Shalimar Parfum Initial Guerlain for women

Shalimar Parfum Initial Guerlain for women

main accords
vanilla
powdery
citrus
woody
iris
earthy
sweet
caramel
aromatic
patchouli

Perfume rating 4.06 out of 5 with 9,008 votes

Shalimar Parfum Initial by Guerlain is a Chypre Floral fragrance for women. Shalimar Parfum Initial was launched in 2011. The nose behind this fragrance is Thierry Wasser. Top notes are Bergamot, Orange and Green Notes; middle notes are Iris, Patchouli, Vetiver, Rose and Jasmine; base notes are Vanille, Caramel, Tonka Bean and Musk.

Shalimar Parfum Initial – scent of desires, joy and sensuality arrives in a flacon which reminds us of shape of the traditional edition. The bottle of this edition is taller and sleeker than the previous. It is decorated with blue stopper and blue tassel on the neck of the flacon. Liquid of the flacon is coloured in warm pink.

Composition of Shalimar Parfum Initial is created of citruses, green notes, flowers, woody accords and oriental scents. Starting from citruses, the composition adds zest of bergamot and orange. Rose flowers and jasmine enjoy embrace of woody accords of vetiver and patchouli, while oriental notes of vanilla, white musk and luscious tonka give seductive warmth to the whole composition. Green notes provide a fresher tone to the composition.

Face of the advertising campaign for the new Shalimar Parfum Initial is Natalia Vodianova, photographed naked. These photos are supposed to represent innocence and chastity of woman's body, new Eve. The photos were taken by Paolo Roversi.

Shalimar Parfum Initial is presented to the market in March 2011 as a 40, 60 and 100ml EDP.

Read about this perfume in other languages: Deutsch, Español, Français, Čeština, Italiano, Русский, Polski, Português, Ελληνικά, 汉语, Nederlands, Srpski, Română, العربية, Українська, Монгол, עברית.

Pros

Pros

42
0
Wonderful bottle design
38
1
Well-balanced sweet smell with iris and rose
38
3
Meant to be a younger, fresher version of Shalimar
26
1
Good staying power
22
0
Modern and younger version of Shalimar
21
0
Quiet and warming end note
21
1
Remarkable, divine, and wearable scent
19
0
Initiation into Shalimar for younger generations
Cons

Cons

46
3
Discontinued
27
1
Difficult to find authentic bottles online
26
8
Not exactly like Shalimar
8
3
May not work well with certain body chemistry
5
14
Not as soft and powdery as expected for some
3
18
Primordial scream of butane citrus opening for some
3
18
Synthetic lemon-floral-powder dry down for some
2
17
Sharp, overpowering patchouli scent for some

Note: The pros and cons listed on this page have been generated using the artificial intelligence system, which analyzes product reviews submitted by our members. While we strive to provide accurate and helpful information, we cannot guarantee the complete accuracy or reliability of the AI-generated pros and cons. Please read the full reviews and consider your own needs and preferences before making a purchasing decision.

Fragram Photos
Perfume Pyramid

Top Notes

Bergamot
Orange
Green Notes

Middle Notes

Iris
Patchouli
Vetiver
Rose
Jasmine

Base Notes

Vanille
Caramel
Tonka Bean
Musk

Fragrantica® Trends is a relative value that shows the interest of Fragrantica members in this fragrance over time.

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Perfume longevity:3.77 out of5.

Perfume sillage:2.61 out of4.

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All Reviews By Date

LOST_HORIZON

This Shalimar Initial edp has a beautiful caramel and tonka, it gives it a sexy modernity, I love how it evolves, it calms down but never loses the flirtatious sweetness nor does it lose the elegance of the iris. One of the best Shalimar created, a flanker worthy of staying forever, what a shame it was discontinued. Although its new version in the Art Nouveu bottle is not as deep and caramelized-tonka (it is lighter) but it is also very original, a good option if you can't find this bottle anymore.

evavidal62

For me this was my very first 'grown up' perfume. I thought it would be easy to transition from light Victoria Secret and Bath & Body Works fragrance mists and body sprays to this more refined perfume house of Guerlain. I was already into florals and fruity florals or floral musks. So this was just heaven on me. The bottle is so cute like a 'pink Shalimar'. As it opens it is very Shalimar with the citrus top notes. Lemony, zesty. Bergamot orange. Bright and refreshing, sweet citrus. The Shalimar connection is later reaffirmed when you get to the vanilla dry down. But the heart of this scent is far more feminine floral than Shalimar which can be unisex smoky vanilla. This smells very pink and rosy, like a powdery pink powder puff in the vanity table of a ballerina. Sweet soft rose and jasmine in the middle stage. There is something subtle about it so despite the powder it never gets heavy or old lady ish. Smells like a young girl with powder and lipstick on. It has a cosmetics vibe and I go for those kind of scents. As the flowers of rose and jasmine begin to fade away, the vanilla comes through. It's not as dark and rich and smoky as the vanilla in Shalimar. It's sweet and gourmand vanilla, creamy and delicious like vanilla frosting on cake. There could be amber here but something about the dry down is delicious and light, not heavy at all. There is soft white musk. I don't detect any green notes or patchouli. It's like a soft musk and feeling the inside of a handbag made of leather. This feels like you are well dressed not necessarily formal but in a nice blouse and pencil skirt, like a very pretty feminine and elegant secretary. It's not sexy just a clean floral with a powdery body, very subtle and womanly. Smells great and good for wearing in semi formal clothing, a dress, a skirt. It's perfectly safe for office/work. But also on dates or to be with either your man or your girlfriends. The season to wear this is spring and summer and early fall. The sillage is not great it sits close to the skin and only someone you allow close to your skin can detect it. Longevity is also pretty poor at about 3 to 4 hours or less. But I really love this perfume. I wish they could still sell this mainstream but one has to find either the flankers or reformulation. The original first edition is best. You can still find authentic ones on ebay by sellers who have them.

Creamy_ambrette

This is beautiful and does remind me of a sweeter, louder feminine version of Dior Homme (older version) at first I didn’t like how much the patchouli was amplified- not because I dislike patchouli but I was hoping for more waxy Iris. The more I wore it the more it settles down. I love wearing this to bed.
I agree it doesn’t remind me of Shalimar at all and it makes sense the re-released it without the Shalimar name. I only have a 5 Ml deluxe sample flacon.
Definitely full bottle worthy for me.
If you have a bottle full or partial, please message me.

RottigrlNYC

Very nice, I like this ones. But it’s Guerlain. What’s not to love

Anamandy

This is beautiful. After my shower tonight I wanted to wear something that I haven’t worn in a while, and this caught my eye. I have to be honest. When I first got this, I was little disappointed that it wasn’t more like my first love from the Shalimar Initial line, L’eau, and I also didn’t like that it smelled very much like Shalimar EDP on first spray. But as soon as this dries down it becomes a soft citrus with a creamy vanilla and beautiful jasmine and rose fragrance. The earthy patchouli and vetiver grounds this fragrance and with the iris balances out the citrus and vanilla keeping it on the dry, powdery side.
Just like its namesake, this is very much an adult womanly scent sharing a similar opening and seductive profile, but this veers off into a softer, more romantic direction. This is the lady after a night on the town, bathe and powdered and ready for bed in her prettiest negligee. Femininity in a bottle. Just lovely.

ingrid.superstar

It's a wonder there is no cherry note listed here, because for the opening salvo of this I get a strong cherry/almond with the fizz of bergamot...quite different than the medicinal, bitter cherry/bergamot combination in La Petite Robe Noire, for example, which I do not enjoy despite many tries.

The powdery almond and cherry give way to breathy vanilla and iris, the vanilla taking on a fleshy, enriched caramel quality as the drydown progresses. At the end you are left with a tonka/vetiver/patchouli combination that smells nearly identical the last gasps of Dior Homme Intense. Initial is creamy, gentle, and yet tenacious -- completely girly without being frivolous. Caramelized but without activating the taste buds. A nearly perfect "cosmetic" scent! My only hesitation being that the late drydown is more peppery than I'd like, an effect I often experience when vetiver and patchouli team up.

I've only had a decant and a mini of this, but every time I see a bottle for resale, I almost pull the trigger just to get my hands on that gorgeous, tasseled bottle. That mini bottle (no tassel, sadly; I might just make one for it) is delightful in its own right, even if gets dwarfed on the vanity. Maybe someday I will quit this hobby for a time for all the havoc it wreaks on my endless desire to own beautiful things!

HoneyPamela

This is the only Guerlain perfume made after the beginning of this century that is worth anything. By far my favorite and the others do not compare, sadly. I've tried almost all of them. Today's Shalimar is a disappointment, in my opinion. Judging by the price on eBay and Amazon, others agree with me, that Shalimar Parfum Initial is superior.

Tuttoo

This is the perfume for all the sad individuals (like myself) who love Shalimar but cannot wear it because Shalimar can be nauseating. In short, it is Shalimar without the smell of.... POO. Maybe that is the secret of being an exclusive classic - create a fragrance only a lucky few can wear without feeling as if they are trapped in the bowels... of hell.
I love this fragrance although I do not love vanilla in a perfume as a rule. I am very, very sad that this is the version of Shalimar which Guerlain chose to discontinue... Sigh

sunnyviolets

Starts off as Flowerbomb without the heavier patchouli and is very nice. Settles into White Diamonds.

Mc1995

I’m not getting the ‘girly’ vibes, or ‘lighter’ yes it’s more modern but not light. This is a great dupe for Dior Homme. Full blast powderey lipsticky Iris. Some patchouli too. Unisex leaning slightly feminine. Best for cold weather.

Mammajamma

Forgive this ramble, would you? (For reference, I am 44 and age is not a factor but I can’t help what pops into my head)
SPI- I’m not elegant enough for you, but you make me want to be! Somewhere between 30 and 50, maybe if I dressed up in a soft silk blouse with the best dress pants, heels, a pair of diamond studs and one simple gold bracelet with perfect makeup and hair. Or if I was somewhere between 18 and 30 old money background and a hopeless romantic. Mostly what comes to mind is PI being an innocent eligible maiden in a castle court with Shalimar being the mother or aunt who mercilessly prepares the young lady to take suitors.

Unfortunately for me, I vacillate between ripped jeans, converse sneakers with graphic tees and a hippie, earthy style. This does have a bit of earthiness from patchouli (vetiver?) and orris butter, the smoothest I’ve ever encountered. Sometimes I feel the very bright and sour citrus in the opening and sometimes not. It gets very warm and almost purrs in the heart. People smell powder but to me this is never dry or dusty, if it’s powder it would be silky as if you took corn starch and the most expensive makeup and smoothed it between your fingertips. It’s satin. The best vanilla I e ever smelled wafts up like a spirit. I don’t get a caramel exactly unless you’re in the process of making caramel sauce from scratch.

I’m self-conscious wearing this to work because when I did, a male coworker followed me around and said I smelled so sexy he wanted to sniff my neck which totally was inappropriate and not cool. May try it again as I work in a different salon with much more gracious stylists.

Smokeandhoney

Parfum Initial as a Shalimar flanker is what Madamoiselle is to the COCO line. Very pretty, still a touch of Shalimar there but more patch heavy, effervescent in the beginning with bergamot, the vanilla, iris and tonka give this a powdery, pillowy marshmallow nuance. The florals are bright. This is a “girly” Shalimar. I particularly enjoy this on days where it's a little warmer with a gentle breeze, I've worn it to the beach on breezy spring/summer days and it really is lovely. I'm yet to try it in the cooler/colder months but I'm sure, as a Shalimar, it will be exquisite. It has great longevity in the warmer weather and my husband kept getting whiffs of this as the wind carried it. I'd love to acquire more Shalimar flankers.

Tatilove

I’ve had a bottle for a few years and use it sparingly as this gem is discontinued.

The open is bright, citrusy, but in a subdued way. It is in no way sharp or harsh. After the initial burst of brightness this settles into a mildly powdery gourmand. The patchouli is there but not overpowering, so even a person who doesn’t typically go for patchouli scents would be able to wear this.

I’m usually not a fan of rose in most perfumes, but this is so masterfully blended that I am not bothered at all by the rose. The jasmine, just like the rose is barely there, but these two florals help tame the sweetness of the caramel and vanilla.

I typically only spray it once, and rarely need to reapply. If I wear it in the evening, the next morning it I’ll usually wake up to a faint powdered vanilla smell. This first time this happened it drove me crazy because I couldn’t figure out where the smell was coming from. It wasn’t until I got out of bed ans realized the smell was following me that I knew it was it was PI taunting me lol

This has to be the most beautiful scent in my wardrobe and I am sad that it had been discontinued. L’initial is apparently a revival of PI but with double the price tag. I’ve yet to try it for fear of being disappointed.

Ps. If anyone has a bottle they’d like to sell or exchange, you may send me a private message. I’m in Montreal and will pay for shipping.

Aelis

Something curious happens to me everytime I smell this fragrance. An overwhelming wave of melancholy washes over me as I inhale the beautiful pink/purple flowers. I have never experienced it before, considering I don't have any potentially bittersweet memories that I could relate to this perfume.

It's a beautiful fragrance - slightly retro powdery florals that soon progress towards a lovely caramel-tinged patchouli-vanilla drydown. I only get a little bit of warm and sweet citrus in the top notes and I don't perceive much greenness, if any. I was rather sceptical about the caramel note, but it is so well done here. The patchouli, another slightly worrisome note for me, is also well blended with the rest, providing the right amount of earthiness. Like in any other Shalimar I tried, the drydown is completely addictive, although less vanillic. In comparison with more recent flankers such as Philtre or Millésime Tonka, this one seems generally more distant from the original. It is also (more) blatantly feminine (even girly, actually, but in a good way); it literally feels pink to me. It's also rather sweet, albeit in a refined way.

All in all, it is very tender and beautiful. I don't think I could wear it every day (I can't always relate to so much pink softness), but I still recognize its sweet, fragile beauty.

muzzbait

I'm having such crap luck, of late, with my sampling.
Like, 0.5 - 1 / 10 or so, it's like it's a sign, or something. I need to stop, or, that I have tried, liked, bought and accumulated ENOUGH of whatever it is I like, and that I need to stop. Or, at the very least, manage this silly need to try try try try try.

Anyway, this scent starts of promising, but the overdose of patchouli seriously ruins it for me. It's too much, like, it's overtaken the whole scent and I can't enjoy or appreciate it in all of its glory...
The iris is smothered, unfortunately, the vanilla also is muted, and for these reasons I totally am not enjoying this all that much...
Not even close...

abbieclark67

Shalimar Parfum Initial is a masterfully crafted scent that extracts love, beauty, seduction, kindness, happiness, harmony, and perfection. This is sweet yet kind of strange, I thought as I sprayed it. This is iris at its best—sweet, unexpectedly woody, perfectly spiced, warmly citric, deep and rich, gentle and warm, velvety with a hint of edge. Just amazing. Absolutely exquisite and wearable. Both longevity and projection are eternities. Real love!

Nancymae

Oh you beautiful doll. The real beauty is in the dry down. Recently I wore it on skin and by the end of the day my sweater was the most gorgeous grown up vanilla floral I've ever encountered. I don't recall this same reaction previously, I mean it has always been nice, but my heavens it was breathtaking. My bottle is a little over 3/4 gone and it makes me sad.

Biljana Prijovic Milovano

Such a gorgeous, every day Shalimar. Powdery, gentle, delightful, and so so famme.

VentViolet

This calls to mind going for a walk on a sunny morning after a snow storm. Everything muffled but crisp - warm in your fur-trimmed coat but the chill biting your nose. This fragrance is calibrated to perfection - a lovely balance of cheerful and somber, cozy and cold, elegant and earthy.

salim96

Shalimar Parfum Initial:
Caveat, to deeply appreciate the full spectrum of the scent, inhale it deeply and re-inhale it again and again, and better compare it side by side with the original Shalimar, this is not a superficial scent by any mean

This is a genius creation, and could be amongst the top 10 creations of all time. Too bad it gets compared to the original Shalimar in the same vein! Each one serves an entirely different purpose.

This is one of the few perfumes that I find completely feminine and exquisitely so, while to my nose the original Shalimar is more masculine.

Thirery Wasser has perfected the “Pink” note, so to speak. It is very hard to describe and even harder to think how he arrived at it but here is my take. Imagine squeezing a very odorant lemon with strong citrus lemony smell, then add a generous dose of slightly bitter/sweet orange and mix it with little caramel and little vanilla. Enhance it further with just a little bit of rose. I also feel that a distinct aroma chemical was used here of which I do not know.

In the original Shalimar, the intention is a warm sensual powdery scent which is achieved by a generous dose of oppoponax and other resins in addition to Iris and a slight animalic tone. However in Shalimar Parfum initial, the resins and the powdery notes are toned down, and the citrus/floral combination is accentuated. The Pink note lingers on and on for a very long time.

IMO, this Shalimar version surpassed the original Shalimar and achieved what the original did not achieve much “being a pure feminine scent”. All the notes are blended to perfection. I can also detect a faint animalic and slightly indolic touch in the background which is not mentioned in the pyramid.

Svetla11

I was torn between buying shalimar og and this one and I vaguely regret not picking the first. I love all the base and top notes. During the dry down the rose and iris are slightly indolic, overripe and overbearing. It’s too floral for my liking and it’s those notes that project the most. I bought a 60ml bottle and struggled to finish it, that said I got a lot of compliments from mainly straight women. It’s well crafted and worthwhile getting , the lingering after the dry down was my favourite part where I smelled musk, tonka and just a touch of the iris.

Atabey_H

My entry to Guerlain was Shalimar EdP and pure perfume over a decade ago. Within a few years, I invited multiple Guerlain fragrances as well as various versions of Shalimar to my collection, one of which was my treasured Shalimar Initial. While Shalimar original is quintessentially Guerlain with unbeatable glamour and mystery, I prefer Shalimar Initial on the daily basis. I find it much more wearable, younger, and less overwhelming. Despite my love and fascination with the Shalimar original, I hardly find the right occasion to wear it. Perhaps when I go to Alfred Ehrhardt's anniversary gala film screening, the event does justice to the depth and the art of Shalimar original.

On the contrary, Shalimar Initial fits well into most occasions: work, evening dates, bedtime comfort, and so on. It has been my signature scent for the past few years. Shalimar Initial carries the original's mystery and sensuality, but with a twist of cheeky playfulness. While I find the original Shalimar rather genderless, to me, Shalimar Initial is much more feminine. Additionally, what I enjoy a lot is how unexpected the note progression is; I get random sniffs of top and middle notes throughout the first few hours. There's something airy and fruity about it, despite its heavy base notes.

Frenchghost

My first time with this house & from this shalimar line,i got a vial sample years ago&i didn't know any of the notes&got this because i was buying other perfumes&weird exp with a scent,after i smelled this it made me pause...it was so smooth&beautiful&flawless&what shocks me is its not even something id seek out&this is impressive because i have never forgot off 1 sample, how it smells,it gave me a calm&relaxing feel,like very therapeutic, just so comforting&gentle smooth yet there? Anyway when i went to find a bottle its not available sadly,i think once you exp guerlain lol it exposes how no one/other house, can create the smoothness like they do in their creations,they really know how to create &blend better than other perfumes like soothing its so well blended~ I would like them to relaunch this,it changed my opinion on everything my rookie ass in fragrance thought i knew haha,i have a list of different perfumes i want to try,i have a feeling i will be a guerlain gal for life💞

Darling of Disquiet

I have to say Miss boudoir has most definitely peaked my interest on this version of shalimar. Looking at all of them this has always appeared to be the one I would like the most but now I'm going to actively see if I can get a sample of it somewhere. I've only ever had the original but after that awesome breakdown of it and how many of those fragrances that were referenced are absolute loves of mine I would really really love to get a sample or decant of this somehow.

Nicole love

A blind buy for me and I’ve never smelt shalimar in my life! I’m pleased to report I really like it :)

Cogniaux

Shalimar’s younger (but still very sophisticated) sibling. I literally do not know how someone couldn’t like this. And as to why they discontinued it? A mystery.

Miss boudoir

Let's get it right this time... Shalimar parfum initial was created by Thierry wasser based on the formula of another great perfume called diesel fuel for life 2007 for females, also a discontinued perfume, in collaboration with cavalier and annick menardo. . His contribution to that perfume formula was kept in his memory or better in his office drawer for 3 to 4 years until the release of Shalimar parfum initial when he became the head perfumer of guerlain... Parfum initial de Shalimar is not the younger sister of Shalimar the original, but the more refined sister of fuel for life for women by diesel - 2007.... If there was a sister or better the daughter or granddaughter for the original Shalimar would be the vintage eau de parfum obsession by Calvin Klein...
Shalimar parfum initial is actually better than diesel fuel for life and better than la petite robe noir that followed also created by Thierry wasser... So here we have variations of the same perfume theme. With parfum initial on top of the game. . It's also better than flowerbomb the vintage one, and only the powdery iris accord resembles very slightly Dior homme..

TaniaClamp

Shalimar Parfum Initial has a young girl twist to it which makes it different enough from Shalimar EdP.

First spritz, and it smells soo good!! It's nothing like the original though but they share the same kind of DNA... rose, iris, tonka, a little almondy and something vanilla, not that classic burnt vanilla creme.... more sweet sugar kind of vanilla.

But when the initial spray starts to lift off the skin I get that backbone of Shalimar EdP, with a playful twist to it. Such a gorgeous scent 😍

It´s a LOVE LOVE !!!

courant

I bought both as the news of discontinuation filtered through. I have had them stored away in a cool, dark drawer for years and I have decided to wear them regularly now, or I'm not going to live long enough. In the intervening years I have come to like both Initial and L'Eau so much more. I fell in love with Shalimar Cologne 2015 and I wear Black Perfecto often, but it's a mood thing. What didn't I like at the beginning? The Caramel I guess, I cut my teeth on high tensile ladies like Chanel 19 and Calandre. Since 'Angel' was everywhere I wanted a point of difference, we're contrary that way, aren't we? Initial is Thierry Wasser's masterpiece, his answer to Angel, a reverie of Iris, a very French composition that is only available now in a very French location at very European prices.

belinda.1

Sampled for my fragrance education though I knew it wouldn't be something I'd wear, as my allergies can't cope with orientals these days.

For me, opens with quite a sharp, dark wood smell, then slowly softens into a lighter, sweet amber/musk/vanilla. Which is the opposite of what I'd expect. I think it's a really good, interesting oriental (rated it merely 'ok' just because of its non-wearability for me).

AquaBaby5

This review is specifically to complain about a certain behavior of three different fragrances, the behavior is the same in all three. These fragrances are Shalimar Parfum Initial (and L’Initial, they both do this on me), Vilhelm Perfumerie A Lilac A Day, and Dior Addict EDP (current version as of this review).

The projection on these is large and I get wafts of scent all day as I move about. I love the scent in the bubble around me as I wear the fragrance. These fragrances would be FBW except for the fact that upon wearing, all three I am repulsed when I put my nose to my wrist. There is something that doesn’t project far that mixed with my skin chemistry that just makes me wrinkle my nose in disgust. I think perhaps it is a certain indolic twinge. I enjoy musky animalics but I think floral indoles may be my issue.

I envy those that do not have this happen with their chemistry. Everything else about these fragrances is so wonderful, and they perform so well! Too bad.

Angelforhd

So many have written odes to this lovely scent that I feel redundant even reviewing. It's so beautiful, so warm - just a special fragrance. I think it may be polarizing, but enough of us loved it that it was included in the Legends with just a few minor changes that I have to really test hard to even discern. So a win for all who love her. Timeless, elegant and truly can be worn in any season. I wear it when I need a defense between me and the world, it's just that special to me. I want it back in the original bottle, but I won't quibble.

LaChinoiserie

Guerlain is without a doubt my favourite brand, and my all-time favorite perfume is my beloved Shalimar Parfum Initial.

I bought Shalimar Parfum Initial early on my “perfume journey” and nothing has ever surpassed it. It is 100% me - in a bottle - and everything I aspire to be. It’s a nod to Guerlain’s rich heritage, yet not exactly a vintage. To me, it smells feminine, glamorous, powdery, cosmetic, mysterious, reserved, sophisticated. Plus, she’s a beauty, the quintessential boudoir flacon 💗

Thierry Wasser is an artiste and a magician. What a special understanding he has of Guerlain’s history, and what utter beauty he has created in his time there. He is certainly the most recurring nose in my collection.

Now relaunched as L’Initial, it is not 100% the same but very close and gorgeous still. It now lacks the vetiver note which I loved. And adds a powdery almond note that gives it a tad more sweetness. Nevertheless so so grateful that it’s for sale again 🙌🏼

xenoflora

Longtime lurker, finally made an account. this has been my signature scent for years and I consider it a masterpiece. don't listen to the haters. if you like warm, soft, extremely elegant and timeless perfumes that scream luxury and romance and do not have a generic department store smell, this is for you. It is cashmere and true love in a bottle.

sopelka

I have become an avid Shalimar collector and have been chasing this discontinued flanker for a while now. I finally got a half full bottle for a reasonable price and have to admit: I love the bottle! Other than that, it’s underwhelming. I expected more similarity with OG Shalimar, but I struggle to find any. SPI evokes Coco Mademoiselle and other sweet fruitchoulis, albeit a bit more refined. Don’t get me wrong, it is a quality, modern fragrance but nothing to rave about.
If you want an iris-forward Shalimar, get the Philtre flanker, it is gorgeous, modern yet stays true to the Shalimar DNA and ends with the most realistic, creamy vanilla note.

Ethan_perf

I like so much

Enrium

This Shalimar flanker was, I believe, one of Thierry Wasser's first creations as Guerlain head perfumer, and in doing so, he successfully managed to update a legendary classic for a modern audience. The Shalimar DNA is present, complete with the smooth Guerlinade twist of amber-vanilla, florals and a hint of tonka bean. While I prefer the original Shalimar (this is a little too sweet and girly for my taste), SPI is pretty impressive.

SPI has a soft citrusy opening, briefly fresh and damp, but quickly becoming slightly balsamic. Sweet florals - predominantly rose and jasmine - emerge, along with smooth vanilla notes, giving a youthful, feminine impression. Powdery iris complements it, while a hint of patchouli adds its distinctive earthiness. It becomes very powdery as it develops, growing even sweeter. The soft, slightly sweet spiciness of the tonka bean rounds it out beautifully.

It moves into gourmand territory as it begins to dry down, with caramel notes coming to the fore. Bolstered by the vanilla, with the sweet powdery florals playing second fiddle, it is smooth, rich and sweet throughout the drydown. It fades to a powdery, sweet, musky skin scent after several hours. Sillage and longevity are both moderate.

Feminine and youthful, SPI manages to appeal to modern tastes while paying homage to a classic. Sweet and girly yet well-constructed, it is a cut above most modern, mass-market sugarbomb gourmands. A pity it has been discontinued - SPI deserved much more success. Perfect bottle too. 3.5/5.

melusina1982

It never ceases to amaze me. It is a powdery caramel iris that leaves the most incredible sillage ever.
Super elegant and proper,but playful at the same time.
I am very eager to try L'Initial hoping with all my heart that it smells the same.

Bubbles1964

I’m one of those Shalimar admirers who likes the original and all the flankers that I’ve tried, though I can’t say I have fallen in love with any. Initial is no exception; I love the citrus burst in the opening, and liked all the floral and gourmand notes that meld into each other after.

Initial is easy to wear, safe and fun for powder fans (yes, I agree that it’s all powder after the brief opening). If you don’t like Shalimar or powder, swipe left.

Ivy Oak

Guerlain and a flanker of Shalimar, what could go wrong?

Well, blind buying without trying could and definitely went wrong here. Although the notes looked wonderful on paper, reading a lot of raving reviews over “the lost gem Initial” and the cherry on top, personal recommendations on the forum, this has to be my worst blind buy so far. I’m actually surprised this once has been offered by the house of Guerlain. Why is this discontinued? In my humble opinion: because it wasn’t worth to be released in the first place.

This is baby powder in a gorgeous looking bottle, and not much else. And I had expected baby powder, and didn’t hate the idea this would be a part of the experience. But it is the entire experience, and not even the best baby powder I ever smelt, which was maybe the last reason to justify the existence of this fragrance.
In the first 10 minutes I did smell hints of citrus (Orange and Bergamot), which made it sparkly and I thought this would be, at least, a pretty perfume. Maybe not daring, intriguing or interesting, but pretty nonetheless. The citrus and green notes left the building very soon. There was some Rose, a little bit of Iris and a hint of Musk and Caramel. I thought this would get interesting now.

But gosh no. It wasn’t even pretty any more. Those last four notes huddled up and just became sweeter by the minute, and soon were melted together as that cheap and overbearing baby powder. Even the fresh “texture” of the beginning became powdery in a nauseating way and made me cough several times. The notes didn’t develop any further.

This has absolutely nothing to do with the original Shalimar, besides the design of the bottle. And then it’s still freakishly overpriced. Where is the wood, the “earthiness”, where are the green and aromatic notes? Are there any spices to find here at all? And what happened with the Vanilla, a note Guerlain has been so masterful in and famous for throughout their entire existence?

This was the first time in my life I felt ashamed to have put people through experiencing my fragrance, and the first time a perfume made me feel physically ill. Why Guerlain has ever put their name on this, is beyond me.

(For everyone who is downvoting me for this review, I have a full bottle in box for swap or sale ;) Send me a PM if you’re interested!)

RainbowGirl

I'm a little disappointed. It is a beautiful fragrance, and I love the original Shalimar, but the powdery iris smells like baby powder Shalimar to my nose. Sometimes I like Iris, and sometimes I don't.

I do like this fragrance, but if I was ever wanting to wear Shalimar, I would for sure choose the original.

It did not last long on my skin. I was hoping for a delicious drydown, but it was mostly baby powder on me until the end.

The bottle is fucking fabulous.

Jacklyn's Perfumery

Oh my gosh. French perfumery at its finest. First off I adore the OG Shalimar and it will never be out of my collection so that is what drove me to this fragrance to try it. When I first tried Parfum Initial years ago I wasn't ready for the iris in this. But years later my tastes have evolved and I crave it and i'm in love with iris fragrances. I wanted to give this fragrance another chance to have it in my collection because everyone kept emphasizing that the iris in this is beautiful. I bit the bullet and finally got it for a good price. I figured if I love it I will get the new L'initial. Parfum Initial has to be one of the most beautiful Shalimar's I have ever tried. This is a gorgeous iris fragrance. A fresh effervescent citrus on the tops but not sharp and it's green. You can also smell the fresh vetiver in this and the vetiver from Guerlain always reminds me a bit of Mitsouko. But what really blooms is this lush powdery even slightly waxy iris. This is iris done right where it really does shine and not sit in the background.

This is a wonderful entry fragrance into Shalimar. PI is Shalimar without the heavy leather & dense spices(though there is a slight spice in there) and vanilla but it smells suede like a bit. Like the leather is lighter and smoother. It's like having Eau de Shalimar and Regular Shalimar mixed in one because of the brightness of the citrus & suede in Eau without the vanilla and yet the DNA resemblance of the original Shalimar without it's daring darker notes. I love Anatole Lebreton's Incarnata for it's lush iris waxy lipstick fragrance along with Chanel No19 & Poudre for it's green iris. And Maison Lancomes Iris Dragee for it's sweeter powdered almond candy iris in the same realm as Chanel No19 Poudre. But now this is competing with them.

I adore the original Shalimar but this creation is equally just as beautiful as the original. Parfum Initial is like a daytime Shalimar while the original is a daring evening fragrance meant to be intimate with. I can see why this was released because of the early 00's chypre phase with Miss Dior & Coco Mademoiselle. But had I been ready for this I would of reached for it more and bought back-up's. Hand's down. Now I want to get a bottle of the new L'initial just to collect it. Think Mon Guerlain pretty but with a lighter Shalimar edge. If you couldn't handle the original Shalimar this is the version to have to start your Shalimar journey. I was told this is the same as the new L'initial. I will compare them when I get the newer one and let you know to confirm but Parfum Initial is one of my top favorite purchases of the year. Just take my money Guerlain!

shancat

I got 2 bottles of almost full perfumes on ebay maybe 5 years, 1 was Shalimar Initial. I paid about $25 for both. The other bottle is Cartier Must, just fyi.
Totally blind purchases. Can't remember last time I smelled the original Shalimar but many of my Mother's friends wore it back in the day. When I first sprayed this on I smelled a plastic type synthetic thing. Smells beautiful after that passed. I'm not great at picking out most notes and unable to compare to the original Shalimar. This has been in back of my closet and just recently have been going through my collection trying fragrances again. I do think that this is lovely. Smells floral, bit spicy, and elegant. It reminds me of something from my youth, not sure what but I really like it. It's discontinued now and pretty expensive but I'll keep looking for a deal on one.
Also putting the original Shalimar on my "To Get" list. Thankfully, this bottle is almost full although it's not the large size, 1oz, maybe? I got a steal of a deal on this one. Want to check out the other Shalimars. I mostlay wear my signature, Fracas and a few others. Lot of my perfumes I'll wear at home and enjoy the changing notes. Been looking for classics from 40's and 50's most recently, trying to see what I haven't experienced yet. Not really impressed with many newer perfumes, ones I've tried seem boring. Thinking of joining a perfume monthly subscription and see how I like those.

ceeceelee

@ChelleBelle84, it's sales that drive discontinuation, even then it's arbitrary. Iris Ganache, arguably one of the most successful of the Art of Materials line for Guerlain, was discontinued. Yet Rose Barbare, not a huge seller, stays on rotation. It's one of the mysteries of Guerlain. This is a long winded way of saying, if you like one of their perfumes buy backups, regardless of popularity. L'Intial is no longer under the Shalimar name or iconic Flacon Chauve Souris, the *bat bottle*, so that should bring you some comfort. I'm so glad you feel so passionately about this and I would implore you to let your feelings be known to Guerlain customer service. With all the changes after LVMH acquired this venerable house, many feel the personality and quality of the *old* Guerlain have been sacrificed. I am one of those. The more of us that speak up and the almighty bottom line is affected, they will listen (hopefully......maybe) and try to accomodate us as much as possible. Backups, though, can't be stressed enough.

ChelleBelle84

ATTENTION: Lovers of this scent, check out L’initial here on Fragrantica, then go over to the Guerlain site. You will find it as part of the Legendary Fragrances collection. It was made available in the US as of late August and is reasonably priced at $135. It is about 99% the same. The difference really is negligible.

Shalimar lovers: please stay away. If you can wear the original without it smelling like burnt rubber on your skin, that’s great. For the rest of us, there’s L’initial. This scent was designed and formulated for others like me with a different chemistry so we can have a version to wear and enjoy. So if you can’t wear this on your skin, that’s because it wasn’t MADE for you. Go back to the original and for God sakes, quit bashing scents into discontinuation. It’s not all about you. Fragrance is all about chemistry so please BE KIND!

qianwang

Shalimar Parfum Initial starts as Flowerbomb, then quotes Shalimar's burnt custard in the middle, then dries down to Narciso Rodriguez for Her:

JacquieDS

I received this as a gift from an incredibly kind generous person. I was overwhelmed by her generousity and kindness and also overwhelmed by my love for this delicious unique Shalimar. It is sexy, sultry and yet leave a lasting sweet and delicious vanilla musky trail. Words cannot express my gratitude for this special gift. Thank you so much to the giver.

emerson10

Baffled by the Dior Homme comparisons... Am I on Punk'd?

Nuran ali

The best, most unique, most sexy perfume i ever smelled, very sharp and féminine, not alot of women like it, but i get alot of compliments from men,( classy men) saying that is so sexy and made for a lady withh attitude

sarahmil

They re-re-released it. First in L’Initial in 2020. That was sold in the Bee bottle 125ml for €230.
And now at the European site it is available in the inverted heart bottle: 75ml for €125.
Guerlain really do listen to their customers!!
Big thank you!!

malake

The fact that they discontinued this still breaks my heart I don't even know where I can find it or find something similar lol

Lorax

BEST Shalimar to me, by far. Bright, citrus, vanilla, woody, deep, sexy. Somehow sugary and not too sweet. Its definitely NOT similar in any way to the traditional Shalimars, other than a vague association, but its far more interesting and nuanced than any of the souffles. Not blind buy safe, but so charming!

carlahoffman

The first spray I was like wow this is stronger and deeper in scent verses the Shalimar Parfum, I love it but I haven't found a Shalimar perfume that I don't love and I own 7 different varies lucky me right! A lovely rich fruit opening with the vanilla popping right up there, so pretty.

I love the floral notes with the Rose shining through with the dry down of the Parfum which is a creamy light musk with a light woody scent with the vanilla still hanging in there . A dreamy scent that is rich, deep and sensual, I found myself lusting after it. It is very long lasting, you will wake up with this, still holding it projection. Cool looking bottle for my collection. This is a true classic in its own right, it is soft, nicely delicate yet alluring , just beautiful !

Kellergirl

I love all Shalimars But this is divine!! Turn into a sweet soft powdery scent on me, and last so long! I love it!

LaContessina

What a great, unique fragrance! And its not a flanker as many could think. It's a perfume that has its own life and personality.
The only great concern is that they discontinued it. A crime.
Nothing like the original Shalimar (that is in my top 10 ten frags anyway) Shalimar Parfum Initial was created to please a younger audience, that's for sure, but not with the usual fruity floral berry mess! Here we have a completely different story. And a pleasant one.
Beginnning: resinous, medicinal in the opening. A balsamic note, like coniphers give a hint of freshness.
Then the classic Shalimar notes: vanilla, amber, and benzoin with a hint of jasmine.
Powdery note, like orris. And this is the end of the Shalimar (original) phase.
Some flowers - roses- some powderyness (=iris).
The story continues with a caramelized note, gourmandish, vanilla-esque in a subtle way: I get a stunning Cuir beluga resemlance here! merging with some white musks. I'd call this phase "Narciso Rodriguez meets a subdued Angel".
Bottom line: this is sexy. Seriously.
The drydown is really getting you hooked.
It's hot, and it's close to skin - not a sillage monster, but it's better this way in my opinion: you have to lean over to get a whiff, and I love when people come close to my neck and inhale...LoL
Back in time I loved it so much upon 1st spraying I bought it on an impulse - after having it working on my skin for 30 minutes.
It was love at first spritz and I knew it was the beginning of a romance. And I very rarely do that. I was so very happy with Shalimar Parfum Initial, and still am that I dare to call it my Signature fragrance for it mirrors well my personality.
Absolutely feminine but not girlish in the least.
Definitely a must try if you're lucky to find it.
I will cherish my 2 remaining bottles as if they were the Pink Panther Diamond.

patxaran

What is it with these Guerlains that they just get better and better with time? Is it a settling down and maturing of ingredients or is it the slow realisation that another genius has sneaked up from behind, hello, I am a classic now, you better submit in awe.
It must have been around 2013 or so that I casually sprayed the tester and took the strip with me inside a shopping bag. How very strange, I thought, they take the grand dame of Shalimar and try to fiddle with it? Are they jumping on the fruitchouli bandwaggon...It struck with as an odd mix of trendy and old worldly Guerlain-ish but I could not make sense of it. So I cannot say I was too keen on SPI as it would later be known. Perhaps I was still suffering from the Coco Mad olfactory overload that was sweeping London around the time. Anyway, a year later or so, I bought a small bottle and it became a like, but not a love. It is not a fragrance I reach for often. Today was one of these days, a snowy winter day in Germany where I live now. And I was uplifted, floating on a cloud of citrus and powdery, lipsticky goodness that never slips into vulgarity. In my home office day dream fantasy, I dreamt about having Tea at the Ritz, with a freshly powdered face, lipstick and wearing smart clothes and eating lovely cakes. And the piano played and conversation was civilised and delightfully careless. Sometimes, we only appreciate the true depth and value of an experience in hindsight. Shalimar Parfum Initial has become an elusive unicorn, a modern classic and holy grail for its aficionados. Treasure it while you can. Good things rarely last.

AquaBaby5

I’ve moved to a new climate since my last review. Unfortunately I get this weird animalic scent for the first few hours that is actually repellant to me. I have a leftover empty sample vial that smells different than my bottle. Not sure if it’s fully turned but, the top notes are fading and it’s sadly no longer a favorite.

Edit: well this is frustrating, I’m enjoying the smell at hour 4, whereas prior it was definitely bad. The top notes must have gone off but the base is delightful. The question is, do I keep it knowing I have to get through a few hours of unpleasantness? :(

Lalunalynn

Im a huge Shalimar fan, Eau De Shalimar being my favourite. I really wasn't sure about this when I first tested it. Tried it out again today and when I walked into my daughters room she said she could smell mosquito repellent. Sealed the deal. This isn't a winner.

Seducianne

This is an unbelievably addictive, soft citrus-vanilla-powder fragrance on me, with a nice memorable bitter-herbal punch from the vetiver-patchouli combo. The overall impresion is a very mature, composed scent, fit for colder days or evenings and an introspective mood. It's very intellectual, classy, magnetic in a non playful way.
Sillage is comfortable and longevity is very good.

Enigmatic

Oh Shalimar Initial, how I love thee! Exquisite powdery iris and citrus mix. At first, it's a little sharp, almost peppery - perhaps that's the vetiver. It takes a bit of time to mix with my skin and the sharpness to calm down. The vanilla sweetness kicks into gear, and when it does.... absolute magic. This is pure, ultimate femininity. This is what I would wear to a garden party in a beautiful sun dress.

I have picked up a backup bottle of this, as well as the L'Initial, which lacks the peppery vetiver. Other options include MM Lipstick On (much more waxy and sweet, lacks the vetiver) or Dior Homme 2005. I like to layer this with Prada Infusion D'Iris Absolue, a perfume I dislike on its own.

Notes according to my nose (in order of prominence): bergamot, vetiver, iris, lime, hint of vanilla/tonka

catcat42

I got this years back and waited to gift it to someone because of that gasoline smoky burnt rubber smell but a few years later it grew on me. Lemons and sweetness is balanced with some bitterness. Is bitter lemons a thing? This an acquired taste I think. I casually use it in summer, kinda refreshing as a bitter lemonade.

seamagik

Unfortunately this falls flat on me. After the opening citrus blast I wait for it to develop but it just wilts and dies. Bummer.

I tried it in all kinds of weather. I thought it would be awesome in the cold. Nope. I love powdery scents but it's like I got caught under a sprinkler and all I get is damp squib.

Finally gave up and passed it on. I preferred the L'eau version right from the start so I still have that for spring and summer.

AquaBaby5

This is a powdery floral version of Shalimar, no leather or incense to be found. My absolute favorite Shalimar. Just when I think it has disappeared I still get whiffs of it around me. Lasts 12+ hours on my skin, even if faint at the end.

Peeka

Parfum Initial behaves differently when sprayed into the air than it does when sprayed directly onto my skin.

Regardless of how you use it, this fragrance opens with a citrus blast.

PI when sprayed onto the skin:
Parfum Inital can come across as intense/medicinal when first sprayed onto the skin, it has an almost tea tree essential oil quality to it to my nose.

As the citruses & the vetiver settle, the florals at the heart start to come through & it transforms the scent info a citric/talcum powder/old-style cosmetic scent. Up close, Parfum Inital at this stage still smells a little astringent, dated, strange & unpleasant. **The key is to smell it from a distance** as after about 20 minutes of spraying the MUCH NEEDED vanilla, caramel & tonka start to show up to the party to smooth those rough edges out somewhat without making the fragrance sweet. When experienced this way Parfum Initial is a stunning, powdery cosmetic scent that I immediately associate with Guerlain.

PI when sprayed into the air:
The citruses are no way near as obtrusive when used this way, in fact, they’re quite refreshing. As the perfume settles onto my clothing I Immediately get a beautiful fresh zing of citrus instead of limes and oranges shoved up my nose & down my throat like when I spray this on my skin. The fragrance quickly changes into a more powdery/cosmetic fragrance & that is what persists. I get amazing wafts of this from time to time & I am really glad I gave Parfum Inital another try. It isn’t one of my usual choices of fragrance, I love sweet florals & fresh aquatic scents so I was a little surprised to find myself sniffing my clothes so often 😂

This fragrance is definitely for those who love citruses & powdery cosmetic smells but it is not a safe blind buy in my opinion because it may be problematic if you like to spray your perfumes onto your skin. If you can, I’d advise you to get a sample/decant before buying a full bottle & try spraying into the air and walking through it first. You’ll be stunned by how beautiful this is.

That being said, Parfum Initial IS discontinued & L’initial has replaced it at a jaw dropping £205 for 125ml so if you are interested in Parfum Initial a decision needs to be made before prices sky rocket.

The remake (L’initial) does not appear to be identical to Pafrum Initial though, the vetiver has gone as has the Jasmine from the heart, replaced? instead by Jasmine petal in the opening. It seems as though L’initial addresses the astringency of Parfum Initial which may have played a part in its sales figures however, the price tag of L’initial is definitely prohibitive so I don’t see this fragrance making Guerlain’s sales any better! Sadly, this version may quickly become discontinued too.

patrishia

Wow, I have had a sample of this for several months, and I never tried it until today. It is stunning! It's powdery, comforting, like a marshmallow, but not too sweet. It is so good, can't stop smelling myself. Great sillage and longevity as well (it should have because of it's huge pricetag)

SailorV

Discontinued but extremely popular fragrances always make me feel a little wary. I'm afraid to be sucked in by the hype and feel the need to buy an overpriced old bottle off ebay that isn't that great in the end. But of course, they also pique my curiosity. So I test them extra carefully.
With Shalimar Parfum Initial, I was additionally hesitant because my mother wore Shalimar for decades. I love my mom and Shalimar is beautiful, but I find it weird to inherit your mother's old signature fragrance.
Well, to make it short, the hype around this is justified, and while it shares some aspects with the original Shalimar, it's different enough to make it wearable for those who don't want to use the original for whatever reason.

The opening is very waxy with lipstick-like iris, thick and creamy, with an underlying vanilla and the same beautiful sparkling bergamot you find in most Shalimar fragrances. The iris is so buttery, almost reminiscent of soft suede.
As it dries down the fragrance becomes more powdery, sweeter and warmer. I don't find the caramel note dominating, this doesn't smell edible at all, it just softens the scent. I can also smell the patchouli and vetiver, both add depth and a hint of cool spiciness that keeps Parfum Initial from turning too sweet or one-dimensional.
It's a dreamy, fluffy cloud of a vanilla and iris perfume and very typical for Guerlain.

I knew I need this when I fell asleep after sampling and dreamt of buying a bottle. When I woke up the next day, I could still smell a light but distinctive skinscent on my arm.

So sad this was discontinued. Now they brought it back under the name "L'Initial", but only as an expensive 125 ml bottle in the exclusive Les Parisiennes line. I think I'll rather try to get a partly used older bottle for a reasonable price.

MnM

So a couple of people mentioned this has been re-issued under L'initial in the Les Parrisiennes line, but I checked and it's not there. :(

Fast forward and I own 2 bottles of the original. It's an absolute love :)

lumberjack

They reproduced you baby... But no worries, nothing can take your place in my heart...
...and this damn glamorous bottle as well!

andrewatic

This fragrance has just been reissued as L'Initial in their Les Parrisiennes line.
It's already posted on their French version of Guerlain website. So, Initial lovers if you want it to stay go for it and buy it. Otherwise, if the sales are low they will discontinue it again...

saidesses

YES , like i expected Guerlain is now re-releasing this fragrance under the name "L'initial". luckily I have 3 bottles of the older version.

schneeblume

This is so incredibly CALMING! It works like magic giving this feeling of peace and calmness! This is the ultimate funeral wear.

Marialina

I was lucky enough to get two 100ml bottles of this as a gift before it was discontinued (has it been resurrected? I lose track) and it was the most fortuitous gift I could have imagined...

I could not disagree more with those who think it an inferior, juvenile, poor cousin to Shalimar. It is *such* a different beast. The original Shalimar EDP is an absolute grand dame of a scent, powdered, glittery, complex, feather-boa'd and extremely loud.

Initial is less complex, yes, and younger-feeling, yes... but *so* seductive, and so intimate. It's melting vanilla toffee with a hint of bergamot peel, a waft of iris and- the best part- the most beautiful, gently smouldering amber underneath. If Shalimar is the grand dame on stage, this is the undressed flesh after the show, with a hint of sugar and cigarettes and, yes, something slightly bodily, but like the sweetest skin. I couldn't wear Shalimar every day, but Initial I can (and do) wear every night out- this is the scent I love on myself more than any other. Pure happiness.

ChelleBelle84

I sincerely hope what Andrewatic says is true. Now, I priced those in the Les Parisiennes line and for a 4.2 oz (125 ml) bee bottle, they’re going for $280 USD. This is much more reachable than the $1300 8 oz bee bottles I saw online some time ago. Time will tell.

In the meantime, let’s first get past this COVID-19 pandemic. I pray for everyone’s health. 🙏 Please be safe.

pinktoe

In times of uncertainty we tend towards what gives us comfort.These are times of uncertainty for sure.
For me comfort smells like iris and powder. And this beauty fits that bill to a t. I wish that what @andrewatic says is true, and that Guerlain is truly bringing it back. We need some good news, and having this available again would truly be good news.
One of my true loves right there.

Fleurpetit

This really is a beautiful, whimsical and elegant fragrance. I absolutely adore original Shalimar but it’s not for everyone. Initial definitely has the DNA of Shalimar but it’s more of a lipstick, powdery iris and rose, with the bergamot in the background but without shying too far away from its grown up sister..

Age wise, Initial would certainly suit a young lady which I certainly am not.. but I wear fragrances to please myself.. I love it.

andrewatic

Hi guys,
To everyone who loved this flanker and lamented its discontinuation: Guerlain is re-issuing Shalimar Parfum Initial as part of Les Parrisiennes line!
Hope this helps.

w_nmbo

We can now pray for two things:
for Coronavirus to be stopped
and
for Guerlain to bring back this, this... I cannot find a word good enough to describe Shalimar Parfum Initial. The perfect iris. The masterpiece. The addictive substance. The ultimately sensual perfume.

ChelleBelle84

I couldn’t agree more with the below reviewer. This was a great fragrance. Don’t like flankers? Don’t wear any. Wear your original and let others wear what suits them. Guerlain, please bring this back!

Seriously, you go down the page, there are people who want this back. The ones whose chemistry couldn’t wear the original, this was their Shalimar. I’ve been heartbroken ever since this was discontinued! It just didn’t seem fair? Hooray for those who could wear the original without It smelling horribly on their skin, but why should this be taken away simply because the ones who could wear the original didn’t like it? People also didn’t go to the original like expected when this was discontinued because they CAN’T wear it. Personally, I can’t even wear the EDT of the original unless it cold outside. Anything warmer than 55° and it smells like burnt rubber. This, however was wonderful and it made me feel good wearing it. Many others felt the same way.

Guerlain you want to widen your customer base? Bring this back and make it part of the Shalimar Garden again. I even just gave you a way to advertise this! Customers demand it and they’re the reason you have a business.

ReWeegh

Finally I could find and buy a bottle of this wonder on a local swap forum. It was a blind buy as the comments here below hooked me on this. Couldn’t agree more with comments as why on earth Guerlain had the lunatic idea to discontinue this master piece. PI is feminine, elegant, sweet fragrance. It changes constantly starting as woody citrusy Tonka/iris, later more the caramel note was in the foreground.

Dry down is specifically amazing, citrusy woody spicy vanilla.

This flanker (and Shalimar Cologne) is a good way to have a glimps of Shalimar’s greatness for folks like me whose skin chemistry does not agree with the original (pure burnt rubber:().
Also on its own it is a unique and divine perfume.

ScentSmelling

+++




Is somebody out there who is still selling Shalimar Initial? Pls send me a message if you want to sell one of this. 🙏




+++

D3G

Wow! that's surely my reaction too...it's one of those that move something inside me..is it the perfect combination of citrus and vanilla? Till I read the "recipe"I couldn't place it.
I do agree with most of the reviews including the comments on the flankers, although it makes it affordable, it's really confusing(parfum initial and cologne to me are practically identical-maybe PI more powdery and a bit longer lasting?)
I suppose it's a way to keep alive a fragrance(almost a 100 yrs old, impressive)Still appealing to whom buy on exclusivity and the cheap like me. Personally I think being out for so long and being so popular, it shouldn't cost them much to be produced.

LightOfJoy

Full disclosure: I love Shalimar, and I love Guerlain fragrances.

A very kind swapper sent me a decant of SPI, and when I initially sprayed it, I thought, "Oh, this is just like all the others." Now, that's not a bad thing. It smelled very similar to Shalimar Cologne on initial spray to me.

However, on drydown it is quite different. Directly on my skin it smells of strong, sweet caramel. Wafting from my chest it smells like a soft pink rose, aside a lily.

Someone mentioned that it was a precursor to Mon Guerlain, and as a lover of that fragrance, I could easily see that as well.

Perhaps this was intended to be an answer to those seeking a lighter, fruitier, sweeter perfume. It does indeed answer that call, but it also stands apart elegantly from the typical fruitchoulis. It still maintains Shalimar DNA and is a respectful nod to it, not a brash departure from it.

dglightblue

summer test, to skin.

i have tred another from this initial line, i think with the pinky fluff on the lid.

this is better on me than the other one, this fragrance doesnt quite do the 'funny citrus..woods... sweat??' thing.

its got an acidicness to it. i think thats what bugs me. i smell it and its lively and lovely, then i smell again straight away and i get the acid happening. grr.

citrus with guerlainaide
powder,
woods,
its overall light, but lingering.
gosh.. maybe its a floral aromatic that im smelling - i like that part.
this isnt an aromatic to me compared to what im used to.

i wonder if its the citrus+woods+aromatics that doesnt work for me.. its just in the "parfum initial" line
its not bad, but its just not 'right'.

Pandarapt

The pink tint of the juice is deceiving, this is infused with complexity and thoughtfulness, a pretty great introduction to Shalimar and a stand-alone of its own, very much pixie-fairy compared to the latter's flapper fatale. Similar to how some people adapt into contemporary interior design verdigris hextiles and apothecary vanities laminated in opaline blue, it nods to the 20's with a pair of backbeam stockings instead of a whole flapper costume.

Guerlain will probably re-edit it in a bee bottle as part of an exclusive line with an extra sting to the wallet. But I do hope they bring it back because Shalimar Initial is a heliotropic lemony iris-caramel dream that bubbles the idea of-- luxury velvet wrapping a sensual virtual and complex marzipan that is uniquely Guerlain as much as the drinking champagne while taking a bubble bath in a checkered linoleum art deco bathroom of No.5 is uniquely Chanel.

Dakota22

Oh my, what a beauty. I wore SHALIMAR in my 20's, and it is too much for me now in my 60's. But, this....is so pretty. I can smell caramel after the very Shalimar first spray settles. Glorious.

mylancome

I hate Guerlain, cause most of my favourite perfumes has been discontinued, including this one. Luckily I found a substitute that is 80% - 90% similar with this one. It’s Jean Paul Gaultier Classique.

emily7

Coco Mademoiselle of Guerlain. Young, clean, yet sensual and utterly elegant.
Initial bergamot kick is an intro to a sweet and creamy vanilla-praline-tonka heart. Patchouli and vetiver fuzzy texture keep the sweetness under control and make the whole composition more rich and adult smelling.
Drydown lasts forever in a form of sensual "second skin" impression. Prolonged good sillage manifests as the most comfortable, pleasurable, creamy aura which makes Initial stand out as the only possible competitor in a crowd dominated by Coco Mademoiselle - as the one that is less popular but more interesting and even subtly erotic.
One of rare Guerlains - sans actual dirty or animalic note - I really enjoy.

churinl

If there are any generous Fragranticians out there willing to swap a small decant in exchange for something else, please send me a message. I am dying to try this, s I love both the Grande Dame herself, as well as Eau de Shalimar.

EDIT: Fragranticians are so generous! I received a decant and just had an offer from someone to also send me one. I agree with the majority here. This is a very beautiful take on classic Shalimar and I love it. Now to find a full bottle that won't break the bank. This deserves a place in the collections of Guerlain lovers, especially Shalimar fangirls/boys.

EDIT 2 - Oh happy day!! I have acquired a partially full bottle for a very low price, especially when compared to the going rate for full bottles on Ebay. This should satisfy my desire for a while.

krukmary

I've just recently smelled this for the first time and I'm in love. Interestingly for me, Parfum Initial smells just ok on my clothing but absolutely comes alive on my skin-- bergamot/caramel heaven with a bit of powdery iris. The scent doesn't last long but is positively intoxicating.

FloraVe

Excellent on my cold skin, iris+vanille+caramel and my favorite vetiver, perfume revealed very beautifully ... I love Shalimar Initial...

naht

where is caramel and vanilla and tonka? I can only smell vetiver and bergamot notes. horrible, just a waist of money

waskotransportation

Ok. I LOVE Guerlain perfumes. LOVE them. This one however is awful to me. I collect perfumes and I realize many people like this very much but it is def not for me. I only smelled a sample once at the store and then my mother gave me a vintage small bottle. It was horrible. I couldn't even make out ANY notes. It was a blur of oldness and medicinal to my nose. I cannot imagine how anyone can make this work. It bothers me that this is such a popular frag but yet I can't partake. I have a largely varied taste in perfumes from citrus fresh to oud. This, I truly don't understand.

lexina

I'd love to get my hands on it. sadly, no available in my country :( is it going to be made anew?

mademoiselle-c

my precious

paula.billinge.1

I found this beauty in a charity shop yesterday,and paid £4.99 for 100ml EDP. The lady serving said it's been sat in the cabinet unloved. It was without a box but who cares! I've always wanted to try the original Shalimar as I love claasic/vintage/iconic perfumes. I did wonder if scent had gone off as it hadn't been kept in a box but no it hadn't. I get an initial blast of what I thought was liquorice? Then a whiff of an old barber shop which vanishes leaving a gorgeous fragrance which keeps on blooming. It dried down to a beautiful powdery scent that I can't help sniffing. If this classic had not been discontinued I would buy bottle after bottle. I will treasure this bottle with my meteorites another classic by Guerlain.

yukitanonton

Just got a 100 (or is it 90) ml bottle from 2011. Beautifullll...been searching this beauty for a year. Im happy.

shusha

I've decided to try it despite it being discontinued as there are a few 40ml bottles for sale on eBay at a reasonable price. This is so Guerlain, very powdery indeed. I do love this about most Guerlain's perfumes, if it's not Guerlain it's not real powdery. Shalimar Initial is a beautiful and truly sophisticated perfume with a great projection and longevity, but I feel I am not quite ready for it. I prefer the flirty powder of La Petite Robe Noire. Still, I do appreciate Shalimar Initial, it's freshness and sweetness and distinct sophistication.

mariemares

A bottle from 2012 was a blind buy for me as I fell for the Fragrantica hype and a good price.
This is definitely an 'initiation' into Shalimar, which I have not yet grown to like. Very powdery but sophisticated,sweet but not cloying, this is a very pleasant fragrance. The longevity is really good and I found it suits a range of seasons too!
I saw a comment that said that 2014 batch is quite different to the original formulation. Can anyone advise if it is worth buying still? I would like to have a backup but don't want any surprises once I open a bottle few years down the line.

elmccullar

I’m afraid my body chemistry does not agree with this one. It smells like an old man’s aftershave on me. Maybe my nose isn’t trained to smell a good perfume when it smells one, but this is just awful on me.

Emera1d

I don't think can say anything that hasn't already been said about this genius creation. This made me fall in love with Iris and if it didn't get discontinued it would definitely be my signature. It is feminine, elegant floral with a bit of spiciness and sweetens, and I don't have the words to describe how beautiful it is. At the moment my 60ml PI and 100ml PI L'eau are only used on special occasion and kept in a cool dark place the rest of the time. Told my fiancee I will wear it for our wedding-that's how special this is and he also loves it as I wore it on our first date. It's always good when your partner also likes a perfume you love! I have heard that it is still possible to get a bottle of PI form the Guerlain shop in Paris. Can anyone who has been share?

nettoyant

We're on evacuation alert because fires are licking at our city's perimeter. I have packed photo albums, jewellery, and this.

Xenia0504

A classic scent that reached perfection in 2011 when launched. Such a pity that it is discontinued in a time when many other versions of it are still in the market...

To me it was clearly a signature scent and I sincerely hope they reconsider!

Olotitan

Oh wow I just received my shalimar parfum initial and I love it warm sensual and a juice that melts in your skin like butter!
There Guerlainade Vanilla with the Iris, tonka bean and caramel are just right slightly gourmandish, maybe vetiver but SPI is all about the
Iris their prominent note...
I have both this and the Shalimar si sensuelle and there both equally luscious and alike one citrusy than the other...

What a shame to discontinue these pillars and that it was not given the chance it deserved when it launched.
Maybe it was about timing or promotion whatever it was
Well done Thierry Wasser!

Sillage and longevity are great!
Layer this with Dior homme intense OMG!

JacquieDS

HOW could they discontinued this??!!! How could they?!! NOOOOO....

JacquieDS

This is SO GOOD!
Dare I say I find it more versatile than the original grand dame?
Love it!

comfortablynumb83

I am really kicking myself in the butt right now. I had a bottle of this a year ago and swapped it because at that time I was too afraid to really venture into anything that was a flanker of Shalimar. I sincerely apologize to all of you that love the original Shalimar, but that is just not agreeable with me. Anyways, a very very generous woman here that I swapped with sent me a bottle of this as an extra and this time around I actually sprayed it...even on my skin! PI is beautiful! The powdery iris sweetened up by vanilla is just incredible! It's a comfortable scent. The kinda scent you put on before bed because it is like a warm hug in a bottle.

mademoiselle-c

I have already reviewed this fragrance and I will forever sing its praises, but this message is for the people of Guerlain. Hi, it's me, long time devotee. Could you bring this fragrance back in a non comma-included format for the rest of us lovers of PI? Just asking, nicely, with a cherry on top, because my bottle is almost out. Love you. Sincerely, C. xx

sarah.brooks

This is a very rich parfum ...l love it and it makes me feel very rich

Violinplayah

Just sprayed this on today- a wet, warm spring morning- and it is absolutely beautiful! I mean, I love it anyway, but something about today it is really showing off what a stunning and clever composition it is. The bottle alone is the most beautiful by far (why isn’t the entire Shalimar family finished with a pretty tassel??) and as of today the perfume has made its way to my favorites shelf. Bring it back (in this form!) Guerlain, I need to know I can spray with abandon and still afford to replace it!

bibibling

I was excited to try this for the caramel notes. Shalimar is one of my most favorite perfumes. If I have to go on a deserted island and only bring 3 perfumes with me, Shalimar definitely comes. I'm just saying all this so you know how I feel about the original perfume vs this one. Original Shalimar reminds me of a light, fluffy, lemon-poppyseed cake, so that plus caramel seemed like my idea of heaven.

Unfortunately the caramel in Shalimar Parfum Initial isn't the gourmand kind and doesn't do anything special. Imagine all the notes are a middle school kids in a chorus and caramel is hiding in the back, humming, because he doesn't know all the words of the song.

This is a light, POWDERY version of Shalimar with all the lemony notes toned waaay down. I can see many people loving it but it's just not for me.

I'm mainly writing this review for the blind-buyers: this is NOT original Shalimar + delicious gourmand caramel. If that's what you want, then go smell this first, don't blind buy!

The caramel comes out more in the dry-down around one and a half hours after the first spray, it's a dry, dark, toasty caramel, but it's like the kid who was humming in the back of the chorus, the chorus has stopped singing already and now he's still humming and everyone's staring at him like 'Dammit, George! Try to keep up!' Which is another way of saying, the longevity is poor. By hour 3 it's barely even there at all. The sillage is around 1- 1.5 feet in the beginning but shrinks quickly.

All that being said, just understand I'm comparing this to THE SHALIMAR so even if I'm sounding complain-y or like I hate it, that's not true. I would still buy this over a million other perfumes out there, but in the wide ocean of Shalimar flankers, I like the more lemon-cake-ish versions that come in any of the blue bottles more.

lapis1227

Shalimar lite for those who don't dig Shalimar on a daily basis. Very office appropriate, classy and sophisticated. It's less citrusy and smokey. Stays very close to the skin, no sillage. Gone after three hours.

chloematilda

This is what Shalimar used to be with an injection of sweetness and femininity. Opening with a perfectly powdered iris, a shot of lovely sweet and smooth vanilla with a boost of tonka. The drydown allows the citrus to shine through, and the charming and grounding vanilla notes.

This is not a childish or overly sweet cheap smelling gourmand like so many flooding the market. This is grown up and rich - with incredible projection and longevity. This is what I expect from Guerlain - a perfect blend of notes culminating in a fragrance I love to wear. It's scent lingers on linens and scarves - little reminders of the glorious scent worn yesterday, or the day before.

Few scents are the perfect balance of sweet and earthy, creating an aura that draws people in - asking "what is that beautiful fragrance?".

So, why is it a limited edition? Why has it disappeared? Guerlain must keep it's consumers happy with scents that really work and will fly from it's shelves. It is far better in my opinion than the current formulation of Shalimar EDP, and yet - it's gone. Poof - off in a puff of sweet floral powder. Such a shame. I have my backups, and will use sparingly so I will never be without. I can't imagine an evening of snuggling without this romantic beauty.

RoadtoAvonlea350

This fragrance is undoubtedly beautiful, just not what I'm craving in perfumes at the moment. I have a 60 ml, 2 oz bottle up for swap if anyone is interested. US inquiries only please :)

ChelleBelle84

[Rant, not a review]

Oh yeah, Guerlain brought this beauty back....in a $1300 (16oz or 500ml) “bee bottle” that most people can not afford. Thanks Guerlain! Way to go alienating some of your customer base. I’ll be certain to never buy another Guerlain ever again. Break my heart discontinuing this, and then be so cruel and cold-hearted as to be dangling this over head and out of reach! How mean can you be? Diabolical, I’d say! Never again!

[End of rant]

Neosmiaphyte

I normally don’t wear sweet patchoulis, and how I wish I could have traded my old bottle of Flowerbomb in for a bottle of this!Yes it is a sugary patch, but the smoky vetiver in the top, the peppery bergamot in the dry down, and the cosmetic iris throughout gives SPI depth and maturity. The patch has hints of anise in the opening but fades quickly. Like Chanel Coco Noir, it is an example of this trend/genre done right

ETA: less medicinal than the original, Many have told me they feel it is a more modern, more wearable version of Shalimar. It is assuredly more office and summer friendly. Though I feel if this is your signature scent, you could definitely rock the original for special occasions.

Perfumeaddict777

I've reviewed this fragrance before and its still The Holy Grail of perfumes. I've never smelled anything more beautiful, delicious or unique. I have been stocking up on this beauty every chance i get out of fear of ever running out. The aged bottles have an intense , sweet, carmel note that is sticky and dense. The citrus remains beautiful and the iris is lipsticky smooth . Theres a suede and anise mix that settles on the skin under everything else. It is always adored and complimented by even strangers whenever i wear this. This perfume is truly captivating and addictive. Theres nothing else like it.

Aura de le Fae

A soft, pink, hint of light glowed on the clouds at sunrise as she entered the pearly gates of heaven.

Ok so a bit dramatic but that is where this fragrance transports me. It is a soft pink, fluffy cloud of heaven. The citruses at the begining are bright and refreshing but I love when they meld into my skin and allow the powdery Iris to come foward. The Iris in this is so beautiful as it has none of that dustiness you find in cheap fragrances. My amateur nose doesn't detected patchouli or vetiver, perhaps they are more of an accord than a note?

This is a real beauty and I wholeheartedly agree that it never should have been discontinued.

rola.asad

So lovely!! and I can say it is unique, soft, elegant!!
I smell a wonderful mix of powder, iris, & a hint of citrus, which gives it a kind of smokiness but a soft kind of smokiness, nothing serious.
sometimes the "powder note" can be easily overpowering but the case here is different!
It is wonderful for summer, really elegant, romantic, special in the market, as well as for me :D

lisieux

Shalimar Parfum Initial starts out with a bright, bergamot citrus blast. Then the beautiful powdery iris comes out, along with vanilla, caramel, and patchouli.

This a real gem with great longevity! One of my favorite perfumes that Guerlain never should have discontinued. More people need to get to enjoy this scent!

Sabretoothkitten

IIts a cool cloudy day and I've just tried this on first time today. I love all the Shalimars I've tried and this one too! Made my mood a lot sunnier.
While it has a similar initial smoky/ leather and citrus at first, it is less lime zest, more limeade, and is a lot more powdery after an hour. It has a sweet mild vanilla MUSK that's reminiscent of Lolita Lempicka somehow and also a very subtle patchouli barely noticeable unless you look for it. has a more dessert -like aspect than Shalimar original perfume. I'm happy to add this to my collection, my grandma loved the original and I could see her wearing this if she were young today. Moderate sillage which is just how I like it.

Martaynd

Jan. 2018: I prefer her in cooler weather months or evenings all year. Lovely, elegant lady. She’s softer spoken than the original. Better suited to a younger women who wants to make a stronger impression or an older woman who wants to make a softer impression.

COMBO TIP: SI with Le Carven Parfum. 1:2 or 2:2.

malindajoquinn

Shalimar's elegant, understated little sister. Shalimar wears a black silk slip dress, dripping with diamonds; Parfum Initial wears pale blush and pearls. She keeps a little more to the imagination, but draws you in with her sparkling personality.
This scent is warm, powdery and bright. Soft and fuzzy like a cashmere sweater.
Absolutely beautiful.

zsofiaklein

I blind bought a 90ml bottle at duty free in France 2 years ago, basd on the reviews here. I love the first scent but after 3 minutes it becomes a massive cloud of powder on me. It gives me major headaches and it lasts on my skin for hours and hours (which in this case I am not happy about).. So up for swap or sale if anyone’s interested.

hsheep

I KNEW I had to love this fragrance. I tried it 2 years ago with giant amounts of high hopes based on all the glowing reviews and my love of almost every Shalimar (and Guerlain). I blind bought a bottle and was immediately let down, all I could smell was barnyard soiled hay. It was awful. I traded it away after many attempts and never looked back... until I got back into fragrances again just recently.

I wanted to test it one more time so I bought a small decant and BOOM. There she was. Soft and warm powdered iris, vanilla clouds of poofiness, a bit of smoky seduction. Yep. Instant love, just as I imagined the first time around.

My old bottle was a turned one. Oops.

NixNox

This is a lovely alternative to the full-blooded Shalimar for days when I want the powder-iris hit with just a hint of the dark smoke in the background. This is Shalimar sans bondage. She is a little more innocent and more office-appropriate than her older cousin. Gorgeous, fluffy and just a snap of darkness - this is a fresh citrus, then floral and powdery juice with a just a little of the side-eye. Glorious. When you want some dirtiness, go for the original, but this beauty exists in her own right and should never have been discontinued. The fragrance houses should slow it down and keep scents around for much longer, so that we get chance to enjoy them and grow into them!

Vintagelaces

This is my classy and sophisticated scent. I get a powdery lipstick smell, vanilla and caramel. My goodness, this fragrance is intoxicating! The middle and dry down of this perfume are absolutely stunning. I get lots of iris and caramel. I have to be in the mood for this though, because the powderiness can be a bit much for me.

I love that you only need one spray and you'll be surrounded by a cocoon of this yummy goodness.

Danielle79

I love this fragrance so much I’ve started stocking up since it’s discontinued which I just don’t get. I love this scent on me it lasts and lasts. Also this fragrance once it dries down is like a work of art. It smells divine! It’s also one of the few with a patchouli note that I don’t mind at all. I’ve avoided patchouli like the plague since I thought it all smelled like the oil I wore in the 90’s well that’s not so at all as I enjoy Narciso scents that have it in it too. But this is my favorite scent and the perfume I would call my signature. It’s the first perfume that I crave to wear. If I’m not wearing this I don’t feel right and I think this is why it’s my number one scent.

I really hope they bring this back I have 2 bottles saved but I know I need to get more. I’ve never smelled anything so good. I also love Shalimar and I see the similarities but love the differences. I think the caramel in this makes this so good, it’s sexy, it makes me feel like a woman or how a woman should smell. I adore this and hope one day they will bring this back. I get compliments on this as well. This perfume made me really love and get into Guerlain perfumes and I’m so happy I did!

Dorange Sense

The only sugarchouli I can come close to. I even like it and come quite close! Plus, this IS different than others. While it has a strong drawing power, other patchugars let you cringe by their punching presence. Maybe because it's much more than just sugar+patchouli. Iris and rose smoothe the edges, the patchouli seems more peppery-like and fresh.

Agree totally with a lot of you reviewers. Maybe the flankerism killed this darling…

So they launched it, kicked off quickly tons of versions of it just to take it down again. Was that an experiment of mass market to see how customers react aka buy?

OmarAladdin

Unisex. Moody fragrance. Not for everyday use, otherwise you'll end up hating it.
Enjoy this masterpiece from time to time!

UnearthlyApothecary

I swapped my bottle of Parfum Initial some time ago and almost instantly regretted it. Now, thanks to another wonderful swap, I am the proud owner of this beautiful bottle again. I still don’t get the massive silage/longevity from this one that I do from the other Shalimar’s but it’s ok, this one is soft and sweet and sometimes that’s nice too. I still think it is a bit of an oddball (citrus, spicy, sweet, chalky, lipstick,) but it has grown on me. I am never going to be without this one again.

verasdfghjkl

Parfum Initial is just iconic. As I am looking into niche more and in the process kind of abandoning designer houses I feel like this is one of those outstanding perfumes when talking designer. Citrus notes blend beautifully with iris, underneath a sultry yet not overwhelming base of dry caramel, vanilla & tonka bean. You've got your patchouli and vetiver giving off woodiness and just a tiny hint of earthiness. The latter works nicely with star player of this show - iris. As a huge iris fan it is most pleasing to smell that warmer, sweeter base next to a blast of iris powder, this makes a great contrast within the perfume itself, making the iris even more powdery, more tart, austere. It's what seperates this particular EDP from its flankers like l'Eau and Si Sensuelle, which to me, do not create such a big contrast on my skin. Go hard or go home. As a flanker to Shalimar this is one of the most successful flankers in flanker categories. To me, this might be even better than the original.

pavla.vackova

Vyrabejte ho znovu....prosim

CeeLeeBee

I'm glad I bought a small sample instead of blind buying a full bottle, because PI does not work as well for me as I thought it would. I expected a soft powdery vanilla veering towards gourmand, but what I got was a blast of patchouli with just a tiny bit of vanilla and iris. Because the patchouli is so strong, I'm having a hard time picking up any other notes. Overall, I find PI to be rather sharp. I'm a bit jealous that so many reviewers here experience a soft fluffy vanilla cloud, because that is not what I get at all.

corkscrewcurly

@ IngSoc274

I read your review of YSL Cinema earlier today; here's an extract:

"This is my go to juice when I want to invite a chick to my pad. Women love this scent and this is like baby making juice in a bottle.

I usually play Adele in the background when chicks come over, and display my recycling bins right at the entrance, in full view, and oh sweet baby Jaysus are they impressed. Works great on exotic foreign girls too, so don't worry if their immigration documentation is current or not, it's all good.

This scent is a nice woody masculine scent, close to RL Polio pour homme.

For American girls I pair this with pizza/merlot but for the foreign chicks I've found fried cous cous works better with carbonated bottled water.

Guys, trust me this is a huge panty hose dropper and so be careful.

Rating: A+
Longevity: All night long, we're talking performance here.
Projection: 6 inches (I'm told that's about average; besides women say men worry more about that stuff than women do)."

It was so ridiculous, I checked out the rest of your reviews and discovered that most of them have this theme - as does this review of PI.

Presumably you are writing these "reviews" for your own entertainment; I doubt very much anyone else is entertained as you keep repeating the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over...

This isn't funny; it is just tiresome, juvenile and boring - and potentially offensive.

Please stop.

KarlekLila

@supertw: 5 sprays of Parfum Initial! Whoa! No wonder you felt the notes were suffocating. PI is a room filler...only 2 or max 3 sprays should be more than enough. Try it again with a lighter hand on the sprayer and see what you think then. I do hope you grow to love it. :)

I left a review further down the page. The L'eau and Si Sensuelle are in fact the EXACT same fragrance as released in a statement from Guerlain. The only difference is the bottle. Companies do this to see how easily manipulated the public is, imagining they smell a different scent when it is the same scent in a fancy bottle. And frequently they are proven that such marketing schemes work since the public shells out big bucks for the fancier bottle.

supertw94109

Just blind bought this off Ebay due to it being discontinued and it looks like I should have gotten the L'eau instead as I feel the EDP would have benefited from having more citrus and being a little more diluted. From the two times, five sprays each time, that I wore this, it seems very condensed like the notes don't have enough room to maneuver and thus haven't had the chance to really bloom and show their full potential. It's like all the notes are struggling to come out to the surface and the results are muddled.

I feel the reason that there is no clarity is because the sweet base is very dense and fudgelike and not effervescent or airy enough to show off the special Shalimar like qualities to the fulless. Will be ordering the L'Eau and the Si Sensuelle ones to compare. This one seems a bit heavy handed.

Nicole5678

Just retried my sample of this and found myself truly won over by it! The first time I tried it I had just fallen in love with the original Shalimar and didn't really see the beauty in this one. But now I see how warm and cozy and elegant it is in its own right, paying homage to the Guerlinade base but doing something new and modern and lovely. Smoky caramel and tonka? Yes, please.

ibrahiemo

اجمل اصدارات السيدة الكلاسيكية
شاليمار
و من التحف المقطوعة !
..
باودري سويتي قليلاً
مع لمحة من فانيليا قيرلان و روح شاليمار
..
اذا كنت ممن يحب العطور الباودرية
والتي تشبه رائحة مساحيق التجميل
عطور مثل مجموعة ديور اوم
حتماً ستعشق هذا العطر
..
القطعة النادرة
اذا حصلت عليها لا تترد في شرائها
..
الثبات و الفوحان في غاية الرضا

pallida

If your heart is broken that this beautiful fragrance has been discontinued, I would advise you to take a sniff of Khol de Bahrein by Stephane Humbert Lucas, which is stunningly gorgeous and performs like a heightened extrait version of Parfum Initial.

Blueflowers

Sigh. Lovely. A sunny day, pastel dress Shalimar. The (stunningly gorgeous) caramelly vanilla is just teetering on the verge of too much, held back by the grounding of patchouli and the brightness of citrus and green notes and that juxtapositional whisper of vetiver.

And the IRIS....wow. One day I'd love to stick my head in a barrel of orris butter and keep it there, sniffing in frenzied joy, until someone starts yelling.

Of course it's been discontinued. I'll be in a corner sniffing my wrists and sighing for a bit.

My tiny kingdom, my heart and soul for a re-issue.

kati77

Pretty strange, not so obvious, so I can describe it, not my taste. Durability as per edp up to 5 hours. There are fresh notes like bergamot with green notes or jasmine plus caramel and iris, such feelings are not entirely cool. And the vanilla appears only after half an hour, they are to be oriental perfume, and in total are not.
I do not have a comparison to the original it is definitely better to try them first. I do not buy a full bottle, I just had a sample.

Violinplayah

The PI edp and L'Eau edt are almost identical to my nose. Both are beautiful and graceful, well blended, and while they do drift toward slightly gourmand and fruity (respectively) territories, never stray from a very French perfume realm. The edt rests on a lighter base and is brighter and fresher- the edp is just a bit more concentrated with a sharper lemon opening and a salty caramel note with a bit of sliiiightly dirty musk that peeks through the creamy, sweet Earl Gray tea veil. I have blind bought both at bargain prices and I love the scent, but rest assured that one is as good as the other so if you're thinking of purchasing, grab whichever you can find while you can. I am so surprised that such a potential classic fragrance would have been discontinued! Double surprise when considering how pedestrian Guerlain's latest release (Mon Guerlain) was. Let's pray to the perfume gods that they will see the error of their ways and value quality at least as much as making a quick buck, and resurrect this beauty.

Self-Propelling Fantasy

Shalimar Parfum Initial....soooo beautiful! Graceful, elegant. Has a sort of relaxed glamour to it; a luxe boho vibe.
No one does patchouli like Guerlain. It's very smooth and clean in this composition. The iris and vanilla add a sweet, powdery softness. The citrus gives it some sparkle.
It lasts on the skin for several hours, with soft sillage that floats around you like a pink cloud.
I think this is great to wear year round, formal or casual occasions.
It's really a shame that Guerlain chose to discontinue this. I will be bitterly disappointed when my bottle is finished.

anita2251

Ez egy csodálatos, finom, édes, nőies illat! Nem értem a Guerlaint, miért kellett megszüntetni :(
Rengetegen szeretnénk megvásárolni!!!
Indítsák újra a gyártást!!!!

ChelleBelle84

Guerlain, if you're paying attention, you have a lot of customers on there begging you to bring this beauty back. Some of us can't wear the original Shalimar because our body chemistry just won't allow for it without smelling strange, but we can wear this. It's not fair to introduce a fragrance, get people fond or loving it, and then discontinue it, especially after you created several flankers on the theme. It really is quite mean. It must have done well for you to create those flankers, so why discontinue it? I don't understand.

Please listen to your customers and provide what we request.

Neuphoria

When this first came out I was too scared to try the original Shalimar because I was still new to perfumes and Shalimar was too intimidating for me.
Lo and behold, I found this beauty. A softer, powdery version of Shalimar.
I'll always love Shalimar Initial for introducing me to one of my favorite perfumes which is Shalimar. I'm now confident enough to wear Shalimar but I miss her baby sister :(
Oh, she was gorgeous. I wish they'd bring her back.

pinkpinion

Lovely.

That were my first excited thoughts of this fragrance. A little while later I repeated it again, now with a sarcastic undertone. This fragrance is great, but why do I have to crave this discontinued fragrance out of all the perfumes available? Sigh.

Ok, so let's get back to this shalimar initial. The original shalimar is an iconic perfume, yet like other icons such as Chanel no 5, is not a good fit for everyone. In my opinion the original is incredible but also something I don't see myself wearing just yet. To me, this initial ticks all the boxes. It is not something ordinary, it is still special and clearly a high-end perfume. However this one, is fresher, light and wearable. It is smooth and gracious.

Lucky, lucky me was able to buy this gem in 40ml second hand online for a steal. (Made my week !) It will probably become more and more scarce the coming years, so grab it while you still can.

Tiger84

I wish they still produced this, it is a shame to get this gem discontinued. I was reluctant to buy it no matter how much I liked it because I am used to the original Shalimar and anything less, even something this beautiful, seemed like not the real thing. Now I regret not having bought this version as well, as it is really refined, bright and airy, yet carries the DNA of the original.

JamesAQ4

smells wonderful on me. Yes it has a dior homme vibe. Smells boring on my wife.. but then shes a l'heure bleue woman and I love it.

JamesAQ4

smells wonderful on me. Yes it has a dior homme vibe. Smells boring on my wife.. but then shes a l'heure bleue woman and I love it.

JamesAQ4

smells wonderful on me. Yes it has a dior homme vibe. Smells boring on my wife.. but then shes a l'heure bleue woman and I love it.

Minnie02

I'm fairly new to Guerlain fragrances and slowly falling in love with all their vanilla scents. I blind-bought this one as the comments/reviews made it sound like the "holy grail" of fragrances, and wanting to get a bottle before they sell for several hundred dollars each!

My first impression is that everyone is right, this fragrance is divine, unique, wearable, lovely. It's vanilla and powdered sugar with a hint of citrus, plus a little "je ne sais quoi." For the first hour or so, I just sit happily in my little cloud of heaven.

My only (small) complaint is the longevity. On me, after an hour or two, it becomes a skin scent, and after three to five hours, it is almost completely gone. Considering it is discontinued, I don't really want to have to reapply 2-3 times a day!

NOTE: For those who hate patchouli, this one is an exception. It is barely detectable, if at all.

Betsywoolbright

It is just ehhhh. It is supposed to be gourmand? But I smell iris, green notes (plus patchouli, probably), tonka (which I'm discovering I do not like) and only a hint of sweetness in the background. It isn't iris-y "enough" to be a good iris perfume, and not patchouli or green "enough" to really be categorized as any of those. It definitely isn't sweet enough to be a gourmand by my definition. To me, Shalimar Parfum Initial isn't "enough" of any one thing. Possibly this means it's really well blended (which I would certainly expect from the house of Guerlain) but it isn't done in a way I can easily appreciate. It isn't awful at all, but it fell way short of my expectations.

Suomineito

For me this is as good as Shalimar and something that made me like the original Shalimar that I had previously branded as something only the mink fur granny crowd would enjoy. Well I guess I'm in their crowd now because this has been executed with impeccable taste and is in my opinion something original that can't be duped and stands on it's own compared to Shalimar. Bravo for Guerlain for making this but boo for discontinuing it. Shalimar Parfum Initial is less smokey than Shalimar and the spices used smell different. Shalimar is film noir and Parfum Initial is a dreamy vacation with something exotic smelling in the market place that has yet to arrive to your senses with a hint of turkish delight. I love this perfume and will be buying Shalimar because of it but I'll always be reminiscent of the beauty that was Parfum Initial.

amanda7

I love this scent so much. It is a wonderful combination of vanille, caramel and clasical shalimar scent. I am very unhappy that it is discontinued. When I´m wearing it I really feel very confident and there are positive reactions of people around me. The bottle is also very lovely with its blue tassel. I will be really sad when I finish my last bottle.

shauna.parra

Oh yes now that's what I'm talking about!

Notes: Citruses, Rose, Iris, Vanilla, Musk, Vetiver, Caramel, Coumarin, Powdery Notes.

Sillage: Moderate

Longevity: Moderate


Initial is a really beautiful and very feminine perfume. The bottle is a vanity dresser table show-off. This is a flanker for Shalimar which is far more mature and complex as an Oriental. This perfume's a boudoir baby. Total boudoir. The opening is a soft citrus with bergamot orange, the same kind of citrus opening as Shalimar and all the flankers including the eau de cologne, toilette and reformulated parfum. This is a much more subtle citrus though with a distinct rose scent, and a powdery iris, so yes very floral from the start, but the whole thing is based on iris.

Initial is feminine with a capital F. This is a cosmetic scent. Just like lipstick, make-up, and suede shoes leather shoes jackets and handbags, clutches purses shoulder bags.. Reminds me of being inside a walk-in closet or wardrobe; you know what I mean, a separate room for your clothes, shoes, accessories and cosmetics. It's like the interior of an expensive townhouse or mansion where you have a room just for you to get ready for your day or evening. The powdery notes are usually not my bag but here the powder isn't too strong and smells a lot cleaner, sweeter and simpler with a vanilla flavor and caramel. This delicious caramel and vanilla combination is so pretty.

The dry down is musky but not big on musk. The fragrance is designed to be very modest and tiny like a compact make-up kit. The only problem I have with it is that it's too lightweight sometimes and disappears fast on my skin so I need to constantly reapply. Other than that this is a very gorgeous high end perfume. This is very French and lady like, a tad on the mature side but that's not a bad thing. Smells great on my collar blouse and neck, just above my breasts and behind my ears and under my hair. This is a sweet perfume and like others have stated makes a good intro to Shalimar and Guerlain perfumes. My guess is if you wear Guerlain Petite Robe Noir line you can wear this. It's in the same category of girly and sweet perfumes. Perfect for a date, or for a job interview for a formal evening but not for casual every day use.

polly golightly

io detesto shalimar, quello vero, quello originale. su di me ha un effetto devastante perchè la combinazione tra cuoio e legno di cedro copre qualunque altra nota come se la mia pelle amplificasse solo quel tragico odore. questa versione, totalmente diversa e assai più accattivante per i gusti moderni e mainstream, se non altro non sprigiona sentori aciduli. nulla di che, beninteso, nulla di nuovo: piuttosto un già ipersentito cuore di iris polveroso unito a caramello, fave di tonka e vaniglia che, partendo da una vaga sensazione verde, si assesta su un fondo balsamico e legnoso. non brilla per originalità, tantomeno imita il mitico shalimar anni 20.

cupcake28

I fell into the hype of the Fragrantica Hall of Fame, but I don't regret it. This starts out smelling like a lemon tart you'd find in a bakery in some foreign country, like Switzerland. It smells different and intoxicating. I'm not a huge fan of citrus scents, but this is in a league of it's own. After a while the lemon pastry settles into a nice lemon vanilla musk, where the lemon is subdued. It lasts quite a while and the projection is moderate. I like it a lot! I love scents that smell sophisticated and unique. It's lovely and worth investigating if this type of fragrance is up your alley.

_christine_

This is Shalimar for a young girl. Parfum Initial is softer, less complex than traditional Shalimar. While it's lovely, I like it much less than Shalimar and less than Souffle (which at least has its own lemony identity).

Kudos go to the people who designed the product - the elongated shield bottle, tassel, soft blue cap and pink juice are elegant and perfect.

If you find Shalimar to be too much, then this could be your perfect gateway into the Guerlainade. For me, it's a bit of aletdown. I started wearing Jicky when I was 14 - I don't want dimmed-down versions of Shalimar. I want Guerlain to produce fragrances with full measures of intensity.

Germanblonde

While Shalimar Souffle was a bit of a disappointment for me, Initial is LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. It is gorgeous. I detect only a very slight familiarity to Shalimar, but big enough to get me over the moon. Another beauty beamed up to my top 10 beauties. It is just spectacular.

mylancome

The new Mon Guerlain smells very much like Parfum Initial, just watered down and not very long lasting. Typical perfume for hot climate. Go try it out.

ellebunny

I was able to scoop this beauty up recently at my local The Bay Guerlain counter in Canada for quite a steal--I paid about $120-ish CAD for a 100ml bottle (!) and I feel SO lucky. As you may know, this perfume has been discontinued and had disappeared off the shelves for awhile, so when I saw that they had one 100ml available in stock, I jumped at the chance and bought it, knowing I would've regretted it if I didn't. The Guerlain counter ladies told me that they just happened to find extra bottles somehow, and they sold it to me for the price it was when it was released. My bottle has the batchcode 1T01, which dates to June 2011. WOW.

Shalimar Parfum Initial opens with some sparkling citruses, not unlike the current Shalimar Cologne. It is fresh, sweet, and tangy, completely different from the original Shalimar's sharp bergamot that is almost an assault to the nose due to its potency and bitterness. SPI is definitely a powdery perfume, which is 'lipstick'/cosmetic-like in quality and if it were a colour, it would be a girly pink. The 'pinkness' does give off the same vibe as V&K Flowerbomb, although they do not smell alike at all asides from the sweet notes. The powderyness of the fragrance is definitely from its sumptuous, buttery iris, which is deliciously glazed in a soft caramel reminiscent of the one in Prada Candy (read: classy and musky). Although sweet, SPI is almost gender-bending at certain stages due to the vetiver and albeit very soft patchouli in it, which keeps it grounded and gives greater depth to the composition. It is no surprise that this perfume is compared to the more 'metrosexual' Dior Homme Intense, which shares similar notes. The hay-like tonka bean accord (coumarin) is in synergy with the vetiver note and gives it roundness. Shalimar Parfum Initial pretty much smells like a iris-caramel lollipop which grows to be more vanillic quality and has more of that Shalimar creme brulee deliciousness in the drydown. The longevity of this perfume is awesome, as it lasts at least 8 hours on me with heavy sillage.

When I first smelled this perfume as a noobie, I could instantly recognize it as a Shalimar flanker but I'm not so sure anymore. They do share a lot of similar notes, but Parfum Initial is a completely different animal. Yes, they're both powdery vanillas with citruses at the top and share the legendary Guerlainade DNA, but it stops there. The original Shalimar is a lot skankier with its leather, civet, incense, and a smoky vanilla. Shalimar Parfum Initial is the clean, frou-frou pampered princess of the two. This is by no means a criticism as I prefer Parfum Initial personally as it's easier to wear over the Shalimar EDP, which is highly dramatic.

Yessamin

An initiation into Guerlain's most legendary fragance. A luminous interpretation with ambery floral notes.

meliecat

Wow! I just found myself a huge bottle on ebay, so happy. I can`t believe they actually discontinued this one too, happens to nearly all my big favourites - and this one I gave away to a friend in a new gift set for her birthday telling myself `sure I can get a bottle anytime..` WRONG! She adores it big time and tells me it makes her feel special everytime she sprays it on - do you blame her? - and she savors it too, so it only happens every so often..
I think it`s the iris and caramel combo that does the trick here and powder with bergamot and patchouli ascending above them. Very seductive scent, I`ve been told at work to keep this for home..;-) I think every girl should own it at least once in their lives.

UnearthlyApothecary

From the first I get the citrus blast, something spicy which kind of tickles my nose and lipstick. Very unique. I can't wait to see how this develops on my skin. Now the little whiffs of tantalizing Guerlain vanilla and caramel are drifting through the Iris. The original Shalimar DNA is present in the citrus opening and that lovely Guerlain vanilla.This is very powdery and sweet, a "pink" fragrance for sure. I was worried I wasn't going to like this one, but I don't see how anyone could resist it.

blake.lee

This is so good! Iris and caramel are divine together. However, this is not sticky sweet. It's grown up, classy but not too serious either. I can not stop smelling my arm. It feels like sweet leather and makeup on me. There's something about this that seems late 80's glam rock to me. It smells like the time period felt to me as a child. The older girls with their shiny, brightly colored lips, big hair and leather jackets smelling of face powder, lipgloss, floral hairspray and sweet powerhouse 80's perfume. A couple of them smoking slim cigarettes. Their gaudy jewelry clanging together announcing their arrival. I was so sad to be a little girl and watched them with a mixture of jealousy and admiration wishing I could go with them. I watched them laugh too loud and the adults around me glance disapprovingly. They were everything I wanted to be. This is the happiness of youth and even a little raunchy and its sexy as Hell!

ETA, I've had this on for a few hours now and the silage and longevity are incredible. It also doesn't change much after the first hour and I love this about it. It's still sweet leathery iris and caramel. Sexy powder! Makeup, leather and strong, joyful woman. It does feel animalic but nothing like the original. I find it so much more universally lovable than the original, new life into a very dated and difficult to wear perfume. I'm only sad I waited so long to try it.

TanteSimone

I sold and swapped many fragrances but this might be the only fragrance for which I experienced seller's remorse. I sold an almost full bottle because I was pregnant at that time and suddenly became very sensitive to smells. Now time and time again I miss it. It is powdery, sweet, but very well blended. The lipstick note at the initial blast is interesting and the way it evolves on the skin is pure bliss. The drydown for me is similar to Angel but cleaner, drier, and more memorable. When I miss it, I spray Shalimar EDT over Clinique Happy and I get the same vibe yet it makes me miss this more.

Siv7Stars

Hmm. I was hoping for a subtler, more cake-like vanilla powder version of Shalimar, and just got very strong Shalimar. I have no idea at all why some of you here have complained it doesn't even deserve the flanker name.. because this is basically Shalimar. And it's very strong, did I mention that? :/

Uni-Scent

I agree with Feli15, there's absolutely no reason whatsoever to discontinue this beauty! This fragrance smells really gorgeous and sensual. I consider Initial Parfum to be on the more tame side of the original Shalimar. I do find a few similarities with Dior Homme and Dior Homme Intense; this is due to the iris and sweet notes combination. Overall, an absolute gem from Guerlain line.

Scent: 9 / 10
Projection: 7 / 10
Longevity: 8.5 / 10

Feli15

Please, PLEASE Guerlain BRING THIS BACK!!!!!
Mr Wasser did an amazing job here. It still has Shalimar DNA but more wearable with caramel, patch and musk to make it more modern.
I cannot express in words my feelings and how much pleasure it gives me to wear this beauty. I'm on my last few ml left in the bottle and it breaks my heart I can't even find it online anymore.
You should've stoppped at this Shalimar flanker because it was done masterfully and respectfully to the past, and leave it to its small club of SI fans. You can continue milking the money from countless LPRN iterations, I don't mind.

LouPoetka

This review is for Shalimar Parfum Initial. As long as I know it has not been discontinued, as I found it in a duty free shop just a couple of days ago, where I tried it on my skin.

What can I say... Shalimar eludes me once more. Just like the Shalimar EDT, I found this to be yet another powder bomb, only sweeter. On me it smells like talc - a ton of Iris with the merest hint of Lime and a great deal of sweet. It's not even vanilla, it's just anonymous sweet.

I am really disappointed by how my nose seems to deny the Shalimar family its glory. I do not blame the perfume, but honestly... all I can smell is sweet talc. Granted, a talc scent that stays for a long time.

clariella

Another one of the "why, why, why did you discontinue this" scents. It was not even around for that long.. Luckily I have half a bottle left, so it will last me some time at least.

To me this is a beautiful fragrance, and as many have pointed out it is the little sister of the original Shalimar. Lighter and easier to wear, but still dark and mysterious enough for me to have become a favourite at night and in winter time.

Loads of lovely vanilla, powdery iris, rose and a pinch of gorgeous patchouli. Worth mentioning is that I like it more in the drydown than I like the initial slightly citrusy notes. Lasts reasonably long on me, but not as loggas the mother fragrance.

Over all a lovely scent that I hope they would bring back at some point.

ruxandra.balasu

OOOOHHHHh, come back!This is one of the few perfect fragrances my skin has ever encountered. A perfect mixture of playfulness, elegance, mystery and darkness! Some may say it's a lesser Shalimar, but it's not! It's a wonderful interpretation of the classic one, with a hint of joy. What a jem! I just hope it will come back one day, why on earth did Guerlain discontinue this one?

gatsby

@Beaufort: It has been discontinued before L'eau, from more than one year ago. Disappeared from every retailer no matter where, months ago, also inexistent on eBay (which will become also inexistent soon)

snoopyQ

It has been a few years ago that I have tried this gem.
It was really hot like 35/40 degrees, and sweat pearls were crowning my brow.
Me and my brother were entering the mall and me, in my obsession, went straight to the perfume shop, grabbed the tester bottle and sprizt this on me.
I think I sprayed once, maybe twice....
After doing so my brother and I went and sat to have a coffee and discuss a variety of things....
And thoughout our conversation I got whafts of the most beautyful powdery sweetness hanging in the air. God I smell good I thought!

All I basically can remember is that it smelled extremely pleasant

This is a very vanillery powdery scent.
It has a very big sillage and excellent longevity!

dglightblue

This frag is a beast.
I tried only in a tester, but it has something old, or perhaps classic is a better term. Chanel doesn't suit me either, so perhaps it's from a family I don't warm to.

mishlava3000

Parfum Initial is simply delightful. The opening is ever so slightly masculine but very quickly the trademark vanilla sweeps forward tangled in iris which smells heavenly. Personally I actually enjoy the opening best of all here.

Beware though, this isnt AS beautiful or timeless as Shalimar EDT. (Ive only sampled the two so far). However this does not detract from its loveliness.

The close is continuous creamy vanilla. I would be thrilled to recieve this as a gift.

Sillage is soft on me and I look forward to experimenting on less temperate days to see how it performs.

Mojan

If I were Mr. Thierry Wasser, I might have referred to this page from time to time just to see how people respond to this masterpiece that has taken a lot of time, effort and mastery to be born and unjustly has been doomed to go down the path of elimination way too early than deserved. I would have smiled with the love shown to my creation and I would have wiped my tears, seeing how ladies sigh for having to say goodbye to this lovely gem. That's why I'm sending him a message from here.

Mr. Wasser, Shalimar Parfum Initial for me is the extract of love, beauty, seduction, kindness, happiness, harmony and perfection blended masterfully with your magic hands and poured in a bottle. I could have lived happily with only this one scent for the rest of my life if I had to. I imagine myself swimming in this perfume, I imagine myself being in paradise and having wings with this perfume. This is the only perfume I have stocked up greedily so as to postpone the day I'd be without this masterpiece in my life. This is one of your greatest creations if not The Greatest. Shalimar Parfum Initial was your love letter sent to modern women and your artist soul has been succeeded to convey your feelings so beautifully and so masterfully. I'd be forever thankful to you for presenting your love to us and also for making my day more beautiful by wearing it. I know you are as sad as we are to see it go away, but let us just hope they would realize they have made a mistake and bring it back to us. Not everything is profit after all.

TattooGypsy

What's with all the dissing of my beloved Parfum Initial? LOL

I can understand an inexperienced nose finding this perfume to be strange or difficult to get at first. It's a complex perfume which was marketed incorrectly-the 'young' crowd will not instantly spray and love this like they do most mainstream scents!

To me this is a masterpiece of perfumery. The drydown is where it's at with this (although I love it from top to bottom). You have to give it time to bloom. I imagine skin chemistry is important here as well. Fecal? as if! Barnyard? as if! lol Synthetic-no way! Noses are a funny thing.

This perfume is still something I want in my wardrobe forever and sits on my top shelf of favorites!

mohsen95

5/10

dorothea333

Dear Meremere
I thought the notes in this perfume sounded really wonderful- but it is always good to do a little closer reading, and then I came to you review, my god you made me laugh so hard.
I am still curious though :-)

fyrewoman

This does feel like Dior Homme & Dior Homme Intense! I only have the current formulations of those 2 Dior's so the lavendar & herb distinctively sets the Dior Home apart from SPI. I was doubtful that i would ever come around to a Shalimar.

My story stems from a vacation i took in 2004 to Disney World. The most convenient source of perfume shopping (with my jam packed itinerary) was within my luxery hotel resort. I wanted the full fletched tropical experience in Disney so i wanted to be in a cloud of coconut at that time. Each store was filled with clothes and accessories and not much perfume selection. The sales lady assisted me and suggested Shalimar edp. I was like "woah, not for me, especially right now". I was 24 yrs old and in humid 88° F weather so wasn't ready for a blast of Shalimar and swore that perfume off my list ever since.

Parfum Initial lacks that strong smokey incense mixed with leather that i was/am not ready for. This one here is a boudoir scent that is near to a vintage cosmetic powder with vanilla. Delightful. I am getting a fb so that i can layer with Dior Home and Dior Homme Intense to veer the lavendar away that tends to give me a headache in Dior Homme.

This is an elegant perfume for a woman. It can be a classy one for a man as well. Not a baby powder, much more mature and complex than that. My favorite is the opening.

redskyatnight

Parfum Initial is a masterpiece and a strange beauty. It's called an "initiation" into Shalimar. Though many have wailed at a "cheapening" or marketing ploy to bring Shalimar to younger generations, I think it's a wise choice. I'm in the 30-something perfume no-man's land between fruity florals and heavy hitters, and they've piqued my interest in Shalimar where I was previously averse to it. This may be my step toward one day owning and wearing Shalimar regularly. And Parfum Initial is exactly the lovely, dignified fragrance I was looking for.

The first spritz and drydown of Parfum Initial are a little scary with a sort of haunting, icy blue iris and deep musk. Then the caramel warms things up, its salty aspect speaking to the chilly top notes but drawing them into warmer, tamer lands. The powder accord is unlike anything else I've experienced, lending a smoky, incense-ash quality. For the first half hour, the whole thing has a Victorian boudoir aura, complete with velvet accents, damask wallpaper, and lots of maroon and dark wood everywhere. Then it lightens and becomes chic and modern, yet timelessly beautiful. It's warm and powdery with a little mystery.

Completely a winter or late fall scent to me, for a mature woman (insert your own definition for that) or, I might say, a maturing woman. For the first half hour it has the potential for offending as much as tempting, so wear prudently. Personally I have a hard time with musk, but this is the first truly musky fragrance I've been okay with. I spray on the decollete so it gently wafts up and leaves me in a wonderful mood. After a few days of wearing this, I have fallen in love. So. Hard.

bramebelle

For some marvellous reason the perfume shop at my local shopping centre are selling this instead of the souffle and cologne they're stocking in the Department stores. Hoorah!

I've only been wearing it for an hour, but I believe I'll be getting this instead of one of the others.

Totally Shalimar-light. Musk, vanilla and just enough of the darker elements. First time I've smelt the soapiness in a Shalimar on me. Loving it all. Yay!!!

Edit: 13 hours in I'm still loving every minute. I've had a reasonably active day, and I keep getting these wafts of scent and think, "oo, what's that warm, yummy smell... oh, it's me!" Hooked. :)

Re-edit: Stoopid me didn't realise the lingering scent was only on my bracelet where the cheeky sales lady had deliberately sprayed. Another try and while I still love the scent, it lasts less time that Shalimar Cologne on my skin! Back to the drawing board...

lambo33

is a masterpeice parfume,,,just let it dry down and ull get so many comemnts,,,,is for elegant ladys ,,and only.

Edemay

The iris in this is extremely thick and animalic smelling.
Ive never expected any strong animalic smell from these notes but it is definitely there.
At times i really love this and think it smells really classy. But then i will catch a whiff of it that comes off a bit fecal smelling.

Meremere

I have really tried to like this.
I've come back to it three times, because surely my sense of smell must be broken.

To my nose, this opens with a primordial SCREAM of butane citrus with a dab of car exhaust. It makes me scrunch my nose in recoil and cough. Then the drydown is a synthetic lemon/floral/powder leftover from 1910.
For me, this is Dante's 4th ring of perfume hell.

makisov

All I smell is powder.

I decided to wait it out to see if it would grow on me. After 20 minutes, I didn't detect vanilla or sweet at all. Just powder and musk. It also made my throat itch.

Worst of all, I asked my boyfriend to smell my wrist, and he said "You smell like an old woman".

Nat001

I just got a bottle of this! I just had to have it! To be honest, It smells average for me. It reminds me of a very cheap perfume called Queen by Queen Latifah. Her perfume is even better and stronger than this. I will keep it any ways because it is a nice addition to my collection. It is a nice perfume if you don't already own the Latifah perfume but Queen only costs 8 bucks on eBay. I hope this helps! Anyone else finds the similarity. It is so similar that I am about to think they put some Queen on this bottle lol. Is it my bottle or is this normal?

James99

@Jose Marcos Shalimar PI is similar to Dior Homme Intense from older formulation and not the current one from 2015. Shalimar PI is also similar to Dior Homme,the vintage version with silver stem and not the current formulation(it smells nothing like it). Both sexes would wear this two scents comfortably because they are very similar. SPI has edge on DHI(over hyped), I think it would be wi$er to go with $PI and not waste $$$$$$

Jose Marcos

It is not a case of it smells like Dior Homme, not the Intense version. It is that Shalimar PI is so complex that makes Dior Homme smell just like a part of it, the iris powdery side of it to be more precisely. And it is also just a tad bit more feminine than DH, which can be seen as a feminine masculine scent. If a man wears Dior Homme without fearing for his masculinity, why not wearing Shalimar Parfum Initial?

James99

This does indeed smell like Dior Homme Intense(pre-2015). They also share the same notes with iris being the major player. Not a fan of this two since I prefer the Dior Homme. Amazing how a fragrance marketed toward men smells the same as one marketed for women and this makes them both good for both sexes---unisex.

sandrichmilinovich

I had sample of this perfume in my bag for months, but I never tried it.
I got recommendation for this perfume so I reached it from my bag. This is someone's mom perfume for sure.
I spray it all over room, and when my mom came in living room she was like ''This is Chanel 5?'' and I was like ''No, this is Shalimar''.
Now she is hooked on Shalimar, a woman who wore Chanel Mademoiselle for around 15 years.
Its for strong and classy woman, after 40s.

MrsPress

I keep wearing this in the hopes that I will come to love it, or at least like it, but I haven't yet. I absolutely hate the opening of this, it's so synthetic that it's gross. The picture my mind creates when smelling the opening is that of a vat of half melted doll heads with scoops of play-dough and chunks of rubber, yuck. The heart is almost likeable, but not quite. The heart is more real smelling, but never completely makes it out of the synthetic realm. It's a sweet floral heart in which you can somewhat smell the base notes. Unfortunately this goes to the base fairly quickly and the base is as bad as the opening, just not as loud. I love the original Shalimar and was hoping this would be Shalimar-esque, but something I could wear daily, this is not it. I would not go out in public smelling like this.

Edit: I have completely changed my mind on this. I tried it again years after this review and fell in love. Disregard everything I said. Lol

mschnabel666

Curiosity got the best of me, and I tried Shalimar EDP for a good price. (I'm a huge fan of Old Hollywood, and I wanted to own a scent that perhaps Jean Harlow and Joan Crawford wore.... lol)
Now I tried PI.
OMG, I love this. Haha! It's not the gourmand gooey foodie sweetie that I usually fall for, but I'm in love with this. I must stock up whatever the price may be!

This reminds me of JPG Classique's anise and powder mixed with L De Lolita's creamy spicy orange vanilla. PI is divine!
I get a very strange anise opening. But that quickly disappears and the "L de Lolita" like scent remains: spicy orange vanilla creamy musky. Then it dries down to vanilla powder.

I have the L'eau on order now, but I'm not sure if I'll love it as much. It appears to have toned down what I adore about PI.

PI to me is somewhat dated/vintage/old lady but for me-- that is what makes PI unique. I wore it on a very hot day, and I barely left the house, so PI wasn't a huge sillage/potent bomb, which I wanted it to be. But it does melt into me, and I got light skin scent whiffs throughout the day. I'll try in different temperatures and different clothes (perfumes always melt into my dry-yet-oily skin and disappear).

I plan on selling off some other scents from my collection to afford to stock up on PI! YAY!

tandaina

I blind bought based on the listed notes and the great reviews.

As of right now this is horrific. The original Shalimar is difficult on me because I don't like powder and she's a powder bomb. But at least she's *pretty* she's just too powdery for me.

The opening of this one is a raw blast of horribly artificial and incredibly sharp and over the top citrus notes. It's bad pez candy mixed with something medicinal. : If you're like me you'll have to hold your nose and wait for about 10 to 15 minutes for that initial opening to fade.

Once that fades I get a vague scent of powder and something fresh that I can barely smell. Disappointed.

Neckromancer

This makes my left nostril itch. Every time. Am I the only one? I think it's the type of powder used, or maybe the combination of citrus with the powder? It's not even truly an itch, like an itch you have to scratch, but more like a skin irritation...
I also don't spray it directly on my nose. That would be silly.

janeofdoe

That's it...

I can bear the good reviews no longer. I must have this for my collection. Blind buy, here I come! I'll come back and edit with my review once I've tried it. I can't wait!


Edit: I totally understand why this is discontinued. This is verrrrryyyy over rated in this forum. It's "nice".....not brilliant. Please try shalimar cologne edt (with the pinkish hue juice) for a much better version on this.

epg

If I had one wish, it would be to smell like this forever. Nothing but love for this one. Can't believe it has been discontinued...

gtabasso

This was gone within an hour or less on my skin. A subdued Shalimar without the weirdness and lots of vanilla. Meh.

 
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