Top Notes 
Black pepper
Pear
Pink pepper
Grapefruit
Heart Notes 
Myrrh
Apricot
Iris
Rose
Base Notes 
Frankincense
Glycyrrhiza glabra
Patchouli
08/01/2012
Apicius
224 Reviews
Apicius
Helpful Review
6
Great Fragrance - Botched Launch
When we make a new acquaintance, it is always the first seconds that decide between sympathy or antipathy. When we discover a new perfume, it is not the first sniff that makes it top or flop for us – well before that, we have received a lot of other information: Does the name appeal to us? Or the marketing campaign? Do we like the flacon or the way it is presented to us? And what are the expectations aroused?
At Guerlain, the marketing department must have had a blonde moment when they apparently decided to mention a comparison to the discontinued Djedi along with the release. They couldn't have done any worse to arouse wrong expectations. Myrrhe & Délires has nothing in common with that grand, opulent and strong perfume – is is just the opposite of it! Small wonder some of the reviews I have read so far are disappointed or reserved.
Myrrhe & Délires is breathtakingly beautiful – but the fragrance is very, very discreet! My defining moment with that scent was the impression of German Veilchenpastillen which are liquorice candies with violet flavouring. These are really beautiful sweets, and since there is no violet in the scent notes, the similarity must come from the liquorice combined with the rose or other florals. However, Myrrhe & Délires is so much more noble than these inexpensive sweets. It is just a resemblance, however, the fragrance lacks all candy-like appeal.
Usually, I do not like liquorice in perfumes. The reason it is different in Myrrhe & Délires is that it is used in a true Guerlain way – very discreet and elegant so all sharp or overly spicy attributes that liquorice may have are out of question. This also applies to the myrrhe – a note that tends to be a broad and fat resin in some other fragrances.
Myrrhe & Délires is just as faint as Guerlain's Bois d'Armenie. You will not experience lots of scent around you, but rather a faint aura. Insofar, Myrrhe & Délires will appeal to a special group of customers – those who try to avoid strong fragrances. For the same reason, testing it is not easy. You should avoid having two or three other perfumes on you at the same time, or you might simply miss the fragrance.
The only criticism one could have is the lack of longevity. After 4 hours, the liquorice elegance is gone on skin, and reapplying would be advisable. Personally, I can live with that.
Referring to any more notes does not make much sense to me. Again, Guerlain shows us a complexness where single ingredients mingle into something unique and consistent. This is one of the aspects that a typical Guerlain perfume discriminates from so many other fragrances around. All I can say is that it just fits! - Yes, and Myrrhe & Délires makes my heart beat just a little bit faster when I sense it. I bought it lately, and it looks like I will wear it a lot!
Myrrhe & Délires is hard to describe, and it is not just its discreetness that prevents me from detecting a certain character or mood in it. The fragrance itself is neither dark, nor bright or pale, neither masculine nor feminine, and no impressions of landscapes or seasons. It is absolute music given the form of a fragrance - Bach, not Beethoven. The secret of its abstractness makes it all the more attractive.
With the illusion of violets, for me Myrrhe & Délires by Thierry Wasser relates to the later works of Jean Paul Guerlain, namely Arséne Lupin (Dandy), which was so much praised at Parfumo and elsewhere. I love that grand, dark evening perfume, but what can keep up with it during daytime? The aura of Myrrhe & Délires could be the answer! Also, Myrrhe & Délires can be regarded as an offer to those ladies who adore Arsène Lupin but would not like to wear a declared gents' perfume.
In spite of the very questionable way of launching it, I hope, Myrrhe & Délires will make it in the long run.
At Guerlain, the marketing department must have had a blonde moment when they apparently decided to mention a comparison to the discontinued Djedi along with the release. They couldn't have done any worse to arouse wrong expectations. Myrrhe & Délires has nothing in common with that grand, opulent and strong perfume – is is just the opposite of it! Small wonder some of the reviews I have read so far are disappointed or reserved.
Myrrhe & Délires is breathtakingly beautiful – but the fragrance is very, very discreet! My defining moment with that scent was the impression of German Veilchenpastillen which are liquorice candies with violet flavouring. These are really beautiful sweets, and since there is no violet in the scent notes, the similarity must come from the liquorice combined with the rose or other florals. However, Myrrhe & Délires is so much more noble than these inexpensive sweets. It is just a resemblance, however, the fragrance lacks all candy-like appeal.
Usually, I do not like liquorice in perfumes. The reason it is different in Myrrhe & Délires is that it is used in a true Guerlain way – very discreet and elegant so all sharp or overly spicy attributes that liquorice may have are out of question. This also applies to the myrrhe – a note that tends to be a broad and fat resin in some other fragrances.
Myrrhe & Délires is just as faint as Guerlain's Bois d'Armenie. You will not experience lots of scent around you, but rather a faint aura. Insofar, Myrrhe & Délires will appeal to a special group of customers – those who try to avoid strong fragrances. For the same reason, testing it is not easy. You should avoid having two or three other perfumes on you at the same time, or you might simply miss the fragrance.
The only criticism one could have is the lack of longevity. After 4 hours, the liquorice elegance is gone on skin, and reapplying would be advisable. Personally, I can live with that.
Referring to any more notes does not make much sense to me. Again, Guerlain shows us a complexness where single ingredients mingle into something unique and consistent. This is one of the aspects that a typical Guerlain perfume discriminates from so many other fragrances around. All I can say is that it just fits! - Yes, and Myrrhe & Délires makes my heart beat just a little bit faster when I sense it. I bought it lately, and it looks like I will wear it a lot!
Myrrhe & Délires is hard to describe, and it is not just its discreetness that prevents me from detecting a certain character or mood in it. The fragrance itself is neither dark, nor bright or pale, neither masculine nor feminine, and no impressions of landscapes or seasons. It is absolute music given the form of a fragrance - Bach, not Beethoven. The secret of its abstractness makes it all the more attractive.
With the illusion of violets, for me Myrrhe & Délires by Thierry Wasser relates to the later works of Jean Paul Guerlain, namely Arséne Lupin (Dandy), which was so much praised at Parfumo and elsewhere. I love that grand, dark evening perfume, but what can keep up with it during daytime? The aura of Myrrhe & Délires could be the answer! Also, Myrrhe & Délires can be regarded as an offer to those ladies who adore Arsène Lupin but would not like to wear a declared gents' perfume.
In spite of the very questionable way of launching it, I hope, Myrrhe & Délires will make it in the long run.
1 Comment
Beertje
