Guerlain
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Green notes cut across the initial blast like a knife through cream, offering momentary clarity before the tropical floral battalion assembles itself. Within minutes, frangipani and tuberose muscle forward aggressively, their creamy, almost buttery presence establishing the fragrance's hedonistic trajectory with uncompromising certainty.
The middle hours belong entirely to the floral accord's collective voice—jasmine adds a greenish bite, neroli contributes citric brightness struggling beneath the weight of competing flowers, whilst ylang ylang threads through with its signature rubber-like sweetness. Here, the spice emerges most noticeably, a peppery whisper preventing the composition from ossifying into pure candy.
Sandalwood and vetiver finally assume command as the florals relent, offering a woody base that's simultaneously creamy and slightly green. Vanilla rounds the edges into something almost powdery, though longevity concerns mean this final act plays far too quietly—the fragrance fades rather than concludes, leaving a ghost of tuberose and sandalwood softness on the skin.
Mayotte arrives as a densely floral composition that prioritises unabashed femininity despite its unisex classification—though one suspects Jean-Paul Guerlain crafted this with a particular audience in mind. The fragrance operates as a study in tropical redundancy, layering frangipani, tuberose, ylang ylang, and jasmine with such generous abandon that individual flowers blur into a singular, heady blur of creamy petals and honeyed sweetness. This is not a fragrance concerned with subtlety or restraint; it's a scent that announces itself before you enter the room.
The magic resides in how those floral heart notes interact with the base's sandalwood-vetiver foundation. Rather than fighting, they negotiate a uneasy truce—the woody elements attempt to anchor what might otherwise float away into pure perfume fluff, whilst the florals persistently resist grounding, pulling skyward toward something almost nauseating in its richness. The spicy accords (76%) lend a faint peppery undertow, preventing the composition from becoming saccharine, though sweetness (88%) still dominates proceedings thoroughly.
Add fragrances to your collection and unlock your personalised scent DNA, note map, and shareable identity card.
3.6/5 (83)