in my collection for years (one of the newer formulations, but still), but didn't use it much, honestly. I have always appreciated it but sometimes you need to go through phases until you can appreciate the real beauty of something. Sometimes your tastes completely change. Isn't it the most amazing thing about fragrances anyway?

I opened a thread in the forum looking for inspiration for a fragrance that embodies "flamenco". Yes, flamenco and Shalimar was mentioned several times. Upon finding out that this was one of Lola Flores' signature scents, I had to rush to my perfume shelf.

I can't put into words my emotional state since yesterday. I imagine sitting in a warm, fantastical room covered in gold and surrounded by the most sensual, sexiest incense.

I miss those times when the designer houses blessed us with these timeless classics. Honestly, I find it disrespectful to call Shalimar a "designer" scent. I'm also interested in the niche world, but I must agree with Edinburgh. The bar had already been set so high with these iconic scents. I wish we could go back to those days.

PS: I would love to hunt the vintage formulations, but I'm so afraid that once I go down that way, I will never come back. My poor bank account. Right now dying to get a bottle of Millésime Tonka.

There has been so much said about Shalimar already. So many beautiful "prose" and "poems" written that they could lure one straight into the charms of Shalimar. I don't believe I could add anything new anymore and as I am not a fan of this classic, I don't believe it's worth saying much. Only to record my own personal experience.
Unfortunately, even though I would like to love it very much and there is such a beautiful citrus-amber accord playing in it, somewhere in the background I get smoked meat scent. Yes, that leathery smokiness adds the complexity, the depth, but I can't find a comfortable place around it. There is also a velvety, plush iris very well felt, powdered - yes, powdered - by vanilla. As per usual, Guerlain vanilla is powdery, dry and dusty. However, I appreciate it for what it is, even though it is not for me. Shalimar has been copied and copied by niche brands, imitation is a highest form of flattery, no?

3/10. Men's after shave. I can respect it but I am not wearing it.

I don’t have much to add, this is a classic and a masterpiece in my opinion. I was just reminded the other day how gorgeous the vanilla/vanillin is in Shalimar when my toddler managed to get hold of the bottle and perfumed the rug in her room. It now smells of a softly spicy and slightly animalic vanilla there. Love it

I’ve been holding on to a sample of the EDP for over a year. It’s been quite a journey testing it every few months. Today, I decided to try it again and I put a little on my arm. I finally understand why people love this fragrance. It’s lovely.

I agree with Creamy_ambrette on the Ambre Nuit vibe. I 100% get that when I smell my arm. Looks like I need a decant or small bottle. Amazing.

Opium den enveloped in an amber haze. Rich furs and velvets, steaming hot essential oils. Finely tailored priests vestments and embellished censers. Bare foot pressed to a stone floor that’s as tantalizingly warm and silken as skin. Ripe fruit at a candlelit altar, sweet with the very beginning suggestion of that acidic wine-ish scent that will strengthen as it rots. half harem, half cathedral.

It’s an advanced, snooty fragrance deserving of a fantastical list of images and containing a number of challenging elements by themselves, even more so in conversation with each other. The effect is dense and hypnotic. It’s just musky, just mellow enough to blur out what makes it smoky and acerbic. I had to sit with this one for a bit, I honestly bristled at it initially, but in the end i think i was able to make out a vision of Shalimar.

I just received a 2019 versions of Shalimar EDP. It’s definitely modernized. It’s has the recognizable guerlinade accord- I also smell it in L’homme Ideal EDP - this leathery, powdery, sweet, nutty/cherry vanilla. That’s definitely here along with incense. When I first sniffed it, I instantly thought of Dior’s Ambre Nuit! V Canto Magnificat also came to mind- those two distinctly have rose where Shalimar has this gorgeous Iris and Jasmine. The opening is soft and more of a dry bergamot. It’s tea like. I love how this because abbot sweeter and more leathery as this dries down. I suspect this is quite tame compared to it’s more vintage versions. I have a little 7.5 Parfum de toilette ( that’s what Guerlian called their EDP concentration before there was an EDP) from the early 80’s and I found a gorgeous, sealed, deep amber 3.4 Oz teardrop bottle of the EDT from the mid 70’s that I am very excited to sniff. I’m looking forward to what the different formulas smell like and how time as deepened the fragrance. I can understand why some may not like this but if this is a “grandma” scent I'm happy to be 38 going on 90!

I've always loved the vaguely fungal, slightly mushroomy smell that SHALIMAR in the EDP leaves behind in the folds and cleavages of human flesh: under an arm, the webbings between fingers, the base of a throat, the inner crook of an elbow, the folds of a breast, a belly-button... or on the cuffs of my woolen Aran sweater.

When you've gotten over your demand that perfume must be "clean" and fresh smelling... is when you've graduated to understanding the more advanced ideas of French perfumery...

Definitely emir when souls gets high tried to replicate

anyone else noticed the change with the packaging?
it now looks like the millesime tonka box with the writing
"Shalimar de Guerlain"
anyone have the new packaging and know if there's any difference? or is it just they same with Guerlain being Guerlain and just changed the box like they do with everything?

Yuck… smells a bit weird and vintage. Definitely not my taste but once tested, it lasted for many hours.

Among others like Jicky, L’Heure Blue, Mitsouko, so on, I have 3 bottles of my favorite Guerlain, Shalimar: an EDT which dates to the 80s, an EDP which I bought in 1990 at release, and Legere (not blue Eau Legere) bought in 2003 and now discontinued. To my nose, none of these beautiful perfumes bear any sort of poop or pee note. Yes, Shalimar was sharply mossy at first but it mellowed, the vanilla deepened as vanilla does. Maybe it’s a result of aging, but it now smells of glorious vintage vanilla, a pound cake laced with wafts of lemon and incense. I think it matters greatly if you’re smelling and consequently reviewing juice created in the past few years. I treasure mine because they’ve aged wonderfully. I’ll often place just a small squirt over scents like Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille, Xerjoff’s Lira, Nishane Ani or Byredo’s Vanille Antique, especially since this latter one is impossible for me to wear alone but becomes magical with the Guerlain. Shalimar transforms these high quality vanillas into something verging on celestial. I’m not exaggerating. And many of the reviews here echo such a wonderful experience with it. My final thought is that as with all these old fragrances, the vintage Shalimar is something unique. It makes all the difference. I feel sad for the world’s future generations that the classic, milestone fragrances in perfume history like this are being altered and erased forever. And as we move forward in time, they become even more scarce. I hope one day they will be restored.

I’m 36/m , and this is a part of my collection, if I had to choose 1 to keep for the rest of my life this would be it, opens with Smokey-ish citrus, drys down into a powdery vanilla wood, love it. Great projection and longevity.

Well, what to say aboit this.....
I will warn you not to read it if you like this....fragrance.
She lives in a shackle, is a widow, children are all grown and out. She's been living alone for some time, lots of husbandry to be made around the house. Theres a wood on the ouskirts, some animals sometimes come at night to steal the food of the pet cats.
One day the lady stepped on some dry old poo, probably a racoon. The feces is smeared on the old wood paviment, she tries to clean it. The smell is repulsive, so she grabs some old baby powder and pours all over the cleaned floor, in an attempt to better the stench. Does not work so well, so she sprays a floral toilette freshner over it, copious amounts. There. Even thou the smell lingers, Its not a room she goes often, so she leaves it that way.
I am trying to picture Guerlain making this perfume. "A little bit of Orange, a bit of rose and íris, a little bit of this and that. Hmmm wait, somethings missing. Let me just add some poo. There. Voilà!".
Why? Seriously, why? I am sorry, I don't mean to offend anyone, but this review is not as offensive as the parfum itself. Horrible smell.
Don't know how this is a Classic.

Smoky...nothing more, nothing less. On my skin it smells very pleasant, but it only lasts a couple of hours at max. I don't detect the animalic nor the citric notes. 0 floral, 0 powdery...just sheer, bottled smokiness. And I really enjoy it.
I'll try to layer it with Initio High Frequency and see if Shalimar gets some of the almond sweetness of High Frequency and viceversa, if High Frequency gets slightly darker...

'To Sherlock Holmes she is always 'the' woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex...' (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes -1892)

Conan Doyle's enigmatic Holmes, with his (for once) not so aloof observations about the equally mysterious and painfully clever, Irene Adler, was penned over thirty years before Shalimar was created.

But for me, Shalimar is 'the' woman.

The fact that one thing, in this case a fragrance, can beguile not just an individual, but millions almost a full century after its creation and after seemingly uncountable changes 'is' her history.

There she is. The woman.

Matronly and rigid. Sensual and carefree. Dryly sweet and heady but served with a coldness that's a paradox to her radiating warmth. There's safety in her danger, she's the rush of air after stepping off the ledge. Having had the urge to do so your whole life but always stopped. Knowing it would be the end.

But when the end has to come, let it be her.
Let me quiver in her majesty just another moment before I lose her forever.
Because I knew all along that she could never truly belong to anyone.

The history behind this scent is almost enough to buy a bottle. It is complex, it is warm and spicy with citrus, well rounded - I really do appreciate the scent. Smelling it 6 hours upon spraying it feels like a warm hug from someone you love. I won't buy a bottle because I wouldn't know what occasion I would use it, but I would love to spray in in the perfume shop just to indulge in a smell that's not wearable for me. As I said; I appreciate the artistry of this magnificent fragrance.

I adore Shalimar. It smells like a burned chocolate-lemon-almond cake that you are having in a smoky coffee shop.
I wear the perfume all year round and often reach for it for its mysterious aura and luxurious other-worldly feel.

𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐝

The innovative use of ethylvanillin, a synthetic vanillin derivative, along with bright bergamot introduced a creamy popsicle accord uptop, melted with an animalic castoreum base which engages in a leathery, buttery furr accord mixed with human skin. This intricate dance of the amber-animalia duet created an unforgettable sensory experience back then, cementing Shalimar's status as a groundbreaking composition for modern perfumery. One of the few important fragrances that still has its formulation decently preserved, even tho I prefer the pre-2000s batches(due to the amped castoreum and ambergris) of Parfum and EDT; the EDP is sweeter and more gourmand centric keeping true to its name. Among the different iterations, I prefer the EDT most, then Eau de S. and EDC in order.

SHALIMAR FOREVER. She takes you by the hand and leads you out behind the Salvation Army depot, down to her courtyard by the river, where you see the Promised Land. She doesn't speak the language, and she holds no currency; she is surrounded by the sounds of the angels in the architecture, spinning in infinity. You want to travel with her, you want to travel blind, because you've touched her perfect body in your mind. You could spend the night beside her, while she feeds you tea and oranges, but just when you mean to tell her that you have no love to give her, she gets you on her wavelength, and she let's the river answer that you've always been her lover. You imagine staying here with her forever, but you know she belongs to another place in time, and you slip beneath her wisdom in your mind.

-- mash-up of Leonard Cohen & Paul Simon lyrics.

I just don't get it and that annoys the fuck out of me. All I get is an old leather handbag that's packed with stale fags, makeup/powder, bingo markers and dust. A minging stink. I wish I could experience what others do. The way some describe Shalimar as creamy, intoxicating, rich vanilla etc makes me jealous and I wish I could experience it the way they do.

I think I might be cursed.

Shalimar is a classic, a timeless fragrance and triumph of perfumery. Guerlain is a fantastic house, creating a whole slew of diverse and well-crafted, well-performing fragrances, all different but sharing that distinct, ethereal "Guerlain" DNA. I wanted to love this iconic fragrance. At first, I got that beautiful, airy, fairy-like citrus, floral and green blend in the opening. Then as soon as it settled, Shalimar became animalic, startlingly so, on my skin.

I blame the base notes. Unfortunately my skin doesn't react well to certain animalic or oriental notes. Incense makes perfumes smell dirty and harsh on my skin, and there was a slightly garbage, fecal quality that I found appalling–I found out civet was one of the base notes, which explains it all. Needless to say, I cannot wear this classic of perfumery. My disappointment is immeasurable. But I cannot deny it's a fabulous and well-crafted scent.

more complex than how im about to describe it but on the surface it starts off as lemon + balsamic, resinous vanilla…maybe like musc ravageur (with less of the kitchen cabinet spices) + bergamot. Definitely on the animalic side, not the Nishane Ani type lemon + borderline-gourmand warm vanilla. The dry down does a full 360 and is straight up talcum powder- i can see why people think its dated, the incensiness is defo giving vintage, slightly mature

i remember the opening catching me off-guard, the animalic vanilla+lemon combo is a little off on my skin, it smelt like it had gone bad…when i smelt my arm 45 mins later the talcum powder dry down was good because i love powder, but for those who dont this may not be blind buy safe

Oh boy, this is a hard one. Upon spray, I do get sharp citrus, which is fine. Then there is this burnt oriental medicine smell; maybe like leather is burning. This throws me off. It does not repel me, but it does not entice me either. And this phase lasts awhile.

In the background, very softly I get a beautiful powdery floral, perhaps jasmine and rose. This soft scent is very lovely. I also definitely get vanilla.

Over time, the weird burning smell slowly goes away. But it still dominates, and I am somewhat having difficulty with it.

I need to wait longer to see how it totally dries down.

I would probably need to test it out during colder months. I feel like this is more of a winter rather than summer scent.

Despite this first blast of hard scent, it’s a keeper for a serious collector. It’s unique. I am hoping the burnt medicine smell gets mellowed more quickly and blended with the beautiful floral vanilla.

It is complex for sure; unlike anything I have smelled.

A couple of hours later, I am quite liking it after the hard initial edge wears off while somehow the burnt medicine is transformed into friendlier spicy incense for character and structure. Definitely not boring!

Bonus: artistic bottle.

I blind bought this based on reviews and a good price and it was a good one (choice)! I have used it a lot in the mornings and it's really comfortable to wear. It is just beautiful to me. It smells clean but floral and i feel put together and confident and spiritually ready for my day. I think I'm getting used to it so I've been trying my others more.

I’ve never gotten the “old lady” reference to this perfume. Shalimar EDP is a timeless icon. I am crazy for the sensual, suede-like, powdered nuances but the composition also feels somewhat creamy at the same time. Bright and dark, light and shadows. Somehow Shalimar manages to be in perfect paradox. Reserved for those who take their time to truly understand her. She’s a captivating, complex enigma… but I don’t understand why she is deemed “hard to love” sometimes.

The balance of beautiful leather and vanilla make this smoky sweet but not gourmand. A man could wear this brilliantly, in fact, I try to get my husband to wear it, it smells delightful on his skin. I could honestly eat Shalimar albeit not a gourmand but it’s rich, decadent, sultry, thick, delicious… wears beautifully with the extrait, just so good. Exquisite perfumery and still holds true in her current formulation albeit vintages tend to be more dense and resinous, every age of Shalimar shines.

Compared to the vintage extrait, the modern edp is in excellent shape. It still has the rubbery, smoky and powdery qualities; The notes are also slightly less blended, or more distinct.

Fantasy fragrance league!

Shalimar Pour Homme "Jahan"

What if - to celebrate the centenary of Shalimar  - Guerlain decided to introduce a suitor to the Queen Empress Shalimar?

A scandal surely but I already detect a bit of barbershop Brut in the opening of Shalimar Millesime Tonka! 

Shock horror outrage in the great perfume salons of Paris  - not that there are any today!

Try this bit of olfactory alchemy  - I think it works! Blend Shalimar with Jovan Sex appeal and check out the result!

I wrote to Guerlain with my idea but so far not a whisper from Thierry or Delphine!

Bought a 5ml vial because this is one of the most revered classics ever! And let me tell you, not a safe blind buy! But over time, I learned to love this! Went to my local department store and Guerlain didn't offer this classic! Also when I visited Taiwan and South Korea, they seem to sell the acqua allegoria line only. When I finally went to Paris, I made sure I was going home with a bottle! And here are my thoughts, bc I'm completely spellbound by this gem!:

At first sniff, you get citrusy (imagine lemon drops) and Citronella (weird but it's what comes to mind). CREAMY notes. Vanilla. Makes it almost gourmand-y. Musky. Especially as it dries down over the hours. But it's musk is warm and sexy kind of way. Powdery!! Beautiful, complimenting-with-the-other-notes, powdery. Leathery, animal-y. Like it's made for the skin, to smell like a human's natural scent. SPICY! Can't point out which spices tho. And somewhere DEEEEP in those complicated mix, there hides a beautiful whirling incense SMOKE! Absolutely a wonder how it all works despite being a random concoction of flavors! Deserves it's classic status IMO.

Acquired taste; behold first-timers! It will have to grow on you. Or maybe, if it's meant to be, it'll be love at first sniff!

I hope to buy the extrait soon, when I can afford to :)

Complete fragrance novice, but we ought to start somewhere right?

It's an instantaneously recognizable scent. To me, it smells old-time. Powdery stage welcomes vanilla and amber as the main act, together, embraced, they can even warm the coldest of patrons. Citrus missed rehearsal.

Marketed as female-exclusive but I find it more female-inclined.
I can see why some people love it, but to everyone's surprise, it's not really for an early 20s hotshot. Who knew?

Shalimar is in many ways a perfect - if not my favourite - fragrance. Classic and refined (not old fashioned please!) heady and mysterious, slightly on the 'dark side' and perfectly at home on either gender. It has the same feel as Jicky; slightly animalic, but in a good way, and on me, the vanillic notes are not that strong and the florals not too sweet. Shalimar reminds me of many of the 'masculine' floral fragrances of the 1990's in that it shuns bright citruses in favour of deeper, more woody, leathery notes making it perfectly unisex. It is a fragrance that like all artistically composed scents, has some (by today's rather lame standards) challenging aspects, but no serious connoisseur should be without this in their collection. Shalimar not only rewards your attention, but demands it, the bottle design is beautiful too! The house of Guerlain in my humble opinion, are the purveyors of some of the highest quality, interesting and beautiful fragrances ever made.

I was finally able to try this after a long period of wanting to! Loving Shalimar is quite literally in my family history, so I was sure it would be love at first sniff for me. It's a very comforting scent, but on my skin the dry-down is overwhelmingly powdery with essentially nothing else. I do like it, and it smells very vintage and lovely, but I don't think I'll ever purchase it. Not a safe blind buy, although it's a classic!

my first impression, with no knowledge of what the notes were supposed to be:
on the first spray i was hit with a very BITTER wood. like, so bitter that i could feel it in the back of my throat. on my skin it then became less bitter and more incense-y, and then fully dried down to incense. i definitely don't get any citrus or florals.

to my nose, this is perfectly genderless despite being marketed towards women.

one of the points in the cons list says that this is difficult to wear in all occasions. i disagree, this would be a great signature scent for the right kind of person. (as long as it is sparingly applied.)

the longevity is great, i washed my hands twice after applying and went to bed and i could still smell it when i woke up.

Oh Shalimar, I'm so sad that you don't work on me! This review is based on a spritz on my arm at a department store counter. I'm not sure if it was the EDP or the EDT.

From the notes, I 'should" love Shalimar, but it turned into a sickly vanilla on me. I guess my body chemistry doesn't work with it.

For those who it does work for, enjoy! To me, this is a cool/cold weather fragrance, but if you want to wear it in warm weather, go ahead. I'd say spray it lightly for daytime, or office wear, and I wouldn't wear it anywhere where you're going to sit close to people.

I wouldn't call it a safe blind buy, or a good gift, unless you know the recipient's taste, and/or that they'd appreciate an expensive, classic French fragrance. And it is that - one of the "greats."

Edit: I bought a decant of the EDP from Surrender To Chance to try it again. It was better this time, but I only got powder and sandalwood from it. Nothing wrong with either of those - I like powder - but I'm disappointed that I didn't get the other notes other people mention.

It's very hot where I live, so I'm going to try this again in cold weather. I've found that some fragrances can smell very different on me at different times of year.

I just wish it worked on me!

Cozy, winter time perfume. It’s cold outside and the snow is falling. Women enjoying nice desserts and relaxing drinks in warm, festive, Christmas decorated luxurious hotel lobby.
Very fine, upper class, sweet ( but not in today’s terms ), fireplace like perfume.

This reminds me of the smell of the pool, specifically the pool in childhood, not adulthood. I think the reason for that is, in childhood our swimming caps were dusted with talcum powder so they didnt stick to our hair when wrestling them on. This smells exactly like that powder to me, with some light airyness, its quite nice but not full bottle worthy for me.

Shalimar is a work of art.
You may even dislike it.
But whatever reaction you have, be it endearing love (as myself) or hatred; only adds to its quality as a work of art.
It causes big reactions. It’s thunderous. It’s historical.
And it’s one of the loves of my life.

This is strong leather, incense, civet, and dried oranges. It's very strong. The vanilla comes through more prominently after 30 minutes and the fragrance becomes softer, but still punchy. Definitely spray this 30 minutes before going anywhere so it can allow the vanilla to shine through and soften up a bit. This is a "close the business deal" fragrance. It's serious, decisive, tough. This is not a date night fragrance or sexy fragrance. It's a weapon in the business world, like pantsuits and pearls.

I’m sorry but this stuff smells like petroleum or burnt tires with something in the background that could be amazing .. I wish I liked it because the lasting power is amazing and so is the sillage .. but I feel nauseous right now.. I’m gifting this to my bestie since she likes it

Guerlain Shalimar (1925) - classical amber - what has not been said about this famed #jacquesguerlain creation? Citrus Bergamot opening with an Amber heart mixed with Guerlain’s florals, Vanilla and animalic musks. A universal and timeless masterpiece - gents should try this before buying new-age ambers from niche brands. Reminds me of worn-in leather jackets, rooty cedar trees and freshly turned earth, and my visit to #tajmahal

I am puzzled about Shalimar. I love powdery scents, and this is truly a oriental, powdery bomb. And I see why it is a classic, it's definitely unique and ahead of its time. But it falls in that grey zone where I can't decide if it smells too vintage or not.

I usually prefer light and citrusy perfumes, but I've started to enjoy more complex scents with woody or oriental notes. I don't like sweet or strong patchouli, incense, or smoky scents because they give me headaches. Powdery and musky perfumes can also turn too sweet on my skin. Despite this, I decided to try Shalimar after reading many positive reviews, and it turned out to be a great experience.

Although some people might think it smells like an "old lady" perfume, I love the blend of powdery vanilla, creamy sandalwood, and other notes. The leather and incense scents are very subtle, and the rose and iris notes bring out a feminine and soapy quality that I adore. I instantly fell in love with this perfume, which is rare for me with complex scents.

However, I would caution people who don't like heavier perfumes or powdery and patchouli scents to try it out first before buying.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫 ✨

It’s vintage inspired; a breath of Shalimar Gardens entangled in an aesthetically pleasing bottle…

Shalimar EDP by Guerlain ~
The one perfume made me hold my breath just because I wasn’t expecting this to be unbelievably beautiful! (Total blind buy).
The vanilla, patchouli, woody, powdery notes and sandalwood notes are more prominent for me; and I get why Sebastian Furtado was raving about this one! This has easily became my signature scent topping off the Chanel coco Mademoiselle.

My grandmother (RIP) had purchased several of Shalimar over the years, and so did my mom (RIP). It's a classic, and a Guerlain masterpiece. Wear during cooler weather, because it's a beast. LOVE!!!!

Unfortunately, this doesn’t work with my skin at all. All I can smell is, well, soap. :(

@angeldevil…I just love your review, it’s so beautiful! What a truly wonderful story. I love Shalimar too.
As Soulfully Yours wrote back in 2018, in her review much further down, “It’s not just a perfume, it is an experience.” That sums it up perfectly!
It’s an enduring and gorgeous classic for a very good reason! ♥️🥰

Leather cologne with good performance.
Civet does something wonderful in combo with the vanilla in the drydown.
The powder-y phase is very short.
Perfectly unisex.

I ordered a sample of it mainly because I liked the packaging. I'm a beginner to the fragrance industry. First spray came off ridiculously strong, it then died down a bit and felt a bit too mature. Like others have stated it gives off the smell of baby powder. Yeah definitely not for me and I would not buy the full bottle of it.

I smelled Shalimar for the first time ever a couple of days ago. There's a local perfume shop right across where I live, I've always wanted to go there but I, as a fairly socially awkward person, avoided it. That's until I took a peek inside and saw they had some Guerlain classics I've always wanted to sniff.

The owner of the shop is an older woman, she greeted me very warmly. I got to it and sniffed all the fragrances I've always wanted, but there was one missing, and that was Shalimar. Thinking this yet again wasn't my time for that, I was going to thank the lady and leave. But that's when she approached me and asked me if I personally liked Guerlain. We started chatting about our shared interest in perfumery for a bit, until I took a chance and asked ''Do you have Shalimar?''

Her face lit up and she said ''No not here, but I'll go check in the back for you.'' I waited until she came back with a bottle of this beautiful perfume and sprayed it on paper for me to sample. Then she told me: the bottle wasn't from the shop, it was her own bottle. Vintage. From her personal collection.

I was so, so happy really I can hardly describe it. I guess she saw that on my face and asked if I wanted to sample on skin, took my arm, and sprayed my wrist. We kept talking. About perfumes she had on her shop, national brands, her own life and customers, along other things for quite a while. It got dark outside, and she gave me some sample decants to take home and we both thanked each other for the quality time together, and headed home.

I really can't describe how happy I was. This lady was so kind to me, and I don't even know her name! At least yet.

Shalimar is, honestly, everything I hoped it was. The reviews made no exaggeration, it's incredible. The citrus opening, the flowers enveloping the citrus, the vanilla and incense dry down that smells divine. I went to sleep, and after I woke up, the incense and leathery notes on my wrist were still there. I would call it a masterpiece, but I feel like my youth and little experience in this fragrance world doesn't make me worthy of that yet.

What I can say for sure is, it's ageless. Timeless. I don't normally share my age online, I'm a young adult. My age still ends in teen. I love Shalimar. The lady I talked to, a much older woman than me, said that was her go-to scent most of her life, and that she treasures the current bottle she has. She loves Shalimar. We both love Shalimar.

I'm not sure why this made me quite emotional I confess. Maybe the kindness of the lady, maybe the perfume itself owning up to all my naïve expectations, maybe the feeling of connection with other women throughout time because of love for a particular perfume. Maybe all of it. Maybe something more. I just know it did. I will treasure that day, that lady, and this perfume on my mind for as long as I can. Until one day, another young girl might ask me ''Do you have Shalimar?''

At first, I regretted purchasing this perfume. It felt too jasmine and powdery. So I gave it away to my mom. Few months later when I visited home she wore it for an event. I loved the fragrance whenever she walked by, the perfume grew over me. Since then, I have fallen for this perfume.

So am i crazy, bc I was expecting this perfume to be overwhelmingly strong bc of the reviews.. and it is not on my skin. I smell citrus and rubber for a minute when I spray. The bergamot and vanilla for about half hour and then nothing. Like, if I press my nostril up to my wrist, I sorta smell subtle vanilla... but like... no projection. No lasting power? I like the faint smell I can smell, but wtheck this is meant to be a one of 2 spray edp, and I'm dousing myself and can't smell anything in a half hour. Sad!


Edit: ive worn this as a layering perfume during the hotter days this summer and I find I get a bit more gusto from it. It still starts as citrus and rubbery smoke(which I oddly like haha) but I Def get more time from the vanilla-spicy dry down in the heat. I just don't know why this scent doesn't really Blume on my skin.

The opening burst of Shalimar is like the moment when the musicians of an orchestra are tuning their instruments, just before the maestro raises her baton and the first chord of a symphony is struck.

So it begins its journey, movement after movement, from sharp citrus and mellow florals all the way through the incense transition into the concluding flambéed vanilla.

A night of debauchery, a spiritual ritual, a romantic date.

A walk around Pigalle, the sight of Notre-Dame, a stroll on Champs-Élysées.

Beautiful, majestic and legendary.

This is such an earthy vibe! I feel like I'm in a Wes Anderson movie when I smell this... as it evokes all of those 70s warm colors. I like that the vanilla isn't strong in this one, unlike the EDT. You can tell Shalimar EDP is quite a sophisticated mix of notes yet they all integrate very nicely.

I'm in my mid 30s and I feel like my life isn't quite as peaceful and deeply spiritual yet as I'd like, as I'm still trying to figure out some things. But once I have that stable, consistent structure that will allow me to open up and dive more deeply into my spiritual side, I will revisit this. Maybe in my 40s and 50s.

What an absolutely beautiful scent. So powerful but in such a natural (yet earned) way.

Unforgettable, original, strong. This perfume is fatale, dark and dominant. Has a rich, luxory aura...

I sense patchouli and iris the most, on my skin is very leathery and almost masculine. Civetone gives it quite animalic hint. Surprisingly vanilla is mild.

I am not a kind of person to wear it but I admire the composition. Not easy to like but Shalimar seduces to explore its aroma again and again...

I know this is a classic scent that every serious perfume collector should have in their arsenal, which I did at several points in my life, but to be perfectly honest I don’t like Shalimar despite trying to force myself over the years. All I smell is baby powder & throw up! Maybe it just doesn’t work with my body chemistry!

It is not my usual go for scent. I am / was more like a light airy, aldehidic, green, citrusy tipe . Although lately in the last few years i started to like and wear more woody , orient like scents, or perfumes with complex base notes after drieing down. If i am wearing my regular citrusy airy, light perfumes i will get bored with them fast and i rather not wear anything. Sweet perfumes are a big no-no for me and i also do not like strong pachouli, incensi or smokey perfumes. I got irritated and nauseous , and i get a headache from them.I also am very cautious with powdery and musky perfumes because everything turns sweet on my skin, and again sweet scents are not for me. Shalimar was a bling buy after reading a billion reviews and it has been the nicest positive blind buy experience ever happened to me so far. I can understand why many people say that this fragrance is an old lady fragrance, because it is classy, has that vintage perfume/ smell vibe. And yes if someone is not giving it time will not like it. I have to admit that 10 years ago, or when i was younger, i would hate this perfume, the same way i hated chanel no 5. , or other vintage perfumes. I would say that it smells like old lady pachouli and it is disgusting. But my taste changed a lot with time . And my skin also changed a lot, it reacts different with the perfumes i used to wear as a young adult , and these types of " old lady" perfumes started to smell good on me. Maybe i am also starting to be an old lady 😂😂😂

I don't feel the citruses/ lemons that many people describe. The first thing that hits me is the powdery vanilla, soft creamy sandalwood scent. A very interesting mixture of these smells, every note in it is incredibly good and they blend together very nicely, they complete each other, fit together. The vanilla softens the patchouli scent and the sandalwood seems to harmonize and blend them and the other notes together . The leather and incense scents are very, very discreet, i do not smell it directly . After drie dow the rose and iris come out, and bring out the powderiness and soapiness of the perfume wich makes the whole effect incredibly feminine and creamy. It was love at first sniff. It is very, very rare for me to like a perfume instantly after sniffing and trieing out , not haveing to get used to it, especially with a complex perfume like this one.For me it usually takes time, and i have to wear a perfume a few days/ weeks till i start to really like them.But this one is just different. Despite everything, I have to say that this is not a blind buy at all. If someone does not like complex and a bit heavier perfumes or pachouli and powdery scents try it out firs befor buying it and give it time.

I like to wear Shalimar on dark and rainy days - the mystery perfectly fits the mood.

Being rejected by Shalimar stings terribly. Makes me feel deeply flawed that I cannot appreciate its legendary splendor. I've given it every opportunity/season/sobriety level to make peace, it just won't. No baby powder, no vanilla, no sexiness, no smoke. One note just blares out through the drydown - tarry phenol. That horrid preservative scent that can permeate a room from a drop of tuberculin, or insulin. I want a frag to take my mind somewhere fun, Shalimar wants to take me to work. Beyond jealous for those that love it.

I usually go for light, airy scents, but this one is rich, gold, think a bedazzled soirée back in time and I live for it!

It’s a time capsule, but by no means “old lady”. It also reminds me a bit of the incenses my Indian and Chinese friends sometimes burn, a powderiness about it. My beau doesn’t like it for this exact reason, it reminds him of prayer time each time he visits the temple or when his family burns incense in the altar. I find it quite nice actually, because it’s not too cloying (unless oversprayed). Challenging at first, but beautiful once you’ve learnt to appreciate it.

Usually, I dislike powdery scents (especially cloyingly sweet ones), but the sharp spice and incense makes this one a lot more amicable to my nose. It opens very strong with the citrusy incense and musky leather, which I love, and slowly evolves into a dominant powder, perhaps the iris. On my skin it’s incense-y, strong with patchouli and pepper which dries down to a fine, natural vanilla-y powder, and on my clothes it’s more citrusy which also dries down to a stronger vanilla powder than on my skin, lasts around 4-5 hours when mildly applied, but half a day when i properly spray it. It’s pleasant, and though doesn’t cling to my skin as much as Samsara does (I wish it did though; Samsara stays on my skin but I dislike it), it’s stays on my clothes for days. It works beautifully on cooler days and in the night, and if only sprayed very mildly (2 sprays), is also not too cloying in a big air-conditioned office, but heaven forbid you wear this when you’re going to walk/sweat a lot, or go to a hot place, it will overwhelm your senses!

It’s a bit strong so it’s not something I would spray on my pillow or bedsheets (I do that with light fragrances), but definitely something I wear to a local cultural celebration or themed dinner (I wore it to our Arabian themed one), or when I wish to feel a bit more beguiling in a classical manner. Between the two powerhouse fragrances I own, this is a scent closer to home compared to Chanel CC Mlle Intense which smells beautiful but evokes this sense of it being foreign (western) to our Malaysian noses. It’s quite polarising because while a lot like this smoky, spicy scent, some find it too cloying or prayer-like in our local context. Sometimes I layer it with a tuberose perfume to add a floral note, but since both are strong, I have to do only two sprays of each (total of 4), to balance it out and not make it overly cloying, and one smells very oriental and floral all day.

I was very tempted to blind buy this, but of course I prefer to be careful when curating my fragrances. I managed to find it in Parkson’s at Gurney Plaza in Penang, and surprisingly, I liked it a lot. But it took a while to find a shop that sold the original fragrance for a more affordable price, because some places have a steep markup. I am very happy to own this fragrance, and it will be a staple for a very long time!

The bergamot and leather didn’t work for me but my friend loves it, so I gave it to him :) However, the dry down is immaculate it’s non gourmand leaning vanilla that lasts forever! Wish I could make it through the opening but it takes hours to get there :(
9/10 just not on my skin

I smelled this the first time on my coworker at my previous employer. On her it smelled really nice, like smooth vanilla/baby powder so I actually blind bought it for myself after smelling it on her..well, it just didn't work out for me. I think it's the leather in it. My skin doesn't like leather scent and it came off rather more dirty and masculine on me. What I got was leather/baby powder and a dirty musk note. So sad it wasn't a hit with my chemistry.

Shalimar to me is perfection, a masterpiece that I’m surely not worthy of wearing. I have other fragrances that I quite enjoy but I’m sure I only wear them so that when I apply Shalimar the next day I can say wow, you are so beautiful and I missed you.

For a woman who knows her worth beyond her beauty, her scent doesn’t say “look at me” (but heads will undeniably turn…)

But that is besides the point. This scent is for her.

This is an alpha woman scent. An animalic barnyard-vanilla elixir with a slight citronella tinge … that is somehow enchanting ? You smell this on a woman and think what in the heavens is she thinking? The risk she takes and carefree nature makes you drawn to know her.

It still blows my mind that a perfume this beautiful and strange really exists -- and has existed for almost a hundred years. Like others, I experience it as totally unisex, with that leather butching up the amber and vanilla. (I was going to write "non-gendered," but that suggests identity, and Shalimar makes me think more about desire than identity, so let's go with "unisex.") I'm still waiting for someone to come up to me and say "Excuse me, but are you wearing Shalimar?" -- it hasn't happened yet because my peer group isn't fragrance-obsessed like me -- and I will say, with love, "I sure am!"

This smells good on some people and horrible on others... it's a no for me.

So far I have only the micro-mini bottle which is bewitching me even though the stopper is tightly closed. Every time I pause to get close to it on the shelf it seems to exist in an aura of Magic. Reminiscent of the Northern Lights, it Beguiles, ever changing, revolving countless indescribable whispers of a transcendent Beauty. Yes, I have fallen in Love with it's mystical personality. I hesitate to put it on my common skin. Perfume, I believe, is how a Woman aspires to express the inner Beauty of Her Soul.

Shalimar by Guerlain is one of the best perfumes I have ever used so far. It lives up to its description and the way the ingredients are mixed to give us a genuine insight into the glorious India and its rich culture.
I absolutely love it !

I tried to love this but I think I just don't like the vanilla. It's a very realistic vanilla and very good quality you can tell, but it's so nauseating with incense, it gives this vibe that you're at a cathedral or church but in the old times like maybe 17th century. The powderiness mixed with this realistic vanilla is also nauseating, as though you bit into a sickly sweet cake that makes your stomach just hurt and gives you chills. Not saying this is comparable to cake, as I said the vanilla is not a sugary sweet vanilla, but much more realistic which is a bit... weird. It's unique for sure, but not sure who would want to smell like luxurious vanilla extract (maybe some do?). The opening with the lemons, citruses, of course it doesn't last and changes after a couple minutes to the vanilla on me, and then incense, but it still lingers there in the background, and to me it's kind of like an intruder. What are you doing here? Doesn't mix well with the other notes, and it's like I have this sickly powdery nauseating vanilla and the citrus hanging out there and I just want to throw up. The incense gives me Jesus Christ era cathedral/church religious vibes, and I don't like it. Not for any personal beliefs or anything AT ALL, but because it's just not a vibe? It just isn't. It's not glamorous to me, it's not pure luxury or a vibe like Eau du Soir or Chanel n5/ Madame Rochas where you think oh yeah this smells vintage but it smells like a real mature woman who's not to be fucked with. It has a really creepy vibe on me, almost scary honestly. A really dark old church from old ancient times where weird shit happened. And somebody blew out the incense, and left and the smell lingered in the building, that's Shalimar. I tried to love you I just couldn't, we weren't made for each other I guess. I'm kinda sad about that.

My first bottle of Shalimar, a Christmas gift. I'm getting to know her this morning. I am so excited to have this scent in my collection.

Three years ago, I wanted to try Shalimar because of the glowing reviews. I bought a used 100 ml bottle of an edp albeit half full. It took me a while to warm up to it. To my untrained nose, the leather is too strong. I set it aside. After trying tons of vintage minis mostly 80s powerhouses, I warmed up to it. The warm woody notes, vanilla, incense, etc. in the dry down is to die for. My bottle is almost empty. I bought a replacement but alas it was a newer formulation and I didn't like it. It took me 6 months looking for a bottle made the same year as my first bottle. It is now on its way and I am so excited waiting for its arrival.

Love shalimar classic powder, reminds me of heaven sent for some reason

Reaching the summit of the mountain named Shalimar is a journey in and of itself alone. It’s when the magic has happened. The stars have aligned. The training wheels have finally come off. And so worth the effort it took to get there.

“If she's amazing, she won't be easy. If she's easy, she won't be amazing. If she's worth it, you wont give up. If you give up, you're not worthy. ... Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for.” — Bob Marley

Yes, she is challenging at first, but so worth the wait. She is polarizing, for good reason, because she’s amazing.

Guerlain needs poetry to describe their scents. Shalimar is a potion that captures hundret years of womanhood. Dark Vanilla and citruses, mature sweetness and sharp nostalgic undefined secretive ingredient...

Have wanted to add this to my collection forever but hesitated because of the civet note. Finally decided to purchase since I found Sephora.com carries it and can return if necessary. Not necessary. Delicious bright citrus, vanilla and leather w/no animalic stink. Love st first spray.

I love this. I find myself reaching for it as my bedtime scent, playing up the tonka or vanilla by layering with solinote tonka or any vanilla-forward fragrance like lavanila vanilla or Kayali vanilla 28. It’s clean, it’s sophisticated, it lasts for a good 6-8 hours on me and makes my bedsheets smell luxurious.

Oh, my God. No hymn can warship Shalimar enough. Shalimar is metaphysical and animalistic, down to Earth and esoteric at the same time, like attending a mass with excessive use of incense drowned in vanilla. Shalimar is downright religious. Fulfilled with the Gregorian coral, though inspired by a Hindu love story. Above all, it manages to be elegant. L'élégance par excellence. It is art and science in perfect liaison. There is nothing too much and nothing too few in it. You put on Shalimar and just wait for what it will spoil you with in the next moment. And the moments go on and on. It is getting better by the minute. Time is nothing to Shalimar, neither on the skin nor to its age. It is simply made for eternity, never out of date, never too young, never too old. Because it is timeless. The depth and number of layers that most Guerlain perfumes have is endless. The multidimensionality of Shalimar is incredible. What a genius created it and what a masterpiece he created. It is hard for me to choose my favorite. Is it Shalimar or Insolence? But one thing is sure. I am a Guerlain girl.

We can talk about Shalimar forever, but to me it's a no. The interesting bit is the actual u-turn this fragrance performs from citrus to pure incense. I see why this may be a very relevant example in perfumery but no, on my skin this is like a long forgotten wooden pantry.

I've tested it years ago but it wasn't anything I would like to add to my collection. Years went by and I got to know many fragrances. Lately I've tested Shalimar edt and suddently I remembered richness and uniqueness of the original. It was an epiphany, I needed to have it in my collection. It touches the old school part of my soul, at the same time being very contemporary for me. Shalimar is a winter lavish ball, elegant velvet dresses, vintage Christmas postcards. Absolute masterpiece, I don't know why I've been waiting so long to finally have it in my collection. It's a gem of a perfume, part of a history. Plus, the bottle is just stunning. I love you, Shalimar

@ AudreyLala, yes you have a problem, you realize what you say, if it were true, this perfume could be withdrawn from sale. This is an offense to anyone who loves this perfume.

I absolutely love this perfume and have worn it for many, many years, starting aged 25 in France. I still don't get citrus or lemon on opening! To me it is a mix of vanilla and liquorice, like those liquorice allsorts that are white in the middle with the liquorice wrapped around. Delicious, but fleeting. It is delicious from start to finish but that can be a fabulous journey.

Burst of bright and almost acidic citrus delves into a powdery & lightly spicy iris cloud that dries down to a simply decadent vanilla leather accord that lasts for ages. Wafts of incense weave in and out of the scent all day, keeps it beautifully engaging.
This is strictly a cool/cold weather fragrance, delivers major presence for hours (12+)
A star in the Guerlain collection.

After discovering this perfume that I regret not having had earlier in my collection, it is now the eau de parfum that completes this new love.
The hold is less persistent than the perfume, which is normal for an eau de parfum.
Probably the resemblance to Habit Rouge that I wore several years ago tipped the scales for Shalimar who is gendered feminine but that a man can very well wear too.
Like perfumes outside of commercial marketing, art, including in perfumery, is genderless.

Every time I wear this outrageously good scent I do think to myself that, in the end, Habit Rouge has no real reason to exist—and yet God knows I love Habit Rouge. Shalimar seems strangely more masculine on me, darker of course, less powdery, less sweet, and that leather, and that civet, and that smoky vanilla... I have always campaigned for perfume to be recognised as an art form in its own right, and tonight I think so more than ever.

Apparently this is what Frida Kahlo smelled like.
According to the the exhibit "Appearances can be deceiving", at the Brooklyn Museum, this fragrance was among her favorite personal belongings. I can definitely imagine her strong presence fill the room with this challenging smell.

Beautiful fragrance. Special!!! Thankfully I have found good deals from those who blindly purchased and weren't fans. The EDP is STRONG. I sprayed it once to test and it is performing! I went ahead and got the cologne and EDT to see if its lighter or more wearable. You should not overspray the EDP... you are wasting perfection and it just isn't necessary. I would say it is a good blind buy but you have to love citrus and vanilla.

The leather.... I love the smell the inside of new handbags.. preferably leather Dooney and Bourke bags. There is a touch of that here with that new car smell with leather seats.

As a first time buyer I was excited to try it but scared after I first applied it. I had never tried it before but the reviews on YouTube and the description of it were catching my eye, so I figured, why not try it. I purchased the Eau de Parfum. Well when I first applied it I literally said, "Oh, yeah, I don't know if I will be wearing this." The top noted smelled like citrus with a peppery-ish type of scent that kind of reminded me of a citrusy medicine. Luckily I was going out and would be out running errands so it would wear down. After about 30 minutes to an hour that top note faded down to a hint of the top noted mixed in with what smelled to me like the most organic and delicious bouquet of mixed flowers(mostly fresh and clean flowers with some sweet flowers thrown in and maybe one or two powdery flowers added), along with a hint of musk, but more of the musk than the hint of the top note. That remains for about 4-5 hours. Finally, my favorite part of this fragrance. The bottom/base note. It smelled like vanilla, but not a sweet cupcake vanilla like you would smell with, for example, Britney Spears "Fantasy", It was more of a light airy vanilla like a light Italian creamy dessert. More similar to J.Lo's "live" base note where you have a light vanilla and caramel at the base, but slightly lighter. However you can smell the smokiness of the Incense and the amber but with the three you didn't smell one more than the other. It was as if the 3 were conjoined and complimented each other. It's a very sexy and mature fragrance that I am now absolutely in love with. I hope to try the pure parfum(extrait) in the future. I would wear this if I was going out dancing, or on a nice date. I would also wear this on a night out in the city or if I wanted to have a nice fling, lol. Definitely a sexy smell.

UPDATE:
Okay! I need to update because I just got my hands on a vintage version from the 60's and OH MY GOD it is heavenly!!!! The top notes on the bottle I got is still faintly there but the rest of the notes are definitely there. It is just more intense and smells like the ingredients are better quality. The Vanilla is very nice and fresh in this. The Powdery notes smell like a classy woman's perfumed body powder rather than a baby powder like in the modern version. The smokiness to it is divine. I do have to say it's definitely more mature and more grown smelling than the modern version. The modern version does smell grown, but it smells more like a woman in here 20's and the vintage smells like a woman in her 40's and 50's. It's really really beautiful. I'm not sure if its the quality of the essence's or if its the natural animalic notes that makes it smell this way, but I definitely like the vintage more.

Goes through a fascinating phase near the opening where it smells EXACTLY like the after sauna atmosphere in our "girls' nights". It smells very hot, woody and skin-like. There's something almost mineralic, and sweaty-sweet.

Beautifully dark and deep, this is such a gorgeous composition. It's easy to see why Shalimar has gained its fame and popularity once you smell it. A blast of bergamot that reveals a woody, smokey incense and powdery iris on a bed non-gourmand vanilla. Hints of leather and animalic notes dance around all the layers. Perfectly blended and balanced. The notes don't tend to stand out on their own but mix and play together throughout the wear of this fragrance. In my opinion, this is French perfumery at its finest. Something about this fragrance offers comfort and has a bit of an addictive quality. This is best in the cold weather, as I find it really lets the warmth of the vanilla shine. 100% unisex in my opinion. A true beauty everyone should try.

I cannot do this perfume any justice with words not already written.
I was initially unsure of her. That first encounter - my goodness - the blast of smokey citrus, a burning smell of deepest, darkest woods, a bit of powder (maybe?? ) - I couldn't pick out any one specific scent to distinguish - it was like being spoken to in multiple languages and heavy accents all at once - very confusing 😅 I was a bit scared tbh - not sure at all! I quickly popped her back in the box and left her sitting for a good couple of weeks.
I found myself a wee bit obsessively reading reviews and trying to figure out what on earth this lass was all about. I toyed with the idea of layering - but it seemed a bit disrespectful - at least til I got to know her..
Anyway - I put on my big girl pants and tried again - weirdly - I found myself craving that strange first opening encounter again - this time, sprayed a bit more - on my neck and chest area - almost ran away from the bottle and wondered if I should maybe hide in a dark corner til she stopped shouting at me???!! This time - - this time, the magic began - the shouting slowed and became more in tune - one hour in - - a perfect aria began to envelope me and I couldn't stop wafting my top to catch a sniff!!
Fast forward a month and colder weather - I LOVE this perfume. I've never, ever had such a visceral response to a perfume! It's as though she's put a spell on me 💜❤️🤭 From the weird opening, the gorgeous mid notes to the amazing dry down - every single part of the journey - I love and crave this scent. It evokes weird sensations of comfort, utter joy and sensuality I cannot even begin to explain!
I can see this becoming my new signature scent - it feels rather like she chose me rather than me her!
Shalimar - I'd with my hand on my heart say I do not know why I love her but I do! 💜It's a feeling rather than a scent!

I have two eau de Parfums, both were made in 2020. I bought both of them about a year apart. The very first one that I bought I ended up using a good portion of it in that one year. The coming fall I bought another bottle, and put my older one in the fridge, yes I said the fridge (only perfume I've done it to). Fast forward to a couple months ago I pulled my refrigerated shalimar out, and sprayed it on. I immediately noticed that it wasn't as citrusy as it was when I first bought it. The deeper notes were more prevalent. I have no idea if the fridge damaged the top notes a little, or it just matured, or if it even evaporated a little. But I must say that I much prefer the deepness that my bottle as accumulated in the fridge. The leather, vanilla, and incense are even more glorious and prevalent, than my more "fresh" bottle.
I was at my aunt and uncles house one night for a family function decked out in shalimar, and my uncle said "it smells like a French whore in here" I took it as a compliment.
Perhaps I will wear an "A" on my shirt, and dowse myself with shalimar to top it off the next time i wear it (just kidding)!!!

Hated it at first. Love it now. Especially for cold weather evenings. Seems to be the common consensus. I suggest starting with the lighter versions and easing yourself in. Like you would with cheese. Nobody is giving their baby Gorgonzola.

Spritzed some EDP on my hand just now. And it is just magic. The medicinal quasi-phenolic "dentist's office" note up-top, just under the bergamot, is French thyme, and it is one of the masterstrokes of the perfume, as it keeps all sweetness in check. I detect a powdery iris, an indolic jasmin, and it's these two that remind you you're smelling a perfume, not some weird witch's brew.

It always seems to me that the "incense" in SHALIMAR is a very specific thing: sandalwood joss sticks that have been already burnt... I seem to smell the grey fragrant ash that remains after a burnt sandalwood joss stick.... ie., not a fresh sandalwood smell... this is what surely imparts the "dusty" quality so many remark on.

As time goes on, I get the civet... yep, smelling almost-but-not-quite fecal, perhaps more like breastmilk or a newly-filled Pampers. The indoles imparting their faint mothballs quality. I think castoreum is present, and is responsible for the woodsy "leather" impression SHALIMAR gives in later development... (I don't think it is the traditional "leather" tanning resins like birchtar, cade or pinetar.)

Surely cinnamon and clove inflect the faint rose impression in the heart, but they are only faint spicy whispers, never overt. Oakmoss must be present, but to be honest, I never smell it. I do imagine a highly diluted patchouly bestows its exotic intrigue in the heart, but it is there as a "wash", not a focal note.

And all the while, a sweet 'n' salty, almost custard-y/egg-y vanilla throbbing behind it all, made "burning" by that pleasantly quasi-tobacco-nicotinic smell of a broken tonka bean.

Sometimes I almost get the impression that SHALIMAR was blended to convey an abstract, constructed gardenia smell; I don't smell any specific narcotic gardenia essence; rather the whole panoply of notes seems to coalesce into a grand "fantasy accord" that spells gardenia. Anyone else ever get this impression?

No other perfume I know gives the leisurely parade of notes that SHALIMAR does... Just when you think the scent has "done its thing", nope, there is another fascinating layer emerging. The perfume is mercifully free of trendy synthetics... you know the ones; everything here smells perfectly natural... Biblical, even.

One of the most complicated fragrances I've ever come across. A blast of hesperides, covered by dark leather that soon transforms into a spicy powder in the drydown. Challenging? YES. Classic? Definetely. But still not my cup of tea.

Shalimar was one of my mom’s favorite fragrances (along with Chanel No.5) she was into the classic perfumes and was a very classy glamorous lady with lots of personality (Elizabeth Taylor style). I always think of her when I smell either of those fragrances as they were her signatures. She’s gone now but certainly not forgotten and definitely missed very much and when I want to feel close to her I take those perfumes out to smell them and I’m instantly transported to my childhood and so many wonderful memories of her. I’m 56 now and she passed away over 3 years ago but it’s so amazing how fragrances can bring the past so close like it was just yesterday!! I can’t really wear either Shalimar or No.5 as they are too much for me but I think they smell classy and beautiful. Rest In Peace dear Mami.

It is beyond my humble abilities to add to the volumes that have been written about this classic fragrance. If it reminds you of an old folk’s home, that is only because you encountered it there. It is a modern fragrance for the modern woman. While it open with citrus, the complex and balanced base notes provide tremendous depth. I would not be put off, in fact I would be attracted, were my date to have judiciously applies Shalimar shortly before our encounter. Having said this, i like a little more adventure. Make this your signature fragrance, and you join a cadre of women who like to play it safe. When we go out on the town, surprise me.

For a widely available, mainstream scent, Shalimar is surprisingly challenging. I couldn't figure out what I was smelling at first until I read a review that mentioned burning rubber. Yep, that's it! Luckily that doesn't last long, and as it dries down, it starts to smell more pleasant. I get a touch of vanilla, a lot of vetiver and incense, tinges of citrus and leather. After 1/2 hour, on the skin, it's much sweeter and not nearly as sharp. I feel like this can become a "reset" scent for me. It has little touches of all the types of scents I love, combined into one. I think I want to smell the EDT next, to see if it's any different from the EDP.

Oh i do love this! A classic that will never go out of style. I use this when i need a break from florals anf i want to reset my nose. I dont become anosmic to this and i wear it deep under sweaters and blazers for work to tame the projection. I can smell it on myself all day.

This is a whole experience, I feel I was presented to a new country with a different culture and I'm getting to know their ways.. I never cared to match the clothes I'm wearing with a perfume but for this one I have to pull out my thick sexy winter dress with the highest heels, this is for an extra confident women she might even be a dominatrix.
This perfume starts with a burned rubber that is not necessarily pleasant then every time I smell my wrist it changes and it mellows a bit, this is dry mothy, leathery and animalic until it dries down into a sirupy, smoky and incensy vanilla with a slight menthol twist... I believe this is something I will learn to love but I am still experimenting.. definitely not an easy perfume and for sure not a crowd pleaser
Edit: ... and this is why perfumes have to be explored.. the dry down is to die for sweet creamy and unique wow I'm blown away

I’m pretty sure I’ve convinced myself, psychologically, that I like this perfume. The story, the history, the legend! Perhaps it’s ‘vintage’, but I can see why it’s long revered by many to this day.

The 1st time I tried it, the citrus was divine! But burning rubber soon followed. Ick. Maybe some halitosis. Then iris and soap, followed by thin vanilla (in no way gourmand.) Then, they come together as a symphony, if you will. It’s quite the journey; uncommon these days!

Sniffing up close isn’t as pleasant to me as letting it “waft” its way up to my nose. It is a powerhouse performer. Everyone should try this at least a couple of times for the sheer experience. Let it develop before you make up your mind.

I have the extrait, the EDT and the EDP, which I discuss below. I have no revelatory insights; this fragrance has been dissected to the extent that DNA markers could be available.
This is a classic vanilla with notes of citrus and incense notes. The civet adds some sharpness and adds a pungent distinctiveness. The vetiver, sandalwood and patchouli gives this bones and elevates it far above the multiple girly vanillas out there.
It is not au courant but instantly recognizable. This is office appropriate if applied judiciously, but is really a special occasion perfume. This has imprint power. If you wear this on a first date your escort will associate the fragrance with you for the rest of his life. Easily a signature scent which could last a lifetime.
Worth getting the extrait, just for the projection.

I tried this in a shop and loved it, got it from my boyfriend as a birthday present and then realised it’s so similar to Diptique Volutes. We both agreed Volutes was much nicer, fresher, more natural and spicier. Oh no, I felt very guilty. Then I read about Shalimar as a leather scent and now I’m enjoying that side of it which Volutes doesn’t have. Before I placed that note as leather it was unpleasant and synthetic, but now that I recognise it I like it. It’s warmer and more comforting than Volutes. I also like that Shalimar is a classic and thinking of all the other people who will have enjoyed the same experience over the years. Maybe I’ve convinced myself to like it but anyway I do.

Innocent, vanillic ambery sweetness with a hint of fresh citrus from afar; leathery, deep, sexy animalism up close. It's not really me, I don't think — I'm a chypre lover and need more cool, dry notes to balance warmth and sweetness — but there's no doubt it's a masterpiece of perfumery.

It was with delight that I approached my testing of this fragrance since I'd heard so much about it from fellow chypre lovers... I can understand why this is a classic, but it is firmly not for me.
Off my skin, after a brief and delightful old school esque citrus opening, the resinous notes, patchouli and incense bounced. On me, this fragrance smells musty and aged (the vanilla made unbearable by tonka and patchouli) but I'm well aware that different skin chemistries equate to different scent experiences.

Loved this perfume since I was in my teens and still own a big bottle .. it's classic elegance.
I'm unsure if it's been reformulated mine is vintage and no sharpness at all.

I hate hate hate this with a passion... This one is a scrubber-offer ...Too sharp. Too incensy. Not refined on my skin at all and way too mature for the 28 year old that I am.

I'll gift it to my mother.

Edit:
It's grown on me. My mother didn't want it. She says she smelt it far too much that it's lost its magic. I disagree. I've haven't smelt this in forever (when I was a kid and my mother took me to her swanky offices in Charing Cross)
It does smell rather mature. It sweetens up on my skin. A good dark, classy, smoky, underground Parisian bar scent.

First blast of dark incense and woods, warm and heavy, quite masculine actually. Brings images of ancient dusty Oriental rugs hanging in a forgotten temple. After a couple minutes, a cool iris steps forward and offers a respite from the fog of smoky dark incense. Mysterious and mature, not for the faint of heart. Definitely get the baby wipe vibes too. Marketed for women but honestly guys could probably get away with this too. Best for cold nights.

I really, really wanted to like this. I bought a decant from a very cute seller and it came beautifully packaged - Initial sniff was exciting - however! This did not work on me. The dry down was terrible, and I came out in a rash. I am not afraid of "old lady" perfume in the slightest, but the notes in this didn't agree with my chemistry. I smelled like a retirement home. I was so disappointed.

* * *
"love song in fragrance" . . .
(from vintage ad)

Even though I tested this beauty in its eau de parfum concentration, the fragrance is not as heavy and sultry as I had remembered it from days gone by; seems more powdery, for one thing. Some have likened Shalimar to Emeraude by Coty (see my review), which was my mother's lifelong signature scent, and I definitely notice the similarity.✿

Current formulation's longevity on me: long-lasting
Scent family: Amber Spicy
Want to purchase full bottle!

Shalimar is so beautiful on fabric, but unfortunately it doesn’t work so well on my skin :’( I get a beautiful incensy tonka bean and vanilla on my pillowcase after it sits for a day, and it opened with a baby powder note too (probably the bergamot plus iris?). However, I only got a peppery incense patchouli leather combo when I sprayed it on my skin. It even reminds me of cumin-spiced lamb kabob if I applied it with my Shalimar body lotion. (The spicy incense leather note is more dominant in the body lotion, even though it still has a baby powder vibe). I got no vanilla on my skin at all, with or without the body lotion. The incensy patchouli leather combo is cool too, but I prefer the vanilla :( I guess I’ll use it as my pillow spray after all

For me, she is the mother of oriental fragrances
the smell that came from the combination of citrus fruits when I first wore it
Later, iris patchouli and vetiver combine to be accompanied by jasmine and rose flowers.
We should not forget about sandalwood, which adds woodiness, and tonka bean, which adds light sweetness.

Definitely vintage. You really have to appreciate it for what it is, to enjoy it. To me this is just warm incense, amber and vanilla with a powder puff of lightness on top. Love wearing this in a hot bath during winter and have never worn it out of my house. This is just for me to savor.

@blackcat02 - I was the same! It took me 20 years to appreciate Shali, and I am now addicted, collect all its flankers and can’t live without it. I hope you also come to love it, and that it takes you a lot less than 20 years 😂
Try “easing into it”: spray a small amount farther away from neck or on clothes a few hours before you wear them. Or ask a friend to wear it around you for a day. It may feel overwhelming on yourself but you may love it on others.

Do update us!

Knowing the beautiful inspiration behind Shalimar, I was so excited to try the original eau de parfum. To sum it up, this is smoky vanilla musk with a rich spicy opening . . . it would have been nearly perfect if not for that acrid undertone.

Compared with the eau de toilette's softer powdery lemon vibe, the EDP opens with more spice than citrus, and closes with more smoke than powder, carrying with it a pungent animalic note that hangs heavily above the vanilla for a good half hour or so. It sounds a little harsh, but this almost smells like urine to me, and only succeeds in aging this fragrance a great deal.

Complaints aside, the sillage is gorgeous - conveying those lighter, sweeter notes while the animalic musk remains behind on the skin. So . . . is it worth the wait to get to that beautiful smoky vanilla base? I remain torn with this one.

Black cat: I feel your pain... Nothing worse than receiving a perfume you don't like....
In my opinion, the best thing to do is, just to keep it for now. Tuck it away in a safe place, and pull it out every few months, or so, and have a sniff again.
I'm not too sure how long you've been into fragrances, but in my experience, many fragrances I hated initially, I ended up loving down the line.
As we grow older, our tastes often change too... I used to only love sweet fragrances, but have gotten into leather, and all sorts of "stinky" fragrances now... nothing I would've imagined.
You might grow to love the fragrance, and will look back and laugh at how you hated it at first.
You'll regret giving it away, and wish you kept it, if reading all the comments lamenting the fact how they wish they kept so and so fragrance is anything to go by.

Good luck!

I want to cry. My mom and sister recently visited Paris and they said they were shipping me a perfume that they bought there. I was so excited because it is the perfume capitol of the world. When I heard they bought a perfume without smelling it and only looking at the notes, I got super nervous instantly. (Even just looking at the notes and the scent profile, WHY would they think I would like this???) Then this arrived today and I saw it was from Guerlain and felt a little relieved, but that was short lived. I opened the gift box and saw this. I’ve never heard of it, but that was ok! I take it out and spray a little on my wrist. I am a little disgusted but try not to let it show because they’re excitedly watching me test this. The only nice thing I can think to say is that it smells very french. Then my sister told me they paid full price for this and now I feel so bad. I don’t like this at all and after hearing how much they paid It’s just too expensive to sit on my shelf and not get worn. My dilemma is that I don’t want to return it because they’ll definitely find out when it’s not in my room and it was a gift… I don’t know what to do I just want to sob. I am so sad
8/24/22 UPDATE: Firstly, thank you to everyone who reassured me and gave me great advice, I am so appreciative- you’re all so sweet. I was honest with my mom and had her and my sister try it. Neither of them like it. I tried my best to explain that because it was too expensive to sit on the shelf for display and doesn’t smell great on my skin’s chemistry, that it may be best to exchange it for a different Guerlain scent. Thankfully she agreed and Guerlain has a pretty good return policy. I returned Shalimar and purchased Mon Guerlain for the same price. I’ve never smelled it and I KNOW blind buying is what got me into this mess but hear me out. 1.) The reviews are excellent and leads me to believe it is much more my speed 2.) MG has been on my wishlist/sample list for some time because of how alluring the notes are. Lavender vanilla combination is an all time favorite of mine 3.) If I end up not liking it, it’s not the end of the world (like sometimes I make it out to be) and it’ll be easy to sell. Now back to Shalimar, those initial sprays lasted easily 12+ hours for me. I didn’t even spray my shirt but after scrubbing it off my wrists, it was still lingering.
I think it’s kind of a funny story so I’m going to look for the smallest size of this for a fair price and keep it for the memory and who knows, maybe my tastes and opinion on this will drastically change in the future.

Stumbled upon a little bath oil marked 1967 at the Salvation Army, hope you don't mind my placing its review here. I am in LOVE! The patchouli is insane in this, really outstanding. If you love the modern stuff, try to find a vintage, it might blow your mind!

This is a fragrance that really does feel elegant and timeless, it would be hard to pinpoint an exact era that this perfume originated from if you didn’t already know it (unlike other decades, hello 80s-90s perfume powerhouses!). This has a distinct personality, and one that can easily “wear” the person it’s ill-suited for versus the other way around. However, I do find the scent profile intriguing and one that shouldn’t be solely reserved for an older demographic.

The initial blast is a mix of the citruses and the leather note, which may be off-putting for some at first. There’s a little hint of the vanilla peaking through, but it won’t make its debut until about 30 minutes post-spray. Over that time period the citrus dies down and the leather takes a back seat as the opulent vanilla arrives surrounded in a soft, powdery cloud. There’s still a nice base of the resinous notes that linger throughout, but the powdery vanilla will be the star of the show for the majority of its wear. Longevity and silage are both excellent, even in the newest formulations.

Shalimar is truly an intriguing and unique creation, I’ve never met a perfume that can be both bold and daring while also soft and delicate at the same time. It’s easy to see why it’s stood the test of time! This won’t be a creation that everyone will enjoy, but it’s a great work of perfumery and something that people should experience at least once for themselves.

I love it, it is a great creation, and I'm glad that the reformulations that it had didn't ruin it. I don't know how it originally smelled, but it is awesome, however. I am at my second bottle, and I have a third one, for the future. Vanilla, leather, incense, lots of incense, great for any season and any weather.

I’m not ready for this scent. It smells like baby powder/baby wipes plus something else I can’t pinpoint.

It’s only ok after a couple of hours. I’ll try wearing it in colder weather.