Mon Guerlain Guerlain 2019 Extrait

Today I would like to compare the well-known Mon Guerlain EdP Intense with the hard-to-find, less common Extrait - with a price difference of over €500, this is an unavoidable discussion. Although I usually prefer somewhat more literary comments, I want to take a pragmatic approach here and focus on a brief comparison. :)

Scent
The EdP starts off fruity, with mandarin taking center stage and pushing lavender to the background, while vanilla is immediately present, spreading its intense, Guerlain-typical sweetness. As it develops, more and more patchouli comes to the forefront, covering the scent with a delicate layer of dust. A flattering veil, soft, almost motherly gentle, but also a bit playful.
In contrast, the Extrait catapults me directly into the heart of the fragrance - there is no trace of patchouli here; lavender and vanilla clearly dominate. However, the lavender has a slightly less sweet character than in the EdP Intense, with its dry-herbaceous, green notes coming through more strongly, yet remaining soft and smooth, radiant thanks to the vanilla. I can't discern the other listed florals, and I can't really identify a great development either, but that's fine; the scent starts and ends exactly how I love it, how I want to absorb it, to bathe in it. Compared to its slightly shriller, more extroverted little sister, the Extrait is more mature, balanced, radiating an almost meditative calm - a true relaxation scent that has gently lulled me to sleep on many an evening.

Longevity and Sillage
Despite the significant price difference, I can hardly find any differences in the performance of the two variants. At least on my skin, the sillage is comparable, with the EdP Intense being a bit more intense in the first few hours. However, this doesn't bother me, as I prefer to wear the Extrait in the evenings for relaxation, just for myself; luckily, it doesn’t require an overly intrusive sillage.
The longevity is about 6 hours for both - to be honest, I had hoped for a bit more endurance from the Extrait.

Conclusion
If I momentarily ignore the price tag, I would prefer the Extrait at any time - not because of its quality, longevity, or sillage, but solely because of the more harmonious scent that inevitably feels balancing and calming to me. The EdP Intense certainly doesn't have to hide beside it, but I would rather use it outside my own four walls for social occasions where I want my fragrance to be a bit more "conventional" and pleasing. The basic idea of lavender and vanilla is, however, implemented much more consistently and harmoniously in the Extrait for my nose.
For those as broke as I am, take comfort: until the next lottery win or a surprising raise, the EdP Intense is a really nice interim solution (or perhaps even the more suitable scent for you if you prefer something a bit cheerier and playful).
For me, the Extrait remains the most beautiful and least side-effect-inducing calming agent that might even be worth saving for!