Reviews of L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme (2004)
by Guerlain

Spicy woods, green notes, and a touch of sweet citrus dominate the opening of L'Instant pour Homme, with a warm, nutty heart accord developing in their wake. Spices - particularly nutmeg - and woods remain central to L'Instant's structure, and are bolstered by touches of powdery amber and vanilla. The olfactory texture is smooth and buttery throughout, which makes L'Instant feel oddly reassuring to wear.

L'Instant could easily have slipped into the overcrowded realm of crass vanilla gourmand scents for men, but there is absolutely nothing crude about this fragrance. The balance between woods, spices, and vanilla is so perfectly judged that L'Instant appears to float effortlessly outside of traditional genre boundaries.

My only reservation regarding L'Instant is that the drydown is too powdery for my taste. This is a matter of personal preference, though, and if you're comfortable with sweet powdery accords it probably won't put you off.

I sampled it and loved it.

Surprisingly, it seems to be composed of two entirely different fragrances. At first it is a nice, warm wood with a pronounced element of citrus. After an hour or so, it's basically a powdery chocolate cake.

It is certainly one of the more youthful Guerlain fragrances (though Mouchoir, given the affinity for flamboyance displayed by today's teenagers, may be up there too, despite its age) for men, and I would certainly recommend it.

It also lasts a ridiculously long time. I sprayed a tester ten hours ago. I have since showered, and I can still smell l'Instant on my wrist.

I can't really detect the notes as separate components in this one. It's a gorgeous melange of wood, leather, resin, cocoa and vanilla all rolled into a gorgeous symphony, with a classic guerlinade dry-down. I love it and wear it often. Guerlain is one of my all-time favorite houses and they certainly didn't disappoint with L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme.

This was definitely love at first sight... or sniff I should say!

If you look at my reviews, I tend to really lay it on thick about the scents that I adore. Heavy with compliments... but I must say, when you smell a gem like L'Instant Pour Homme, how can you not be generous with the praises? It is perhaps one of the most elegant scents I have ever had the chance to use in my life. I absolutely adore it. I had said in another review for Youth Dew Amber Nude, "this is how a woman should smell" and now I am saying the same about L'Instant PH: this is how a man should smell. It is very sparkling, subdued, yet bold at the same time, very luscious and colossal, but not particularly wet, nor dry. It is very smooth and slick; very layered at the same time.

It is a gourmand scent, and yes, it feels slightly edible, but nowhere near offensive nor dubious. You don't feel like an apple tart in this is what I am trying to say. It opens with lemon, grapefruit, star anise, bergamot and jasmine. Instantly, it is slightly on the sweeter side, and I'll admit, kind of androgynous in the beginning. But slowly, the bold opening melts on your skin and becomes one with it, and turn into a very sensual and awake experience. The heart notes of the scent are patchouli (kind of heavy to my nose), lavender, tea, sandalwood, cedar and cacao. Now, I detect a heavy layer of woods mixing with delicious other notes, but to my nose, cacao is not particularly chocolate in this case. It is not as sweet as you would expect, that is why it is not particularly feminine. It is sensual, rich and slightly warm, and the lavender note compliments cacao and jasmine pretty well.

And finally the base notes hibiscus flower and musk. At the end of the day, you end up having a warm woods and musk cocktail with a bit of sweet notes lingering near by. Very acceptable longevity on my skin. It is absolutely heavenly and quite sexy at the same time. I cannot imagine anybody HATING this scent: it is just too precious. And in no way it smells synthetic (I have no problem with synthetic scents, but in this compostion of notes, a synthetic resolution would not have worked well).

Sweet scents like this one, Bulgari Blu Notte PH, or even Opium PH are being favored by women on their men so much, yet men usually tend to feel uncomfortable wearing them. The cacao note in this scent is particularly scandalous, not unlike the cumin note in Kingdom, or iris in Dior Homme, to me. But in no way is it offensive. I can see a woman wearing this scent as much as I can see a woman wearing Guerlain Vetiver or Versace Dreamer. It is for the rather adventurous ones in my opinion.

The bottle is fantastic with a good weight to it. It looks chic, tall, and distinguishable among all the other scents in your collection. The cap is jet black, the bottle looks streamlined with bold cuts on the surface, and the juice is champagne.

It is a statement.

Great brand, great product, great fragance.
L instant is a perfume absolutly wearable, specially in cold weather, in my view of course.
Romantic style with a tremendous longevity and sillage on my skin. Again....bravo Guerlain.

The first few times I smelled this, I was indifferent. My mind was changed when I sprayed 3 times on my neck and I could really get a feel for it as it warmed up.
A truly sophisticated scent that I can seem myself wearing for many years to come. I can't really imagine a scenario where this wouldn't be appropriate, summer, winter, daywear, work, evening...
I do wish that it projected a little more but it does last for hours so that kind of balances out.
My fiancee's favourite fragrance on me used to be YSL Homme and when I moved on to 'better' perfume houses and fragrances, it took me a while to find one that she preferred and this was it. I'll be wearing it on my wedding day.

Woody, spicy, slightly floral, and gourmand all at once, this is an unusual scent. The top is citrus, spice and resin; the heart, white floral-sandalwood accord on a tea and chocolate gourmand center; and the base, with patchouli and the malvaceous seeds of hibiscus, gives an intriguing slant of depth and provides fixation anchoring the whole. This produces an overall feeling of warmth and woodiness as well as a touch of resinous earthiness, both of which enhance the mildly floral central gourmand theme. Very nice for day or evening social occasions, it radiates the right amount of warmth and inviting coziness to set one's companions at ease.

at first sniff, i detected nothing but a sour lime but than in 2-3 minutes l'instant started to develop to a creamy and a little bit sour, fresh woody fragrance. this one is first class and subtle, pleasant and soothing. perfect for daytime use. i unexpectedly loved the slight floral side of l'instant and looking forward to test the "intense" one for a better longevity. but thumbs up anyway...

This is 'Heritage Light' in my opinion and none the worse for that. I don't really get much chocolate although it is there in the background but I do get a citrusy/lemony opening which evolves quickly with a spicy kick (peppers) and a lovely wood note together with another note which I can't quite identify, but helps the fragrance brilliantly. I have re-visited after many years and L'instant is still outstanding. (It puts to shame some of the overpriced, lasts one hour, efforts of Creed's edt's, which are a complete rip-off -millesimes excluded). The sillage and longevity are excellent with L'instant and this fragrance, in either form, should be a pre-requisite in every man's collection. A Joy.

Kaern

Do I detect a slight hint of a leather/velvet vanilla? Well, it's good. Mostly a very smooth sandalwood and green citrus.

I like edible smells and gourmands in general, and L'Instant de Guerlain is one of my faves.

Once I sampled Tom Ford for Men and liked it. In a search for a cheaper alternative, I stumbled upon L'Instant. Funny enough, when I later purchased Tom Ford for Men as well, I found out that it was actually L'Instant that had the smell of Tom Ford for Men in my memories! And instead, Tom Ford smelled too fresh and calon-ey.

I don't like L'Instant's topnotes. I think the anise and bitter cacao beans are a bit weird and don't particulary smell nice. But it's very original, compared to all the citrus openings of other scents. The middle and basenotes are what I love about L'Instant. A very refined, warm, distinguished scent, suitable for a dinner, a date, a party, the theatre and well, even the office, actually.

Nice one.

According to Guerlain, the inspiration for L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme was a chocolate pastilla combined with a Mediterranean drink. And it's true that this is a 'foody' scent, heavy on chocolate note and, yes perhaps, an exotic lemony-sweet long drink. Especially in the EdP-version the chocolate is so dense that it has notes of liquorice. L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme is definitely a Guerlain - their signature gourmand-oriental style (quite daring for their fragrances for men) is evident, even though this is their first pour Homme not made by Jean-Paul Guerlain. It's well a well constructed, fascinating scent, not unlike the fabulous Héritage from 1992, but heavier, less refined, more in-your-face and, therefore, perhaps also less interesting - even tiring? - in the long run.

Guerlain puts this creation in a new olfactory family called “Luminous Woody”. Without reading that description, I felt the effect: if it could be seen it would glow in the dark. Florescent sandalwood! At points, it takes on a gourmand character and feels edible. I suspect the cocoa notes contribute to that effect. If I were to put in a family I would say it is an oriental-gourmand hybrid. I get decent longevity and I enjoy the scent. It is unlike anything else I have tried and feels familiar and foreign – it is hard to put in words. I don’t see myself wearing it with frequency, but I do commend it. Stated notes: citrus and star anise crystals, peppery elemi from the Philippines,Jasmine petals from India, Mysore sandalwood, Lapsang tea, bitter cocoa beans, hibiscus seeds, patchouli flowers from Indonesia

The EdT is fresh and light, opens with citrus/grapefruit and anise and a discreet note of cocoa and slowly evolves to a pleasant vanilla drydown with a bitter note
Very different of all the man fragrances created in the last years
Surely one of the most appreciable

The EdP (eau extreme) shares the same notes as the EdT but the citrus opening is briefer, the heart and the drydown are at the same time very bitter and sweet
a masterpiece

This was the yummiest thing on my boyfriend, and even though I was wearing the glorious Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia, I felt quite upstaged by how fabulous he smelled! Perhaps a touch too sweet for him, was his opinion, and mine too: I want to wear it! Love the elegant bottle too.

By far the best Guerlain, this is a highly elegant and sophisticated fragrance. One of the richest and most complex scents, this multi-faced fragrance never ceases to amaze me. Sweet and woody at the same time, it's perfect for a gentleman's signature. A great modern symbol of the legendary House of Guerlain.

a totally seductive scent in my opinion, it has a warmth that lasts an awfully long time, but without being amberish or too musky. It has a very charming sweetness as well, which is a difficult thing to get right in mens fragrances. It is traditional and yet modern in It's composition, and is one of my all time favourite smells.

Rafined, evening scent. Perfect for a very pleasant evening in a quite an exquisite restaurant or Cafe.

These are actually TWO wonderful scents: L'Instant de Guerlain PH and L'Instant de Guerlain PH Eau Extreme.

The packaging is viturally identical, and you'll have to look carefully at the boxes to spot the differences (basically small type identifying one as the EE and as "Eau de Pafum"). The juice is the same colour and the bottles are identical in size, shape and typography. The EE bottle has black edges, and makes no mention of Eau Extreme whasoever (only the label on the bottom of the bottle mentions Eau de Parfum).

L'Instant PH opens with a citrus-tinged green blast before settling into its truly warm and enveloping mid- and base-notes.

L'Instant PH EE EdP has just a hint of citrus and instead majors on luscious gourmand burnt sugar-chocolate notes in its opening. Those notes remain throughout the dry-down and give it quite a different "hue." (It has much more depth, warmth and sophistication than New Haarlem.)

The two L'Instants draw closer to each other as time passes, but there is still a discernable difference in tone.

Put simply, I'd say that L'instant PH is an ideal daytime scent, while the EE is the perfect after hours choice.

Both have pretty good staying power too, though (ironically) it's not the Eau Extreme EdP that lasts the best on my skin but, rather the EdT.

Love them both and wish only that the Eau Extreme wasn't so hard to find. They are the urbane counterparts to Caron's masterful PH and 3rd Man, which I also adore. I choose one of the Carons when I'm feeling puckish, and one of the Guerlains for my more "refined" moods.

I love that this fragrance last a long time. Reminds me slightly of Heritage mixed with the scent of cookie dough.

I found myself loving this one at first sniff. As others have said, it is very pleasant, but also very deep. Without the richness and warmth, it would almost be too sweet or play it a little too safe. But, in the hands of Guerlain, the mixture is just right and it really makes for a pleasant experience.

I find it best worn in cooler weather and in the evenings, which makes it a great counterbalance to a daytime classic like Chanel Antaeus or PM.

Definitely give it a try!

These days, its not often I run into a scent that has a curious and intriguing depth to it. "L'Instant PH" is one that pleases me greatly. It has a bold presence that does not serve to assault the senses; rather, it's fascinating blend of woods and spices act as an "olfactory marinade"... completely surrounding the wearer in a rich cloak of woody-oriental intrigue.
The drydown is a rich incense-like note that lingers 8+ hours on the skin.
I would compare this fragrance to "Scent Intense" by Costume National as both share similar hibiscus and tea accords. Where 'Scent Intense' is a dark and threatening raven, 'L'Instant PH' is a magestic bird of prey. I will add this scent to my wardrobe alongside my Costume National so that I may enjoy the nuances that each have to offer.

I feel a definite similarity with YSL L'homme. I think this one trumps YSL though. This is a great playoff on the vibrancy and mellowness of the notes.

Great unisex scent. I'm a woman, and this frag is exactly what I want from everyday scent: complex, warm, sweet but not "womanly" sweet, dark and even a little "dangerous", not common smell. I tried an Extreme version, and going to buy me a bottle. Viva Guerlain!

I agree with all the reviews with a thumbs up here. A subtle and refined men's fragrance, as is expected from Guerlain.

l'instant edt is a very classy and luxurious scent.its a subtle one wich doesnt hurt but its long lasting(10 hours approximatively)and remains detectable until the end of the day.the edp has a cocoa dominant note and lasts forever(detectable even after 24 hours!).I love both of them.in fact the edp and the edt share the anis note wich stays throug the day.

People really slam Demeter for longevity, but most Demeters last much longer than this. After trying it a few different times during different seasons, I still only can detect it only about an hour.

If you're looking for something subtle, L'Instant might be your thing...

Not a bad scent per se, but indeed very light. A 1.5 ml sample bottle was good for about two wearings and even then, the scent was detectable only an hour or so. It lingered really close to the skin. But it was very nice while it lasted. For what it's worth, it remotely reminded me of Antidote by Viktor & Rolf.

Very Irresistible is resemblant to this one, but far better. This fragrance is too leathery-suede, too synthetic and definitely not for me. Guerlain, I expected much more from your L'Instant range for men. Anyway, you're far better than Armani.

I like this fragrance a lot. It combines elegance and sweetness very nicely. Along with the notes pointed out by everybody else, it seem to me that that there is a hazelnut note in there, which is welcome.

The longevity isn't that good on me, even with a pretty heavy application.

Get the extreme version, definitely. Benb was right -- "heaven in a bottle." That said, bear in mind that this is NOT a fragrance for those men who don't favor sweet scents. The initial spray will almost knock you over with its incense-y (benzoin? frankincense?) notes. The drydown is nice, true, but it takes about an hour to begin. In short, expect very sweet and intense for the first hr., then a lovely drydown that lasts all day.
I've tried both versions, and far prefer the extreme one. VERY nice buy -- can't wait to wear this one during the holiday season. (Probably NOT a summer fragrance, at least not for me.) Would also make a nice women's fragrance -- I could definitely see this one as unisex, no matter how Guerlain markets it.

Classy, special and "light". A fresh patchouli fragrance with hibiscus, topped by a well balanced citrus and badian note. Not overbearing. Real Guerlain quality. I like the Vetiver of Guerlain and this is just another refined fragrance! Not common at all. Different, but in a subtle way.

The Extreme Version of this which I have bought is absolute heaven and perfection in a bottle.
benb

Partly exquisite, partly campy as a row of tents. An usual combination between the most exclusive, ridiculously expensive fragrance notes and some very cheap ones, reminding me of the afforedable candy i ate during my childhood: a pink-coloured combination of liqurice and cinnamon, made out of lots of suugar plus a hint of artificial, synthtic spice...
A typical postmodern scent- one of the few both suitable for formal wear and a night out in a flashy, bling-style clubbing. Half a conservative, French-Made Oriental, half a post-post modern, destructural, outlandishly modern synthetic.

In my humble opinion this fragrance makes an ideal compliment to another great Guerlain frag' namely Jardin's de Bagatelles which is a favourite of my Wife. The two never fight but compliment each other in my experience.

It took me a while to realize the full value L’Instant Pour Homme. At first I thought it was nice but a little ordinary—another superficial 90’s type mass market. Around about the fifth time I wore it I began to formulate the idea that there is, indeed, something very special about it. L’Instant’s marketing says that it is a contrast of warmth and cold, and this is one of its special properties. The cold citrus and the warm pepper and star anise form a single accord that is warm and icy. This creates a tension in the notes: A tension not really of the nose but of the perception. Actually, it’s possible for the wearer to choose which he wants to perceive: warmth or coolness, so L’Instant might be worn in any temperature.
The mid notes have a wonderful, comforting warmth to them, warmth enough to give the scent a solacing quality. This special feeling comes, first, I think, from the jasmine, sandalwood, and tea, and later, from the cocoa bean note that emerges towards the end of the mid notes. The cocoa, with the patchouli, is the fulcrum of the total scent progression IMO—a stroke of genius: The combination is addictive. The dry down is reminiscent of the dry down of Héritage in the sense that it is rich and peppery and lasts for hours. L’Instant de Guelain Pour Homme is an exceptional light Oriental scent—accommodating, fragrant, versatile, and bearing a light touch of intrigue.

It took me a little while to figure out this fragrance. Though there are vast differences between the two colognes, something about L'instant's spicy/woody warmth is reminiscent of M7, without the sweetness and smokey nature. Quite versatile oriental... and though friends describe it as "stuffy" and a little "old man-ish".. but it is one of the scents that has me sniffing my wrist incessantly. A deliriously "yummy" refined and masculine blend. I find the longevity and sillage very good. Very well made fragrance...

Another Great fragrance from Guerlain! A refined Oriental surrounded by a mint/refreshing smell! Modern, luxurious, great for going out at night! Never cloying, simply amazing!

I like the L'instant de Guerlain pour homme EDP one! Smells damn good, too good to be true! My favourite!!!

It starts out Sweet and powdery with a hint of Lemon in there. There are less prominent wood notes but it dries down to a dry powerdy wood. There is a small amount of spice in there. It is quite amazing.

Compliments to the chef for this one. Warm and cold. Now what?
Have had the honour to savour the summer 2006 lighter rendition, which is nice and true to the spirit of the original. What puts me irreversibly off is the blue colour of the fragrance set against the original brown bottle external. Am sticking to the original fragrance (colour) slash bottle. Extreme version will make me even more happy. More than I can wish for.:)

A lot of people will say this scent smells generic... I DISAGREE! It's definitely one of the "powdery" scents, but one of the BEST I've tried! It smells fresh, clean, and just lasts and lasts and lasts... I sprayed a tiny bit on my arm at the SF airport to test how it mixes with my skin, and by the time i got to Singapore (22 hours later) the scent was still strong enough for me to smell it when I moved my arm. I immediately bought a 125ml bottle. Great, fresh, gets compliments, and lasts all day... Thank you Guerlain!

Really a great Fragrance! Its really something new!
I love it... I think it is sometimes fruity, sometimes you smell some citrus accords, sometimes some jasmine, some patchouli -- always elegant. A complex Fragrance

I really love this scent! As with many, there is longevity problems with this one, probably because of the lack of use of synthetics as a fixative. For those who think that a lot of orientals are too cloying and too strong for them, this is one for those to try! I love how it has the right degree of sweetness from the Badian (anise) and the hibiscus. Truly a thumbs up concoction. I gotta work at finding the EdP version!

If you have longevity problems,get the edp version if you can. The edt is a bit more "airy" , and the fresh notes are more dominant, with the a hint of the sweet,cocoa bean notes lingering in the background. The edp is more "full" . I get less fresh notes and more , sweet vanilla , chocolate notes, it's smooth and it lasts forever! I like both, for different occasions. Love it!

I truly love the the exotic/ spicy fragrance, just wish it lasted longer.

I felt that it was quite similar to Baldessarini without the mint and more woodiness and a rich vanilla basenote.

I love it. Much better, infact than the female L'Instant.

I just love this dry oriental spicy fragrance - Guerlain at its best! It is very sensual and elegant. I would not at all consider it "weak" - it certainly is one of the very few dark-side scents on the market, shining in a darker shade of black, not a loud scent, but nevertheless very heavy in my opinion!

Very nice, the first of Guerlain's that I have tried and I like it. Bought a bottle. Slightly sweet, powdery, woody, smooth. I look forward to trying some of their other scents. I would not compare it to Vera Wang for Men though. I tried that too, and although I love the scent of VW, it was much weaker than L'Instant.

While not the most pwerful or overwhelming fragrance on the market, L'Instant certainly is the most refined and pleasant offering in years. I wish it had a bit more sillage to it, but I am impressed with the overall quality, not to mention it's effect on those who smell it. A compliment every hour is a reward I'm willing to accept. Smooth, warm, and inviting...a gentleman doesn't doesn't require much more than that.

Sorry, i don't like it - it's to weak, has no class and above all: it's not at all Guerlain!
It's a pitty that Jean-Paul Guerlain retired!!

Excellent fragrance for day time and casual moments. Top notes of jasmine, citrus and star anise, ultimately leading to tones of hibiscus, patchouli, sandalwood, lapsang tea and bitter cacao bean. Engaging.

I really like this, mostly because i love VERA WANG and this smells absolutley like it, just a little more mellow,and light. MUST BE THE ANISEED.

I was of two minds regarding L'Instant. The composition is exquisite. A column of notes, all perfectly balanced. Definitely the sweetest Guerlain for men. However, there's that staying power issue. Somedays, it lasted for the entire day. Other days, it seemed to disappear an "l'instant." Doesn't seem to be weather or humidity related. Just a mystery. Final vote? A thumbs up. Well, how can you NOT add it to your collection?

Absolutely one of the best releases of the year. Very classy and understated. Love the sandalwood, jasmine and aniseed. I know now what some refer to as 'that bubblegum smell'. I love it, love it, love it! Well done Guerlain. This has restored my faith in you.