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Guerlain Shalimar
Guerlain

Shalimar

Citrus
Fresh
Floral
Rose
Jasmine
White Floral
Iris
EDT · 1990 · women

Guerlain's Shalimar is one of the most iconic Oriental fragrances ever created, with a legacy that defines the category. First launched in 1925 and reformulated in 1990, this EDT version remains a masterclass in balanced composition and lasting appeal.

The 1990 EDT opens with bright citruses, bergamot, and lemon alongside woody cedar and mandarin orange, creating an immediate sense of freshness that belies the fragrance's sensual depth. The heart reveals a complex floral-woody accord built on iris, patchouli, vetiver, jasmine, and rose, where earthy spice meets soft florality. The base is where Shalimar truly shines, layering vanilla, incense, leather, opoponax, civet, and sandalwood into a warm, slightly animalic foundation that lasts for hours. The overall effect is an Oriental that feels both refined and deeply sensual.

This is a fragrance for those who appreciate classic composition and aren't afraid of a little animalic warmth. It works year-round but particularly excels in cooler months when its spiced-vanilla depth can fully develop on skin. If you're drawn to The Homesteader, The Romantic, and The Sensualist archetypes, Shalimar deserves a place in your collection.

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$68.10Save $87 (56% off retail)
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The Perfume SpotBestIn Stock$68.10−$87Buy
Papique✓ PartnerIn Stock$102.00−$53Buy
eCosmeticsIn Stock$120.00−$35Buy
Neiman Marcus✓ PartnerIn Stock$155.00Buy

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Main Accordsreported by community
Citrus
100%
Fresh
34%
Floral
90%
Rose
80%
Jasmine
70%
White Floral
29%
Iris
29%
Aromatic
17%
Woody
100%
Vetiver
29%
Patchouli
29%
Earthy
83%
Musky
50%
Powdery
29%
Amber
50%
Balsamic
50%
Vanilla
60%
Sweet
93%
Gourmand
50%
Leather
25%
Smoky
25%
Animalic
25%
Creamy
25%
Fragrance Notesbrand verified
Top · 0–30 min
Citruses
Citruses
Bergamot
Bergamot
A sun-ripened Italian citrus with a brightness that goes beyond lemon, simultaneously tart, floral, and slightly spicy. It's the defining note of Earl Grey tea and the backbone of countless fresh colognes. Perfumers love it as an opener because it lifts the entire composition without overpowering what follows.
Lemon
Lemon
Sharp, clean, and instantly familiar, the pure zest of fresh-cut lemon peel, not the sugary juice. In perfumery it reads as crisp and energising rather than sweet, and is often used to amplify other light notes. It fades quickly, so it's almost always a top note that makes a striking first impression.
Cedar
Cedar
Mandarin Orange
Mandarin Orange
Heart · 30 min – 3 hrs
Iris
Iris
One of perfumery's most prized and expensive ingredients, iris has a powdery, cool, almost carrot-like richness that is hard to describe and impossible to mistake. It's simultaneously earthy and refined, like the inside of an old Parisian couture house. Iris root (orris) adds quiet luxury to anything it touches.
Patchouli
Patchouli
Dense, earthy, and darkly sweet, patchouli is the scent of damp soil and dried herbs with an almost chocolatey richness. It polarizes people because in high concentrations it's overwhelming, but as a supporting note it adds depth and longevity that almost nothing else can match. The backbone of countless oriental and chypre fragrances.
Vetiver
Vetiver
Earthy, smoky, and complex, vetiver root is extracted from a grass native to India and has a scent that is simultaneously rooty, woody, and slightly lemony. It's one of perfumery's great base notes: tenacious, unisex, and endlessly adaptable. A fragrance built around vetiver feels grounded and deeply confident.
Jasmine
Jasmine
Intoxicating, heady, and slightly animalic, jasmine is one of the few flowers that smells as rich in a bottle as it does climbing a garden wall at dusk. It has an almost fleshy, indolic quality that stops it reading as purely 'clean.' Jasmine is a workhorse in both feminine and masculine perfumery, adding depth and soul.
Rose
Rose
The queen of floral notes and the most-used ingredient in fine perfumery. Real rose is simultaneously velvety, honeyed, and slightly spicy, nothing like the synthetic candy version. Depending on the variety used, it can anchor a composition or drift through it like a ghost, adding warmth without dominating.
Base · 3–12 hrs
Vanilla
Vanilla
Warm, sweet, and universally appealing, vanilla is to fragrance what salt is to cooking. Real vanilla is complex and slightly smoky, though most perfumery vanilla is synthetic and reads as clean, sweet, and creamy. It slows the evaporation of other notes and is the reason certain fragrances feel like a second skin.
Incense
Incense
The dry, smoky, slightly woody scent of burning resin, incense in perfumery usually means frankincense or similar resins, adding a contemplative, almost spiritual quality. It creates distance and mystery, making fragrances feel larger than they are. A hallmark of niche, serious perfumery.
Leather
Leather
One of perfumery's most complex accords, smoky, animalic, and slightly woody, evoking tanned hide, polished saddles, or fine gloves depending on the recipe. Leather adds sophistication and edge simultaneously, and is deeply associated with masculinity in Western perfumery (though the best leather fragrances transcend gender entirely).
Opoponax
Opoponax
The 'sweet myrrh' of ancient perfumery, opoponax has a warm, balsamic, slightly vanilla-like quality that is softer and more approachable than regular myrrh. It has a honeyed sweetness with a faint herbal edge, creating a rich, complex base note. A pillar of classic oriental perfumery, it adds warmth and tenacity.
Civet
Civet
An animalic note with a raw, musky, slightly fecal quality that might sound unappealing but adds extraordinary depth and sensuality in small amounts. Natural civet is no longer used (it was obtained unethically); modern substitutes are kinder but similarly provocative. A hallmark of classic Chanel and Guerlain fragrances.
Sandalwood
Sandalwood
Creamy, smooth, and milky with a soft, skin-like warmth that clings beautifully. True Mysore sandalwood is one of perfumery's most precious ingredients, simultaneously wood and skin, never cold or sharp. It rounds off sharp edges in any composition and makes the wearer smell subtly, irresistibly warmer.
Tonka Bean
Tonka Bean
Sweet, powdery, and almond-like with hay-like, slightly tobacco undertones, tonka bean is one of perfumery's most useful base notes. It shares coumarin with fresh hay and freshly cut grass, adding a warmth that feels nostalgic and comforting. Essential in gourmand and soft oriental fragrances.
Musk
Musk
The base layer of almost every modern fragrance, a soft, warm, skin-like scent that extends longevity and bridges other notes together. Natural musk was once derived from deer (now banned); today's musks are synthetic and range from clean and soapy to dark and animalic. The right musk makes a fragrance smell like 'you.'
Who Wears ThisScent DNA matches
🏡
The HomesteaderBest match85% match
Rooted, warm, and entirely self-sufficient.

Warm skin musks, sandalwood, soft cedar, clean vetiver. Grounding, intimate, unhurried.

❤️
The Romantic85% match
Your fragrance is a love letter you never stop writing.

Warm roses, vanilla, amber, creamy musks. Soft, evolving, intimate.

🔥
The Sensualist82% match
You fill the room without trying.

Warm, smooth, projecting. Leather, tobacco, dry amber, bold woods.

Based on this fragrance's accord profile · Find your Scent DNA →
Community
Rate this fragrance
Rate this fragrance
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Most Popular with this Scent DNA Type?
🏡
The Homesteader
Rooted, warm, and entirely self-sufficient.
Warm skin musks, sandalwood, soft cedar, clean vetiver. Grounding, intimate, unhurried.
Discover your type →
Scent Profile
Citrus100%Fresh34%Floral90%Rose80%Jasmine70%
Fragrance Family
Oriental
EDT
Decants Available
4
listings in stock
0.75ml$14.65/ml5ml$3.60/ml10ml$2.80/ml5ml$9.80/ml

Guerlain Shalimar— Prices, Coupons & Buying Guide

Best price today: Shalimar is $92.00. Without a coupon the lowest price is $92.00. Gush tracks 47+ retailers updated every 2 hours.

Are grey market retailers authentic?

Yes. Jomashop, FragranceNet, and MaxAroma sell 100% authentic Guerlain fragrances through unofficial distribution channels. The fragrance is identical to department store stock. Grey market refers to the supply chain, not product quality. The price difference comes entirely from the distribution channel.

Frequently asked questions

Cheapest price for Guerlain Shalimar? +
$92.00 at Papique. Gush compares 47+ retailers updated every 2 hours.
Is $92.00 a good price for Shalimar? +
Yes. The current best price is $92.00 and MSRP is $408.00. At $92.00 you save 77% vs retail.
What does Guerlain Shalimar smell like? +
Guerlain's Shalimar is one of the most iconic Oriental fragrances ever created, with a legacy that defines the category. First launched in 1925 and reformulated in 1990, this EDT version remains a masterclass in balanced composition and lasting appeal. The 1990 EDT opens with bright citruses, bergamot, and lemon alongside woody cedar and mandarin orange, creating an immediate sense of freshness that belies the fragrance's sensual depth. The heart reveals a complex floral-woody accord built on iris, patchouli, vetiver, jasmine, and rose, where earthy spice meets soft florality. The base is where Shalimar truly shines, layering vanilla, incense, leather, opoponax, civet, and sandalwood into a warm, slightly animalic foundation that lasts for hours. The overall effect is an Oriental that feels both refined and deeply sensual. This is a fragrance for those who appreciate classic composition and aren't afraid of a little animalic warmth. It works year-round but particularly excels in cooler months when its spiced-vanilla depth can fully develop on skin. If you're drawn to The Homesteader, The Romantic, and The Sensualist archetypes, Shalimar deserves a place in your collection.
What are the notes in Guerlain Shalimar? +
Top: Citruses, Bergamot, Lemon, Cedar, Mandarin Orange. Heart: Iris, Patchouli, Vetiver, Jasmine, Rose. Base: Vanilla, Incense, Leather, Opoponax, Civet, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Musk.
What fragrance family is Shalimar? +
Guerlain Shalimar belongs to the Oriental fragrance family. It is an EDT.
What other fragrances smell like Guerlain Shalimar? +
Based on shared notes, paris-hilton Nitro Intense Pour Homme (Vanilla, Sandalwood, Iris, Patchouli), Ard Al Zaafaran Aroosat Al Emarat (Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Iris, Patchouli), Parfums de Marly Lippizan for men (Vanilla, Leather, Iris, Patchouli), Chanel N5 Vintage for women (Vanilla, Civet, Iris, Jasmine), Chanel No 5 Parfum Baccarat Grand Extrait for women (Vanilla, Civet, Iris, Jasmine) may smell similar to Shalimar.
What is a grey market fragrance retailer? +
Grey market retailers sell authentic fragrances sourced through unofficial distribution -- typically excess inventory from authorized distributors. The product is real and identical to retail. FragranceNet (est. 1997), Jomashop, and MaxAroma are well-established with millions of verified reviews.

Gush earns a commission on purchases at no cost to you · Prices update every 2 hours · Coupon success rates based on affiliate feed data · Grey market = authentic, unofficial supply chain