Jicky Guerlain for women

I am puzzled by this perfume. The civet makes it smell dirty...this perfume is notorious because it was supposed to smell like sex, and frankly it does. I however, don't think this to be a good thing. There is a reason why people shower after sex!! Most people anyway.... This would be a nice scent if you work at a brothel, or S&M dominatrix as a profession. There is a fine line between its skank allure and "skunk" allure. There may be a few femme fatales with the chemistry to pull this scent off, but I think on most women it will be a stinker.

Another gorgeous scent eaten by my skin. 1 hour and gone. GRRRR

Ancestor of Shalimar. Twin of Eau de Shalimar with added value - herbal aromatherapy with calming effect.
It has the same juicy, naturally sour lemon/bergamot freshness with incense, chime in with sharpness of lavender and rosemary. I can smell the top notes till the end. After couple minutes sandalwood and vanilla joins. It all sits in the smooth luxurious powder smell, typical for Guerlain.
I would have thought Jicky came out later than Shalimar. Its more joyful, feminine with lighter composition, "modern". The advert is so nice, she is like Constance in Lady Chatterley's Lover driving her little car.
I review EDP and going to buy pure perfume.
Now the bad part: my barbarian husband renamed it Yucky and wasp spray at the first sniff and the next day when he smelled the dry down, he said something in the house stinks like breath of alcoholic homeless.....

This one is so different than i anticipated. I can really see the beauty in it that everyone else does but to me its more of a chin scratcher than an addictive wonderful scent. I didnt really smell fields of lavender, citrus, vanilla, or vetiver. For me it smelled like the powder in insolence along with the sweet waxed lips smell from the top notes of shalimar initial. I am taking into consideration my sample was edt, should have gone for the edp version. I am planning to buy a guerlain in the habit de fete container and am trying to decide which of the ones offered to buy and i was really hoping for this one. Not that i dont like it but it isnt very complex and doesnt unfold the way shalimar does. If anyone has tips as far as if the edp is different message me :-)

I'm a guy. A pretty much guy's-guy kinda guy. Leather, whisky, straight-razor shaving, pistol-packin', hiking in the woods, eating BBQ ribs off the bone guy.

I. Love. Jicky.

When I'm out working in the garden, I could spend hours tending to the lavender plants just reveling in the smell of them. I use Dr. Bronner's liquid lavender soap in the shower. I shave with Speick lavender and valeriana cream. So, no surprise that this classic Guerlain would pique my curiosity, especially with its unisex history. I first got a sample of it to compare with another classic lavender/vanilla combo - Caron's Pour un Homme.

Jicky is lavender creme-brulee with animalic leather and civet to Caron's green-minty herbal woody concoction. On a man, it's fresh and vibrant, with the floral and vanilla softening the edges. Atypical enough to grab attention, but with a sufficiently masculine base to keep it from being too "pretty." On a woman, it's citrus and lavender with a naughty, feral side. It's innocence on top and sensuality beneath.

This is a fragrance that you and your sweetie can both wear... just not at the same time, please.

I have to finally say that Guerlain is my favorite house, and its not even because I can wear all of them that well, its just because the classic Guerlains are truly "living" perfumes. Each one is a fully realized, living, breathing moment. Jicky is just fantastic! Nutty, earthy, tangy, herbal and sweet all at the same time. It reminds me a lot of Dzing by L'Artisan because its got that animal-stables thing going on, but its comforting -like when you stand close to a horse and you can smell its fur and the leather tack on its body. And maybe you've just come back from riding in your leather gloves and black buttoned up riding jacket and there's a sprig of lavender in your hand.

I may be updating this review soon. I am intrigued by Jicky which I tried on today at the guerlain counter (they said they will have it over christmas at this stage and I tried a 'parfum de toilette'. Hmm. Interesting.). At first I thought it was an intolerable scent. It smells a bit 'pukey' to start with. It is like something is too acidic in the perfume. But then the bit I don't like dies down to something I can wear, and it's a beautiful soft smell. A little sweet and vanillary, a little like vanilla fruit buns my mum makes. I think the way it works on me later may be enough to forgive the initial gross smell. I keep smelling my arm. Definitely smells like leather too, like an sleek pair of gloves.

Don't you love it when your enthusiasms overlap? I came across this great reference to Jicky in Answered Prayers by Truman Capote:

The room smelled of her perfume...at some point I asked what it was, and Colette said: “Jicky. The Empress Eugenie always wore it. I like it because it’s an old-fashioned scent with an elegant history, and because it’s witty without being coarse--like the better conversationalists. Proust wore it. Or so Cocteau tells me.”

I don't know if any of the above is true, but it was a kick to have Jicky pop up in my reading. I just hope Jicky and the other Guerlain greats are always around to inspire writers and perfumistas alike, in defiance of changing tastes and the march of time. May the perfume gods protect this treasure from the IFRA and the penny pinchers at LVMH.

I love it, I just tried it for my Perfumedcourt Gemini sampler today and it is absolutely wonderful. Want more.

I think that this is definitely unisex. I get the woody notes in the opening and most definitely the fresh and relaxing lavender, with a dash of spices. But then I was surprised to catch a trace of the fruits which sweetens it and smells like candied orange peel on me. It is softened by the jasmine and sandalwood, with a lot of powdery amber. The dry down is very nice indeed, and more feminine than the opening. I really don't smell vanilla though.
This is less of an oriental woody to me as neither the spices nor the woody notes are especially dominant, this is remarkably well blended with smooth development. I think when I'm a little older and actually in my profession that I would like to have this fragrance. It is not that it is an 'old' scent, more that I think of this for a relaxed but self-assured woman. I liked it better than I expected, the first of the classic Guerlains to wear well on me.

One for the schizophrenia fans, a mad blend of unusual horror. It's the lavender part that really produces the unbearable ferocity of the clash with the spices and cedar. Hate it, but I can see where its cult status comes from. I would admire it on a man who had the charisma to carry it off..

Tricky Jicky!
Whenever I first spray Jicky I'm a little disappointed because all I smell is lavender (don't get me wrong I love lavender). But within 1/2 hour I find myself wondering, what smells so amazing? ME! It turns rich, creamy, deep, dirty and complex as the leather, vanilla, and tonka bean take over. A must try for all lavender lovers.
Beautiful sillage, and great lasting power.

Got my most gushing perfume compliment on this one. It's a wonderful bipolar composition of fresh & skank (lavender & civet). Complicated, compelling, one of the most sophisticated in my collection.

I love Jicky as much as I love any perfume but I don't have a burning to desire to buy another bottle. All of the things that make it stand above so much that's come since are just the things that make it exhausting to wear. Like riding clothes; feel great, not despite but because, they are uncomfortable. But impossible for all day every day. I'm too lazy to wear Jicky; too much like being in the cavalry. Makes me think of a commemorative tea cup I saw once with the kaisers of both Prussia and Austria-Hungary.

I only have a largeish sample of it, so I usually try and supress my Jicky cravings in hopes of making the 2 ml last longer. On me it opens with a growling and I mean really GRRRROWLING civet. Absolutely every Guerlain I've tried so far does this to me: first a sneak peek of the base, than back to top notes and progress as intended. Greeted by Jicky's "top note" of unadulterated skank I'd probably run and hide, had I not been forewarned by numerous reviews of this beautiful beast (or rather had I not been a secret skank lover). Within minutes the angry cat retreats and out come the most beautiful herbal lavender, lemon custard and warm powder. This is where Shalimar was born years later. From here onwards Jicky is an amalgam of sweet, herbal, outdoorsy and dessert-like scents, a darling fresh faced girl with bed hair and her riding boots on. Civet is but a soft purr, only evident to those who move in close enough to warm the trace of perfume on skin with their breath.
If you've read the novel Angelique by Anne and Serge Golon, Jicky, I imagine, is the olfactory recount of Angelique's little adventure in the hay at the country fair.

WOW. Love, love, love Jicky. I simply can't get enough of it. Really don't know how to describe it, but it is very fresh and at the same time warm and very comforting. I get lavender, rosemary, citrus notes, vanilla, sandalwood and, surprisingly, also cinnamon, although it's not listed as one of the notes.
I do have a big 3.1 oz EDT bottle but EDT is not very strong, and it's going down so fast!

Totally agree with UrbanBeautyful, you definately can smell the seeds of shalimar in jicky, specially the leathery aspect of both fragrances. Jivky would be like the big sister of shalimar. At first it was super citrusy on me, strong lemon and bergamont until the dry down, when it turned super soft and sweet and ambery warm. Not a big fan of the opening notes, but delicious development. Certanly will get a full bottle, just not the first in mi "i want it" list.

Jicky smells strange and nice, warm and cold at the same time. its a great composition, very interesting, bold, a masterpiece but quite a difficult one. For me the 3 notes stand out the most: lavender, citrus and vanilla. And it has a slightly animalic note to it. Also it is very unisex.
Its like the daughter of Shalimar.... a little edgier and bolder, younger and crazier :))
Awesome, but I just cant get to love it, it is too difficult for me, and I just cant figure the situation/outfit and weather I could wear this to. So I have to say goodbye... you was just to complicated to understand and handle... like a very difficult teenage kid. Im sorry, I so wanted to love you...

If there’s any perfume so wonderful in the world, it must be Jicky!!
It is something that takes you to another time; to another universe.
It smells fresh and at the same time, extremely luxury with its soft vanilla and tonka bean and, what it was told me from my great-aunt, it’s smell of Citrus limettioides.
For me it has a sentimental value once this wonderful perfume was used by my great-grandfather.
Since I was a kid, I was always connected to Shalimar (that’s why it is my second favorite perfume; Jicky is my favorite!!). To start loving Jicky, was easy!!
I recommend it!!

I love Jicky, but I'll buck a few trends among the cognoscenti.

1) I prefer the EDT to the extrait.

2) The first time I smelled it (before I ever heard the Shalimar/Guerlain creme brûlée mythology) I thought Jicky smelled like lavender creme brûlée. Didn't make me like it any less.

So there.

Jicky to my nose seems like a soliflore lavender perfume accompanied with herbs such as rosemary.A well refined,very ''french'',sophisticated,''clean'',lavender perfume without being harsh or powdery ''old''.Pure wet lavender blooming in a garden!That's what Jicky reminds me of!Nights in Provence watching gardens blooming. A definite work of art,a classic masterpiece.

Im testing Jicky right now. It opens with lots of lavender and a strange note that smells on my skin a bit like something medicinal, I guess that is the rosemary. Dont like that note much. but after a few minutes it becames softer and there is the tonka bean. It makes the scent woody. The dry down is lovely, soft and woody. a bit lavender, a bit vanilla,a bit sandalwood.

I do love Jicky on its own but I can attest it is wonderful when mixed, among the other, with Eau de Guerlain for example, with Eau d'Iparie by L'Occitane and a few others. I discovered this by chance, I am not one who usually mix perfumes but I love playing with Jicky. I was not satisfied with the lasting power of Eau de Fleurs de Cedrat and Eau de Guerlain and Jicky gives more stength. I also like the thought of being one of Guerlain's master perfumers for a moment when I create my mixes. Go and have a try yourself!!

Jicky has Guerlain fabulous raw lemon/vanilla base but unlike Shalimar the 'acrid' note that can rear its ugly head at times does not seem to be a problem in Jicky.

I wish Jicky was as readily available as Shalimar, if it were I would reach for Jicky every time.

The Lavender spiked with rosemary is what 'makes' this fragrance. Aromatic and invigorating, a sharp sophisticated scent works well in cooler weather.

I do regret purchasing EDT over EDP but the rarity of this scent meant I snapped up what I could. EDT longevity is not good, I wonder if EDP is better?

Jicky is not like Eau de Hadrien, but I can see how both would appeal to the same person. Although I'm more of a Mitsouko girl, I fell for Jicky around the same time while exploring the Guerlains. Jicky is sophisticated and very 'English' with its herbs and lavender. Certainly a fragrance James Bond would wear and a known favourite of Sean Connery. That wonderful Guerlain style vanilla (slightly harsh in a raw, natural way. Not abrasive, but earthy and not like a creme brulee)is present and although the citrus is detectable, it takes a back seat and makes the fragrance shine in the daytime. This scent would also be good for night, as it is just in between light and strong, never too heavy or in any way offensive, but very original and interesting :)

Eau de Hadrien is certainly a daytime fragrance and much lighter, mostly lemons and citrus. That first 'hit' is similar (Like Mitsouko and Petite Cherie with that instant 'sweet and sour' effect of top notes that I love so much) however there is much more going on in Jicky. EdH is nice, but please don't pass Jicky by because there is no other fragrance anything like it :)

I'm so excited, I received my sample of Jicky today from Perfumed Court. This smells very good! I smell lemon and cinnamon. I also can see why this could also be labeled a cologne for men because there is a certain note I can't specify that is masculine, but not so much that I wouldn't be able to wear this. I don't find it all that strong but I think if I had the actual edp spray that might fix that problem. I only dabbed a few dots on my pulse points. It's a pleasant, feel good scent, and I'm not surprised it has been around for so many years. I can't wait to test this on my fiance. I want to see if on his skin it smells better than mine because I think I might have just found the next cologne I'm buying him. Best part is, then I really get to enjoy it :)

The EdP sample that I tried starts out sweet, creamy and lemony, with a little bit of civet lurking in the background. As it dries down, there’s vanilla along with a bouquet of lavender and some culinary herbs that take the sweet edge off, and something a little “musty-fuzzy-prickly” in the base.

I must have the reformulated version, because this is not the skank-fest that I had expected. In fact, it’s quite well-mannered and pleasant from beginning to end. It’s really not floral at all, which in my book is a plus. The base notes seem much weaker than I would have expected, making me almost certain that this is the reformulation.

Whether it’s because of the reformulation or because styles eventually come full circle, I can’t say, but Jicky does not seem at all old-fashioned - certainly not over 100 years old! It definitely could hold its own with any contemporary fragrance. Now I really need to try the vintage for comparison.

Is Jicky anything like Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien? I am curious being that I own Annick Goutal and it has that lemon scent. I'm wondering if I do buy Jicky if they are so much alike that it would be silly owning both? I noticed one reviewer said on them it smells like cinnamon donuts.. I am a gourmand lover, I'm wondering if I would have a similar experience and my curiousity is peaked

i had it and just love it! it`s so worm and make me feel safe.

This review is of the vintage Jicky Parfum de Toilette

Interesting, I guess I was expecting this one to be a skanky beast. Wasn't I surprised when I got my hands on a sample, and was greeted with a calming mix of lavender, vanilla, and a very kind civet. Ungaro II - style civet. I also understand why Jicky is unisex - it really is a simple fragrance that is more about art than gender. It's not something I'd wear regularly, but I can appreciate its uniqueness!

Cosnidering this is one of the few perfumes from the late '800 still in production I guess there's nothing much to add to what have been already said. Jicky, although beeing often listed as a female fragrance, it's famous to be one of the first shared perfumes.

I could go through notes explaination but I prefer to put it simple: If Jicky is still in production since 1889 there should be a good reason. Now it's up to you to discover which one it may be. For me it's absolutely tremendous.

Rating: 10/10

I expected something strange, so strange that I was prepared to be completely turned off. Jicky was so far from being repulsive, that it was actually quite humourous. In fact, Jicky for me is pure love.

This is a beautiful, smooth yet crisp lemon and herb blend. On my skin Jicky becomes rather spicy and bold, almost foody with a strange cinnamon and vanilla concoction that smells very much like cinnamon doughnuts.

Every now and then there's that distinguishable calamine lotion smell which is found in many Guerlain classics, which I adore by the way. It's strange, but in some ways I find Jicky more elegant than Shalimar and L'Heure Bleue.

I would recommend this fragrance for both sexes. I would not be able to keep my hands off a man wearing this. On my skin Jicky appears to be sweeter, more gourmand and oriental, however on a man's skin I do believe the leather and the lemon would create something very pleasing to a female nose.

Jicky is so complex that I am continuously amazed by this composition through the duration of the wearing, which is very long-lasting by the way. I am not astounded to realise that Jicky has been alive and kicking since 1889. It's one fragrance that deserves to last the next 500 years. I am yet to try the EDP, pure parfum and vintage versions of Jicky, however for the EDT alone, I am suitably impressed.

Testing the EDT, I'm having a where-have-you-been-all my-life moment. Well, you've been here since 1889. I'm the late bloomer.

As with many Guerlains, Jicky did not win me over when we first met. Nor did it win over the French public in the late 19th century. It is easy to understand why.

The first spritz of EDT is all lavender and civet, an unsettling uber clean on uber dirty. The civety note smolders to something more smoky but still animalic. I also detect herbal notes that I cannot name, along with a citrus blend. Masculine, yes, but the lemon does not stand out from the rest of the citrus in a traditional cologne-like way; nor does bergamot add that dash of top-note sparkle familiar in classic blends for women. [People have been mentioning cinnamon and spice-cake accords--I don't get any of that. And I'm very sensitive to cinnamon notes. Could be my FB EDT is older? From a swap. Not sure.]

As it dries down, I recognize the signature Guerlain vanilla/benzoin powdery gestalt, in a Shalimar-like base formulation, though far more subdued. It never goes where Shalimar goes.

This is a wait-for-the-drydown fragrance. The civety note never completely disappears, nor does the herbal freshness. Instead they gradually harmonize with that rich base. Another Guerlain with terrific balance.

Beautiful. Jicky remains as edgy and androgynous today as it was at its inception.

EDIT (Thank you Gojira for the samples!):

Smelling the three concentrations is one of those Goldilocks and the Three Bears perfume moments. The parfum extrait on first whiff is *loaded* with civet. In contrast, the edt seems suddenly fresher and more fleeting, maybe too fleeting. The edp? Juuuuust right. Over time, the parfum's animal note harmonizes with other heavy hitters (galbanum? oakmoss?) reminiscent of Jicky's not-so-distant (yet quite different) cousin Vol de nuit. A gorgeous composition. But for the price, I'd go with the edp, which seems to bypass those heavier, nostalgic notes, without sacrificing that signature and classic Jicky character. Of course this doesn't mean I'd be disappointed to receive Jicky parfum extrait as a gift. Oh, who am I kidding? Go for the parfum.

This review is from memory of trying by bottle.
Lemony waxy opening -not "Pledge" it strikes me more like a custom blended furniture wax -someones secret recipe(my Dad refinishes wood furniture as a hobby and former college years PT job).
There is a sort of creamy herbal and lavender part that meshes with a animalic (NOT CAT PEE-I have a male and two female cats -trust me LOTS of box and protest marking experience in my past.)note that makes me think of some past visit to a zoo.Somewhat manure-ish but not horse -elephant maybe?This must be the civet note -not loving it /not hating it either but the aforementioned kittys(the male in particular find civet threatening and will mark his protest).
The spicy-citrus-creamy drydown is nice .
In all honesty this is an okay/like on occasion scent for me .The only thing is the civet/animal poo mid notes and my darling kitty's reaction push it into a dislike .

(Edp Review)

Shalimar Legere and Jicky smell almost the same to me, and I just can't believe it. But this is not really a big surprise, because shalimar Legere is more citrus with less vanilla compared with the normal shalimar.

Jicky is an intellectually interesting scent and the notes that predominate are lavender with a hints of citrusy notes. This would be absolutely magnificent on a man.

Anyway i don't feel Jicky is for me, but I appreciate the importance of this very old fragrance. The first "modern" perfume doesn't mean the best.

So many different opinions about Jicky! I first bought it for $10 on a throw-out table at a chemist in about 1973. Next day I went back and bought all they had - 6 precious bottles. Also tried other Guerlains but they did nothing for me. Jicky is ME. It was so MUSTY, cobwebby, vaguely lavender-y, not sweet. I was pretty lavish with it and my 6 bottles all disappeared. When I searched for it again many years later - the price had escalated x about 20 but I still bought it. To my disappointment it must have been reformulated because today's Jicky hasn't got that musty, dry scent any more, there is more lemon. You can sometimes "smell through it" and get a faint whiff of the old style. If you know the Greek wine retsina, it has the same musty cobwebby bouquet - maybe I should dab it behind my ears?!? I don't hope to ever find a more wonderful perfume.

P.S. The bottle I bought (refillable) looks like a dalek.

Jicky is a piece of art, but I don't think I can pull it off or truely appreciate it in my age (22).

Jicky starts with the Shalimar-minuse-vanilla smell, it is like cream in an old, pressed, aged-cake-with-tart-muted-orange-y-scent way, plus a touch of spicyness along a cooking Italian herbs line.

Soon after the start,

[EDT]
goes less sweet or warm than EDP or Parfum version. It is sharp, in the citrusy-lavander-spicy sense. I feel it's like a breeze, it's likghter, and greener in comparison with other versions.

Then it smells like maybe 50% of a less aggressive, tamed orange scent + 25% Shalimar + 25% lanvender/Iris kinda coldness infused powder feeling.
As time goes, it's a quasi-Hermes Elixir des Merveilles + Shalimar.
Up till now, I would say, I'll go for the EDT version.

However, the horror starts as the dry down approaches. EDT has the most significant cat urine smell. it is really sharp, acidic, animalistic, repalling and attracting at the same time. However, the attractive part is just because I am curious because after Serge Lutens's Koublai Khan,I can rarely smell something like this. However, to be honest, I don't think I would ever wear this kinda dry down in public.

[EDP]
The EDP version gets warmer and rounder after the start. It has a more muted vanilla scent infused with spicy sweetness. It smells golden to me.

THen I can smell some really welll-blended notes which wrapped around the dominant lanvender notes in the core. The EDP is a much warmer and smooth experience than EDT, but even in winter, I find it too much, too warm and too spice-shop-smelling.

Then dry down of the EDP has the cat urine smell too, however, because of the quite strong spiceness infused middle notes, the cat piss doesn't smell as significant as the EDT's.

[Parfum]
The parfum version is warm and spicy after the top notes too. However, in the parfum, things smell more solid in a mature, nice, nature way; it's like inhaling directly from a star anis, or a clove, that kinda solid feeling.

Then it goes weird in an amazing, intriguing way, it smells dirty, animalistic(but not the significant urine smell, thank goodness!). It's like smelling a pot of fermentated wine, it reminds me a lot of Le Labo's Oud 27.

The Parfum version stays like this rich, bold mixtures for quite a long time, and I didn't notice much acidic smell. However, it is quite strong, if you don't like Le Labo Oud 27, you might hate this one.


---
after more than 14 hours, the urine smell's nearly gone, and for all the versions, there are powdery, cold spicy typical Guerlain smell (I'm thinking about the dry down of Shalimar, L'Instance) in the left-over dry down, to varing degrees of warmth(the Parfum smell the warmest, and the EDT the least).

If only Jicky could smell like this sooner I would be happily wear Jicky, however, I don't think I have the time to time when do I want my Jicky to be smelt and apply one night ago.



Overall, I find none of the three version wearable(if your normal perfume exposure time is 8 hours and you apply them in the morning) to me at this stage, but it is quite an amazing experience to try Jicky on, for it is truely different and carries a old time charm.

Oh my. This is naughty. The opening reminds me very much of opening of Shalimar, so you probably will know what I have to say if you have read my review on Shalimar. It does not work.
It's so animalistic that it just does not work on my skin as I would like it to. I get loads of lemon, but it's here the bad kind of lemon - the sharp, acidic lemon with nothing holding in back. I might get food thrown at me for what I have to say, but, ok, here we go - it smells like horny cat's urine someone tried to cover with some lemon pledge. Here I said it.

But as with all stinkers...I find myself sniffing my wrist all the time. Hmm, what does that say about me? Cannot wear this, but it's so naughty that my nose is stuck to my wrist.

I do not think I am mature enough in my perfume experiences to give a fitting review of this. But I will review it anyway as there may be other immature ones out there who gets what I am getting :)
This struck me as very oldfashioned, glycerin soap, aromatic saddle soap in fact. A hint of something dirty, fecal or sweat (but bear in mind dirty notes always play first violin on my skin..)
I get the same fecal/leather note from this that I get from Chanel Cuir de Russie, another total miss on my skin..
I would love to smell how these work on the right person/right skin! I am sorry it did not work for me, I would never diss a scent intentionally!

Jicky what can I say it is truly a guerlaine work of art. I received the edt today and it is a true beauty, a mother to shalimar. Lavender in its sweet glory covered by vanilla and citrus scents.I have it on me now and shalimar comes alot to mind. Not bad for edt. Definitely cand be used by both men and women.My new love.The base is charming. Guerlinade all the way. CLASSIC.

There is little to add to the thorough expert reviews of this definition of a masterpiece, so I'll just chime in with one of the few observations still unstated:

It is mind-boggling that even the reformulated EdT sample, the least representative of this perfume's original grandeur as I remember it and the only thing I could afford right now - a synthetic horror in comparison with the original - is still a hauntingly beautiful scent in its own right.

I was just about to put my vintage Jicky up for swap/sale when I decided to try it one more time. The first time I tried it was in the heat and humidity of high summer and I did not care for it.

However, today on a cool day with a lot less humidity made a HUGE difference. The first time I tried it, it was sweet, very powdery, vanilla, lavender and definitely feminine.

This time much more of the spice is still present, it's more masculine, I can see the unisex aspect of it. I can also pick up the light floral and the dreaded powder I can't stand is so far in the background I don't really pick it up.

I have to say it again, what a HUGE difference. I love it in the cooler weather, it's so totally different than when trying to wear it when it is hot. Make sure you try it in the fall or winter before forming an opinion on it!!

This review is for the EDP version. I have read Jicky EDP behaves quite differently from the weaker EDT concentration however I can only comment on my experience of EDP. As other reviewers have stated, the initial burst of Jicky is quite confronting- something I had not experienced before and initially was not easy to understand. The lavender/citrus/rosemary opening is overtaken by a pungent civet animalistic accord that in my opinion is the real character behind this fragrance. It's repelling but alluring at the same time and I find it completely addictive. Drydown develops into expose the vanilla wood base with the reminder of the lavender heart. I find Jicky easy to wear and I still get a thrill from the opening notes!
Many reviwers have spoken of the emotions evoked by some of the classic guerlains such as Mitsouko and L'Heure Bleue. Whilst I have not yet fully tested L'Heure Bleue, Mitsouko has never touched my soul (despite attempts on my part and coming away each time feeling somewhat dejected).
It's Jicky that promotes an emotive reponse from me. When I wear it I feel its age and history coming through. (NOT to say it makes me feel 121yrs old!!) What I feel is a sense of repsonsibility to this Grand Lady of perfume. As with any fine antique or work of art, to possess it is to be a mere custodian. This perfume with it's history and significance to the perfume world will no doubt live on beyond my years (corporate Guerlain biqwigs permitting). So the emotion it promotes in me is quiet reflection and admiration for such a masterpiece and also joy that I am able to capture a small part of its history.

I had to see what the hype was about. I am reviewing a sample of the vintage EDT.

Do NOT get too close when you first spray!! I was having issues w the bottle and moved in close to where I sprayed – WOW! It was startling. It was a barrage of scents all at once. Citrus, spice, herbal, leather, powdery but creamy vanilla and ?? (I would assume it was the civet but it didn’t smell fecal or animal like to me). It was harsh and almost medicinal but then it disappeared very quickly.

The next scent I got was soda! It smells like cola to me which strikes me as strange because no one else has mentioned anything close to that in their reviews. My chemistry really plays with scents apparently.

That note flittered away and I was left with lavender and creamy, sweet, powdery vanilla which is where it stayed.

I kept waiting for the woods, spices, civet, or maybe even some of the leather to reemerge but alas, just lavender and vanilla.

There was no animalistic tone anywhere!! It definitely wasn’t wicked or sexy or mischievous on me, it was rather benign. In fact, if anything, it was timid! Kind of like a proper Victorian lady all bound up in her finery. I am drawn to unisex scents but this is way too soft/light and floral for me to think of Jicky in that manner.

I can appreciate its personality. I can understand the excitement it must have had when it was released and for quite some time after that. It must have been groundbreaking and unique, it’s still unique. However, in this day and age, it doesn’t move me. I am fortunate enough to have other options than mainly sweet & creamy vanilla lavender. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good for what it is, it’s just not my cup of tea.

after testing the EDT, i think that Jicky served as a blueprint for Shalimar, which i see imho as an evolved version of Jicky.
Jicky opens with a generous burst of lavender and subsequently cools down to a vanilla powdery base. It's definitely unisex material and there's nothing offensive about it!

I have over a hundred bottles of perfume, and I love all of the classic Guelains, Chanels and Carons. But Jicky is my true love. There are many perfumes that display a more spectacular form of beauty, but Jicky is more interesting somehow. She's like the tomboy sister in a family of supermodels. I can't imagine life without her.

The perfect winter perfume the top notes
first applied to my skin is an warm scent of Lavender then dries down to an
dusty note of Rosemary, sparkling and invigorating Bergamot and zesty Lemon.
i Dissagree with the placement of Basil
in this perfume when first to my skin
there was a scent of Basil right on top
with Lavender and Rosemary so Basil should be a top note the drydown turns sweet with the note of Amber with it's dry and powdery nuances of Vanilla.
and to add warmth to an cold and Winter's day is the note of exotic spices and the fiery spirit of Sandalwood. and i can also detect the scent of Frankincense& Myrrh the holiest of Raisens.

Guerlain's Jicky conjoures an image of when smelling A winter's morning pure
white snow laying untouched on the ground in the virgin forest snow covered
the fresh and leafy green pines to an unreconisizible hue of white and icicles
walking though the forrest with her Bright Scarlet Cloak and with her weaver's basket collecting pine leaves
neddles and holly for the christmas decorations tomorrow while during this
she heard a plantive and melencholic tune of a lone pan pipe so she placed the basket where she work on the ground and followed the
sound until finily she found who was playing the haunting tune it was an old wood satyr his head made of oak
his hair was made out of branches leafless eyes so dark and hollow they appeard black he has hooves for hands
and an deers body from the other end
she slowly came up to him and said
why are you playing such an sad song
it'll be christmas tomorrow the satyr just stared and did'nt answer and walked away continued playing his sad tune.

Jicky despite it's sparkling
opening it has also a cold clinical
and refindess that is rare in perfumes
today.

This review is for the EdT.
Never thought that I would fall in love with Jicky. Initially, I was worried how the civet note would interact with my skin but it works beautifully, just adds the perfect edge. Jicky opens stunningly; sharp yet creamy, settles into something almost reminiscent of a lemon cheesecake with a twist. Just the right amount of sweetness, perfectly balanced and elegant. The drydown on Jicky is one of the most beautiful I've ever experienced. A fragrance that is intriguing, sexy and classy but with an edge. Jicky does not smell a single bit dated for a fragrance which has been around since 1889.

PS i just reviewed the ingredients in jicky, and it seems to have every ingredient in the entire perfume industry in it.

HOW CAN IT SMELL LIKE NOTHING?!?!?

there is clearly something wrong with my nose - i don't get shalimar AT ALL, and it follows the same non-path with jicky. it's not that i hate them - shalimar smell like bonfire smoke, which is ok, and jicky - the parfum - smells like, well, nothing. at first it's like spilling cooking vanilla on my hand, and then it smells like i washed my hands - just nothing.

i love a lot of guerlain perfumes. but these 2 classics i JUST DON'T GET.

Jicky was first released as a man's fragrance. The women who started wearing it were prostitutes. If a man was with the prostitute he didn't leave with a feminine scent. It was almost the doom of Jicky as it became know as the prostitutes perfume.

Fortunately it managed to survive and it's popularity grew as those visiting Paris would take it home to their wives because the french women they spent time with would be wearing it.

Jicky happily adopted it's new gender and remains the greatest of all unisex fragrances.

I was given Jicky in my 20s and loathed it. I wasn't ready for it.

Three decades later, I appreciate the lack of cloying sweetness. I can't think of a recent mainstream release that is as brave in the use of geranium and rosemary. Perphaps Serge Luten has something to offer at this level of innovation.

The base note of vanilla in Jicky is a lesson to the perfumer makers of the 1990 and 2000s who produced cake mix instead of jus.

Jacques Guerlain also created L'Heure Bleue, Mitsouko and Vol de Nuit, all are long time friends of mine.

However it must be said that as much as I am a fan of Guerlain early perfumes, the cost of the Parfum and even the EDP makes them an investment and not just an indulgence. The EDTs are charming but lack the complexity of their big sisters.

i just simply adore this .it is so bloody expensive here in australia,not to mention near impossible to get hold of.if u love it like me,grab with both hands and sell your grandmother.

Thank you to hollycat for this bonus sample!!!

EDT review:

I have tested this twice, and I can't explain why it's happening, but on my skin, I think the top notes may be interacting with the leather to produce [something extremely unpleasant] layered with basil. Obviously, this effect was entirely unexpected! This unpleasant note persists into the heart, where lavender begins to emerge for me, and I feel there may be hope... Finally in 30 minutes, the rest of the base notes appear, and it becomes a spicy, benzoin, vanilla-tonka-treat. I even begin to really like the fragrance, but then suddenly it disappears! From start to finish, it lasts no longer than one hour on me.

Hmph...what happened?!

A true classic.

Surprisingly unisex. I was thinkink Jicky could be more feminine but I can easily wear this strong and beautiful scent.
Tumbs up!



8,5/10

Jicky is not gender specific, it was created and worn by both men and women. The only difference is that it is currently only marketed towards women.

The fragrance itself is difficult. I would recommend walking through light sprays preparing for a cold day.

I really want to try this even though it says it has a smell of leather. Leather is best smelling on a man, not a woman in my opinion.

(EDP Review)
At first sniff I found this to be very light and refreshing. The citrus notes really worked for me and are very crisp. The 30 min-4 hour time span was also very pleasant, which is when the lovely florals develop and the underlying wood notes make their entrance. I like this, but something in this fragrance I might be allergic too. It's not that this smells off to me, it smells very pleasant actually. But I noticed that everytime I took a sniff of my risk my stomach would tighten and I would get a little light headed. I'm wondering if this happens to anyone else?

Oooooh, Jicky! How I wish I had a better "nose" so that I could do justice to all your notes and nuances. I can only detect the Lavender.....the rest is a magical mystery to me; for me there is nothing that says citrus, nothing sharp or bitter either. On my skin Jicky is all smoothness; there is a sweetness and a bit of a powdery feel, and I find the overall effect comforting and incredibly elegant. This gem goes to the top of my "NEED to have full bottle" list, as my small sample will never do!

No, I cannot like Jicky. How big is the difference between the eau de parfume and the eau the toilette? I tried the eau the toilette and I couldn't figure it out. It was strong and bitter.

Jicky is so intoxicating. I simply can not get enough of the gorgeous scent. Its Citrus opening gradualy turns into this rich wood/lavendar scent that I want to spray all over my body until I'm drunk and pass out. I don't know how my wallet will react when I decide to purchase a full bottle, right now my decant is my best friend.

My lovely, ancient grandma is always going on about Jicky & how it was her mother's favourite perfume, but when ever I asked her how it smelled she said it was of another lifetime & so distinct that I would have to try it to understand it. I had really enjoyed Shalimar, so I did! I tried the EDP.

I'm not going to be popular, but I promise to be honest....Jicky is a bit of a shocker. If your nose is sensitive to civet then you may be in for a bit of a rough ride for a couple of hours after you spray this 'golden oldy'.

I enjoyed the citrus start, a slight warmth, very aromatic & a bit dis-used library. The musty incense is not the everyday kind, it is the deep, dark, treacley, funerial type, but that adds a serious edge to it. Then suddenly its ALL about the civet! Ancient, leathery & overpoweringly anilamalistic to my nose. A touch foxy a bit badger-set, throw in some old, musty attic & hey presto! This phase seemed to last for ever...& it's very hard to avoid your own hand, especially whilst in polite company :(

That aside, after 4 hours, it settled into something more bearable, although I would never say entirely pleasurable.
I agree with 'takemyhusband' - Jicky is just too feral for me to wear easily.

I also liberally sprayed a tester strip to give to my granny for a trip down memory lane. I left it in my room overnight &, I have to admit, the scent that wafted around was really rather lovely - much, much more pleasant than wearing it.

I think that Jicky is Shalimars english grandmother, I think it isn´t more than fair that even perfumes have their relatives.

At first Jicky was a wellbehaved, cute, rosy english girl. Fresh and sunny as ripe citrus fruits, but then she meet that Guerlain fellow and it was quite a scandal back then. She become modern, adeventorous and restless. She drived around the english countryside, scaring poor sheeps and farmboys.

And that was just the start, her parents desided to send her off to India, to an old aunt in Bombay... Some years in the colonies would cool her down they tought. But oh no, they couldn´t been more wrong. She was even more wild in India, eventually she meet an good looking, wealthy and oh so exotic maharadja. He was delighted with her freshness and european confidence and charm. She was knocked of her feets by his dark eyes, and even darker secrets.

Well, the maharadja was after all a decent guy, so they get married and lived happily ever after. Having a lot of happy and beautiful kids, restaurated the old palace and start growing strange spices and noble woods.

A part of the perfume history, of course a must try. And a really comfy, good, well aged one that is!

Old fashioned and elegant, sweet and alluring, intoxicating and addicting, yet contemporary and and wearable; Jicky is extraordinary and yet it is ordinary. The opening (which is sweet, citrusy, and aromatic all at once) is all together lovely and enchanting. The heart is intoxicating and remains faithful to the warm ambery enigmatic sweetness of the opening. Jicky is not a let down in the dry down. The warm sweet ambery heart mingles with the sexy sweet and enticing base. Now, with all this talk of sweetness, one would deem Jicky to be overbearingly sweet- but not so. The perfect balance of this perfume is what makes it so captivating from opening- to heart- to dry down. On my skin, Jicky even has the audacity and the tenacity to linger (ever so delicately) the morning after it is worn and sometimes after showering. Jicky is as glamorous as it is seductive. Jicky is as classy as it is sexy. It is undeniably a ‘Classic’--a fragrant masterpiece. Jicky has that certain something… ‘Je ne sais quoi.’ It is my all time favorite! I love Jicky! …betcha couldn’t guess! I have Parfum, EDP, and EDT. There are differences in the opening, heart and drydown of each concentration. Jicky IS, nevertheless, one of most beautiful and captivating fragrances that has ever been created.

I'm fairly sure I tested the Edt since I found it to be very light once dry. However, I was also careful not to spray on too much since Guerlain fragrances can be strong.

This fragrance is very different. I know it smells like something I recognize but I just can't put my finger on it. In a way it smells like opening an old dresser drawer that has been lined with floral paper and polished with lemon cleaner. But then something about it also reminds me of that new baby smell. Very confusing, I will have to try it again.

Overall, it smells soft, mature, traditional and pretty. Great choice for the office, terrible choice for a date.

Edt has lovely incensey notes, but overall there's a sharply citrus bugspray odor that never goes away. Horrid. The PdT (sort of EDP),however, is creamy and smooth with a very faint civet note. With the incense and that lovely creamy guerlainade base, I can understand the appeal of this. Still, the Edt was a nightmare experience so I'd suggest trying for the heavier concentrations.

I have a little bottle that I bought as a 15year old, now 51...I still have a little left and loathe to use it as I havent seen it in the same bottle since...does any one know if the fragrance has changed in anyway over the years?

On me Jicky was a very strong almost feral bergamot/lemon powder. It reminds me of spraying lemon Pledge in a wet, musty attic. I usually go for Orientals, and I love lemon, but Jicky just doesn't work on me.

Jicky is among the most interesting and elegant fragrances in my wardrobe. I love it more every time I wear it: it is a masterpiece.