L'Heure Bleue Guerlain for women

@Fragrantica, there's a mistake in your description!

frist you write this:
L'Heure Bleue or 'the bluish hour' was created by Jacques Guerlain in 1912

And then:
It was created by Raymond Guerlain

This is a lovely sent that I've read is the favourite of the former super model Emma Sjoberg's favourit. It's nice and lovely kind of soapy. Perfect for a calm and nice woman form her mid 30th and up. I'm too intence to feel comfortable in this sent but as a fragrance I love it. A true classic.

I know how ell loved this scent is but to me I just can't get past the carnation. There is something so sharp and spiky almost like a mint in shape, I thionk its the geranium and I just can't get past this. :(

I write this review with a heavy heart, as I SO wanted to love L'Heure Blue, Jicky, or Shalimar. First of all, I have immense respect for anything designed that stands the test of time, and Guerlain fragrances and their beautiful bottles have done that remarkably.

I wanted to have one of these fragrances/bottles grace my silver tray, but alas the fragrances aren't me, and don't work with my chemistry.

LHB on my skin reminds me of college where students trying to hide the scent of pot in dorm rooms would burn incense. I get a heavy patchouli scent that ran over a bed of Irises with a lawnmower. Despite the fact I think Irises to be a most gorgeous flower, their fragrance in my mind stinks. Both of these aromas leave me cold.

I admire that this fragrance tells a story as it evokes a personal memoir for many of you. I can see/smell that myself, although for me I find myself needing to wash my wrist as soon as I type this review.

L’Heure Bleue, Eau de Parfum.

My feelings have drastically changed since the review I did a few months ago, and I find that I have come to love this fragrance very much in a new and very unexpected way.

L’Heure Bleue is a fragrance that marks those precious moments in a woman’s day when she stops and looks at the world, listening, as if from a high balcony, to the muted sounds of an old and beautiful city as it winds down in the evening. She feels suddenly thoughtful in these moments. I feel this way when I put this on, and the beauty of this scent falls around me like the blue night air. A perfect dusting of florals entwines poetically with light, fresh anise and powdery accords, all in exquisite balance. The notes are subtle and soft, yet they come together in a way that makes this scent unique, distinctive. It is Mine, it is Yours, but there is no Our with L’Heure Bleue. This is not something that is shared – it is something that is left behind. It belongs wholly to the woman wearing it, but the scent that lingers in a room, on a scarf, conjures the memory of her long after she has left.

There is something quiet and charming in this yellow liquid, yet when wearing it, it lends an air of confidence and infinite femininity. What a beautiful name L’Heure Bleue has, what an inspiring image it evokes, and what a dazzling feeling it creates in a person, with only the smallest dab on the wrist. It is... enchanting. The enchantment L’Heure Bleue brings is absolute. Shalimar may be bold and exotic, Mitsouko may be spicy and aromatic, but L’Heure Bleue is the fragrant embodiment of an inherent and enduring grace.

I loved this perfume at firt sniff. It opens with bergamot like many Guerlain's fragrances.I love its powdery and floral heart notes, the sweet note done by vanilla. At the end the smell becomes comfortable. It doesn't seem an old fragrance but a fragrance of these days. It's a masterpiece!

EdT:
Ah! L'Heure Bleue, Monsieur Jacques Guerlain's great Belle Epoque classic.

It was love at first sniff for me and LHB. Once spraying on my skin, the vision of fields upon fields of purple violets at dusk. I hadn't even read about the legend of Monsieur Guerlain's nightmare and that's the vision this evoked.

It begins with a lot of flowers and a little bit of powder. Half an hour later, you've arrived at the most delicious pastry shop in all of Paris. This is where the fragrance gets heavy. It spends a very long time in the Guerlinade before finally ending 12 hours later as a clove-based dessert cream.

I love this, it's amazing. A little on the feminine side but not in the modern-day fruity floral sense. Recommended.

The notes that stand out the most for me are anise, clove, orange bolssom, and vanilla. The anise contributes a sense of coldness and an almost medicinal quality. It isn't as old fashioned as I expected, which may be due to the reformulation. There's no way I'd call this modern, but I wouldn't feel self concious wearing it in public, either.

Even if it is not as good as the original, this is still a million times better than so many modern fragrances.

I am desperately trying to ADORE this because it is indeed quite fascinating, nostalgic and deep. It DOES remind me of my grandmother, the most beautiful and amazing woman that has ever lived - though I don't think she ever wore this particular fragrance (I suspect Fracas instead). But it just reminds me of her times and her world - and it was launched the year she was born. The first impression I get is "linden tree flowers". My hometown was full of linden trees so it also smells like childhood to me. Soft, protective, wise, gentle...
I would love to have it in her memory.
It really is an elegant beautiful fragrance...but without a trace of sensuality in it. This is by excellence a motherly scent - no wonder Queen Elizabeth wears it. It also smells like the very antidote of our world's rampant superficiality. Despite all this, I am not sure I could make it work in the right kind of way. I have always been an "old soul" but sometimes I fear this kind of scent might make me appear even more disconnected from our times than I already am at the age of 39; and this feels a little bit...yes...sad.

I finally had the opportunity to smell L'Heure Bleue while on a trip to a large city that had a Neimans. I was intrigued with the first sniff. I returned home with a small sample vial, eager to try the scent in its fullness and over the period of a few hours. It was no time at all before I was completely captivated. And it was no time at all after that before I ordered a full bottle of the EdeP, understanding that the new formulation was a bit "bumpy" and not a full representation of its original formulation. But I was happy with it, so happy that I searched out the vintage. It arrived today, a vintage EdeC, and yes, it does smell like the older sister of the current formulation. I have never had the experience of this scent being "sad", but rather mysterious, evocative, and most enjoyable as she slowly reveals her many charms as the scent develops. A new favorite for me for sure!

I personally love the scent, but as one writer has noted above - no one else ever mentions it (except for my children) who told me it smelled like 'baby wipes'. I have worn samples of other perfumes and had people comment on it smelling nice - it definitely doesn't seem to have any staying power on me.

It is not pleasant to write a review that you know will be unpopular. But then popularity really isn't the point, is it? It is to tell the truth as you see it and, hopefully, to do so with tact.

I have respect for the house of Guerlain. I acknowledege the artistry of their "holy trinity": Shalimar, Mitsouko, and L'Heure Bleue.

My first impression of the EDP I sprayed on my wrist was...it smelled like L'Origan! I had not read the theory that LO(1905) inspired LHB(1912), so this was a surprise, and the start of a search online for fragrance histories. (I enjoy history...no prob.)

In the opening I smelled aniseseed and bergamot, and an orange blossom smell. That converted to an odd medicine smell, not terribly pleasant to my nose. The scent stayed close to my skin, with modest sillage.

Eventually this passed and became a powdery finish.
The staying power was about five hours on my skin.

Because I have dry skin that sometimes plays havoc with scent, I tried an old trick: I rubbed unscented Jojoba oil into my other arm before applying the EDP.

This improved it somewhat, bringing out more florals,
but it did not remove the funny medicine smell.

The next experiment was to spray it on clothing. On cloth, it progressed rapidly to a smell not listed in the ingredient lists I consulted for this fragrance: Heliotrope. Heliotrope, to my nose, is a powdery floral, very very sweet, but in a non-edible way. It smells like it belongs in the Victorian era, and can be cloying and oppressive. On cloth, the scent lasted for three days!

I began to experience headache and slight nausea. This does not mean the fragrance is bad but it definitely means it is not one I should be using.

I think it all comes down to a person's body chemistry. It either works for you or it does not.Try before you buy!

If LHB has a persona, this is what comes to mind: I see a pensive, wistful woman watching the sunset evolve into a velvety and quiet twilight. The busy-ness of the day is receeding from her mind, and what is to come has not yet been born. She stands between the worlds of day and night, of past and future, in a silent awareness of the now, and a question that cannot be put into words.

It is not a sad perfume, but it is very contemplative and enigmatic. It is gentle, but serious.It is filled with possibilities and contradictions. Not an easy perfume to wear but, if you have the right skin chemistry, it could be very rewarding.

I could see this smelling like insolence (sort of) but ''chanel no5?'' are you joking? maybe chanel no19 o.0

While I do feel this scent evokes a vintage feel, I have read about it's reformulation and apparently it smells nothing like the 1912 orginal at all.

Henriette, I totally agree..when I first tested it, I prepared myself for an old and heavy scent..but wow its so light, powdery, so nice and elegant. I still cant believe that this is a work of 1912..for me its like something very modern and young..its a masterpiece!

I ordered some classis edp samples of several of the Guerlain fumes, and on first sniff, decided I didn't like LB at all. It was like opening up a long closed closet in the home you grew up in. You don't really want to go in....but something draws you in. LB is memories good and bad, and on some days you don't want to go there. I've been going through some bad times, and right now LB takes me to a better place. I've been comforted by wearing this after my bath and going to bed. Hope it gives you the same sweet dreams.

I find very funny reading that L'Heure Bleue is smelling "old" when I find it very similar to what many new perfumes smell today. If you go to any niche perfumery and do try some of Andy Tauer's bestsellers (say L'Air du Desert Marocain, Le Maroc Pour Elle, Incense Rosé) or if you do try some of the new oud based scents so much in vogue now, or some Tom Ford, you will find that L'Heure Bleue showed the way many years ago. Really strange how we do perceive a scent: if it was created many moons ago, then it's "old", if it's recent, then it smells new. I would love to try a blind sampling.
BTW: I love L'Heure Bleue and find it so perfect that not a fault can be found. And it's hard to describe. I imagine this has to be tried, loved and enjoyed. You might not like it, perfume is a very personal matter, but it's constructed with an inspiration coming directly from Heaven.

I agree that LHB is a distinctively old school scent, as I believe many of the traditional Guerlain scents are- but they more than hold their appeal amongst the brash modern scents around today. For someone that knows their own mind and enjoys the scents that they love, and likes to make a subtle but not unnoticed statement with their scent....love Guerlain!
My mum started it off with wearing Shalimar...but i couldn't have that as my scent because it was so much hers! I experimented in the 80's and found Mitsouko and L'Heure Bleue (Jicky another fave with Parure), there's just something in that smokey, musky vanillary base note that is so strong in older Guerlain fragrances...it's addictive...I never get tired of smelling it. LHB is smokey, warming, it beckons you in to its embrace and is classic, evocative and individual..not any old bod on the High Street will be wearing this...or should be....

L'Heure Bleue is a perfume that brings a caleidoscope of images to my mind.. memories that aren't memories, but should have been. A journey in time.
It's the faint smell that rises from a forgotten scarf in the Orient Express. It is the whiff from an aristocratic lady passing by, wearing a fur coat and a hat. That kind of lady that makes men throw their coats in the gutter for her to step so she won't ruin her shoes.
It's the silk lining in an old, expensive crocodile purse. The enormous staircase in the grand hall from an old hollywood musical, and the diva slowly walking down, her dress floating on the steps. It is the view from the balcony once you escape the laughter and the shallowness of the party. It's a golden powdercase with enamel decoration and a facetted mirror in the lid. It is pearls, gold and diamonds. Gas lights in dusk. An abandoned bench covered in autumn leaves in an empty park just after rain.
It is the very atmosphere of Hotel Paris in Prague - or any other fabulous original Art Noveau-interior.
It is warm and sophisticated, bold and distant, yet intimate and romantic. Old-fashioned? Yes. It makes me feel I live in the wrong era. Not the perfume, but me. 'Old lady'? Well, I can't imagine a teen girl wearing it, but everything is possible. Just as I couldn't wear it with jeans, but some could probably pull that off too.
L'Heure Bleue is fabulous. It is divine. The ultimate perfume. This is what defines 'classic'.

I perfectly understand White_'s vision.
L'Heure Bleue is simply divine, like many other perfumes of that era and school. I love also Samsara that was my personal choice for many years, I like Shalimar, Mitsouko. Great real gorgeous sophisticated perfumes that project a magical aura, especially to the wearer!
L'Heure Bleue is a gentle beast. You need to wear it or it will wear you.
Every time I spray even a tiny amount on my wrist I end up being in perfume heaven!
Yet LHB rarely brings you compliments. I mean: RARELY.
This is not necessarily a bad thing. A crowd pleaser is something else and mainly an acquired taste, too.
LHB generally smells weird to most noses, because it smells different. I received a few ecstatic compliments wearing LHB and MANY "no way, this is strong old lady"!
Then I partially understood why. Once I was in a packed underground train and over the usual mess of stink and harsh perfumes/deo and human molecules I smelled LHB. I was sure. It's unmistakable. In that precise moment I felt it overpowering and out of place. I could localise the wearer and she was a middle-aged lady with a day office outfit, with quite a shy attitude and far too conscious of how her perfume was projecting around! Weird! She looked a little bit embarassed. LHB was wearing her in a crowd.
Far from the mading crowd, restful, not rushing on trains at peak hours to get to the office, alone in a beautiful place or your own place: LHB is pure magic.

Bought and wore a few times, and gave it away.

I could not shake the feeling that I smelled like I needed a shower when I wore it....smells like baby powder, soft fresh voilets & rain at first (LOVE this part), and dries down to almost nothing with a touch of BO on me. SO sad.

Sorry to all of you lovers....I so BADLY wanted to love it! I have Apres l'Ondee, and I get the same thing, but not as severely.

Would LOVE to swap my Apres l'Ondee for a sweet sultry oriental....

Well, this has to be my most risky and expensive blind buy (I can never make it into town to have a good sniff at the big counters!) but, yet again my fellow fragranticans have not let me down!!
How do I begin? (EDP)This goes on with a strong blast of anise, citrus and animalic notes which smells 'dated' and familiar simultaneously - (at this point I was a bit scared). Almost immediately it settles into a powdered almond scent with a bare amount of sweetness and a slightly lactonic note, reminiscent of my much loved Femme. This isn't the opera singing Diva of Femme, though. L'Heure Bleue is inward and backward looking, a veil of nostalgia, a ghost of a woman.
Itreminds me of a house my mother worked in when I was a child in London. Its lady, Ms Edwards, lived in a huge Victorian house on her own, surrounded oasis like by the sounds and scents of the city, yet she drifted through her William Morris papered home, pulled her velvet curtains and played on her mahogany piano. She sums this scent for me. Though it looks to the past, it's also the future. Old age, wisdom and the Miss Faversham in all of us.
If you find that thought depressing, then you may not like this beautiful perfume, I find it a magic time potion in a bottle.
I recommend reading Daphne Du Mauriers 'Rebecca' whilst wearing this!

Like Mitsouko, L'Heure Bleue contains a very animalic, musky base, which makes it hard for me to wear in public. I prefer to wear it before bed, or late at night on very cold nights when its muskiness becomes a welcome, if funky comfort. I may be the only person who likes its medicinal qualities. The ingredient Anise actually has a long history in the healing arts. It was used to treat anything from indegestion to calming anxious nerves, and even for meditation.

WWI was a time of death on a massive scale, never before experienced by the world. As I smell this perfume, I feel its association strongly with war and death. The cool, medicinal, almost mineral smell reminds me of cold, wet earth. Its dusty, tomblike aura speaks of funerary rites. That the cap of the bottle is shaped like a spade (a tool used to dig graves) or a hollow, upside down heart is not an accident. The musky dry down verges ever so slightly on the character of decayed flesh. That same quality of something decaying pervades Mitsouko, which also seems to reference things faded from life.

Suddenly the name the Blue Hour takes on other connotations. Instead of the blue of a twilight sky, I see the blue haze created by hundreds of rifles releasing clouds of gunpowder over the trenches. The slight pastry note speaks to happier times in Paris, perhaps in the dim memory of a soldier who shared an almond pastry with his sweetheart before going off to battle, perhaps for the last time.

Describing Vol de Nuit once, I said I can't analyze or dissect the classic Guerlains. This holds true for l'Heure Bleue. I get an anise-like vanilla and orange blossom, but it seems like one of those immensely complex orientals of its era. Beyond my analytical skills. Still, it is my favorite of the classic Guerlains. It's been described as melancholic, moody, shadowy. Maybe this is a distinction without a difference, but for me it's less about affect or emotion than it is about a contemplative state. I tend toward reflection when I wear l'HB.

I find the simple prettiness of l'HB always affecting. This prettiness, sort of beauty on a low flame, burns its way into you. Capital-B Beauty with its drama might infatuate for a moment, a day. But l'HB's attractiveness entices over time. L'HB has no gloss, but looking at its matte finish over time, you come to realize it's your favorite color.

Review for Eau De Parfum

It’s interesting.

The notes bother me. It’s chalky, chemical, powdery, sharp, but I keep reaching for this like a puppy closing in on un-sniffed territory. It’s such a strange smell that I keep forgetting what it smells like and I can’t come close to forming an opinion that sticks for me. At first it smelled like sunscreen in the opening, then it turned into play-doh, but then the scent of anise came into the picture and it’s like walking into a movie half way through, I don’t know what’s going on. Is it good, is it bad, I have no idea, it’s just THERE, really and firmly. L’Heure Bleue is cold and damp, it’s grey, and just when it seems entirely heartless, something glimmers through, but I have no idea what. It’s compelling. It doesn’t suit me easily, but it’s something that intrigues me to the point where I wonder whether I’m actually liking it... It is a bit spicy, a bit peppery, there is a harsh sharpness to it that stings and taunts... even the powdery notes have a biting quality. It’s strangely feminine, tender in only the smallest way. It’s like the smell of nail polish and roses together: false veneer and genuine beauty come together, but which side will L’Heure Bleue show you?

I’ll keep testing this (though it’s been four times already, it’s still playing on my mind) and if I figure it out, I’ll post something. Just to be clear, it’s not bad, but it is quite different. Then again, that’s why I tried this.

I'm probably not going to be the first person to say what my impressions of LHB. The lady who called this perfume "QUEENLY" got it so right on. That was the first thing I thought when I put it on (I hadn't read any of the reviews before now). The impression I had was of a woman who has gone through every emotion possible, has known suffering, grief, joy, sacrifice and come through the other side serene and self-composed. I think that is why many ladies say this perfume doesn't work for everyone - beautiful as it is. I mean, even though I'm 41 years old, I have not attained that level of detachment yet. Maybe someday, maybe not - I don't know what the sum of my life and my reactions to it will be.

I do know that the woman who can wear this perfectly is one who apologizes for nothing, does not smile easily, and commands respect from everyone.

LHB was my first non commercial love and it started my perfume love and beginnings as a perfumista. I first ‘discovered’ the EDT and was mesmerised by its intriguing and exotic scent, so unlike D&G ‘the one’ (my sig’ at the time) or anything else on the shelves and in the racy ad’s!

LHB is one of three ‘holy trinity’ Guerlains (along with Mitsouko and Shalimar) that are the staple of the perfume house, and I notice they all take on a ‘foodie’ theme, With Mitsuoko there’s the fruity peach and with Shalimar there’s the crème Brulee vanilla. LHB has a bittersweet Pastry/marzipan effect, pastries, and almond cakes very reminiscent of a Parisian patisserie. It becomes very much more vanilla on the drydown. The heart is spicy floral, loaded with Carnation, Parma Violets and powdery Iris. The base is pure vanilla Guerlainade, it lasts and lasts and is for me the strongest of all my collection. It just blooms on me and I tend to get the most reactions from people, mainly positive.
For me it is a bittersweet vanilla/Almond Gourmand with a spicy floral heart, I don’t get the melancholy thing, but it is a cool and somewhat intellectual scent without being pretentious.

p.s Kate Moss fanatics take note that this is her signature perfume, inspired, she named her own fragrance ‘Velvet Hour’ taken from LHB translation.

Awesome, a work of art. It was the second perfume I met that made me recognise the art of making a perfume. The first was Lolita Lempicka. And both are quite similar. They strike a chord of strange spiritual yearning and their fragrance has a strong but soft medicinal and herbal waft.I can only wear either of these perfumes when I'm in the mood for indulging in a bout of whimsical nostalgia. Then they are heavenly, but at other times they are (not unpleasantly!) disturbing and pungent. A very very special perfume, to be treasured and respected.

L'Heure Bleue is my mother's signature fragrance. She isn't a traditional woman-- my parents never had a wedding, for example-- but sometimes she would take me into her room and let me look through her jewelry and try on her silky blouses from when she used to live in New York City.

This fragrance has an air of mystery, nostalgia, and the unknown, like wanting to know about my mother's life before I was born. It reminds me of the sunlight filtering through clear glass crystals she would hang in the window.

Because it reminds me of my mother, L'Heure Bleue seems like a scent for an adult woman, maybe one with some kind of secret.

L’Heure Bleu EDP starts with Neroli mixed with really guerlain dry sweet slightly tart feel plus a little bit aldehyde charm which I can find in Chanel No.5 Parfum. This instantly takes me to a happy, relaxed state, feeling a little bit weary, yet content and just feel like to watch the sunset and chill. I guess I can understand why some people say this is a sad perfume, it does have the wasted feel in it, but in a really nice way.

Soon the slightly cool and powdery iris comes and makes it feel quite cute and adorable as in you appreciate your auntie’s doll collection in a slightly cool autumn Sunday afternoon when people are lazy and chilled.

Later on, it turns a little bit more dusty, powdery with any liveliness or sweetness fades away, and a hint of slightly woody peach-y wood hint in the background.



L’Heure Bleu Parfum version smells really typical pre-1950ish perfume start, it’s really thick, syrupy thick, with a slight medicine-y rooty patchouli feel to it. I was nearly thinking it was Mitsuoko Parfum, but L’Heure Bleu Parfum is more chilled, sweeter, watered and with a hint of star anise in the beginning in comparison with Mitsuoko, somehow the star anise scent here makes me feel it’s quite breathable and comfortable to wear.

Soon it turns to the cool iris powdery doll head smokey powdery smell which is similar to the EDP’s, but in Parfum, there’s a bit more tart and sweet citrusy undertone there and somehow it even makes me think of some orange flavoured erasers (not the juice fresh one, more a dried orange jerky flavour) which I had when I was little.

Similar to the EDP version, the Parfum goes to a more powdery and less sweet state, but the powdery feel in Parfum version is much more inviting and cosy.


Interesting perfume, really worth have a try. However, L’Heure Bleu is one of those perfumes deserve to be an art but not really wearing-friendly to me.

Hi.

Wearable work of art.In your first year of marriage, you make your transition from simple girl to cute lady,you make up your hear,dress up and walk with style and grace but something is missing for your style complementary until you buy a bottle of L'HEURE BLEUE by GUERLAIN and also another bottles until you make your transition from cute lady to dignified queen. Romantic,Nostalgic,Ladylike,Classy,Sumptuous, Powdery, Luxurious and Very Guerlain.

L'HEURE BLEUE is a true blending of art and fragrance with notes that includes neroli,anise,bergamot in the top notes,carnation,heliotrope and gentle rose in the heart.It is over so smooth finish on sandalwood,sweet vanilla,a little vetiver and the caressing tonalities of benzoin and musk,affirm its womanly character beyond a shadow of a doubt.let it do the talking for you:It will be QUEENLY.

L'HEURE BLEUE has a significant amount of sentimental qualities to it.Both the EDP and EDT are great.It is perfect for Autumn/Winter Evenings.I really do recommend this one as a perfect gift for that special lady in your life.Most of perfume lovers are familiar with it but if you haven't tried this lovely GUERLAIN,please do so.You will be wonderfully surprised at how special it makes you feel.

Sillage?Ok.

Longevity?Remarkable on my skin just like another GUERLAIN perfumes.

8/10

L'Heure Bleue is a really tricky fragrance. I loved it at first I had the edp concentration. I felt everything that any Guerlain lover feels when they first try L'Heure Bleue; Melancholic, thoughtful, peaceful and nostalgic. I could smell the watery anise, fresh violets, sweet almond, rose and spicy carnation notes. The drydown was the classic beautiful guerlinade. After awhile I could feel the schizophrenia in L'Heure Bleue On some days it would smell so classic and gorgeous, and on other days very obnoxious and cloying the first perfume ever that I had to scrub off my skin because of intense nausea. Or it would smell like intensely sweet play-doh or erasers due to the heliotrope. Because of L'heure Bleue I avoid anything that has heliotrope at any cost. A lot of Guerlain fragrances worked for me, and a lot have not. definitely try them before you buy.

L'Heure Bleue hates me. It hates me! It really, really hates me! I gave it so many tries, wanting to love such a mythic perfume. The nostalgia and romance of 1912 Paris at twilight, the comparisons to old-world pastry shops, the legendary poetic melancholy. But no. Every time it has refused me, turning to medicinal syrup and beer. That last one is true: Someone actually told me that I smelled like beer when I wore this! In conclusion, I envy those of you whose chemistry plays nicely with L'Heure Bleue. I wish mine did.

The EdT feels quiet, spiritual, and other-worldly. I get violets even though I didn't see it in the notes.

Like a mystical Pisces. I am dying to try the pure parfum.

This delicious romantic classic is like taking a stroll in Paris alone. You notice art, achitecture and gardens you could never describe. You stop by a cafe and have a pastry made of nuts and honey. Leaving the cafe you notice the fantastic sunset and suddenly realize you have no one to share it with! You get a profound sense of sadness.

That is LB to me.

I wonder if the trains in France still smell like it? I found that odd that something so expensive would be used to scent a train. I never complained!

This is the best perfume ever. On a lady, it will smell classy and old fashioned in a good way. It doesn't smell like a rich lady who doesn't clean her house, it smells like a bourgeois woman who knows how to make her laundry and who prefers to choose her vegetables herself at the market. On a man, it will smell modern and clean. As other reviewers noticed, the EDT is much better than the EDP.

I bought this in the toilette form about three years ago. It smelled so heavenly! Later on I bought the eau de parfum version. Big mistake!! It's way too strong and I'd only wear this at night. The vanilla comes on too strong for me. I used to love it, now I just like it.

Yes you can love or hate it or do not like it. But there s one thing you simply CANNOT do:
Denying that it IS a masterpiece, masterfully created by The Old great Perfumers of the world!!
L'Heure Bleue is perfume art as good as it gets. If you are going through the whole range of the best selling mainstream perfumes (or nearly the whole) and thereafter you go through the whole range of the best selling niche perfumes I can assure you your nose is trained!:) And then you will realize that L'heure Bleue is a kind of its own. All the parts fit so well in together it is like a symphony that will stay with you the whole day after only one spritz or dap of the pure perfume. It is so gorgeous , words can really not do it justice. It will haunt you if you like it or not, it s that good! Finally, finally I have found my "holy gral" within the fragrance world...:) Thanks to the old masters of GUERLAIN

My mother had this, and I used to sneak into her room to take the top off the little bottle and just breathe..it is a magical scent. Unique.

i Love Guerlains all fragrances!!! he is just a genie!

I've heard a lot of comments about L'Heure Bleue being "an old lady's fragrance" but I completely disagree. Yes, there are powdery notes in this scent that you could link with mature scents, but the bergamot and base notes resonate and give this scent heart and strength of character, almost defying description.

A little of this perfume goes a long way - spray too much and it really hits the back of your throat. I recommend this for evening use. I'm wearing it during the day at work and feel like I shouldn't be here - I should be out on the town instead, enjoying good food and vino, followed by a fabulous play! This is the kind of scent that I picture those fabulous New Yorker-types in Woody Allen's 'Melinda and Melinda' wearing.

L'Heure Bleue leaves me feeling confident and seductive. Not for everyday use, but for when you want a touch of something special.

I have the EDT. Its so unique, you will never find anything quite like this. Its one of those fragrances that you can't describe... you have to try it in order to know exactly what it smells like because words won't do it justice.

i must have totally different body chemistry than all that love this perfume--- because like one of the other reviewers- this smells like 'old cheap soap' mixed with baby powder on my skin. i really wanted to love it, and actually have tried it at perfume counters on several occasions since it gets such high marks on perfume reviews...but i just can't even remotely like it. hate this one.

To be very honest, I am not a fan of Luca Turin - his work is not a bible. Only trust your nose and you will find out that L'heure Bleue is one of the most beautiful fragrances ever made!

L'Heure Bleue is deep, mysterious, evocative. It reminds me of all the beautiful women of the past, a period when real stars could still emerge. But not just beautiful women; sophisticated, sensual, arty, intellectual, and sexy...

It is sweet, powdery, violety... Of all the concentrations, I now prefer the parfum (it used to be the edt). You smell beautiful, you feel beautiful!

Edit: I am a violet lover; with this I get intense, interesting violets that many soliflores fail to capture, and bore me in the end; pleasant in the beginning, scrubbers in the end. Bois de Violette by Serge Lutens is also interesting, with prominent cedar wood- a bit aggressive sexuality, but L'Heure Bleue is softer, more feminine, and yes- as a reviewer mentioned far below- spiritual! You are swimming in the deep dark blue waters of life... Are you a good swimmer?

I must confess! I don't like L'Heure Bleue. While it's unquestionably relevant for its historical meaning and influence, at the same time it's badly aged. I've been trying this perfume countless times, but I've never been able to really appreciate it. It has a sweet buttery-like, almost gourmand opening that's absolutely obsolete, and even if it's not its fault it suffers from becoming an archetipal female fragrance.

Rating: 8.5/10 (for its relevance)
6/10 (for my personal taste)

I am New to L'Heure Bleue and like Yamba1, I wear it to bed, and for the same reasons. It has a meditative, introverted quality that is just right for ending the day. Shalimar had been my bedtime fragrance, and probably will be from time to time, especially in col weather, but there's something about LHB that is uniquely private, "just for me", I wonder if I'll ever wear it "socially" - so far I can't picture it. LHB is me alone with my thoughts.

Yes, I pick up violet and lots of it, or maybe the memory of violets. Violet once removed. How's that?

This is an exquisite fragrance I wouldn't wear on an everyday basis, but I sometimes like to enjoy the smell of it all for myself. The evocative name says it all, this is best enjoyed at dusk.

Too sweet and old-fashioned. I smell olive oil, house dust, linseed oil, chestnut puree, tons and tons of a very, very heavy, ahm - a very heavy vanilla, alongside some extremely shy traces of iris (I am talking about EdP). It literally ruined my day. It almost made me sick. I admire Shalimar, I love Samsara, I respect Mitsouko, but I obviously do not get L'Heure Bleue.

I was lucky to get a 2ml micro mini of vintage (pre-LVMH, anyway) L’Heure Bleue parfum extrait from someone’s collection.
Out of its beautiful dainty flacon and for the first several minutes on my skin, LHB has a distinct, almost palpable patisserie air about it, which made me rake my mind for the exact kind of treat it was implying, and finally arrive at Marzipan. With no discernible almond note, it nevertheless perfectly recreates the texture and feeling of those tiny silky crumbs on the tongue, the buttery decadence and subtle sweetness of my favorite confection. These pastry-like nuances eventually subdue (but never disappear completely) to make way for the breathtakingly beautiful, pensive, introspective, and what may only be called “slow-motion” oriental; probably the only one to be ever done in minor key. There are the citruses, the spices, the opulent florals, the signature dirty vanilla, but somehow it all seems to have a delicate smoky-blue gossamer veil thrown over it, which dims the colours and softens the contours. Quiet yet symphonic, L’Heure Bleue is like a caress of a silk shawl on naked skin.

If I had to present one fragrance as an example of how Guerlain’s style may compare to that of any other House – without a trace of doubt, I would have chosen her. An epitome of languid sweeping elegance, carrying herself with an effortlessly regal posture and at the same time exuding an intimate warmth, dignified and humble, L’Heure Bleue has all of the nobility, but none of the snobbery. Compared to her, many of the newer grand perfumes will come off as nouveau riche, trying always a tad too hard to achieve what this Guerlain masterpiece has had all along: genuine aristocracy.

At the opening, this perfume smells to me like morph between Guelain's Mitsouko and Apres L'Ondee. The scent is full of neroli, carnation, ylang-ylang with a touch of citrus. I was so sure there was violet note in it, but apparently, there isn't.

It's feminine, nostalgic, in tune with old good Guerlain's classics overall. It has this characteristic "soap" scent to it as well. I might like it, but it also seems to me that neroli is too strong: the perfume feels like battleship of neroli vs. other flowers.

Later on, it slightly transforms from being "soapy" to more "powdery" (if it makes any difference))It also becomes more vanilla-like, but not in gourmand way.

Like some have already said, this perfume is a good experience if you want to travel back in time (of course, you have to have some good imagination =)

After looking for this for what seems like forever I finally found it randomly at a Guerlain counter in a department store in Chester. Like all Guerlain, I wanted to love it, but just didn't. It is pleasant, though I certainly get the pencil shaving smell unfortunately. I don't understand how this is classified as an oriental floral however, to me it is a classic chypre, of the Diorella variety. And like them it is like powdery, scented soap. Wish I could have more appreciation for this one.

No offense intended towards those who love and wear this, but this one smells extremely weird on me, like old, rancid, cheap soap. I have only tried the edt, maybe the edp is different and better, but so far this is a complete stinker in my case. It smells old and depressing, like a piece of housemade soap left to rot away in an attick for years. Yikes, I get goosebumps only thinking about it.

L'heure Bleue is definitely not a teenage perfume but I wouldn't call it old-fashioned as I find it chic and retro in a positive kind of way. My skin seems to absorb it quite easily and it is not that strong or overpowering at all. On the contrary - the drydown is creamy and velvety and the vanilla base is amazingly soft and well-balanced. It is very elegant and feminine and evokes pictures of a low-cut dress and a romantic evening out.

Because this perfume is referred to so often by the parfumistas on this site, I had to sample to satisfy my curiosity.

The fact that it has an old-fashioned smell came as no surprise, since it was introduced before World War I.

It reminds me of my grandmother, who did not use fine perfumes (which in her mind were a huge waste of money) but she did use lots of powder after bathing. And that is what I smell, my grandma's body powder.

Like the fashions my grandma wore as a girl, this scent was new and fresh at one time, but no longer. For me, it is beautiful and valuable as a vehicle for nostalgia, but not something I want to smell on myself.

Yes old-fashioned, but in a very comforting way..lots of powdery iris on soft violets on a slightly buttery vanillic base which reminds me of a soft Shalimar. Really needs a little time to develop on the skin and become itself. I don't find L'heure Bleue melancholy at all, just reserved and meditative. Would take a little getting used to if you are not familiar with classic Guerlains..something you wear for yourself rather than to project an image to others. Quiet but very present!

I agree with the feeling of nostalgia some people describe here. Actually I like wearing this when I am on my own reading a book or having a glass of red wine. Also I have worn it to funerals and it matches perfectly my mood in those moments.

Oh, how I wanted to love this! The reviews here are so enthusiastic, and I love other Guerlain fragrances... but...

On me, this was a horrible, stinking, rotten violet. Truly awful. One of the worst I've ever tried.

This didn't smell like an 'old lady perfume' on me - it just smelled like an old lady! An unwashed, musty, over-perfumed poor dear, dousing herself in violet talc instead of having a bath.

I realise I should try it more than once to really give it a go, but I can't bear to. Just the thought of it makes me shudder.

What a shame. So many people have had delightful experiences with it; I'll stick to my beloved Jicky.

If Apres L'Ondee is a summer's day after a shower of rain, L'Heure Bleue is the same day after the sun has gone down. It's so full of life, as it opens with warm prickling spices and lush flowers, but as the earth cools, it gives way to a cool breezy iris. The picture is very complex and uncompromising, and it doesn't suit everyone, but if it's for you, it's one of the most wonderful achievements in perfumery.

Guerlain's L' Heure Bleue is a meloncolic, soulful fragrance. Its not sad as much as its serious. Serious in a way that a deep thinker looks at life. A deep thinker feels things strongly, they cry when they hear beautiful music, they mourn for the people who suffer in this world, they empathize with others and above all else they possess an understanding of the plight of human kind. They are intense people. This perfume is intense. It speaks to you, as well as to others.

Its a powdery floral perfume so masterfully blended that its hard for me to decifer the notes. Someone on this site mentioned that they felt notes of violet. I feel the same way. But this isnt a violet scent. Its too complex to say that one note takes center stage. Its perfumey, but not in an in your face kind of way. The EDP lasts all day on me. Its very special.

I've been wearing a vintage L'Heure Bleue EDC for the past few days. I couldn't really get a feel of it by dabbing it on, I decanted it into a spray. Three sprays of it and I'm in heaven. Rich, luxurious vanillas, powdery florals, with a touch of sweetness and citrus even. I do think the top notes of my EDC have gone off, because this does not smell so great when taking a whiff from the bottle and when first sprayed, after a bit it's beautiful, but even hours after applying I swear I smell something citrus-y in this, whatever it is it's fabulous. Maybe the Vetiver?

LHB brings to mind winter, a chilliness, of blue snow, fresh snow with the sun setting into an icy blue sky causing the snow to take on a blue cast. In winter I tend to spend a lot of my free time in bed, reading, daydreaming, reflecting(and napping).
LHB is dreamy, like when you want to dream about the one you love......

We may get a snowstorm Sunday so I plan on wearing LHB all weekend. Snowstorms, I load up on provisions and hit the bed.

I also have a current decanted vial of LHB from the Guerlain counter. Smells a bit "candied up" and does not last as long as my old EDC. My EDC seems to smell more "mature" than the current version. Yes, perhaps it smells slightly old fashioned, but I don't mind smelling quirky at times.

On my skin i find L'heure bleue lasts a long time, even after bathing i can sometimes still smell it.

The initial spray opens very sharp & bright & i can easily detect the citrus notes, this makes the juice very fresh.

The floral side kick in very quickly with the rose & orchid pushing to the fore front. I too have always thought i could detect violet in this juice but no violet notes are listed so im unsure what i can detect in there thats close to violet. Perhaps its the heliotrope but i couldnt be sure as ive not smelt heliotrope alone.

The benzoin mixed with the vanilla gives this juice a deep warmth & the vetiver takes away the 'prettiness' but balances out all of the floral notes to exude an aloof sassiness.

This juice does dry down powdery & i love that. Its sillage is fantastic as is its longevity.

Its well worth the money in my opinion because it does last & is also rather unique.

Let's get one thing straight: there is violet here, and a lot of it. Whew...I feel so much better now that I've gotten that off my chest. No one in these reviews is mentioning the violet, which seems to dominate the composition of L'Heure Bleue. If the pretty violet note of Guerlain's Insolence was complicated by the addition of carnation, anise, orris, vanilla etc. then you might get L'Heure Bleue. This is one beautiful scent: deep, melancholy, rich. Try to get the parfum, it is more full bodied than other concentrations from the heightened dose of musk. L'Heure Bleue is lovely stuff. And very unique, balanced, and perfectly blended. A classic for very good reason...perhaps even the best perfume ever made.

I've recently taken to wearing L'Heure Bleue EDP to bed each night. Instantly, this perfume promotes quiet reflection and contemplation. I can understand why some other reviewers report feeling a sense of melancholy upon application. From a technical perspective, this could perhaps be attributed to the classic Guerlain powery drydown, yet I believe there is another intangible element to L'Heure Bleue.
As I drifted off to sleep last night cosetted by the majesty of this perfume, my mind conjured a thought that L'Heure Bleue was made from the dust sprinkled by angels. Bliss!

I'm sad that I can't wear this, especially since I love Apres L'Ondee so much. I've given the current EDP a spin twice, and both times it morphed into a very powdery scent (not a problem) with a very *dirty* edge. It smells beautiful in the bottle, but it hates my skin. All of you who can wear it, enjoy it for me, will ya?
Edit: After trying Mitsouko, I think I understand Jacques Guerlain a bit better. For me, his perfumes seem to speak about opposites. It feels like the equivalent of looking into a two way mirror- heaven if the perfume is right for you, but disturbing if it's not.For example, on me, L'Heure Bleu smells both like the most spiritual beauty that could exist (it's beyond earthly things) and also like two people rutting in the backseat of a car. Like life after death and sex, simultaneously. Mitsouko smells like a warm summer day with friends in dry heat and a cold winter day reading a book on your sofa by yourself. Apres L'Ondee is both wet and dry... Whether you can wear a particular perfume of his or not, it is fascinating to discover it!

This is special. It is like smelling negative space - the walls of aniseed, bergamot, cloves and carnation build up until they collapse in on themselves and send up a delicious creamy waft of vanilla. Perfection. This is why they say perfume is portable intelligence.

FANTASTIC SCENT

I first wore this on a warm windy day (like lady love below) and it was dynamite. The stunning scent rose in a breezy aura about me all day.

Think Powdery, white florals that intensify as evening sets in. A sweet perfume freshened by cool night air this is L'heure Bleue.

Elegant sophistication with a soothing effect that radiates confidence.

Wearing L'Heure Bleue was like a romantic evening walk in the middle of a busy stressful work day.

Its the Benzoin that takes this floral from pleasant to remarkable.

Auntcyn, I recognize what you say for sure! I used to be a Guerlain addict for a very long time, but their vintages really seem to have one thing in common; old lady. I decided a few months ago to buy all the vintages to complete my Guerlain line, but when I tried Jicky, Nahema etc., I just felt really bad smelling them. The only vintage that works for me is Mitsouko and indeed L'Heure Bleue.

So I am sad to say that I will stick to Champs-Elysees, L'Instant, Samsara en Isolence. The Aqua Allegoria line really didn't suit me either, swapped all away! The only one I do love is Pamplemousse. Guerlain does have SUPERB make-up though!!

(Edp 2010)

I was sitting in a beautiful public garden here in my country, on a hot-windy day, surrounded by different types of flowers, birds singing all the time, and children playing everywhere.

I got ‘L Heure Bleue’s bottle in my hands, this Eau de parfum is so hard to find, that I never had the chance to smell it before, but I was so moved reading all the comments about this, how people refer to ‘L Heure Bleue’ as an emotional and melancholic fragrance, so I felt tempted by this timeless beauty, and finally I decided to buy it unsniff via internet.
I’ve always wanted to see myself smelling this fragrance in a beautiful garden, that’s the reason why I was there yesterday, just when the sun starts to disappear and the sky begins to turn blue.

I remove L Heure Bleue’s cap, sprayed a bit in my hand pulse point and close my eyes. When I start to smell it, I fell like time has stopped, and suddenly couldn’t hear the birds sing, or the beautiful noise of flowers moving in the wind, even the children were silent. I think L Heure Bleue beauty was blessings my senses, and takes me to another level.

I really can’t describe this fragrance, is impossible, It’s unique. But I will say L Heure Bleue smell like a mix of Chanel N5 Eau de Premiere (a lighter version) and Christian Dior ‘’Miss Dior’’(Without the aldehydes, patchouli and the leather notes) (Edt 2010). Anyway, don’t take this comparison to serious, because this fragrance is out of the world. The presence of the rose, ylang –ylang, jazmin and benzoin are prominent from the beginning to the end. In the first minutes of L Heure Bleue you will also notice a tender-weak lemon and anise touch. I don’t understand why people are saying this fragrance is impossible to wear, it’s just so tender and pure. It’s very retro but, and I don’t believe this is a old lady type scent.

L Heure Bleue is so mysterious, sometimes I smell a beautiful garden, sometimes a bottle full of Candy cane, and sometimes and ancient temple.


I love this masterpiece, and is very different from Shalimar.

...and one quick addition: Borsari released a fragrance called "Notte Romana" (beautiful fragrance but sadly, now discontinued) that became very popular in the 40's and it has the same nocturnal, dewy, wistful quality as LHB. The original "Evening in Paris" shares much in common with both of these, as well. They all share a combination of rose, anise/anisette and tonka bean ("Evening in Paris" is heavier on the jasmine), so that might account for their similar moodiness. For me, blue chamomile, tonka bean, galbanum and some kinds of fig notes, are best for conveying lucid-dreamlike grace. The "4 dancing princesses" of fragrance--a somnambulist elegance. Tonka bean (different than the musk, which was also originally included in LHB; although, the current inclusion is unlikely to come from a natural source) has a dusky-sweet, coffee-like richness to it that adds a quality of sugared warmth and graininess to a blend.

Just thought I'd mention "Notte Romana" for LHB lovers!

There's an eeriness to "L'Huere Bleue" that I find compelling; not a sinister eeriness, but a true representation of the existential transience of life, of love, loss and mortality. It's like a ghost of a fragrance, but not in a terrifying way--like seeing the flickering image of a silent screen star and coming to a realization: With all their vitality, animation and expression onscreen, they're gone. They've all long died. No matter how compelling and electric a personality you are, no matter what you accomplish in life, no matter who you love or haven't loved...you will die. We all pass. When I smell the sterile, dusky sheerness of orris powder and the velvety, yet medicinal anise blended with soft vanilla of "L 'Huere Bleue", I am never more aware of my vulnerability as a human being. It doesn't frighten me--the cozy, lullaby-singing sweetness of the "mommy" notes (vanilla and powder)soothes any anxiety--but it makes me very wistful and sentimental, somehow. The tonka note--something I often have a hard time wearing--blends smoothly with the oily base, resulting in a hazy warmth that lingers and softens the cutting dryness of the anise.

LHB is a resolution, an accepting sigh, a dying kiss, an elusive memory or dream, realizing your child has grown and will begin their own adulthood and continue the cycle of life--this is what LHB smells like to me. It's not just the twilight of a day, it's the twilight of life, when we count our hours and wonder what they've added-up to. Who mattered most? What will I leave behind? It's beautiful, sad, but comforting in its quiet way. Like a Debussy song or a found locket from someone's life (and love story) from long ago. It breaks my heart. But I don't mind. I don't mind at all. Sometimes you need to step-out of the current bland rush of modern life and remember that "emotion" is something you should feel deeply. We all need a good cry once in a while, just to remind ourselves that yes, we're still alive. And isn't that an amazing thing.

W B Yeats described the only words for this perfume and they are; Tread softly when you walk on my dreams.

Guerlain L'HEURE BLEUE is such a huge blue statement that I really only wear it about once a year, and then only at home. It's not that I'm afraid to elicit "old lady" comments and puzzled looks. It's just that I find this composition bewitching: cold and almost clinical in the opening, a bright blue light shining into one's soul.

As it dries down, L'HEURE BLEUE eventually melts into a ambery vanillic iris, but the opening is so overwhelming that I always feel as though the perfume is wearing me, rather than the other way around.

It is very easy to overapply this potion. I have both the edp and the edt, and prefer the former, but it is a mistake to spray more edt because it accumulates too quickly and thickly, easily becoming an opaque blue fog. The best comparison I can come up with here is gorgonzola cheese: delicious in minute amounts, at most once or twice a year; toxic if overused!

I really wished I'd love this, I love the ideea of pre-wars mentality inspired fragrance. But it's not as I expected. Maybe one day my tastes will grow into liking it, but right now all I get is old cosmetic powder with some lilac traces.

Oh..what a beautyful fragrance! It indeed IS touching.

I think that the reason why so many people mention the tears that it brings to their eyes, is because this scent seems to bring one close to one's heart.

Asif this scent is telling you that happiness and sadness are so close related, it will make you want to cry and laugh at the same time...

In the very beginning it is moist like shed tears and after a while the powdery drydown wll comfort you and will dry these tears and make you smile...

Very dramatic fragrance in a very beautyful way...!

It has some kind of an ancient feel to it and yet - or maybe therefor - it is timeless.

The feel of 'here and now'..peaceful, melancholy, reminiscent...

No need to talk about notes here...I'd say that Rachmaninoff's Vocalise would be the appropiate music to listen to, wearing this....

Lovely!

They should renamed this L'heure d'or
(The golden hour) it's too warm to be thought of as being blue' blue is an clinical color and this is not an clinical
scent far from it.
The opening is similar to almost all of the older Guerlains it opens with a warm
Note bergamot and the powdery dry irises'
the lemon dries the the top note with sharp accords.

the middle drydown begins to be sweeter
with the vanilla-like sweetness of heliotrope and orchid to bring a little
exotica to add to the oriental craze that swept Europe and the U.S in the early 1900's' cloves with it's pungent
bitter and diluted sweetness with the presence of jasmine adds with the earthiness.

Carnation with it's spicy sweet aroma
stands it's own with the other stronger notes such as Cloves bergamot coriander
and lemon' the two elusive notes of ylang ylang and delicate rose as it's
shy guests.

Powdery iris starts the drydown i notice amber is missing from the note card and i can smell the warmness of the scent
dry sandalwood makes it dryish and woodish there is a nice musk factor here
subtle but noticeable and Vanilla ends the elegance with it's domineering and a bit masculine presence ends the beauty.

L'heure d'or brings you to europe before
the First world war where it was decadent with artists decussing shocking new techniques can can dancers entertained men in brothels without their wives knowing beautiful sinuous
lines of art nouveau with angels kissing
on the murals of the most elegant hotels
with golden stairways beautiful gold railings white lilies adorned the lobby
women with their finest elegant gown
checks in this Perfume relfect life before the grimiest of war and the art after that took it way forever.

The first time I used this perfume, it reminded me of the first time I saw St Marco square in Venice. It was early evening the sun was begining to go down, its evening light was shining on this beautiful square. The experience of this beautiful site brought me to tears, it was a very strange experience. This perfume makes me emotional. it makes me think of beautiful times in my life and of people that I have loved. This perfume to me is so very beautiful. I just wear it for myself and no one else. It is pure heaven.

Bought this early on when I fell in love with fragrance again. First fell hard when I was like 13-16; stopped giving a damn up until two years ago (I'm in my early 30s).

So I bought this one without ever having a whiff of it because I read somewhere that Kate Moss listed it as one of her faves (sorry).

I loathed this parfum (EDP) instantly. I sprayed a bit on and had to wash it off immediately. Whatever it was, it was too much... OLD and oily?

Anyway, I was going to send it back but I didn't. After a few weeks I tried it again and WOW -- totally different experience? I am awful about describing fragrance notes and so on, but I will say that when I wear it I feel like I'm in a dream.

Gorgeous for the Winter and late autumn.

I totally agree with Catbiscuit--I can appreciate the artistry of L'Heure Bleue, but it doesn't "reach" me like many of my other perfumes. However, after several tries I have finally learned to enjoy Mitsouko, so perhaps I need to give LHB a bit more time.

(Next day) Decided to give LHB another try, and I think I've found a way to wear and enjoy it, although it will likely never be one of my favorites.

Oh how I wanted to love and adore L'Heure Bleue. I wanted it to bring tears to my eyes & inspire poetry like other reviewers. But I just don't.

Don't get me wrong, I do like it rather well, at least once it gets into the heart. It is classy & elegant, gentle & genteel. It is timeless, not at all old-fashioned. My skin latches onto the smooth vanilla very early making it deliciously sweet. The flowers are delicate & romantic. This is a very nice perfume.

The thing is that it just doesn't connect with me on an emotional level. Or I don't connect with it. Either way, I am heartily disappointed and a little depressed.

The smell of this gives me goosebumps - its absolutely beautiful....
I cant describe it - I just know Ive never smelt anything quite like it before.....

Also, I noticed this haunting, nostalgic quality about it that almost made me feel like crying! -
which is why Im not sure I would ever buy this, because as beautiful as it is - Im not sure if I want to feel like that.....
although Im sure on the right person and on the right occassion this would be amazing.

p.s. Ive just had a look at the other reviews and it seems as if somebody else also had a strange reaction to this perfume....

I have never smelled anything so hauntingly beautiful and so encapsulating of a time of day as L'Heure Bleue. Words cannot do it justice. Reminds me of something out of the Great Gatsby. Definitely evokes a specific era of perfumery but does not smell like an "old lady", just classic.

I was so looking forward to loving this classic. I purchased a 1.7 oz from millcreek rescue and they are very reliable about having guarenteed perfumes. On me it smells like Dior Dune light. Which is not a good thing on me. It has to be the combination benzoin, musk and vetevier that I find offensive. I gave L'Heaur Bleu plenty of tests but we are just not compatible. Anyone want to swap for it? Just send a pm to me and maybe we can work something out.

The latest reviewer of this perfume hit the nail on the head..."haunting". If a perfume can smell like that, then this one does. I tried to wear this perfume and gave it my best effort. I totally appreciate the notes and composition and it is a masterpiece that no serious collection/collector should be without. However, that being said, this caused me to have the strangest reaction to that smell. We already live in a very dreary (8-9 months of the year) place (Seattle/Forks area) and that can be quite depressing. Whenever I sprayed this on, within moments I felt overcome by nostalgia, a feeling that I missed my mother desperately, and I truly not only felt like weeping, I often did. I know that just sounds bizarre, but that was the true reaction this scent caused me to have. It made me sad for some reason, and I don't know why. I love the "Blue Hour" of the evening....that time of dusk that turns everything smokey and is one of the worst times for driving since it impairs your sense of sight. This is a very unusual scent, and I will always love to dislike it on me. :)

I love powdery perfumes....but not L'Heure Bleue unfortunately....
I tested a week ago in the Airoprt....i was so curious about it...
It is sweet, powdery, dusty, not easy to wear...;(...and another thing...I keep smelling that "oily" note in it, happened the same with Mitsouko...strange, is it my nose or ...has anyone felt it before???!!!
anyway....
It's in the same class with Chanel n 5 !
Both classy, powdery, old Classics !!!

(2008 EDP Review)

To sit with L'heure Bleue is to sit next to a new found lover in a darkened theater, waiting with heated skin and quickened breath for a brush against your hand, indicating that he feels the same.

To smell L'heure Bleue is to smell the euphoria of bride clutching her bouquet, ready to take her vows as the sun sets behind her and the ocean stretches eternally in front of her.

To me this scent is haunted by adoration. This is what I want to be wearing when the casket closes and the final smile fades from my lips.

Beautiful, haunting, charming, subtle.

Not an everyday choice as usually I need a bit more vim and vigour on my side - more overt impact to motive me.
However, I can't think of a fragrance that is more conduisive to contemplation than L'Heure Bleue.

I find it calming. The rose is gentle, the heliotrope provides interest and bergamont gives lift. The base vanilla note is a lesson to other perfumers. The vanilla gives depth without being foody.

I have seen it described as enigmatic. That seems about right.

intriguing and captivating, l'heure blure is absolutely an evening fragrance.for special occ. when you are wearing a sexy ballgown. dressed up for the one you love,but not showing too much skin lol
l'eure is a demure juice and doesn't give everything away in one shot

It's quite intimidating to write a review on one of the world's most famous and well-regarded perfumes. Guerlain's earlier fragrances are all hailed as classics, even though many are hard to find these days.

When I managed to track down L'Heure Bleue, I was both eager and a little nervous based on my expectations and what I had previously heard or read. The first thing I noted, was that it had a very distinct Guerlain vibe about it.

Both Shalimar and L'Heure Bleue share similarities in the top notes. Personally, I believe they both smell like calamine lotion and face powder. This however is not intended to be a negative remark on either fragrance. I find L'Heure Bleue both enticing and unique.

This fragrance certainly radiates a certain sense of maturity and class. In my opinion, it's not something that will suit everyone. It's very difficult to pin-point any particular notes here, as they all blend together to create a powdery and dusty floral with an elegant, old-fashioned aura.

L'Heure Bleue is very 'French'. You'd most likely feel silly wearing this fragrance with a t-shirt, jeans and a pair of flip flops. I'd have to be decked out in an elegant gown with Tiffany diamonds before I'd feel worthy of wearing L'Heure Bleue.

In some instances the rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang and vanilla tend to rise up from the powdery-ness to make their presence known, yet as I said before, this is one well-blended fragrance with no definitive notes. Both the EDT and EDP last considerably well, and the accompanying lotion adds that special touch. I'm actually more tempted to splurge on the lotion rather than the fragrance itself.

The smoothness, sophistication and beauty of L'Heure Bleue is difficult to surpass. 'The Blue Hour' as it has been aptly named, has the ability to capture almost anyone with its binding spell.

How can one descibe this beautiful fragrance in words? When I first smelled this fragrance, I was totally captivated. It made me stand still and so many memories came flooding back to me like a reel of films on fast mode. I find it an incrediblely emotional fragrance that touches the inner soul. It is a true master piece, and smells utterly devine.

I finally have the edp. Like the previous reviewer wrote it is like a twin to shalimar. This perfume is perfect,though from the first spray it did not appeal to me the dry down is very romantic, powedery and long lasting. I put the perfume on last night and it is morning now 'wow' still there I am very happy with this fragrant.This is a heaven made scent.

Thanks to Persephone, a sweet and generous lady, I had the privilege of trying the perfume. I must say it's incredible; it's almost like a twin to Shalimar, at least on my skin.... but it is softer, more romantic; it is the morning after, when the new day hasn't arrived yet... and the night isn't over either.... Suspended in between, l'heure bleue tells you not to think of what happened, not to worry about what's next to come.... just surrender and enjoy the moment...
I just created a new need for me, I must have a bottle of l'heure bleue... one lucky day! A true timeless classic for a good reason.

I'm finally sampling this much-loved and respected classic...

The top notes smell pretty medicinal on my skin- like calamine lotion. I recall getting the same impression from La Chasse aux Papillons by L'Artisan.

I'm a little disappointed- it doesn't have the presence that I expected.

Maybe I should have got the EDP instead of the EDP-

I guess I'll have to apply it with a bit of a heavier hand tomorrow, and see if my opinion changes.

For some reason this makes me think of an old fashioned, more serious and more vulnerable version of Westwood's Boudoir perfume.

I got mine from The Perfumed Court, an online site that specialises in samples and decants. You can find lots of hard-to-find perfumes there, and ironically fewer of the modern ones!

To wear this perfume is to be suspended in dusk , this is a haunting ,magical potion ..it's not about a personality but time itself,a wistful, very quiet moment in time..
When I first put this on it immediately was comforting to me, I must say.
This almost has a smell of a pastry made with anise ,there's a quiet rose, orchid & jasmine also mingling with the sweet pastry smell ; also something very earthy at the bottom of all this too, so perfect, all the elements here are balanced perfectly.
The anise here is very prominent to my nose, & how I have always loved that spicy, sweet smell! I love the earthy root like smell too, there's a suggestion of chamomile tea also.

For me I can say I find this very wearable, not at all overpowering ,a quiet , captivating scent,a very,very special perfume.I put a few drops of this on my favorite scarves,so I can smell it there .. it really is good for me to inhale this beautiful scent, it may sound silly, but it's almost like aromatherapy!
This was the EDP version.

This would be the first Guerlain I would invest in for sure , for myself.It's gorgeous.

My first reaction: friends and family of Shalmimar with much less vanilla.

The EDT and EDP are quite different. I am curious to know which concentrations the previous reviewers are describing.

I've sampled vintage EDT, new EDT, and new EDP. The vintage EDT is my favorite--like the EDP but lighter.

The new EDT lacks the EDP's smoky depths. That smoldering vetiver pulls the EDP in a unisex direction. But this also comes dangerously close to a burnt smell that can be unpleasant.

The new EDT is more traditionally feminine and powdery. With brighter citrus top notes and more vanillic/benzoin basenotes, it is less interesting, but more wearable.

In terms of fragrance trends, this is an old-fashioned scent that will not appeal to everyone. Objectively gorgeous, but not necessarily how I want to smell. I would choose the EDT and EDP for very different moods. The jury is out, but I keep going back to sniff the EDP wrist....

Big, complex, rich, layered....and with loads of chiaroscuro.

I own the old version of this fragrance and I love it. This is one of the best fragrances I´ve ever had. I regret that this scent was changed (Now it doesn´t have sillage, depth etc.), because the older version is perfect. Deeply meditative composition.

I tried the EDP, and though I first thought it was sort of cloying and plastic-y, I've come to love it over the weeks :)

Now it smells like a pleasant combination of powdery flowers and a tucked-away Indian store. A very beautiful fragrance!

Viveka,what a wonderful review!
Needless to say anything else. You just put my thoughts it to words. I just discovered l'heure bleue very recently, and all I can say is WOW. it just blow my mind away. It is somehow very familiar, yet so unique. I havent ever experienced a fragrance like it before. I must have wore it in my past life, maybe in Paris of La Belle Epoque ;-)
L'heure bleue to me is definitely a scent of heaven!!

Pansylady, Thankyou so much for the suggestion of the posh peasant. I was able to procure a sample of L'huere bleue and a few others. I must say I love it.(L'huere bleue) It mixes beautifully with my chemistry. I do not get old lady, powder, or anise. What I do get is a sensous, warm , soft caress Like a velvet and silk blanket. Very beautiful,very sexy and feminine. Tammi

I'm really timide to write about L`Heure Bleue. There's no possibilty to find more chic, charming and parisian scent. It's quintessence of parisian soul with splendor of history, Versailles, beautiness. L`HB is like unvanishing allure of past world where's place for opera, theatre, dinners, Marcel Proust, romance, strolls in Palais Royal, le petit dejeuner in Deux Magots, smelling letters from lover...
Its beautiness is hard to describe. There's that 100% unique guerlain-note that I adore, smoked and intime. L`Heure Bleue gives a little touch of retro charm but it's all the time beyond flow of the time.

For me it's unquestioned Queen of Perfume World ♥.

Oh, how I love L'Heure Bleue! It's a deeply romantic and nostalgic fragrance, very old style in a good way. It's powdery for sure and ther is a strong anise note overlooking the whole scent almost until the end. I can smell carnation, heliotrope and iris.The rest of composition is a mystery for me. I cannot point out any other single note.
EdT is quite sharp at the beginning, while the Parfum is more mellow but very intense. EdT has more sillage. I don't know if I'm partial because of the imagery, but this scent is really blue like royal blue mingled with light purple and lilac.
It's truly elegant, ladylike, dreamy. Something that in my fantasy a classical musician or a ballerina could wear along with soft precious scarves and white laces or shiny black at night. Something that I could have smelled on my classical dance teacher back in years. It is a strong scent in any formulation. I can see Michelle Pfeiffer wearing this in her white lace long dress standing on the pier waiting for Daniel Day-Lewis. I can understand that it doesn't please everyone.
Many of these scents were conceived in an era when ladies had lot of time to dress finely and humankind was not trapped in city apartments and crowded offices/transport.
I might add that L'Heure Bleue has kept the original imagery through ads which have never become raw and overtly sexual like Shalimar and this is a plus in my book.

Tammi-I googled and found a great supplier of decant fragrances- the Posh Peasant- Abigail(aka Posh Peasant) has a very wide variety of fragrances in lots of different sizes/prices, and I noticed L'Heure Bleue among them- she is very prompt in responding to orders and on-line questions- I just can't praise her enough!

Where can I get a sample of l'heure blue? I really want to try this one.

I smelled this on several women in the retirement home I used to work in-they smelled beautiful...
This powdery anise floral is an old standard for a reason. I have no problems if someone tells me I smell like an old lady-I have the highest respect for ladies who've been around longer than I have-but of all of the classics I've smelled, I haven't ever recognized one as popular among women of around 70-so that was actually an "aha!" moment for me. Well, if one person tells me I smell much older, that's fine maybe, but if many do, I would maybe wear a preteen floral fruity the next time I'm around them, to throw them off.
It's already the signature of some ladies I know, who have no interest in discovering a new signature. So I will spray this on one more time when I want to think of one of my favorite residents from my first job.

It's a real classic.
Sweet, yet subtle. Eastern and light.
A romantic dream!!!

It's a real classic.
Sweet, yet subtle. Eastern and light.
A romantic dream!!!

This one smells like my grandfather’s old coins collection. It does not have a specific characteristic, it is neither sugary nor fruity, neither herby nor spicy, neither oriental nor citrus, it is just a perfect and well-balanced blend of all these together. Somehow it reminds me to Mona Lisa’s portrait, enigmatic, subtle, fascinating, mythologizing, just perfect. L'Heure Bleue is the most complex pleasant bouquet ever made by Guerlain House.

My Signature fragrance!
I had the amazing experience to have a perfume consultation with Sylvaine Delcourte. She gave me various "accords" to snif, and at the end, it was a composition like L'Heure Bleue.
And it is true, all the fragrances I most love do have ingrediënts in it that you can find back in L'Heure Bleue.

I wear it in perfume and "eau de parfum", at the same moment. It gives so a richer 'bouquet', to do it like that.

Everyone I know, loves the smell of it on me. Mostly they say I smell very pleasent, fresh, unique.

If they ask me then what it is, I tell them it is so called fragrance for woman. But I don't see it that way. A fragrance you love, you wear. Male, female, it doesn't matter. To define what is a Male or Female fragrance is so individual. Marketing tells or nose a lot how to behave. Once we are aware to tell our nose that all fragrances are possible for everyone, we do find a lot of nice suprises. Woman who wear Habit Rouge, Guerlain Homme and I, wearing L'Heure Bleue... .

This is one of the loveliest of perfumes, sprayed onto your fan in the summer then you can smell it all the time. Also pop onto some cotton wool and put into your bra, again, heavenly wafts of perfume and the warmer you get the more you can smell the perfume...an old perfume that does not have that awful synthetic smell that so many of the new perfumes have. Lanvin's Arpege and elsa Shapperelli (cannot spell) Shocking are another two delightful warm perfumes. Then finally add Patou's 1000 to the list of floral perfumes...the joy you get when you smell an old fashioned rose, freesia's and sweetpeas..is the same sensation you get when you smell any of these wonderful perfumes.

when in this perfume , i feel like walking in the golden shining grass field. some smell of citrus flowers brown by the wind .

I don't get it- I've read lots of rapturous reviews- but to me, it smells medicinal- still, it has a charming and intriguing bottle and label, and I ordered a sample so that I could plumb it's depths a little further- so I may have more to say later-

I'm not a big licorice fan but the opening has just enough anise to make it interesting. This topaz elixir definately lives up to it's reputation. Soft and sultry, smoky and mysterious. Made for special nights and getting close. It lingers on the skin just long enough to remind you of the time you spent in it's full embrace. Stunning.

I tried the edt version of this first, and was appalled. My test notes (yes, I am a geek, I take notes!) say simply, "Hell's medicine cabinet." There is an aromatic, powdery sharpness to the edt concentration that was very unpleasant to me. Scenthound's review below was spot on: "punched in the face by an old lady with money."

Then I received a sample in a swap, and although its concentration was unlabeled, it was clearly different: a deeper color, with a much less obtrusive scent in the vial. So I tried that one, and promply fell in love. L'HB is just lovely in parfum: smooth, with a balance between the coolness of anise and the warmth of tonka bean and vanilla, as well as a delicate balance of sweetness and dryness. The powder element is not overwhelming in the parfum, as it is tempered by the spicy notes of anise and carnation, and by the rich vanilla. And although orientals can sometimes be too much for summer weather, L'Heure Bleue wears beautifully in the heat, so long as it is applied delicately.

People, I will say it yet again: PARTICULARLY with older classics from Guerlain and Chanel, try the parfum before you go snarking off on the scent as being awful. It's not a guarantee, of course - Mitsouko still hates me, and Joy parfum is still all dirty panties on my skin - but you've got a much better shot of seeing what others see in a classic, if you try the stronger concentration.

My very first try of this fragrance today and immediately I'm on the Orient Express, in the bar carriage with soft piano, heady wine, good cigars and inky black countryside rushing by. I wouldn't be wearing it myself but sitting near a beautiful woman who is and it's in the drapes and the marquetery and the pleated silk of the lamp shades. Lovely and nostalgic like coiffed hair, paste diamonds and matt ruby red cupid's bow lips.

Lovely,lovely fragrance that smells softly spicy/powdery on me. Wore it years ago (in my early 20's) and am getting ready to re-kindle my romance with it. Pity the price is so much higher now...

This was my grandmother's favorite perfume. She wore it almost every day for the better part of 50 years. As a result, I always associate the scent with her, comfort, and joy-filled times. I have two empty, vintage bottles that were given to me after she died many years ago. They still carry the scent, though they've probably been completely empty for more than 20 years. To be fair, I can't speak to the scent itself in any unbiased sort of way. I can only say that I love it completely.

Despite such a strong association with my grandmother, I wouldn't describe the perfume as smelling like "old lady." I think it's a very classic scent, flowery and romantic and very French (in the best sort of way)... and yes, with a hint of high-quality face powder. An old gold and enamel compact that I have, which has probably been empty since the 1930s has a similar powdery smell to it.

Another stunning masterpiece from the house of Guerlain.
This fragrance is so beautiful it is almost indescribable. It is light and airy, yet very longlasting and tenacious. Powdery, and most definitely nostalgic. Floral yet not sickningly sweet, and very very grown up. It is a classic. Timeless and elegant, quiet and meditative.
I love this on a crisp winter day but then I would wear it anytime. A little goes a looong way. The sandalwood note really blooms on me but is tempered by the exquisite fruits and florals.
It smells like I would imagine heaven to smell, like the breath of an angel.
Heavenly.

I got this as a sample in a swap as well. It is everything everyone says about it, both good and bad. I have no idea what notes I'm smelling, but I love it. I can't stop smelling my hand. It's powdery and so very feminine. It's soft and strong all at once. It has the ability to be very offensive if used by a heavy hand. But it has the ability to be quiet and charming, if allowed. I am very surprised by this one, not what I'd expected.

I recently got to try this beautiful fragrance in a swap with a generous fellow Fragrantica member. I don't quite know how to describe this scent, but it is unforgetable. It's powerful, yet quiet. It seems to take me back in time, but it is also up-to-date. I guess melancholic would be the one word that best sums it up, as it really invokes a mood. Whether you end up liking it or not, this one is a must try. It's unusual and exquisite. It seems timeless. If it were a painting, it would be a masterpiece.

Just not my scent. Floral/Powder on me. Lots of Iris. Softer scent though.. Hopefully I won't get too much attention wearing this as I really don't like it..

I owe it, I love it but I can´t wear it.It settles lovely on my skin but I´m alerted all the time and aware of this haunting, dreamy scent.I hope that one day I´ll be wearing this perfume feeling comfortably because it deserves a woman who can wear it without any hesitation. Till then I quietly envy all you ladies who have no doubts.

I couldn't agree more with Belle de sud! I get funny looks wearing this, but that certainly won't stop me from doing so. It's slightly soapy on my skin but apart from that it's just perfect - beautifully melancholic and somehow wistful. It does conjure up a different world (in which I feel totally at home) but by no means would I call it dated. It doesn't smell like powdered old ladies covered in lipstick well past its sell-by date, it smells like history. Try this if you're ready to take a wonderful journey back in time.

Soft, slightly powdery, feminine. It does not smell of the lovely "Blue Hour" of twilight it was created for, but it is softly pretty. Dry down brings more tonka and benzoin notes and there's a delightful powdery opoponax that I love. (I do hate baby powder scents, so this is not that kind of powder.)It may appear a bit dated, as it's from 1912, but the history and enduring popularity give it a gloss of intrigue.

J'Adore! Mysterious, unusual (does provoke unkind comments from those who insist a woman must smell of flowery sweetness only) A true classic evoking the twilight and a romantic melancholy.

This is the most beautiful and longlasting fragrance I've ever had. I found L'Heure Bleue at the local shop which was unexpected as I didn't think It was available in the Swedish maket at all. The scent is sweet, little spicy, powdery, mystifying and alluring. It's a wonderful princess in a velvet dress, lost in the northern woods, mirroring herself in the deep and muddy forest lake. She's worried, thinks she's alone. But while mirroring herself she sees her true spirit comes through and she feels calm and confident.

This perfume is in perfect balance: it is floral but not too floral, it is spicy but not hot and the powdery musk, sandal and vanilla in the base is never left alone.

I think every woman should have a bottle of l'Heure Bleue for special and intimate occasions

Compared to some of the Guerlain classics, this doesn't seem as overpowering in terms of immediate attention grabbing top notes - powdery floral initially which quickly develops a note like incense, with a quite animalistic middle note (maybe Musk?) after the first few minutes. As an unsubtle teenager I was unimpressed by it for that reason.
But be warned, it quietly builds and builds until no-one in the room can smell anything else, and this effect lasts for hours, at least with the actual parfum, although the EDT may not be quite so extreme.
This might or might not be a good thing, depending on the context - I don't shy away from announcing myself in an olfactory way, but I would be very wary about wearing it to work

Strong, yet comfortable, powdery, iris is about only thing I can separate of this lovely old gem. This one gives you old movie ginda of glamour (womens in tight waisted, tailored suits, powder puffs, garterbelts, cigarette holders, arched eyebrows giving deep looks) although it was made well before movie golden times...

One of my favourites for special occasions:) Just love the sweet powdery flowers it has, makes me feel so romantic and special....

Great, magic fragrance. Somewhat powdery. On special, not necesarrily- officials, occasions. When I'am it perfumed,air become as blue well...

Great, magic fragrance. Somewhat powder. On special, not necesarrily- officials occasions. When I'am it perfumed,air become as blue well...

This fragrance is the most beautiful in the pure perfume range. Gentle and beautiful.

There must be something wrong with the plumbing in my nose because I tried this at the Guerlain counter based on Luca Turin's review in his book and I felt like I had been punched in the face by an old lady from old money. It was that overpowering. I will have to swing by the counter and give it another sniff (and this time wait for the dry down), because my first impression was: this stuff stinks to the high heavens.

Yes, this fragrance is great! Vanilla is so light, floral note are so powdery, pleasant, so radiant fragrance

It is a very fair and romantic image of blue evening ;o) Powdery, light, longlasting...