Fragrance Girl

Samsara and Shalimar – Guerlain


There are certain sensory ‘NO!’ signals that are strong enough to become a physical imperative. When the dentist finds a tender spot in your tooth, you natural reaction is to jump out of the dentist chair and run away. When you drive west at the end of a summer’s day, the sunlight feels like it’s burning into your retina. It becomes almost unbearable to keep your eyes open. When you hear that classic fingernails on the blackboard noise, you have to block your ears.

In the same way, there are olfactory notes that are not just scrubbers – they are runners. I’ve been trying to like Guerlain fragrances, but Shalimar and Samsara completely defeat me. I can take the lid off the bottles, but that’s about it. Even bringing the fragrances close to my nose is a bit of an ordeal.
There are other fragrances that create the same feeling. Prada’s L’Eau Ambree and Dior’s Dune are both cases in point. The physical sensation they create feels similar to sucking on a ball bearing. Sound a bit daft, but it’s the closest I can come to describing it accurately.

OsMoz describes Samsara as Top notes of Bergamot, Lemon, Green Note and Tarragon. The Heart notes are Jasmine, Rose, Ylang Ylang and Carnation. The Base notes are Sandal, Vanilla, Benzoin and Tonka.
For Shalimar OsMoz says there are Top notes of Bergamot, Mandarin, Cedar and Lemon. Heart notes of Patchouli, Jasmine, Rose and Orris. Base notes of Vanilla, Benzoin (beginning to spot a theme), Peru Balsam and Leather.

You can buy Samsara and Shalimar for £21 and £27 respectively. No question that these would be ones to try before you buy.