Guerlain Shalimar Initial L'Eau Guerlain for women

It distresses me that the Shalimar citrus notes hate me so. In every version I have tried — the original, PI and PI L'Eau — the start is sharp, medicinal, sour on my skin, somehow made worse by the vanilla lurking under it which seems stale and cloying by contrast. I adore smelling original Shalimar on others, but it's nothing short of repulsive on me, and while Shalimar PI is better, it's too heavy on the patchouli (my kryptonite).

I don't know if it's worse or better (maddeningly hope-inducing, for sure) that L'Eau actually does, after an hour or so, transform into that exquisite vanilla I've been yearning for. With glorious, powdery iris! I keep coming back for a spritz or two, stoically enduring the first hour, wondering if perhaps the start is a little bit more bearable this time. And then the wafts of fluffy, vanilla-iris heaven start, and all is forgiven as I sit with my nose glued to my arm. As long as there's a drop left in my decant, I haven't given up on this one yet.

This smells like a young and sweet shalimar. As someone who loves shalimar but doesn't feel it's quite wearable enough for them this one is a nice muted version. My mom's signature scent is shalimar and almost all she ever wears is the EDT. This does not capture the depth of the original at all, but for people who like coco mademoiselle over coco would be drawn to this fragrance. I love it because I can smell like shalimar without exactly smelling like my mom, because that would be a little redundant in our house hold. I agree this is definitely marketed towards younger women and while some hold this in disdain I'm happy guerlain hasn't forgotten about us :P. It smells a bit like powdery citrus-y little cakes with lots of iris. A sweet delicate almost gourmand version.

I was very brave and purchased this semi-blindly, having tested it once, not having been too impressed, but I just love the bottle, and read the great reviews here that convinced me it was something I would like, even though I tend to steer clear of citrus. And I really like it.

Initially it is reminiscent of my beloved Chanel No 5 Voile, a pink concoction that came out all too briefly and disappeared, never to be heard of again. It settles to powdery floral, but is not heady. Though it has hints of being a flower garden, it is in fact much more subtle. The citrus and vanilla are not strong and overpowering, but are complimented appreciably by the more dominant rose and tonka bean. After it dries, the lily of the valley is noticeable.

This is such a comfortably, beautifully soft perfume, and one of the few florals that I am able to wear that does not turn acidic in smell - I am so glad to have found it. It is a deeper fragrance than it might seem, and lasts a good long while. The balance works very well and is a fitting modern Geurlain, identifying itself firmly with its predecessors, while soaring serenely among the notes and bouquets of the now.

What a lovely scent! It has been long time in my wishlist, and now I got a bottle. First of all I respect the grand Shalimar, but I can't wear it every days, and Shalimar Parfum Initial is a great modern interpretation of the historical Shalimar perfume. Still the reason why I love Initial L'Eau better is that this scent is lighter, fresher so that preserves the great ancestor's every miracles and powers. Perfect for springtime!

When I tried it few hours ago, in the first sniff I didn't like it at all, I smelled anise which I really hate, but by hours it turned to a very pleasant scent, to something so powdery and clean, the smell is refreshing, and by the way it's still changing and it's getting better and better :) most of votes are for day but I recommend it in night too

ialready have shalimar the old one the original then ismelt shalimar initial and ifound it after dry down close to normal shalimar so iwas hesitate to bye same original but litte lighter then the the man sprayed l eau on my hand and said do not judge it now wait so idid nt buy anything and went home then istart feel initial l eau blooming on my hand it is very bowdery iris in the same time it has the young spirit of shalimar and i think it is close to chanel no 19 pouder for me it is my favourite and last about four hours sillage is moderate
EDIT for sorrow after ibought it and back home ifound that its powdwe very thick that icould not pear it that iwant vomit so ire back to the shop this is powdery bomb and do not let its colour pink make u feel its light big no for ur information iam awomen who likes shalimar opium youth dew not freshly light perfume thanks hope that will help in ur desigion

I just received Shalimar Initial L'eau today and I just love it! I have been looking for a fragrance to replace Ellen Tracy for years and I believe I found it.
I mostly smell powdery Iris and Tonka bean, but this smells expensive. Wearing this makes me feel like a million bucks. Staying power is pretty good.
The original SI is too strong and for the first few hours smells a bit like medicine on me, so I am really happy that I was able to find a bottle of l'eau on Scentedmonkey, since it's not avaialable in stores.
This is not your typical generic sweet fragrance which smells like strawberries and candy. A woman who wears this perfume has good taste and is a warm, charming lady.

I injoied this one very much . very pawdry and spicy and so classy. staing power and sillage are perfect for an ET . I prefer this one over the EP ,and yes definitely they smell defrent

I love this scent. When I first spritzed the eau de parfum on me in the store I wasn't that impressed, the citrus topnotes were a bit too overwhelming, but at home I kept smelling my arm. So the next time when I was in a perfumery I tried the l'eau and immediately fell in love! I love the creme brulee like vanilla in the base and Oh lala all the other lovely flowers! It is a gorgeous fragrance! And the bottle is very pretty as well!

Captivated as I was by Shalimar Parfum Initial, I made the decision to buy a 60 ml bottle. I found the best deal and... got me a sample of l'Eau. I must have had a hunch.

To wax artistic, Shalimar Parfum Initial is a fascinating fragrance, but it makes me feel inadequate. It's someone else's perfume, not mine, and evokes - in me, at least - associations with modern noir. It belongs to someone with more poise, more presence - I know I lack none of this qualities, mind you, and I wouldn't mind having a bottle, but it still feels like stealing from someone else's dresser.

L'Eau is a girl-next-door version of Shalimar Parfum Initial, Effie Perrine to Initial's Brigid O'Shaughnessy: more approachable, instantly relatable, good-natured, sparkingly alive. Vanilla base won me in an instant, and even though I rarely appreciate florals, I love its glittering, multi-dimensional floral heart.

I tried this the other day and i must say I was left unimpressed. It's nothing like shalimar the original, and nothing like l'initial either. To my nose, all i could get was a yucky toffee/tonka bean smell, if any....

For a flanker of Shalimar, this has no character, and nothing distinctive. I can't even say that it's "fresh" or citrussy as the name "l'eau" would suggested. This is just rancid and way too sweet.
It's like if they just throw together a bunch of unrelated notes with no specific final result in mind: a mess:-/

Shalimar original seemed strong and old fashioned to me, however after seeing Katie Puckriks review I went back to the dept store to try it again. Still skeptical, I tried Shalimar Initial on my wrists. My sons complained it was strong but I hung in there. Finally, the spritz on my wrists dried down to the most beautiful creamy powdery scent. I purchased a large bottle and I apply a mist to the air and walk through it. It's gorgeous! When I'm alone I apply more and on my wrists because I can't get enough. I have the original Shalimar in a lotion that I love but my husband nearly convulses and swears he gets an instant migraine! I will wear it for myself when he's off to work!

I think this is a very complex perfume. I am not an expert but it seems to change by the hour. It's very strong when you first put it on then, within ten minutes it's very different. I read a review on Sephora about the user smelling her arm every five minutes and I feel the same way. I think it is very feminine, it makes me feel wonderful. I'll have to get better at reviewing but I do honestly love this one. I am in a cold part of the US and it reminds me of spring, babies and warmth...

First, don't even try to compare it to the original Shalimar! Coz, of course it's not comparable. If Shalimar Initial is her daughter, SHIL would be her grand daughter. They are in different age, have different interests and surely different blends. In short it's a lighter and daytime version of Shalimar Initial.

Secondly, if you’re into teeny, bubbly, sweet, youth perfume, PLEASE don’t even try this. SHIL would only break your heart and instead of giving a fruitfully review or critics you would end up trashing this beauty. Well, here we go…

I surrendered and downed on my knee from the initial spray….captivated from the beginning. The citrus is sparkly and blends nicely with the powdery iris + burnt vanilla combo which came out heavenly. I'm not sure if I'm able to differentiate all the floral notes that are stated here, but there are hints of jasmine or rose. I don't detect any lily of the valley and I can't vouch for freesia, since I haven't smelled any of them so far.

I feel that the top and the mid were woven tightly, creating a solid lingering blends that couldn't be separated. They are one in two different beings. This top-mid phase stays for like 1-3 hours. The dry down is balmy, slightly bitter-sweet, very earthy and smokey, almost smells like the wet and damp dirt. Could that be the tonka bean + iris root + vanilla?? Probably.

As the descendent of Shalimar I'm expecting longer longevity, SHIL loves my skin for only 4 hours max. The sillage is powerful in the first 5-10 minutes and calmer afterward. I can’t wear the original Shalimar, but SHIL….I would guard this for the rest of my life!!

i think i've put too much expectation on this, since i've read so many good review.

luckily, i got the 5ml decant first.. because i dont like it AT ALL.

the first time i tried it, i thought my nose mistaken me, it's smell like Air Conditioner. The next morning i tried it again and i got the same blah ..

totally not recommended if you don't like tonka bean, or tonka bean with citrus. Blah.

Opening by something fresh ... seem bright and cheerful ....
Then slowly becoming more sensual ... Impressed warm and soft ...
And yes, I like it!

I suddenly found out this is similar to Angel EDT. SO I made a test. I had Shalimar Initial L'eau on my right wrist and Angel EDT on my left. Yes, they DO smell similar. Sweet and Spicy. L'eau is fresher with a bit salty on my skin. Angel EDT is sweeter and stronger. IMO Angel EDT projests better and lasts longer. At first, I found L'eau very sensual with the spicy vanilla note. BUt after a while, it turned out boring. That's how frangrances nowaday are like?

if u are still hesitant about do not know to buy L'Eau or Initial,hope those could help u a bit~~
L'Eau is fresh with citrus note;
Initial is mellow with Caramel note!
Initial is mellow and richer ,L'Eau is lighter and fresher IMO~~

both of L'Eau & Initial (their foxy smell)could be recognized those two are daughters of mama Shalimar~~
lasting power of L'Eau is nearly as well as Initial(both are good enough;especially Initial,on clothing fabric could keep even weeks)
PS.
the one I have is Initial not L'Eau instead ;
but if I no need to care about my financial,I would love to have both~

A flanker of a flanker- hmmm. Right off the bat I was questioning it's bona fides. This scent came on strong initially (couldn't resist a pun) with lots of aldehydes and a not too pleasant "look at me" iris note. It finally settled down to nothing but a faint powdery scent. I feel like I just got into my grandmother's Houbigant dusting powder, except it would have smelled better. This is like baby powder, literally like something you would put on a baby or a young child. Definitely not to my liking. Thank goodness I did not buy a bottle of this pitiful effort. Guerlain, please! Give us a real perfume, por favor.

Some people Stateside have asked me to check out the Shalimar Inital L'eau, which I believe is not yet widely available there.

It's been suggested that this is brighter, more aromatic and in the opening at least much sharper and as a consequence it gains assertiveness, all of which is true in comparison with the Parfum Initial (I don't think comparisons with original Shalimar are particularly useful).

The dry down is satisfying but the major difference is much less sweetness, no benzoin (I didn't detect much before: though hell I was wearing Tabu the other day so that's probably made me immune) and not really much caramel.

The effect is of a healthier - there's much more citrus and bergamot - and leaner affair. More frozen yogurt at the hip deli than calorie festival at the formica and chrome grand old ice cream parlour. That's not a criticism, just an observation - this is a more restrained and I might say mature affair, and whilst the Iris is still very much to the fore, the floral effect is contained within an orange and lemon grove. I detect more powder coming through in the later stages, which I enjoyed but might not be to every taste.

In brief the Parfum Initial is the more luscious and indulgent affair and will appeal to all, the L'eau is more complex, adult and aromatic but may seem like short changing to those who love the first fragrances generous sweetness.

To the many of you who don't know me, I'm a guy all at sea on the ocean of female fragrance - if there's any you think I should try then add the to my list at the thread 'what made for women fragrances can or should a man wear?'. All advice gratefully received.

The main difference between this perfume and Shalimar Initial is that L'eau version is stronger, you wouldn't believe that, I know!

Practically, if you eliminate patchouli notes and add fresh citrus blast, mainly bergamont, as well as cold iris and a bit sharp hyacinth accords on the strong vanilla base, you get Shalimar Initial L'Eau.

It is sweeter, thicker, stronger and has better both lasting power and aura. I hardly believe, but I prefer this one to Initial!

A perfume where the expression "the whole is greater than the sum" applies. I loved how the soft, floral smells, the vanilla and the citrus did not overpower each other but mixed to create something elegant from beginning to end. The scents just FLOWED into each other perfectly.

I was also happy that, unlike so many new releases, this was does not have the candy smell.

this is almost Parfum initial,just add up some citrus and voila!it's parfum initial l'eau.
actually I enjoyed the zesty smelling of citruse mixed with vanilla and woody notes.as a L'eau version of a perfume long lasting power and sillage are considerable.what I like about it is that it's wearable both for young girls and elder ladies;not childish,but not old-fashioned either.
I'm not a die fan of shalimar new versions,but this re-edition is better than the other ones I've already tried.

I like this a lot. Couldn't decide initially which one I liked more - the EDP or L'eau? Well, this one is drier in the beginning, still woody and has nice powdery vanilla dry-down on me. Very nice, less dramatic and more predictable that the EDP, but still very good.

The next one will probably be : Shalimar Parfum Initial L'Eau Intense, or : Shalimar Parfum Initial L'Elixir.
Or just : Shalimar Parfum Initial The Flanker

My mom bought this today for my sister in law and I fell in love with it! I don't like the original Shalimar much with my skin chemistry, but this is perfect for me, I love how it starts smelling really young with the light and citric top notes, and how it transforms into a sensual vanilla smell in the dry down.
I don't think this is in any way somewhat "disrespectful" to the original Shalimar as some of the other reviewers had hint at, I really love that they took a classic and reinvented it, it is for an elegant woman in her middle 30's, confident on herself and it's perfect for day or night wear. It will definitely be my second buy from Guerlain this year, after La Petite Robe Noire.

Apparently it shows why it takes dislike, it's nothing especial in the scent but we consider the quality. Rightfully, if we have simple monotone floral perfume in this quality, it blows all heads! L'eau is simple and so familiar but not bad at all nor negative. It's an iris bomb and so beautiful, I think. Right, comparing to other Shalimar editions it's so underrated but comparing to rest of shelves in markets, it hits.
It's floral, smoky and sweet, elegant and delicate, not so teeny nor so old.

IMHO, the original Shalimar reminds me of my grandmothers lingerie drawer - the scent that is a mix of oldy-worldy jasmine, lily of the valley or some lavender poof scent bags, coupled with blocks of powdery crumbling soap bars circa 1969, stuck in an old oak drawer, that squeaks and jams when opened.

So.. I didn't have much hope for this. How surprised I was.. not like original at all. Brought bang up to date. All I can say that drawer of old panties, with 'gone' elastic needs to be locked & trashed! Say hello to a new drawer, full of delicate french lace, silk & satin. So fresh! yet still powdery, still has a 'connection' of sorts to original, but a great alternative that kicks grans stuffy old ass into orbit.

I think it's important to try and dissociate this perfume from the original Shalimar and its large family of flankers to really appreciate it. Let's stop calling it a diluted version of THE Shalimar or a pathetic attempt at making more money from the younger masses. I do not believe L'Eau to be a young girl's scent, bien au contraire. It is mature and accomplished. Seductive and intelligent.

Taken alone, this is a beautiful dry, ambery iris/jasmin/muguet fragrance, soft and feminine without overplaying the floral. The powder note here is beautiful and does not smell of "baby powder" like so many other Iris based perfumes. (Read Shalimar parfum initial)

After an hour, I can smell the more "shy" flowers blooming from the heart. Neroli, Freesia, Hyacinth, and yes, Rose. The rose here is very shy indeed!

Unlike many others, I do smell the jasmine and muguet quite strongly a few minutes into the opening, after the first iris blast.

another half hour and YUM! Iris/vanilla galore!

Anybody disappointed with this perfume, feel free to contact me. I have nice things to swap for it.

Ok , this is a flanker of a flanker , but i like it a lot better than the original "initial" .
The same thing happened to me with "Shalimar" and "Eau de Shalimar" , the original is way "too much" for me , too heavy etc ..., but this lighter version is just fine .
Can really be an alternative of "initial" if you have a sensitive nose.

amazing
way i see dislike also my girl didnt like it
i think becuse its kind of powdery

for me its amazing scent
remind me of dior homme its love from the first sniff 9/10 anyway i need to try it more
it could be unisex

worth to try it and buy

I bought this fragrance for a friend for her birthday and she abslolutely loved it! Its warm and spicy but light and fresh and floral at the same time! Such a lovely composition that all the notes just flow together to create a great fragrance that will suit most people whilst still being special. Its so good im starting to wonder if i should have kept this one for myself!

I tried a sample today. I tried the original Shalimar once, and unfortunately, it didn't suit me and was a bit much for me. I know a lot of people love the original one, and I wish I felt the same.
So when I tried this one, I was a bit like "oh we'll see...". But I love it! It's powdery, but such a lovely, sweet, clean powder. But it's not that heavy, it's just the perfect powder with a hint of vanilla, a spicy vanilla, not the super sweet one. It does remind me of something... I feel a bit nostalgic when I smell it, but I don't know why. Maybe it reminds me of babypowder, but the grown-up version, if that makes sense.
Anyway sillage and lastingpower are great! I think you can wear it all year round, all day, depending on how much you use.

if you have the Shalimar initial already, then it doesn't worth buing this edition also. They are almost the same except the citrusy opening. Initial and the Summer edition are lovely fragrances very unique and distinctive, but you cannot have them both!

Lasting power - 10/10
Versatility- 10/10
Silage- 10/10

What can you ask more. If you like Mademoiselle, Chance, Daisy, Lola, you will love this scent.
Please don't be discouraged because it has Shalimar tagged to it. It is Similar, yet very different from the original. Superb lasting power for an EDT (and I have dry skin, perfumes usually don't stick to me)

In comparison to Initial original this has a more citrusy start and the fragrance is light through out (not less powerful though). My personal preference is Initial original, but if you are a fan of Daisy original you would love this scent (no they don't smell same)

A light yet strong fragrance (Oxy-moron?) Initial is a perfect example of this :D

No its not a limited edition.

is this limited edtion ??

Perfect for this summer. A fresh start with bergamot wich is followed by the iris wich gives it is powdery touch an the lovely vanilla to finish it of. I noticed that the botlles are the same and on my botlle it doesnt say L'eau in the front as it says on the botlle above but on the sticker on the bottom of the botlle. The only difference on the botlles is the tassel this one is pink and Initial is blue. I also saw that the 60 ml botlles have a white box wich i find beautiful so you could see the difference bot the 40 ml also comes in a blue box i wish they would have made it white to.

Superb! This lacks the strange middle (green note) of PI that I really did not care for. It is replaced with a grapefruit note that works much better than I would have thought. The base seems closer to classic Shalimar. Thierry did a nice job on this. Bright and sparkling at the start and as sensual as it's ever been in the end. I will be wearing this often.

Today, I was trying out 2 perfumes of the Guerlain.. on my left hand, I sprayed this one, on the right one L'instant Maqiue. My first impression of Initial was.. meeeh. My first impression of Maqiue was WOW.

After 10minutes, things started turning out totaly different.

SHALIMAR was a bit too citrusy and not that much impressive at the start. But after half an hour, it developed a really full, dynamic smell, soft and lady like, but bold at the same time. This frragrance IS NOT a seductive one.. I would say it's an all-occasion smell for somebody who likes to sniff herself and be pleasent smelling to everbody around.

Now, after 7 hours, I can still smell it - faintly. The tonka bean smell stays the last, and I like it this way.


UPDATE:
I have been wearing it now for a few weeks, and I must say although I love it, it seems to stay really close to the skin, nobody even notices I'm wearing a perfume, except if I ask them to sniff it. My boyfriend doesn't like it - it seems to be on of those comfort smells you like sniffing on yourself, but it doesn't do much to the outside world.

Think this is a spring/summer edition for Shalimar Initial, like Idylle Duet for Idylle series.

It seems very nice and fresh-feminine, but does anybody know if it is a limited edition?

L'Eau de Parfum Initial IMO confirm the Guerlain ability of making perfumes that can be breathable in warmer climate or casual occasions, especially if worn with sense, without producing weak soulless flankers.
L'Eau de Parfum Initial maintains all the grandeur and sophisticated vibe of original only to a lower concentration and more delicate impact, faster working as for many EdT version at Guerlain. It's an addictive powdery yet modern type of scent and IMO a return to refined yet wild feminity, out of the crisis, out of austerity but with discipline. The lovely round fresh start is an ode to happiness and a burst of spontaneous behaviour, while the evolution reminds us of the fact that we are talking about "woman", not a lively teenager, rather a lively grownup lady who likes to plays with her own feminity. She doesn't do it in a confuse way. She plays knowing the game, she knows how to be daring but never vulgar. Great staying power and sillage on my skin.

This is a watery, powdery, and translucent version of Shalimar Initial. I personally smell no difference between it and its original.

Why oh why all the dislikes??? It is true that it smells nothing like Shalimar. So what? This is a beauty in itself. If you start with the idea that this should smell like the original, well, you have all the rights to be disappointed. But if you approach it gleefully, you will have the nicest surprise.
First of all, the presentation is stunning. The bottle is gorgeous, and the pink liquid inside is so delicate and feminine! The original citrus blast is fresh and zingy. Middle notes come on my skin as pure iris, reminding me a bit of the famous carrot blast from Hiris. The drydown is soft, slightly sweet, woody rosy.
I find this perfume gorgeous, and I love the transformation that takes place between top, middle and base notes. Silage and lasting are good for a "l'eau" , they could have been better though.
Overall, this is a new love of mine, recently gotten from my sweet fragrantican friend, NathalieZ.

First I read the comment text on the packaging of Shalimar L'eau, quoting Jaques Guerlain "A burst of freshness revealing one of the most beautiful Guerlain Iris notes.." And surely to my nose it is! I love the original Shalimar version, all of them except Ode Vanille. Shalimar Initial was wonderful with the great earthy patchouli note in there.. but I guess this one Shalimar L'eau will appeal to more people because of missing this strong and sometimes strange notes (Caramel!)of the Original Initial version. In Initial'Leau there s only a splashing green freshness of Bergamote, Grapefruit and Neroli.. and then not long after these fresh opening the Iris kicks in, warm , powdery, caressing , flowery ..so much enhanced by the rose .. My dream combi! Iris, Rose, Tonakabean, Vanille, always a winning combination for me! And yes, there s a fine sweetness to it of course through the vanilla and tonka, but that s to a great effect, never sickening sweet only flowery, powdery. Also a great iris-rose combi is Burberry Body Intense.. but that s another story and somehow sweeter then Initial L'eau. I m not very often disappointed by a new Guerlain, this one no exception. Only downside point : it s an EDT and not as long living as some would wish, but 3-4 hours will do. Needless to add: Totally LOVE IT!

This edt evokes in me very early memories of sitting in the theater dressing room while my mother (she is an actress) got ready for her performance: much powder, red lipstick, heavy stage makeup, white wigs and beautiful rich costumes for "The Three Musketeers"...
Positively a scent for classic romantic comedy.
The edt stays close to skin but is there for rather long time becoming more and more powdery. To me it seems not very sweet. It demands a little performance from the wearer and small dose of healthy self irony :)

Candy sweet orange in the opening, and then goes the innosent vanille powder. Yes, the scent is very powdery especially in the base. In the midlle notes it's the effect of iris, in the base it's the effect of tonka beans. Soft vanille reminds me of the classic Shalimar. The scent always stays close to skin. Longvity is not great. I can say that Shalimar Initial L'Eau is girly, candy sweet, good for summer modern version of the original Shalimar.

I tried this today. It`s like very strong sickening sweet soap. Very overpowering. Mee too, I do not see any similarity with the original Shalimar which is devine.

I was expecting a lighter than light version of Shalimar and was pleasantly surprised that this is not just the original watered down and sweetened up. It is a powdery vanilla but with a big dose of rich orris and a fairly heavy, almost musky tonka bean drydown. It's nothing like Shalimar and is certainly not a perfume of that class but it is more sophisticated and 'grown-up' than the current trend for flankers. Maybe that's the secret now - go in expecting the worst and you can be surprised into liking something!

Yes this is out and unfortunately I got a bottle in December. It smells nothing like the original Shalimar that I have several bottles of and love. Original one smells powdery and fresh. This smells rancid and strong. I regret purchasing it and avoid wearing it not to offend others in the room. The original smells divine, soft and powdery. This goes on strong and stays strong .

This has 2 dislike votes!!!!
It's not even out yet!

I am looking forward to this one. I think house of Guerlain is trying to appeal to younger women this days, considering the type of perfumes they came out with in the last 8 years. As much as I like lily of the valley,freesia, hyacinth and vanilla I doubt if this would be a classic. I am expecting a sweet floral perfume that is not too strong.