The opening is softer than I expected and mostly centered on spicy saffron with a bitter, soft, balsamic oud. Then it starts to evolve and the myrrh with a subtle sweet jasmine and provide a slightly pissy aroma; but it's all so warm, balsamic and bitter sweet, that works marvelously together. It's much tamer than I thought, it's very well done and balanced.
Start with Shalimar Parfum and make it more heavy using incense notes and you end up with this perfume.
Too far from old Guerlain spirit, but is a very comforting and carefree fragrance in its own right.
08th April, 2018 (last edited: 25th January, 2020)
If I had been blindfolded while testing this scent I never would have guessed it was by Guerlain. Tiny Jasmine and cardamom. The patchouli, cedar, oud, and myrrh are dry - windswept even. Saffron comes and goes. This mellows on my skin after a couple of hours into an Almost mellow sweetness. Guerlain has succeeded in creating a desert scent. I believe this would smell better on a man. Overall -- not bad.
Sharp oud, cedar and patchouli make this a very unpleasant experience for my nose. I get no neroli, no jasmine. There was a very brief Angel-like berry-ness upon first application, but that quickly faded. Now I am left with a piercing smoky wood that for me makes this scent a scrubber.
Stardate 20161013:
I loved this on paper. Thought it was the best one since LVMH acquired them.
And then I put it on my skin.
Not good. The cumin and the oudy note is not well blended. They try to give it a traditional animalic accord but fail. I think cumin is too piercing here.
It does settle down to a decent frag.
I could give it a thumbs up but the price and my expectation after paper sniffing will not let me