Philtre d'Amour (2000)
by Guerlain

Guerlain Philtre D'Amour

I've always liked Eau de Guerlain but I'm not the biggest fan of it. It's certainly not a five-star scent in my rankngs. I always wanted a little more bite to it and a little more depth. Little did I know that all I had to do was work my way down the Guerlain catalog to "P". There I would find the 1999 release by Jean-Paul Guerlain, Philtre D'Amour. Philtre D'Amour works better for my sensibilities as I like sharper edges around my citrus and the feel of Philtre D'Amour is like something worn in the nighttime versus Eau de Guerlain's happy daytime brightness. Just like Eau de Guerlain, Philtre D'Amour begins with lemon but it is paired with a lovely green verbena which hones the edges of the lemon. Both scents use jasmine in the heart but again I prefer the use of petitgrain and myrtle in Philtre D'Amour as it takes this scent in a much more green direction and, for me, keeps the jasmine in better balance. The green accords remain as Philtre D'Amour progresses into the base and they are joined by musk and patchouli. Overall Philtre D'Amour is a much greener scent than Eau de Guerlain and I prefer it for that reason. Philtre D'Amour is a typical Guerlain with good longevity and good sillage. It is funny that Philtre D'Amour is considered a feminine scent because in many ways I think it is more masculine than Eau de Guerlain. Both scents have their time and place but if I'm picking one give me Philtre D'Amour.

Philtre d'Amour is the ultimate in the pure-citrus genre, and if you're seeking a distinct, bright citrus fragrance with longevity and sillage you need look no further. I can't think of any other citrus that lasts even half as long!

PdA starts with an exceptionally bright melange of citrus notes - lemon, cedrat, neroli, and probably others. The citrus *never* fades, an amazing feat of perfumery - and from application to the last fleeting sniff citrus is ever-present. The citrus topnotes are soon joined by a subtle floral heart and distinct petitgrain, which eventually give way to a subtle patchouli base. Throughout the composition there is a light muskiness to PdA which serves to prevent the citrus from becoming too sharp.

Unlike typical citrus fragrances PdA lasts for many hours (5-6) with normal application. This longevity is particularly outstanding in the complete and total absence of any chypre structure (no oakmoss fixative) and no woody base such as those found in a typical 'eau de cologne'. The patchouli base is not at all what you think of as used in a traditional patchouli-centric, but rather it presents as a tangy woodiness that balances the bright citrus superbly.

The re-issued Les Parisiennes version is an EdP whereas the original, limited-edition release was an EdT. I've had the opportunity to sample the EdT and it's very similar, with less musk, slightly brighter citrus, but shorter longevity.

Philtre d'Amour is a very fresh and beautiful floral-chypre, I must admit. However, there are too many similarities between this and Sisley’s Eau du Soir. Based on the fact that Sisley’s creation was released roughly a decade before (and also possesses superior longevity and sillage) I know which one will receive my unconditional allegiance.

There is no shortage of citrus fragrances, and even within Guerlain there are a plethora of citrus options. Philtre d'Amour is, in my humble opinion, the greatest of all citrus fragrances for many reasons. The first and foremost reason is that unlike most citruses (and especially the Guerlain Eaux) the bright, sunny citrus lasts for hours, persisting well into the drydown. Imperiale and Du Coq are nice but the sunshine fades within 30 minutes!

The opening is a sharp and bracing citrus blend of lemon and verbena. I'm not particularly great at picking out florals, but jasmine, which itself has a very bright and almost citrus-like quality, is clearly underpinning the citrus and provides the bridge to the heart accord of citrus and florals, accompanied by a slight powderiness. After a couple hours of citrus/florals there is a slow meandering transition to a very subtle but very real patchouli. It's nothing like a patchouli-based fragrance type of patchouli note, but rather a note of depth and texture that can only be patchouli. A similar patchouli note can be found in the heart notes of Guerlain's recent Chypre Fatale (and is sadly absent in La Petit Robe Noir where it would work well). Even in the base the citrus is still present.

I haven't tested PdA against Plus Que Jamais, a fragrance of which I fortunately own a nice decant, but they are in some ways mirrors of each other. PQJ is a floral unpinned by citrus and PdA the other way around. Both are great.

Overall Philtre d'Amour is just as sunny and 'summertime' as a fragrance can be. Yes, those Les Parisiennes are tricky to acquire and pricey - and there are many more 'well known' offerings in the line, but if you have the opportunity to sample and/or buy PdA definitely grab it. One last note, the original PdA from 2000 (in the cylindrical 30ml bottle) is very, very similar but even brighter in the topnotes but not as long lasting. I'm not sure if the original was also an EdP as the current version is.

Nerver heard of this stuff until I tried it on paper at the guerlain «institute»...how snobish. I wasn't overwhelmed with the first few whifs I gave it, but on the way home, I smelled a few (of the many) paper strips I kept in my handbook. Philtre d'amour realy shows it't true sensuality only after the fresh citrus top fades away. You see i'm quite new to the world of fragrances and I kinna get mixed up trying to figure out the notes in perfumes. By example, I tend to see patchouli where their is apparently none... But gees, the only thing I figured out of Pd'A was the citrus top, something something, and a VERY seductive patchouli. Trying not to get influenced by the name of the perfume, I think that the patcouli note (and the whole fragrance for that matter) is extremely sensual and perhaps romantic like some people said.
two thumps up, well made... and smells appealing to me ;)

A name like Philtre d'Amour ('love potion') for a perfume makes you think of one of Guerlain's big oriental seducers. But Philtre d'Amour - a limited edition from 1999 - is a Jean-Paul Guerlain creation, and his focus on romantic rather than erotic love also shines through here: Philtre d'Amour is a romantic, slightly wistful and timid seducer. We're in the sunny, lemony world of Eau de Guerlain, but here more bitter and dry and also darkened with a sophisticated, nostalgic-green and unmistakably Guerlainish chypre-bouquet of herbs, like petitgrain and myrtle. Its herbal bouquet is not unlike the one found in Jacques Guerlain's magnificent breezy-dry Sous le Vent from 1933. A dusty-powdery, musky base - still with the nostalgic-green streak running through it - is perhaps what mostly justifies the designation as love potion. According to perfume expert Luca Turin, it would make 'a great masculine'. The uniqueness and sophistication of this fragrance qualified it for entering the prestigious 'Les Parisiennes' line in 2005.