Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Female Fragrance Discussion › Shalimar / L'Heure Bleue / Jicky
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Shalimar / L'Heure Bleue / Jicky

post #1 of 7
11/24/05 at 3:58am
Thread Starter 
Hi there!

I adore Shalimar but find that it is inappropriate for certain situations but I adore the complex herbaceous nature of this fabulous frgarance. Knowing the 'history' of Shalimar I have been lemming a decant or bottle of Jicky to wear when Shalimar is not right.

However, today I tried L'Heure Bleue parfum and to my nose it had the same very familiar character / structure of the mid notes and drydown of shalimar minus the soft powdery opponax & rich vanilla / vanillin. Is this just me?

Does that mean that Jicky & L'Heure Bleue are similar perfumes? Until I am able to sample Jicky again I have this line of associations in my head:

Jicky is daytime / all occasions fragrance abstract, herbaceous with leathery vanilla drydown

L'Heure Bleue is the floral 'twin' of Jicky suitable for more formal occasions with musky vanilla drydown

Shalimar is evening / winter fragrance abstract, herbaceous oriental with powdery vanilla drydown

Do others agree?

Thank you in advance for your responses and feedback.
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 7
11/24/05 at 10:15am
It is said Jicky was the inspiration for Shalimar, with added vanilin synthetic and hesperidic top notes. Yet, Shalimar is the ultimate oriental, while Jicky is Fougere subtly leaning towards oriental. I wouldn't call them very similar, though. Guerlain are well-known for their vanilla-bases, but in L'Heure Bleue it is done much more subtly than in Shalimar or Jicky. Perhaps they smell similar to you precisely of this base.
L'Heure Bleue is a rich floral that I cannot associate with anything else.
If you are looking for a daytime Guerlain, I'd suggest you also look up Chamade and Vol de Nuit.
Tastes are different, however, you say you see Shalimar as winter fragrance, while I wear Shalimar more in the spring/summer months in the daytime.
L'Heure Bleue is good for any season, but is divine for spring/summer evenings.
But my favourite Guerlain and my holy grail is Mitsouko (fruity chypre), so I have to reccomend that one as well.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 7
11/24/05 at 10:45am
How about Shalimar Light with it's accentueted citrus topnotes for during the day or office?

Also I read in french Marie Claire that you can mix Shalimar with Cologne Mugler to soften it. My BF did just that today and it works very well, both have that powdery quality. The Cologne Mugler while making Shalimar more bright adds some modern touch. My BF used the Shalimar parfum extract on his skin and the Mugler Cologne on his clothes. At first you can distinct both fragrances but after about 10 min they really become one.
Something to try!
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 7
11/25/05 at 6:05am
L'Heure Bleu is more like Apres L'Ondee than Jicky. Jicky I will warn you is herbie notes on top but is a big kick of civet in the base notes,infact classed as a semi-oriental. Jacques poured some vanillen into a vat of Jicky and that was the basic accord for Shalimar. Why not try Shalimar Light?
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 7
7/1/09 at 6:13am
i think it's the "guerlinade" wwhat you felle in the drydown of the three perfumes,...

isn't it?
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 7
7/1/09 at 6:29am
Regarding Jicky, to which concentration are you referring? I have a new extrait and it has such strong civit, it has the effect of an impending orgy when I enter the room. I mean, I feel far too self-conscious to wear this in public! Heads would swivel in my direction, & not in a good way, I fear. The same goes for the EDP. The EDT sample I have is more lavender, but sort of sour on my skin. Maybe I'm just not a Jicky girl.

L'Heure Bleu, TMN, is actually blue in character. It is strong and heliotropic in the extreme. Fascinating to smell, I feel, this one wears me instead of the other way around. I may be in the mood for this scent, but if the other people in the room aren't, well, they could be annoyed by it's tenacity. It isn't a subtle scent.

Shalimar, also, is very insistent. I fell in love with this in it's cologne form from the 1960's. It was a little woody, a bit smoky. The vanilla wasn't as high pitched as it is in the EDT or the Extrait. I have a vintage EDC bottle from that time, now. It is better than anything I can get now, even though it is a bit flat. I miss the mellow 60's, man.

Reply
Reply
post #7 of 7
7/1/09 at 7:13am
I adore all three . Shalimar is definitely like Jicky especially in the EDT. All smell " Guerlain ". Of course I loved Mitsouko too . I agree with Donna255 - L'heure Bleue and Apres L'Ondee are similar.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Female Fragrance Discussion
Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Female Fragrance Discussion › Shalimar / L'Heure Bleue / Jicky