Guerlain Shalimar L’Essence (українська версія)
When a house like Guerlain marks the centenary of its most famous perfume, expectations run high. Shalimar is more than a fragrance; it is a myth. Born in 1925, Jacques Guerlain’s creation was radical in its structure: a dazzling bergamot opening tumbling into smoke, balsams, and a warm, animalic vanilla base. It was perfume as sensation, unapologetically modern and deeply sensual.
Shalimar L’Essence, launched in 2025 by Delphine Jelk, does not attempt to recreate that audacity. Instead, it revives the formula of Shalimar Millésime Vanilla Planifolia (2021), a limited edition that quickly became a cult favorite. Fans of that release will be pleased to know that L’Essence brings the same opulent, liqueur-like vanilla into the permanent collection.
The opening has a quick spark of bergamot, but its brightness fades almost immediately, leaving the stage to the vanilla. This is no flat vanillin but a textured accord that oscillates between dark rum, smoky caramel, and soft woods. Powdery iris lends polish, and a touch of rose gives warmth. As the perfume settles, the vanilla deepens, becoming balsamic, waxy, and almost leathery. On fabric, the iris-wax facet lingers for hours, while on skin the fragrance melts into a plush, ambered cocoon.
Compared to Shalimar Original, L’Essence feels stripped of its chiaroscuro: the dazzling citrus and animalic bite are muted, leaving a smoother, sweeter profile. It is closer in spirit to Millésime Tonka than to the 1925 Shalimar, though without Tonka’s smoky almonds. L’Essence is plush where the original is sculptural, gourmand where the original is abstract.
For those who collect Shalimar flankers, L’Essence is a beautiful vanilla-centric chapter, and a welcome relief for anyone who mourned the discontinuation of Vanilla Planifolia. It wears with the Guerlain refinement one expects, long-lasting and enveloping. Yet as a centenary tribute, it reads more as a commercial gesture than a radical statement.
Still, judged on its own terms, it is a pleasure: a sensual vanilla woven with iris and musk, modern in its smoothness, yet resonant with the Shalimar legacy. Not a revolution, but a gentle, sweetly polished homage.
Notes: Bergamot, Rose, Iris, Vanilla (Madagascar & vanillin), Musk, Balsams. Sold in 30ml (€86), 50ml (€120), 90ml (€158) bottles at Guerlain boutiques and selected department stores
What are your thoughts on this new launch?
29 Comments
Sandra: Is this a limited edition?
This line “Compared to Shalimar Original, L’Essence feels stripped of its chiaroscuro: the dazzling citrus and animalic bite are muted, leaving a smoother, sweeter profile” has me on the fence. I don’t like sweet.
I feel like the house of Guerlain of turning out a lot of perfumes these days.
I will try before I buy. Or wait if they do a Limited Edition flanker like last year.
My favorite of all the flankers is the Ode Vanille Madagascar. I love this one better than the original( but please don’t judge me!) September 1, 2025 at 9:12am
Alessandra: I spoke to its perfumer Delphine Jelk and nope, it is permanent, and comes in three sizes September 1, 2025 at 9:43am
Aurora: Thank you very much Alessandra, who better to ask? I bet that was an interesting conversation. September 2, 2025 at 3:31am
Alessandra: You’re welcome! And yes, very much so 🙂 September 2, 2025 at 3:35am
Victoria: Thank you for confirming. I am glad to know it is permanent and available in different sizes. September 2, 2025 at 4:41am
Limas: C’est malheureusement bel et bien une édition limitée. March 3, 2026 at 8:29pm
Alessandta: Pas du tout March 10, 2026 at 10:03am
Victoria: Not limited, as far as I know. I understand your hesitation with sweetness. Ode Vanille Madagascar is wonderful, I love its creamy warmth. September 2, 2025 at 4:41am
Kristin: As always, your analysis is expert and so informative, and I’m really appreciative to know that this latest version is not like originale. I do understand the desire to be creative, to create something new that is also a tribute that looks back. I think for me, I’m so in love with the original, that what I really want is, well, the original original, meaning, I want the true 1925 version and for it to be as full-bodied and lasting on the skin as the original 1925 fragrance. You just can’t improve on a legend…sigh September 1, 2025 at 9:27am
Victoria: You put it perfectly. Legends like the 1925 Shalimar cannot be improved, only honored. I also wish I could smell it again as it was, in all of its radiance. September 2, 2025 at 4:41am
Debby: That’s a shame you were disappointed, Victoria, I guess a lot of hardcore Guerlain and Shalimar fans might be. I might be in the minority, but I’m happy to see they remembered they could do a range of sizes at a decent price point that isn’t limited! I’ve become horribly jaded by the perfume world lately, so this sounds like a new release I can enjoy. Please tell me it hasn’t got any of those modern scratchy amber wood accords that last for aeons? September 1, 2025 at 10:29am
Victoria: Yes, I felt a little let down. But you are right, at least Guerlain made this release accessible in size and price. I can reassure you, no scratchy amber woods here, the texture is smoother and more classical. September 2, 2025 at 4:41am
Alessandra: Splendid stuff, then. Looking forward September 2, 2025 at 8:33am
Vivienne: I wish Guerlain would go back to the originals!
To Guerlain, where are the new and original perfumes that continue the lineage of Jicky, Shalimar, Mitsouko, etc. – new, original and ground breaking classics that continue the creativity of the House?
Guerlain is disappointing – Mitsouko vs Peache Mirage or Jicky vs Mon Guerlain?
I want the original formula of Shalimar – as close as is possible to the original, recreated with modern chemistry. I don’t want flankers, reformulations or reinterpretations.
I am not criticising you Victoria, it is Guerlain – where is the heritage and depth of perfumers at the level of Guerlain family, Ernest Beaux, Germaine Cellier, etc. September 1, 2025 at 6:10pm
Victoria: I understand your frustration. Guerlain’s history sets such a high standard that anything less than groundbreaking feels disappointing. I also wish they would return to the bold creativity of Jicky, Shalimar, Mitsouko. At the same time, modern regulations and market pressures make re-creating the originals in full impossible, even with the best chemistry. Still, I agree that Guerlain’s strength lies in daring, not in endless flankers. September 2, 2025 at 4:40am
Nettie M Spiwack: Me too, me too. I horde my vintage 1970’s bottle, that even though it has the smell of a perfume that’s aged, has all the notes of the Shalimar I loved. The modern formulations aren’t Shalimar at all, really, even if I do like some of them (Souffle, for example). But the mysterious aura and sillage is gone, probably with the animalic ingredients that are no longer legal along with changes in times and tastes. September 2, 2025 at 2:20pm
Victoria: I understand completely. Regulations and shifting materials changed the aura, and the animalic shadow is hard to recreate. Treasure that vintage, and if you feel like exploring, the lighter Shalimar concentrations or Millésime Tonka can be a gentle way back. September 4, 2025 at 9:25am
Aurora: Thank you very much for a very comprehensive review, Victoria. I’m on the fence because I own MVP already, so based on your thoughts l’essence may be redundant and what I enjoy about Shalimar 1925 are its surprising contrasts. September 2, 2025 at 4:07am
Alityke: I am well aware I am alone in my feelings around Shalimar, but after an incident with Le Lion & a metal watch strap, I found that I could no longer tolerate Shalimar EdP. I could no longer get past the baby poop stage of bergamot & curdled vanilla.
I did fall heavily for Millesime Tonka. So much so I have a back up. I added both Jasmin & Iris to my collection. These have lead me back to Shalimar EdT & I’m on a constant search for the EdC. I’ll admit to ordering Essence without sampling as there are quite a few, who like you, reference the Tonka flanker, specifically it’s smoothness September 2, 2025 at 6:01am
Sandra: I like the Millesime Tonka also! Perfect for Autumn weather IMHO September 2, 2025 at 8:55am
Victoria: Yes, Millésime Tonka is perfect in autumn. Cozy without heaviness. September 4, 2025 at 9:25am
Victoria: Your description makes sense, that bergamot over creamy vanilla can read sour on some skin. I am glad the Jasmin, Iris, and Millésime Tonka brought you back to the family. The Eau de Toilette or Eau de Cologne can sidestep that heavy stage, and Essence does wear smoother. September 4, 2025 at 9:28am
Alityke: Thank you September 4, 2025 at 11:44am
Klaas: Oh Shalimar……..
Many years ago, in 1983 or so, a tiny drop of Shalimar Extrait found it’s way to my 13 year old boys wrist……it was in my aunties bathroom, where curiosity got the best of me when I saw an unassuming glass sample vile lying about on the sink.
I opened it and dabbed a drop onto my skin…….and like that, a life long passion for perfume was born! Down I went, down the rabbit hole! I had never smelled anything so beautiful, so intoxicating, with so much depth and so sensual. It smelled of far away places, of sun, of love….it also made my mouth water, I wanted to eat this fragrance! Also, it smelled incredibly expensive…….
The extrait was of course out of reach for my pocket money, but I could afford the bath oil. Guerlain bath products were sensational at the time and the oil could double as a perfume. I used to rub it onto my wet skin after bath and I was the best smelling teenager in my school!
I haven’t revisited Shalimar in a long time. The memory of it is so strong and personal that I don’t wat to spoil it. Though I’ve been tempted many a time. The bottle! The color of the juice……it’s all just so perfect! September 2, 2025 at 6:23am
Victoria: What a wonderful story. That first dab of Shalimar has launched so many of us into perfume, and your memory captures its magic. September 4, 2025 at 9:27am
Alessandra: Me too! I did like Vanilla Planifolia, to be honest…. Less than previous vanilla-esque odes to Shalimar, but I find it was a brilliant Guerlain vanilla, so I will try and probably buy this one in the same spirit. I don’t mind it is different from Shalimar, I don’t expect it to be close to it, I will wear Shalimar on its own terms…. if it’s a good Guerlain perfume, it is better than any useless flanks or variations. Looking forward to this! 🙂 September 2, 2025 at 8:32am
Victoria: It’s well made, so definitely worth trying. September 2, 2025 at 9:02am
Victoria: Beautifully put. I agree, it makes sense to let each perfume stand on its own terms and enjoy Shalimar on hers. September 4, 2025 at 9:25am
mithun gowda: Such an elegant review. You captured the spirit of Shalimar beautifully—its history, its boldness, and the way L’Essence carries that legacy forward with a modern touch. November 19, 2025 at 11:29pm