Hiya Posse,
Portia with you again from AustralianPerfumeJunkies and thrilled to be part of your weekly read.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Guerlain Shalimar Fourreau du Soir (Foo-roh dee swahr) or Shalimar Evening Frock is a redressing of the current formulation of Shalimar in a glamorous lace covered Shalimar urn bottle that went out over Christmas 2011. The copy reads that it’s the same juice but I find it more bitter and leatherier, a slightly tougher look at the old favourite. Like a chic niche brand was reinterpreting a standard, keeping everything good and making it darker, deeper and a tiny bit malevolent.
Photos of red carpet Fourreau du Soir Stolen Zimbio
Still it opens all lemon & bergamot, powdery iris with vanilla overload but before we hit 15 minutes there is a lovely, dirty, resinous, leather feel, darker than suede that stays for over an hour before we return to regular scheduling and the rest of the life is current Shalimar to the end. I was worried that I may have been imagining it but side by side there is a definite difference.
Fragrantica gives these notes
Top: Lemon and bergamot
Heart: Jasmine and May rose
Base: Tonka, incense, iris, vanilla and opopanax
I could only find 1 Guerlain Shalimar Fourreau du Soir 50ml EdP left to buy $129.99 Amazon
I got my 5ml decant from MyPerfumeSamples for only $8.99
What is your favourite Shalimar incarnation? I’m still an old fashioned vintage parfum lover but the 1980’s EdC is pretty special too, then I rather like the modern EdP and this, not to mention the hundreds of flankers that now seem to spring up. I don’t know. All of them.
Don’t forget to drop by AustralianPerfumeJunkies and see what madness is going on there too, we love visitors.
See you next week,
Portia xxx
I have a bottle of the vintage EDC. It’s more like a vat than a bottle really. It was my godmother’s and it’s huge and about 1/3 full. I’ve always liked Shalimar. The only one that doesn’t agree with me is the Parfum Initial.
I hate the J Lo frock. Awful. Just awful.
Hey Poodle,
What is it about the Initial that many Shalimar aficionados don’t like? It is different but does it not like your skin?
HA HA J Lo dress. I bet when she stood still hilding everything in before the sizing in the fabric had given a little that it looked killer, rather than roadkill.
Portia xx
Initial just smells blah on me. There’s nothing Shalimar about it and there’s nothing remarkable about it to make it stand alone on my skin. On paper it seems okay to me but I spray it on and it’s just nothing great. It’s also very linear on me. It is what is is from start to finish. That’s okay though because I love all the other versions of Shalimar. The bottle for Forreau du Soir is just wonderful. I love that black lace.
Vintage parfum, absolutely
Yeah I love the vintage Parfum too. Especially for the mind numbing stuff like shopping and cleaning. It puts a spring in my step every time.
Portia xx
I love Shalimar, especially my older EdT in the boule bottle. It wasn’t always so, however; when I first smelled it as a teenager, I didn’t like it at all.
What a wonderful photo of those outstanding Academy Awards red carpet gowns! Love ’em or hate ’em, it was an unforgettable display of gowns and stars.
Thank you, as always, for the invitation and reminder to drop by Australian Perfume Junkies. I enjoyed your reviews of Borneo 1834 and Seville a l’Aube.
Heya nozknoz,
You are always on hand with encouragement. It does not go unnoticed and I am most grateful.
Glad you dropped by APJ too, we love to see you there,
I hope your weekend is lovely,
Portia xx
I’ve never mustered up the courage to try any other version of Shalimar except in the current EDP version. But either today or tomorrow I am going to order a large decant of vintage Shalimar EDT or in extract form. I better pull out my bottle of Shalimar to make sure I really want to pull the trigger on getting a decant of either.
Hiya Eldarwen22,
Shalimar can become a bit of a collection if you aren’t careful. I probably have more Shalimars than most non perfumista people have bottles in their whole fragrance wardrobe. I’m slightly addicted.
If you love your EdP stick with it. I think the current incarnation is good too.
Portia xx
Too late!
Hi Portia. I can’t do Shalimar, it really never comes together right on my skin. ): So if I had to say which one works best for me it would be the latest EDT. Hard to believe I’m saying that. :/
Someone mentioned the vanilla “flanker.” My impression of Shalimar Ode a la Vanille is that it’s like Shalimar done with the L’Art et la Materie materials, and to me it reads as more linear with all the notes in their proper place and b/c of that it’s just no fun at all. Shalimar’s prissy little sister maybe. But the materials used are nice quality so maybe that’s a variation worth finding (and they still had full bottles this summer), especially if someone is into collecting the different editions.
LOL -“Someone mentioned the vanilla “flanker.” ” ANN did. Sorry, my browser is hating this new posse flash format and I couldn’t view the comments.
Ann I do okay with the Vanille too. But too, too linear. If I want vanilla. I’ll just keep on layering stuff with my Double Vanille.
That’s it!! Thanks, Lily, my mind was completely blank this a.m. Rarely wear muy sample of the Ode, but it’s there if I ever get a Shalimar craving, ha! I do love that Spiriteuse Double Vanilla, though — yummo!
Hilarious! Shalimar’s prissy sister. I will find her.
Portia xx
My dear Portia, Shalimar was my first, at 15, and I still adore her in all her guises, particularly dirtier!
The EdC from the late 80’s was my introduction but it has changed and, whilst still definitely Shalimar, my formulation of choice now is EdP. Well, that’s not true, because it is really the extrait but since my money tree is NOT growing, the EdP it is. At least until we are finished paying for my daughters’ private education…many years from now! I’ll have to see if I an lay hands on a sample of this one.
Oh and by the way, the charity shop Tweed was gone but I’ll keep an eye peeled!
You rock FragrantWitch,
I love the current EdP and though it is cleaner than the old stuff it is still rich and creamy, reminds me of Mum and her cronies, and generally does everything it should. I am lucky being a crazy, barren, old hag. More for me to squander on Shalimars. But you know the rewards for your choices.
Please DM me on twitter @OzPerfumeJunkie
Portia xx
Crap! I didn’t even know they’d made this! I love Shalimar, though I rarely wear it. And ‘leather and resin’? Seriously?
I’m going to have to bug NM to put the perfumes back out (they shove them in the back – I think cosmetics takes center stage at that counter). Otherwise nobody’ll ever see this…
I hate that damn Lopez dress. There. I said it. I think evening should be about allure and mystery. Not a $5000 pareo. Haters, commence!
xo :Devil:
Howdy, Ms A! I’m with you on the JLo dress — leave a little to the imagination, for crying out loud!
BTW, what is up with NM? My Neiman’s does the same thing, hiding stuff in drawers and tucked way back in the corner of the little cash register nook. I have to specifically ask for something that’s not out, the SA digs, can’t find it, and says I need to come back when the fragrance specialist is there. Sheesh!
Hey Musette!
I am hunting for one in Sydney but don’t think I’ll be lucky. SO SAD!! I really want the bottle,
I think that frock was designed only for runways, and women who look like choreographed spaghetti, J-Lo is way too much woman for it, I do like the colour though,
Portia xx
‘Choreographed spaghetti’- you made me snort my Diet Coke! :Overjoy:
The dress suits her I think, although I don’t like it. But I don’t like any of the others shown either.
Shalimar on the other hand I adore!
YAY! Hello Austenfan, always great to meet a fellow Shalimar lover,
Portia xx
Hi, Portia! Oooh, I do love that bottle, even if (hangs head in shame) I’m not a big Shalimar fan. It just doesn’t seem to like me and my skin, despite my many attempts.
I do OK, however, with that vanilla flanker and the one that’s skewed for a younger crowd, so does that count?
HAH! Ann, fragrance isn’t serious. You like what you like and stuff the rest. The bottle is FAB U LOUS!! I agree. Vanilla flanker?
Portia xx