At the current stage of my perfume “obsession,” I rarely buy perfume. (Most of my time, and skin, is reserved for new fragrance samples, and I really don’t need any perfume until I use up some of what I already own.) When I first became a perfume-maniac, I bought, often unsniffed, everything in sight. If I liked a fragrance house, I’d work my way through all their masculine offerings. Sometimes, a beautiful ad in a magazine or the sighting of an interesting perfume bottle was all it took to “make” me head to the store and buy a fragrance — and hope for the best. Long, long ago that’s how I came to know Guerlain Héritage: I loved Guerlain and the Héritage bottle* so I bought it!
Héritage, created by perfumer Jean-Paul Guerlain, was released in 1992; it includes notes of lemon, bergamot, lavender, coriander, pink pepper, patchouli, cedar, vanilla and tonka bean. Héritage opens with lots of bergamot and lavender, a creamy, not astringent, blend. As the scent dries on skin, lavender becomes more noticeable and herbal. Pepper and coriander notes are subdued but add a “gleam” to the perfume. Héritage’s heart and base are almost ‘one’; after its opening, Héritage heads directly to its destination: a shimmering, “golden” amber composed of balmy cedar, a touch of musk, patchouli and vanilla (with some lingering lavender). Héritage is a well-gauged/low-impact scent — there is no startling “blast-off” and there is no bumpy landing.
Héritage Eau de Toilette has good sillage and lasting power. Héritage Eau de Parfum is almost impossible to find in the U.S., and I had to rely on a purchased sample for this review. Héritage Eau de Parfum is not stronger or longer lasting than Héritage Eau de Toilette (on my skin, it faded faster than the Eau de Toilette version). Héritage Eau de Parfum is more opaque, ‘dense’, and less bright than Eau de Toilette (it is sunset to Eau de Toilette’s mid-afternoon). Héritage reminds me of Jicky (creamy bergamot/lavender and musk), L’Instant de Guerlain pour Homme (the smoooooth and sexy base notes) and Habit Rouge (reduce Habit Rouge on the stove till all its effervescence evaporates). Héritage can be worn year-round and, to my nose, is unisex.
If my memory is correct, Héritage, in the 1990s, had more strength, more presence than today’s version; wearing “old” Héritage was a statement. Today’s Héritage is downright coy compared to the perfume I remember, but it still smells really good. Over the years I’ve gotten smarter when it comes to perfume (common sense trumped impetuousness). Héritage has shed its power suit and put on jeans, a T-shirt, and cardigan (all expertly tailored and stylish). To my tastes, Héritage is more appealing than it used to be — even as it’s become thinner and lost some stamina.
Guerlain Héritage is available in 100 ml Eau de Toilette ($94) and in 125 ml Eau de Parfum (good luck finding a bottle). For buying information, see the listing for Guerlain under Perfume Houses.
*The Héritage bottle I loved (shown in the top ad) is no longer available.
I bought blind a bottle of Heritage edp because the price was right and because the edp is becoming a rarity. Reading your review I am lead to believe that I have an “old” bottle: it is strong! Beautifully strong, all the notes interwoven in a way that my abilities cannot break it down to its individual elements. Reminds me of the metal net one sees in medieval armours. I only wear it when I want to make a statement.
Note: one day my friend wore it. The minute the scent hit his skin he cried “it smells like shit!”. Of course I told him he exaggerated. But when I came close there was a very strong fecal note that never appears on my skin. I have never seen civet mentioned in the notes, but who knows.
MemoryofScent…yes…assume that is an OLD bottle!
Your review has me wanting to buy it unsniffed, Kevin – but I won’t break my wisest rule! A sniff of Heritage is on the to-do list for my next visit to the SF Neiman’s Guerlain counter.
gg: glad you have willpower! Hope you like it.
You are right about the 90’s…
In 1995 I was promoted at my job and I shed the jeans and tshirt and bought a power suit and got a haircut in order to appear “older” as I was too baby faced and wanted to be taken more seriously at work.
I bought a bottle of heritage and it WAS more powerful than what it is today… I remember that the middle and basenotes did blend toghether then as well.. but I also remember distinctly the smell of cuban cigars… I guess it was the cedar interacting with the patch and tonka…. It was (and is) a class act… and to me it smells of uptown conference rooms and “old money”
I meant downtown, not uptown… my english plays tricks on me
K.G. “uptown” and “old money” go together!
Thanks, Kevin, for the lemming inspiring review. As I read it, it made me think of the Monday Mail this week. I wonder if Lucas has smelled this? Not sure how a quiet twenty something in Poland would like it. It sounds wonderful to me, but then I like old money scents like Eau d’Hermes. I’ll have to see if my Guerlain counter stocks this. Thanks again! Be well.
HEMLOCK: thanks! Hope you can find it to sniff….
Love that ad – the best of the opulent ’90s! I’ll sniff around for some of this.
noz: good luck in the search…many US sites I looked at for pricing said Heritage was “temporarily out of stock”…we must blame it on Guerlain’s weird shipping schedule to the US.
Back in the late ’90s, when I had a good relationship with the Guerlain SAs in NY, they used to regularly give me samples of their current offerings and Heritage was among them. I think I gave it to my dad, but now wish I had ignored the masculine packaging and given it a try myself, especially if there’s a link to Jicky. Missed opportunity. I have always liked that initial packaging and the name. Maybe I’ll have a chance to try it the next time I visit a Guerlain counter in NYC.
Thanks for your review, and the reminder, Kevin.
OperaFan: good that you are in NYC…this is so hard to find on shelves these days. Bergdorf Goodman stocks it.
The thing about Heritage is the incredible radiance that it has when you put it on – I mean it really throws off a bunch of sillage and lasts incredibly long. It is both one of it’s strengths and it’s weakness.
I own the vintage EdP for this reason – it’s deeper, darker and wears a little closer to the body. I also own vintage After Shave which is EdT in strength. Worn together, the effect is superb.
The first time I fell in love with Heritage, it smelled like pure ‘luxury’ to me – just class, personified. I still get that vibe from it. I find that it works for me when I ‘dress up’ a bit and I don’t want something too over the top (like Tabac Blond extrait) or too regal (anything by Amouage).
I would never have thought of comparing it to Jicky, but now that you made the connection I think I see what you mean. The EdP of Heritage has a big fat sandalwood base note, which is honestly my **favorite** part.
And yeah, that vintage bottle is the sh*t. Mine, is the tall, chrome glass sided, rectangle of glass that is actually a refill and it slides into a gold chrome bottle holder. It’s a beauty.
Mike: after reading my review, someone offered to send me some vintage Heritage…can’t wait to smell it again.
Shame, really, that Heritage isn’t as popular as, say, Habit Rouge, or L’instant (both of which I love, mind!). It’s such a great fragrance and quite possibly my favourite men’s Guerlain. (I haven’t tried Derby or MdM)