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| Thierry Wasser explaining how he conceived Shalimar Initial |
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| I really wanted to steal away one of these giant factices… |
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| Shalimar Initial in the press presentation box |
Yesterday I went along to the new fragrance launch from Guerlain; Shalimar Initial. It’s a kind of Shalimar ‘lite’. The original Shalimar was created in 1920 by Jacques Guerlain although didn’t make it to shelves until five years later, and then it was launched exclusively in the States after Raymond Guerlain’s wife caused an olfactory sensation on board the Normandie cruise liner they were holidaying on. Even the ship’s orchestra managed to bang together a tune that they named after the fragrance; Shalimar.
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Shalimar is something of a Marmite fragrance – it is so distinctive and spicy that you really have to love that genre of scents to enjoy it. This reworking of the original scent is by Thierry Wasser and is aimed at a younger Shalimar audience, although I would say it is absolutely wearable for any age. It still carries the backdrop of the original fragrance but has been lightened and brightened by rose, powdery iris, vanilla and Tonka bean. Running through the scent is Calabrian bergamot. The fragrance as a whole is described as an ‘amber floral’.
If you always loved the idea of Shalimar but not the execution, you really should check this one out…it’s going to be a biggie. Prices start at £30 for a shower gel, 40ml fragrance is £37. It’s in Selfridges now and nationwide from 1st August.
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6 comments
I will definitely sniff this when it’s available, I love Shalimar, so hope I will love this too. 🙂
The price is good, especially when you consider how extortionate Iris Absolute, which the oil comes from, costs the perfumery.
Looking forward to trying this one.
I saw the Perfume programme last night and was quite interested when he said he was bringing out a lighter version, Id like to be able to wear the original but it’s to heady and affects my asthma. Hopefully this will be better 😀
xx
I ADORE Shalimar. Did you watch the Perfume programme on BBC4 last night?
I’m curious to sniff this but it is at least the 4th attempt at a ‘light’ Shalimar – there have already been ‘light’, ‘legere’, ‘eau de shalimar’ in the past decade not to mention subtle reformulations of the original so I wonder quite what makes this one the one that will stick.
It’s a beautiful ultra-modern-ultra-classic and so perfect in its array of notes and pinky powder subtle theatricity! A new iconic perfume.