The second one, though (to the furthest left in the photo), could be either from the 1950s or the 1960s because its liquid is such a dark brown, even if it’s not syrupy as molasses like my mother’s bottle. For all I know, the bottle could’ve sat above someone’s kitchen sink in a sunny window. I was so blown away by my mother’s bottle and how much better it was than the 1970s extrait that I owned that I was determined to buy an old Marly Horse bottle for myself. I had to really dig my nose into my arm to detect it by the 8th hour. But no, the glorious thing was completely intact and glorious, impervious to time, light, heat, and steam…. What I really suggest would be for you to write to the people at Raiders of the Lost Scent since they specialize in the look and dates of fragrance packaging. It is filled with perfume and my mother bought it in Paris and I inherited it from her Where did you obtain it, if I may ask? “uuuh oooh” would have been my reaction, too, Marion! Wer weiß. Now the only one I have is one that I purchased a year and a half ago. When it comes to things pre-1976, dating is an extremely inexact science that is full of guesswork based on circumstantial evidence, and I’m certainly not a dating expert, but I’ll do my best to provide a few tips. What a beauty! Photo: my own. The 1970s vintage Shalimar doesn’t change rapidly or often in its first 30 minutes. Die Duftkomposition vereint Eleganz mit Intellektualität. If you’re located in Paris, I believe Guerlain offers one day workshops that give one the opportunity to smell their vault of vintages in 50-year form, so perhaps that is an option? It’s engulfed with surprising speed by a musky, animalic, smoky, and woody leather accord that is redolent of charred birch wood, its ashes, campfire smoke that is almost like that of a barbecue, and an astonishingly dark, almost raw castoreum leather. Your Thanksgiving evening sounds delightfully cozy. Not for … But the fact that your bottle has a black spray pump is quite unusual. It sounds to me as though we need to get you a sample of vintage Shalimar to create a current olfactory memory to go along with the mental one of that plane ride. MARLY HORSE VINTAGE SHALIMAR PARFUM, A Guide to Vintage Shalimar – Part I: The Parfum (1950s, 1960s, 1970s & 1980s), The Average, The Banal, The Bad & The Ugly Lists, guide to Guerlain base/bottle stickers or stamps, guide to post-1976 Guerlain boxes, bottles, and batch codes, Dating Shalimar bottles. The opulence of its bouquet is beyond my ability to describe, but I shall do my best because not even my own old vintage Shalimar extraits have come close to the sheer degree of staggering, dizzying, utterly toe-curling, staggering beauty of that 1950s bottle. While browsing eBay one day, my eye was caught by a chic travel atomiser of Shalimar parfum. The incense has also been softened and is now shot through with orris and vanilla. If I had to make a rough approximation of the breakdown of notes, I’d estimate 60% would be the citruses; 15% would be the syrupy, sweet jasmine; 15% would be the incense-y, smoky vanilla; and the remaining 10% would consist of the mixed leather/suede, sandalwood, orris, birch, musk accord in the base. I sniffed the stopper and thought my heart was going to stop. And thank you for the kind words on the post. Instead, what appears are the syrupy jasmine and woody birch. Thank you Kafka for this post! Your expertise is amazing, and I thank you for all the time and effort put into your posts. Ich sprühte mir das kleine Pröbchen ans Handgelenk und Nacken und war wie immer... Mein erster Kommentar hier - und dann gleich über eine Königin...kann das gut gehen?! I did everything. In my opinion, and for me, personally, age is the single most important factor in deciding which bottle of Shalimar to buy, no matter what the concentration. They were both in beautiful bottles in the purplish velvet cases. I fell for the postlapsarian extrait in my late twenties. For example, a 50 year-old eau de toilette may end up being richer, deeper, smokier, and/or more ambered than a 15 year-old vintage eau de parfum. Shalimar ist so eine Ausnahme (für mich). He writes that Thierry Wasser, Guerlain’s current nose, is “not an advocate” of the Jicky-vanillin theory because he thinks the development was much more complicated. It took me almost a year to get a bottle of YSL Champagne. As for Shalimar, have you had any luck on eBay? [UPDATE: Part II on the scent of the EDT, EDP, and PDT across three decades has now been posted, but the technical dating analysis will be the subject of a later and separate post, Part III.]. I do everything on my iphone-so I don’t know how to post it here? So, only one single airline flew from Germany where I was studying to Windhoek: South African Airlines. People seem to love it or hate it- I’ve never met anyone who goes “eh, it’s alright” when it comes to this scent. Painting by Mark Chadwick on Flickr. Even once you’ve decided which concentration of vintage Shalimar you want to buy, navigating eBay with its slew of offerings can be an extraordinarily daunting task. Thank you for magnificent write-up of the one of grandes dames of perfumery. So guess what she had for me? The fragrance eventually dies away as nothing more than golden sweetness. In the drydown, the smoky vanilla and the ambery resins take over completely. Well, this turned out long and rambling. There is no incense and the tendrils of smoke come largely from the indoles wafted by the jasmine with only a small part coming from the castoreum leather. Fazit: Dieser orientalische Duft besticht mit hoher Komplexität und opulenter Dekadenz. AA Pamplelune. Thank you for the comprehensive review. Source: Pinterest. , I’ve heard about the French eBay situation when it comes to Guerlain perfumes but wasn’t aware that it applied to all LVMH-owned brands. I’ve been a reader for a few years, but you definitely made me want to respond when you brought my beloved Shalimar into the blog. I’ll get around to reviewing vintage L’Heure Bleue one of these days since there are SOOOOO many new releases that I’m quite behind at this point, but one day I want to hear your L’Heure Bleue stories. Ein... Zu Shalimar ist schon viel gesagt worden, doch auch ich muss nun meinen Senf dazugeben, denn ich bin diesem Duft verfallen. It’s definitely one of those things that every serious perfumista should try once in their life. For me, something like my 1976 EDT is perfect to use at bedtime and to scent my sheets. BTW, I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving and that it’s not too cold in Canada. Ich glaube, ich habe den "Übeltäter", denn ich habe ein ähnliches Problem: denke, dass es der Jasmin ist. Die kommen auch gut... Nun ja, ich denke dieses Parfüm war zur damaligen Zeit ein fantastischer Duft und roch sicherlich auch völlig anders als jetzt. I have such a backlog Kafka to read I thought you were slowing down? The long, detailed reviews are always so interesting to read, even when I don’t think I’d enjoy the perfumes. With three tiny, light smears, the 1950s vintage Shalimar opened with 3-4 inches of projection and about 5 to 6 inches of sillage which soon grew to about 10-11 inches after 30 minutes. When I applied several dabs, equal perhaps to 2 small sprays from an atomiser type of bottle, this Marly vintage Shalimar opened with about 4 inches of projection and about 5-6 inches of sillage that soon grew to 11-12 inches. Unlike the 1960s/1950s version, there is zero sense of woodiness or campfire smoke to the leather, and no clear, distinct incense. (In fact, for a long time, the bottles that he gave me were in those boxes.) Personally, and in all candour, I don’t think the weaker or lighter concentrations of vintage Shalimar (like the EDT) are worth a detailed, time-consuming and expensive manhunt unless you see a really old bottle going for a good price (because the age makes such a huge difference! The grandparents had been through health issues and wouldn’t have noticed the loss. I would have expected it to be the reverse since, usually, older fragrances may be more rounded but they’re also blurrier at the edges, their notes having condensed over time to fuse together and to thereby lose much of their vivacity, brightness, and individual delineation. It is in the box as well as inside the velvet box as well I would say all three, but your comment about your husband and your wonderful, long marriage (knock on wood, knock on head) outweighs them all. Had I smelt it blindly and without knowing the concentration, I would have guessed it was an eau de parfum. [Update 11/10/16: Raiders of the Lost Scent‘s new guide to Guerlain base/bottle stickers or stamps places the date of my bottle to the early 1950s, perhaps even end 1940s, not the 1960s or end 1950s as I had thought when I originally wrote the section below.]. Shalimar (Eau de Parfum) is a popular perfume by Guerlain for women and was released in 1986. I promise to explain all about the Marly Horse and Baccarat in Part II. I’m hardly an expert in dating vintage Shalimar, but they are. The bouquet changes within minutes. A light, thin streak of boozy and intensely smoky vanilla runs through it, but the vanilla is hardly a major note at this point. Give him kudos from me for his thoughtfulness and taste. I was on a site that sold Shalimar, one in “original packaging” (I assume older, but probably not vintage), which was more expensive than the newer, same sized one. I specialise in scent analysis. Ripples of spice emanate from the patchouli and resins in the base, weaving up slowly and sinuously to fuse with the smoke from the leather and incense. You have a superb nose and superb writing ability… Just first class. I know my mother bought it in Paris as well Second, that husband of yours is a keeper. 5 mal standen mir in der Pafümerie die Haare zu Berge und ich dachte:" Das gibts doch nicht, so riecht alte abgestandene Suppe, aber doch kein Parfum !" 1980s vintage Shalimar doesn’t develop much more beyond this point. Not in a million years. According to the store, the lady had been a passionate collector of really old fragrances, including several special collector item versions, and most of the bottles dated to the 1950s and 1960s. The article was so interesting, being a 50 year user of the elegant perfume I will forever use it. This is a wonderful, comprehensive post and should be required reading for all except the sellers of vintage Shalimar. It was so powerful that it almost gave me a headache when I sniffed my arm up close for too long during the first 30 minutes. The lover’s mother had owned it for a few years prior so the bottle dates from the late 50s. I’ve never smelt anything quite like it and, for me, everything pales before it, including my beloved vintage Opium. There is no vanilla in the opening, either. My mother’s 1950s Marly Horse bottle of vintage Shalimar opens on my skin with a thick torrent of glittering rubied roses that are heady, sweet, practically beefy, and chewy. And a thought; you smell absolutely fabulous!! Alternating between looking at the bottle, and then at myself in the mirror wondering what kind of person would consider doing this.” — I laughed for a good minute or two, OUT LOUD, at this. I’ve never seen it as melancholy, sad, or blue. Carole. I’m so glad, though, that your bottle was unaffected! Source: Pinterest. If you’ve ever attended a Catholic or Russian Orthodox … Oh, dear. I know you smell fantastic when you wear either one. In fact, years before I bought my original 1970s extrait, I would see “rose” in the Shalimar note list, and I wondered to myself what they were talking about. The two citruses take the lead, swaddling the rose like a beloved newborn. (Do I care? As a side note, The Perfume Shrine adds benzoin, Peru Balsam, and sandalwood to the note list. (And it is loads better than a similar concentration of eau de toilette dating from 1998 which is 22 years later.). For example, I can’t say that I’ve ever detected sandalwood in the earlier versions, but it’s definitely there in fragrances that I’ve tried from the 1980s. Thank you, my dear, I hope to be able to help you navigate the complexities and to help you get your first bottle or sniff of vintage Shalimar. Egal - wer,wenn nicht diese Schönheit hat meine ersten Worte hier verdient...Also (räusper) : Ich hatte diesen Duft schon vor Jahrzehnten ausprobiert - und war bitter enttäuscht.Ob von mir oder dem Parfum... Orientalische Parfums liegen mir in der Regel nicht besonders. A number of those are not even full, so you’re actually ending up with only 8 ml, or less in some cases. ), but the vintage extrait, that’s a different story. I don’t know how or if I can post a picture but you’re welcome to contact me at my email address, and I’m happy to send one if you don’t mind helping me. It was lovely to read. It’s very heavy, and there’s a lot going on with the notes. The first and the most complex oriental fragrance, this scent is a masterpiece. I love your blog and found it so helpful but sadly, I remain stuck trying to find information on this one specific bottle of Shalimar. night. Nun, bin ich mit 27 Jahren denn überhaupt noch jung? Dating vintage Shalimar on eBay, Guide to Vintage Shalimar by year or bottle, What are the differences between Shalimar concentrations, A Guide to Vintage Shalimar - Part II: EDT, PdT & EDP (1970s-1990s) - Kafkaesque, A Guide to Vintage Shalimar - Part III: Bottle Designs, Dating Bottles & eBay Tips - Kafkaesque, Bogue Gardelia: Vintage Luxury Reborn - Kafkaesque, Guerlain Vintage L'Heure Bleue: Parfum & EDP (1960s-2003) - Kafkaesque, Guerlain Vintage Apres L'Ondee - Kafkaesque, Areej Le Doré Ottoman Empire: Maharajahs, Heat & Sensuality (+Oud Zen) - Kafkaesque. More overtly animalic than the current brew. In total, it took almost 6.75 hours for 1950s Shalimar to become a skin scent, and it lasted just short of 14.5 hours. Congratulations on your two bottles. Vintage Shalimar Parfum, 1950s or 1960s, 2 oz, Marly horse purple velvet box. Not long after, it dissolves into simple powdey, ambery, vanillic sweetness. That’s not the case with younger versions of the vintage Eau de Toilette. The entire bouquet lies under a heavy blanket of boozy, dark vanilla infused with bergamot that smells like smoky Earl Grey tea layered with the fluffiest, airiest, creamiest, and most fragrant lemon chiffon mousse. Note the ambered colour. I didn’t take the bottle. But you wouldn’t know that if you only tried my 1980s vintage parfum. The PdT version always confuses me, particularly as I thought I remembered reading somewhere (with regard to Jicky) that it was an intermediate concentration, but either I was mistaken, recall things incorrectly, or the site was mistaken. My mother had a bottle of the 1970s Shalimar. Shalimar is one of the most famous perfumes of French house Guerlain and one of my all time favorites. I walked in to find two large rooms filled with an absolute torrent of the most delicious, delectable scent of lemon chiffon mousse drizzled with the best Earl Grey bergamot tea amidst in a positive tsunami of smolderingly dark resins, cognac-like amber, and truly mouth-watering, creamy but dark and boozy vanilla. I feel like it’s a treasure I have NO idea about, frustratingly. All of it feels as rich as an attar and, yet, paradoxically, also feels almost weightless because of the way each note dances in the air. It takes a full 60 to 75 minutes for the notes to pipe down and to start feeling more balanced. The cumulative effect is a fragrance that smells like a Bergamot and Key Lime pie which has been lightly drizzled with a few squirts of jasmine syrupy and smoky, slightly boozy vanilla, then placed atop a musky, leather-suede-woody base. I hope what I said makes sense-the top is the gold I’ve seen before-but the push button on the top to spray it is black with lovely markings on it-but the whole top isn’t black. The leather — now highly skanky, musky, and almost raunchy in aroma — takes the lead, followed by the citrus-rose combination. The smoky vanilla takes over more and more, layered with ambered, balsamic resins, before the whole thing ends as golden sweetness. I cannot think of one good reason. From personal experience, I can tell you that that doesn’t simplify matters at all, and merely opens up an incredibly technical world of arcane and sometimes microscopic differences involving the width of bottle stems, label wording, box designs, batch codes, acid-etching, and more. All of it is far, far sharper than the 1970s bergamot, and a whole galaxy removed from the 1950s or the 1960s/1950s one. One is probably from the 1960s because of the lighter, more ambered colour of its juice and the less faded nature of its acid-etching writing on the base. For the most part, the scent trail exudes only a deep, musky rose drenched in huge amounts of bright, robust, slightly sharp and almost lime-like bergamot. Certainly not me. I recoiled and took several steps back in horror, so much so that I accidentally bumped into a lady behind me. I stood for a full 15 mins in the bathroom. So, I’m not sure I can really be of much assistance, but if you want to email me the photo, then feel free. The latter triggered a sort of madness and obsession in me over the last few months, and ignited a degree of passion that few fragrances — vintage or otherwise — have matched in last 20 years, not even other forms of vintage Shalimar. At the end of the 8th hour and start of the 9th, there is only an ambery vanilla laced with wisps of smoke. A recent 3/4 oz bottle I bought is Baccarat, however, and the words etched on the bottom of its base are done so in acid (which is one indicator of age as you will see next time in Part II). And it was worth the hunt. It’s the sort of scent that radiates with such boldness and richness that, once again, I felt as though I could practically see waves of notes concretely and visibly pulsating out in the air. In 2010 or so, I went to a department store and, just on a whim, I sprayed a bottle of Shalimar on my arm just to see what changes had ensued. Your beautiful article explains why and I am so grateful.