Shalimar (1925)
by Guerlain

The bergamot, iris and opopanax opening is very promising but, at some point during its development, it all goes horribly wrong on my skin. Is it the opopanax, vanilla or simply my skin chemistry? I’ve given Shalimar many chances and have tried more than one of its many concentrations but it still smells horribly dated and musty on me regardless.

Oh, well...

I am constantly mesmerized, stunned into a dreamy silence and alternatively tickled by this marvel.
1925!
What a beautiful and completely unreasonable, emotional blend of audacity, respect and disrespect....
I think if anyone has ever been in love they would love this.
Vanilla thrown into a plantation of iris and smoked with opoponax... and all with so much consummate balance and poise...
Poised and yet ready to tip over into a symphony...
...
I just sprayed myself after a shower and ... yeah, I suddenly think. It's not really that womanly... or feminine.
It's passion, sweetened, bottled up for lovers of both (or all) sexes.

A man could wear this for his woman (or his man) and still feel intense and true.

Chanel No. 5 may be the classic fragrance of fashion, but Shalimar is the quintessential fragrance of LOVE. Shalimar is probably the finest vanilla-based perfume of all time. I've never met anyone who doesn't find it to be dreamy and alluring; whether it conjures up Roaring 20s haute couture, 1950s glamour, or 21st century independence, it's one of the greatest perfumes ever concocted. Elegant, sensual, and unforgettable, Shalimar is the fragrance by which I rate any other romantic scent I wear. I like this best in parfum, but it's lovely in all concentrations. This is a scent of mystery and warmth. I've loved it for as long as I can remember, and it's an olfactory treasure. It's one of the finest, most beautiful, and deeply complex fragrances ever made.

Like luckylouie, I wear Shalimar to bed. I like the Milky Body Veil (lotion) best, although i have never had the pure extrait de parfum, which I am now putting my spare change into a coffee can for ;)

I jave read more than once tha Shalimar is best appreciated at a distance, which I believe. When I put my wrist to my nose, it smells of masking tape!

One of the greats.

I wanted to love it! And what did I get: pure, unadulterated Peaceful Sleep (an insect repellant stick), a smell I've always found highly intrusive. Probably my worst perfume disappointment. And although I should give it another go, and will do so, I cannot but give it a thumbs down.

I came to know Shalimar through my mother-in-law's wardrobe. I was in my early twenties. It fascinated me. I had mixed feelings about it. It's pungent (to my senses) opening gave way all too soon to a sweet powdery wave that stayed for a very long time. Old lady's? Sometimes I think YES! And then I am not so sure. I wore it for a long time, but stopped when it began to make my skin itchy and red. I think it is a little too heavy for me. It is chic, elegant, but it is also something that does not match my way of life. Perhaps is meant for a well-dressed lady in a cold weather. Very self confident and mysterious. Maybe driving a leather upholstered car. Not for a woman who longs for her weekend strolls along the beach while she drives to work early in the morning in capri pants and t-shirts, listening to Ventura Highway and Summer Breeze and Rain Must Fall, water still dripping from her hair, pearly pink foolproof lipstick hurriedly applied, looking forward for her first cup of coffee of the day. Anyway, for all the sophisticated ladies in this world, a thumbs up.