06/15/2023
Ostara
61 Reviews
Ostara
2
Freesia Shalimar
Shalimar Cologne is not what I expected. I found it very reasonably priced and blind bought based on my love of Shalimar EDP, EDT, Eau de Cologne and SPI along with the reviews here calling this a citrusy vanilla pudding type scent.
What I smell most is a thick, slightly sweet powder mixed with a whole lot of freesia and indistinct floral notes. If you had the average person smell this and asked what it smelled like, they'd say either "soap" or "detergent" or "fabric softener." You'd hear adjectives like "warm, clean and soft." I see what they were going for here, this was clearly meant to be Guerlain's answer to Chanel's No5 Eau Premiere. And actually, in that regard it's very successful- it's a polished scent, powdery and slightly citric with musky florals along with a warmed vanillic powder. It's easy to wear, easy to like, and will rightfully appeal to a significant subset of consumers aside from just Guerlain diehards.
However for whatever reason, this is the only Shalimar I've tried that doesn't really appeal to me personally, probably because the hole this is supposed to fill in one's wardrobe is already occupied by Eau Premiere. Or it might be the freesia which I just can't get along with generally. I recommend you try before you buy as my perception of the scent deviated significantly from the majority of reviews I read before purchase.
What I smell most is a thick, slightly sweet powder mixed with a whole lot of freesia and indistinct floral notes. If you had the average person smell this and asked what it smelled like, they'd say either "soap" or "detergent" or "fabric softener." You'd hear adjectives like "warm, clean and soft." I see what they were going for here, this was clearly meant to be Guerlain's answer to Chanel's No5 Eau Premiere. And actually, in that regard it's very successful- it's a polished scent, powdery and slightly citric with musky florals along with a warmed vanillic powder. It's easy to wear, easy to like, and will rightfully appeal to a significant subset of consumers aside from just Guerlain diehards.
However for whatever reason, this is the only Shalimar I've tried that doesn't really appeal to me personally, probably because the hole this is supposed to fill in one's wardrobe is already occupied by Eau Premiere. Or it might be the freesia which I just can't get along with generally. I recommend you try before you buy as my perception of the scent deviated significantly from the majority of reviews I read before purchase.