Dandies take note: Guerlain to release the Arsene Lupin duo - Page 2

Looking forward to your thoughts on them, JaimeB!

Primrose.

You made my day. I will be in Vegas Sept.10th and was hoping I could sample them. Palazzo will be my first stop.

Cheers!

Finally released here in Paris ... I tried Dandy but I need another try to tell ; what I can say is that it's typically Jean Paul Guerlain's style

Funny, when I tried it (three times while in Paris), I thought to myself that Jean-Paul Guerlain this time had left the saturated, rasped style that I normally connect with him (think Habit Rouge or Héritage, basically all his perfumes) and succumbed to the L'Art et la Matière "niche" style. Especially Dandy smelled much more chic and sophisticated (can be a good thing, but not necessarily) than his earlier works to me.

When I wrote that it was typically JPG's style I thought to Coriolan or Chamade pour homme rather than to HR or Derby or Heritage And you are right Ulrike, Dandy is well in the niche style of L'Art et la Matière; Dandy and Voyou are "exclusive"

I tried Dandy twice and I clearly perceived a connection with Mitsouko; it's very well crafted, rather light for an Eau de Parfum concentration; the head is a little bit sharp and bitter (don't what kind of notes it is); it evolves quite slowly to a violet note surrounded by leather (suedine ?) and gives a mitsouko like impression; the drydown is soft leather and quite fresh (mint ?)

Voyou was a kind of disappointment to me : it's very "modern" and complicated (in comparison with Dandy)

Oooooooo! Something for everybody in fragrance tonight!

Happy to see the updates...bummed it could be a ways off. Kind of longing to try Dandy.

So, those of you that have seen the bottles in person...how do these 'He Wood'-esque bottles look?

In answer to your question Mike, by Guerlain's high design standards, a bit trashy. After spending a few days with Dandy, I have to say it is nice enough, the quality is there, the bitter opening accord is beautiful, but the base seems to be loaded with something like prunol and lots of vetiver making it another fruity and green fragrance, bringing to mind L'Instant. This one is no Derby, that's for sure.

I have a hope the bottles will look great in real life - my two ones are coming in about a week. But your impressions don't sound too promising though. For the fragrance (both actually): I already have accepted that they are not the old rasped Jean-Paul Guerlain style but more "chic" and "niche" - and I remember the Dandy drydown as quite special. Like germanomio said, I also remember them as too light for my usual Guerlain taste... :-( Strange, all of a sudden, after the good ol 80s, everything has to be subtle?!!

I have an impression that maybe Jean Paul Guerlain cannot fully develop his style in the old way with all the IFRA restrictions on important materials, like oakmoss, which is a key note in his Derby creation

who wants to spend that amount of money on such ugly bottles?
then again, if they are up there with guerlains best..

I got my bottles now. Agree: Not the most successful design from Guerlain. The wooden frames are a bit clumsily made. What a shame, and so unlike that old dignified house. I've only tried on the Dandy yet. As advertised, it's a Chamade pour Homme with both a slightly greener violet top (makes me sort of think of Sous le Vent for the first 10 minutes) and a drier more leathery drydown. The heart is quite soapy, like old-fashioned barber shop soap.

Wears VERY close to the skin. (Is this a new chic trend? Or due the IFRA? I miss old-school saturation.)

The wood used in the frames is very light weight and of poor quality, I guess it needs to be this way in order to keep the shipping costs down. If one chooses to frame something wonderful, then why make a cheap frame? I own a lot of art work and I would never, ever use a cheap frame. I never understood the point of using wood, plastic, leather, feathers, beads, chains, etc. as part of a fragrance's bottle design. If glass isn't good enough, than use crystal and sterling!

It's a pity that an un-succeeded bottle design should overshadow the enjoyment of the juice. But it somehow does. For me, this is an example of how important the presentation is. I took a close look on the bottles this morning again, and although I'm sure that the design process behind it was very elaborate and well-meant, the result is not beautiful. The joints of the wooden pieces are not precise, they actually look like something a school kid did. Actually, I'm thinking that these frames are not the cheapest thing to produce, and that Guerlain could have decided on a design that was both prettier and much easier and cheaper to make. I have this idea of just putting a metal plate on instead, a la Les Elixirs Charnels, a gold plate for Danty, silvery for Voyou - and maybe even just 75 ml bottles and then sell them in a beautiful two-bottle box set for 200 Euros.

It's touching that Guerlain wants to make something new and a bit complicating to make, but the result could have been much more elegant. Tsk, tsk, Guerlain...

Here is a link to Octavian's review:

http://1000fragrances.blogspot.com/2....html#comments

I tried both of these, a few days ago, and the bottles are truly horrendous. The wood looks cheap and poorly constructed. As for the fragrances, Arsène Lupin Voyou smells as generic as Guerlain Homme but with a mild leather accord. Arsène Lupin Dandy is a lot better but still failed to compel me to even consider a bottle, as it wasn't as rich as I was expecting.

With Jean Paul Guerlain now having less opportunities (as well as years) to create new Guerlain perfumes, you would have expected him to have really gone flat-out on these two, but no..

I've come to like Voyou actually. Yes, it's tonic, but it's much more growing on me than Guerlain Homme was. It's both bitterer, fruity-rosier and more smoky than Homme, plus of a helluva lot better raw material quality. Also the drydown transition is much more exploring and engaging. Sort of Coriolan layered with Bois d'Armenie. Speaking of Coriolan: also found that one "dull" in the beginning, but multiple wearings got me hooked on the tonic-ambery contrast. Don't get any leather from Voyou, personally.

I tried them both this evening - nothing new to add to what others have already said but . . . first impression, for what it's worth:

I like the unusual opening of Dandy and it evolves into a very clear leather note. I sprayed my cuff because it seemed light on my wrist, which is just as well - 4 hours later and I can enjoy it on the fabric but it's gone from my wrist. I like it but it seems quite light and airy, close to the skin as Mr.G mentions.

Voyou seems very, very light and octavians 'unfinished' comment in his review seems pretty apt, frankly. It's not unpleasant but nothing here grabbed me at all. Will try them both some more over the next few days - it takes me three or four wearings at least to get a handle on anything.

The wood framed bottles do seem amateurish and are a bit uncomfortable to hold.

Voyou - Take 2 / Oct. 24: I tried a heavier dose at the Guerlain counter today and for the first hour+ the aromatic quality was much more apparent. It took me half an hour then I realised that it was recalling the Amouage Al Andalus Attar, whcih I subsequently confirmed when I got home. (Al Andalus has been compared with Platinum Egoiste by some, BTW, altho Al Andalus and Voyou do not have the slightly metallic synth aspect I find in PE). Four hours later and it is a very pleasant but also very light skin scent, natural but subtle. Starts well but then doesn't really go anywhere, frankly. Not really my style but I can see this being very popular with fans of the more 'aromatic fougere' side of things. Probably the more commercial of the two mainstream wise.

Any idea when these will be available in US Guerlain boutiques?

The Guerlain rep at Neiman's San Francisco says they should be in the store around mid-November. If you want to check closer to the time, you can call (415) 362-3900 and ask for the Guerlain boutique.

Oh no!!!

I knew it was delayed, because I was expecting decants of these by next week. I did not realize that I have to wait almost a month.