Insolence Eau Glacée Guerlain 2009

I've been itching to write this comment for a long time because Eau Glacée is one of my absolute favorites!

I stumbled upon it by chance; I wanted to test another Guerlain that they didn't have in stock that day. My favorite saleswoman consoled me by holding this beautiful bottle in front of me and said it was very special, as it contained frozen fruits... Oh really? But they don't smell like anything? When I smell a pack of frozen raspberries, I just smell cardboard and nothing else! Well, I was mistaken; one never stops learning: Once again, I had a vision:

I am sitting in a violet meadow, surrounded by delicate violet flowers that are releasing their intense fragrance. I feel a bit like Dorothy in the magical land of "Oz." However, there it was poppies that were snowed upon; here, it’s the violets, and the snow is sprinkled with powdered sugar... But wait, there’s something else... cooler... slightly sweet... Someone has placed a fruit ice cream sundae in front of me, just the way I like it, without the annoying whipped cream and little ice cream, but with plenty of fruits: raspberries, blackberries, strawberries... Mmmmhhh, delicious! But as I want to taste it, I realize they are still half-frozen, tiny ice crystals shimmering in the light of the gentle sun rays... I have to wait for them to thaw, enjoying the scent that enchants me, that lulls me, and lasts so long...

Waking up from my vision, I eagerly sniff at my wrist. Amazing what a fragrance can show you in pictures! I can't detect the apple and lemon peel; they probably reveal themselves more in the light freshness. Only after hours do I perceive the woody notes, but I find them rather cool and powdery, like musk snowflakes falling onto a sun-warmed wooden beam...

If I had to describe this fragrance in three words, they would be: cool, sweetish, and powdery, but all in a balanced ratio. It lasts a very long time on me, 6 - 7 hours, and I can still smell it on my clothes the next day. It seems to suit me like a glove (or rather a violet) because it has already garnered numerous compliments. For me, it fits every occasion and every season. Unfortunately, it’s not so easy to get anymore, which is why I’ve stashed away another bottle as a reserve... :-)