On my recent trip to Paris I had been looking forward to visiting the Guerlain flagship store, I had not yet sniffed any of the perfumes in the collection Les Voyages Olfactifs, and had especially been looking forward to trying the New York fragrance, since it was supposed to be reminiscent of Christmas markets, and I thought that this was going to be exactly what I craved at this time of year. However, as I am sure many a perfumista has tried, it turned out that although the lovely sugar and spice fest did its best to persuade me, I found that at this time, it was in fact the new addition to the line, the London-journey in olfactory form, which softly beckoned. I used to live in London, and it seemed perfect to sniff Les Voyages Olfactifs 04 Paris- London while in Paris, thinking back on my own olfactory memory of the English capital.

 

Like all other big cities, the actual smell of London is of course somewhat different to the postcard ‘strawberries and 5 o’clock tea’- one. It is also very different to the one evocative of the olfactory remembrance of the place, which I suppose will often tend towards a fair bit of nostalgia. Gone is the smell of dirt and smog, the sweaty armpits and stale air of the Tube during peak hour and the sense of a long and rainy fall. Enter: A stroll through the park or at Hampstead Heath, a glass of Pimm’s and eternal friendly summer weather at a picnic outing on Primrose Hill. I remember both Londons, but -needless to say- when I get sentimental about my time there, it’s the second version I long for.

 

 

Les Voyages Olfactifs 04 Paris- London transports me to that place of a tranquil and temperate summer’s day in London. The fragrance opens with a blast of fruitiness from the rhubarb and citrus- which is fresh and tart, and feels playful and jolly. I find that the opening slowly gives way to the image of fresh mowed lawns, with a touch of a crisp rose in its dewy splendor. This stage is truly like walking through Regent’s park, and wafting the scent of the beautiful rose garden situated there.

 

There is a delightful freshness to this fragrance, even if at the heart it is sweet and while capturing a rather romantic view of London, it manages to stay hip and un-girly due to the grass and zest. It is a slight jammy sweetness, as if the homemade preserve was never far away, but was in fact sitting there side by side with a good old “cuppa”, which indeed it is; a discreet black tea note, which waves gently in and out of the perfume, I find to be both humorous as well as ideal. All of Alice’s wonderland is counterbalanced with a touch of violet, a little melancholy – this day too will come to an end…

 

I love it’s long journey which allows me to visit several places in my memory, before reaching a musky, vanilla, cedar dry down, still- with the vetiver- sensing an echo of the London parks and gardens, perhaps now one of the many private and secret ones, a hideaway from the cities well trodden paths.

 

 

The fragrance matches the name to perfection, this is exactly that; a olfactive journey through the London you think of while away from it, and I take it that M. Wasser must have lovely memories of London, since this fragrance, for sure, could only have been created by someone who thinks of the city with great fondness. It is a beautifully fair and blissful, yet sparkling fragrance, and I can picture myself reaching for this often when I long for spring or summer. I am sure it should then never fail to uplift and delight me.

– Jasia Julia Nelson, Guest Contributor

Art Direction: Michelyn Camen EIC

Editor's note: Since this is Jasia from Sweden's first  review please leave a comment to welcome her.