Guerlain • Shalimar • Fragrances

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pearl on 6/17/2013 11:32:00 PM more reviews by pearl

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I don't know why I thought I wanted to try this but I'm sorry I did. It smelled good in the store on the test strip. So I bought it and sprayed it on the way home. It was fine for maybe 10 seconds but quickly changed into a very powdery scent. Hours later it's still powdery. Definitely not my thing, YMMV.

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sillage on 5/9/2013 3:57:00 PM more reviews by sillage

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Normal, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

Shalimar is one of the most significant fragrances of my lifetime, and I've been through several bottles, including refills of the refillable bottle I used to have. I still have it, in all formulations, and this is one where I think every formulation has been wonderful, even the cologne.

I first sniffed Shalimar in my sophomore year at college -- the girl across the hall said it was her favorite -- but I didn't like it then. I thought it was too "high", light, and sweet -- too dainty & candyish, sort of. I liked them more full-bodied and thought Shalimar stayed too much in the high register (although I'm a big vanilla lover, I've never been much for lemon & citrus).

Fast forward to my first year out of college, my first job -- and one of my coworkers made Shalimar Eau de Cologne (disc bottle) her signature and wore it to work every day. Well, I fell in love with the stuff on her -- she smelled like Heaven! She bought those big disc-shaped cologne bottles and poured them into a spray bottle. Our office was perfumed with Shalimar on a daily basis.

I desperately wanted to wear Shalimar too -- and I bought a bottle -- but I only wore it away from work, when I knew I wouldn't see her -- because it was HER scent. I dared not wear it to work also, or anywhere around her during our "off" hours. It would have been extremely rude of me and would have probably broken her heart.

Even though she wore cologne formulation, it really was quite strong, and sometimes first thing in the morning, it was too (embarrasingly) strong -- yet in a good way -- because no denying it was a wonderful, awesome, fantastic perfume. I think all of us on staff loved the scent; nobody ever complained.

As a matter of fact, one of the bosses' wives came through one day, swooshed past me, and left a gorgeous poof of Shalimar in her wake. It made me wonder if her husband had raved about the coworker's Shalimar to her at home and caused her to go out & buy a bottle -- or if he had actually loved it so much on our coworker that he had bought his wife a bottle.

I do not understand criticisms of this perfume -- that little twist of incense is just a little twist, to offset the sweetness of the lemon & vanilla, and I think it's very subtle and what makes the scent so gorgeous. I love it completely and will always have it in my collection.

A boyfriend once said to me, "Don't ever change perfumes" while I was wearing Shalimar. Later it became my wedding fragrance. What a stunning Masterpiece of a perfume Shalimar has been through the decades -- and continues to be. It has truly stood the test of time as few other perfumes have.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Kysyona on 5/1/2013 10:38:00 AM more reviews by Kysyona

Age: 30-35   Skin: Very Oily, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I am rating the modern formulation here since I never manage to win an old sample on ebay ( but I live in hope! :) ) The bottle is prima, and what's in it started with a blast of musk ( read dust ) and settled into a stale vanilla mixed with soda baking powder. The End. If I get hold of a vintage I will update, but so far it's not worth the time I could take describing how disappointing that was.

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*TOP REVIEWER* SorceressOfTheDark on 4/30/2013 3:59:00 AM more reviews by SorceressOfTheDark

Age: 56 & Over   Skin: Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

Shalimar evokes such pleasurable memories for me. And it's scent is so deliciously decadently devious. Guerlain designed this perfume to be that way. It is a woman's scent. It is for those who know they are a woman, when they want to be a woman and when they luxuriate in being the woman they are. Because it is a perfume that brings to mind the human body as a pleasurable thing mixed with sweetness. You see, it's dry down won't attack you with any sick sweet cloying floral scent or overpowering muskiness either, but rather, entice you with a suspicious mixture of naughty and nice. It belongs to a faraway time, perhaps in a Sultan's tent, mesmerized by the fragrances adorned on bodies, of incense lightly burning somewhere in the night.
It was created in 1921 by Guerlain. Jacques Guerlain was inspired by Mumtaz Mahal, the woman for whom the Taj Mahal was built. She was so favored, that her husband built for her the Garden of Shalimar in Pakistan. They say the meaning of "Shalimar" is a mystery, but it is of Persian origin. In Sanskrit it means "Temple of Love". Jacques Guerlain felt Shalimar to be an aphrodisiac.
I always knew it to be a vanilla, powdery scent. It contains vanilla, bergamot, jasmine, lemon, rose, iris, incense, opopanax, and tonka bean. Top note is bergamot. Middle notes are iris and opopanax. Base note is vanilla.
It is a sexy smell that you can layer on with its accompanying lotions or creams. It's considered an Oriental with a headiness of musk that does bring others to their knees. wondering how such a thing happened to them. It was said back then that a lady didn't do three things: "smoke, dance the Tango and wear Shalimar". So for those that think of Shalimar as an old lady's perfume, think again. There really is no such animal. There are only scents that bring out one's own beauty and confidence when mixed correctly with the wearer's pheromones.
Shalimar was one of my first perfumes as a young woman and I'll always delight in wearing it. It makes me feel special when I do. Wearing Shalimar reminds me of whom I am and who I want to be at the moment. It gives me a smile to wear, with the confidence to wear nothing else. It just has that ability. Jacques Guerlain knew what he was doing when he created Shalimar with the new scent of vanillin.

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Jessydphs04 on 4/29/2013 10:58:00 PM more reviews by Jessydphs04

Age: 25-29   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brunette, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

This scent is pretty amazing. It is light and smells like lemon cookies. If you are looking for a classic scent, give this one a chance!

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AgentMakeup007 on 4/26/2013 3:12:00 PM more reviews by AgentMakeup007

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Hazel    

This is a classic that has been around since 1925! My mom gave this precious bottle to me in it's little metallic blue box for my 16th birthday, years ago. I have repurchased it since then like five times already!
So, it has always been a hit with the women in my family ever since my grandma bought it, and it's quite expensive, (depending where you go and look for it) but it's well worth it.
I'm not going to lie, the smell could either remind you of a new born baby or and old lady! (Most probably the last one). It's a very maternal fragrance, very musky at first but as the day goes on, it's more like a powdery scent. Not a cheap scent though, it's very fine and fresh.
For some reason I adore it! It suits my every day life and I relate it to my feminine, familiar personality. Yes, perfumes have the power to remind you of moments or make your brain remember things better, I don't make sense explaining perfumes very well as you may have noticed but this one is really special. It also has loads of pheromones (I checked so on the internet), guaranteed! You ladies might want to make an experiment on how guys treat you when you spritz this perfume on, I know it sounds nuts but it is TRUE!
I love it! It's just soft and very different from what the market has to offer now a days. I hope it doesn't get discontinued! :)

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*TOP REVIEWER* rp1017 on 2/19/2013 1:50:00 PM more reviews by rp1017

Age: Unknown   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

I have now tried Shalimar in EDT, EDP and Extrait formulations and the Extrait gets high marks from me. The EDT to me on my skin smells like band-aids and lemon (yuck) ... the EDP to me loses the band-aids, and instead has light touch of smokiness and dries down to lemons (so-so, but gives me a headache ) I'm not complaining though as I purchased it with my Ulta club points,) however, the Extrait is gorgeous ........ it is all smokey vanilla (I am a huge fan of smokey vanillas, with my favorite being M. Micallef's Note Vanille.) I know that others have mentioned that Shalimar has the same likeness in all formulations, however, I have to disagree as the pure perfume does not closely resemble the EDT and has a tiny hint of the EDP and to my nose is different, and is amazing. If money is no option, I highly recommend the pure perfume ..... 1/2 oz is $196, but if you are a fan of smokey vanillas so worth it. I find the pure perfume not at all old-ladyish, but instead it is sexy and gets me alot of compliments (from men.)

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gmstrack on 2/2/2013 2:51:00 PM more reviews by gmstrack

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Hazel    

Yes, Shalimar definitely wins in a fight against Chanel No. 5. Shalimar is just as complex as No. 5 (maybe even more so) and lacks the headache inducing aldehydes. (I detect a low concentration of aldehydes in this fragrance, but not in such an offensive quantity.)

Projection and longevity: 5/5. The citrus disappears quickly, and the powdery dry down isn’t cheap or pedestrian.
Shalimar makes me feel sexy and grown up; the vanilla sweetness is sensual and accessible, while the leather, incense and musk add naughtiness and depth.

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TBonita on 1/24/2013 8:20:00 PM more reviews by TBonita

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Cool   Hair: Red, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

Shalimar shalimar, oh how I love thee... It's warm and cozy, feels like home, if home were a 70 degree and sunny day with no humidity riding the Darjeeling Limited, dressed in flowing garments. men I am socially forced to air kiss at parties hold on to me for an extra few inappropriate seconds to sniff and sigh/smile/comment, even. oddly my husband prefers those cheesy modern floral scents; too bad - when I wear shalimar, I'm 'home'. Inhave a scent arsenal and this will always, always be in it.

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notevangelista on 1/2/2013 6:20:00 AM more reviews by notevangelista

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

Oriental perfumes are something I grew up with, and to me, heady oriental notes are more nostalgic than 'exotic'. While Shalimar is a unique perfume with a strong personality, it is one of those perfumes that befits a certain occasion and a certain age group.

I bought this perfume a few months ago, wore it quite frequently one semester, after my bottle of Versace's Vanitas was over- and let me just say, this perfume confuses most western audiences! I've had people who loved it, and people at this place I worked (for a week, I might add!) who said that it smelled to chemical-y and asked me not to wear it! The insult! Anyway, I stopped wearing it as the days got warmer, for the scent is too strong and unsuitable for spring/summer time.

However, I recently used it and I have to say, it's grown on me. It's a feminine, extravagant and sensual scent, that makes me feel warm inside, yet the downside is that I find it smells a bit powdery and therefore, older. Note that I don't dislike the powdery smell, I love that it sort of lingers for hours after the rest of the perfume has died down, a fitting metaphor for a perfume that seems to heady and dramatic, but is instead rather mature and maternal at heart. A powdery after-scent is nonetheless something older than my years, and it doesn't seem to completely work as a daily perfume at my age and current lifestyle. However, I am definitely going to keep this perfume around, as it is a scent I hope to grow into with time.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Olfactoria on 11/27/2012 8:31:00 AM more reviews by Olfactoria

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Brown    

Some may argue that Chanel No. 5 is only iconic due to its marketing and image-- I do think it is exquisite, but not quite right for me. Too cold and regal, a bit too ubiquitous as well. But Shalimar? It is just as iconic, just as deserving of its status, and as warm and comfortable as C#5 is formal and restrained. Plus, it's something you don't smell everywhere, so I feel more special wearing it.


It tickles me that so many people speak of Shalimar as daring, sexy, indecent. I grew up smelling Shalimar on my mom, my aunts, and my grandmother, and I always referred to it as "lemon cookies." For me it is soothing, enveloping, bosomy and maternal. (Which can be quite sexy in its own way!).


Shalimar is simply the Oriental to begin-- and end-- all other Orientals. What genius is the juxtaposition of almost Pledge-like citrus and bergamot up top, quickly yielding to smoky leather, elusive and delicate iris, and that amazing, amazing vanilla base that is warm, buttery, silky, but still not too sweet. I own both a couple of vintage bottles of EDT from the '80s, and the current EDP in the blue box and non-ridged bottle. I do think the old stuff is just a hair more smooth and complex, but I don't think the current reformulation is enough of a difference to ruin it for me. It is still very recognizably Shalimar, wearing a bit closer to the skin than the vintage stuff, which isn't bad in terms of versatility and wearability.


Gorgeous, yet comfortable to wear, Shalimar feels both decadent and huggably soft. I adore this scent!

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*TOP REVIEWER* Anda on 11/15/2012 2:51:00 AM more reviews by Anda

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

It took me YEARS of sniffing to finally "get" Shalimar, and I'll always have a bottle of it in my collection. It's not one I wear often although I admire its composition and originality; hence the more average 3 rating.

My experience of it changes with my mood. On good days it's Sophia Loren in a bottle; sharp, sunny bergamot on a sultry, voluptuous bed of powdery, leathery smoke and vanilla. On bad days, it's too bug spray and bergamot-overdose.

Shalimar is almost a sensorial overload, with so much powdery iris, tarry leather, and smoky incense that it bears little resemblance to most other orientals in the market today. Many of its notes match that of ancient perfumes created for worshippers of Aphrodite, and contrary to the name and it's love-story association, I've always found it not so much "romantic" as flat-out "raunchy".

Be prepared to get noticed, but don't be surprised if reactions to it are polarized. It's not the baked-goods and fruits type of "girl-next-door" scent people are used to these days.

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*TOP REVIEWER* BrittaBot on 10/5/2012 10:12:00 PM more reviews by BrittaBot

Age: 30-35   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Red   Eyes: Blue    

I've had a one-ounce bottle of Shalimar for years, but I didn't wear it frequently because the weather was either too hot, or I felt the fragrance was too special for everyday wear, especially while I was a student.

But now that I'm back in an office, and the weather is cooler, I've been enjoying Shalimar, spritzed on the back of my neck. Its notes are: Bergamot, Lemon, Jasmine, Rose, Iris, Incense, Opopanax, Tonka Bean, Vanilla (taken from Sephora.com).

I love the balance between citrus, incense, and creamy vanilla warmth in Shalimar, and it's a nice little surprise during the the day to smell it on my hair after it has faded a bit. Hours later, it retains a little bit of its crisp citrus element while being soft and woodsy at the same time. One caveat, however: I sprayed this on the front of my neck a few days ago, and it was too strong. This is a heady and imposing fragrance. I'd recommend keeping it away from one's own nose while wearing for hours, instead wearing it like a billowy cloud.

There is something innately sophisticated about this scent. When I was small, a bottle of it sat on my aunt's bathroom counter, and I would smell it and think to myself that it was something that grownups wear. I had my own little girl perfumes and makeup, but I knew somehow that Shalimar was for ladies, not kids like me. As an adult, I now see Shalimar as a necessity for any fragrance collection.

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*TOP REVIEWER* shereenmohsen on 9/6/2012 4:51:00 AM more reviews by shereenmohsen

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

the ultimate oriental scent if you are looking for pure oriental fragrance
Shalimar is the one very musky wonderfull scent. when I tasted it at first
time I just closed my eyes & took a deep breath
the only negative thing is I wish it was more long lasting
also there are a cheaper perfume sold in small bottles
in the oriental inscents & fragrance shops which has close scent
for this one

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*TOP REVIEWER* deadonarrival on 8/30/2012 9:41:00 AM more reviews by deadonarrival

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I almost purchased this without actually smelling it because I'm a fool for spicy heavy wintery scents. I was in Ulta and took a quick sniff before grabbing it and I stumbled back a few feet. Now, I'm not going to describe the notes because the previous 300 reivews state them. All I can say is that I was literally punched in the face with the smell of dirt, moss and decay. It took my breath away. I'm one for heavy scents but this one is one I can't even handle. I didn't experience the opening of citrus like some, on my skin, it turned right to a strong earthy scent. I smelled like a decaying deer in the forest.

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SmellyFaerie on 8/30/2012 5:31:00 AM more reviews by SmellyFaerie

Age: 36-43   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Warning: I never properly tried any vintage Shalimar, so this is a review on the current Shalimar (EDP and Parfum). If you want comparisons with pre-reform versions, please skip to another review. If you want to know how it smells like NOW, please read this.


Shalimar, the mother of all orientals, is a drama queen. You don’t wear Shalimar when you are feeling introspective and want to remain unnoticed in a crowd. It won’t let you. It demands attention, and it deserves every little bit of it.


Let’s get to the notes: bergamot, lemon, mandarin, rose, jasmine, iris, vetiver, heliotrope, opoponax, vanilla, civet, Peru balsam, benzoin, tonka and sandalwood. These are present in the EDP and in the perfume, but at different rates, which changes a little bit the final result (both are gorgeous, IMO). Let me say I don’t care for the EDT, it is too sharp for me.


Shalimar EDP has a bright citrus opening, which can put you off and think about lemon pledge, if you are not a huge fan. I disagree with a lot of things that Luca Turin wrote on “The Guide”, but he surely hit the spot when he said: “It is not intended for the man who smells it too soon, arm in arm on the way to the taxi”. I personally love the citrus opening, as well as I love how it develops until the late drydown, but I do understand why some people cringe at the mention of Shalimar. If you try this one on a paper strip, when you are in a store sniffing lots of other things, the first impression is the one that will remain with you and you will probably end up discarding it (it will not develop properly on a paper strip, btw). But as I said, Shalimar, as a drama queen, demands attention and, most important of all, time.


A few minutes later, the citrus (bergamot, lemon, mandarin) quiets down and then there is powder… a huge lot of powder. If you managed to get to this stage and still dislike powder, maybe Shalimar EDP is really not for you. The powder (specially in the EDP version) will remain until the end and I’m talking about a 10-12 hour ride. So if this is not your thing, better jump off the boat before it gains momentum. Later in the drydown, the powder morphs from our typical “baby powder” to a floral powder (remember, rose, jasmine and iris?). I am a huge fan of powdery scents, so this is right up my alley.


The vanilla in Shalimar EDP deserves its special paragraph. It is there, all the way, from the citrus opening until the floral powdery drydown, but it is not a gourmand vanilla, it will never smell like an edible thing. It is dry, smoky and woody (probably due to the Peru balsam, benzoin and sandalwood), like the thinnest possible sugar crust in a crème brulée. This won’t make you smell like a dessert, leave this for the plethora of obvious gourmands that inundate the market every single day.


Shalimar Parfum, on the other hand, doesn’t have the bright citrus opening. It is mellow and wears closer to the skin. It has less powder and more vanilla. Just a tad sweeter… like there is a crème brulée underneath the crust this time. I personally like to layer both of them, because I think the Parfum adds some warmth to the EDP, but this is just my opinion. If you don’t want a monster silage, maybe the Parfum is the right choice, but I like my Shalimar as loud as possible.


Well, I guess that’s it. In this new batch of reviews I promised myself that I would refrain from using terms like “this is the best ____ ever” or “this is my favorite _____”, because my tastes change a lot, but I can’t help it with Shalimar. If I ever have to commit to a single fragrance, this will be my choice. I would probably feel miserable during summer, because this is definitely not a summer scent, but happily married to it for the rest of the year.

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rebelb on 8/8/2012 5:22:00 PM more reviews by rebelb

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

My very first perfume, for my 16th birthday. Wore it through early college--soft, elegant, complex, a training ground for my nose. Made me feel so adult.
Over the years Guerlain changed Shalimar, and I changed, too, and we parted ways. I recently bought a vintage bottle, and of course it reminds me of those early years. I don't wear it, just like to smell it once in a while. Shalimar was my first love, and I'll always have her in my corner.

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dreamsecurity on 6/12/2012 9:28:00 PM more reviews by dreamsecurity

Age: 25-29   Skin: Normal   Hair: Black   Eyes: Brown    

I can say this quite plainly: the teenage/early-20's version of myself disliked this scent immensely. I couldn't understand why this was so popular or famous, and even though part of me longed to own something so iconic, there is no way in hell you could have convinced me to wear this. In those days, I only wanted something that smelled "pretty"--youthful, sweet, girlish, and whimsical. Basically, I aimed to smell like some sort of nymph.

Nowadays, I still wear scents like that (Lolita Lempicka the original, Fancy by JS on occasion), but I have also come to not only appreciate more "classic" scents but to love them, as well. I purchased the EDT version of this at CVS earlier this week (I had a 25% off coupon and was surprised to see this Guerlain sitting behind the glass next to the likes of Halle Berry and Clinique's Happy) and am beyond happy with this scent. It is as many here have described--rich, warm, and smooth. No one note stands out to me, so I'll leave that to the more stringent noses to write about in depth. And, contrary to what many here have complained about ("who could EVER like this?", "this would be punishment for those around me and no man would ever find this sexy"), my husband loves this. He has no nose for what smells "old" or "cheap", he is just one of those guys who knows they like something even if they don't know why. So I love it, he loves smelling it on me, and we both win. This is the kind of scent I want to have gently fading on my wrists as I fall asleep at night.
I am really, really grateful that I gave Shalimar another try, and now I know that there are many scents I should re-discover now that my tastes have matured a bit.

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mricci on 6/12/2012 11:20:00 AM more reviews by mricci

Age: 30-35   Skin: Oily, Olive   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

Another classic which I find to be very good, but not great. It was my nonna's signature scent, though, so it will always have a special place in my heart. It's a must for any perfume enthusiast's wardrobe.

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eatmyshort on 5/24/2012 6:14:00 AM more reviews by eatmyshort

Age: 25-29   Skin: Sensitive, Fair   Hair: Brown, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Violet    

If you love light happy clean sweet youthful scent without a bunch of complexity drama . You probably won't enjoy Shalimar.
Shalimar is an exotic fragrant containing very expensive civet (dead animal) and leather (dead cow ) so if you do not like dead animal extracts you will feel very repulsed toward this scent like. The civet is an extremely cute cat like cuddly furry animal some time human companion( a family pet) in Asia and Africa. These guys are adorable! Some groups are on the endangered species list. They are called "toddycats" in English. Civet produces a musk highly valued as a fragrance and stabilizing agent for perfume. Both male and female civets produce the strong-smelling secretion, which is produced by the civet's perineal glands (which is right inside their butt or anus). Seriously, I can never imagine something coming from an animal's butt can smell so good! This explains the high price of shalimar. It's very expensive to harvest animal secretion. It is harvested by either killing the animal and removing the glands, or by scraping the secretions from the glands of a live animal. those who do not like smoking smell might not appreciate the smoking inscense smell. The smokers probably like this stuff. It also contain cedar which is used as a natural flea and lice insecticide repellant which explain the bug spray smell. It's very subtle but I can pick it up.

Top Notes: Bergamot, Lemon, mandarin orange, cedar, Hesperides
Middle Notes: Jasmine, Iris, Rose, Patchouli, Vetiver
Base Notes: leather, Vanilla, Frankincense (inscense), Opopanox, Sandalwood, Musk, Civet, Ambergis, Coumarin



I tried this fragrance at several reputable high end stores to make sure it's not an isolated case of rotten perfume I tried. Let me remind you that this fragrant was created back in 1920's that's even before the baby boomers were born. Shalimar was created by Jacque Guerlain born in 1874. There weren't much choices of perfume for women back then. Remember those rib cracking corsets?it was forced on women. Wax like geisha facial makekup? Let me take you back to the early 1900's to the time of Shalimar. Perfumes were atrociously strong to cover body odor.


Only 30% of homes in America had hot water up to the late 1920's. People only bathe once a week due to lack of indoor hot water. Imagine the wreaking odor popping out from everyone. So many perfumes were made as "cover up smell", rather than "work with your natural" scents. when I describe a mature scent, it is not meant to offend anyone. It is simply my honest description on a review forum. Older people and men generally have less sensitive olfactory function which explain their taste for atrocious strong scent. Our senses wear down as we age- from vision, hearing, mental capacity, taste, and smell. This is a fact of life associated with aging.we all get old. There are many elderly loved one in my family. So here is my objective experience.

I stopped by the Nordstrom cosmetic counter and was greeted by a very beautiful perfume bottle, Shalimar. It does look very exotic in its upside down half moon shaped crystal bottle. I am very migraine prone so I approach the bottle slowly sniffing gently from the outside without throwing a squirt any where in case the perfume chokes the daylight out of me. Let's put it this way, I can't even endure the smell even before the squirt. That's how strong the smell is just wreaking out for the bottle.





Let me remind you that women in the past do not have the luxury to express themselves sexually, intellectually, vote, or enjoy their freedom and finances like women of today. They were basically oppressed to the max. Imagine Rose from the Titanic wanting to jump to her death because life was just really tough for women back then. In the early 1900's, women were treated like property being bought and sold to the wealthiest suitor in order to ensure their survival. Even the thought of freedom to chose your love was hard to come by. It explains all the negative emotions I pick up from this fragrant. I do think there are men and women who enjoy this. Probably the more mature demographic.




I used to take some human dissection classes as part of anatomy physiology and this is the same smell in the cadaver lab. All the dead animals such as daisy the cow and cute little dead cevit in the perfume explains the death smell I keep on picking up from this perfume. I can never forget that smell because of the creepy emotions the first time I had to dissect a dead human being. The chemicals in the cadaver lab smells just like this perfume. The second time I encountered this scary smell was during a family member's funeral. The embalming chemical on the deceased body to keep it from rotting during the viewing was exactly like this. This scent just remind me too much of death . I don't see this as an athletic healthy life loving cheerful sexy spontaneous fragrance. Maybe one day when my senses dull out through the ages, I might be able to enjoy this scent like many revievers on this forum.

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