The story of Guerlain
Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain opened his Paris shop in 1828. He started with soaps, creams and toilet waters for an aristocratic clientele. His son Aimé composed Jicky in 1889, often cited as one of the first perfumes to combine natural materials with synthetic molecules. Aimé's nephew Jacques then wrote the great women's classics. L'Heure Bleue came in 1912, Mitsouko in 1919, Shalimar in 1925 and Vol de Nuit in 1933. Jean-Paul Guerlain followed with Vétiver in 1959, Habit Rouge in 1965 and later Samsara in 1989. After about 150 years of family ownership, the house joined LVMH in 1994. In 2008 Thierry Wasser became house perfumer, the first from outside the family. With Delphine Jelk he composed La Petite Robe Noire in 2009, followed by a long run of variations. Mon Guerlain, in 2017, became the house's big modern women's scent. The lighter Aqua Allegoria line is refreshed almost every year.
An olfactory signature
The core of the Guerlain style is the Guerlinade, a base accord of vanilla, tonka bean, orris and bergamot. For women, Shalimar is its purest form. Bergamot and lemon open onto jasmine, rose and orris, then vanilla and opoponax lay down a smoky, leathery base. Mitsouko is a chypre. Peach and bergamot sit on oakmoss and vetiver, drier and more melancholy. L'Heure Bleue smells of anise and heliotrope, like warm rice powder. Mon Guerlain pairs Carla lavender from Provence with jasmine and creamy vanilla. It is soft and easy, very lavender at first. La Petite Robe Noire plays cherry, almond and rose over black tea and tonka, a fruity gourmand that stays chic. Insolence is a fruity violet with raspberry, Idylle a rosy, musky floral. For men, Habit Rouge and L'Homme Idéal carry the same idea of vanilla softness.
Which Guerlain perfume to choose?
For a woman who wants a great classic, Shalimar comes first. Start with the eau de parfum, as the extrait is smokier. If Shalimar feels too vanilla, Mitsouko is drier and woodier, for lovers of chypres. L'Heure Bleue suits fans of dreamy powdery scents, mostly in winter. For an easy modern Guerlain, Mon Guerlain is the safest bet: lavender and vanilla, office or evening. La Petite Robe Noire is for fruity gourmand fans, Insolence for violet lovers. For summer, pick an Aqua Allegoria such as Pamplelune with grapefruit or Mandarine Basilic. For men, Habit Rouge is the classic and L'Homme Idéal the modern almond take. Our ranking of the best Guerlain perfumes for women, further down the page, rates them one by one.
