Hippokamp

I have to be honest: nightlife just isn't my thing. It's too late, too loud, too crowded, too intrusive. I don't like alcohol, smoking even less. Cigarette smoke gives me a headache.

So "Nightclubbing | Celine" shouldn't really be my fragrance either. But the listed fragrance notes sounded so promising...the statements rather less so.

For the first test, I therefore only sprayed it on paper to be on the safe side. Well.
My fears were confirmed: Ashtray that hadn't been emptied for ages, cold, disgusting smoke. There was also something citrusy, which only made the whole thing worse. It was only after an hour or two that I could detect a delicate hint of vanilla on the test strip.
I was disappointed at first, but couldn't resist the temptation and sprayed the fragrance on my skin.

I took a tentative sniff and lo and behold: the cold cigarette smoke turned into fine smoke, much better and pleasant. Very soon, the delicate vanilla and a very minimal earthy patchouli became apparent. The smoke remains present throughout, but is much more discreet than the rest. A little dry wood is also hidden between the clouds of smoke and vanilla powder.

The fragrance is very close to the skin, but long-lasting. It is precisely the very restrained aura that makes it interesting, mysterious and prevents the fragrance from becoming annoying.

In a nutshell: smoky, powdery, dry-woody, creamy. And: this fragrance has shown me once again how amazingly different a fragrance can develop on paper and on the skin.

"This one smells like a fine cream" - with these words "La Peau Nue | Celine" was sprayed on me at Celine. And yes, to a certain extent I agree: the fragrance is very classy, powdery and wonderfully well-groomed
But at the same time it is also a little strange, almost eerie, but in a positive sense...

The beginning is different than I expected. I smell a clear paper note, with slight hints of rose. And an edge that I can't quite put down to the mixture of bergamot, rice and vetiver. It's a bit like "Dioramour | Dior": there's something lurking in the background that I can't put my finger on. But it smells completely different, only the feeling is similar. So absolutely no animalism, just something that somehow doesn't fit, but that makes the fragrance so wonderfully imperfect. This makes it not "just" a cream fragrance, but a cream fragrance with the icing on the cake.

Of course, I can also clearly smell the gorgeous celestial iris butter, which gradually dominates the fragrance. However, the rose remains present in the background throughout.

Overall, the fragrance fascinates me and I love wearing it. The opening is somehow beautiful and irritating at the same time. It's as if the fragrance doesn't match the skin at all or as if you're putting on someone else's skin... After a few minutes, it melts and almost becomes its own fragrance. Somehow eerie, but also exciting and simply beautiful.

Another fragrance from Guerlain that took a while to sneak into my heart. After the first test I felt nauseous, far too much rum, terrible! I washed my arm several times and forgot about the fragrance for a few months. Now I've received another sample and thought it wouldn't hurt to try it again! So I hesitantly sprayed and sniffed very carefully.

I still don't find the opening that intoxicating, but at least I no longer feel nauseous :D In my opinion, this fruity, alcoholic pepper could simply have been left out... Fortunately, this only lasts a few minutes before the beautiful, dreamlike, unrivaled (yes, I'll stop raving) Guerlain vanilla comes to the fore. At this point, my nose is stuck to my arm and I can't get enough of it. A full-bodied, but at the same time light, unsweet vanilla with a little pinch of apple pie and vanilla crescent, but not too edible due to a slight smokiness. Sooo great! I can't find the flowers listed though, maybe they were forgotten in my sample?

So: another direct hit from Guerlain for me. The top note, which I really don't find pleasant, fortunately only lasts a very short time, so I can get over it. The vanilla that follows makes up for it all! A fragrance to snuggle up to, indulge in and feel good. How Guerlain always manages to do that...

No other fragrance has bounced back and forth between my "Wish List" and "Tested" folders as often as "Néroli Outrenoir | Guerlain". The base is simply a dream: creamy, minimally mossy-green and with a tiny hint of vanilla. And the wonderfully smoky tea! Nevertheless, the bottle will probably not be joining my collection. Why? Because a constant lemon note hovers over everything. And citrus fragrances are simply not my cup of tea. Of course, that's not the fragrance's fault, as it even has "neroli" in the name. Nevertheless, I wanted to test it because I love Guerlain, the base notes appealed to me and I wanted to venture out of my comfort zone.

The fragrance starts with a green, slightly bitter note that is reminiscent of fresh, green orange leaves. I think that's terrific! The citrusy neroli orange note is also immediately present, which remains throughout and unfortunately bothers me. After a few minutes, the fantastically smoky teenage note sets in, which makes me literally revel in the fragrance. As soon as a slightly warm creaminess is added, the fragrance has enchanted me again. Unfortunately, the omnipresent cloud of lemon that keeps wafting towards me makes me turn up my nose again and again. Sometimes it even has a slightly pungent effect on my skin, which is not nice at all. In a nutshell: top at the start and base, unfortunately a flop in the middle.

Well, I could have known beforehand that the fragrance was ultimately not for me. It is and remains primarily a citrusy fragrance, which was clear to me from the outset, which is why I still rate it well. Because of all the citrus fragrances I have tested, this one is the best. It manages the balancing act between fresh and warm excellently and I would even wear it from time to time (well, maybe once a year, but even that is a big compliment for a citrus fragrance from me!) If it were cheaper, I might even consider a little bottle. At this price, however, I only ever keep a small sample with me, for those days when I want to enjoy the lovely smoky teen note and feel the need to sniff the atomizer.
And I've learned (once again) that my skin and nose don't like citrusy notes on me, so maybe I should just accept that. But I'm probably still in the repression phase...

I was really excited when I heard about the new Guerlain extraits. And then iris, vanilla and tonka! When I saw the price, I fell off my chair...

But first a few words about the name of the fragrance. Right from the start, I wondered what the numbers in the names of the new extraits stood for. Fortunately, there's Google and the Guerlain website: in the case of "Tonka Sarrapia Extrait 75 | Guerlain", the 75 stands for the percentage of natural coumarin it contains. And that leads me straight to the rest of the name: I initially thought (I can actually read, or so I thought) that the fragrance was called "Tonka Sepia" :D Until I realized that it says "Tonka Sarrapia" on the sachet. And this mystery was quickly solved: Sarrapia is the tonka bean tree, which contains 75% natural coumarin. Tada!

So, now to the actual fragrance. After the first test, "Tonka Sarrapia Extrait 75 | Guerlain" presented itself as a full-blooded gourmand. Very warm, spicy and sweet, I also got the coconut association quite minimally.
After several wears (and a half-empty sample), the fragrance revealed various facets that I was absolutely thrilled with. I am always amazed, but the fragrance changes from a powdery cloud of marzipan to a leathery, oily tonka bean. I can't get enough of this oily note! I also detect a hint of cocoa, as well as a minimal dose of vanilla. Towards the drydown, a beautiful woodiness is added, which complements the sweetness very nicely.

What the fragrance is at all times: warm and spicy. And that sets it apart from its siblings
"Tonka Impériale | Guerlain" and "Shalimar Millésime Tonka | Guerlain". In contrast to "Tonka Sarrapia Extrait 75 | Guerlain", these two tonka beauties are darker and less warm.
I think there is a world of difference between "Tonka Impériale | Guerlain" and the extrait. "Tonka Impériale | Guerlain" contains a lot of rosemary, has much less spice and is more marzipan-like for me. "Shalimar Millésime Tonka | Guerlain" is a little closer to the extrait, with that leathery note in both. However, "Shalimar Millésime Tonka | Guerlain" is clearly a Shalimar and cooler, it also lacks the warm spice. But: all three are an absolute dream!

Oh yes, I love the extraits I've tested so far. Vanilla brings back wonderful memories, iris always works and tonka is so wonderfully multi-faceted and much more than just sweet. The price is of course a nightmare, but that's not the poor fragrances' fault. And fortunately, given the enormous shelf life, even small samples last a very long time. Well, I guess Guerlain has (unfortunately?) hit a nerve with me!