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Myrrhe & Délires 2012

7.7 / 10 148 Ratings
A popular perfume by Guerlain for women and men, released in 2012. The scent is spicy-fruity. The production was apparently discontinued.
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Main accords

Spicy
Fruity
Floral
Woody
Sweet

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes Top Notes
Black pepperBlack pepper PearPear Pink pepperPink pepper GrapefruitGrapefruit
Heart Notes Heart Notes
MyrrhMyrrh ApricotApricot IrisIris RoseRose
Base Notes Base Notes
FrankincenseFrankincense Glycyrrhiza glabraGlycyrrhiza glabra PatchouliPatchouli

Perfumer

Ratings
Scent
7.7148 Ratings
Longevity
6.8111 Ratings
Sillage
5.7108 Ratings
Bottle
8.5108 Ratings
Submitted by Kankuro · last update on 08/29/2025.
Source-backed & verified
Interesting Facts
The fragrance was part of the collection L'Art & La Matière.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to
Arsène Lupin / Arsène Lupin Dandy by Guerlain
Arsène Lupin
Rush by Gucci
Rush

Reviews

9 in-depth fragrance descriptions
Apicius

1328 Reviews
Apicius
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.
1 Comment
7Scent
JPhx

8 Reviews
JPhx
JPhx
3  
Comforting and yet ethereal for autumn days.
For a soft iris amber aroma with just a hint of patchouli and myrrhe, the opening experience of Guerlain's Myrrhe & Délires will not disappoint. Initially the pepper is quite striking, yet never sharp nor tangy with the accompanying citrus, so cannot become intrusive to those seeking the balmy softness that comforting myrrhe brings. Both pepper and citrus perceptions seem to quickly melt away leaving a trace of faint florals and frankincense entwined with the light liquorice that emanates and remains close to the skin.

An elysian scent that one might place upon a soft scarf when keeping snug during the cooler days of late autumn or one could layer, complementing any of one's favorite notes already found within Myrrhe & Délires. This muted and gentle perfume should not disappoint those who prefer a misting and scented veil. Thank you Apicius, this is without exception, quite sublime.
0 Comments
7Scent
Sherapop

1240 Reviews
Sherapop
Sherapop
2  
Salty Licorice Dark Woody Oriental
I had largely given up on Guerlain, but Apicius was kind enough to send me a sample of MYRRHE & DELIRES, which I am happy to report is much better than the other members of the Arts et Matières series familiar to me. Some of those perfumes I positively disliked; others I simply found disappointing. There is no plastic-gourmand amalgam in this particular composition, thankfully, and the unsweetened licorice bark note is really beautiful. Given the texture of this perfume, I'd have guessed that there was ambergris in the base--and perhaps there is.

MYRRHE & DELIRES is only going to appeal to those who like the scent of black licorice and reminds me of salted Dutch licorice, more specifically. I hasten to add, however, for those not familiar with salted licorice, that this is much, much less sweet and much, much more complex than LOLITA LEMPICKA, probably the most famous black licorice perfume around. This creation really smells niche, while LOLITA LEMPICKA is sweet enough to be toeing the line between celubscents and mainstream. The big virtue of LOLITA LEMPICKA, given its low price, is the miraculous fact that it does not smell like a synthetic nightmare and is instead a pleasure to wear--at least on occasion.

Of course, MYRRHE & DELIRES would have no excuse for smelling cheap, since it's certainly not, but I've learned from past experience that there are enough disconnects chez Guerlain these days--whether because of its management by LVMH or the uneven creative directorship of Wasser, or some combination of the two--not to expect anything. So for me, MYRRHE & DELIRES is a pleasant surprise, a genuinely enjoyable, high-quality and original woody oriental perfume. I agree with Apicius (see below) that this creation deserves to survive.

Time will tell, however, whether the marketing gurus at Guerlain or LVMH will decide to prioritize fine perfumery or continue to focus on serially disposable flankers and regrettable reformulations at the mainstream designer level.
1 Comment
ClaireV

969 Reviews
ClaireV
ClaireV
1  
Delicate, frothy take on myrrh
A few years ago, I would have forgiven this scent its flaccid body and performance for its charming violety-irisy topnotes, which smell like those lilac-colored macarons in the window of Laduree, or what I imagine the pastry scenes in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette must have smelled like - all spun sugar, candied violets, and sugar paste roses. If I'd tested this during my violet phase, fuddabboutit. Would have sold my soul, probably.

But honestly, from where I'm sitting now, Myrrhe et Delires doesn't make the cut. Full marks for rendering the bullish myrrh - a material whose darkish, mushroom-water tonalities usually drown delicate floral notes like candied violet - into a lace doiley's worth of frothy anise and soft bready notes. Taken together, Myrrhe et Delires smells like Chowder's violets and those soft black licorice rolls so sweet and mild that you could feed them to babies. Also, with great age comes wisdom - I can tell you that Guerlain's own Black Perfecto is a much punchier, improved spin on the same idea. I own that one, and although it hasn't yet made it across the finish line to join Mitsouko, Shalimar, Vol de Nuit, Jicky, and Encens Mythique d' Orient on my 'to keep' shelf, it's far more satisfying than this bloodless prototype.
0 Comments
Turandot

840 Reviews
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Turandot
Turandot
Top Review 29  
Outward Appearances
I tested Myrrhe & Delire casually in Munich and dismissed it - weighed and found too light. My interest quickly faded. Now a vial is in front of me and the scent gets to touch my skin. Well, I’m not bursting into cheers, but actually, it is quite a nice flatterer. What bothered me about it at first?

I’ll try to ignore the previous comments; I want to give the scent a real chance and consider why the response has been so reserved. New releases, especially from such a renowned brand, should have triggered a flood of comments. A number of perfume enthusiasts have already tested it, but comparatively few have expressed their opinions.

I think Guerlain hasn’t done the fragrance any favors by labeling it as one of the "three new Orientals," which piqued my curiosity beforehand, not to mention the comparison to Djedi, and the dark, rich color certainly fuels expectations that Myrrhe & Delires does not fulfill. But the scent is not to blame for that.

The perfume presents itself to me with a creamy fruitiness that can definitely be compared to pear and apricot. Myrrhe & Delires is then underpinned by a fine sparkling spice that remains subtle enough not to become loud, as sometimes happens with myrrh, but adds personality, and thus the fragrance evolves into a powdery and almost slightly woody finish. - It’s fine, pleasant, and a bit reserved, but certainly not boring. No, I like the scent, and that’s without any ifs or buts. The generous sample I received will not disappear into the "fragrance archive"; I will use it up with joy. Thank you to the donor.

Sure, it’s not a real Guerlain blockbuster. We probably have to definitively say goodbye to that notion of Guerlain fragrances. It’s just a Thierry-water scent, and I think that anyone who finds his Idylle a bit too sweet and floral might have found a subtler yet adequate alternative in Myrrhe & Delire. And that’s how I envision a more fitting performance: a bottle with curves, and I would have chosen more of an apricot tone for the color rather than the oriental-rich brown that suggests a heaviness that simply isn’t there. However, it wouldn’t have fit into the "L`Art et la Matiére" line, as it can certainly be worn by men. For me, Myrrhe & Delires radiates trust and satisfaction. So, nothing exciting, but rather something to feel good about.

Of course, the color of a fragrance is not decisive for the evaluation, but at least for my perception, this outward appearance has something to do with why I initially dismissed it. Therefore, I recommend giving the scent perhaps one more attentive second chance.
17 Comments
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Statements

16 short views on the fragrance
1
M&D gets a lot of slack but I actually enjoy it. Bit peppery at first but then it quickly turns soft and balmy. Only for colder months tho
0 Comments
4 years ago
25
19
Unfortunately, I completely agree with Mörderbiene. Resinous, creamy, nice. And that's about it. It has everything I like, but it's just nice.
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19 Comments
14
5
Phew, flowers, fruits, feminine was the first thought.
Later it becomes herb-spicy and dry-woody, with little incense.
In the end, it's unisex.
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5 Comments
14
14
Guerlain madness!
What a wonderful myrrh *sigh*
Iris-powdered with fruity notes!
Beautiful ... very subtle & sadly discontinued :(
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14 Comments
13
4
Powdery softness, apricot pastel, peach skin. Gentle, understated, graceful. A graceful glance, a delicate veil, a whispered kiss.
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4 Comments
11
8
Fruity, almost liqueur-like opening. A hint of incense drifts in the background.
It becomes creamy.
The philistine in me whispers 'boring'.
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8 Comments
11
4
Myrrh blends with smoky, woody, and spicy notes. Thus, the scent remains quite strong, but develops a sweet base note.
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4 Comments
10
1
Subtle and spicy
Lightly fruity and woody
Rather sweet, yet unisex
More beautiful on men
Great myrrh-incense
But not an absolute must-have
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1 Comment
10
Spicy dried fruits in a golden shimmering bowl - the breeze carries incense and myrrh - the Orient meets the Occident - I'm dazzled!
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0 Comments
9
4
Delicate, like a kiss on sleeping eyelids. Apricot fuzz on the cheeks, pouting smiles in a dream. Whoosh - it's gone...
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4 Comments
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