Vol de Nuit Évasion (2007)
by Guerlain

Évasion lives in an interesting space that's very Guerlain, in both a good and less-good way.

On one hand, it's a vanillin/violet ionone perfume, so it's got the loud candied sweetness of their modern, less refined marshmallows-and-candy perfumes, but it's also filled out with that doughy, peachy sandalwood from Mitsouko and L'Heure Bleue, as well as some of Guerlain's signature greens and booze, so it's got some of Guerlain's best DNA in it as well, so it lives somewhere between a Le Petit Robe Noir flanker and a proper Guerlinade masterwork.

All told, I certainly would have preferred a more distinguished drydown than the marshmallow fluff Évasion offers, especially after the Guerlinade ingredients up top, but this is still complex and shows just enough respect to Guerlain's top shelf history to warrant a thumbs up.

Vol de Nuit Evasion is a powdery vanilla with peach and soft florals. No more, no less. Its well made and smells good. It is pretty and feminine and not the least bit challenging. BUT it smells like a lot of other vanillic powdery fruity scents.

Cheers to those who love Vol de Nuit Evasion, I'm happy you love it. I just wonder about the intense hyperbole surrounding this scent. Having just sampled it, I've got to say I thought it was nice but certainly not as special or deserving of the hype its gotten. Truth be told, I don't even find it interesting enough to keep the decant. If you can, please try before you buy and don't get sucked in by the hype.

Latest news: Because of Attrape Coeur being withdrawn by Guerlain, Vol de Nuit Evasion has also been taken off the shelves. (It was indeed the edt version of AC and nothing to do with VdN.)

The very first notes I get are galbanum and oakmoss. Supposed to be following florals like rose, jasmine and iris are not there, just spicy cloves like note embodied in resin. Then comes the amber woods base (maybe too early, just in half an hour) and stay there dark and gloomy. When resinous medicinal notes combine with darker notes of woods and amber reminds me of a shadowed room of an old patient; just gloomy. The only light containing note in this scent is vanilla which raises the mood to some extent. Well after all you may be surprised to hear me say that it is a good scent. This is like a big amber ring that I would not wear but can recommend to an amber loving friend.

This is a lovely fragrance, and I was a pleasantly surprised by it. I bought it unsniffed in Paris and was delighted to discover something that is very much in the Guerlain style. It has a rich ambery and vanillic base, but the overall composition is quite dry and dark. While displaying typical Guerlain richness, the perfume is not too heavy, and so might be ideal for someone who admires Guerlain, but finds their classics just a bit too much. I don't necessarily think this is a masterpiece, but it is a worthy addition to the Guerlain fan's wardrobe, and it makes a refreshing change from the classics from time to time. Besides, you can never have too many Guerlains!