Tilleul by Le Galion

Hey posse, Le Galion doesn’t get the love it deserves. Beautifully crafted, elegant, seamless fragrances that are so refined and balanced. It’s easy to miss how gorgeous they are in the rush for new and weird. I’m seriously surprised that they don’t headline many a perfumistas collection. They are as close to perfection in perfumery that I have found. Tilleul is the first I have fallen deeply for in my sample set.

Original Le Galion perfumer Paul Vacher cosigned Arpege, then went on to create his own house. There he not only created for himself but also created the Christian Dior fragrances from Miss Dior to Diorling. After the companies demise at the hands of USA buyers my friend Nicolas bought the recipes and name and has done his utmost to recreate the fragrances with modern technology and within guidelines. In 2020 Le Galion celebrated 90 years with the release of nine new fragrances.

Tilleul by Le Galion 2020

Tilleul by Le Galion

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Linden tree
Heart: Honey, Ambroxan
Base: Musk

From the Le Galion site:
Reminiscent of the great trees adorning the garden at the Galion private mansion, and of the tree of freedom and love with heart-shaped leaves: the lime tree symbolises Paris, where many of them are planted. Fascinated by this magnificent tree’s June blooming, Quentin Bisch pays it tribute with this new creation for Le Galion. 

How does Tilleul smell? Honey and a heavily feral flower, both fluffy and breathy. It smells like it should be a white floral but created by someone remembering it from childhood rather than having it in person. Skewed towards mimosa but the smell of a furry bees ass. It also smells like bees wax, those expensive candles that are a rolled scroll of flattened bees wax with a wick. Plus, it’s kind of burnt, not smoky as such, like yesterdays charred through log gone cold. Cold too, maybe even cold and wet like sand at the beach on the shoreline when you pick up handfuls and it drops back, splat. Is that a hint of broken tomato leaf?

OMG! So many laters of scent. Tilleul is an ever evolving panoply of fragrance. By far the best new thing I’ve smelled this year. Jaw droopingly weird up close but perfectly beautiful at arms length. Quentin Bisch at Givaudan has created a truly niche perfume. This is the equal of Vero and Bertrand at their best. I’m utterly gobsmacked that this freak of fragrance has come from le Galion. I’m smiling from ear to ear at the audacity to release something as bold and out there as Tilleul. BRAVO!

Unisex, moderate projection, excellent longevity.

I also love Cologne Nocturne by the Le Galion crew.

Have you? Would you try Tilleul?
Portia xx

  • john says:

    I’ve been craving Eau de Magnolia and Fleur de Cassie……yet, wanted something new, love Bisch.
    I saw this and ordered full size straight away….can’t wait to sniff.

  • Kathleen says:

    Thank you for talking about Le Galion! I love when old perfume houses are resurrected and past perfume recipes re-interpreted. I have vintage Sortilege which I love, and I’ve sniffed Snob. Tilleul notes sounds heavenly!

    • AnnieaA says:

      And it’s especially nice when they do a thoughtful job of it. I have a travel spray of Snob, and I still have the original, tiny bottle I had my from childhood, my earliest memory of French Perfume.

    • Portia says:

      Hey Kathleen,
      I particularly love that the Le Galion guys are respectful yet transparent about not being EXACTLY the same. We perfumistas know that the notes, accords and rules have changed since then but for a company to be truthful about that is nice.
      That vintage Sortilege is YUMMERS!
      Portia xx

  • Brigitte says:

    I want to smell like a furry bee’s ass please.
    Somewhere in the Marzipan basement is a mini of very vintage Le Galion Lily of the Valley.
    I also remember Sortilege from decades ago…60s? 70s? Must have been in my parents’ house.

  • Tara C says:

    I’m not necessarily a mimosa fan but this one sounds lovely. I’ve only tried two Le Galions, Iris and L’Âme Perdue, both very nice, would like to try more.

    • Portia says:

      OHHH! I am dying to get out of Australia and back into Europe so I can get my nose on EVERYTHING the boys at Le Galion have been doing.
      How was L’Âme Perdue, can you remember much about its development?
      Portia xx

  • ElizaC says:

    This shares some of the same notes as Amoureuse. I love the warmth and pizzazz of Amoureuse, how do the two compare?

    • Portia says:

      Hey ElizaC,
      Amoureuse has that lily and slightly gone vase water thing going on. Both missing from Tilleul.
      In depth of character though I’d say they are alike. Weird assed beauties.
      Portia xx

  • Holly Walker says:

    What a fabulous- and fun to read- review! Sounds like a must sniff! “charred through log gone cold”…totally has me imagining what that must smell like, among the other descriptions- love this!

    • Portia says:

      Thanks Holly,
      Info-tainment is what we hope to do here. That you noted it and took the time to respond has made my day.
      Portia xx

  • Diana says:

    Hey Portia! You’re right, Le Galion is surely and criminally underrated. Their Special for gentlemen is a fantastic lavender. Tilleul sounds great (“furry bee’s ass”!!), hope I’ll get to try it (the house doesn’t get much love in Russia for some reason).

    • Portia says:

      HI DIANA!
      So nice to see you.
      Le Galion flies under the radar everywhere. I really think it’s because they are too good.
      Portia xx

      • Diana says:

        Hiya back! You might be right, Portia! I sometimes think of buying a couple, but I feel as bit like Buridan’s donkey: where do I start ’cause obviously with blind-buys I need to tread lightly-ish 🙂

  • grizzlesnort says:

    Furry bee’s ass. OMG. Please enter me in your draw!

  • March says:

    I LOVE LINDEN. Like that honey / bee musk smell, I think it skeeves a lot of people out. I will have to try this one!

  • Musette says:

    What in blazes are you SMOKIN’ over there, Portia! This … this review … well! I have GOT to try this. Your evocative post is ticking ever. stankin’. ONE. of my scent boxes. xoxoox

    • Portia says:

      HA! Well, I’m sup[er glad to have given you a shiver of excitement Musette but zero combustable consumables over here.
      Portia xx

  • Cinnamon says:

    Have not tried and will now have to have a look for samples. I like honey in some iterations (just not Serge).

  • taxi says:

    I have Tilleuel from D’Orsay, by Olivia Jacobetti and I love it!
    It has similar notes, with lime trees, honey, sweet yellow flowers, beeswax.

    • Musette says:

      taxi,

      You. Are. NOT. Helping (see above what I said to Portia)

      😉

      xoxoxo

    • xxdfarre says:

      Love Tilleul, but haven’t been able to find it for ages. Thought it had been discontinued.

    • Portia says:

      This tree seems to have been the focus of a few fragrances. If any are as good as this it looks like I’m going to be eating ramen for the foreseeable future.
      Portia xx