Description
Shalimar was created by Jacques Guerlain in 1925, as a tribute to the legendary love story between Emperor SHAHJAHAN and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Before he became emperor his name was Prince Khurram. According to the legend, twenty- year-old Prince Khurram met a young girl, named Arjumand Banu at the bazaar where her family worked. Mesmerized by her beauty, after becoming emperor, he made her his wife as Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the “Jewel of the Palace”. After the wedding, the prince and Mumtaz were inseparable, in war and in peace. She had given 13 children to Shahjahan and died during the birth of their 14th child at the age of 39. Her death devastated Shah Jahan and had built Taj Mahal in memory of his wife and their undying love. Shalimar is named after ‘The Gardens of Shalimar’.It was Mumtaz’s favorite garden. Shalimar is one of the best selling perfumes ever and its magic is undeniable. Perfume is composed of citrus notes; lemon and bergamot, jasmine, may rose, opoponax, Tonka bean, vanilla, iris, Peru balsam and gray amber. The coolness of the citrus notes lead to a floral heart ending with a warm and luxurious trail.
prizrak05 – :
Why don’t we get on Shalimar and I? So wanted to love you…we just didn’t hit it off.
Liginvibe – :
I have wanted to try this for years and finally bought a bottle (2000 date). Unfortunately, this is just plain gross smelling on me.
It smells like a combination of benzene and scorched rubber.It’s loud and it dies down to a scent similar to bug spray .. My dogs won’t even come near me if I am wearing this.LOL
Sigh..I so wanted to like this but I tried several times, and left it on for hours but my chemistry and Ms Shalimar just aren’t going to work out.
Perhaps if I’d found an old old bottle or maybe a new version it wouldn’t be so gaggy.
azkamran – :
My husband didn’t know I was wearing Shalimar yesterday and I thought I might hear something like a compliment. Unfortunately he started sniffing the air and asked me if I could smell a bug repellent. I asked him if he was sure and he said it smelt like PIFPAF!!! Horrified I told him that’s my new perfume and he said he was mistaken and it smelled wonderful and he didn’t mean to offend me but he thought it was coming from the overhead shaft… 🙁
This is making me wonder although I still love it.. Also I got it from an online store and it looks genuine, I’m certain but I don’t know if the reformulated one lasts very less. It lasts only 2 hours and the dry down is hardly noticeable…
Any similar experience? What is going on here?
geograf – :
I had read a lot of reviews about Shalimar and was fascinated by the story about how it was created. I’m all about true love and I just got my very own bottle of this beauty today. It looks and smells absolutely Divine!!
Honestly I don’t care about the notes because I don’t possess real knowledge about perfumes and notes but this is my true true love in a bottle.. I see myself using this for a long long time.
When I used it for the very first time today, it transported me to another era, like I was on an emotional journey with Shalimar and on my way to finding true love.
I see why this is such a long standing iconic Parfum, the notes are so distinct and yet so intriguing that it evokes an ocean of emotions and a stunning dry down that makes me want to smell it a million times.
I’m so glad that I found this and I have never had one like this before. It is definitely not for everyone. It is a fragrance that should be allowed to really test your senses to the highest possible level.
Its not just a perfume, it is an experience.
Deonisboy – :
This is The Perfume for me!
Shalimar is … The most beautiful fragrance In the world for me. It s my personal experience …
So its rich,deep, smookey vanille. Mystic and very feminine I think., and, very very “old “in the good way …
I love Shalimar! Thank you Guerlain☺️
Metnn317Negeltzex – :
At first i can smell strong civet and citrus after it drys down vanilla woody powdery smells comes out. like it for summer.
sodom67 – :
Do not bother to smell this beautiful Fragrance for the first 8 mins , beacuse u may not like her at this point , let shalimar mesh with skin and unfold !!
See these days it’s instant gratification !!with everything Perfume too !
Perfume must smell instantly perfect ! Sadly most fade to nothing in 30 mins and let you down , fragrance , good ones were always ment to unfurl slowly , not giving everything away instantly , depth and beauty come slowly wth shalimar EDP, then WOW !!
Vanilla , leather ,resins, woody , smokey, sweetened florals , powder powder powder !
Amazing , but you will need to get past the first 8 to 10 minutes as they are not so good at least on my skin,a kinda polish smell is apparent at first , but don’t worry because she’s just gearing up , getting ready , so pop this on 20 mins before you leave your home , then get ready for the compliments !
I never known a fragrance to go from such an unsure strange start to stunning beauty !!
What’s happening with new bottles and no lasting power ?
I’m rationing my canister bottle as it lasts ages and shines, I would not bother with new version.
Warm inviting lemon musk , vanilla sandalwood, resinous, beguiling……
8/10
Domovoi1693 – :
This is leathery. On me it smells like rubber tyres for the first 30 minutes and then mellows into a leathery vanilla smell. There are times when I crave it and want to bathe in it, and there are times, I lock it away. A great night out fragrance.
tlymak – :
Oh I was so excited to try this today. I sprayed it on neck and wrists, and my husband leaned in expectantly to sniff me only to recoil in horror! The way cats do when they smell certain things. “It smells like someone took a leather bag, set fire to it, and then trapped the smoke in an old wooden whiskey barrel!” and we laughed about how we could feel ourselves age in fast forward with each breath of the heavy oriental fumes.
BUT, after awhile as we walked through town, it dried down to the most buttery and delicious vanilla I’ve ever smelt! I’m very sensitive to vanilla and almost can’t stand it synthetic, but this was different. It is a very beautiful vanilla, unlike anything I’ve experienced yet in fragrance. It was like a freshly baked apple pie was following me everywhere I went. I even turned around a few times to make sure I wasn’t actually near baked goods.
So just gorgeous really.. I could smell the fresh pastry, the clove and cinnamon and the tart apple of this imaginary pie. (Not the exact listed notes-I know!)
I can certainly see why it’s a classic that people love, and can only imagine what it must be like on someone who suits it. Personally for me the incense was much to strong. It reminded me of a heavily spiced balm I bought once from a hippie shop and I couldn’t shake the association. I would say it is a very special scent, that I would greatly appreciate smelling on the right person. It reminded me of my childhood, wooden floors, old quiet houses, bookshelves stuffed with books, trials of incense and dust floating in patches of sunlight, my mother and so on. Who incidentally would probably suit this.
Beautiful to enjoy in an environment but not something I could wear. At least not yet.
Roolezz – :
I wanted this forever, when i finally got it, Shalimar showed me this clear image from my childhood: i’m at my grandmother house, the light is off and only a dim light enters from the closed windows. The atmosphere of an house from another era, antiques, extravagant chandeliers, paintings, dark wood, jewelry boxes, closets full of clothes and furs that they don’t make anymore.
I was 100% sure that i smelled Shalimar in that moment, so i asked and it was confirmed that my beloved grandmother wore Shalimar at one point (she had a great taste in everything).
When i wear this perfume i just feel surrounded by luxury in a dream place. When i’m dressed up i feel wrapped in elegance.
The citrus gives an energetic feel at the beginning, the incense mistery, the vanilla a familiar sensation, the leather character and the powdery aspect femininity. Is one of the very few perfumes that is complete to my nose, i can smell clearly the various notes and their developing on the skin.
Is a grown, sumptuous and mysterious scent.
When i wear Shalimar i want to be seen.
ilustratia – :
Reminds me a bit of by The fireplace by Maison Margiela. Or maybe a soft edition of Opium by Yves Saint Laurent.Quite smoky and leathery on my skin, but also soft, cosy and SEXY. Longevity and silage above average. A stand out perfume for me. A daring guerlain
frol593 – :
Nothing as comforting at night.
Nothing as sensual, familar or addictive to me as Shalimar.
A scent to round the angles, smooth the serrated edges of the day and also seduce the lover.
Forever love.
taxist27 – :
A classy classic, and even my notoriously fragrance averse husband says it’s “not bad”.
Curious, what is it that produces what I identify as an oily or unctuous quality in this?
dellux15 – :
I was so curious to try this legendary perfume! I found it today and sprayed it on to test it. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever smelled! My first thought was that it reminded me of mosquito repellent. But then it quickly develops into a powdery, smoky scent, with hints of leather and incense. Perhaps there is a bit of vanilla. I cannot smell any citrus whatsoever! I must be nose blind 🙂 I find it interesting how it smells different at arms length compared to if I bring my wrist up to my nose. I actually think it smells better from a distance. I am excited to see how it smells on my skin in a few hours time…
Pereheels – :
The notes are constantly changing along with my opinion. Definitely magical and unlike any other, but sometimes reminds me of Elizabeth & James Nirvana Bourbon. Not my usual ingredient choice, but for some reason it draws me back, very alluring.
koltcov – :
My mother loves Shalimar, and has worn it on and off throughout her life. She has told me the story of how my father bought her a bottle of the pure perfume when they were dating way back in the 50s. Well one day she dropped the bottle and it broke. Her bedroom was flooded with the beautiful scent for momths afterwards. I don’t know if this is what made her fall in love with my father, but he must have fallen in love with her by that time, as a gift of Shalimar is a gift of love!
My impression? As a young girl, and later a young woman, I absolutely did not get it! I thought it overwhelming. I was partial to floral scents and though I liked some florientals, but this was different! Little did I know, as others mentioned, I was not ready for her, because now, I can not get enough. Incense, resin, vanilla dominate. It’s like a sacrament. A definite love!
wci385Unlogrere – :
Sprayed this on a sample card and found myself reaching over to smell it almost compulsively for the next 8 hours or so. I don’t get the vanilla, but I do get the smoky, powdery, rosy citrus of it. Happened upon a sample vial and sprayed it on myself, and the sillage and longevity are astonishingly good, just what I expected from a legend like this, but I think Shalimar slammed the doors on me a little bit. My skin went to town with the smoky leather notes and I smelled a bit like burning rubber. Sexy, delicious burning rubber, but I think Shalimar was basically telling me I don’t deserve to wear her yet. I’ve never understood what people mean when they say a fragrance is finnicky or demanding, but I get it now. It’s like she flirted with me on the sample card and then told me “you’re cute, but try again in a few years.” Still, this is gorgeous, and I can’t wait until it’s something I can actually wear.
huusernamel6 – :
Why have you all been keeping this a secret from me!?!? I always thought this was a dated scent that didn’t belong in this century. Boy, was I wrong! The drydown on this is magnificent heaven. This is so sexy and seductive with a little vanilla goodness at the base. Sweet baby Jesus, I think I need a bottle. This must be worn to be appreciated. The strip or sniffing from the atomizer will leave you traumatized.
Ales44 – :
Totally divine! The glories of Shalimar have made it a timeless love.
I am especially loving how it performs today in the heat of summer.
Amazingly beautiful.
vkt_maks – :
And now a new review on the older version (I have a mini mini mini sample that came as an extra on a trade).
Delicious, deep, woody and incense-y. And leather, warm and rounded leather (not the sharp leather that smells almost like asphalt soap, but the kind of leather handbags). Not as powdery as the new version, maybe woodier.
And as it dries out, a beautiful, beautiful, creamy, warm and sweet patchouli. Rich and one of the best oriental perfumes I ever smelled.
—
Both versions are amazingly good. I would be happy to own both.
semerka336 – :
Shalimar makes me think of my mom. It’s one of her two main fragrances (the other being Coty Emeraude; though she also likes Stella by Stella McCartney and Carolina Herrera 212). I liked the powdery scent when I was a child. Now, however, “powder” in perfumes repulses me – I don’t exactly know when the shift occurred, but it did. And now I stay away from “powdery” designer florals. However… if you appreciate vintage, incense- and iris-heavy frags, then there’s really no reason a little bottle of Shalimar shouldn’t be in your perfume collection.
teksatstish – :
initally did not like this fragrance but it grews on me. I keep wanting it because it brings me comfort and the leather smell makes me addicted to it.It is like im addicted to sushi because of the wassabi kick.
kylukitage – :
My first impression: Spicy, sambac, vanilla smoky mist.
I love it and am excited to discover more about it the more I wear it.
affedePen – :
Shalimar is not a collection of notes, a recipe, nor does it represent a specific place, activity, or concept. It’s as changing and complex and subjective as the woman wearing it. It’s a smokey animalic vanilla, a doll’s head rose, an earl grey tea, an incense filled den, yes, but it’s from a time when the refinement of modernity came to meet the depths of deeply historic cultural memory in equal measure, just before the scales tipped to a well lit electric and antibiotic enabled society, scrubbed thoroughly clean of vermin, bacteria, disease, and also cultural memory and poeticism. A perfume could be an aura, a living organic thing, a being, not a machanized representation thereof.
If you squint, you can still see a world where the collective history of lives everywhere were bonded by stories, poetry, and music, and life was slower, time to contemplate events that have occurred in one’s life and the weight of one’s actions was infinitely greater, and the impression of one person in your life could make an impact far greater than a hundred celebrities can now. Life had more weight, and so did the presence of the people living it. In this realm, a fragrance like Shalimar would linger in the memory profoundly tied to the woman wearing it and her every gesture, her essence. It makes sense to me that as the world is slowly forgetting this way of life, these masterpieces are becoming more transparent. But Shalimar is still an exquisite perfume, and as close as I have to a signature.
For me, Shalimar is smokey and mysterious, but also soft, and sweetly vulnerable, the very essence of femininity at its most sensual. It’s deeply spiritual, maternal, and sexy, from another time before motherhood and sexuality suffered an anticeptic divorce. It’s neither youthful nor mature, but fits a woman with depth of soul no matter what her age. Shalimar is the ritual incense for The Goddess.
Visul0 – :
I didn’t want to give up on Shalimar. I first smelt it two years ago, near the very start of my fragrance journey in the duty free, and I was anosmic to the opening, all I got was alcohol, then the heavenly drydown a few hours later. I was disheartened, especailly when several months later I tried her again in another store and got the same result.
But I didn’t want to quit. I felt that I SHOULD be able to catch her in all her glory and beauty, because she is the queen of orientals, the mother of them in a way, and I wanted to love her or at least understand her if I couldn’t wear her myself. I suppose she was arrogant at first, not deeming me ready for her, but now, NOW she opens beautifully and I can finally smell her fully: warm citrus, tantalising vanilla, shy but dirty leather. She makes me think of cigarette smoke, expensive soap and skin heated in dog-day sun. I love her, and I’m so happy I didn’t quit on her. Thank you Shalimar, for finally letting me appreciate your beauty.
fialki – :
I still remember falling asleep to Shalimar and gripping my wrists to my nose to catch the slight fragrance of smoked vanilla before it completely dissipates. The next day i immediately went to Barney’s and bought the full bottle. Now I wear it every night. LOVE IT…truly the one fragrance to beat, to me Shalimar dominates as the king of all perfumes. Nothing has come close to knocking it off its pedestal, truly the greatest in its class.
chesar – :
I feel the smoky vanilla accord in this perfume was crafted specifically to be worn by a Goddess. It is divinity encapsulated in fragrance.
tosya0411 – :
This is such a classic. An icon. I wanted to like it so much. I tried 80s vintage. I thought possibly there was something wrong with it, maybe it had turned. I have just tried some in House of Fraser and the 80s one is fine. It just smells of Mr. Sheen furniture polish to my nose. Now I love the smell of Mr.Sheen but I don’t want to smell of it.
alexxxx161 – :
Guerlain has created many wonderful perfumes, that is a fact. BUT, personally, I believe that Shalimar is a challenging perfume..because it is not an easy scent to be liked right away. It takes time to get accustomed to it and appreciate it.
It’s certainly a scent for the richer ones, the older in body and mind, almost ritual, which unfolds slowly surprising you with a different aroma each time. It’s for the woman who has accepted herself and is ready to search for deeper meanings in life.
I might own this one day..
uapushkin – :
Opens with a blast of bergamot and then enters the leather, which never leaves. Over time others appear; vanilla, civet, and a soapy powder. The bergamot leaves quite quickly, leaving only trace. The leather never leaves. It dominates the entire fragrance and all the other notes are tinged with it. I don’t like leather unless it is merely a hint. There is no doubt this is a masterpiece but if you’re not keen on leather this is not for you. It is the scent of an expensive shoe shop.
-шалун- – :
@ vgedin About longevity on skin and projection you may try something I do with Habanita, I spray it on my skin (neck, behind the ears, chest) after applying a neutral body cream or pure shea butter.
For the rest of your post I do not feel offended at all, I thumbed you up because my opinion on the current EDP’s performance is close to yours. Those who knew the 90es crave for real powerhouses of scents.
Mepor725JeomiWogkig – :
I’m going to be in the minority here, but this review is not intended to offend anyone.
I’ve had the privilege to smell the vintage, it used to be in my Aunt’s vanity. I remember the smoky lushness, but not vividly enough.
I don’t own the vintage. I have the new EDP. The composition is still exquisite. However, the performance, at least on me, is abysmal. No longer than 2 hours, max 4-5 on my clothes. Very poor projection. If anyone knows how to fix this please let me know
Even the smell.. I’m sure it was groundbreaking when it was released and perhaps for a long time after that. The smoky leather that envelops the notes is still brilliant and rather unique, with a smoothness only Guerlain can achieve. But there are other orientals I prefer to Shalimar.
I’ll still always own a bottle though. I understand its value as a lover of perfumes, not to mention the nostalgic value it holds. And I’m sure I’ll wear it on days I crave a bitter citrus packed with smoky leather and incense. It is a thing of beauty…
Feappibeinson – :
1 second: citrus
1 hour: that of civet propably is well represented
6 hours: my little pony scented plastic toys
Sweetish.
asassindd – :
I adore this fragrance. It’s cozy-sophisticated, warm, soothing and it continues to grow and change as the day grows old. On me, I get a powdery vanilla bergamot bomb, with a woody backbone slowly coming through as it wears on through the day.
I am not usually a huge fan of powdery scents but this is so delicious and calming, I don’t mind it all. I feel graceful and ladylike when I wear it….
I feel like any review I write is redundant…this beauty has been around for decades, and is a classic for a reason. The bottle is elegant…the scent is magnificent. It is a Guerlain masterpiece. Bravo, Guerlain, BRAVO!
vrllyndall1 – :
You know the perfume is good when you let it go for years and remember it and want it back. I wrote a review on this lovely before and yet it still mesmerizes. I fortunately do not get bug spray, I do get the smokey, vanilla slash lemon thing and together on my skin meld into this beachy vibe that gives me the flutters, perfect for the incoming warm weather. The same beachy scent I got from the girl at the department store (see my first review 🙂 I’m so happy I have this in my collection again, it’s definitely a keeper for me, absolutely love it 🙂
moroz34 – :
I completely agree with AlexisJane’s review.
Unfortunately, I was supposed to love Shalimar, according to the notes and the oriental family it belongs to (I generally don’t like the extra-sweet modern perfumes), but on me too Shalimar smells like some kind of mosquito-repellent…
I guess it might be a recent reformulation? I’ve never tried any vintage versions, so I can’t really compare them.
This unpleasent smell is present only in the “original” edp version, though. I also tried the Soufflé, and it is completely different on me: good, even if not my cup of tea.
grishaz – :
Shalimar. Oh dear.
I had expected quite a lot from this perfume, because I’d read all these reviews, and was very excited. Very, very excited. It seemed like something I would’ve loved, and I should’ve loved it.
I finally got a sample of the EDP, and I regret to say that it is not, by any stretch, for me. The reason for this is because whether I smelt it from the atomiser, or on my skin, the only smell I had permeate around me was the smell of pyrethrum powder, the sort used to repel fleas on your pets.
On that note, I don’t mean to say this couldn’t smell nice on someone else, because it absolutely could. Certainly, no perfume smells the same on, or to every person. I can see that it has some merits to it, with its floral undertones. But I was sad that I couldn’t see in it what others seem to love about it, and I’m afraid my chemistry certainly didn’t do it the justice it deserved as the beloved classic of many.
psm653JeomiWogkig – :
90 degrees with high humidity and Shalimar is unbelievably even more gorgeous than in cold weather. The amazing perfume keeps surprising me. It’s actually mouth watering, the vanilla smells so sweet! I am so glad I didn’t give up after my disappointment with the edt, this is one of my all time favorites and I’m so glad that Guerlain is so good with maintaining their classics, so that hopefully I will never have to be without a bottle!
пэн – :
I love this gem!!! On me if i spray this on my body it basically smells balsamic…wonderful balsamic…if you spray this on your clothes youll get this beautiful sublime vanilla that is quite long lasting…the sillage is strong at first but then turns subtle….something to be improved…anyhow…i score this 8/10
masyanya89 – :
I really think this is difficult to appreciate if you’ve been accustomed to the fruity, candy-like perfumes that have been pervading the fragrance offerings low these many years now. This gorgeous stuff indicates mystery, class, even decadence …kind of like the well-dressed woman who doesn’t wear skin-tight clothing, is every inch a lady, and is almost unattainable. It’s just beautiful, that’s all.
dzvaluka – :
I am wearing it today (a spray at the fragrance store). And this deserves a new review (modern version):
OMG this is so, so, so pretty and calming and delightful 🙂 Apparently either my nose has changed or there has been some fluctuation in the formula. This one is less sharp/sour than the one I tried a few years ago, but more woody/powdery and very, very, very comforting.
Warm, alive, human. It’s like an embrace. Calming and comforting.
I’ll probably end up buying a small bottle 🙂
shakal – :
My oh my, I really wanted to like it because I’ve heard so much about it. So many people who I consider really into perfume have recomend Shalimar to me. But on my skin it smells like those wips you use when you change dipers. I think it is the citrus notes that dont work for me. I did like the begining tho, for like 5-10 minutes and then the wips smell apeard unfortunatelly.
Mekdk217Unlogrere – :
I blind bought this perfume because of such great reviews. When I first smelled it I was taken back. I didn’t like it. I was use to my light floral fragrances, but I would spray it on myself at night to wear around the house and the scent started to dance around me and enchant me.
Now, I am on my second bottle and I am so happy. This perfume has changed how I view perfume. I am no longer into my light sweet floral smells.
I also bought a bottle for my mom and she loves it!
tim.kos.ru – :
I heard a lot about Shalimar but tested it relatively late. I must have smelled it before because it didn’t smell new, but I have no nostalgic connection to this scent, so my opinion of it is quite cool-headed.
First off, I wouldn’t call this an oriental. To me, orientals are spicy and fiery, think Youth Dew, Opium, Tabu… Shalimar is mainly balmy. Two other notes are citrus and vanilla. This can be a tricky combination. One side of this scent is screechy clean citrus and the other side is soft sweet vanilla. Something about this clashes more than it works together.
The drydown is very balmy with incense and moderately warm and sweet. It’s classic, classy, ladylike.
Non offensive but it could become such when oversprayed as it tends to grow and spread in humidity.
I don’t wear it but I don’t dislike it.
I understand its iconic status, in the same way I understand why some people admire Grace Kelly, while I prefer Jane Birkin. It’s only a matter of personal taste. But undeniably Shalimar is an icon.
haked – :
This is the best perfume I’ve ever smelled! I bought a 30ml bottle of this last year, and I regret not buying a bigger bottle! Wow, what a beauty this is! If anybody has a bottle who needs a loving home, I would be very interested!
mimo – :
Shalimar, I just don’t get you. First you smell unpleasantly old and musty, then you melt into warm vanilla bliss. The next day, a bright, clean opening dries down to… boring powder and an acrid tang. At what point do we agree to get along or finally part ways? I don’t know. Just when I think I know you and upgrade from a mini to a nice big bottle, you turn on me and we don’t get along at all. Sometimes I can even taste chemicals after I spray you on my skin, and that is not pleasant.
Maybe there’s some magical alchemy to finding the right weather patterns or astronomical portends to wear this classical beauty the right way. I’ll keep trying.
ballanar – :
When I describe her as a lady: She portrayls a majestic queen with asymmetrical characters conveying love, romances and shyness morale.
Reyms – :
What can anyone say about Shalimar that hasn’t been said…it’s a classic, timeless and beautiful.
As much as I love this fragrance, I don’t care for the opening at all and often I overlook my bottle because the first spray makes me cringe so much. It’s a strong mix of notes but heavy on the bergamot, which doesn’t seem to mesh well and ends up smelling like butane. This lasts for a good half hour or so on my skin before it dries down..
Now, the dry down.. that’s where the magic lays. Spicy vanilla cookies in a cloud of incense.. mysterious and yet comforting and familiar. The rose peeks through here and there just enough to add a sweet floral warmth to the whole concoction. Powder softens the edges and makes this a divine bubble of scent to become lost in.
Everyone should try Shalimar at least once. There is a reason it’s so iconic and thoroughly loved!
дадудабудда – :
First I tried it I was put off. But then I kept thinking about it and wanted to test it again. I tried the edt and bought right there. I have never smelled anything better.
Now I also love the edp and it’s true what they say. It is addictive. I never want to wear anything else. It’s just perfection.
Shalimar is not like chanel no5 who us a clean and polished lady who is very refined and classy. No shalimar is all about character. She is someone, someone really unique and beautiful. Opiniated but never vulgar and you love everything about her personality. She can be disorganized but that just speaks of her creativity and rich soul.
I’m deeply on love.
dennwgsm – :
opening is pure, pure, powder…much like the smell of straight Johnson’s baby powder.
Dries down to a nice lemony vanilla with a touch of smoke.
Very feminine without being too floral, innocence without immaturity.
Afteliasasisk – :
There’s something ultra seductive about Shalimar.
She’s serious sexy, glamorous and classy.
She’s raw , intense so love her from a distance.
She reminds you that every man is a potential lover.
barden – :
I love it! But why, oh why, does it last and project so little time? Please, guerlain, make it an eternal love, as its name suggests and not ” one night stand”…
RomaZhuuuk – :
I’ve waited so long to finally get this gem, but I’m so glad I found what I know I will treasure for years to come!
I was planning on getting a vintage, but the department store I go to had an old stock of EDP’s made in 2012. I figured it would be best to go ahead and get it!
Even though I tested Shalimar multiple times, the mysterious and odd opening never ceases to amaze me. It is odd, but in an intriguing way with the smoky citruses. At first, the character of this fragrance is secretive, but when it warms up to you, it fills you with a depth of pure vanilla and incense bliss.
I have vanilla beans that I use to make vanilla extract, which reminds me of what I’m smelling in Shalimar. Real, smoky vanilla, which warms up on my skin hours later, sweetening up just a bit.
The woodiness of the sandalwood and cedar are detected too, especially the cedar on my skin.
samoletovax – :
– Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet – ★★★★★
Every time I spray some Shalimar on, I can’t help but think how outdated the civet and pungent the citrus are. I regret a good 45 minutes until suddenly the smoky vanilla comes out and I start to absolutely loving it. To think that Shalimar was created aeons ago and still vigilantly persist over trends that come and go indeed justifies its legendary status. If you ask me, I think Shalimar is quite romantic and tender compared to some other late femme fatales like Poison or LouLou. The resinous leather does deepen the overall mood but there is something very fragile underneath. Makes me want to walk around a mirror lake, pick some flowers and think about LOVE.
I own a 2010 EDP and a 90’s EDT. They’re quite similar and it seems Guerlain has done a great job at preserving the formula despite the raw material restrictions. It’s not up to them what IFRA decides to ban and it must take great skill to mimic the old formula.
An undeniable hall of fame classic.
Soundtrack: Boards of Canada – Satellite Anthem Icarus
Batur – :
Vanilla and cigarettes. A cathedral at midnight. A worn leather jacket. Loose leaf earl grey tea. Your favorite secondhand bookstore.
It took a while for me to appreciate Shalimar; she’s definitely a lady that you need time to fully acquaint yourself with. Absolutely intoxicating and seductive, and she only gets better as the wear goes on.
davidoff1002 – :
Shalimar (EDP) is a legendary fragrance and as a kid I used to think this fragrance is epitome of perfumery as I thought this is what luxury would smell like and now that I have got a chance to smell and write a review on it I think little Divjot was correct in its thinking :). Shalimar is named after garden in Lahore and word Shalimar means “abode to love” which this perfume tried to incorporate through it smells very beautifully.
As you spray this perfume you get the powdery iris with touch of sweetness which is vanilla and along with these two notes I smell an animalist note which I think is Civet however it’s not very pronounced so in a way it balances the perfume out very well. As it continues to dry down I smell leather coming into the prominence and it is a quite deep and complicated perfume also as I can smell touch of rose along with patchouli in it however still smelling the Iris which I think is the main note along with vanilla. This projects quite well which is generally should be a small bubble a perfume should make and it does that and it stays around 6-8 hours mark