mindcandy pennies from the overgenerous lunatic

Perfume Review: Guerlain Heritage

Ah, Guerlain. At this point i have to admit that i am a huge Guerlain fanboy. Guerlain is one of the oldest perfume houses, that focus solely on perfume and not other products that are still functioning today, the other being Caron. Founded in the 19th century (1828), its main line was perfumes and cosmetics. It started with a colongue created for Empress Eugenie (back then, colongues were created with edible alcohol and you could drink them) for her headaches, and has since been dishing out perfumes. Jicky, the first modern perfume ever (that is, one that actually evolves over time, having the topnotes, midnotes and basenotes structure) was created in 1889 and has been hailed as the turning point of modern perfumery. Other trend setters include Apres l'ondee, Mitsouko, L' heure bleu, Shalimar, Sous Le Vent, Vol De Nuit, Vega, and many others. To date, Guerlain has created over 700 perfumes but sadly many have been discontinued forever due to lack of ingredients and restrictions. Most of its fragrances from the past especially, were created as an artistic expression instead of something that revolved around a marketing concept or idea. Therefore, smelling them tend to conjure images of a landscape or a hidden forest, or a lost time. Another contribution of Guerlain to the perfume industry was the introduction of a signature accord within its scents. Almost all of Guerlain's scents contain a supposedly secret blend of iris, bergamot, vanilla, rose, jasmine and tonka called Guerlainade, making a Guerlain easily recognizable over the years. (Armani for example has adopted a musky accord for all of their scents, and YSL uses vanilin to impart a strangely neutral sweet accord in their perfumes)

And Heritage, being a creation of the successor of the Guerlain family, Jean-Paul Guerlain carries on that spirit. Jean-Paul Guerlain intended this scent to be a culmination of all of Guerlain's past creations for men, an embodiment of Guerlain's tradition of using gourmandic notes and he has succeeded. This scent smells so old and classy that you could have sworn this was from another century, but surprisingly it is from this one. The identity of Guerlain is so strong in this scent, that even Sylvanie Delacourtte, Guerlain's artistic director claimed that this fragrance contains the most Guerlainade. This scent is opulent, complex and satisfying, like a nice warm trenchcoat during winter...

Heritage is classified as a floral chypre by the French perfume museum Osmotheque, and is a very opulent and complex scent. It opens up with a classy blend of bergamot and lavender. The bergamot here is not fruity at all but is aromatic. There is no tanginess at all from the bergamot and the lavender is not overpowering but transparent, sharp and faint. It then gives way to a blend of black pepper, iris, vanilla and a touch of sandalwood, or what some people would identify as amber. Finally, the black pepper subsides and what's left is an amazing blend of vanilla, iris and a tiny hint of sandalwood, which some may find to be powdery. Moss is said to be in the composition, but i am unable to detect it at all.



Heritage and its absolute drydown smells like French pastries on me: warm, slightly charred vanilla, with some spices in the background. It is comforting and delicious at the same time. There is an air of confidence that backs up the warm and matured vanilla that it projects on the skin over time. It smells like what someone from a royal family would have smelled like. It conjures the image on a real gentleman, with a coat and bowtie that opens doors for passing ladies and kisses them by their hand -- a classic, bygone era. This is by far, my favorite scent in my wardrobe especially for cold days, or after stressful days as it has a very comforting and gentle aura that pervades it. A definite must for anyone who considers themselves to be a classic gentleman, one who is of a rare and unique breed, and who flaunts that as a fact.