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kipia2007 – :
Lighter and more powdery/vanilla cousin of the original Shalimar. This one is much more feminine, gentler, and more generic (in a way that makes it more universally wearable).
lfybkby – :
I have this, as well as the original SPI EDP and they are very similar. L’eau has the same beautiful powdery iris and yummy vanilla. I would say it is definitely a little bit lighter that SPI, but they are both so similar it is barely noticable to my nose. Quality is amazing, as one would expect from a Guerlain-3-4 sprays can fill the room and it lasts for hours on my skin, days is I spray it in my hair. Like the orginal it is an elegant gentle floral that is pure class. It has a certain lightness and luminosity I can’t resist. If this baby didn’t get discontinued it would be my signature. Right now I am just grateful I had the chance to experience this masterpiece and happy to have a nearly full 100ml bottle to go though yet.
Aleksey2010 – :
An exquisite creation. One of my favorite perfumes. Flacon is lovely, almost a baroque style to it. I think. Elegant, classy and long lasting.
abdul – :
Superlative feminity in the most beautiful bottle in perfume world!
snoglelluts – :
It’s absolutely stunning! I blind bought it I thought I would like but I didn’t know I would love it that much!!!
tornman – :
Hello from Deco Dawn. This is my review of Shalimar Perfume Initial L’eau. A modern fresher, lighter, version of the Original. I have worn the Original Shalimar for over 30 years and I love this younger sister version. It’s modern and contemporary but the dry down still has the Guerlinade in the dry down. The fragrance is ‘sparkling’ like a glass of pink champagne and is very sexy without being dirty. It’s happy and very romantic. I feel the notes are prominent, citrus, iris, jasmine & Rose without being overwhelming and the vanilla & tonka bean are more polite and restrained than the Original. This fragrance is sheer perfection. It’s refined, of quality ingredients and in a beautiful glass decanter bottle that is perfect to adorn any ladies dressing table. Guerlain are my all time favourite fragrance house. The monumental success of their best selling fragrances has lasted nearly 100 years and they are the oldest surviving house in Paris. I adore Guerlain Champs Elysees store I visited last year. It is an incredible shop and worth the visit if you are a true perfume collector. The store houses rare collectables and beauty salon and restaurant. As I always say don’t just try it, buy it. And with this fragrance you will not be disappointed. Excellent and perfection. A huge thumbs up from Deco Dawn.
uldoctor – :
Where we live, this is now the perfect time of the year for this Initial L’eau to shine. I normally don’t like neroli and strong bergamot/grapefruit in a female fragrance. L’eau is done just RIGHT in that regard. Taking in consideration of the “unisex” trend in the modern world, L’eau still stands its ground as a scent for women. Even though it may seem to share many notes found in men’s fragrances these days, but L’eau (or the whole Initial line in general) contains a different female ratio/balance. To my nose, it is fresh, bright and very FEMININE. There is no way that I could see my husband wearing any of this Initial line. I don’t think that the powdery Iris, sweet vanilla, lily-of-the-valley, hyacinth and freesia in L’eau are formulated to be “gender bender” here. L’eau and its sisters do not “confuse” me at all. They present feminism in class, tradition, elegance and sophistication.
I own all three versions of Sharlima Initial (the Parfum Initial, Parfum Initial L’eau and L’eau Si Sensuelle) and I treasure them all. This Initial line is not about gourmand or heavy or girly sweet scent, but Parfum Initial is the “sweetest” out of all three and tonka bean does gently stand out. L’eau is lighter and more citrusy while L’eau Si Sensuelle is the lightest one with the least sweetness.
seum – :
I had the original Initial and lived it!However, as I wandered through ebay I accidentally bought two big bottles of L’Eau..And honestly, I didn’t really notice any major difference, and never copped what happened until I saw that the tassel color is different..
This flanker has the exact same DNA as Initial, except it’s lighter, with less sweetness and powderiness – it’s still there, but not as sticky maybe. On the other hand for the same reason and for the presence of tonka this scent is not only lighter and bit fresher, but I think a bit masculine even! I mean if I smelled this on a fella I wouldn’t find it out of place too much somehow. It’s a beautiful scent, I love both versions, basically I love all Shalimar, they’ll make you noticed for sure!
Kuler – :
I accidentally layered PI l’Eau with the Body Shop Coconut (one spray) today and it is very nice! I’m not even a big coconut fan, but this combo (perhaps the Body Shop Coconut is not ultra sweet and is a bit nutty) is really hitting all the right buttons for a summer perfume that neither smells heavy nor like suntan oil. The lightness of this fragrance does lend itself well to layering, I will try some other single note combinations and see if they’re as complimentary.
woulff – :
To me Parfum Initial L’Eau is more in line with L’Heure Bleue EDT than Shalimar – more fresh-flowery-powdery than spicy-vanilla-powdery.
This one is discontinued but L’Heure Bleue is still here after 106 years, and surprisingly still available for smell testing in most perfume stores. If you liked Parfum Initial L’Eau, check out L’Heure Bleue EDT, it might be something for you.
Quaresma91 – :
I received this in a trade from a lovely member here. I had hoped it would be another iris-prominent juice, but on me, I sadly did not get that. It is a lovely scent and it evokes a springtime meadow. Soft, gentle and lady-like.
I get more vanilla, neroli, freesia, and lily of the valley than the iris, jasmine or hyacinth. The bergamot is only present in the initial 15 minutes, and doesn’t weave in and out as it does in other Guerlains.
FERZ – :
Guerlain was never a fashion house, perfume is the name of the game. Shalimar, Jicky, Mitsouko and L’Heure Bleu are the cornerstones of this venerable house. I was a bit snobby about Parfum Initial, so in the end it taught me a lesson because it was discontinued by the time I found I loved it. The flankers, or spin-offs from Shalimar are all delightful. L’Eau has such a lovely Iris interior I just love the wafts of it on a warm night, not sweet, quite sharp at the outset, very feminine, quite musical.
shiency – :
The opening is all citrus. It is bright grapefruit and orange with a bland, non-peppered bergamot in the background. It then fades to s skin scent and I became anosmic to it until the middle.
The middle is a dense, foggy iris that seems to belong to an entirely different perfume from the top notes. I even smelled the baby to make sure it wasn’t coming from her.
It settles down into a Tonka vanilla with almost imperceptible green florals.
I continually hear this being compared to Parfum Initial and that surprises me. It is the sweetened dry down that is the only connection with Shalimar Parfum Initial. There is no smoke, no peppery bergamot, no anise flavored heavy patchouli. It is considerably less sweet on my skin that SPI. While it does go on a quick journey, it lacks the depth of SPI. L’eau is too light and insubstantial for cold, cozy weather but blooms in the spring when the heavy scents become stifling. It is pleasant but not intriguing.
Of course L’eau is nothing close to queen Shalimar so I am going to skip that comparison
Enroriecito – :
I get strong citrussy splash mixed with flower notes after the spray. The drydown melts all the ingredients with prominent vanilla undertone and makes it quite a powdery, soft scent.
I think the bottle describes it quite well when it comes to colour as pink is the one I would always connect it with. It’s not too sweet neither overwhelming. Definitely suits well for spring. But I don’t find it special at all.
alexer69 – :
A little bit of salty skank in there amongst the beautifulness! I love it. X
Zildjian911 – :
Taking under consideration my husband’s reaction,i dare to say that this is a very erotic juice!it’s the first time he doesnt stop saying how lovely i smell and trust me i have tried 30 different perfumes,even niche ones,to get even the slightest response!he is extremely difficult!
I, personally,find this very clean and fresh,the powder with the iris dominate.its never cloying,never too much.it lasts 5 hours on me and the sniffs i get through out the day makes me feel like the most elegant woman even when i wear jumpsuit.in the end i get vanilla and tonka just like feve delicieuse by CD.
Exquisite, in one word….and it is eau de toilette!
gena911 – :
Well, it took me a while to form an opinion about this. I couldn’t quite pin point the smell, so I had to wear it over and over again to realize that what I’m wearing on my skin is essentially crispy vanilla cookies slightly dipped into very very watered down coffee. Very edible.
It’s nothing I hate, nor is it a complete love. I just like it. It’s nothing special or intriguing, but it is a scent that I like and have been wearing when I can’t decide what exactly I want to wear.
Sillage is moderate on my skin and lasting power is medium.
If I talk about the notes, then The Main Notes According to Your Votes is very accurate. I’m not very fond of the beginning (imo it doesn’t suit with the middle or base notes) but I do like the middle phase a lot. The middle with a hint of the base notes is exactly what makes me come back to this scent. A very nice perfume indeed.
Fripingplurry – :
As anyone heard any stories about fakes being sold online? Is it likely?
I’m just asking to be reassured really because I just bought two bottles on eBay!
WellLesePowly – :
One of my least favorite perfumes is the original Shalimar, so I’m still not sure what prompted me to blind buy PI L’Eau…..but I am so SO glad that I did. This is the perfume that started my love affair with Guerlain.
The original Shalimar DNA is in the background, but it’s updated and freshened with bergamot and iris. The balance between the bright bergamot, powdery iris and deep Guerlain vanilla is brilliant. It’s very similar but not exactly the same as the original PI–I have and love both.
Whenever I wear PI L’Eau I feel confident and classy and a little bit sexy. This is so beautiful and it’s such a shame that Guerlain discontinued this amazing perfume.
c932mm32 – :
Lavender and vanilla are lead characters here. Some floral and bergamot im the back ground. Very nice and feminine. For an edt very good longevity and silage. Lovely bottle. Good price and quality balance.
klays1911 – :
Found this for a great price on Overstock this week and snagged it up as it was the last one. It was a risk to blind buy, but after reading the reviews and knowing it was discontinued, I felt it was worth the risk. Happily it paid off. This is nice. It’s well blended, soft, sweet, powdery. Weirdly enough, it reminds me of the smell of baby wipes (the powder scented ones from the 80s), powdered strawberry Quick, and a handful of fruity pebbles thrown in for good measure. This is Saturday morning when I was little in a grown up scent, if that makes sense. I know that is a strange association, but it’s actually quite comforting to have a reminder of childhood in a bottle. It’s surprisingly strong for an edt too, which is a bonus. Sweet, comforting but not gourmand or immature. I would say it’s a safe blind buy if you can find it.
METVA – :
Yes, it was also discontinued in winter 2015, in order to “complete” another huge mistake from Guerlain, after discontinuation of Parfum Initial. Sad story.
Escotsoxibiop – :
Is no one else getting the delicious skanky note that reminds me of Jicky? There’s some dark sex going on at the beginning of this complete beauty. I can’t get enough.
xjoufffiereer – :
I cannot express how happy this fragance makes me feel. Today I finally got a bottle of this gorgeous EDT and it has exceded my expectations. To me it’s more powdery than anything else and also the iris is pretty strong here but it works really well. I hope sillage is moderate.
PayncDyncHams – :
This is my biggest disappointment from the house of Guerlain. The scent itself is absolutely gorgeous, a lighter, more wearable Shalimar powder bomb, but that’s it. It goes on heavy with great sillage but after 30mins it becomes a skin scent on me. Poof! Gone!
At the price I cannot afford to respray every hour, so yes, I am very disappointed!
Dr_Ower – :
For me this is delicious and addictive. I love it for rainy days and sunny days and both cold and hot days. It just melds into my skin and the sweetness of it wafts past my nose to make me smile. Other reviewers have been better able to articulate its composition, but for me it is happiness in a bottle.
zhur.mih – :
Smells like Earl Grey tea with cream in it. My mom and dad drink Earl Grey tea with cream every single afternoon so I became familiar with the scent over my childhood. I guess it’s the very powerful Bergamot combined with powder. The drydown has some florals in it but the overall impression stays the same for me. It’s pleasant and a nice memory, but I don’t really want to go out into the world smelling of milky Earl Grey.
Accocaexcenue – :
I LOVE this scent. It starts with a mild citrus, then moves on to a very soft floral. Powdery.
There’s something in the mix that I find addictive.
What’s great about it (apart from the deliciousness) is it lasts all day.
The base reminds me of that smell you get when you’re using a hairdryer, and you get something that possibly is the scent of hot hair?
Haron-fga – :
How did I not review this before now? This always returns to being on my favorites shelf. Now, a reviewer I highly esteem Hates this Initial L’Eau. See? We can disagree. Why do I, a guy, like this to the point of loving it? Well, first it has nothing to do in my mind or nose with Shalimar. This is a flanker that has nothing to do with the original legend. Frankly I wish there was more love in me for Shalimar and I’m Always surprised about my ‘meh’ attitude toward it. Next we have Initial. Again, I see no real ties here. I don’t really care for that one either .. dislike the sweet of the caramel in a Guerlain. (This is actually also true for La Petite Robe Noire and raspberry or licorice.) I suppose celebrity sweeties have ruined me there. For a sweet designer fragrance I’ll go with a YSL Cinema.
But Initial L’Eau? It’s powdery without being boudoir. The iris here simply works in a way that I love. There are a few bottles with iris as the star on my shelves but really this and (yes) JLO’s Eau De Glow can stay on my skin as long as they like. They are my Iris queens.
Learning I love citruses (another surprise) and Guerlain has a good way of using citrus and vanilla (Eau De Shalimar). I can see the furniture polish comparison but I like fumes that also smell like animal ass so there you go. There is a bit of a harshness to all the softness here and I think that IS precisely why this wins for me.
This doesn’t seem like it would market well to the younger generation. This is a scent that isn’t girly. If you think so then chances are you haven’t tried a Real sweetie girly scent. Again we can disagree. There is girly and there is adult woman pretending to be girly. I also agree there could even be something in here that smells musky. My take it that .. it’s a soft vanilla floral (Iris) that may be powdery but something also keeps it from being too clean. Shalimar Initial L’Eau is classy but she will surprise you with a few sailor jokes.
alspar – :
initial notes a bit resembles to classic Shalimar, but only minutes then it develops to floral powdery notes, which light and fresh, almost fluffy. This flanker is more wearable for daily basis, with decent projection and longevity. The classic Shalimar is like her majesty which not approachable to everyone, this Parfum Initial L’eau is much more approachable as if your long time friend 🙂
stels86 – :
A part of me regrets the day that I first laid eyes on Initial L’Eau; I was going through some difficult circumstances and was eagerly anticipating the experience of something new and exciting. To top it off I was enduring the final throes of a virus infection, so my mind wasn’t completely prepared for some of the more fastidious notes in this composition.
This is a beautiful fragrance, I predicted it to smell exactly like how the bottle appears, and it does! This feels very vintage, feminine, and sensual in a pure and wholesome way. My only complaint is that the citrus notes are a bit overpowering; the initial spray was a blast of bergamot, iris and tonka bean. Then the vanilla and neroli pulls through and becomes the primary structure in which the grapefruit and orange notes build upon. Overall it’s a harmonious blend of fruits and florals, with just a tad of bitterness to capture your attention. Unlike other reviewers, I find the sillage to be pretty strong.
At first I thought the merging of powder and citrus to be such a strange combination but it works well together in L’Eau; you will feel as though you’ve been wrapped within pink clouds and bright sunlight. The dry down is very clean and optimistic; vanilla soothes much of the starkness and gives this fragrance a very delicate, feminine personality.
I see now that I haven’t fully realized my appreciation for Initial L’Eau, due to my having attached this fragrance with some bad memories. Unfortunately that is part of the journey with all fragrances; I’m hoping that I can one day revisit this unique perfume with perhaps a better frame of mind.
Vienna.Pink
Lianelan – :
Can Can is back.
Ribbons , lace and nudity.
If i should imagine a can can dancer in a Hollywood movie she would wear Shalimar Parfum Initial L’Eau.
Like Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge, but only when she is innocent in white. I mention Hollywood to underline that this scent is not so vintage, perhaps 90s style, begin of this century*.
It is All around, all about tonka orange in here, the two suns of this fragrance. Just to simplify, or I could say citruses and dusty vanilline notes.
It rise up in douce fluffy oranges, and an almond like smell take place, it set in sweet dark vanilla.
It is very angelic/dirty Lolita fragrance for me.
Deliciously gourmand.
Remember me the unterrated Creation by La Perla as the Parfum Initial itself.
*It has that honeyed ambery vibe of vanilla tonka heliotrope and spices tipical of the 90s 2000s (kenzo jungle, joop homme, Sculpture by Nikos, l’instant, M7 etc)
wju831JeomiWogkig – :
Oh this is a blind buy love. Love love love. While soft and perhaps does not project very well, I can smell the soft cloud around me and it makes me soooo happy.
When I tested this EDT I sprayed some on my wrist and loved the initial citrusy punch, which then softened and sweetened pretty quick. And then it kept coming back. Day after day after day. When I sprayed it on my wrist, some perfume landed on my wrist watch strap (metal) and THREE WEEKS later I could still smell it. It smelt of something gentle, to me it reminded of the comforting smell of the camomile and honey tea. And then I knew it was love 🙂
Parad0XX_ET – :
This is lovely, a true EDT to the gorgeous Parfum Initial EDP.
The EDP moved to #2 on my all time fave list…. it’s sooooo good. But the EDT lacks the thick syrup-foodie-yummy that I find so addictive in the EDP.
But I found a deal on the EDTs and I can use it with abandon and not feel guilty about wasting. It is satisfying enough.
A light mist of citrus powder, with floral and vanilla. Pretty simple and easy-breezy. It’s feminine and light.
B0gdik – :
Beautiful, but brief, Citrus opening. However it quickly transforms to a Pink Floral Powder – these are the only words that come to mind when I smell this scent. I am able to pick out the Iris on occasion as well as the Jasmine. Though neither are a stand out note. The Hyacinth, Freesia and Rose seem to blend together making the Pink Floral Powder note I labelled this perfume with.
The silage is very soft and the longevity is moderate on me – 3 hours or so. I find this a very elegant and feminine scent but fail to garner any ‘sexy’ feel from it. The smooth, warm dry down is my favorite part by far. I cant deny that its lovely….but it does not inspire me.
Snikes13 – :
This was a blind buy, I had previously smelled Initial and thought it too sharp, was disappointed and rubbed it off which I should know by now that perfumes can totally change from the initial spray to the dry down. I was expecting L’eau to be citrusy with no resemblance to my beloved Shalimar EDP so to say I was pleasantly surprised that in fact it did smell very similar to the original EDP is an understatement . Yes the first few seconds are a bit sharp but still lovely and then after a few minutes that sharpness wears off and it becomes soft, fresh, soapy but still warm and gentle but there was a problem! The silage and longevity are so bad on me, it lasts all of a half hour, I can’t believe Guerlain would make such a weak fragrance, perfumes are just not what they used to be. Shame but overall its really beautiful.
ppusernamei2 – :
Guerlain SPI is way better compared to L’Eau.SPI is unisex since it’s the same as Dior Homme Intense and vintage Dior Homme. L’Eau is very powdery like the Johnson Johnson baby powder. It’s also starts very herbal, it reminds me of medicine but this goes away and it’s become very clean scent. To me it smells like a clean baby,the mother used Johnson Johnson baby soap,lotion and the powder. We all love freshly clean babies! I think this would go well with a woman who had a baby…the baby and the mother would smell great together :] so yea, this is a clean powdery scent for women….new mothers. Cheers.
morgan-y – :
Purchased this as a blind buy, like most of my perfumes. I guess it’s part of the rush… But I was not disappointed at all. This is one of my all time favorites! So sad it was discontinued. Guerlain is one of my favorite houses.
Upon receiving this Initial L’eau version of Shalimar, I wasn’t sure if I would like it. I caught wind of a powdery sweet scent after unwrapping the cellophane. Powder and sweetness is not appealing to me. Too girly, too pink. However I spritzed it on, and to my surprise, I *loved* it.
The initial spray is a sharp powdery citrus. There is very little sweetness to it. It is a semi-spicy zest kissed with a touch of vanilla and iris. Neither the floral notes or vanilla are overbearing but instead are soft and sensual (though I am not sure if it’s the vanilla or tonka bean I smell). These notes create an amazing combination that makes this scent complex, but each is so easily deciphered. The drydown remains powdery without being headache-inducing. The citrus notes linger as well as tonka bean. After hours of wear the scent dies down to a soft floral powder with an ever-so-slight spice. The many facets of this fragrance really can’t be described with words. It is a multi-dimensional work of art. Addictive.
Shalimar Initial L’eau is great for daily wear or special occasions. I’ve only had a chance to test it out in the warmer months, so I can’t wait to see how it transitions in cooler weather. I would totally wear this any time, any season. Purchased back up bottles and always on the lookout for more.
Annaimals – :
I ordered this blind based on the notes and the reviews, Iris is my favourite floral note and I found the original Shalimar never really worked for me so had high hopes for this combination..
I got a huge blast of aniseed for the first few minutes – which is not a note I like at all but I’ve noticed for me it does quite frequently at the outset creep into vanilla based scents and although not listed above I’m sure it must be one of the key opening notes. However I’m really hoping the sharp anise will go very soon so that the iris and citrus notes can make a welcome appearance. I can almost taste the aniseed at the back of my throat and it’s making me think of gobstoppers and talcum powder.
Pithy grapefruit now coming through with sweeter vanilla and some pencil shaving iris notes but all very soft and close to the skin. So far once I get beyond the initial aniseed I see this as a delicate spring/summer fragrance that begins a little screechy but quickly mellows. Think I’ll need to get to know it a little better before I decide whether it’ll be a success story for me or not.
dulitl4 – :
Masterpiece!!! Elegant ,feminine and sexy scent for real and confident woman.So much fresher and nicer than Shalimar perfume.Very long lasting. Beautiful bottle. Definitely worth the price!Sweet ,woody ,oriental perfume MAGIC
Иваныч – :
OMG !!! Why I debated and waited sooooo long to buy this. It is a truly magnificent scent. I guess the reason that prevented me all this time …is…I honestly DISLIKE original Shalimar…!!! This starts out all iris to my nose..with citrus somehow calming it down. The dry-down is awesome…beautiful. In the “vibe” of Dior Homme/Dior Homme Intense….and might I add..Dior Addict..but BETTER !!! It is discontinued…and even tho I just received my new bottle today, I am buying a back-up for sure. I give this a solid 9/10. A Wasser masterpiece.Projection/sillage is, of course, way lighter than it’s Mother Shalimar, which to me is a good thing. It wafts around you for a considerable time…letting you know…it is still there…without ever becoming cloying. The citrus, I think,IMHO, prevents this from being that typical “powder puffy” drydown…which I am also very happy about.
I highly suggest this scent. Get it while you can …the prices are very reasonable on-line. I would say also that it can be a safe blind buy…if you are familiar with Guerlainade…..A+ scent !!!
inhasogsPig – :
A perfect match for Parfum Initial. The opening is very citric but not as sharp and disgusting as some have said, and I have a very sensitive nose!
Is divine for warmer months and I would say any one could wear it, man or woman, Guerlains are very borderline ( most of them ).
The opening is soft bergamot, lemon and mandarin with neroli, the neroli remains the whole day, then the base is jazmin and iris to blend with Guerlains addictive vanilla and tonka.
It lacks the heavy ( yet delightful ) patchouli and caramel notes of PI, but that’s why I reccomend wearing this for daytime and PI for evenings.
Too bad it was discontinued but you can still find it online.
A fresh and marvelous daughter of the queen Shalimar.
jamal-07 – :
It opens zesty and sharp with lots of citrus notes,mostly bergamot,also grapefruit and orange..this much citrus is too much for my taste,so I really don’t like the opening part of it…soon middle notes start to show up with blasts of powdery iris and other florals..I am a fan of powdery scents but this much powder is too much even for me..there is also a bitter undertone which I like but in whole I don’t like the middle phase either
But the dry down is the part I die for,powdered mist starts to calm down and sit on my skin gently..I can still detect citrusy iris but in a lovely blend with soft,warm vanilla and tonka…it’s still powdery but in a soft gorgeous way and thanks god first phases don’t last long on me
L’eau is a milder version of initial..it’s younger,fresher and less serious(no patchouli here)..it’s a scent you can use all around the year but I prefer spring and fall..good longevity(about 8 hours)with a good sillage during the first phases and then it sits close to skin
I also love it’s elegant bottle
I can’t name shalimar l’eau a love because of it’s sharp opening but I can say I like it very much and am happy to have it in my collection
5081970 – :
Chalky Iris & Bergamot… a cool and sublime beauty.
A really nice fragrance from Thierry Wasser. I think it’s a lovely fragrance but it doesn’t seem like it quite belongs in the Shalimar family.
I do love the combination of Iris and the top citrus notes of Bergamot etc I still get the vanilla dry-down of the original Shalimar, but this version seems more subdued. In fact it feels like a completely different fragrance, or version to the original. I think this was the intention with this (a “flanker” of a “flanker”).
Nevertheless I do enjoy this one and find it cool and calming. It’s very nice. Thierry Wasser did an amazing job as always and it’s one I would recommend (as I would anything by the house of Guerlain). Cool and sublime, this fragrance is a standalone beauty.
nikolay_od – :
The opening is not to my taste but it takes only a few minutes and the drydown is pure heaven. A big LOVE. Already ordered a backup bottle.
dmytronv055 – :
A fresh version of Shalimar PI. The bergamot note stays for probably 25 minutes, when it goes away the skin is left with the same powdery, pink fluffiness as in PI but the Iris seems a bit more fresh. Excellent longevity and projection,even though it is an EDT.
Thanks to my dear Gypsy Parfumista for the generous decant 🙂
Evgeniy_Trifilov91 – :
I hate the opening, too much citrus! it remids me of furniture cleaner; that’s why it’s been sitting in my shelf so long, but once that’s gone you are left with a fresh, lovely scent, perfect for summer,
OldOldwest – :
A couple of days ago I read here that this perfume has been discontinued. It has been, indeed, when I took a tour at my 4 local perfume shops, it was nowhere to find and only one shop assistant knew what perfume I was talking about. I found it only on line and because my blind buys are 50-50, I ordered a sample which came today. I sprayed it immediately, and I am buying a full size bottle (if not two)!
It’s citrusy at the beginning, but very quickly you will find it’s Shalimar. It stays very close to your skin (when I asked my husband if he likes it, he said he can’t smell anything).
Now I can smell iris, vanilla, a tiny drop of lemon (but any toilet gel or a furniture polish) and soft cloud of Shalimar. You can find it on Ebay, 100 ml bottle for £20, so hurry up, girls – when it’s gone, is gone! But please leave one bottle for me 🙂
rikano – :
Yes, it is @mohsen.nasehip
barbudas17 – :
I have not smelled anything quite like this enigma. I am pleasantly confused.
On one hand: sumptuous, elegant, warm, serene, like a pale gold swathe of smooth satin velvet, utter luxury without ostentation.
On the other: a bergamotty, irisey, vanilla-ey (apologies to any grammarians out there) guerlainade supreme.
(I would never, ever turn my nose up at a guerlainade: this is unequivocally a ‘love’.)
alexpopov78 – :
Shalimar Parfum Initial L’Eau:
This perfume, to me, is the perfect mixture of sophistication and innocence, with a dash of quirky humor (i.e. the bergamot). It opens up extremely citrusy, to the point of almost unpleasant. But in no time at all, it turns into something extremely sensual and powdery. Not quite as voluptuous as the original Shalimar, she is a completely different entity. This one is just a little more… youthful. But OH SO BEAUTIFUL. I bought a 2 ounce bottle of this back in 2012 and used up the entire bottle within months (I loved it THAT much) but I never looked back. I moved on. Fast forward to January of this year, when I read a post about this being discontinued. I rushed to the nearest Guerlain counter and immediately bought a full 3.4 ounce bottle (that’s a big deal cause the only other perfumes I’ve repurchased are Angel and Black Orchid- on my 3rd bottles of both). I sprayed it right when I got home and immediately fell in love all over again. It made me kind of nostalgic for times past. From the harsh citrus opening, to the floral parade in the heart, and to the comforting base of vanilla and tonka beans. I used to wear this to class, to meet friends, going out, I pretty much wore it ALL THE TIME when I first bought it! Now that I’m coming back to it, my friends still recognize the scent and they all still love it on me. My friend came up to me and said “of all the perfumes you wear, this is my favorite” a statement that made me love this perfume even more! This is one of those perfumes where I don’t have to think about it. I just spray it on and I know that it will take me, and those lucky enough to be in my pr