Marysa

Gorgeous and lush - very much in that iconic, dense Gaultier style at first. But then, completely out of nowhere, it turns into La Vie Est Belle! The whole second half, even the drydown, is pure Lancôme. Such an unexpected plot twist, but I actually love it since I’m a fan of both!

The bottle, though... while visually pretty, kind of creeps me out. Whether it’s meant to reference a mastectomy or not, it just brings up pretty unsettling thoughts for me.

…звучить так гарно, що не можу відірватись.
Так пахне солона карамель на заході сонця в морському бризі. Це така краса… так пахне тепло ніжних сонячних променів, яке зігріває улюбленого пахучого котика під вечір
Аромат теплий, обволікаючий, солодкувато-гіркий, трішки морський, трішки деревний (сухе дерево промите морем і зігріте сонцем), ледь ледь квітковий і має приємний мʼякий анімалістичний відтінок. Це насолода, а не аромат. Ним можна обійняти себе та заспокоїтись після стресу

I was so terrified of blind-buying this one! I had nowhere to sample it first - for some reason, it just kept escaping me and never popped up in stores. Based on other reviews, I had practically prepared myself for a failure scent-wise, secretly accepting that it might just end up being an expensive bottle for my display shelf.

But wow... I could not have been more wrong. I am completely, utterly in love! It was literally love at first sniff.
It’s a rose fragrance, but so soft, plush, thick, wrapping, and cozy. Stylish, unique, refined, and feminine. I do love roses, but I’m a little picky: I can’t stand aggressive, sharp ones, nor the sticky, cloying ones that feel like boggy jam. This rose is completely different. It manages to be both delicious and genuinely real at the same time, blending that exquisite, smooth Shalimar DNA with the velvety texture of rose petals, the lush beauty of a living rose bush.
A truly gorgeous, incredibly successful blind buy! Love the fragrance, love the bottle, love its longevity and unobtrusive sillage.

I love it for the productive, work-ready mood it sets. Putting this on makes me feel like a total workhorse :D
It smells like dried herbs, hay, jasmine, and a sweet cow’s snout.
Just as the classic Shalimar once felt too heavy and harsh to me, this Shalimar now feels soft and neat, bringing a sense of calm and a meditative focus on work.

I really love this fragrance. I wish it had a bit more intensity and at least some projection/sillage, but it’s wonderful nonetheless! It’s delicate, fragile, and crystalline - like La Belle et l'Ocelot with echoes of Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet, just not as long-lasting.
It opens quite bright, but after about an hour, it becomes very subtle. Overall, I can smell it on myself for around two hours. There is no real sillage, though during the first hour, someone standing close to you will definitely catch it.

One more thing worth mentioning: the cap is completely impractical! When you would like to move on to your chores after spraying the perfume, you cannot because you have to close the cap properly before, and this will take some time. Still, the bottle looks gorgeous and makes a lovely addition to my perfume shelf.