Shalimar by Guerlain: Perfume Review / Fragrance Review 

Katie I miss your reviews so much. Your elegance, humour and knowledge is still unmatched. I'll keep rewatching your reviews on hum drum days as a pick me up. All the best to you my dear.

You've identified exactly what I find fascinating about these classic perfumes: that very idea that we can smell (more or less, owing to reformulations) what people a century ago were smelling. It's time travel in a bottle.

I love the scent of Shalimar! My brother bought a bottle of Shalimar for my mother when I was still a teenager in the 70's. And I've loved it since then! And I'm going to be 68 soon and I've never forgotten Shalimar! It just stays with you. ❤

Just tried it for the first time today. First reaction was yuck- not into this spiced lemony thing. Then something special happened. It changed. It reminded me of a time I was wearing vanilla and amber perfume and sitting in a car with my cool older friend who was smoking cigarettes and wearing a leather jacket. Good girl gone bad! Love this.

My great Aunt Ruby was a flapper from Port Arthur, Texas. Good to know that this is what she smelled like. Gonna have to score me a bottle for purely personal reasons.

Just knowing that women wore this in the 1920's makes me giggle with glee. I feel like I'm wearing some history, as if I'm wearing an Impressionist or Surrealist painting :) Also, the fact that I'm 21 and wear this makes me feel kinda rebellious amidst the sea of fruity floral infused college dorms >:D. Love you Katie!

I tried Shalimar a few days ago... My dear Lord... I instantly fell in love... It's smell soooo smooth on my skin yet very sexy... It's just sooo me... and I love your review on perfume! ^^

Hi, Katie! love your reviews! Shalimar is PERFECT! It was Kahlo's perfume...well, she used to smoke, to dance the tango and to use Shalimar! To a perfect woman, a perfect scent! ;) kisses from Brazil!

Katie please come back. Best reviews ever, ever....

Your are the reason I discovered Shalimar, shalimar is wonderful, I only wish I could discover another masterpiece to wear during the day, I find I can only wear it at night, It is great though and I fight off anyone that tries to tell me that its old! I love it! thanks kp xx

I do love hearing these classic perfume testimonials: who's wearing them, what they're wearing. Thanks for the input!

In 1932 Dana Tabu was the "Bad girl" scent. Though men can certainly wear it. I do. But the vintage only Tabu. Tabu reminds me of those unburnt Incense sticks in those hippie shops. Similar to that. Shalimar edt from the 1980's. Not that spicy compared to Tabu or Paco Rabanne La Nuit. The vanilla is interesting with the powdery notes. I have not tried the edp version of any kind. As for Frederic Malle Musc Ravageur, it's definitely musky and Clove like. Really well done.

Shalimar is one of the most intriguing perfumes in my collection because it IS musk and amber and spice, none of which are things I usually go for in my fragrances. Shalimar is my one exception. It's just "sex in a bottle". Sensual, sexual, intimate. That's Shalimar. GREAT review! Really hit home with me. I love the fact that we are still talking about Shalimar in these days of cotton candy fragrance. Almost 100 years old and still making people feel sexy. Now, that's a perfume!

Please please please make another video Katie!

Watching this in 2023. Hope you’re doing well, Katie!

You must have been one of the very first fragrance reviewers. Hope you’re well

Discovered Shalimar almost a year ago. I'm in love with that perfume, I'd love to use it every day. Two problems: A) I'm a 15 year old boy. B) It's EXPENSIVE.

@RachelSoHJ Thanks so much for visiting! My passion for fragrance is leading me to learn more and more about it all the time. And there's always more to discover.

I LOVE this review! Katie you are one wonderful speaker! Thank you for this wonderful post!

Please come back and review!! Miss your content!!

As I can understand, Shalimar has been one of the mysteries of human's nature, during the past century. As one of the reviewers mentioned, just imagine, how many love stories, break ups, regrets and emotions have people spread over this fragrance. Just unbelievable ... I am 30 year old male, but I just want to buy and have it. For me, or for a woman, does not matter. Just one question, should I go for Eau de Toilette, of Eau De Perfume? Which is more for youth?

Hey! I've tried it on my skin since then & it developed beautifully. I absolutely love it! The powdery sweetness of the vanilla is gorgeous.

Unique scent in a good way that you can not detect what is in it & that made me keep sniffing it without making me overwhelmed like most of popular expensive perfumes now a day which are mostly on the same scents category. This is Something different. If you want a rest from what you always wear, sniff this & you will find it a wow scent. An Elegant scent. When dried done, sometimes I could compare the scent is close but on a lighter side scent of a bath soap Heno de Pravia

Hi Katie I want to thank you so much for the affect you had on my newfound passion for perfume. Shalimar is among one of my many favorites but you should know that it's the dupe for Fracois Coty's Emeraude (Emerald) which was launched about 1920-1921, 5 years before Shalimar. Could you do a review of Emeraude for us Shalimar fans? Shalimar took all the fame and glory but Emeraude has a fan base as well. Also, I would like you to review either Black Pearls or Passion by Elizabeth Taylor the first big celebrity to have her own fragrance line, which still sells big time. I imagine you might be a Liz Taylor fan and would love to see a video review paying tribute to her fragrances. Thanks!

@domperrier My review applies to the EDP. Shalimar-loving guys tell me they enjoy the EDT, and when I've worn the pure parfum, it's much more profound on the gourmand side with its cinnamon/vanilla aspect amplified. I remember wearing the parfum while eating a warm treacle tart, and experiencing an intense synesthesia. I've never tried the EDC.

@ShesInLosAngeles Aww, how nice to be included in such a fun experience. Thank you!

@oshinsr A powdery quality in a perfume can go a couple of different ways: either powdery like baby powdery, or smoky like the air around incense or a bonfire. To me, Shalimar's powderiness shape-shifts between those 2 modes. The longer it's on, the more smoky/leathery it becomes.

The pure parfum is indeed gorgeous - it smells deeper, richer, and sweeter than the other concentrations, and it wears a bit more softly: closer to the skin. It's worth trying the EDT, EDP and parfum to see which is most to your taste. The EDP is the one for me, but I wouldn't turn down a bottle of the parfum if it were a gift! Buying vintage perfume online is common, but you're right, it's always a gamble whether it's held up over the years, or been stored properly. Just the risk you take.

this was my mum's favorite and because of your review I bought it and finished it in a few months. But it is not me. thanks..

I was in love with Samsara years ago (still love it) and tried out Shalimar after it was mentioned in the film 'The Mephisto Waltz'. It's been my favourite perfume ever since (about 20 years).

My daughter (35) and I (59) have decided to take in this beautiful so cal day and perfume counter hop at the Paseo in Pasadena. I want to expose her to some vintage perfumes and decided to share this video with her (one of my all time favorites btw). We will spritz, have lunch, then return to buy a new fragrance. Her name is also Katie and she is anxious to try Shalimar. Thank you again for these great videos.

Oh great, I found my next perfume, you just explained it perfectly, everything I love, Powdery, Vanilla smell, I have to get some ! Thank you, I don't know about the leather smell you said tho,... Thanks for inspiring me !

@fanfare78 The rose is Bakelite, and the beads are carnelian.

I bought this on Zulily today. The bottle caught my eye. Hope I like it; if it has stuck around this long, it's for a reason.

@Sanbika89 Shalimar is about the interplay between fresh citrus, creamy vanilla, and amber. A more contemporary version would be Calvin Klein Obsession. A more candified version might be Fresh Sugar.

Phenomenal reviewer, awesome fragrance! It reminds me a little of Dior homme intense as well...?!?! ;)

@MACTackleBox You are so very welcome!

So glad you track me down here in "fumeland". You'll really enjoy comparing the edp and parfum with the edt you know and love.

Makes me curious about the vanilla note. I love when vanilla is not sugary.

Shalimar is definitely more of an animal than contemporary perfumes. Although with every reformulation, it loses a bit more of the tiger in its tank, which is a shame.

I really like how you review the shalimar.. im a guy, i also wearing them..

Love love love your reviews Katie! I went to sniff Shalimar because you always reccommend it and I LOVE it! I love your cheekiness!

@Nerblette I'm inspired to hear that you got your "heavy artillery" ideas from KP Smells. Vanilla additions to Shalimar are a good way to proceed.

Spot on, absolutely! Plush red velvet, creme brulee crisply caramelised sugar, European take on vanilla. Nothing to do with flowers and works with your skin. Exactly. And it's final whisper is silky scenty smooth.

i'm a guy and i love wearing the EDC. I own the 80s bottle and the most recent blue box one.

@chacharas81 Shalimar is 100% age-appropriate for you, but it's a question of whether you'll go for its warm, "leather blanket" feel of the base notes. Contemporary perfumes typically are lighter and sweeter, and Shalimar's richness might not sit right with you. But it is so beautiful, and even if Shalimar first seems different to what you're used to, I'm confident that you'll learn to love it -- especially if you enjoy vanilla/gourmand perfumes.

I LOVE shalimar! Great review as always, would love a review on dior addict.

I'm a Man and I wear this, the " Vintage " Parfum de Toilette. and it's truly a classic and on the " Right " person ( Male or Female ) it can be glorious ! So, I thought I'd share this, great review.....Oh, I'm a HUGE Chamade Perfume lover, ALSO a Guerlain classic.... KATIE....Do a review on Chamade by Guerlain, you'll LOVE IT !

What amazing timing! I just looked to see if you had a review of shalimar yesterday morning!

@Nerblette With Shalimar, you might choose to amp the vanilla, or the citrus, or beef up the smoke/incense/musk with a second perfume. You could also choose a lavender, and re-create Guerlain Jicky. A good way to test drive layering is to spray different perfumes on scent strips at the store, & then hold different combos of the strips to your nose to see how they meld in the air. When you do play with wearing more than one, spray them on different parts of your body, not both on the same spot.

@KatiePuckrikSmells thank you so much for taking the time to answer! I love your reviews! Greetings from Mexico!

@filmjolk Thanks for adding the details on bergamot! Personally, I do like exploring the nitty-gritty of all the flora and fauna involved in perfumes, but I don't always include it in my vids because not everyone's as much of a nerd as I am. But you are correct - bergamot is a specific species of citrus, and not just any ol' orange.

I bought my first bottle of Shalimar the other day (the EDP) and you described it so perfectly! Especially the bit about it wearing "like your skin but better" it stays for a really long time but stays really close to the skin. I've used it every day since I got it and I'm so happy with it because I was scared I would one of those people that don't appreciate it. I'd love to see you do some video reviews of other older Guerlain scents like Mitsouko, L'Heure Bleue or Jicky.

Another amazing review Katie! I have Shalimar edt. It's a smoky vanilla that I think men can easily wear. Although, I'm not one to refuse a perfume just because it's marketed to women. I also have Omnia by Bvlgari, Sensuous by Estee Lauder, and Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker. As you said in previous reviews: Perfumes do not have genitalia. Thanks Katie!

Wow, Katie, look at how many comments you have!!! Cool! I love Shalimar, my mom used to wear it. It does go a bit powdery on me, but I still wear it once in awhile.

I sampled Shalimar at the department store today on my wrist, but ended up buying some floral. On the way home I couldn't stop smelling my Shalimar wrist...after the top notes wore off it was so, so alluring and original, and it's funny that you say it smells like velvet because that's exactly what it reminded me of, old, rich velvet, locked up in a dark room for decades. Now I want to go back and buy a bottle of Shalimar, but thinking of mixing it with another perfume. Any ideas?

I just ordered this fragrance, I think it is a must have for any collection. Thanks for the video.

Hi Katie! I've tried this lovely fragrance after watching you rave about it. I LOVE warm scents like this & I don't know if my grandma wore this or not, but I recall that same powdery scent on her. I'm not a floral or super sweet kind of person & this is perfect. By the way, I love your sense of humor!

It should be available from most of your trusted online etailers, as well as from selected department stores.

@brillanita Not every perfume is going to speak to you personally, but it's great that you're starting to explore a wider range of fragrances. The more things you smell, the larger your range of references will be. You may come back to Shalimar in a year or two and have a completely new take on it.

@inkfantasy I've seen Shalimar sold everywhere from drugstores, to Target, to Sephora, to Saks 5th Ave. It's one of the most widely available fine fragrances out there. Both Sephora and Nordstrom will make a sample for you to take home if you want.

@sakuraness My personal BPAL faves are Scherezade, Dee and Harlot. And I adore the orange-blossom honey bath oil called Oceans of Love & Millions of Kisses.

@iamcasihart I missed experiencing Shalimar Light, too, darn it! Good luck on your continued exploration of Shalimar....

@redjae Yes - blame youth! But don't be too hard on yourself - our tastes are constantly evolving and changing, whether it's in perfume, music, food, etc. The more fragrances you're exposed to, the more context you have for appreciating what you're smelling. And your own personal associations with different scents will color your perceptions, too.

@LunaMoonaBella Shalimar Light, and a previous version (considered superior), Shalimar Eau Légère, were available from appx 2003-2007, but are now discontinued. I never smelled them, but both were fresher, less sultry versions of Shalimar. They've been replaced with Eau de Shalimar, and those who've smelled all light/eau versions think the current version is terrible.

thanks for reminding me about this gem of a perfume!

thank you so much for making this video katie, as a guy who has more than a few women's fragrances in his collection, i've only just (after watching this video) today discovered how totally wearable the edt version is for guys, and in the near the future i hope to get my nose around the edp and the pure parfum versions. you're truely amazing, it's funny to think i used to see you on "the word" on channel4 here in the uk years ago! lol x

I had a friend in highschool who loved this perfume. I will have to hit the mall to smell it again. I have not smelled this for a long time. By the way I love your necklace! Thanks for the review!

Excellent review. Thank you

Hi Katie, I just tried Shalimar in Sephora today and the one word that came to mind was "SKANK" in all caps! Was this the synthetic civet coming through? I don't know why on my skin the skank came through so strong...it was enjoyable only because it was so different from everything else I was sniffing. It definitely wasn't behaving like a lady! It actually made me smile 'cause it was so stinky. Couldn't really get past that so I missed all the other notes you described.

Another factor in perfume trends is the discovery of new aromachemicals that result in a bunch of new releases that all have the same cotton candy accord, or red berry accord.

@whafah That's the mystery of fragrance - it can touch our emotions with delight...or meh-ness.

@Sukantara I don't know the exact number, but there are at least 500 new perfume launches every year, and that is far to many to keep up with! Plenty fall by the wayside, but there are certainly thousands and thousands and thousands of bottle of smelly juice out there.

Happy that I was able to tip you off to Shalimar!

@Nerblette My general feeling is that wearing two complex perfumes at the same time is like mixing two different bottles of wine, since a perfume is carefully designed to stand alone as a sensory experience. Having said that, I've stumbled onto some accidental combinations that smell great, usually when the second perfume picks up on notes in the first perfume, or it's a lot simpler than the first perfume.

I had the Eau de Cologne of this when I was in my late teens. Such wonderful memories. I want to purchase again but haven't had any luck in finding it. I don't know if the cologne was discontinued.

Hey Katie - great review! I haven't worn shalimar for years - I've got to rediscover it now. I think this could be the one! Thanks X

@BeckaOfSweden This is one of those happy instances where we're both right: the original Shalimar Baccarat bottle (designed by Raymond Guerlain) was inspired by the urns in the gardens of Indian palaces, tying into the the "Temple of Love" theme.

Shalimar is #1 perfume. Nothing compares to this scent.

@PoshPatootie I first experienced Opium last year and couldn't believe how assertive it was with that dense wall of resins! There's absolutely nothing else like it out there! I loved smelling it, but couldn't imagine wearing it. Haven't run into Belle d'Opium on my travels, but am eager to try it!

One should know, that Guerlain doesn't use the original pure ingredients anymore. The Shalimar you can buy nowadays contains syntheticized Vanilla ect. People who know Shalimar still from the 70s will agree - Shalimar now is a complete imitation of what it used to be...

This was incredibly helpful - thank you! You are so very thorough! :)

Woooaaa. You are the first American ever that I heard say the name Guerlain right!! I'm amazed.

As much as I love how Shalimar develops.. that lemon note in the opening turns me away every time. It's that hard lemon that was adopted by every floor and wood cleaner company during the 80s that is burned into my brain. I've happily found Bijou Romantique by ELdO gives me that amazing, classic oriental feel minus the overused accords of the past.

@ccmerope You're right - basically, it boils down to "either you smell good or you don't". But the ride to getting there is a fun one to experience and analyze.

@ChannelHMC It's fun to give things a whirl on your skin: you get the whole picture, and even if you don't like it, it gives you a reference point for your perfume evolution.

@nekoboy86 Other than the fact that both HR and Shalimar are Guerlain classics, with a plushness characteristic of the line, I don't make a connection between the two. (Oh, okay, both have a powderiness that can read as leathery/incensey.) HR is all about the orange blossom and spicy carnation, and Shalimar is all about the burnt vanilla dusted with cinnamon. No doubling up, there. Eau de Shalimar is pretty lemony, a different character to Shalimar altogether. And not like HR, either.

Finally got to try this (only in the EDT version though) in my department store. Didn't see the EDP so I had to try the EDT. Only tried it on paper but what I got was leather, don't really recall smelling vanilla. I would've loved a noticeably smokey vanilla scent mixed with leather and incense but I mostly got leather. I probably didn't smell it good enough. At the current point, don't take my review serious. I'll try this on the skin next time maybe. Great review Katie! xo

@donnellylv I discuss Shalimar Ode à la Vanille in my Holiday Party Fragrance Tips video. I've got the where-to-buy info on my blog post for it - the link's in the description box for that vid.

@1guiltfree It's really tough to overcome associations of a scent with another person or a certain experience. Perfume can be like a song in that way.

@YandaoChyan Edition Charms is the same perfume, just a special edition bottle. The EDP is a bit thicker, creamier than the EDT. Personally, I prefer the EDP. I think she'd love your gift idea.

You did reviews like no one does, too bad you no longer do them. Hope you are back some day. Cheers

I first smelled Shalimar as a teenager and loved it (I love powdery scents) but I thought I was too young to buy it for some reason...I think I'm ready to give it a go now :) Love your descriptions.

The story of Shalimar started 4 centuries ago in Northern India....and was created in memory of Muntaz Muhal who's admirer Shah Jahan thought of her as the most beautiful woman ever... It uses Iris butter which cost £16000 a Kilo as it is very difficult to extract.... Eau de Parfum is absolutely perfect if you want the perfume to be more subtle and last all day....as Habit rouge which was first created for women,it can be worn by both sexes....depending on your skin.

Well the parfume and bottle is actually inspired by Shah Jahan and the love he had for Mumtaz Mahal - which he made Taj Mahal for. Shalimar in sanskrit means Temple of love. So the bottle is inspired by the building, not a urn.

Excellent review! I wore and loved Shalimar in high school (early 1980's), I then moved on to Emeraude (also loved it!) and then onto a million other perfumes, but would like to revisit some of my old favorites (Shalimar and Emeraude) I'm looking for the pre 80's version of Emeraude on ebay. Love your reviews!! :0)

And it might of been incense that I could smell too. Also, maybe the vanilla was just so 'different' smelling to normal, sweet vanilla that I didn't notice. Gosh, I don't know, it's too damn unique!

hey I have this perfume Guerlain Shalimar.. i love the history/story behind this perfume.. i love it!!

@Evange Huh! I get spice for sure, but not a peppery spice. And no soap for me...thank goodness!

I had one of the beautiful old wavy glass bottles that Guerlain used to sell, but stupidly, I sold it when I moved abroad. Now that I'm thinking of repurchasing, I'm really regretting that! Shalimar was the only perfume that my father, who hates perfumes, ever liked, and therefore bought my mother.