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Guerlain Insolence Sparkling Shower Gel ~ scented body products

Posted by Anjali on 6 April 2007 4 Comments

Guerlain Insolence Sparkling Shower GelGuerlain introduced Insolence last year to mainly mixed reviews among the fragrance community, gaining flak for being too sweet and simple and not particularly Guerlain-ish. I have to agree with Victoria of Bois de Jasmin that if one waits for it to emerge, underneath this sugary violet exterior lies a rich Guerlain heart of iris, woods and smoky vanilla.

However, while this may be true of the perfume, the same complexity is sadly not present in Guerlain’s matching shower gel; its fragrance captures only the Eau de Toilette’s sweet innocent phase: the smell of violets tinged with greenness, sugar and a hint of berries, reminiscent of a sweeter, greener Violetta di Parma. However, I love both stages of Insolence, both its girly light “un-Guerlain” stage and its complex heart, and I enjoy the gel very much — it somehow transforms my shower into a cold, icy garden at dawn, filled with dew-covered violets.

The only concern is that the Insolence Shower Gel is a bit thin and runny for its price, which means one goes through it a lot faster than a normal shower gel; both undesirable and unreasonable for its price ($43 for 6.8 oz). Still, that cold, icy violet patch is a lot more exciting than most of my personal morning destinations, and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another bottle.

Filed Under: scented body products
Tagged With: guerlain, shower gel

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4 Comments

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  1. Anonymous says:
    7 April 2007 at 1:08 pm

    I picked up a sample of Insolence in a dept store, and was quite surprised at how much I liked it. I agree with you that it is more complex than it first appears: starts off with soft violets and then transforms into something that is very Guerlain indeed!

    I enjoyed trying it, but don't feel compelled to purchase it either.

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  2. Anonymous says:
    7 April 2007 at 5:11 pm

    Ach, pity about the runny quality. Generally, the Guerlain flanker products for their scents are usually of top notch quality. (The hair gunk especially!) I'm not so keen on Insolence as a fragrance, but for a nice pick-me-up for the shower for starting the morning with it does seem like a contender…. “cold, icy garden at dawn, filled with dew-covered violets” sounds just fantastic.

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  3. Anonymous says:
    8 April 2007 at 9:38 pm

    Ah, well it's not for everyone for sure! But I'm glad that you experienced the same “Guerlainness” in it as well :)

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  4. Anonymous says:
    8 April 2007 at 9:39 pm

    Yes, I was rather surprised! Haven't tried any of the hair gunk, but making a special note to do so now!

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