L'Heure de Nuit Guerlain 2013

Since Elie Saab poured a whole barrel of orange blossom concentrate over our heads with "Le Parfum," I have been at odds with this note. This is also the reason why I can't really warm up to L' Heure de Nuit, even though Thierry Wasser handles this fragrance note more carefully. It is noted under Interesting Facts that the scent is identical to L'Heure Bleue - Le Zenith, which in turn celebrates the anniversary of L'Heure Bleue. Aside from that, I have long held a grudge against Guerlain for the reissues with different names - just from the various editions that are all related to or identical to Guet-Apens, I feel dizzy. But that's just by the way.

If I try to set this background aside, then L`Heure de Nuit is indeed a floral scent without edges and corners. Complimenting, softly powdery, and more skillful in handling the notes than is the case with many orange blossom fragrances. But that’s about it for me, and that is no longer enough.

In my opinion, the comparison of L`Heure Bleue and L'Heure de Nuit is symptomatic of the comparison between the "old" Guerlain fragrances and the Thierry Wasser era. While L'Heure Bleue develops a wonderfully melancholic, rather dark-mysterious, and somewhat old-fashioned mood with the garden carnation and violet, L'Heure de Nuit, for me, is a floral dream with the currently omnipresent orange blossom, but it lacks any recognizability. The scent is noble, Thierry Wasser knows his craft, but in a blind test, I probably wouldn't think of Guerlain first, and certainly not of nocturnal romance.

It is, of course, difficult to want to connect a perfume to a great legacy. However, to sand down the inherited treasures to remove their peculiarities is not the right way for me.

Last week, my father passed away, peacefully, quietly, and without fuss.
That was always how he was, and he died as he lived. Just don’t draw attention, what will people think?
He was down to 45 kilos in the end; ultimately, he just had no strength left, and now he is no longer here.

I was with him in his last days, day and night. “L'heure de Nuit,” my favorite fragrance, was with us and carried me at least through those exhausting and demanding hours. Even when his hour of night actually came, this scent was present - powerful, supportive, and present.
In the weeks leading up to his death, I struggled with whether this choice would be the right one. Whether I would still like the fragrance “after,” since it will always have that connection.

And YES! I love this wonderful, clean, strong, profound scent now and forever!

Dad liked it too - as soon as his front door unlocked to welcome him, he knew I was there, and you could see how he relaxed.

THAT, yes exactly THAT, I will not forget about this perfume, and every time I choose it in the future, my beloved dad will be there, invisibly supporting me.

A few characteristics of the scent that are irrelevant to me but not entirely unimportant for the Parfumo comment:
powdery and soft, as is often the case with Guerlain. Mature and self-assured - no parallels to the newer squeaky scents under Thierry Wasser. And - long-lasting, meaning durable. Here - I find - he had a real moment of glory.

Probably -smile!- because of my dad. It was meant to be.

Okay, I know:
I haven’t said much about the scent itself and its performance, but somehow I find that rather difficult in this context. But there are plenty of other wonderful comments that describe the scent more than the story behind it.

My sister wanted to know what kind of beautiful "Mummel scent" I was wearing during the first test.

"Mummeln," or better said "einmummeln," means in our family something like "to snuggle in or cuddle up," variations of which are "warm einmummeln," "tight einmummeln," and "comfortable einmummeln."

Only children or adults affected by illness and sadness mummeln.
Mummeln is always without ulterior motives; it is only about closeness, warmth, and innocent tenderness, just like a mother feels towards her child.

I have rarely encountered a scent that was more innocent than this one.
While innocence doesn't quite capture what I mean, even though L'Heure de Nuit can certainly express just that on a very young woman.

If I were to assign this perfume to an archetype, it would be "the mother."

Beautifully alive and honest like a child's laughter, soft like the fluffiest of all cuddly blankets, gentle like the tenderest of hugs, comforting like a kiss on the forehead, yet full of confidence, sunshine, and delicate strength.

A thoroughly friendly, loving scent, whose name is, in my opinion, completely misleading, as it is full of light.

A scent that does not scare anyone in the slightest, evokes sympathy, puts the other person at ease, fills oneself with well-being, brings smiles to faces, and almost magically attracts children and animals.

Yes, my sister is absolutely right.

"When I was 17 years old, my grandfather told me: We make perfumes for the women we love or admire. I have adhered to this throughout my life." - with these words, Jean-Paul Guerlain, the last and no longer active perfumer from his famous family, expressed the credo of the traditional house. And when asked how perfume works, he replied: "It mainly takes place on an emotional level. A man perceives a woman through her scent." ... "Women wear perfume to smell good. And to be seductive to men."

To penetrate the center of the Guerlain perfume universe and to understand what Thierry Wasser took on when he assumed the position as head of the house, these words are of great importance. The Guerlain brand has been so successful for many years because it refers to the simple realization that women want to seduce men. And vice versa. In this context, perfume is the means to an end.

On the keyboard of sweet temptation, Monsieur Wasser also plays with L'Heure de Nuit. He did not create the scent himself but successfully "dust off" L'Heure Bleue for its 100th anniversary. Admittedly, a fragrance from 1912 often requires a contemporary overhaul. The original, however, is an icon. Undoubtedly a perfume that has made history. Should someone tinker with a cult object?

If Thierry Wasser can do anything, it is refining formulas, feeling into old traditions, and simultaneously interpreting them in a modern way. Garden cloves seem outdated today, so they were simply omitted from L'Heure de Nuit. Instead, he complemented the essences with jasmine, rose, and heliotrope. What else was added or omitted is probably known only to Monsieur Wasser and Jean-Paul Guerlain. It is well known that the information about fragrance notes is never complete to maintain the mystery of a perfume. I believe that the sweet pea plays a significant role in both fragrances.

The artisanal details are of little importance to us perfume wearers; the harmony and overall impression count in a mixture. And what can I say? This ethereal, bluish liquid in the bee bottle has as much style and elegance as Catherine Deneuve, and as much charm and grace as Audrey Hepburn. Through anise and iris, a wonderful powderiness is created, - like in a fine boudoir - which could be inspired by precious makeup. Heliotrope not only contributes a minimal honey note but also a hint of chamomile. The scent is sweet, but not overly so, never gourmand for a second. Here, one receives the sensual promise of femininity with a slight humanoid note, even if this is much more pronounced in L'Heure Bleue. And every beginning ends at Guerlain in the glorious Guerlinade, in this blend of rose, bergamot, jasmine, tonka bean, and vanilla.

L'Heure de Nuit is not a fragrance with strongly overt eroticism. Guerlain is much more the ambassador of luxury with understatement, of style, of exclusivity, of tender feelings, and simultaneously of hinted passionate passions. A perfume that likes to play and ensures that our world smells a little better.

I must confess that what particularly attracted and ultimately intrigued me about this fragrance was the contrasting interplay of the cool-looking bottle / the cool-looking color of the scent and the warm / soft ingredients in conjunction with the name.

Once again, Guerlain has not made it easy for me. And once again, it has shown that the name, bottle, and color of the fragrance at Guerlain do not necessarily have to align with my personal feelings about the scent.
It took several testing attempts before I could be almost certain about what was happening.

And what was happening? Something that I do not usually know from Guerlain fragrances. Right from the start, all the fragrance components play together; I cannot perceive a distinct top and heart note.
A strangely floral-fresh mixture, which contains both slightly citrusy and sweet components, climbs up on me. Anise does not really want to reveal itself to me.

Even before this ensemble has fully arrived at my olfactory center, the base note representatives are already making themselves loudly known. Heliotrope appears to be the most dominant, flanked by soft iris and soft, subtly sweet musk.
The vanilla is present but only gains strength and intensity over the course of the next few hours. As the heliotrope fades, the vanilla strengthens. Warm, soft, round - just Guerlain.

Yet, besides all the "factual" description, this fragrance primarily does one thing to me: It unleashes a vivid imagination, allowing images and colors to unfold before my mind's eye. In particular, the signal color "red" spreads out.

I perceive this scent as highly erotic, as a kind of promise of a night in a love frenzy. Flirtatious, sexy, demanding, yet never coming across as cheap. A hint and suggestion to the beloved about what could happen in the coming hours. Pure desire, but not sleazy, rather trusting, respectful, and honest.

Phew, a truly "hot" Guerlain!

I usually belong to the category of people (Parfumo) who refuse to pigeonhole fragrances into the "female-male drawer," but this one is, for me personally, a "ladies' fragrance."

Please do not misunderstand, "L'Heure de Nuit" is a fantastic, warm, soft, extremely long-lasting fragrance that I like very much. However, not on me, as I feel "dressed up" with it, no longer authentic, no longer myself.
With other men, it will certainly be different; other images and impressions will be evoked that make wearing this fragrance possible.
For me, however, my own images get in the way when wearing the scent.

I will keep the sample well and surely enjoy taking a "sniff of the most successful Guerlain erotic" from time to time ;-)