The Forgotten Treasures of Guerlain: A Journey into the Secret Book of Formulas

A heartfelt thank you to Thierry and Fred Sacone, Guerlain junior perfumer (already at the helm of a beautiful collection of Guerlain bottles), for allowing us to smell all these wonders again. It is the result of colossal work: deciphering and decoding complex, “nested” formulas, searching for missing materials, and creating “truly homemade” animal tinctures.

These perfumes are “perfumes of curiosity” that one can only smell, but not buy, because they no longer comply with current regulations. This allows us to salute the creativity of the former Guerlain perfumers, who had an overflowing imagination! And prolific. Jacques Guerlain created several per year.

These perfumes are on the Champs-Élysées, on the first floor; other boutiques will soon have the privilege of offering enthusiasts these newly resurrected scents: ask our perfume experts to help you discover them. In our secret book of formulas, with about 850 perfumes, there is still plenty of material to make you travel back in time.

Pao Rosa – Eau de Cologne 1877

Like all eaux de Cologne in the top notes: bursting notes of bergamot, of neroli, in the heart if one perceives rose notes (essence), the animal notes are indeed there: true tincture of musk and civet.

À Travers Champs – Extract 1898

Even if in the top notes bergamot and lavender and petitgrain are present, it is a true floral bouquet: rose, ylang-ylang, with a very pronounced note of carnation therefore spicy, on a powdery iris background, but above all very leather (true birch tincture) woody and quite sensual through its amber and animal notes.

Voilà pourquoi j’aimais Rosine – Extract 1900

Custom perfume for Sarah Bernhardt, whose first name was Rosine. I found a Shalimar spirit with very pronounced top notes of bergamot, lemon, lavender, a slightly floral heart: rose, jasmine, iris, up to there, I still think of Shalimar, but the base is so leathery, smoky, almost a Lapsang Souchong! (Birch) and true oakmoss: tinctures, that quickly I go elsewhere. What character!

Fleur qui meurt – Extract 1901

For me it is an overdose of violet, with its leaf, a sprig of cassie flower, enhanced by a classic floral heart: jasmine, ylang-ylang, a woody base and chypre oakmoss, enhanced with costus (very present).

Voilette de Madame – Extract 1904

Wedding gift given to a couple of friends by Jacques Guerlain. I had the reissue in mind, and there: shock, because the original is much richer and faceted. It is a very powdery floral bouquet, very violet, iris, cassie flower, supported by other flowers: rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, neroli, the base very rich: oakmoss, thanks to animal tinctures, there is a beautiful sexy tonality!

Mouchoir de Monsieur – Extract 1904

Here too, same observation, so much prettier than the current one which I find too animalic for my taste (still on sale, not as good, sorry). But here, these animal notes pass well. In this very elegant, dandy fougère, very bergamot, geranium, patchouli, and other woods. The base is soft, slightly vanilla, tonka, and powdered by iris, how good it is!

Après L’Ondée – Extract 1906

If you go to smell this perfume, you will cry with happiness, for two reasons:

• The first: you will be surprised, compared to the “vintage” you knew, before it was removed from the catalog, to discover an even more extraordinary perfume!
• The second: you will regret the extract even more. You can still find it as eau de toilette which I could compare to a “pastel version” of this fragrance!

It is a magnificent floral, the precursor of a masterful work even more faceted: L’Heure Bleue: my perfume of heart. In the top notes, rosemary, bergamot, lavender, but arrive very quickly: anisic aldehyde, heliotropin which were used for the first time in this perfume.

In the heart, a violet, iris, jasmine, and orange blossom effect (as in L’Heure Bleue) the base is less warm and gourmand than that of L’Heure Bleue, but with a bonus nevertheless, a beautiful and true musk.

Sillage – Extract 1907

A white flowers floral: jasmine, tuberose, ylang-ylang on a leather base, oakmoss and always these tinctures, signature of this era.

Muguet – Extract 1908

Nothing to do with our current Muguet which is much more figurative. This one is an abstract lily of the valley, quite carnation-like, smelling wonderfully clean, very lemony in the top notes.

Candide Effluve – Extract 1922

A very ylang/lilac floral, on an amber base: benzoin, myrrh, quite woody: patchouli, vetiver, sandalwood, and in the base this birch leather note.

Bouquet de Faunes – Extract 1922

Guerlain’s only Lalique bottle. It is a very costus leather, quite animalic with musk and amber, a little floral: carnation, jasmine, rose, neroli, iris. A fragrance that must have been polarizing, even at the time it was born.

Cachet Jaune – Eau de Cologne 1937

1937, year of birth of Jean-Paul Guerlain; he would be bathed in the scents of this fragrance which would be worn for a long time by his mother. Soft and light fragrance, floral rose, jasmine, carnation, iris on a vanilla base, tonka and musk.