Eau Aromatique de Montpellier c1830

Eau Aromatique de Montpellier (1830) was one of the earliest creations by Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain, crafted during an era when perfumery was still deeply intertwined with the art of medicine and personal hygiene. The name, Eau Aromatique de Montpellier—pronounced “oh ah-roh-mah-teek duh Mon-pehl-yeh”—translates from French as “Aromatic Water of Montpellier.” It paid tribute to the southern French city of Montpellier, long celebrated for its medical school, botanical gardens, and ancient perfumery tradition. By invoking this name, Guerlain linked his composition to a lineage of refined, health-giving waters, suggesting both purity and sophistication.

To early 19th-century sensibilities, Eau Aromatique de Montpellier would have conjured images of sunlit herbal gardens, citrus groves by the Mediterranean, and the apothecary tables of learned physicians, where fragrant botanicals were prized for their healing virtues. The early 1830s were part of France’s Romantic era, when the pursuit of beauty, refinement, and emotional depth coexisted with a scientific curiosity about the natural world. Fashion favored elegance and restraint—silks in subdued colors, bonnets trimmed with lace, and faintly perfumed gloves. Perfume was not yet the overtly sensual luxury it would later become under Napoleon III; instead, it was valued for its freshness, cleanliness, and moral virtue. A fragrance named Eau Aromatique de Montpellier would have appealed to both men and women of good taste—ladies seeking refinement and gentlemen desiring a polished appearance.

In scent, Eau Aromatique de Montpellier was a spicy citrus floral composition, luminous yet gently piquant. It combined sparkling notes of citrus peel and aromatic herbs—lemon, orange,bergamot and orange blossom—with tender floral elements that softened the brisk opening. The base, built on animalic musky undertones, anchored the freshness in something warm and enduring. Its dual nature—a fragrance that was both luxurious and functional—made it widely admired among European elites, earning the affectionate nickname Eau des Souverains (“Water of Sovereigns”). It was praised not only for its refined scent but for its practical virtues: it softened and brightened the skin, prevented irritation, and was especially esteemed by gentlemen after shaving, when the skin required a soothing touch.

When compared with other perfumes of its time, Eau Aromatique de Montpellier was both in harmony with contemporary tastes and ahead of its age. It aligned with the 19th-century fascination with aromatic waters, yet Guerlain’s creation elevated the form through greater sophistication, balance, and artistry. Later, in 1930, Jacques Guerlain would reformulate it, preserving its refreshing soul while infusing it with the elegance and depth characteristic of the modern Guerlain style.

Ultimately, Eau Aromatique de Montpellier embodied the intersection of refinement and well-being, a fragrance that whispered of health, intellect, and quiet luxury—a fitting beginning for the house that would one day define French perfumery itself.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Eau Aromatique de Montpellier is classified as a spicy citrus floral fragrance. It has been described as "being in a garden full of flowers in full bloom."

• Top notes: bergamot, orange, lemon, orange blossom  
• Middle notes: tuberose, rose, clove, cinnamon
• Base notes: rose, ambergris, musk

Scent Profile:

Eau Aromatique de Montpellier unfolds like a morning walk through a Mediterranean garden after rain—alive with sunlight, greenery, and the hum of blossoms. The fragrance belongs to the spicy citrus floral family, and every note within it contributes to an elegant choreography of brightness and warmth, of freshness anchored by sensual depth.

At the first breath, the top notes burst open with bergamot, orange, and lemon, a triumvirate of citrus that instantly uplifts. Guerlain’s bergamot, likely from Calabria in southern Italy, carries a distinctive sparkle—its essential oil rich in linalyl acetate and linalool, which lend the scent its silky, floral-citrus roundness. Unlike harsher citruses, Calabrian bergamot possesses a refined balance of tartness and sweetness, a hallmark that makes it prized in fine perfumery. The orange, possibly from Seville, brings a sun-warmed juiciness with a slightly bitter edge from limonene, a molecule responsible for the bright, effervescent freshness that makes the opening shimmer. Lemon oil, bursting with citral and β-pinene, adds crystalline clarity—sharp yet fleeting, like light glancing off water. Into this radiant blend slips orange blossom, its honeyed sweetness softening the citrus brilliance. Derived from the bitter orange tree, the essence of Neroli, especially from Tunisia, contains naturally occurring nerolidol and indole, giving the floral tone both purity and a faint, animalic warmth—an early whisper of the sensual heart to come.

As the fragrance warms on the skin, the heart unfurls a lush bouquet of tuberose and rose, intertwined with the spice of clove and cinnamon. The tuberose—often sourced from India, where the blossoms are gathered at dusk—radiates creamy opulence. It owes its narcotic richness to methyl benzoate and benzyl salicylate, molecules that give its scent both depth and luminosity, like white petals bathed in moonlight. The rose, likely Rosa damascena from Bulgaria or Rosa centifolia from Grasse, contributes a soft yet commanding presence. Bulgarian rose oil, rich in citronellol and geraniol, adds a velvety sweetness tinged with lemony freshness; while Grasse rose lends a powdery, slightly honeyed character. The floral heart is enlivened by clove from the Moluccas (Indonesia)—its oil dominated by eugenol, an aromatic compound that imparts a warm, spicy-carnation tone and lends structure to the floral accord. Cinnamon, likely from Ceylon (Sri Lanka), deepens the composition with a dry, resinous sweetness—its cinnamaldehyde molecules contributing warmth and tenacity. Together, these ingredients transform the initial brightness into a golden, sun-drenched warmth, evoking a garden in full bloom beneath a southern sky.

The base of Eau Aromatique de Montpellier lingers with rose, ambergris, and musk—a trio that fuses sensuality with refinement. The returning rose note connects the heart and base seamlessly, maintaining the floral thread throughout the composition. Ambergris, one of perfumery’s most elusive treasures, lends the perfume its soft, animalic glow. Naturally excreted by sperm whales and aged by the sea, ambergris is prized for its subtle, salty-skin aroma—rich in ambroxide, which enhances the perfume’s radiance and longevity. In modern interpretations, synthetic ambroxan or C14 aldehydes often replicate this effect, giving the same diffusive warmth with a cleaner profile, ensuring stability while honoring the original’s luxury. Finally, musk closes the composition in a tender embrace. Once derived from the musk deer, today it appears in synthetic forms such as muscone or galaxolide, whose soft, skin-like warmth binds all the previous notes into a seamless harmony. The musk’s powdery, sensual aura gently amplifies the floral heart, creating a halo effect that lingers for hours.

Altogether, Eau Aromatique de Montpellier feels like stepping into a timeless garden at the height of its bloom—where sunlight glances off citrus leaves, white flowers breathe out their sweetness, and a trace of spice drifts through warm air. It bridges the freshness of nature and the refinement of artifice, where natural oils and delicate synthetics work in concert to create something that feels at once alive, noble, and eternal.

Bottles:

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued, date unknown.

Bouquet de L'Exposition c1867

Bouquet de L’Exposition was launched by Guerlain in 1867, created especially for the Exposition Universelle of Paris, the grand World’s Fair that celebrated innovation, progress, and artistry during the height of the Second Empire. At a time when Paris was the undisputed capital of elegance and refinement, Guerlain—already established as the perfumer to emperors and empresses—presented this fragrance as both a tribute to floral beauty and a showcase of the house’s mastery in olfactory composition.

The scent itself was conceived as a “bouquet of exhibition,” a perfume meant to dazzle visitors much like the marvels on display in the pavilions surrounding it. The composition is a graceful floral harmony centered on rose, honeysuckle, and Philadelphus (often called mock orange). The rose, likely sourced from the lush flower fields of Grasse, offered its familiar velvety sweetness and romantic depth—a timeless emblem of femininity. The honeysuckle, with its honeyed, slightly green perfume, lent an air of springtime freshness, evoking the scent of blossoms climbing along a sun-warmed garden wall. The Philadelphus, prized for its radiant, orange-blossom-like aroma, added a sparkling brightness that completed the illusion of a fragrant bouquet just gathered from a Parisian garden at dawn.

Together, these flowers created a tender, luminous, and distinctly French fragrance, one that mirrored the optimism and grace of its era. Worn by ladies in silk crinolines and lace gloves, Bouquet de L’Exposition would have seemed both modern and timeless—a whisper of refinement in a time of grandeur.

Though discontinued long ago, the perfume remains part of Guerlain’s early heritage, a testament to the house’s long-standing tradition of linking its creations to moments of art, culture, and innovation. Bouquet de L’Exposition endures in memory as a fragrant souvenir of the 1867 World’s Fair, a delicate echo of a Paris that perfumed the world with its beauty.

Shiny Cherry Blossom 2005

Shiny Cherry Blossom by Guerlain, launched in 2005, is a delicate, fruity floral fragrance created as part of the Cherry Blossom collection, which Guerlain traditionally released each spring for the Asian market. The name “Shiny Cherry Blossom” immediately evokes the image of glistening petals in the first light of dawn, delicate pink blooms shimmering with dew. Pronounced in layman’s terms as “Shy-nee Cheh-ree Blah-sum,” the name conveys lightness, freshness, and a gentle femininity, capturing both the visual and emotional allure of cherry blossoms in full bloom. It evokes a sense of youth, renewal, and serene optimism, conjuring the ethereal beauty of springtime gardens and the fleeting magic of a soft breeze carrying petals through the air.

The fragrance was launched during a period when Asian-inspired floral perfumes were gaining popularity worldwide, particularly in Japan and South Korea, where cherry blossom imagery carries strong cultural significance and associations with purity, beauty, and the ephemeral nature of life. Women of the time, influenced by both European sophistication and East Asian aesthetics, would have related to Shiny Cherry Blossom as a light, joyful, and approachable fragrance, perfect for daytime wear and for evoking the mood of spring. The early 2000s in perfumery favored transparent, airy florals and fruity florals, which were often marketed as youthful, optimistic, and easily wearable—a trend to which this perfume perfectly aligned.

Classified as a fruity floral, Shiny Cherry Blossom is a softer, lighter reinterpretation of the original Cherry Blossom Eau de Toilette. The fragrance is presented in a glittery pink bottle that reflects light as subtly as the petals themselves, further enhancing the visual imagery of the perfume, and housed in a metallic pink outer carton that emphasizes femininity and joy. In travel retail, the fragrance was priced at around €34, making it an accessible yet indulgent seasonal treat. In the context of the market, Shiny Cherry Blossom harmonized beautifully with contemporary trends, embracing the popularity of light florals and gentle fruit notes, while standing out through its delicate nod to Japanese-inspired floral artistry and its sparkling, visually engaging presentation.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Shiny Cherry Blossom is classified as a fruity floral fragrance for women.

• Top notes: bergamot, lemon, green tea
• Middle notes: cherry blossom
• Base notes: musk

Scent Profile:

Shiny Cherry Blossom opens with a sparkling cascade of bergamot from Calabria, Italy, whose bright, sun-kissed peel releases zesty limonene and subtle floral aldehydes that awaken the senses with a crisp, luminous freshness. Layered with lemon, also Italian, its vibrant citric acidity adds a lively tang, while aromatic green tea leaves introduce a soft, herbaceous nuance reminiscent of early morning dew, with natural polyphenols contributing a subtle astringency that balances the fruitiness of the top accord. Together, these top notes create a clean, invigorating introduction that feels simultaneously light and sparkling, hinting at the serenity of a spring garden.

As the heart unfolds, the delicate cherry blossom takes center stage. Sourced from Japanese-inspired extracts, it embodies the ethereal softness and fleeting beauty of sakura in bloom. The fragrance captures both the gentle sweetness and faint powderiness of the petals, with natural benzyl alcohols and coumarins adding a subtle floral warmth, while carefully calibrated synthetic enhancers amplify the airy, transparent quality of the blossom, giving it a floating, almost dreamlike presence. This middle accord evokes the tender sensation of walking beneath a canopy of soft pink flowers, their scent both romantic and understated.

Finally, the base emerges with a soft veil of musk, which imparts a gentle sensuality and lingering warmth to the composition. The musk harmonizes with the green and floral elements, adding depth and a subtle skin-like quality without overpowering the delicate cherry blossom heart. Its presence ensures the fragrance lingers gracefully, leaving a quiet, comforting trail that evokes intimacy and calm. The combination of these notes—crisp citrus, ephemeral cherry blossom, and soft musk—creates a light, airy, and elegantly feminine perfume, perfectly embodying the freshness, beauty, and optimism suggested by the name Shiny Cherry Blossom.

Bottle:

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued.

Champs Elysees Too Much? c2000

Champs-Elysées Too Much? by Guerlain, launched in 2000, was a playful yet sophisticated twist on the house’s 1996 Champs-Elysées. The name itself, Champs-Elysées Too Much?, is both French and English — pronounced "shahnz-ay-lee-zay too much" — and immediately strikes a tone of ironic glamour. It nods to the famed Parisian avenue, long a symbol of elegance, luxury, and excess, while the cheeky question mark suggests a wink to modernity: can one ever have too much beauty, too much joy, or too much springtime radiance? The name evokes the image of a Parisian woman strolling down the boulevard beneath a sky washed in light, her perfume trailing in the air — exuberant, flirtatious, and delightfully self-aware. It’s Paris in bloom, with all the sophistication and indulgence that the name Guerlain implies.

When this fragrance was released in 2000, the world was poised on the edge of a new millennium — a period marked by optimism, color, and a sense of rediscovered femininity. Fashion favored fluid silhouettes, pastel tones, and luminous fabrics; beauty leaned toward freshness and radiance rather than heaviness. Perfume trends reflected this shift — green florals, crystalline musks, and transparent chypres were resurging as women turned away from the opulent orientals of the 1980s toward scents that felt modern, spontaneous, and lighthearted. Guerlain’s Too Much? perfectly embodied this mood. It wasn’t rebellious in the shocking sense, but rather in its exuberance — its refusal to be understated. It celebrated the joy of perfume itself, suggesting that excess, when beautiful, is no sin.

The scent itself captures the very essence of springtime in Paris. It opens with a bright, effervescent burst of bergamot from Calabria, whose naturally high limonene content imparts sparkling citrus clarity and vivacity. This freshness is immediately joined by the golden sweetness of mimosa, whose soft powdery bloom radiates a warmth that’s both sunny and romantic. In Too Much?, mimosa plays the starring role — airy yet rich, its almondy, honeyed facets intensified by subtle green undertones that give it a fresh-cut floral feel.

At the heart, lily and hyacinth unfold, filling the composition with lush, dewy florality. The hyacinth, with its crisp green aroma dominated by ionones and benzyl acetate, brings a cool, watery tone reminiscent of spring gardens after rain, while the lily adds a pure, silky sensuality. Together, they balance mimosa’s sweetness, ensuring that the fragrance never becomes cloying. This bouquet is softly spiced and warmed by benzoin, whose vanilla-resin depth gives the scent a whisper of sensuality — like sunlight melting into skin.

The drydown introduces a tender trail of jasmine and narcissus, both rich in indoles and benzyl benzoate, which lend a creamy, almost animalic warmth beneath the airy florals. These deeper notes are tempered by the green chypre base, giving the perfume structure and refinement. The result is a fragrance that feels both carefree and composed — as if the wearer herself embodies that balance between modern vivacity and timeless Parisian chic.

To women of the early 2000s, Champs-Elysées Too Much? would have felt like a declaration of confidence and joy. It invited them to embrace their femininity without restraint — to revel in pleasure, in color, in the scent of flowers bursting open under the May sun. Its message was both romantic and mischievous: can there really ever be too much spring, too much laughter, too much love? Guerlain’s answer, of course, was a knowing smile — never.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Champs Elysees Too Much? is classified as a green floral fragrance for women. Fresh and powdery with green chypre notes. 

• Top notes: Calabrian bergamot, mimosa
• Middle notes: mimosa, hyacinth, lily
• Base notes: jasmine, narcissus, benzoin

Scent Profile:

Champs-Elysées Too Much? by Guerlain is a lively green floral fragrance, fresh and powdery, with the unmistakable clarity of a green chypre underpinning its composition. Opening with Calabrian bergamot, the scent immediately greets the nose with a bright, sparkling citrus note. Bergamot from Calabria, in southern Italy, is prized for its exceptional quality: its essential oil is richer in limonene, linalyl acetate, and citral, creating a nuanced citrus aroma that is both crisp and subtly sweet. This citrus brightness is paired with mimosa, whose golden, powdery bloom lends a soft almond-like sweetness, redolent of springtime sunshine and delicate honeyed warmth. Together, they create a radiant, almost effervescent opening that is both uplifting and elegantly feminine.

The heart unfolds with a layered bouquet of mimosa, hyacinth, and lily. Here, mimosa returns in a more velvety, intimate form, enhanced by subtle green undertones that give it a freshly cut floral vibrancy. Hyacinth, often sourced from the Netherlands, introduces a crisp, watery freshness dominated by benzyl acetate and ionones, evoking the scent of a dewy spring garden. Its slightly green, aquatic facets balance the richness of mimosa. Lily contributes a soft, creamy elegance, releasing gentle floral linalool and geraniol notes that enhance the bouquet’s depth and harmonize the airy freshness of the opening. This combination creates a heart that is tender yet luminous, evoking both youth and refinement.

The drydown is where the fragrance deepens, revealing jasmine, narcissus, and benzoin. Jasmine, often sourced from Grasse, France, is rich in indoles, giving the perfume a subtle animalic warmth beneath its airy florals. Narcissus adds a narcotic, green-floral complexity, with isoamyl acetate and benzyl acetate providing a luminous, slightly honeyed facet that deepens the bouquet. Finally, benzoin, a resin from Southeast Asia, imparts a warm, balsamic sweetness, rounded and comforting, its vanillin content enhancing the natural floral notes and leaving a soft, lingering powderiness on the skin.

Experienced together, these ingredients form a fragrance that is radiant, fresh, and unmistakably elegant. The interplay of citrus, green florals, and warm balsamic undertones reflects the energy of a Parisian spring: playful, joyful, and refined. Champs-Elysées Too Much? is not merely a fragrance; it is an olfactory celebration of exuberance, capturing the essence of femininity that is both sophisticated and carefree.

Bottles:

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued by 2008.

Lilas c1839

Lilas by Guerlain, launched in 1839, takes its name from the French word lilas, meaning lilac (pronounced "lee-lah"). The name evokes the tender elegance of springtime blossoms, soft pastels, and the gentle perfume of lilac bushes in full bloom. It conjures images of romantic gardens, sunlight filtering through flowering branches, and the fresh, innocent beauty of early 19th-century Parisian femininity. A fragrance named Lilas suggests delicacy, purity, and refinement, appealing to women who desired a scent that was both light and sophisticated, reflecting the fashion and social ideals of the time.

The perfume was created during a period when perfumery was evolving from simple floral waters into more complex compositions. In 1839, Parisian society placed great importance on elegance and personal grooming, and floral fragrances dominated the market, with lilac being particularly fashionable. Lilas would have been appreciated by women seeking a refined, socially acceptable perfume that conveyed freshness and understated charm. It would have been interpreted in scent as the green, slightly powdery, and soft floral aroma of lilac flowers, a scent associated with spring, renewal, and gentle femininity.

Like other lilac perfumes of the era, Guerlain’s Lilas likely employed a blend of natural extracts, infusions, absolutes, and tinctures to recreate the delicate floral character of the lilac. As the 19th century progressed, perfumers began incorporating synthetics and aroma chemicals to enhance and stabilize natural scents. Ingredients such as vanillin would add creamy sweetness, coumarin soft herbal nuances, heliotropin a delicate almond-like facet, and lilacine to accentuate the characteristic green-floral freshness of lilac. Other compounds such as iso-eugenol or musk xylene may have been used to lend depth, persistence, and sensuality to the fragrance.

In context, Guerlain’s Lilas followed popular trends of the period, aligning with the demand for floral bouquets that evoked gardens and springtime freshness. While not unique in its floral inspiration, it demonstrated the artistry of early Guerlain perfumery by combining a careful balance of natural and synthetic elements to produce a lilac fragrance that was both elegant and evocative, appealing to the refinement and tastes of 19th-century women. The perfume represents a beautiful intersection of tradition and innovation, a classic floral scent elevated through the skillful manipulation of natural and aromatic compounds.

Fragrance Composition:

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

• Top notes: hyacinth, orange blossom, lilac, cassie, lily of the valley, bitter almond
• Middle notes: heliotrope, ylang ylang, rose, tuberose, jasmine
• Base notes: vanilla, tonka bean, musk, civet, orris

Scent Profile:

Lilas by Guerlain, classified as a floral oriental fragrance, opens with a symphony of springtime florals that immediately transport you to a sunlit garden in full bloom. The top notes are bright and green, beginning with hyacinth, which evokes a crisp, slightly aquatic floral scent with a powdery undertone; the hyacinth’s natural aroma chemicals—mainly linalool and ethyl-2-methylbutyrate—provide a clean, sparkling freshness. This is complemented by orange blossom, sourced from the sun-drenched groves of southern Spain or Morocco, prized for its sweet, honeyed floral nuance that carries subtle bitter undertones due to nerolidol and indole, enriching the perfume’s depth. Lilac adds its soft, powdery green facets, while cassie (acacia) contributes a delicate, slightly sweet floral aroma reminiscent of mimosa. Lily of the valley imparts a transparent, watery freshness, while bitter almond, likely enhanced by benzaldehyde, adds a fleeting nutty and slightly gourmand facet that subtly foreshadows the warmth of the base. Together, these top notes create an initial impression that is both ethereal and captivating, full of green, sparkling life.

Transitioning to the heart of the fragrance, the middle notes unfold with richer, more voluptuous florals. Heliotrope emerges with its soft, powdery, vanilla-tinged aroma, often enhanced with heliotropin, which amplifies its almond-like sweetness. Ylang-ylang, sourced traditionally from Madagascar, lends a creamy, tropical floral nuance with natural esters such as benzyl acetate contributing a slightly fruity sweetness. Rose appears with its familiar, velvety floral richness, paired with the exotic, intoxicating scent of tuberose, whose lactones and esters produce a heady, almost narcotic creaminess. Jasmine, with its indolic, opulent aroma, completes the heart, creating a bouquet that is simultaneously floral, radiant, and sensually warm. The interplay of these middle notes offers a vibrant complexity, bridging the sparkling freshness of the top with the richness of the base.

The base notes ground the composition in warmth, depth, and longevity. Vanilla provides a soft, creamy sweetness, naturally containing vanillin, which harmonizes beautifully with tonka bean, known for its complex tonka lactones that evoke almond, vanilla, and slightly smoky nuances. Musk and civet contribute a subtle animalic sensuality, enhancing the florals’ projection and giving the fragrance a refined intimacy. Finally, orris root imparts a powdery, slightly woody iris facet, adding elegance and lingering sophistication. The combination of natural and synthetic elements in the base ensures that the floral heart is not only sustained but also enriched, giving the perfume a sensuous oriental character that lingers gracefully on the skin.

Lilas, through its intricate layering of top, heart, and base notes, evokes the delicate beauty of lilac and spring blooms while embracing the warmth, depth, and allure characteristic of oriental florals. Each ingredient is carefully chosen and harmonized, balancing freshness, floral complexity, and oriental richness to create a fragrance that is at once delicate, radiant, and profoundly elegant—a timeless celebration of 19th-century floral artistry interpreted through modern olfactory mastery.

Bottle:

 It was originally housed in the Carre flacon (parfum) fro 1875-1939 and also available in the Goutte flacon (eau de toilette) starting in 1923.

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued at an unknown date, it was still being sold in 1933.

Colours of Love c2005

Colours of Love by Guerlain, launched in 2005, is a celebration of romance, youthful energy, and the playful flirtations of life. The name itself—“Colours of Love”—evokes a vivid tapestry of emotions: the warmth of passion, the gentle hues of affection, and the sparkling joy of courtship. Pronounced simply as “Colours of Love,” the title conjures images of sunlit days, springtime blossoms, and the thrill of new love, immediately aligning the fragrance with a sense of fun, optimism, and emotional vibrancy. The phrase suggests a sensory spectrum, inviting the wearer to express her personality, desires, and moods as if painting her world with the hues of love.

The perfume emerged in the mid-2000s, a period marked by playful experimentation in fashion and beauty. Trends embraced bright colors, whimsical patterns, and a youthful, energetic approach to style, while in perfumery, there was a surge in light, fruity-floral compositions designed to evoke joy, flirtation, and vitality. Young women at the time, increasingly attuned to personal expression through fragrance, would have seen Colours of Love as a signature accessory—a scent that mirrored their zest for life and flirtatious charm. The fragrance resonates with the era’s optimism, echoing the mood of contemporary pop culture, fashion, and media, where individuality and expressive femininity were celebrated.

Classified as a floral-fruity fragrance, Colours of Love aligns perfectly with its intended youthful audience. It does not stray into avant-garde territory, but rather embodies the prevailing trends of the period—light, sparkling, and approachable compositions that are immediately appealing. Within the context of the 2005 fragrance market, it stood as a charming, modern interpretation of romance, offering a playful, vibrant personality that both reflected and influenced the era’s appetite for lively, joyful scents. It is a fragrance that interprets “love” not as solemn or restrained, but as exuberant, colorful, and undeniably youthful.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Colours of Love classified as a floral-fruity fragrance for women.

• Top notes: grapefruit, kiwi, passion fruit, violet
• Middle notes: rose, cassie flower, iris and mimosa
• Base notes: apricot, musk and ambrette seed

Scent Profile:

Colours of Love unfolds like a sun-drenched orchard in full bloom, each note revealing a facet of youthful exuberance and flirtatious charm. Opening with grapefruit, the scent immediately sparkles with vibrant citrus energy, its naturally occurring limonene providing a bright, zesty lift that awakens the senses. This is complemented by kiwi, which imparts a juicy, slightly tart sweetness with a subtle green freshness, evoking the sensation of biting into a ripe, exotic fruit. Passion fruit deepens this tropical accord, offering a fragrant tangy sweetness with delicate floral undertones, while violet adds a soft, powdery lift, its ionone-rich aroma bridging the sharpness of citrus with the gentle floral heart. Together, these top notes create a playful, effervescent introduction, a burst of energy that immediately invites the wearer into the perfume’s romantic narrative.

The heart blooms with a sophisticated bouquet of rose, cassie flower, iris, and mimosa, each contributing its own distinct character. The rose—likely sourced from Bulgaria or Grasse—radiates a familiar, honeyed floral richness, with citronellol and geraniol lending warmth and natural complexity. Cassie flower adds a soft, slightly sweet, powdery nuance, its delicate aroma underpinned by coumarin-like tones that hint at the creamy base to come. Iris introduces a refined, powdery elegance with its signature orris butter notes, naturally rich in myristic acid, while mimosa contributes a gentle, golden floral sweetness with subtle green facets, balancing the richness of rose and iris with airy brightness. The heart feels like a sunlit floral garden, exuding tender romance and gentle sophistication.

As the fragrance settles, it reveals a soft, alluring base of apricot, musk, and ambrette seed. The apricot brings a warm, velvety fruitiness, its natural aldehydes and esters enhancing the sweetness without heaviness. Musk, whether natural or synthetic, envelops the composition with a sensuous, skin-like warmth that lingers intimately, while ambrette seed, derived from Hibiscus abelmoschus seeds, adds a delicate musky-fruity nuance, softening the sweetness and giving depth to the fragrance. The base harmoniously grounds the sparkling top and floral heart, leaving a whisper of romantic elegance that lasts on the skin.

Overall, Colours of Love balances fruity vibrancy with floral sophistication, a perfectly orchestrated interplay between natural ingredients and subtle synthetics that enhance clarity, longevity, and projection. It is a fragrance that captures youthful joy and flirtatious charm, evoking playful energy and romantic allure in a light, approachable composition.

Fate of the Fragrance:

Discontinued, date unknown.

Place Rouge c2013

Place Rouge by Guerlain, launched in 2013, is a limited edition fragrance created to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the famed Russian department store Glavnyi Universalnyi Magazin (GUM) in Moscow’s iconic Red Square. The name, Place Rouge—French for “Red Square”—evokes immediate images of grandeur, history, and the striking architectural tableau of Moscow’s legendary plaza. Pronounced as "plahss roozh", it carries a sense of elegance, power, and cultural gravitas, immediately transporting one to a landscape of monumental stone, ceremonial processions, and the faintly sweet scent of winter blooms juxtaposed against the chill of an open square.

The fragrance was launched during a period in which perfumery was increasingly embracing niche sophistication while maintaining luxurious mainstream appeal. 2013 marked a time of global fascination with heritage and exclusivity in fragrance, as consumers sought scents with narrative and provenance. In this context, women encountering a perfume called Place Rouge would have associated it with cosmopolitan refinement, European elegance, and an air of mystery—qualities that blend history, modernity, and allure into a single sensory experience. The perfume’s name translates naturally into scent as a combination of strong, structured, yet sensually soft notes: the tension of a historic plaza interpreted through nature, flowers, and warmth.

Classified as a floral amber musk, Place Rouge is Thierry Wasser’s reinterpretation of Guerlain’s 2007 limited edition Quand Vient la Pluie. The fragrance opens like a storm-laden sky above a bracing herb garden, where dark, pregnant clouds seem to release delicate droplets over fresh violets and sweet heliotrope. The initial impression is electrifying yet tender, as green, herbal, and lightly aqueous notes mingle with the delicate powderiness of violet and the comforting creaminess of heliotrope.

As the heart unfolds, the florals are infused with an ambery warmth, creating a luminous, enveloping glow that balances the cooler green notes and provides a sensual, tactile softness. On the base, earthy undertones mingle with gourmand hints, with musk adding depth, persistence, and an almost animalic intimacy that anchors the fragrance without overwhelming its airy brightness. The perfume achieves a remarkable duality: it is simultaneously dramatic and approachable, structured yet playful, echoing the contrast of a stormy sky over a historic square—a perfect metaphor for Red Square itself.

In comparison to other fragrances of the early 2010s, Place Rouge was both in line with trends and distinctly unique. While the market was seeing a rise in floral-oriental compositions with gourmand undertones, Wasser’s mastery lies in the layered storytelling, the atmospheric tension of stormy greens and violets, and the subtle gourmand base. The result is a scent that is vividly modern yet rooted in classical elegance, embodying the spirit of a place where history, culture, and sensory experience converge.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Place Rouge is classified as a floral amber musk fragrance for women. Like the electrically charged atmosphere of a thunderstorm, dark, pregnant clouds releasing little droplets onto a bracing herb garden dotted with fresh violets and sweet heliotrope, but with ambery notes on an earthy, yet gourmand base.  

• Top notes: orange blossom, neroli, bergamot and rosemary
• Middle notes: jasmine, violet and heliotrope
• Base notes: cinnamon, orris, ambergris, gourmand praline notes, vanilla, white musk and patchouli

 

Scent Profile:

Place Rouge by Guerlain is a masterful floral amber musk that opens with a bright, sparkling top accord reminiscent of sunlight breaking through storm clouds over a windswept garden. The first impression is a lively, sparkling blend of orange blossom and neroli, whose luminous, slightly green-floral facets are both calming and invigorating. Neroli, traditionally sourced from Tunisia and Morocco, contributes a bitter-sweet, honeyed nuance, with aroma chemicals like linalool and limonene giving a natural crispness that lifts the composition. Paired with bergamot—often from Calabria, Italy, prized for its delicate balance of bitter peel and sweet citrus warmth—the top notes gain a subtle complexity and effervescence. Rosemary adds a crisp, aromatic edge, echoing the bracing herb garden imagery, with cineole and camphor imparting a slightly spicy, almost electrifying freshness, like the first gust of wind in a pre-storm sky.

As the perfume settles, the heart unfolds with a bouquet of jasmine, violet, and heliotrope, a blend that is powdery, floral, and delicately sweet. Jasmine—potentially from Grasse, France—is renowned for its rich indolic sweetness and nuanced green facets, with natural benzyl acetate and jasmone contributing warmth and sensuality. Violet, soft and powdery, imparts a nostalgic elegance and gentle green undertone, enhancing the airy freshness of the composition. Heliotrope contributes a creamy almond-like nuance, its natural coumarin aroma providing a velvety, comforting quality that harmonizes with the florals. Together, these middle notes create the sensation of droplets settling on the violet-dotted herb garden after a sudden summer rain—fresh, dewy, and tenderly enveloping.

The base is where Place Rouge reveals its depth and gourmand character, grounding the luminous florals in warmth and sensuality. Cinnamon brings a dry, aromatic spiciness, with cinnamaldehyde naturally providing warmth that complements the amber and patchouli. Orris adds a powdery, woody sophistication, highlighting the floral heart while enhancing longevity. Ambergris, rare and prized, lends a subtly marine, musky richness, while praline notes and vanilla introduce a gentle, gourmand sweetness, evoking the tactile pleasure of soft ambered sunlight on skin. White musk smooths and rounds the base, giving a modern, persistent sillage, and patchouli imparts an earthy depth that evokes the fertile soil of the herb garden below the stormy sky.

Altogether, Place Rouge is an evocative narrative in scent: a dramatic interplay of stormy energy, tender floral bouquets, and enveloping warmth, like a thunderstorm passing over a luminous garden. Each ingredient is carefully selected for its provenance, aromatic complexity, and natural-synthetic synergy, creating a fragrance that is simultaneously bold and refined, electrifying yet intimately comforting. It is a scent that transports the wearer to an imagined, almost cinematic moment, perfectly capturing the sophisticated, dynamic essence of Red Square itself.

Bottle:

The Place Rouge 100 ml edition is presented in a signature numbered bee bottle, a nod to Guerlain’s emblematic motif that has symbolized the house’s legacy since the mid-19th century. The glass flacon, elegantly rounded with its subtle amber tint reflecting the warmth of the fragrance within, is adorned with a decorative red bow, a playful yet sophisticated detail taken from the special Cour des Senteurs Versailles edition. This ribbon adds a touch of regal flair, evoking the ceremonial elegance and historic grandeur of Versailles while signaling the exclusivity of the piece.

Each bottle is individually numbered, emphasizing its limited-edition status and collectible appeal, reinforcing the sense of rarity and prestige that Guerlain cultivates with its special releases. The design balances tradition with contemporary luxury, offering both aesthetic delight and a tactile experience—the smooth glass surface, the weight of the flacon, and the delicate bow all harmonize to make the perfume feel like a treasure, as much a work of art as a fragrance.

This edition was retail-priced at 350 € and made available exclusively at the GUM department store in Moscow, further emphasizing its exclusivity. The combination of Guerlain’s historical bee bottle, the festive red bow, and the limited availability transforms Place Rouge into more than a perfume—it becomes a collectible statement piece, a tangible representation of French perfumery artistry, and a luxurious homage to both Guerlain’s heritage and the iconic Red Square itself.