Guerlain will launch Shalimar Parfum Initial in March. Shalimar Parfum Initial is a flanker to the iconic Shalimar fragrance (1925) and follows numerous modern variations on the theme, including Shalimar Ode à la Vanille, Fleur de Shalimar, Eau de Shalimar, Shalimar Light and Shalimar Eau Légère.
Shalimar Parfum Initial was developed by Guerlain house perfumer Thierry Wasser, reportedly at the request of his niece. The notes include bergamot, orange, green notes, fruity notes, rose, jasmine, iris, patchouli, vetiver, vanilla, tonka bean and white musk.
Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial will be available in 40, 60 and 100 ml Eau de Parfum. (via parfum-femme.prime-beaute.com)
Update: see a review of Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial.
The only Shalimar flanker I’ve tried is Ode, which I like, but not as much as the original. Of course, I’m going to find and sniff this, but Fruity Notes? I’m curious as to how old this niece is…
Well, if it’s meant to be your first Shalimar perfume (from the name) then I’m guessing it will be “younger” than Ode, right? Plus, it’s pink 🙂
You guys, I might cry. There was a piece on basenotes about the ‘pinkification’ of women’s fragrances and it was illustrated with a bottle of “Mitsouko Pink” which was funny but horrifying. In real life they are doing it to Shalimar.
Agh! I get it now. Geez… in my defense, it’s still rather early in the Northwest! 😉
You know, maybe they really don’t mean it so literally, I have no idea. I took that from the name and the mention of the niece. For all I know the niece is 37.
I see “fruity notes,” “patchouli,” and “white musk” and start to worry.
THIS.
I start to worry as soon as I see pink Shalimar. But who knows, maybe it will be fantastic. I did like Shalimar Light / Eau Legere.
But that wasn’t done by Wasser. Sorry, did I say that out loud?
maybe if they hadn’t tampered so much with the formula in the past few years, sales of the regular shalimar would be strong and they wouldn’t feel so compelled to come out with twelve thousand flankers?
Nah, they’d still never sell Shalimar as anybody’s first perfume.
Shalimar was my first perfume, but that was 40 years ago, when it smelled less like lemon Pledge.
Is this fruity-floral Shalimar? I can’t…. Why would they? If his niece wanted a pink fruity floral why not make something else?
I’m so sad.
Maybe it’s a testament to my perversity, but I’m looking forward to it—it seems like the other flankers have stayed true to the spirit of the original… what if this is a *Good* fruity-floral??? (It could happen)
Not that I’m really the fruity floral type myself, but I agree. Maybe this will actually be really nice. I’m definitely not going into it with high expectations, but perhaps Wasser will do something unexpectedly nice!
Hard to tell, and kind of doubt it’s a fruity floral, but we’ll see.
Julia – I understand how you feel. I’d feel the same way if they made a fruity floral Vol de Nuit. 🙁
I’ll give it a sniff, but I don’t think this particular flanker is necessary as an introduction to Shalimar. My 8 year old daughter loves Shalimar Eau Legere and we both wear it in the hot Arizona summers.
Shalimar with green notes just doesn’t compute for me. Really don’t like the new bottle design either. Tiny base looks pretty easy to tip over….
So sad, a pink fruity Shalimar :-C . I will stick with Shalimar EdT. But wo knows, maybe it is a great fragrance.
The fact that the name roughly translates to “My First Shalimar” is cute.
Oh, and Shalimar Eau Legere is way up there on my list of favourite scents, which makes me wish I’d bought more than one 50 ml bottle when I found it at TJ Maxx.
Shalimar has been yellow, blue and now pink….so this really isn’t such a new idea for their flankers. It’s Shalimar…so I don’t think it can get too fruity. The Ode didn’t smell very different to me and I tend to think that they won’t deviate too far from the “shalimar” aesthetic here either.
But someone who gets the chance to sniff or to test–please report back!
White musk?? I could cry. Please Floyd don’t fruitchouli my Shalimar! Shalimar was my first proper fragrance purchase at 15- I adored it. I had discovered Emeraude and an aunt suggested Shalimar and it has been love ever since!
I have to say that I cringed at a classic fragrance being…”youthified” (I think I’m comfortable with that word) with the color. It looks like a drink you order at a trendy bar. However, I will try it. Also, those notes…I have no idea what they’re going do with all of that.
I can’t afford anymore Shalimars. Wail!
I am a bit skeptical of a “fruity notes” Shalimar, but it must be wonderful to have an uncle who is a master perfumer!
Hugs!
Well, since I can’t really wear Shalimar, this actually looks like it would be a better fit for me. And I like the bottle.
Well, god only knows if this will smell good. I’ll test this – I do like Shalimar parfum and edt/edc anyway and some of the other shalimar flankers, but get them all confused. I just get the feeling that Guerlain is throwing pasta on the wall trying to get an updated version of Shalimar that would be a new icon much as the No 5 Eau Premier is for Chanel.
Spot on. I’m confused about the Shalimar flankers, as I am with ELs flankers for Pleasures and Beautiful too. Once consumers are confused, you start to lose them. Chanel did it once and did it right with No 5 EP. Imagine the envy that must have caused in perfume boardrooms!
Yes, Chanel really hit the bull’s-eye. I am sure it was as much luck as planning, and there are probably some “new No 5” demo’s that weren’t so good left on the cutting floor. Chanel still releases some duds though – all those Chance flankers.
It doesn’t sound like a fruity floral a la Little Black Dress (which I like) but it sounds like they should have named it Shalimar Eau Premiere … I happen to like Chanel no. 5 eau premiere, so i have hope for it…
I do want to try this, because I have a hard time with Shalimar, and it’s one of the scents I really want to love. Partly because of the bottle, which is so pretty. On my monitor the juice doesn’t look too too pink (more like a very watered down Shirley Temple). And I like the blue tassel. Is the cap blue also? It looks like it…
You know what would be awesome? If they sold a sampler pack of the original and all the flankers together, so we could compare them side by side.
That would be fabulous!
I’ve never liked Shalimar, but I think that bottle is absolutely gorgeous with that dark-pink juice. *running away*
Oh, I love the shape of that bottle, and the rose color is nice. I don’t hold Shalimar sacred at all (I’m not a fan); however, I don’t think it looks related to Shalimar.
I agree: it doesn’t.
It’s probably because I don’t care for the juice that I can allow myself to be charmed by the beauty of this bottle. 🙂
I’ve tried every current version of Shalimar (and own several) so I’m sure I’ll try this too despite being a bit put off by the notes. I hope to be pleasantly surprised and that they do a better job of marketing it than they have with Shalimar Ode a la Vanille.
First reaction was how could they!!! I felt they should just give it another name..Jicky, Shalimar…Ni_ece? Even the bottle shape looked disturbing …squat, and odd shaped…fruitchouli!!!Shalimar!!!
But then, my visual asthetic took over and I thought, mmm…this could look pretty next to ode de la vaniila…Heck! I will try it, but I believe the smell and horror will outway my visual aesthetic
We are soul mates.
The Shalimar bottles are such gorgeous creations.
“Parfum Initial” sounds like a spinoff from “Eau Premiere”.
Hmmmm-beautful bottle–but fruity smell??!! 🙁
I never liked Shalimar, though I love scents in that family, but recently I tried it again and for some reason loved it. I think it depents on the day and how I’m feeling. It felt really exotic the last time I used it. I will be giving this one a try,
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