Undoubtedly, if there ever was a classic perfume that was identified with early gender bending, it would be Caron’s Tabac Blond. Created in 1919 by Ernest Daltroff, Tabac Blond has been a testament to androgyny, a beautiful yet mysterious fragrance that doesn’t ascribe to normal gender classifications. We typically associate the infamous actress, Marlene Dietrich with this Caron masterpiece, but even before she started testing the boundaries of the male/female conventions, a little know french artist, Claude Cahun, was breaking gender bending barriers. To read more about this intriguing artist and to read the full review on CaFleureBon and to enter in a draw to win a 7.5 ml bottle of Tabac Blond parfum extrait, click here.
You can also read my original Tabac Blond Scented Hound review by clicking here.
I have no idea how it happened, but somehow in the past I dismissed Guerlain’s Shalimar. Maybe because I smelled it on a blotter and it just didn’t do anything for me, or maybe it’s because I smelled it at the same time I had just taken a whiff of Mitsouko (too medicinal for my tastes), but for some reason no love was registered on my part. So a few weeks back I was in a small antique store in Fredericksburg, Virginia and lo and behold they had a selection of perfumes, mostly minis and mostly made up of Liz Taylor White Diamonds and the like. But there in the case were 2 bottles of unopened vintage Shalimar Eau de Toilettes in the gold box (just as in the pic below). They were marked at $12.00 a piece with a 20% discount (the original CVS sticker on the box stated $35.00… I hadn’t realized they even sold Guerlain at CVS!). At that price what did I have to lose. So I purchased one of the bottles and as soon as we got in the car I opened the box, sprayed liberally (and practically choked my husband out of the car) and that’s when it happened; magic. Shalimar cast her spell over me and I haven’t looked back since. So spurred by this magic spell I had to go even further. A few days later I got on eBay to find myself a bottle of parfum extrait and once again….though completely different from the EdT, Shalimar Parfum Extrait cast her spell. Love is such a beautiful thing.
1920’s Glamour
WHAT I SMELL – Parfum Extrait: The perfume opens with a big and bright citrus and bergamot. The citrus is directly from the peel, big, bold and full. There’s nothing sharp, but the opening is bright, uplifting and dynamic. The infused florals are slightly heady and beautifully warm. It’s big and full and proper, but slightly naughty. It’s like the most luxurious silken pillow that you’ve ever rested your head on. After around 45 minutes an incense in combination with the bite of the civet make their way in. What was bright and bursting with energy now turns more vampish…constrained vampishness, but you know it’s there. As it continues to develop there’s a darkened sensuality that pulses from the heart of the perfume, the incense is so subdued and there’s a hint of leather that smells like a well oiled and rubbed baseball mitt. It’s stays in this phase for some time until hours later when the fragrance begins to dry and it becomes a warm vanilla dream. Oh Shalimar, you’re glamorous, earthy, rounded and just plain gorgeous!
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: 1920’s glamour. Created in 1925 by Jacques Guerlain, the fragrance perfectly fits the era, the glamour and the intersection of the Victorian moral scrossing with the newly modern and daring women of the day.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SHALIMAR PARFUM EXTRAIT: knowing, vibrant, seductive
Bone Rating – Vintage Shalimar Parfum Extrait – 5 bones
WHAT I SMELL – Eau de Toilette: Shalimar EdT opens with a cool citrus that quickly becomes spicy and slightly peppery. From the way the perfume smells I expect it to be heavy, but it’s not as it’s much more radiant and ethereal. The citrus carries on nicely without any bite and the floral tinged amber is embedded with an incense that is as light as can be. It really is bewitching. The fragrance maintains this light and airy incense, but after around the 45 minute mark in comes a light and sweetened creaminess (but yet is still rather dry…its almost a contradiction) that’s like a kitten’s purr. It stays in this creamy dream for a good long time. Finally, after hours, in the end you’re left with a dried light vanilla that’s soft, pretty with just a hint of mystery.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: desert haze
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SHALIMAR EAU DE TOILETTE: soft, subtle, mysterious
Bone Rating – Vintage Shalimar Eau de Toilette – 4 bones
BOTTOM LINE: Of the two versions, the parfum extrait is my favorite, it’s just so lush and seductive. The EdT is perfect for wearing everyday, in fact, my bottle after a few weeks is already 1/4 drained. I guess the lesson here is never to poo-poo a perfume just because it didn’t do anything for you on a blotter. There is obviously a reason that Shalimar has lasted for so many years…it’s because it’s incredible and somehow I feel it was created just for me.
INTOXICATED – WHAT I SMELL: Intoxicatedopens with a boozy burnt coffee note that is sweet, yet flattened. It feels like it’s been sprinkled with dry nutmeg and it has a rather marshmallow thickness consistency about it. It makes me want to fire up my espresso machine, because this would make for a nice after dinner drink to go with a hot cup of coffee. As Intoxicated starts to develop, it becomes a bit nuttier, richer and it begins to rise and jump off the skin, growing with projection each minute. There’s a nice herbal quality that rests like a haze on top the layered fragrance and a bit of sweet and light caramel emerges giving it more dimension. As time progresses, the light booziness retreats, but the roasted coffee and nuttiness remains. After around a half and hour, a light vetiver appears, bringing just a bit of sharpness into the mix. As it keeps developing, it turns from the gourmand to a more woody creation. But the great thing about the by Kilian fragrances is that they are so supremely finished and silky smooth so that the different variations in the fragrance make the notes hard to define and pin down.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The most luxurious S’more with a lightly sweet refined cocoa’d chocolate with the finest of graham crackers. And when you’ve finished eating the lovely concoction, the warm, sweet and fired remains of the treat linger in the air.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE INTOXICATED: smooth, delicious, suave
LIGHT MY FIRE – WHAT I SMELL: Light My Fire opens with this dry hay like tobacco and honey. Quickly, a cumin notes comes in along with the patchouli. It’s dry and a bit sour. The honey isn’t thick, but more like a dried and crackled glaze over the hay. It’s rather comforting to me, as it’s a bit dusty too…as if the perfume has been stored in an old barn. Along with the honey, there seems to creep out a bit of a brown sugar note. There’s a tender sweetness about the fragrance that’s very muted which I find quite nice and heart-warming. After around 10 minutes, a putty note appears giving Light My Fire a bit of thickness. At this point, the initial hay that brought in the dryness begins to be filled instead with a more woody note which isn’t quite as devoid of moisture, but it’s still rather dry. Light My Fire doesn’t transform all that much, but it’s such a nice and relaxing fragrance, the kind that’s good for soothing one’s soul. Don’t get me wrong though, as relaxing as this is, there is still some power and projection behind it.
Light My Fire Notes: cumin, hay, patchouli, vetiver, honey, vanilla and tobacco
Late Day, Late Summer – Jan Schmuckal
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A late summer day, where the ground is rather dry as you lay under a big tree while the sun streams all around you.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE LIGHT MY FIRE: peaceful, contented, contemplative
SMOKE FOR THE SOUL – WHAT I SMELL: Smoke for the Soul opens big with this warmed eucalyptus topped by a nutty tobacco. It’s quite thick and a bit chewy and somewhat burnt around the edges. After a bit, it begins to dry and it becomes more burnt, like the sticks of wood are actually firing up on your skin. A birch note begins to appear almost as if the already flaky bark is falling off of the perfume exposing a more sharpened cannabis note that’s quite pungent and sour. The fragrance then dries out and becomes pure wood. However, the wood continues its slow burn with a slight smoky and sharp finish sitting above a vetiver base.
Smoke for the Soul Notes: eucalyptus, grapefruit, tobacco, mate, birch, cashmirwood, cannabis and cardamom
burnt twigs
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: burnt twigs
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SMOKE FOR THE SOUL: crackling, aromatic, burnt
BOTTOM LINE: With the by Kilian name, you’re getting luxury not only in a scent, but also in the packaging. This new collection is no exception as each perfume comes in a case designed to look like a luxurious cigar holder. Intoxicated and Light my Fire are really smooth, refined and perfectly finished and live up to the by Kilian brand. Smoke for the Soul plays “which one of these is not like the others” with the other two. It’s nice, but it just doesn’t feel like it fits into the mix. In any case, overall, a very nice collection.
Expense: $270 for 50ml Eau de Parfum (each sold separately)
Undoubtedly, if there ever was a classic perfume that was identified with early gender bending, it would be Caron’s Tabac Blond. Created in 1919 by Ernest Daltroff, Tabac Blond has been a testament to androgyny, a beautiful yet mysterious fragrance that doesn’t ascribe to normal gender classifications. We typically associate the infamous actress, Marlene Dietrich with this Caron masterpiece, but even before she started testing the boundaries of the male/female conventions, a little know french artist, Claude Cahun, was breaking gender bending barriers. To read more about this intriguing artist and to read the full review on CaFleureBon and to enter in a draw to win a 7.5 ml bottle of Tabac Blond parfum extrait, click here.
The Scented Hound 