Insolence c2006

Insolence by Guerlain, launched in 2006, marked a bold and surprising chapter in the house’s history. The name “Insolence” — a French word pronounced “ahn-so-lahns” — translates to insolence, audacity, or cheekiness in English. It conveys a spirit of daring self-confidence, a refusal to conform, and a playful sense of provocation. The word itself suggests a woman who smiles at convention, who wears her individuality like perfume — vivid, unapologetic, and utterly unforgettable. Choosing such a name was an intentional departure for Guerlain, a house steeped in refinement and tradition. With Insolence, Guerlain sought to reinterpret its classical codes for a younger generation — one that valued bold self-expression and modern sensuality over restraint.

The year 2006 sat firmly in what we now consider the era of modern glamour revival. Fashion was embracing volume and color again — think Dior’s full skirts, Gucci’s high-shine fabrics, and the return of statement femininity. Perfume trends of the time leaned toward gourmand sweetness and youthful vibrancy, following the success of fragrances like Angel and Flowerbomb. Yet Guerlain’s Insolence dared to do something different: it reclaimed the violet, a flower long associated with vintage perfumery, and electrified it with new radiance. This was the time of reimagining heritage through modern chemistry, of turning nostalgia into something fiercely contemporary — and Insolence embodied that spirit perfectly.

To smell Insolence is to experience what the word represents: a burst of irreverent energy wrapped in sensuality. The scent opens with an exuberant explosion of berries — raspberry and redcurrant, shimmering and tart, marking the first time Guerlain ever used berries in a composition. Their bright juiciness feels youthful and effervescent, like laughter catching the air. Yet beneath this sparkling surface lies a commanding floral heart of violet and iris. Traditionally, violet is treated as soft and powdery — a whisper of nostalgia — but here it is unapologetically loud, radiant, and “overdosed,” glowing with ionones that create both sweetness and depth. Iris, the timeless Guerlain signature, adds refinement and a cool, velvety poise that balances the violet’s exuberance.

The name Insolence perfectly captures this duality — a fragrance that is both rebellious and exquisitely polished. It speaks to a woman who is confident enough to be playful, who revels in contradiction. She might wear jeans and heels, vintage jewelry with neon lipstick, or laughter as her best accessory. For women of the time, Insolence offered something refreshing: a way to embrace femininity not as demure or delicate, but as audacious and radiant. It was a perfume of freedom — spontaneous, joyful, and alive.

In the broader context of perfumery, Insolence was both aligned with its time and defiantly singular. It shared the gourmand sweetness and fruity sparkle popular in the early 2000s, yet it elevated them with Guerlain’s luxurious craftsmanship — using sophisticated florals, carefully balanced musks, and a lingering powdery warmth that paid homage to the house’s heritage. Maurice Roucel and Sylvaine Delacourte achieved what few could: a modern classic that felt both provocative and familiar.

In scent, Insolence is the embodiment of its name — a perfume that smiles mischievously as it passes, leaving behind a luminous trail of violet and sugar-dusted air. It is insolence not as rebellion, but as radiance — the art of daring to shine.

 

Fragrance Composition:

From Guerlain: "Insolence showcases an overdosed, high-voltage violet: a triumphant violet that registers at the opposite end of the spectrum from the shy whisper usually used to treat this flower in half-shades and shadows. This dazzling violet rubs shoulders with a timeless, chic and feminine iris. Insolence also marks the first time that Guerlain uses berries in a composition."

Eau de Toilette:

So what does it smell like? Insolence Eau de Toilette is classified as a fruity floral fragrance for women. "A sensual philtre, Insolence takes you straight to the heart of the fragrance. This fruity floral scent blends berry notes and feminine notes of violet and orange blossom with the smooth luxury of iris to form a fiery and voluptuous accord."

• Top notes: red berries, lemon, bergamot and raspberry
• Middle notes: rose, violet, and orange blossom
• Base notes: resins, iris, sandalwood, musk, tonka bean

Scent Profile:

Insolence Eau de Toilette by Guerlain unfolds like an olfactory manifesto—a declaration of modern femininity that dares to be audacious, sensual, and unapologetically vivid. The composition opens with a sparkling burst of fruit, an exuberant overture of red berries, lemon, bergamot, and raspberry. As the first mist settles on the skin, one can almost imagine the tangy juiciness of wild raspberries ripened under the late-summer sun, their scent both tart and sugared. These berries, rich in natural aldehydes and fruity esters like ethyl butyrate and methyl anthranilate, lend the fragrance a bright, effervescent quality reminiscent of a glass of pink champagne. 

The bergamot, sourced from Calabria, Italy—a region known for its sun-drenched groves—introduces a refined freshness. Calabrian bergamot is prized for its balance of floral sweetness and green bitterness, thanks to its unique ratio of linalool and limonene. The lemon adds a sharper sparkle, a crystalline zest that cuts through the sweetness like sunlight through glass, while synthetic citral and aldehydes amplify its radiance, ensuring that the freshness lingers far longer than nature alone could allow.

As the opening brightness softens, the heart of Insolence reveals its true character—a lush, powdery bouquet that feels both vintage and startlingly modern. Violet, the centerpiece of the composition, unfurls with a velvety tenderness. Its sweetness is delicate yet intense, created through a blend of ionones, aroma molecules naturally found in the violet flower that mimic the scent of petals and fine cosmetic powder. Here, Guerlain’s use of these ionones is deliberately “overdosed,” pushing the violet into a realm of opulence rarely seen since the golden age of perfumery. It is both nostalgic and daring—echoing the makeup scents of a 1950s vanity, yet luminous and airy. 

Orange blossom, sourced from Tunisia and Morocco, contributes a honeyed white-floral note rich in indoles, linalool, and nerolidol, adding both warmth and sensuality. Its interplay with violet creates a fascinating contrast: one airy and cool, the other sun-drenched and creamy. Rose, the eternal symbol of femininity, blooms quietly in the background, softening the sharpness of the fruits and linking the floral heart with the ambery base. Its natural components—geraniol and citronellol—imbue the fragrance with a subtle, rosy glow that seems to hum beneath the surface.

In the drydown, iris—one of Guerlain’s signature notes—emerges in full regality. True orris butter, derived from the rhizomes of the iris pallida from Tuscany, is among perfumery’s most precious ingredients, requiring years of aging to develop its buttery, powdery aroma. Its distinctive scent is driven by ionones and irones, which lend a texture reminiscent of fine suede and violet powder. Paired with resins—likely benzoin and tolu balsam—it gains warmth and golden depth. 

The resins’ natural vanillic sweetness bridges seamlessly to tonka bean, whose coumarin content imparts a soft almond-like creaminess. Sandalwood, creamy and milk-smooth, grounds the entire composition, its lactonic richness enhanced by modern synthetic materials like Polysantol and Javanol, which recreate the warmth of Mysore sandalwood sustainably. Finally, white musk envelops the scent like a gossamer veil—clean, silky, and persistent—thanks to macrocyclic musks that give the fragrance both longevity and sensual softness.

The result is a perfume that feels alive—a study in contrasts between freshness and warmth, innocence and provocation. Insolence Eau de Toilette seduces through its confidence, its refusal to whisper when it can sing. On the skin, it evolves like a symphony: sparkling fruit softens into powdery florals, and then into a smooth, musky embrace that feels like second skin. It is both modern and timeless—a fragrant expression of audacity wrapped in elegance, exactly as its name suggests.

Eau de Parfum:

So what does it smell like? Insolence Eau de Parfum is classified as a fruity floral fragrance for women. "This fruity floral fragrance highlights an unprecedented powdery duo of violet and iris, given a modern edge by a dash of berries. The full and enveloping Eau de Parfum is more intimate and reserved than the Eau de Toilette."

• Top notes: red berries
• Middle notes: iris, violet, and orange blossom
• Base notes: sandalwood, woodsy notes, tonka bean

Scent Profile:

Insolence Eau de Parfum by Guerlain is a fragrance that seems to shimmer between light and shadow—a powdery, fruit-laced symphony that feels both intimate and radiant. Compared to its effervescent Eau de Toilette counterpart, the Eau de Parfum draws you closer, wrapping the senses in soft textures and muted luminosity. It is the olfactory equivalent of silk brushed with the faintest hint of violet dust—romantic, nostalgic, yet distinctly modern.

The journey begins with the top note of red berries, a bright and juicy burst that feels like the first taste of summer. You can almost smell their ripeness—the tart sweetness of raspberries and blackcurrants mingled with the sugar-kissed air of wild strawberries. Red berries are rich in natural esters such as ethyl butyrate and methyl anthranilate, which give them their candy-like brightness. Guerlain enhances these natural notes with synthetics like raspberry ketone and fruity lactones to extend their life on the skin, ensuring that this lively sparkle endures well beyond the fleeting natural top notes. The result is a playful, irresistible prelude—a lively shimmer of pink that sets the stage for the deeper, velvety heart to come.

At the center of Insolence lies the house’s most audacious pairing: violet and iris, rendered in a way that feels lush and tender, yet immaculately polished. The violet, with its powdery sweetness and faint green undertone, evokes vintage cosmetic puffs and soft lipstick hues. Its fragrance is due to ionones—aroma molecules that smell simultaneously of flowers and fine talc. Guerlain’s masterful use of these ionones transforms violet from demure to dazzling, giving it an almost crystalline brilliance. 

The iris, sourced from the rhizomes of Iris pallida grown in Tuscany, is among perfumery’s most exquisite ingredients. The rhizomes are harvested, dried, and aged for several years before yielding a precious butter rich in irones, which give iris its creamy, powdery, and slightly woody character. Italian iris is revered for its silken smoothness and quiet luxury—less earthy than its Moroccan cousin, more refined and velvety on the nose. Together, violet and iris form a powdery accord that is both familiar and avant-garde: the scent of femininity distilled into its purest form.

Adding warmth and light to this bouquet is orange blossom, a note that breathes life and radiance into the coolness of the florals. Sourced from Tunisia, its flowers yield an essence full of linalool, nerolidol, and indole—molecules that give orange blossom its unique duality of sweetness and sensuality. In Insolence, the note is handled with restraint; rather than dominating, it glows softly around the violet and iris, lending the heart a gentle warmth, like sunlight filtering through lace. The inclusion of a subtle synthetic enhancer—often a blend of white floral lactones and clean musks—helps the orange blossom linger longer, rounding its edges and creating a seamless bridge to the base.

The drydown reveals the soft, glowing backbone of the perfume: sandalwood, tonka bean, and woodsy notes. The sandalwood is creamy and meditative, with lactonic warmth and a touch of sweetness. True Mysore sandalwood, once the gold standard, is now rarely used due to conservation; Guerlain likely recreates its character using sustainable synthetics such as Javanol or Ebanol, which mimic its buttery smoothness and radiant diffusion. 

Tonka bean, sourced from Venezuela, lends the base a comforting sweetness through its natural coumarin content—a molecule that smells of vanilla, almond, and hay. It softens the powdery iris and violet, giving the perfume a round, velvety finish. The woody notes, likely a blend of cedarwood and amberwood molecules, add structure and depth, anchoring the floral heart while maintaining transparency.

As the scent settles on the skin, Insolence Eau de Parfum reveals its true character: intimate, elegant, and quietly magnetic. The composition moves like a whisper rather than a shout—its fruits subdued to a gleam, its flowers powdered yet luminous, its woods soft as cashmere. It smells of confidence without confrontation, of grace paired with self-assured boldness. Every element—natural and synthetic—has been orchestrated to balance modernity with memory, crafting a fragrance that feels both timeless and distinctly of its era. It is Guerlain’s ode to femininity transformed—refined, radiant, and just a little bit insolent.

Bottles:

Insolence is presented in one of Guerlain’s most striking modern bottle designs—a flacon that perfectly captures the spirit of movement, light, and daring femininity. Designed by sculptor Serge Mansau, the bottle takes the form of three interlocking half-spheres that seem to spin around each other, like a dancer caught mid–pirouette. This dynamic form evokes a sense of whirling energy and freedom, qualities that align beautifully with the perfume’s name and character. Mansau’s concept was to translate the exuberance of the scent—the audacity, confidence, and luminous sensuality—into glass. The resulting design feels sculpted by motion itself, fluid yet perfectly balanced, with each curve reflecting light in a way that makes the bottle appear to glow from within.

The stopper, shaped like a stylized rose in bloom, crowns the bottle with a flourish of modern romance. It spirals outward, mimicking petals unfurling under sunlight, and reinforces the sense of rotation and radiance that defines the design. The eau de parfum version distinguishes itself through a deeper, darker hue, reflecting the more intimate, velvety richness of the fragrance inside. The glass seems to hold twilight within it—a subtle shift from the pale violet tones of the eau de toilette to something more mysterious and enveloping. The interplay of light and shadow within the curved glass mirrors the perfume’s composition: bright berries and luminous florals suspended over a warm, powdery base.

Guerlain described the bottle as being “carved in light”—and indeed, it is a vessel where glass and radiance become one. There is no heavy ornamentation, no metalwork or embellishment to obscure the design’s purity. Instead, the beauty lies in how the transparent glass catches and bends light, echoing the luminous quality of the scent itself. The shape’s symmetry—body, neck, and cap forming a seamless triple revolution—creates a sense of eternal motion, a visual metaphor for Insolence’s blend of spontaneity and sophistication. It’s a contemporary design that still feels unmistakably Guerlain: luxurious, tactile, and sensuous.

The fragrance was released in a range of luxurious formats to suit every ritual and preference. The parfum, in a precious 7.5ml bottle, offers the scent in its most concentrated and intimate form—ideal for dabbing onto pulse points like a secret signature. The eau de parfum is available in 30ml, 50ml, and 100ml, each glinting with its amethyst glow, while the eau de toilette comes in matching sizes of 30ml, 50ml, and 100ml, its lighter tone suggesting airy brightness. For collectors and devoted admirers, the perfume was also offered in 250ml and 500ml bee bottles—the emblematic Guerlain flacons that link Insolence to the house’s grand tradition, available in gold and white glass respectively.

Complementing the perfume are the 200ml Shimmering Body Milk and the 100ml Deodorant Natural Spray, which extend the Insolence experience into daily wear. The shimmering milk veils the skin in a soft iridescent sheen, echoing the sparkle of the scent’s red berries and violet petals, while the deodorant captures the same luminous freshness in a lighter mist. Together, these forms embody Guerlain’s ability to transform scent into art—each piece, from bottle to body ritual, an expression of light, motion, and the daring joy that defines Insolence.

 

7.5ml Parfum

50ml Eau de Toilette

100ml Eau de Toilette

30ml Eau de Parfum

100ml Eau de Parfum

 

Insolence Blooming - Collector's Bottle c2009

Insolence Blooming: created in 2009, a limited edition.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is the same composition as the original Insolence eau de toilette. Only the bottle design is slightly different, as it is meant as a collector's edition. Insolence Eau de Toilette (2006) – Created by Maurice Roucel and Sylvaine Delacourte, Insolence (Insolence) is a playful and vibrant fragrance. It is classified as a fruity floral fragrance for women, combining bright, sparkling top notes with a richly floral heart to create a modern, feminine scent.

• Top notes: red berries, lemon, bergamot and raspberry 
• Middle notes: rose, violet, and orange blossom 
• Base notes: resins, iris, sandalwood, musk, tonka bean

Bottle:

Available as:

• 50 ml eau de toilette

Insolence Eau Glacee c2009

Insolence Eau Glacée,  a limited edition by Guerlain, launched in the summer of 2009, arrived like a breath of crystalline air—a cool reinterpretation of the house’s famously bold Insolence. The name “Insolence Eau Glacée” is French, pronounced "ahn-so-lahns oh glah-say", meaning “Icy Insolence” or more poetically, “Frozen Audacity.” The word insolence conveys daring confidence and a playful disregard for convention, while eau glacée conjures the sensation of frost, glimmering ice, and the bracing freshness of chilled air. Together, they evoke images of violet-tinted frost on glass, frozen berries glistening in sunlight, and the exhilarating shiver of cool perfume against warm skin.

The year 2009 belonged to an era of modern luminosity in perfumery, when houses sought to reinterpret their classics with lighter, more transparent variations. The early 2000s had been a time of gourmand sweetness and intense florals, but by the decade’s end, trends leaned toward “icy” or “aqua” reinterpretations—fragrances that embodied freshness, clarity, and lightness without sacrificing character. Guerlain perfumer Randa Hammami's response was Insolence Eau Glacée, a summer edition that softened the sensual boldness of the original and instead celebrated brightness, sparkle, and crystalline purity.  Women of the time, increasingly drawn to breezy, weightless scents that could transition from office to evening, would have seen Eau Glacée as a sophisticated cool-down—an olfactory “ice bath” for the senses in a world obsessed with heat, speed, and overindulgence.

In scent, Insolence Eau Glacée translates its name into texture and temperature. The familiar violet of the original is not a powdery bouquet here but a translucent, frost-dusted petal, shimmering like amethyst beneath morning dew. Juicy berries—raspberry and redcurrant—appear chilled, their sweetness tempered by a cool green apple granita accord, crisp and crystalline. Citrus zest—a radiant blend of lemon and bergamot—adds sparkle, effervescent and tangy, like sunlight reflecting on ice. These top notes create a sensation of immediate refreshment, reminiscent of biting into a fruit that has just emerged from the refrigerator.

At the heart, violet petals and iris float delicately, softened by a gossamer transparency that contrasts with the dense powderiness typical of classic Guerlain florals. The iris here, likely sourced from Italy’s prized orris butter, contributes its cool, silken texture—its natural molecules, such as irone and ionones, lending both floral elegance and that signature frozen smoothness. The violet, rich in beta-ionone, bridges sweetness and powder, its crystalline facets enhanced by synthetic components that mimic the sensation of coldness—aroma chemicals often used to convey a “frosted” effect in perfumery.

The result is a perfume that feels like violet breath upon ice—playful yet restrained, modern yet unmistakably Guerlain. It captures the paradox of warmth within coldness: sensuality preserved under frost. In the context of its time, Insolence Eau Glacée stood out not for its daring originality, but for its refined execution of a trend—an artful translation of Insolence’s opulent sensuality into a sparkling, weightless version that mirrored the contemporary fascination with freshness and light. It was the cool whisper of audacity—a perfume that dared to be bright.

Fragrance  Composition:

So what does it smell like? Insolence Eau Glacee is classified as a fruity floral fragrance for women.

• Top notes: green apple granita and citrus zest
• Middle notes: red berries, violet and iris
• Base notes: white musk and blond woods

Scent Profile:

As I unstopper the bottle of Insolence Eau Glacée, a cool breath escapes — crisp, crystalline, and tinged with a whisper of sweetness. The first impression is green apple granita, not the cloying juiciness of ripe fruit, but the exhilarating chill of shaved ice kissed by fruit syrup. It feels frosted, airy, and effervescent — a texture more than a scent. This apple accord captures the spirit of northern orchards, where the fruit ripens slowly under cooler skies, developing an acidity that balances its sweetness. Natural hexyl acetate and cis-3-hexenol, molecules present in apple peel, contribute to that fresh, “green crunch” sensation, while synthetic apple aldehydes heighten its brightness, lending the impression of sunlight glinting through frozen glass.

The citrus zest follows — a glittering blend of lemon and bergamot that awakens the senses with its icy clarity. These citruses, likely sourced from Calabria, are famed for their purity and brilliance. Calabrian bergamot, rich in linalyl acetate and limonene, adds a silken effervescence — smooth, floral, and distinctly elegant — while lemon contributes sharper aldehydic sparkles, like a crystalline chime. The effect is a dazzling citrus frost, capturing the sensation of cold air filling the lungs, clean and energizing, as though one has stepped into a garden at dawn where frost still clings to the leaves.

Then, as the chill begins to soften, the fragrance deepens into its heart of red berries, violet, and iris — a tender contrast between warmth and transparency. The red berries—raspberry and redcurrant—provide a gentle fruitiness that feels translucent rather than syrupy. Their aroma owes much to raspberry ketone and ethyl maltol, the latter adding a subtle cotton-candy glow that softens the icy edges of the top notes. Yet these berries are not gourmand; they are delicate and frosted, their sweetness dimmed by the cold.

The violet emerges next — powdery yet sheer, rich in ionones, the very molecules that give violets their paradoxical mix of sweetness, wood, and floral air. Here, violet feels like a soft lilac mist, cool to the touch, its candied facets refracted through frost. Paired with iris, likely Tuscan orris butter, the effect is ethereal: iris brings its buttery, suede-like texture, rich in irones that evoke fine face powder and polished silk. The combination of violet and iris, both floral yet powdery, forms the signature heart of the fragrance — like a violet petal encased in ice, trembling but luminous. Synthetic violet and orris notes enhance this duet, ensuring lasting clarity and that sense of “chilled bloom” impossible to achieve with natural materials alone.

As the fragrance settles, the base notes lend warmth and structure without melting the icy heart. White musk wraps the skin like snow — soft, transparent, and subtly radiant. Composed of modern macrocyclic musks, its effect is clean yet tender, balancing the floral chill with human warmth. Beneath it lies blond woods, smooth and sunlit, likely a blend of synthetic sandalwood molecules such as Javanol or Iso E Super, combined with soft cedar. These materials impart a creamy, velvety depth that anchors the composition while maintaining its luminosity.

The final impression of Insolence Eau Glacée is that of a winter morning thawing into spring — the air still cold but filled with promise. It is both tactile and ethereal: a perfume that shimmers between frost and bloom, between audacity and grace. Each note feels like light refracted through ice — sparkling, soft, and impossibly pure — a portrait of cool beauty sculpted in scent.

Bottle:

Available as:

• 50ml eau glacee (Icy insolence changes its concentration this time – from Eau de Toilette to eau glacee)

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued, date unknown.

Une Rose 1908

Une Rose by Guerlain was launched in 1908, during an era when perfumery was undergoing one of its most profound transformations — a bridge between 19th-century romanticism and the dawn of modern fragrance chemistry. The name “Une Rose” translates from French as “A Rose,” pronounced  “oon rose”. The simplicity of the title belies the sophistication of its intent. Guerlain’s choice of such a direct name speaks to the timeless allure of the rose — the eternal flower of love, beauty, and femininity. At the same time, it reflects the house’s confidence: there was no need for embellishment, only the quiet assertion that this was not any rose, but Guerlain’s interpretation of the rose. The phrase Une Rose evokes an image of soft morning petals, glistening with dew, and the tender blush of first love — yet beneath that delicate exterior lies a fragrance layered with complexity and depth.

When Jacques Guerlain composed Une Rose, the year was 1908 — the Belle Époque, a golden age in France marked by prosperity, elegance, and optimism before the First World War. Paris was the cultural capital of the world, and women’s fashion was evolving rapidly. Corsets were giving way to the softer, more fluid silhouettes of the Edwardian era; fabrics were lighter, and pastel hues dominated wardrobes. In perfumery, rose fragrances had long been a symbol of refinement and purity, but they were also evolving — no longer confined to the simple soliflores of earlier decades. Chemists had begun to isolate and synthesize aroma molecules that could mimic or enhance the natural scent of flowers. Guerlain, ever the innovator, would have embraced this scientific revolution, using both natural and synthetic materials to recreate the living scent of a freshly opened rose.

The composition of Une Rose likely rested on the finest natural materials of the time: rose de mai absolute from Grasse, prized for its soft, honeyed sweetness and its creamy, slightly waxy undertone; and Bulgarian rose otto, known for its deep, spicy, and voluptuous body. These would have been balanced with heliotropin, a newly popular compound lending a powdery, almond-like nuance that softened the floral intensity. Notes of methyl ionones, discovered in the late 19th century, would have added a subtle violet facet, rounding the rose with an airy, modern smoothness. A touch of musk xylene, one of the earliest synthetic musks, likely grounded the bouquet, lending warmth and sensuality that echoed softly against the skin.

Later versions of Une Rose would introduce sparkling aldehydes and a delicate green accord, modernizing the fragrance and giving it an effervescent lift — as if the rose had been kissed by sunlight and spring air. To women of the early 20th century, this fragrance represented both tradition and innovation: the rose they had always known, now seen through a new, luminous prism.

In the context of the time, Une Rose stood at a crossroads — not radically avant-garde, yet distinct in its refinement and technical mastery. While many perfumeries offered their own “rose” perfumes, Guerlain’s version was unmistakably elevated, polished, and harmoniously constructed. It reflected the sophistication of its era — poised between romantic nostalgia and the daring promise of modernity — embodying the eternal spirit of Guerlain’s art: to take the familiar and make it feel entirely new.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? The fragrance is classified as a floral oriental. 

• Top notes: wild berries, hyacinth, verbena, Bourbon geranium, lilac, cassie, neroli, petitgrain, sweet orange
• Middle notes: Ceylon tea, pepper, cinnamon, Grasse rose de mai absolute, clove, carnation, heliotrope, rose oil, violet, jasmine, ylang ylang, tuberose
• Base notes: m-cresol, musk, orris, oakmoss, patchouli, sandalwood, benzoin, cedar, ambergris, tolu, civet

Recently, I was able to obtain another sample from my good friend Alexandra Star, who has lots of rare antique Guerlain treasures in her etsy shop, Parfums de Paris. If you are interested in experiencing the spicy herbs and florals of Guerlain's Une Rose, stroll on over to her shop and take a look around. I will do a proper review on this sample soon. My first impression is fresh cut green roses and a distinctive note that reminds me of a band-aid, this is indicative of the usage of cresol, specifically, m-cresol, then I can smell a latex rubber odor, probably from the tuberose, which smells faintly sweet.

Scent Profile:

Une Rose unfolds like a living bouquet—complex, luminous, and deeply evocative. It belongs to the floral oriental family, a genre that marries the freshness of flowers with the warmth and sensuality of resins, woods, and animalic notes. From the first breath, it reveals a luxurious tapestry of natural essences and the refined use of early synthetics, creating the illusion of a freshly plucked rose blooming in warm sunlight, its petals glistening with dew, surrounded by spice, warmth, and soft musk.

The fragrance opens with a sparkling aldehydic burst, bright and effervescent, like light refracted through a crystal vase filled with flowers. Aldehydes—fatty molecules derived from natural sources—add a champagne-like effervescence that lifts the composition, amplifying every floral note to follow. Interwoven with them are wild berries, tart and sweet, providing a juicy tang that dances atop the bouquet. Hyacinth adds a fresh, dewy greenness tinged with mild indolic sweetness, while verbena introduces a lemony crispness, balancing the richer floral tones. The Bourbon geranium from Réunion (formerly Île Bourbon) contributes its signature rosy-minty brightness, sharper and more complex than its African counterpart. Lilac and cassie (acacia farnesiana) lend a delicate powdery nuance, while neroli and petitgrain—both derived from the bitter orange tree—add sparkling citrus and leafy undertones. The touch of sweet orange rounds this introduction with a sunny, honeyed warmth. Together, these top notes feel like the cool morning air in a rose garden at first light: brisk, crisp, and alive with color.

The heart reveals Une Rose’s soul—lush, sensual, and romantic. Here, Ceylon tea provides a subtle tannic dryness that anchors the florals, adding refinement and depth. A whisper of pepper and cinnamon introduces a warm, piquant edge, awakening the composition much like sunlight deepens the hues of rose petals. The Grasse rose de mai absolute—the heart of this perfume—radiates its signature creamy, honeyed softness. Cultivated in the fields of Grasse, France, this rose is known for its rich complexity, blending citrus brightness with a tender, almost waxy floral depth. It is enhanced by rose oil, extracted through steam distillation, lending sharper, greener facets. Clove and carnation, both containing eugenol, amplify the spiciness and hint at the old-world warmth characteristic of early Guerlain florals. Heliotrope, with its almond-vanilla sweetness, softens the blend, while violet adds a powdery, nostalgic tone. Jasmine and ylang ylang infuse sensuality—jasmine lending its narcotic white-flower depth, ylang ylang contributing a creamy, almost buttery opulence. Tuberose, in small measure, rounds the heart with its narcotic, heady sweetness, adding a sense of luxury and extravagance.

The base of Une Rose is a rich, velvety foundation that transforms the floral heart into something warm, resinous, and enveloping. m-Cresol, a phenolic compound, imparts a faintly leathery, smoky nuance that grounds the sweetness of the rose, evoking antique woods and polished leather. Natural musk—then obtained through tincturing—adds animalic warmth, while its later synthetic counterparts (such as musk ketone or xylene) replicated the sensual texture without cruelty, lending a soft, lingering glow. Orris root, derived from aged rhizomes of the Florentine iris, brings a buttery, violet-powder softness enhanced by ionones, which naturally bridge the floral and woody accords. Oakmoss provides a deep, earthy greenness, while patchouli from Malaysia contributes a damp, woody-spicy richness that ties seamlessly into the Mysore sandalwood’s creamy, lactonic depth. Benzoin and tolu balsam infuse the composition with resinous warmth and vanilla-like sweetness; ambergris tincture adds marine smoothness and remarkable fixative power. A trace of civet and castoreum (in minute amounts) bring the faint purr of animal sensuality, while cedarwood lends dry structure and contrast.

Each natural material in Une Rose is subtly illuminated by the hand of chemistry—aldehydes magnify light and movement; heliotropin smooths transitions; and ionones bridge natural floral notes with the powdered, woody base. Together, they create not a literal rose, but a memory of one—alive, textural, and multidimensional.

The final impression is sumptuous yet refined: a rose wrapped in silk and shadow, its petals dusted with spice and kissed by amber. Une Rose does not simply smell like a flower—it captures the entire experience of standing in a garden at dusk, when warmth, fragrance, and the faint breath of earth merge into an intoxicating harmony that lingers long after the sun has set.

Bottles:

Presented in the quadrilobe flacon (parfum) starting in 1908, the Capsule flacon starting in 1920, the Goutte flacon (eau de toilette) starting in 1923, and the Amphore facon (parfum), starting in 1955.

 

Fate of the Fragrance:

Une Rose held a long and graceful presence within the Guerlain portfolio, a fragrance whose beauty evolved with the decades yet never lost the soul of its original composition. When it first appeared, it embodied the Belle Époque ideal of perfumery—sumptuous, romantic, and resolutely natural in character. Its initial version remained in circulation for decades, treasured by those who appreciated its floral oriental structure, until it quietly faded from Guerlain’s official offerings sometime after 1936. The precise date of discontinuation remains uncertain, but period advertisements confirm that Une Rose could still be purchased in that year, suggesting it lingered just long enough to bridge the refined opulence of prewar perfumery and the shifting sensibilities that followed.

In 1947, Jacques Guerlain revisited Une Rose, reimagining it for a new generation yet retaining its recognizable identity. The reformulation reflected both the constraints and innovations of the postwar period: certain natural materials had become scarce or restricted, while modern synthetics offered new ways to replicate and enhance natural beauty. The 1947 version opened with a cleaner, brighter aldehydic sparkle, emphasizing transparency and lift. The heart still revolved around the velvety rose de mai of Grasse, but it was now paired with a more defined accord of ylang ylang, heliotrope, and orris, softening the once-spiced warmth of the original and giving it a more polished, luminous quality.

This iteration leaned toward refinement rather than richness, its oriental warmth now tempered by a silkier base of musk, sandalwood, and benzoin, revealing the mid-century Guerlain style that favored smoother transitions and powdery sophistication. Where the early Une Rose suggested the sensual intimacy of a rose blooming at dusk, the reformulated version of 1947 felt more like daylight—radiant, harmonious, and tailored. It carried the same emotional thread of romance but expressed it with restraint, echoing the changing tastes of the postwar world, when perfumes grew more elegant and understated.

The 1947 Une Rose endured into the 1960s, by which time its lineage had begun to influence other Guerlain creations that explored similar floral-oriental harmonies. Ultimately, it was discontinued once again, quietly leaving the market as the house moved toward newer expressions of femininity such as Chamade and Nahéma. Yet both incarnations of Une Rose—the opulent prewar original and the gracefully modernized postwar version—remain important in understanding Guerlain’s enduring fascination with the rose: not as a single flower, but as a symbol of timeless beauty, shaped and reshaped to mirror the changing face of desire through the decades.

Primavera de Espana c1886

Primavera de España, launched by Guerlain in 1886, is a floral fragrance that captures the essence of springtime in Spain. The name, translated from Spanish, means “Spring of Spain” (pronounced as "pree-mah-VEH-rah deh es-PAHN-yah"), evoking images of sun-drenched gardens, fresh blooms, and the gentle warmth of a Mediterranean spring. The word itself suggests renewal, vitality, and an elegant, natural beauty—qualities that would have resonated strongly with European women of the late 19th century, offering a fragrant reflection of both grace and optimism.

The fragrance was introduced during a period of historical and cultural significance. Spain was in the midst of a delicate political transition: King Alfonso XII had passed away the previous year, and his young son, Alfonso XIII, had been born posthumously on May 17th, making his mother, Maria Christina of Austria, regent until he came of age. In this context, a perfume celebrating the vibrancy of Spanish spring could be interpreted as a subtle homage to the continuity of the royal lineage and the hope embodied in new life. Guerlain’s choice of name and theme would have appealed to contemporary women by invoking the romance and sophistication associated with Spain’s cultural and natural landscapes.

From a perfumery perspective, Primavera de España would have aligned with the popular 19th-century trend of spring-floral compositions. These fragrances aimed to evoke the freshness and delicacy of newly blossomed flowers, a motif that nearly every major perfumery explored. However, each house, including Guerlain, sought to differentiate its creations through subtle innovations. The perfume likely employed natural extracts, infusions, absolutes, and tinctures drawn from the finest flowers available, while later versions may have incorporated emerging synthetic aroma chemicals to enhance longevity, brightness, and projection. The result would have been a lively, yet refined bouquet—both familiar in its floral heart and distinctive in its Spanish character.

Ultimately, Primavera de España exemplifies Guerlain’s skill at merging tradition with originality. It stood alongside other spring-floral perfumes of the era yet distinguished itself through its thematic inspiration, refined balance, and the sophisticated craftsmanship that was already becoming synonymous with the Guerlain name. The scent would have been interpreted not merely as a perfume but as a fragrant embodiment of spring, elegance, and the promise of renewal.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Primavera de Espana is classified as a floral fragrance, evoking the freshness of newly blossomed Spring flowers. 

• Top notes: bergamot, lemon, petitgrain, geranium, orange, cassie, violet
• Middle notes: jasmine, cloves, verbena, lily of the valley, tuberose, lavender, rose, jasmine
• Base notes: ambergris, orris, vanilla, musk, cedar, civet, tonka bean

Scent Profile:

Primavera de España by Guerlain is a fragrant homage to the first blooms of spring in Spain, a perfume that awakens the senses with its bright, verdant energy. As the bottle is uncorked, the top notes immediately unfold with a sparkling citrus bouquet: bergamot from Calabria, Italy, shines with its unique green-tinged bitterness and a radiant, almost floral sweetness, while lemon, likely Sicilian, contributes a sharp, invigorating lift, its limonene-rich oil brightening the fragrance. 

Petitgrain, distilled from the leaves and twigs of the bitter orange tree in Paraguay or Corsica, adds a green, slightly woody freshness with its linalool and linalyl acetate components, creating a nuanced interplay with the orange blossom, whose delicate nerolidol and linalool lend a subtle honeyed floral sweetness. A hint of geranium imparts a rosy, slightly minty nuance, and violet and cassie (acacia) soften the edges, providing a powdery green-floral warmth that feels like the first petals opening in a sunlit garden.

As the heart of the fragrance emerges, the middle notes form a rich, layered floral tapestry. Jasmine, sourced perhaps from Grasse, France, exudes its indolic, narcotic sweetness, full-bodied and heady, while rose, likely Bulgarian or Turkish, offers a fragrant intensity defined by phenyl ethyl alcohol and geraniol, giving the composition a romantic, timeless elegance. Tuberose contributes creamy, slightly animalic facets, its methyl anthranilate notes enhancing the lushness, and lily of the valley brings a delicate watery green quality, contrasting the richer blooms. Verbena and lavender contribute airy herbal lifts: the verbenone and linalool in these oils create a cooling effect that balances the sweeter florals, while cloves add a subtle warmth and spiciness through eugenol, grounding the bouquet and providing a whisper of exotic depth.

The base notes settle into a warm, sensual embrace, giving the fragrance longevity and depth. Ambergris, a rare and precious marine-derived note, imbues the composition with its soft, slightly salty, musky sweetness, harmonizing with the civet, whose animalic richness underscores the floral heart without overpowering it. 

Orris, derived from the rhizomes of Iris pallida, lends a sophisticated, powdery woodiness, complemented by cedar, which adds dry, balsamic undertones. Vanilla and tonka bean round the scent with their creamy, sweet tonality, while musk laces the dry-down with a soft, lingering warmth. Together, these base elements create a sensuous cushion that supports the vibrant, airy top and heart notes, allowing the fragrance to evolve gracefully over hours, much like spring unfolding in a Spanish garden.

This perfume exemplifies Guerlain’s mastery in balancing bright citrus, lush florals, and rich, warm bases, combining natural extracts with subtle synthetic enhancements. The synthetics, likely used to stabilize the lighter florals and support the depth of ambergris or civet, extend the fragrance’s wear while maintaining clarity, making Primavera de España a luminous, elegant celebration of springtime’s vitality and refinement.

Journal des demoiselles - Page 244, 1890: 

“Two perfumes dedicated to young girls—discreet and proper scents: Primavera de España and the Verveine line, each with a delicate freshness.”

La Moda elegante ilustrada: periódico de las familias - Page 134, 1893: 

"“Primavera de España, a very soft (or gentle) fragrance."

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued, date unknown. Still being sold in 1894.

 

Vol de Nuit Evasion c2007

Vol de Nuit Évasion by Guerlain was launched in 2007 as an exclusive collaboration with Aelia, a French airport duty-free chain, making it available only at Aelia locations in France and Great Britain, as well as in Guerlain’s own boutiques. Its very conception as a travel-exclusive edition speaks to the romantic spirit of movement, escape, and discovery that the house of Guerlain has long celebrated. The name, Vol de Nuit Évasion — pronounced "vol duh nwee ay-vah-zyohn" — is French for “Night Flight Escape.” It draws directly from Guerlain’s legendary 1933 perfume Vol de Nuit, itself inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novel of the same name, but Évasion adds a new layer of meaning — suggesting not just a flight through the night sky, but an emotional or sensory escape.

The words Vol de Nuit Évasion conjure poetic imagery: the hum of an aircraft cutting through a dark, starlit sky, the glow of cabin lights reflected on glass, the quiet anticipation of a journey beginning. “Évasion” — meaning escape or getaway — evokes both physical travel and a deeper, more introspective freedom: slipping away from the ordinary into something dreamlike and luminous. Guerlain used this concept to craft a fragrance that bridges imagination and reality — “a few hours of an internal adventure,” as their description poetically phrased it. It captures the beauty of solitude, the thrill of movement, and the serenity of distance — a perfume for the woman who finds herself most alive when she’s in motion.

The year 2007 belonged to an era of understated sophistication in perfumery. The loud, fruity florals of the late 1990s had given way to softer, more refined compositions, often blending classical materials with modern transparency. Travel exclusives had become a growing market segment, catering to cosmopolitan consumers seeking something rare, elegant, and unavailable to the general public. Fashion at the time reflected similar values — a blend of minimalism and quiet luxury, with designers emphasizing tailored silhouettes, soft femininity, and global chic. For women of this period, Vol de Nuit Évasion would have embodied the glamour of travel and the allure of private moments — a perfume that whispered rather than shouted, carrying with it an air of quiet mystery and refinement.

Created by Mathilde Laurent, Vol de Nuit Évasion is classified as an ambery floral fragrance for women. Though it bears the name of a house classic, it is not a reinterpretation of the original Vol de Nuit, but rather the eau de toilette version of Attrape-Cœur (1999) — one of Guerlain’s most beloved modern creations. It opens with a sweet, luminous accord of rose and peach, immediately evoking warmth and intimacy. The heart unfolds with waves of jasmine and iris, soft and powdery, capturing the sensation of moonlight filtering through clouds. As it settles, the fragrance drifts into a glowing oriental base of amber, woods, and vanilla, where sensual warmth meets smooth elegance.

In scent, the idea of “night flight escape” translates beautifully — a perfume that feels like silk and air, rich yet weightless, luminous yet enveloping. It carries the sweetness of memory and the serenity of distance — a scent for the traveler who seeks both beauty and introspection. Compared to other perfumes of its time, Vol de Nuit Évasion fit within the broader trend of romantic, modern orientals (alongside creations like Dior’s Midnight Poison and Armani’s Code for Women), yet it maintained Guerlain’s signature refinement: more poetic, more emotional, less commercial.

In essence, Vol de Nuit Évasion is a fragrance about freedom — not the noisy kind, but the kind found in quiet departures, unspoken longings, and the warm light that follows you into the night sky. It is Guerlain’s ode to the timeless desire to escape — with elegance, with memory, and with scent.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Vol de Nuit Evasion is classified as an ambery floral fragrance for women. It does not smell anything like the original Vol de Nuit, but instead smells a lot like a sophisticated, yet lighter version of Attrape Coeur, because it is the eau de toilette version of Attrape Coeur.

• Top notes: peach, raspberry, bergamot
• Middle notes: violet, iris, rose, jasmine, and tuberose, cinnamon
• Base notes: amber, vanilla, orris, tonka bean, sandalwood, oakmoss, leather, patchouli

Scent Profile:

The first impression of Vol de Nuit Évasion is like stepping into a dimly lit cabin moments before takeoff — the hum of anticipation in the air, a warmth building beneath the quiet. The fragrance opens with a fruity shimmer, led by juicy peach and luscious raspberry. The peach, likely of Mediterranean origin, brings a sunlit roundness — soft, velvety, and nectar-sweet — rich in lactones such as γ-decalactone that give it that creamy, skin-like quality. Raspberry, meanwhile, lends a subtle tart sparkle; its aroma chemicals, like raspberry ketone and ionones, add brightness and a touch of delicate woodiness, keeping the opening from becoming too syrupy. Together, they are lifted by bergamot, the elegant citrus note from Calabria, Italy — prized for its balance of green, floral, and spicy tones. Its natural linalyl acetate and limonene molecules lend the composition a radiant freshness, while a touch of synthetic bergamot essence ensures longevity and consistency, making the opening gleam like early dawn light on a plane’s wing.

As the perfume unfolds, the heart reveals violet, iris, rose, jasmine, and tuberose, forming a deeply textured floral bouquet. The violet, with its powdery sweetness, comes alive through ionones, the very molecules that give this flower its signature violet-candy scent. It merges seamlessly with orris, derived from the aged rhizomes of the Florentine iris — one of perfumery’s most luxurious materials. Orris butter’s natural irones impart a creamy, suede-like aroma that feels both melancholy and romantic. Rose, likely the centifolia or damascena variety, adds a full-bodied floral richness, balancing the coolness of violet and iris with warmth and sensuality; its geraniol and citronellol molecules lend body and freshness, while a hint of synthetic rose absolute extends its radiance.

Jasmine, probably sourced from Grasse or Egypt, brings narcotic sweetness and a whisper of indole — that faint, animalic undertone which gives depth and sensuality to florals. The jasmine’s natural benzyl acetate and linalool are heightened by synthetics like hedione, enhancing its airiness and projection, making it seem like moonlight filtering through sheer fabric. Tuberose, with its creamy, spicy facets, adds a sultry undertone, grounded by its natural methyl salicylate and indoles, both softened here to suggest quiet allure rather than opulence. Threaded through this floral heart is a trace of cinnamon, warm and golden, evoking the faint spice of skin warmed by candlelight. The cinnamon’s cinnamaldehyde brings energy and brightness, harmonizing with the florals like the faint pulse beneath a gentle smile.

As the fragrance deepens, the base unfolds — rich, ambery, and infinitely smooth. Amber provides the golden backbone, a blend of labdanum resin and vanillic warmth that glows softly rather than burns. Vanilla, likely Madagascan, contributes its comforting sweetness; its vanillin and coumarin notes create a sense of tender intimacy, like the warmth of a cashmere shawl draped across bare shoulders. Orris reappears in the drydown, giving a refined, powdery depth that lingers like a memory.

Tonka bean, with its natural coumarin content, imparts a toasted, almond-like richness, blending seamlessly with sandalwood, perhaps from Mysore or Australia. The sandalwood’s creamy lactones and santalols give a soft, milky sensuality that grounds the composition. Oakmoss, the traditional note of chypres, contributes its forested depth — earthy, slightly leathery, and green, its atranol compounds tamed and modernized to ensure both safety and clarity. Leather lends an animalic shadow — smooth, smoky, slightly bitter — while patchouli, dark and resinous, gives the fragrance an earthy vibration. The patchoulol and norpatchoulenol molecules within it anchor the composition, ensuring that the fragrance remains tethered, never too airy, never too sweet.

In its entirety, Vol de Nuit Évasion feels like an olfactory voyage at twilight — a movement from light to shadow, from fruit to flower to ambered wood. The interplay between natural essences and their synthetic enhancements allows the perfume to shimmer and expand, to breathe with the warmth of skin and the coolness of air. It is both grounded and dreamlike — a fragrance that captures the sensation of slipping quietly into the night sky, leaving behind the familiar world for something softer, sweeter, infinitely more mysterious.

Bottle:

The perfume is elegantly presented in a modified Bouchon Coeur flacon, its stopper crafted in the shape of an upside-down heart, a playful yet sophisticated nod to romance and whimsy. The glass itself catches the light, reflecting soft glimmers that hint at the luminous fragrance within. Encased in a rich blue box, the packaging is further adorned with a delicate propeller motif, designed to create an optical illusion that engages the eye and adds a sense of movement and modernity. This presentation conveys both charm and refinement, making it as visually captivating as the scent it contains. The fragrance is available as a 50 ml Eau de Toilette, originally retailing for $65, offering an accessible yet luxurious experience for collectors and enthusiasts alike.

Fate of the Fragrance:

Over the years, this fragrance has evolved through a series of distinct incarnations, each reflecting the creative vision of Guerlain at different points in time. The journey began in 1999 with Guet Apens, an early modern interpretation, followed by No. 68 in 2002, which refined the composition for a more contemporary audience. In 2005, Attrape Cœur introduced a softer, more romantic interpretation, emphasizing floral and gourmand notes that appealed to the sensibilities of the mid-2000s. Two years later, Vol de Nuit Evasion (2007) reimagined the perfume as a travel-exclusive homage, presenting a lighter, ambery-floral Eau de Toilette designed for airport boutiques, with an emphasis on elegance and sophistication. The evolution culminated in Royal Extract (2014), a luxurious and concentrated version that highlighted the richness of the house’s signature accords. Though now discontinued, the lineage of this fragrance demonstrates Guerlain’s ongoing experimentation with reinterpretation, capturing different moods and audiences across more than a decade of creative reinvention.

With Love c2003

With Love by Guerlain, launched in 2003, was a limited edition fragrance that embodied tenderness, intimacy, and emotion — a poetic gesture from the house that has long been synonymous with romance and refinement. The name With Love was chosen with simplicity and universality in mind — a phrase that transcends language barriers, carrying a personal touch, as if the perfume itself were a handwritten note, sealed with affection. To say something is given “with love” transforms it from a mere object into a token of feeling; it becomes both a gift and an expression of connection. Guerlain’s intent was to create a fragrance that felt like a moment shared — intimate, radiant, and softly sensual — the kind of scent one might wear not just to be noticed, but to be remembered.

The fragrance was conceived by Sylvaine Delacourte and Christine Nagel, two creative forces who captured the delicate balance between emotion and elegance that defines Guerlain’s feminine perfumes. Classified as a floral fragrance for women, With Love blends the brightness of citrus, the freshness of flowers, and the warmth of woods and musk to evoke the emotional landscape of love itself — from its first spark to its lasting comfort. Guerlain described it as a fragrance “where feelings blossom in a floral swirl against a background of musk and amber,” suggesting that beneath its soft romanticism lies a deeper sensuality — the meeting of tenderness and passion, of body and soul.

 

The early 2000s marked a period in perfumery where modern femininity was being redefined. The minimalist, fresh accords of the 1990s were giving way to more emotional, warmer compositions that balanced purity with sensual depth. Fragrances like Dior’s J’Adore (1999) and Chanel’s Chance (2003) reflected this shift — luminous, floral, yet grounded by musky and ambered bases. With Love aligned with this trend but offered Guerlain’s distinctive interpretation — refined, poetic, and understated rather than overtly seductive. It was also the first in a series of annual travel retail exclusives themed around love and romance, aimed at international travelers seeking a fragrance that symbolized affection and emotional connection. Its presentation — elegant yet approachable — was designed to appeal to women who valued both luxury and sentimentality.

The name With Love itself evokes an array of emotions and images: handwritten letters sealed with perfume, quiet moments between lovers, the lingering warmth of a shared embrace. It conjures both nostalgia and sincerity — the universal language of affection expressed through scent. In olfactory terms, this translates to a composition that opens with the sparkling optimism of mandarin orange and lemon, blooms into the tender grace of lily and freesia, and settles into the soft sensuality of sandalwood, amber, musk, and cedar. Together, these notes form a fragrance that feels both intimate and radiant — the scent of affection made tangible.

For the women of the early 2000s, With Love would have represented modern romance — confident, emotional, and elegant without excess. It was not a grand, dramatic statement of passion, but rather a whispered declaration — a scent that lives close to the skin, meant to be discovered rather than announced. Through its name and composition, Guerlain succeeded in capturing the timeless essence of love itself: tender yet enduring, radiant yet personal — a fragrance created, quite literally, with love.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? With Love is classified as a floral fragrance for women.

• Top notes: mandarin orange and lemon
• Middle notes: lily and freesia
• Base notes: sandalwood, amber, musk and cedar

Scent Profile:

With Love by Guerlain opens with a radiant burst of mandarin orange and lemon, immediately setting the tone for a fragrance that feels both tender and alive. The mandarin, most likely from Italy or Sicily where the fruit ripens under golden Mediterranean light, carries a sweetness that is more sunlit and velvety than sharp. Its essential oil is rich in limonene and gamma-terpinene, molecules that create that distinctive juicy, honeyed sparkle — a note that feels like laughter caught on a warm breeze. The lemon, possibly sourced from Calabria, adds an effervescent brilliance to this citrus overture. High in citral, lemon brings a clean and crystalline brightness, cutting through the sweetness of mandarin with a refreshing sharpness, like the first inhale of morning air through open windows. Together, they awaken the senses, evoking the flutter of anticipation that comes with love’s first blush.

As the top notes settle, lily and freesia unfold gracefully, forming the heart of the composition. The lily, with its cool, waxen petals and gently spicy undertone, introduces a serene purity — the scent of white silk and dew-covered blossoms at dawn. Depending on the extraction, lily’s aroma is often reconstructed through molecules such as hydroxycitronellal and lilyal, which capture its ethereal, green, and subtly soapy nuances. These synthetics lend a sense of realism and transparency, enhancing the natural effect while ensuring stability — the impression of a living flower in perpetual bloom. 

The freesia, a flower long prized in perfumery for its soft, peppery freshness, complements the lily beautifully. Freesia’s scent is delicate yet vibrant, a blend of green citrus facets and creamy petals supported by ionones — aroma molecules also found in violets. These ionones give it a powdery, slightly fruity radiance that enhances the airy, romantic quality of the bouquet.

Beneath this luminous floral heart lies the foundation that gives With Love its sensual warmth and emotional depth. Sandalwood, most likely Indian or Australian, forms the core of this base. The prized Mysore sandalwood — rich in santalols — imparts a creamy, almost milky woodiness that is both grounding and comforting. Its modern replacements, sustainably sourced Australian sandalwoods and synthetic sandalwood molecules like javanol or polysantol, recreate the smooth, velvety texture with a slightly cleaner tone. This note feels like a caress — skin warmed by touch, love expressed in closeness rather than words.

Amber adds its golden warmth, built through accords combining resins, labdanum, and vanillic nuances. It brings an almost honeyed, sun-drenched glow that bridges the floral heart with the sensual base. Musk then envelops the composition like soft fabric — clean, slightly powdery, and intimately skin-like. Modern synthetic musks such as galaxolide or muscenone replace the natural animalic variety, bringing a soft-focus sensuality that makes the scent linger close to the skin, like a whispered secret. Finally, cedar, most likely Virginian, contributes a dry, woody elegance. Its naturally occurring cedrol gives it a smooth pencil-shaving facet, lending structure and refinement — the quiet strength beneath the perfume’s tender heart.

Together, these elements form a fragrance that feels like the memory of an embrace — citrus brightness fading into floral warmth, anchored by woods and musk that linger like affection itself. With Love is not loud, but it resonates; it captures the tenderness of connection and the emotional quiet that follows the rush of romance. Each note feels intentional — from the sunny optimism of its opening to the sensual warmth of its base — a delicate harmony of emotion and elegance that could only come from Guerlain.

Bottle:

Presented in a modified form of the Bouchon Coeur flacon, the word 'Love' is written in different languages in pink script all over the bottle.

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Fate of the Fragrance:

Likely discontinued around 2006