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Ganduras84 – :
I’m desperately seeking this, if anyone knows of any store carrying it, please pm me. I’m ready to faint, I can’t get my hands on it. One of my top fragrances. Thank you so much.
esofsifyink – :
Warm cossetting vanilla, tonka bean with a hint of powder. Perfect cold weather scent.
gooog 1 – :
Beautiful. Soft powdery vanilla and incense. Smells like a gentle version of (1990’s bottle) Shalimar Eau De Cologne. Despite the softness it has real lasting power. Would not buy a FB simply because it is so similar to Shalimar Eau De Cologne, which I already have and is much more affordable.
Frog24 – :
It smells like lipstick. A bit sweet, a bit vanilla, a bit almond, a bit powdery, a bit resinous.
Neither unpleasant, nor difficult to wear (quite the opposite, actually), but mainly lipstick.
I get good longevity, though it mainly sits fairly close to the skin.
It’s quite classy and a biiit retro. I keep picturing a middle aged, carefully made up woman in high heels and a fur coat. She’s probably in Paris.
апвпавпвапв – :
I was just in Neiman Marcus today and saw this as well as SVD at the Guerlain counter. I’m in Dallas and this mall is a very popular mall for friends that don’t even live in TX. So it’s not like it is older stock. They’ve had Charlotte Tillsbury show up in Nordstrom and next month, the head of Guerlain makeup from France will be at NM. The lady behind the counter said both are back. I was going to blind buy for over $350 on eBay but so glad I didn’t….after getting to test it, I didn’t love it on me. Instead, my next will be Tom Ford’s Vanille Tobaco. I have SVD and it is different enough to get.
So if anyone has given up looking, next time you’re out, check at NM. It’s back. I’m sure it is available on their website too.
Lavr111 – :
This is a beautiful perfume but the notes pyramid is very misleading.
It lacks violets, the Parma variety, which are presented in a feminine way and are apparent throughout.
Not a safe blind buy if one dislikes violets, or is seeking for a smoky oriental as per the perfume’s name
int5097359 – :
Like the reviewer several reviews down from this, I too could choose this perfume as the only one I would want if I could only only have one!
I’m IN LOVE WITH THIS PERFUME and by the way, this layers beautifully with smokey myrrh perfumes such as Mitzah by Dior, Myrrhe Imperial by Armani Privee.
I can get 12 hours on my dry skin! Can’t say that about many frags.
I’m really surprised to see only 3 people have it as their signature scent because if I ever have one, this will be it.
It’s SIMPLY STUNNING!
What a shame it’s another victim of discontinuation!
Famus – :
I agree with the reviewer who said this is the base of Shalimar. If you want all that yummy vanilla without the incense and leather distraction, this is it. Pure beautiful Guerlain Vanilla along with tonka and that bit of citrus and almond tying it together into one delicious little parcel. This is definitely full bottle worthy, alongside Shalimar and SDV this one of the most wonderful Guerlain Vanilla scents.
isi75 – :
If I could choose one perfume to wear for life, forgetting about money, I would choose Oriental Brûlant.
Since its release almost 10 years ago, everytime I wear this perfume I realize I had forgotten about its magic, in the base notes!
The top notes are quite gourmand, between orange and almond, maybe borderline too sweet, but the perfume quickly interacts with the skin to give the most gorgeous guerlinade, vanilla + tonka bean + resinous notes + skin = heaven. Some describe this as a younger Shalimar, and I would agree, it is a lot easier to wear and smells very modern at the same time, not soapy and not too powdery.
I like to apply it at night, and the base notes are still present the next morning.
It projects quite well without ever being strong or overpowering.
This perfume manages to surprise me every time, the drydown is just out of this world (my other favorite drydown being Vol De Nuit extrait), anyone can pull this off easily (and I’d love to smell it on a man, if he likes sweet perfumes), it lasts incredibly well and leaves a nice sillage. To me this perfume summarizes Guerlain these last 10 years, a more gourmand direction, while clearly inheriting from Shalimar, L’Heure Bleue, Jicky with the complex evolution and base notes.
(I am talking about a 2010-ish bottle, don’t know about reformulations)
And now it is being discontinued/in a super expensive new bottle, I don’t understand this decision at all and I think it will be a long while before I fall for another Guerlain (last time it was Parfum Initial l’Eau, already discontinued!).
gari09 – :
I don’t understand!! Another good one (+ Myrrhe & Delires) discontinued?? This was my favorite Elixir Charnel!
hhhdddtpoasd – :
This is without doubt vanilla, yet I wouldn’t place it in the gourmand category as it doesn’t smell edible in any way. This is indeed purely the base of Shalimar, it’s not smoky, citrusy or coarse like I myself find Shalimar to be. It’s a very musky, thick, slightly powdery and almost hairspray like vanilla with salty heliotrope/almond like facets. It’s even thicker than creamy – it’s balmy in texture. Furthermore, I don’t find this very sweet, the vanilla is elegant, mature and grounded. Very classic and timeless scent. I have smelled many perfumes quite similar in scent, for example Vanille Exquise by Annick Goutal, so it’s not groundbreaking in its composition, but none that compares to the powerful presence, quality and sillage of Oriental Brulant. I see the comparison to Hypnotic Poison but they share only the almond, this is much muskier. It stays close to the skin yet lasts and lasts, it’s undeniably a very high quality fragrance.
murata0904 – :
This is very pretty. A soft, wearable smoky incense and sweet almond. A little powdery, maybe violet? It’s slightly reminiscent of Kenzo Amour. However, I WISH this was what Kenzo Amour smelled like so I wouldn’t be tempted to spend so much on this one. It’s in the same family both Kenzo Amour and Hypnotic Poison but it’s not as sweet or as overpowering as either of those. For some reason, I smell more of the tangerine in the dry down than I do in the top.
sqm696bedyWelty – :
This is comfort personified as a perfume. There are no dazzling twists or novel inventions here; it’s all about a singular conceit – the eponymous Burning Oriental – executed to perfection.
I’m not usually taken by incense, but here it is wonderfully soft, thanks to the resinous, blurry, balsamic nature of the styrax. The note shimmers at the edges until it blends harmoniously with the creamy, slightly sweet accord of vanilla, tonka and almond.
Oriental Brulant is admittedly linear, but it is beautifully done – and oh so Guerlain, which means it is oh so gorgeous. Definitely a contender for anyone seeking a comforting balsamic oriental.
nuapteminiast – :
So Guerlain it hurts. It’s just painfully good.
It smells like the woman I’d like to be in 10 years.
Indeed, it is the olfactory equivalent of admiring your mother dressed up for a special occasion when you were a child. Those occasions that had her looking so unfathomably elegant that it made you wish you could be even half as glamorous some day.
SvetlanSehpz – :
Just to let people know this is being discontinued. Stock up now.
Cherry-nk – :
The best fragrance from guerlain shortly
افضل عطور الدار العريقة جيرلان بلا منازع
ثبات 10/10
فوحان 10/10
جمال الرائحة 10/10
نادراً ما اعطي عطر هذا التقيييم ولكن هذا العطر تعدى حدود الوصف
megabender – :
I like this very much. I detect vanilla, almonds & I smell violets and raspberries or some other soft fruit that I like. Would be delighted to own a decant or FB but only if someone else was paying for it. There are other Guerlain Exclusives that I want more…
uakk74 – :
Oh my! I purchased this in the eau de parfume and decided to layer it with Jicky parfum. I was getting compliments from strangers. It smells wonderful.
extremeD15Z6 – :
This is beautiful, I swear I smell amber in it, something sweetish, maybe the almond. Definitely gourmand. Too far out of my current price range to purchase 🙁
Ali_G – :
I remember being blown off when I first tried this. This is in a good way. I can picture a top female executive wearing this. Definitely a head turner.
Lera20000111111 – :
Before I even looked at reviews, the dry down of this one reminded me somewhat of Shalimar without the citrus. It’s softer and slightly…pinker? It’s definitely got that familiar Guerlinade.
This scent kind of underwhelmed me though, I’m getting hints of soap through the balsamic notes and vanilla – which are the main notes I’m getting in this. I also get a lightly powdery and sweet dry down. But after an hour my nose is glued to my wrist, as per usual with Guerlain scents that feature vanilla. It becomes quite comforting and delectable.
A little too light wearing to make it worth it for me though. But I’ll enjoy the heck out of my sample…mmmm…
assa111 – :
When I was a little girl in the late 80s, I would go into my mother’s room and apply her makeup and perfume, and walk around in her heels and jewelry. My mother was a glamorous and complicated woman, both charming and tempestuous. She was so sexy and a total mystery to me as a little girl. Strong orientals like this remind me of her.
I visited the Guerlain counter at Saks in NYC a few weeks ago because my beloved bottle of Gourmand Coquin had finally been spritzed dry. GC was my signature scent that I wore nearly every day for the past 6-7 years. A man working behind the counter gave me a sample size of this, and I’ve been wearing it for two weeks straight. Initially, this intimidated me a bit. In fact, my first reaction was, “Oh my God, it’s beautiful and my mom used to have something like this,” followed by, “Oh my God, I’m not quite old enough to pull this off.”
This scent is beautiful – it’s for a woman who doesn’t want you to see her as simple or sweet. It’s for a mature woman who doesn’t have time for your shit. And I love it, but it while it is a gorgeous gourmand-type oriental, a cousin of my beloved Gourmand Coquin if you will, I don’t quite know if I will get the FB immediately…I’m sniffing a few other orientals first. I think it is the overwhelming styrax that hangs around it – on me, this never really goes away, not even into the drydown. It’s gorgeous and likely will find its way into my collection eventually, but alas it’s not quite the love-at-first-sight gourmand oriental that GC was…the search continues.
LIION2006 – :
Does this remind anyone of the Emeraude from the 70s? It is so familiar, and that is what comes to mind when I smell this. I don’t really remember what that smelled like. This does smell somewhat like Shalimar.
евгений666 – :
This is my HOLY FREAKIN’ GRAIL SCENT. I mean just thinking about sniffing it is making me swoon. Oh my gosh, it’s perfection. This is definitely top 5 of all time. I am completely obsessed. It’s oriental heaven. And the cost? 100000% worth it. It lasts ALLLLL day and I can NOT stop sniffing myself when I wear it. It’s literally oriental (and a tad gourmand) perfection in a bottle. Look NO further. At least try it. You’ll thank me later 🙂
Btw, what does it smell like? Okay, it smells like the most sophisticated, resinous vanilla ice cream in existence, made by a French chef who probably dotes on Marie Antoinette or someone.
rrs486speagoessenda – :
Finally sprayed my sample I received from Neiman. I need the bottle. Though it’s not on the immediate list, unless they decided to discontinue this like Iris Ganache.
Beautiful, and I’m a DUDE. I currently own, Tonka, Vanille, Couquin, and Anglique. I have the GBug. Bois Armenie, Cuir Beluga are ahead of those 2, but I will be happy to add them to the family ASAP. All I can say in Brulant is Beautiful.
slavikba – :
I adore this. It actually is easier to wear than Shalimar, or maybe it’s just more familiar. It reminds me of my grandmother. So, when I wear it, it is a very “very” comforting feeling I get. I feel protected and loved. Nobody did that better than my “Nanny”. I find that many of the Guerlain line just work well with my chemistry. Which is hard to do. Sometimes you read all the notes in a fragrance, assume they will work, and they are out of balance, linear not working. These elixirs are my favorites. Coquin Gourmand, Angelique Noir and Asian Brulant are 3 favorites of mine. I’ve gone through countless bottles, so that should speak volumes. I would love to try the others in this line, but sometimes I branch out to other houses, but I always and I mean always come back to Guerlain. They do fragrance like no other, and I might add…..makeup 🙂 Love love love….Hope they continue to make these beauties. IFRA stay away!
paukihor – :
Rickyrebarco……have tried your recipe of layering oriental brulant with L’heure Bleue and it is just gorgeous!! Thanks for the tip.
radoslavo – :
I have waited a while before reviewing this because I wasn’t sure what to say about it. The first ten minutes of this almost smells strange to me, I can’t put my finger on what the note is. The first time I tried this I didn’t think I would love it but wow it has really grown on me, I am finding that I crave the warm creaminess of this and have now worn it for about a week without tiring of it. It is sweet but not as sweet as Tonka Imperiale, it is smokey but less so than shalimar, it is creamy but not as smooth as L’instant. It definitely has that guerlainade base that I find suits me so well. It is like a mixture of all my favourite Guerlains. I know that some consider this a boring and a lightweight fragrance but I am absolutely in love with this, it is gorgeous and I plan to purchase a FB. Sillage isn’t huge but that’s ok with me because I prefer to wear my perfume, not have my perfume wear me. Longevity is amazing, I can still smell this the next day. A 10/10 in my book.
waxdw – :
Yes this is not groundbreaking nor a spectacular display of fireworks. It does however make you keep coming back like an addict requiring yet another fix. The note pyramid makes it look deceptively simple. However I can’t tell you where the unique taste of the sweet salty and sour preserved tamarind skin begins, where it becomes a creamy delicious rich and warm tonka and vanilla mix nor how it develops into a strangely wild smelling muskiness spiced with dry smoky styrax that kept my nose glued to my wrist. It doesn’t seem to follow the normal pattern of opening, heart and base notes but is ever evolving through its own unique sequence. I wasn’t overly impressed at first sniff with the Elixir Charnel range, to the gratitude of my bank account, however Oriental Brulant and sibling Gourmand Couquin have a siren call that would not leave me in peace. So back to the Guerlain counter a few more times and finally getting a decant of both to understand their secrets. I may never find the answer to their spell on my senses or fantasies but I will take back my initial dismissive assessment of their worth. Very pricy but it is more than worth it. Sillage is rather quiet on me but I prefer it this way, longevity is excellent. Yes it is reminiscent of other balmy sweet and opulent Guerlains but it has its own individuality. Christine Nagel has concocted another siren’s scented beckoning.
Lenchik – :
What a soft and warm beauty, a man can easily wear this baby out and be sure you’re not with a girlfriend/wife or you’ll have a lot to explain later that night!
jktu – :
L’Oriental Brulant is a very lovely scent, and I am appreciating it more the longer I own it. It is not groundbreaking but it is wonderful in the ‘Guerlain way.’ This fragrance is stripped down to the base that is so familiar in all the famous Guerlains- the tonka, vanilla and almond notes. It is, to me, the essence of the “Guerlainade.” The candied tangerine notes give this scent a bit of difference, and there are definitely spices there as well. I can smell the lovely almond notes most in the drydown and they are very nice. The drydown reminds me very much of the bases of Shalimar and L’Heure Bleue. This is very nice layered with L’Heure Bleue.
Ram40678 – :
Oriental Brulant is one of my naughtiest fragrances 😉 It’s sweet, but not too sweet, it’s musky, creamy, resinous, a little salty, a little boozy and very very warm. A come hither fragrance for sure (at least on my skin). I’d go further than that, I’d call it a gourmand version of Boudoir!
монгол – :
Thank you to xrayer for this lovely swag of samples! This is softly musky, spicy and warm. The sweet spices waft in after the initial balsamic, slightly smoky wave. This one stays in the background on me – beautiful and alluring and oh so soft and come hither moreish, would adore a full bottle of this someday! (PS Smells a little Christmas pudding like on me!)
sazmak – :
A positive emotional scent. There is something very evocative about this wonderful scent. Smells amazing on its own or can also be layered with Cuir Beluga. Very romatic and comforting scent. Sillage is smooth. This composition was formulated with care and that is very clear on the top,heart and base notes. Well done my beloved Guerlain. XOXOXOX Guerlain my true love. This is not similar to another fragrance. Just the right sillage and so beautiful.
Update: I have received more compliments then on most any other perfume. Some perfumes a lot of ladies will praise. However, This little tiger, Oriental Brulant is captivating by gentlemen ,politly asking what am I wearing. OB is a true masterpiece that can be praised. Nicely done and a rarity to find such a winning scent that is not unisex.
Guerlain my hero, Oriental Brulant, more powerful than botox . My dearest confidant has become the Guerlain counter : )
Olegas – :
Oh I’m really enjoying this one – I’m finding it silky and opulent.
Compared to other posters, I’m not getting much almond, hints only, getting more a balmy, spicy vanilla carried by the sweet tart tangerine. Over two hours, powder peeking through these notes.
I agree with previous post – sedated Shalimar through rose tinted glasses.
BESHIKTASH355 – :
OMG OMG OMG, recieved this yesterday as a blind buy & it is so delicious I am totally in love with this frag & the bottle is just beautiful xxxx really happy 🙂
andreignatysko – :
Oriental Brulant is a great vanilla fragrance, leathery, powdery and soft. It also has a creamy orange note that brings a freshness to the composition. Its not a straight forward gourmand cause it has a woody ambery note that gives an animalic almost salty edge, like if there was a beast lurking behind the vanilla pods. That’s what makes it great to me because I don’t wanna smell like a pastry shop.
I like to think that this is the grand daughter of Shalimar
4 out of 5
582152 – :
This is my favourite of the Elixir Charnel series. A sweet vanilla gourmand fragrance that isn’t too powerful for everyday use. It has some complexicity but still feels effortless and easy to wear. My overall impression was crème brulee&vanilla pods with Grand Marnièr.
It lasts about 6h on me, if I put my nose on my wrist I can still smell it 8h after application. It feels quite powerful when applied but the projection decreases quickly. Similar to other modern vanilla Guerlains (with the exception of Shalimar Ode a la Vanille flankers), this leans more to the comfort than opulence side.
I had a 4ml decant and don’t feel the urgent need to buy the full bottle as my sweet oriental shelf is quite full already. I would recommend this to other sweet gourmand/oriental fans, especially those who love Guerlain and prefer Shalimar Parfum Initial to the original.
VerenaMuerres – :
Oriental Brulant has an opening resembling some aged preserved Chinese tangerine peels with soothing, slightly savory sweet and balmy accords. It’s sweet, balmy and vanilla base notes made me feel calm and relax for hours.
fqn905elipseskism – :
Gourmand, a unique vanilla, with the dna Guerlain, a vanilla differentiated.
With a touch powdery, also almond, and finally resinous, half balsamic, a true elixir for men and women.
Svetela15 – :
Beuatiful warm, luxurious perfume with long lasting sillage for dreaming, relaxing and well being. I bought without hesitation a bottle of this beauty when first time “tasting” it. If you want to have more pleasure with Oriental Brulant you can combine it when applying a unique product by Guerlain Délice de Peau à Parfumer (Cream to Perfume) – it is practically a moisturizing no scented body cream, you can put it on neck, décolleté, wrist, arms,etc. . . and you can enhance its already long lasting sillage, olfactory power and pleasure of your senses. it is worth to buy it!!!!
dek – :
Interestingly layered. Balmy and powdery, a cloud of slightly greased soft pink. The funny thing is that the scent is getting stronger into the day, after sitting close to my skin for the first half hour. I appreciate Floofs comparison to Shalimar and I agree. This is like pink coloured Shalimar with rounded, fluffy edges. Maybe Shalimar for ballerina 🙂
ragib – :
Pity I am all the way in Jamaica, sounds like a gorgeous scent.
32_rus – :
Powdery, incensey, slightly spicey vanilla-amber…makes me weak in the knees. A very sexy scent!
ibf191InsuffBooni – :
At first you get a rather strong dose of benzoine which smells sort of “chemical” but not unpleasant. Just strange.
Almonds (or tonka ?) mingle from the beginning, too. A delicious perfume, really !
It is sweet, pleasing and seductive. Perfect if you are on a date with certain plans of spending the night 🙂 He/She will not be able to resist.
OB develops softer, milder in the drydown but still sweet and almondy.
The name truefully suggests something smoky.
OB overall reminds me of a harem with lovely women eating delicious sweets and the room is perfumed with smoke.
Oriental Brulant is not as smoky as Fumerie Turque/Serge Lutens, not as sweet as Loukhoum Parfum Du Soir/Keiko Mecheri and not as almondy as Baiser Du Dragon/Cartier but having less of each superbly mixed a big “more” was the result.
OB is a gorgeous oriental-gourmand scent.
Longevity is great, I applied it in the morning and still noticed whiffs of it on me at about 5 in the afternoon.
Sillage is medium, it is not a loud scent.
Unfortunately, OB is part of the exclusive “Les Elixirs Charnel” collection. The price is a true nightmare (around EUR 170-175 for 75ml).
natasha778 – :
An almost unpleasant laquer scent starts this fragrance (maybe the styrax?), or so I thought at first, I love that this site lets you edit reviews. This has really grown on me, and I think it is pretty much the ideal Shalimar for me. I have tried and tried, but I love this more than the classic Shalimar, it is just frankly more lovely. The alcohol-y beginning lasts about 5 minutes until the scent settles into something amazing and warm and subtle. Shalimar-like without the lemon/citrus and heavy powder, more similar to the drydown of Shalimar, the wearable aspects of Shalimar- Elixir Charnel Oriental Brulant is a very guerlain smelling smoky tonka bean/vanilla fragrance. I don’t like it as much as the Guerlain Gourmand Elixir but it still is an honor to have in my collection, and I really enjoy wearing it! Not sure I would repurchase, but its just keeps growing on me the longer I have it…. A very subtle, light and pretty powder here for me with a very dark vanilla. I love these Guerlain Elixirs beyond words- it sounds dramatic but it’s totally true! As for it not being unique, I disagree; I haven’t smelled anything like this besides the already mentioned vague resemblance to the drydown of Shalimar. This is much more wearable than Shalimar in my book and I reach for it MUCH more often, but if you love that scent I would suggest a sample of this one.
Lasting power 24+
Shalimar lovers who hate the citrus opening will go nuts Elixir Charnel Oriental Brulant…
I have found the new, more expensive guerlains beat the crap out of their cheaper older counterparts. For me, this is the perfect shalimar and Angelique Noire is much better than Champs Elysees. I don’t know if I can go back…
If anyone wants to get this fragrance off their hands, i would gladly trade for it. Go through my 200ish perfumes and tell me what you want samples/bottles/decants of for trade. Just send me a message if you’re interested!
valay – :
this scent is warm and sensational. I feel almond , vanilla and iris. I like it. It sweet and luxurious gourmet perfum
gbplfv – :
This is an easy to wear oriental. It is not dramatic nor groundbreaking,but easy enough to wear everyday.