Shalimar Souffle Intense

Shalimar Souffle Intense is Thierry Wasser's indulgent reinterpretation of a classical silhouette—less restraint, more rapture. Where the original Shalimar whispers, this iteration exhales with deliberate sensuality, the jasmine sambac and orange blossom water absolute converging into a creamy, almost honeyed floral that sits somewhere between skincare and perfume. The green notes provide merely a whisper of counterbalance, a gossamer thread of freshness that stops this from becoming cloying, though sweetness is undeniably the dominant thread throughout.

The genius lies in Wasser's vanilla architecture. Bourbon and Tahitian vanillas do not simply sweeten here—they create a velvety scaffold upon which the florals drape themselves. Benzoin amplifies the powdery quality, lending a soft, almost cosmetic warmth that recalls face powder and intimate skin. The spicy undertones (likely from the jasmine's own green facets and the benzoin's balsamic warmth) add just enough peppery complexity to prevent this from reading as a simple gourmand.