Eau de Guerlain (1974)
by Guerlain

Eau de Guerlain is a contemporary interpretation of the traditional eau de cologne with some added caraway in the opening. The middle is somewhat confusing with a menthol-carnation accord, but the base is a superb blend of musk, amber, and moss. This is by far one of the muskiest bases I have experienced. The musk lasts overnight even though the rest of the scent is gone. Big thumbs up!

Green, astringent, spicy-floral eau-de-cologne type scent. Basil, petitgrain, carnation are the hallmarks; moss, amber and musk, the support; and caraway is the surprise. Definitely classic within the genre, but just innovative enough to be really distinctive in a very wide (and sometimes shallow) field of eaux de cologne. In my view, the best of the Guerlains of the genre.

Eau de Guerlain opens with a burst of photorealistic lemon (rind and juice), joined by a polite jasmine and a bright herbal bouquet. The three soon merge and then hover for nearly an hour over their crisp, woody base, after which time the dry, mossy drydown takes over.

The accords that anchor Eau de Guerlain are exquisitely balanced, and it's a testament to Guerlain's high quality ingredients that the simple citrus/floral/woody structure never evokes the furniture polish that haunts so many other eau de Cologne formulae. Eau de Guerlain is far from exciting, but it is beautifully constructed in the classical manner.

A realistic lemon note dominates here, reminding me of Profumum's pricey Acqua Viva opening. Not quite as bright as Acqua Viva, but certainly more reasonably priced and very wearable. The drydown is different than Acqua Viva’s, with herbal notes dominating here. Decent longevity. More potent than either Eau du Coq or Imperiale by design. I don't see myself getting this, but it certainly worthy of consideration for lemon lovers or those looking for an updated interpretation of classic EdC construction.

Fresh and bright opening that’s different from most of the other eaus I’ve tried: It’s the caraway seed that provides most of this uniqueness. I love the smell of caraway and wonder why it isn’t used more often in perfumery. To my nose, the citrus of the beginning hovers in the background while the caraway / basil / mint take the center in an excellent, long lasting aromatic accord. This main accord is just plain charming in an endearingly old-fashioned way. It’s balanced to perfection. Toward the end of the aromatic dominance of the spices and herbs, the jasmine can be found softly filling in the background. The base that I get is a mellow moss and amber – quiet and comfortable and not very sweet, hardly any sillage, but it lasts for hours as a close-to-the skin scent: My favorite of the Guerlain eaus – maybe even of all of the eaus.

A polite, inoffensive fragrance that was really created for tasteful, late 19th century dandies. (Don't expect sillage or longevity -- this is an EDC deluxe.) Wonderful construction here, but about as useful as teats on a boar hog unless you just really want to splash on some EDC in the summertime.