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L'Instant de Guerlain

post #1 of 26
3/28/10 at 5:38pm
Thread Starter 
Hello fellow BNers! I had tried L'Instant Extreme thanks to our gracious Redneck_Perfumisto, but I haven't tried the original. Since we're in the warmer months it seems the original would be a better choice. However I haven't tried it. Are they pretty much similar except for the pronounced cocoa note in the EDP? And also, is the anise any more pronounced or "licorice-like" in the original? Me and anise don't get along unless it doesn't come across as pure black licorice.
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post #2 of 26
3/28/10 at 7:04pm
I haven't had the pleasure of sampling the Extreme version yet. I own the regular EDT, and it is a favorite of mine. I dont' consider it "gourmand", but rather a beautiful sweet and spicy citrus oriental. I wear it all year round, and very comfortably. It's a bit heavy and sweet, but is remarkably very easy to wear in hot weather.
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post #3 of 26
3/28/10 at 7:42pm
Glad to hear that about warm weather Shamu. I bought some yesterday and am finding it hard to get to know. That seems to be a recurring theme with me and Guerlains. First couple of times I wore their Vetiver I was pissed. I am hoping I'll appreciate L'Instant more in the heat. I'm warming up to their Vetiver- sort of. The Guerlains a puzzle to me- it's like I have to train myself to smell them.

CanwllCorfe: Nothing in this EdT is VERY pronounced to me. If you read the notes pyramid, you'll see a lot in there. If I'm STARING at the notes while SNIFFING my wrist, I can pick things out. But you will not, I predict, be overwhelmed by anise, or anything else. It is superbly blended. I tend to like my frags a bit more linear and "in yo face" but this is nicely done, no doubt. I have read some reviews that imply it was a bit of gourmand. Maybe so for someone with a sensitive nose. The cocoa note I can pick out, but as I said, it's well blended in with a lot of other nice notes. Don't try to think of it being anything like A*Men, Rochas Man, or even Borneo 1834.
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post #4 of 26
3/28/10 at 8:09pm
I am enjoying the EDT version, however i can only detect Star Anise, Cocoa and musk/patchouli in that one. None of the lapsang souchong and elemi as advertised.
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post #5 of 26
3/28/10 at 8:53pm
Canwll,
I have them both and like them both a lot. I'd feel better about answering if I wore them right before doing so, but I don't think the anise in the edt is going to be much of a problem. I don't know why, but I get a bit of a sweetened dry suede with, well, graphite, smell from the edt. I think you'll be fine with it since I don't get any anise on the order of Mouchoir de Monsieur, say.

Stylin,
For several Guerlain's I've had the same experience. My first few wearings of L'Instant brought me to disgust and rejection. A week after the second wearing I was doing laundry and couldn't believe how good my shirt from the L'Instant day smelled. Since then I've been into the stuff. I'm currently in a disgust phase with Guerlain Homme however. Wouldn't mind if that changed.
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post #6 of 26
3/28/10 at 8:54pm
I do hope that i can enjoy Guerlain Homme as it is, without thinking of it as Guerlain's clone of Kenzo Power.
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post #7 of 26
3/28/10 at 9:06pm
L'Instant is very versatile and would work for both hot and cold weather.

@joey86, GH isn't even good enough to be mentioned in the same sentence as Kenzo Power let alone to be considered a "clone".
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post #8 of 26
3/28/10 at 9:25pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DustB View Post

Stylin,
For several Guerlain's I've had the same experience. My first few wearings of L'Instant brought me to disgust and rejection. A week after the second wearing I was doing laundry and couldn't believe how good my shirt from the L'Instant day smelled. Since then I've been into the stuff. I'm currently in a disgust phase with Guerlain Homme however. Wouldn't mind if that changed.

Well WTF is up with that? I appreciate the artistry, I really do. I am just flat out baffled at how it takes me awhile to get to know them. LOL

Also just grabbed HR EdP and that seems like it will work for me much better than HR EdT.
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post #9 of 26
3/28/10 at 9:59pm
I found that the edp and edt to be different enough to be considered different, although related, fragrances. The edt seems "fresher" to me and would be the one I'd choose for summer.
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post #10 of 26
3/28/10 at 10:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Delmar View Post

I found that the edp and edt to be different enough to be considered different, although related, fragrances. The edt seems "fresher" to me and would be the one I'd choose for summer.

I agree, the EDP is almost a flanker. I also agree the EDT is better for the summer.
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post #11 of 26
3/29/10 at 9:35am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for all the feedback BNers!
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post #12 of 26
3/29/10 at 9:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoNnY 4 View Post

@joey86, GH isn't even good enough to be mentioned in the same sentence as Kenzo Power let alone to be considered a "clone".

Ouch. But +1.
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post #13 of 26
3/29/10 at 10:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoNnY 4 View Post

L'Instant is very versatile and would work for both hot and cold weather.

@joey86, GH isn't even good enough to be mentioned in the same sentence as Kenzo Power let alone to be considered a "clone".

awwww but i'll need to agree with you on this one

this thread makes me wanna sample le extreme. okay! it just went into my to get list
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post #14 of 26
3/29/10 at 10:55am
I got the EDT last week. People say the opening is citrusy, fresh and almost "green", however I don't get that AT ALL. I get spicy warm anise, which reminds me somewhat of Gucci Pour Homme I.

This doesn't make it any less of a fragrance though, I absolutely love it, and it's a wonderful gourmand. Smooth and chocolatey without being overpowering like A*Men for example. .
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post #15 of 26
3/29/10 at 10:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smeghead View Post

I got the EDT last week. People say the opening is citrusy, fresh and almost "green", however I don't get that AT ALL.

I've got to agree. I don't get citrusy and I don't get green.
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post #16 of 26
3/29/10 at 11:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DustB View Post

I've got to agree. I don't get citrusy and I don't get green.

Me either, though I read this all the time. What citrus are folks smelling?

-Slim
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post #17 of 26
3/29/10 at 11:39am
It is very well blended. It is lighter than I prefer, but after a couple of days, it is growing on me. I sat here last reading the notes and sniffing like mad to find them. There is some citrus, but for my nose, it is indeed very light upon application. I get more spicy on the opening notes too. This one is turning me into a notes analyst. Ugh.

This is one that must be tried on skin imo. I don't think any one person's explanation/review is going to give you a feel for the wearing of this one. I read a bunch of them and my experience is not like the reviews. Could it be that Guerlain's magic in this one works differently on different people?

It turns into a very light, somewhat spicy, somewhat gourmand on me and I don't get LTs "green citrus" comment either.
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post #18 of 26
3/29/10 at 12:47pm
I guess I have to admit it does have a small gourmand strain to it, and on principle I'm a bit loathe to see myself ending up liking a gourmand. So sure, I see a bit of the smooth almost powdery chocolate there somewhere, but it isn't like the heavy gourmands for me.

I think the green citrus just has to be wrong, Stylin. Some citrus might be what I think causes the dry suede I pick up in the early application, but it certainly never gets close to a citrus juice or citrus "flesh." More of a citrus rind, and not heavy at all.

Now I'm going to have to wear it very soon.
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post #19 of 26
3/29/10 at 1:19pm
Well, to me the citrus side is rather in a candy way, like if you wrapped a lemon in lot of sugar, let the sugar absorb the juice, then you sniff this sugar and it would have this smell. But it is light, indeed, and so well blended with the other ingredients that I couldn't classify L'instant as citrusy frag.
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post #20 of 26
3/29/10 at 6:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Delmar View Post

I found that the edp and edt to be different enough to be considered different, although related, fragrances. The edt seems "fresher" to me and would be the one I'd choose for summer.

I completely agree. I am indifferent bordering on dislike with the EDT. I find the citrus and gourmand notes discordant and unpleasant to my nose. The EDP on the other hand, definitely tones down the citrus BIG TIME, and makes it one of the very best gourmands IMO.

Edit: Oh and I DO definitely get citrus in the EDT. To my nose at least it's unmistakable. It's not really a fresh citrus or juicy in what we typically expect their function in fragrance to be. IMO, it's used to brighten the gourmand notes.
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post #21 of 26
3/29/10 at 6:51pm
I promise that when I'm not already wearing layers of ... um ... several scents, I'll do my female skin's take on this scent. FWIW.
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post #22 of 26
3/29/10 at 7:09pm
I agree that I smell no "green" notes in the EDT whatsoever.

However, I definitely do smell citrus in the top notes, particularly lemon. It reminds me of the citrus I smell in Bel Ami and Quorum. It's just in the opening accord, and dissipates quickly.
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post #23 of 26
3/29/10 at 7:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by actiasluna View Post

I promise that when I'm not already wearing layers of ... um ... several scents, I'll do my female skin's take on this scent. FWIW.

I've always thought L'Instant Pour Homme would make a dynamite feminine scent.
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post #24 of 26
3/29/10 at 7:28pm
Now that you guys mentioned, the citrus hint may have been blended too well with the star anise (we have loads of those here in msia, so i know how it smells like) that i cant detect the lemon at all...
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post #25 of 26
3/29/10 at 7:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by joey86 View Post

Now that you guys mentioned, the citrus hint may have been blended too well with the star anise (we have loads of those here in msia, so i know how it smells like) that i cant detect the lemon at all...

For what it's worth, at the very start I get a distinct clear lemon scent, very quick to fade though.
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post #26 of 26
3/29/10 at 11:12pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by joey86 View Post

Now that you guys mentioned, the citrus hint may have been blended too well with the star anise (we have loads of those here in msia, so i know how it smells like) that i cant detect the lemon at all...

Yeah...something like that. It's very faint and fleeting. The overall experience isn't "citrus" or "green" to me. I'm pretty dense. It's not really gourmand. It's not citrus or very green. It's not that spicy. But somehow it all works and it is nice. I'm very happy I have it.

I have some issues with the "lightness" on me of many Guerlains, but my hat is off to this one. When I wear it, I can't stop sniffing my wrist. I am hoping it will be a nice hot weather scent for me.
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