The Old and the new

Guerlain Pois de Senteur was created in 1917, based on the sweet pea with some citrus and spices thrown in over the traditional Guerlain vanilla base.  It’s almost impossible to find much more information on this fragrance as far as specific notes. So when some dropped into my hands, I was pretty delighted. It’s a much more transparent sweet pea than Caron’s Pois de Senteur. Where Caron’s goes all dark and beautiful, Guerlain’s is shot through with glorious light, jazzed up enough to be interesting.   Sweet Pea has never been my favorite note, though I’ve loved the darkness of Caron’s treatment, but I do wish Guerlain would bring back their Pois de Senteur for a limited run, at the least.  It’s really quite beautiful and would be a great addition to the line, landing in the creamy floral territory that is Guerlain’s trademark.

A very sweet, lovely fellow decanter passed on teensy drops of Serge Lutens Sarrasins that are going around. Holy Moly!  Camphorish open similar to Tubereuse Criminelle, landing in a bitter almond that balances perfectly between sweet, bitter and camphor, engaging perfection.  This will be a much loved fragrance in the same way TC is loved.  Due to be released in September. Can’t wait to have a big bottle to splash.

Gosh, that was pretty short!  To make up for my lameness because I’m headed out of town, I’ll do a drawing.  🙂  A sample of Guerlain Pois de Senteur and four of the Memoire Liquide new things from Bendel’s/Fred Segal (winner’s choice) — a line I’m enjoying, they’re not complex fragrances, but lend themselves well to layering.

 

  • sunlit says:

    I would love to be entered in the drawing. I love sweet peas. I do grow them every year and love to have their scent fill the house. Thanks very much.

  • Cheezwiz says:

    Oooh very late to the party, but if its not too late, please enter me in the draw too! I love sweetpeas & had no idea Guerlain ever had such a scent in their arsenal.

    By the way, next week I will be taking a short holiday to PARIS (yes the one in France!) next week, and will finally be able to get my mitts on my very own bottle of Guerlain’s Apres l’Ondee. I plan to drop by Fragonard & perhaps a couple of others if I have time. I will be thinking of all of you perfumistas as I sniff my way through the city!

    Enjoy your holiday Patty & congrats on The Perfumed Court!

  • patchamour says:

    Hey Patty and All-ya’ll,

    The Perfumed Court is so great. I can see many late-late-night window shoppings and decisions-decisions-decisions coming up!

  • tmp00 says:

    All these squidges of Sarrasins and I got nuttin’!

    Color me jealous, and please enter me in the draw..:d

  • Gaia says:

    I keep wishing for a re-issue of all the lost and forgotten scents of yore. I want to sniff them all.

    Is it ok for me to mention the discount code when I post about the store opening later tonight? (I just saw the store. Fabulous beyond words)

  • Lavanya says:

    Sarrasins sounds quite wonderful!!

    And please enter me in the drawing..

  • patachamour says:

    Sweet pea sounds wonderful. Please put me in the drawing. Thanks.

  • Lauren says:

    Ooooh, I’d love to win the Pois de Senteur! Please enter me in the drawing!

  • Twibbet says:

    Mmmm, I LOVE the scent of sweet peas, but I’m sure I’ve never smelled them in a perfume. Better sign me up for the drawing!

  • violetnoir says:

    Weeee!!!!! And you get to try Sarrasins (and many others) in person in the very near future! Oh, I am so excited for you, darling. 😡

    Please enter me in the drawing, ’cause you know I love just about anything named “Guerlain.”

    Have a wonderful trip, P!

    Hugs and love!

  • Lara says:

    I would love to be in the drawing!

  • sweetlife says:

    Yes, yes, pretty please sweet peas, put me in the drawing.

    “Sweet pea” is a common endearment in my family, but we grew up in a semi-arid climate. I had to move to TX before I had any idea what my parents had been talking about all those years…

  • Tigs says:

    Please enter me, thanks! I need to try that Sweet Pea (and I wouldn’t reject the Memoire Liquide scents either!)

  • KarenG says:

    Sweet Peas are one of my favourite things in the garden. I would love to be entered in the draw. Thank you!

  • Ch says:

    Oh yes, please enter me in the drawing! Thank you! 🙂

  • ch says:

    Wow, the Guerlain sounds nice. I had been afraid of them because I don’t like Shalimar, but I am slowly warming up to some of them thanks to some samples: L’Heure Bleue, Mitsouko and Nahema. I’m curious about the new Memoire Liquide scents, too. Sounds like another Caron I need to try, too! I haven’t met a Caron scent I didn’t like (so far).

    I cannot wait until the new site debuts! 🙂

  • lissakv says:

    ooohhh. those sound nice, please enter me for the drawing and have a good safe road trip!

  • christine lewandowski says:

    Oh…oh I’d love to be in the drawing.

    I didn’t like the way the Caron PdS dried down & I love Caron! Never tried the Guerlain but now I MUST!!!!

    new SL sounds wonderful!!!

    Thanks for the info.
    :)>-

  • Michele says:

    I’m a Guerlain girl–count me in on the drawing.

    Have a nice day off.

  • rosarita says:

    There are several releases in September that sound very nice; looking forward to the Perfumed Court! (Very cute webpage :))
    Please include me in the drawing!

    • rosarita says:

      Oh, I am definitely doing something wrong with the whole emoticon thing – I meant 🙂

      As you were.8-|

  • IrisLA says:

    Big Guerlain lover here! Please enter me in drawing.

  • delizt says:

    OOh, these both sound fantastic!!! Have a nice trip and please enter me in the drawing 🙂

  • Christine says:

    Please enter me in the drawing! The Guerlain sounds lovely.

    And enjoy your time away.

  • Mimmimmim says:

    Ooh, please may I be entered in the draw? I’m a big Guerlain fan. (Well, I liked them until they messed with my Mitsouko!)

    The Memoire Liquides sound intriguing because they do sound best for putting on one over another, a little like the Jo Malone scents.

  • Judith says:

    I was also lucky enough to get a squidge of Sarrasins–and I can’t decide whether I’m in Marina’s camp or yours. I get mostly jasmine here (with some tuberose), no camphor (which is surprising if it’s there, b/c the camphor in TC never goes away on me). It’s certainly at least very pretty, but whether it’s more than that on me I’m not sure. I will have to wait until it’s officially out and I can apply it liberally before deciding.

    Would love to try Guerlain’s PoisdeS, so please enter me in the drawing.

  • Billy says:

    Please enter me as well!

    Lucky girl with your Sarrisins!

  • Dana says:

    Please enter me in the draw. Thanks!

  • Jamie says:

    Love Guerlains! Please enter me in the drawing.

    Thanx!

  • Marina says:

    Have a great trip, Patty!
    Sarrasins was pretty, but nothing special on me 8-|Certainly not in the Tubereuse Criminelle league. :-w

  • Malena says:

    hi patty,
    please, include me in the drawing. i´m such a guerlainista, i “need” to smell pois de senteur!!!
    sarrasins is a beauty, isn´t it? i´ll need a big bottle as soon as it´s available!

  • katy says:

    Please, enter me in the drawing too !
    And I’ll be on the list-I want to sample Sarrasins !;)

  • March says:

    Oh, P — that Guerlain sounds so lovely! Hey, enter me in the drawing!:”> I want to smell like a Guerlain sweet pea…

    I am very excited about Sarrasins.

  • Anne says:

    P, please enter me in the draw. And Maria, I know, I know! I’m checking this blog and my email with giddy anticipation. :)>-

  • Amarie says:

    Thank-you for a great post. I have a small bottle of Caron’s Pois de Senteur and it is quite quite beautiful. That dark underlay works so well beneath what seems to me a fairly true sweet pea scent- one of my favourites from Caron. I just looked both up and Guerlain’s pre-dates Caron’s 1927 by 10 years.
    I would truly love to try the Guerlain so please enter me in the draw.:)Thank-you.

  • chayaruchama says:

    May I join the party?
    Thanks, Patty !

  • Alica says:

    I wish I was entered in the drawing because of laving all Gurlains – this one in particular I don´t know yet. Thanks

  • Kim says:

    Please enter me in the draw – thanks for the comparison to the Caron as such comparisons help me keep learning. Looking forward to the new decant site.

  • Lee says:

    Aaah, so I was right to detect camphorish stuff in the tester strip the Salons sent me? (gives himself perfume bonus points). It’s a winnah fosho.

    I love the smell of the old boys’ sweet peas on the allotment (no double entendre implied) and hope that something of that is captured by either Caron or Guerlain (there’s no essence of sweet pea, right?).

    I had a blast with Louise (more tomorrow, including an exclusive – I think – announcement) and am now off to see that white pawed, black faced doggie. 😡

    • Louise says:

      Ah, Lee, I thought we were keeping the engagement secret…:)

      Whatever y’all imagine Lee to be like, you’re wrong…he’s just better. And I know how much you already love him.

      Lee-I miss you already!

      • Lee says:

        Dammit. I *was* keeping THAT a secret. Oh well – now we’ll have to distribute the gift list…<:-p

  • Kyra says:

    What on earth will I do if I am out of town when you open the Chamber of Secrets? And yeah, sweet pea and absurdly pretty sounds good. Put me in the draw, please.

  • Veronica says:

    Mmmmm Sarassins,I can taste you already!
    Love the scent of Sweet Peas in the garden, haven’t tried im in the perfume ( not knowingly).
    Please enter me, I’m game for these!

  • Maria says:

    Ooh, please, put me in the drawing. I wish I could grow sweet peas, but I don’t want to deal with more mildew than is already present in our garden.

    I’m looking forward to Sarrasins–but even more to that magical e-mail message that will announce the opening of the Perfumed Court. No pressure. Seriously. :-j

    Have a good trip!

    • Maria says:

      Wheeeeeeeeee! The Perfumed Court is open!! What a fabulous site! Congratulations, Patty, Diane, Nancy, and Lisa! <:-p@};-

  • Robin says:

    Ooooooh — I want Sarrasins!