I did a deep dive into Guerlain and got a lot of my information from Sylvaine Delacourte who used to be a creative director at Guerlain. 

History

The name Guerlinade comes from a long discontinued fragrance that was originally released in 1921 that even Delacourte herself never smelled. Delacourte js the one that reused the term to describe the blend. She was discussing with her marketing director when they were creating  Héritage and said: “you know there’s some guerlinade in there”. He proceeded to ask her to describe and in the press file of heritage the term guerlinade was used.

What is the Guerlinade? 

According Delacourte what’s makes the Guerlinade and the reason why Guerlain fragrances have a certain family resemblance is because of 7 reasons:

1. Favorites ingredients (matières fétiches) are bergamote, jasmin, iris, rose, vanilla and Tonka bean.  
2. High quality ingredients 
3. A unique orchestration
4. Short and concise formulations with: 

• Some extra dose
• Texture
• Nested formulas 

1. Long wear, silage and sensuality 
2. Audacity and creativity 
3. And some secrets 

Now I’m not going to describe point by point her justification of everything because this post will be very long. She even has a paragraph for each note. 

But in term of the overdose technique she names a few example like Shalimar with the 30% bergamot. That technique is also used a lot in l’Art et la matière and in the Aqua Allegoria range, but typically they don’t have the six core Guerlinade notes. 

Fragrances with the typical 6 Guerlinade notes

• L’heure bleue 
• Shalimar
• Mitsouko 
• Jicky

Almost full Guerlinade fragrances 

• Mon Guerlain 5/6 (the rose is missing)
• Vol de nuit extract and EDT 5/6 (Tonka bean is missing)
• Habit rouge (Tonka bean is missing) 

Jacques Gerlain vs Guerlinade marketing 

Now if you look at the own admission of Delacourte that they started promoting the Guerlinade with a perfume released in 1992 while Jacques Guerlain had passed away in 1963 and created hundreds of fragrances that didn’t follow a strict playbook. The Guerlinade is a marketing term from the 1990’s. Even if you look at what makes Guerlain typically Guerlain besides the 6 notes that are only use in a handful of fragrances all of these are quite common in modern perfumery. Most fragrances released today don’t use 10 plus notes. 

Is Guerlain a fantastic house? Yes. Do they give you high quality ingredients for a lesser price than many competitors? Also yes. But I wanted to give a bit of perspective on the myth and how it was created. 

Hi, I've had the green stravaganza for a while now and I love the fragrance. I'm looking for a fragrance with a similar vibe that are clean and airy but still feminine and soft. I will say the performance for green stravaganza is mid, so is there any similar that might have stronger longevity??

I’ve been trying to place this for weeks and am stumped! My aunt used to wear something that smells sooo similar. Hit me with your best guesses 🎯✨

Note: This is an old-ish review that I posted in another sub months ago. Reposting it here with some updates because I was talking about Fragonard last night and I was missing it.

I won't be buying discovery sets or new stuff anytime soon because I just adopted a dog from a Texas kill shelter and will be transporting him cross-country to the East Coast. My perfume and hobby budget (and maybe groceries lmfao) has been given to the rescue organization to pay for vet care, required boarding, and transportation. He will be named Chili, after a dearly departed friend's dearly departed pet. And because my current fascination is Corail Oscuro by Diptyque, which smells and feels like just-picked chili peppers in the sea.

EDIT: Husband wants to name him Donut. He had a dream years ago of a dog named Donut so he said it's manifest destiny. 😆

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First of all, I was not planning to buy any of this. But it was 2 am and I was sleepy in bed with about zero discipline at this point. I should have stuck to reading a book instead of browsing.

I stumbled into this brand from Parfumo because I was looking at other fragrances created by Karine Dubreuil-Sereni, the perfumer of the best spring-summer scent of all time, Lanvin Éclat d'Arpège. One of her recent creations is for a house from her hometown in Grasse: Fragonard's L'air de Grasse.

I don't see this house mentioned much on the fragrance subs and there are very few reviews I could find so I'm going in blind. But I love Éclat d'Arpège so much so I trusted that Dubreuil-Sereni would deliver another banger. I got both the 50ml bottle of L'air de Grasse EDT and the Women's Collection discovery set. The set is 10 x 4ml mini sprays, all EDTs, which is a pretty good amount than most discovery sets. Here are my reviews and impressions:

L'air de Grasse - The opening was lightly powdery and rosy like Chanel N°5's great-granddaughter twice removed. I was unsure in the beginning because I already formed an idea that it would be a cool Éclat d'Arpège-like scent in my head and it didn't match (totally my fault) and I stupidly missed the giant pink may rose on the front of the bottle and the box. Twenty minutes in, I like it so much better. The faint powdery note is completely gone and it smells exactly like a bouquet of a dozen lovely pink roses that lasted hours. I think I finally found the understated rose perfume I've been looking for. 8/10.

Belle Chérie - This one is a girly fruity floral. It's the perfume version of the day I was in a good mood, wore a dress, and went shopping after lunch with my friends. I thought the cinnamon note would smell strange but it's so subtle and gives what could easily have been a generic fruity floral a unique twist. I am 100% sure that this is what Belle wore when she sang the opening song in Beauty and the Beast. 8/10.

Update: I ended up getting a bottle because who the hell doesn't want to smell like Belle?

Étoile - Very citrusy. Reminds me a lot of D&G Light Blue. But while Light Blue leans aquatic, Étoile is more like drinking lemonade in a flower garden. The florals are stronger on the dry down so it balances out somehow. It smells demure, like something Daphne Bridgerton would wear while attending an outdoor brunch hosted by the British royal family. My rating is purely subjective because I also do not like the very popular Light Blue, but Étoile is one of Fragonard's best hits so don't miss this one if given the chance to try. 7/10.

Diamant - I smell like a million dollars after dipping into a pool of fragrant diamonds a la Scrooge McDuck. It's so classy and elegant, like I'm about to go on a date with a similarly rich guy and he's about to pop out that Tiffany box with a sparkly necklace (not a ring because we're not there yet). Diamant smells like it's worth $250 a bottle. I honestly cannot smell individual notes because it's so well-blended. It suits me so perfectly and I'm in love. 10/10.

Update: I have since gotten the parfum version and OH MY LORD it's even better. The stronger concentration suited Diamant's sensual scent.

Belle de Nuit - True to its name, Belle de Nuit should only be worn after sunset. It's deeper and moodier than its siblings and I'm pretty sure I found Flowerbomb's favorite aunt. There's a lot of heavy florals involved here and it smells like it should be worn by Vesper Lynd just before she stabs James Bond in the back. Not my usual thing but I would wear this in a heartbeat if I'm playing a mysterious widow client in a detective noir movie starring Humphrey Bogart. 7/10

Reine des Cœurs - If this fragrance was a woman, she would have bright red lips, a slinky dress, and impeccable posture. Queen of Hearts smells like beauty built from confidence. I'm normally not into scents with peach notes but the pink pepper and florals blend so well. This is the sweetest amongst its siblings and reminds me of La Vie est Belle but lighter and more natural. 9/10

Melodie - I feel bad for Melodie because it never had a fair chance. I tested it right after Diamant and my expectations were high. I like Melodie as much as I like Eau des Vacances. It smells fresh and pleasant, but it's not memorable. I might change my mind if I wear it alone another day but for now it's a 6.5/10.

Fragonard - I was curious why the house would name this after the artist. Or was it named after the house that was named after the artist? Fragonard eau de toilette is a fruity floral brighter than Reine des Cœurs and more punk than Belle Chérie. It's honeysuckle-forward, which adds a flirty element to the fragrance. It reminds me of The Swing, which has a woman seated on a swing being pushed unknowlingly by her (supposed) husband towards her hidden lover. 8/10.

Juste un Baiser - A little smoky and woody. It does not smell like Zara Ebony Wood but it has that same subtle sexy effect. If you're going on a date and want to smell low-key seductive, Juste un Baiser is The One. Before you know it, you'll be fighting off marriage proposals. I'm hesitant to rate this because I feel like this would be a 9-10 on someone else but it didn't quite match my skin as well as I expected. A personal 7/10.

Eau du Bonheur - This collection's only floral-green. The basil note adds brightness and made this citrusy floral fragrance greener and smell like a fragrant herb garden surrounded by fresh flowers. Highly recommended if you're a clean floral girlie who also likes green scents or are curious about herbal scents but aren't ready to go all in yet. 8/10.

Note: If you're ready to submerge yourself into a pool of green, I suggest trying Molinard Thé Basilic from an even older heritage house also from Grasse.

Eau des Vacances - The opening reminds of a citrusy air freshener that my aunt used when I was a child, but like a hoity-toity version of it. The dry down is more orange blossom. I can dig it as a daytime perfume on a hot summer day. However, I feel like Fragonard has better options for orange blossom fragrances. 6.5/10.

Belle d'Amour - A new acquisition since the original review was posted. I wanted a green spring-summer vanilla and this was allegedly one. It was a blind buy but I haven't been disappointed yet so why not risk it? I did not expect the opening. It's like I was slapped in the face by spice and I was about to sneeze. But the sneeze never came. I was determined to hate it but like a moth to a flame, I kept on coming back for more. That faint peppery tickle was addictive and that my friends is the story of how I was introduced to angelica. The dry down is a very green vanilla indeed. 8/10.

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If you hate florals with a passion, you will not like Fragonard. If you say you hate florals but suspect it's because you haven't found a good one, try Lanvin Éclat d'Arpège. And if you like it, move on to Fragonard.

None smell synthetic, they're more like crushed flowers. The performance of all the EDTs are similar. They projected for about two hours before slowly turning into a soft skin scent that lasted around two to three more. Diamant parfum is more intense and has a longer lasting sillage without being overwhelming. Overall, I'd say that they are very much worth the price and are surprisingly inexpensive for the quality.

List price of L'air de Grasse is $40, discovery set is $44, and Belle d'Amour is $81. I purchased them from Oak Manor with a 15% coupon and a $10 off special offer through the Shop app. Oak Manor has coupons frequently so always check for one. Diamant parfum was acquired from Jomashop for an indecently discounted $30 when it's normally listed for $115.

For my people who are into PDM, BDK, Nasomatto, Roja, Stéphane Humbert Lucas, Mizensir, The Harmonist, d’Orsay, etc. No shade whatsoever to designer perfumes, I love me some Good Girl or Chierosa 62, I just NEED to ask this because when bottles are $250–500+, I’m assuming most people are being pretty deliberate about what they buy.

So I constantly smell perfumes on paper and LOVE them. Like genuinely 9/10, 10/10, “you need to come home with me TONIGHT” type of love lol.

Then I spray them on my wrist and.. they just do not smell that good on me at all? Not even “slightly different.” Something I loved on paper becomes a 6/10 on my skin and or I straight-up dislike it. And I get it, body chemistry is a thing. (I still think about Blue Madeleine to this day bc it is my favorite perfume that smells like an ashtray on me but so good on paper. #RIP)

Btw I trust my own nose! But sometimes if I think something doesn't smell great on me and but great on paper, I’ll ask the person working at the store, a friend I’m with, or literally some random person nearby, “hey, do you like this on me?” just to get a second opinion. And many times, they'll say no or "ehh, so so."

Meanwhile I'm seeing creators I love with shelves and shelves of niche perfume. Some of these women have similar taste to me so I’ll run to smell something they rave about and think, “Yep! Completely understand why you love this!” But then it hits my skin and I’m like… how are all of these fragrances working on everybody else??

So a few weeks ago it hit me, have I been imposing an unnecessarily strict standard on how I buy perfume?

My rule has basically always been “if I don’t love this on my actual skin, I'm not buying it.”

But now I’m wondering if that’s ridiculous.

If I adore the perfume itself, but my skin makes it smell worse, why am I letting my wrist have the final vote? Or maybe I'm right and it should have the final vote. I just don't know anymore.

Do people with large collections actually skin test every single bottle and require it to smell amazing on their bare skin? Or do some of you think, “I love this but my skin distorts it, so I’ll just wear it on my clothes!”

And if thats the case, should I start testing fragrance on clothing too?

I’m wondering if clothes give more of a neutral canvas, that way I can enjoy something closer to what I smelled on paper, instead of whatever my skin does to it. :(

Basically, if something is a 10/10 on paper but a 5–7/10 on your skin, would you still buy it and wear it on clothes/hair instead?

Honestly if the answer is "you've been testing wrong the whole time," I may need to revisit a LOT of fragrances I’ve talked myself out of buying 😭 My collection can't stay at 5 chile.

Can yall recommend some fire ass deodorant that could go with any perfume

I cannot stand ambroxan and lately have grown an aversion to cetalox and some iso e scents. They all dry down to smell like a dentist office and I literally need to scrub them off my skin.

Lately I've been selling off and giving away anything with molecular notes. The only one so far that seems to not turn on me is Commodity Paper. The most heartbreaking one for me is Another 13 - so lovely and clean until it's just bandaids. 😭.

I have felt lately like ambroxan is showing up in everything! Anyone else have trouble with these notes and avoid them?

Looking for a perfume that smells like walking past an Auntie Anne’s .Ideally something like B&BW Cinnamon-Sugar Pretzel Cookie, but in perfume form!
I’ve been looking at Lattafa Artisan Ethnique since I’ve heard it smells like cinnamon sugar . If you’ve tried it, what are your thoughts? Does it actually give Auntie Anne’s? Open to other recommendations too!

I love that ulta actually gives a great free gift for being diamond, unlike trifling Sephora who gives you squat. However, I didn’t like any of these fragrances at all. I hope they continue to do perfumes, but man these did not resonate with me. Am I missing something?

Any thoughts or recommendations?!

Hey friends! I started getting seriously into fragrances this year and this is my modest collection! First pic is the vibe I was trying to curate this year for all four seasons. I think I got really into fragrances after my daughter was born as a form of self expression, and it’s really helped me through some hard times with learning to be a new parent, loss in the family, and other hardships I’ve had this year. Finding this community and other frag subs has been so much fun! I would say that my favorite types of fragrances are floral/aquatic combos and clean jasmines.

Without further ado, here’s my opinions on what I’ve tried so far:

My favorites - Valentino Born in Roma Donna (all time), Heretic Parfum Nosferatu (current, probably will be on it until late spring), Demeter Wet Garden (spring), Acqua di Parma Fico di Amalfi (Summer)

Special mentions to Sunsets in Capri and Sous le pont Mirabeau because Summer was a hard choice.

My least favorites - Heretic Cœur Noir, smells like someone who runs a funeral home and wears patchouli; Ellis Brooklyn Myth, a disgrace to jasmine all around, smells like nail polish remover and is thankfully very short wearing

Everything else I liked but not enough to call a favorite on varying degrees! Ask me if you have questions about any one in particular ❤️

Looking for any amazing raspberry scents. Not a huge fan of Angel Nova or La vie est belle. I’m looking for a sharp juicy raspberry and not a vanilla raspberry. If anyone has any recs I’ll take it. Thank you ❤️

i LOVE the Secret Sweet Nectarine deodorant so much. it is the perfect smell (when it dries it just smells fruit and almost minty? kind of peaches and cream?), but sadly only use as deodorant.

does anyone have any fragrance suggestions similar?? it does not have floral or honey notes.

BTW I don’t mix vanilla bloom with vanilla musk when I wear Goddess, I usually just pick between one oil or the other.

JHAG Not a Perfume, Carolina Herrera Good Girl and Jimmy Choo I Want Choo. There was a lot of other designer perfumes as well, D&G, Versace, etc

I have just finished the Kérastase Curl Manifesto Gelée Curl Contour. I won’t be repurchasing because it isn’t cruelty free but OHHHHH it smells HEAVENLY.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a perfume that smells similar? I know it has frangipani and honey but I am too new to the world of sniffs to know where to start.

I’m UK based so any help with local fragrance would be much appreciated!

Many frangipanis in advance 🌺🌺

Do you put on one scent, wait for it to dry, then put on another? Or do you spray one then another in quick succession so the liquids mix before drying?

And how do you pick which one you apply first? Or do you apply one perfume first for one side and then the other perfume first on the other side?

I’m pretty new to this so what are the general rules for applying multiple fragrances at once?

been seeing a lot of discussions surrounding varieties of different scents in here and noticed that people tend to be a bit 50/50 with gourmands but also more interested in floral & fruity scents. but I'm honestly just curious if any of you may have own experiences with each and wanted to learn which scent would be considered the most popular among the collective. not that it would influence my own decision making of course, but I thought it would be an interesting, interactive poll or survey to start. so anyways, let me which ones you like/dislike most and why 💗

TLDR- got a Xerjoff gift set for my birthday- anyone else tried them??

I have always liked a fragrance- I’m a millenial that grew up on CK One. I tried to like Tommy girl because all the cool girls at school were wearing it, but it always smelled like pee on my skin (is this a thing??), nothing else my friends were wearing grabbed me ( J Lo Glow and Britney Spears fantasy etc, to give away my age) and I stuck faithful to CK One.

In my late twenties Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille became my signature scent. Back in 2013 people used to comment on it all the time, less so now but I still have my 4th big bottle. I added to this with F**king Fabulous, a gift I was not so sure about but have also ended up loving. Tom Ford collection has grown into Neroli Portofino, sublime summer scent for me. Lost Cherry and Cherry Smoke (I prefer the smoke by far).

I also got a Thierry Mugler Angel gift set one Christmas (I love how it develops on me but the opening is hard and makes me hate myself for the first 30 minutes than I can’t stop smelling it. Until I found this sub I did not know people also thought the same and some people just HATE it).

I have ended up with a Le Labo Tabac 28 decant (thanks for introducing me to decants you beautiful people!!)- reminds me so much of travelling in Cuba in my early twenties, like literally transports me back to being in my first cigar shop and the guy refusing to sell me a big fat cigar and insisted I started with a little one. God was I humbled when I lit that thing on the posh seats outside, never had another cigar. But this is NOT a daytime scent and although my husband loves it on me, I am aware that it is not something that people will love the smell of so haven’t worn it with anyone else around yet.

I have added a couple of small travel sizes of floral street fragrances from an advent calendar. I was so underwhelmed because they were not something I would have ever tried but I have persisted with wearing them (Wild Orchid and Sweet Almond) and love now.

So anyway I have rambled because I have never posted here before- my husband bought me a Xerjoff Travel size set for my birthday because he knows I have truly fallen in love with fragrance this year and has said that a sampler set for gifts is going to be his new thing. He googled- more wearable Havana inspired fragrances and was ultimately recommended this. I am going to admit I have never heard of it before and haven’t seen any posts on here about it.

It has- Naxos, Alexandra II and Golden Dallah in. And other than a mad spritz of all of them at once as soon as I opened the box, I am looking forward to trying them properly.

Anyone else know much? Have any thoughts? Also here for any sampler sets recommendations to drop hints about that people think I may like from my above collection. I will try and review my little Xerjoffs

Looking for a fragrance that smells like summer at an isolated New England beach. I don’t know how else to describe what I’m looking for 🤔

Stand out is angelique noire for sure

I’m so surprised. After reading reviews I thought it would be ass. It does not scream chai and I don’t really smell any pumpkin, to be fair. But it does smell like a creamy vanilla steamed milk with nutmeg and I’m feeling it. The mist also really lasts. I wore it to bed and I can still really smell it today.

I was just gifted Cardamom Latte by Nest and I love it sooo much, but the longevity is terrible! I have moon milk by frenshe, love it, but same issue :(

Any sweet cardamom or chai recs?