Elixir Charnel Le Boise Torride Guerlain for women

Very like-able from the start. At first application Boise Torride is almost tingly, there's a mix of sweet and sour or something that strikes that way, maybe the berries and tangerine. Now a few hours later I can smell subdued marshmallow with cedar and a touch of patchouli, different and pleasant, not sickening sweet, either-I was worried about that marshmallow note but it's fine, gives it the gourmand quality without the being cloying.

Sillage: does not seem to project much sillage, I am working with a 1ml vial as opposed to a spray and I've dabbed it on both wrists, neck, decollage, and a few drops on my shirt. Cannot get a really good whiff of this unless I stick my nose to my wrist.

Would I buy a bottle? Not at retail price, although it's a lovely scent, there are other fragrances that grab me more than this.

f there is a perfume adjective that puts me off more than "tendre," it is "torride." Both apply better to romance novels than to luxury fragrances. Add to Boisé torride's iffy name the foreboding "harmonie guimauve" (marshmallow harmony), and I'm convinced I don't even have to try this one.

Yet I did. I sampled 4 of the Elixirs at once; lived with them for an afternoon. As predicted, I was put off by Boisé torride's sticky sweet top note and immediately filed this Elixir under "Not For Me."

As the day wore on, I fell in love with one of the four scents, but forgot which I had spritzed where. After many re-samplings and much denial, I realized that Boisé torride was my new surprise favorite. Its gorgeous "boisé" drydown stole my heart. There's plenty of patchouli, some nice cedar, and, yes, a fruited (not fruity) floral sweetness that turns gentle and fresh. The perfume's development on my skin was opposite to what I'd anticipated. Boisé torride started out sticky sweet, but settled into a gentle, fresh woodsy blend, sans guimauve.

The name poses a syntactical problem for translation into English (as does FM's Noir épices), but has an edgy ring (syntax again) in French. No matter how you phrase it, though, there is nothing torrid about this blend. If Guerlain had to choose a mawkish name, it should have been "Boisé tendre."

I think Boise Torride is underestimated among the other Elixirs.
For me,this is an exceptional perfume.Very sparkling , elegant with great sillage.The red berries are ripe, that's why it is really sweet but they give a sour feeling at the same time.It demands however special weather conditions to reveal its real beauty-wet and cold.

Boise scents are always a favorite of mine and this one smarts out lovely but develops into a bit of a sickly sweet scent. There is too much sugar and not enough wood. Pass at this price.

In short, this is a good Guerlain submission. This has the WOW factor, longevity, you name it. How it goes on is pretty much how it stays for the day (as compared to Mitsouko, which dances about and develops over the course of wearing). So I can see how some may not like that the linearity.

What I really love is hte Cedar note, which is just stunning. OK, I live in the bay area, a cool, foggy climate that makes the perfect frame for a Cedar note, but I think others will love this too.

(edit) I put this away and came back to it after a month, and indeed there is a marshmallow or other sweet note that makes this more of a gourmand. I read that this entire series is geared towards the gourmand genre. When I first tried htis I got more of the Cedar, but today it was all about the marshmallow, and sadly my feelings have changed a bit towards it.