Perfume Review: Guerlain L'Instant De Guerlain (Eau De Parfum)

Review based on wrist and card samples from tester bottles.

Target Gender: Female; Price Bracket (Aus): Medium-High ($180+). 
Type: Fruity/Floral/Musky/Creamy. Guerlain is a subsidiary brand of LVMH.

Guerlain has a very long history, having produced some timeless gems of the fragrance world. L'Instant De Guerlain (2003) is a relatively young one in the lineup compared to its stable-mates, and coming from the house that has masterpieces like Shalimar, Chamade, Habit Rouge, Mitsouko and L'Heure Bleue, it has a lot to live up to.

I was a bit apprehensive coming across a relatively recent Guerlain without the name of Jean-Paul Guerlain or Thierry Wasser behind it. Maurice Roucel isn't a name on too many scents but he has managed to pull off a stunner, and show that sensuality doesnt have to be stereotypical, but can be achieved with a finely balanced combination of otherwise ubiquitous notes.

The top opens with a fruity accord; there is some citrusy sourness, but the very characteristic sweetness of apple mellows it down. Vanilla and honey are immediately noticeable as undertones. The top is fruity, but the vanilla and honey, even though not very prominent at this stage, drop a hint or two that this fragrance might have a sensual, soft nature. Some musk is also noticeable if you go looking for it.

The 80ml (2.7oz) bottle

The middle is very discernibly floral, with magnolia being the most noticeable flower. The vanilla/honey combo start to strengthen at this stage, and the projection of the scent scales back. The real master-stroke is the number of notes together in perfect sync. At second whiff, I got very prominent, realistic jasmine and and then iris to go along with the magnolia, and a third sniff made me sense magnolia and ylang-ylang. There's also a slight powderiness to the scent , most likely the ylang-ylang.

The base is where this scent gets very sensual, very chic, and even more complex. The florals don't retain much presence except for the iris, and the vanilla/honey duo is joined by very sublime and natural musk, and the warmth of amber and benzoin. They're balanced well enough not to overpower each other, and are discernible individually. There is enough overlap between the notes to make this appear a fairly linear scent.

The lasting power on my skin was impressive; samples on the wrist and back of the hand lasted about 8 hours, and survived a good three handwashes(!). The scent doesn't radiate far beyond arms' length for much of its life. That said, this is a very concentrated scent, and overdosing can become too heady and cloying. The bottle is understated but chic; there's plenty of glass, and it's tinged a slight purple. The fluid is orange, but very subtly coloured and is unlikely to stain clothing unless sprayed from too close.

This is a thoroughly feminine scent, and a very sensual one. Its vibe is smooth, gentle, sweet, warm and mysterious. It lasts a long time, has a complex but well-balanced note profile, and doesn't radiate too far away from the wearer. There's a lot of elegance, and an aura of formality in this perfume. For the same reason, I'm not inclined to recommend this as a daytime scent. My recommendation: Absolute and unqualified. This is also fairly safe as a blind buy, but look elsewhere if you want to be noticed across the room. 

There's no particularly close analogue of L'Instant De Guerlain, although Manifesto (YSL) has a similarly creamy undertone all through, and a fruity top followed by a floral middle. However, it is quite distinct in itself, and doesn't mimic L'Instant for its overall profile. 

Ratings:
4.2/5...Mystery, femininity, sensuality in a bottle

Prices:

RRP: AU$116/ AU$150 / AU$185 for 30ml / 50ml / 80ml

UVP: 30ml $3.86/ml, 50ml $3/ml, 80ml $2.31/ml

Click for more information on UVP

As the UVPs show, the 30ml bottle is very pricey for the volume of liquid in it. The 50ml and 80ml dont differ by much, so my recommendation is hands down the 80ml bottle.

Stockists: Guerlain counters at Myer and David Jones. Myer started including Guerlain in sales this year due to change of wholesaler/distributor for Australia (Cosmax taking over from LVMH).