Samsara Guerlain for women

I don't know why I never purchased a bottle. Maybe because it was made in the eighties, and I don't want to smell 'dated'.
The bottle is maybe, but the fragrance is still SOOO beautiful. Everytime I smell it, it's like miracle. I LOVE it. From the beginning to the end. It's addictive, distinctive, and very special. Maybe I should just buy it, but I'm afraid, once I will have this, I never would like anything else... It's on my wanted list definately!!!

Creamy white floral. Jasmine and ylang ylang power duo here with one of the best smelling woody note, sandlawood. Iris, vanilla and tonka are quite noticeable too. This perfume has one focus theme; creamy white flowers. I find jasmine a bit too much in the beginning, but it softens and blends shortly within 10 minutes; the fragrance becomes fresher with time, very clean.
Close to the skin and can be worn anytime; my skin soaks it in and it is a very soft scent for the duration of 3-4 hours. Even then I get pleasant whiffs of it when spraying it on my clothes ( I find it stays on longer that way).

i loveee!!!!woody cream!

Samsara was my first anosmic buy. When my SO and I ordered our xmas scents in 2011.

I was just getting into frags, first realizing none of what the fashion shops carry these days is to my taste (and I am note into fancy labels, but rather the shockingly different). I had some advice on BaseNotes, since I had never smelled Samsara before.

I waited impatiently until it came.... and.... Love at first sniff. I retired my Chanel for this as my special-occasion frag... This is by far the best perfume I have ever encountered (so far, now I got Tabu and love it too), it is a dark, soft, sensual, powdery jasmine.

This is love forever.

I have already reviewed it, but my favorite perfume needs at least 2 reviews!

Samsara... probably the best perfume I've ever smelled. And I'm a guy. Yes, I can wear it proudly, and I'm noticed every time I wear it.

This is the fragrance that I associte with mysterious nights in Arabia, in the desert, with some odaliscas, this perfume brings me all those images to my head. It is so suggestive!

It is so magical, mythical, mysterious, sensual, intriguing, enigmatic, spiritual... just wonderful.

The first time I smelled it, I just couldn't believe in such perfection in a bottle.

It has strong sandalwood, but it is a very well made one.

This is the perfume for all the persons who want to feel both powerful, strong, confident, and dominant on the place you are, but calm and relaxed.

I also recommend to wear it in your house, alone, because this has many spiritual effects (caused by the sandalwood), and makes you feel in contact with your mind.

To the persons that never smelled it, I only can say, test it on your skin, and your idea of perfumery will change completely.

Samsara is to me THE MASTEPIECE

the truth is that now working very vell with me and its spring soo streange!!i love its so feminine so good soo sweet and varmt absolut love this scent sooo sandelwood in the fresh way wouuuuw

This perfume is on market so many years and I find myself trying it just recently. I don't even know why I always avoid it this one and never try it before. Somehow I thought that this would be very strong, old lady type of scent. And I must say how wrong I was! When I tested it recently on my wrist, I just knew that I find my next perfume, which I will buy. I think that it will be my next signature scent for next fall and winter. I loved it!

I liked the initial rush of fresh jasmine, but this settles to a powdery, vanilla scent which isn't for me.

Similar to Paloma Picasso, a sandalwood-dominated and powdery scent.
Samsara works a little Guerlain magic, and conjures up a sort of plush-red operatic opulence, but the whole thing is pharmaceutical. Perfumes like this need pure ingredients.
That said, lovers of sandalwood will go far to find anything as charming and as lasting, in this price range.

Beautiful perfume of it's time but its so recognizable now and I guess that every woman on the planet has owned a bottle at one time or another.
Need I say more?

Does not suit well for Day use!! Reminds me of an early 90's cocktail hour lounge after midnight.

Samsara gets off to a wonderful start. It is so "autumn". Warm and golden and filled with ripe, luscious citrus and the best cinnamon of any perfume. The ending is a killer: Mysore sandalwood. I believe the stories that Guerlain owns it's own Mysore sandalwood plantation. No other house has such divine sandalwood. The opening and drydown make Samsara one of the most seductive of perfumes. But what happened to the middle?! It smells like a cheap, celebrity stink from Coty: bland flowers, too much vanilla, nauseatingly sweet. It smells synthetic. A true disappointment.

I tried the edt and it didn't work at all on me. I gave it about 3 hours before I scrubbed it, too. Nothing creamy on me at all. I'm sad because I thought I would like it- it has my favorite notes but somehow doesn't come to life on my skin. Wah!
Also, the people who compare Samsara to Bois des Iles or Tuscany per Donna- I have no clue what they're talking about. Totally different scents to my nose.

l like the opening and the dry-down but there seems to be a plastic like scent in the middle.. Just like the smell of some baby dolls... Why is that??

Класика и красота!Топлота и красота!Истинска женственост!Съчетанието на жасмин и сантал е великолепието на този парфюм!Иланг-иланг му дава сладост,а ирисът-загадъчност.

Its so classic and sexy...for me this is what a femme fatale should wear.

I finally broke down and obtained a sample of the EDP as none of the major department stores who claim to carry Guerlain, carry Samsara.

Is it such a relic and reminder of excess that they don't even have 1 tester hanging around? Or maybe they're too busy trying to make the current EDT with the empasis on Eau (eew!) seem attractive. But I digress...

I like the current version of Samsara. It's not the loud thundering bullhorn of a scent I expected but it's no "Eau" either.

The top is a little disfunctional before it lays down in it's flower bed. (similar to Trouble but the lemon's not as pushy). And the sandalwood is definately not real but it still has a passable creamy woodiness that'a a far cry from a coconut confection.

The transitions are a little jittery, reminding me of a DVD when it glitches but overall I am willing to forgive it's flaws and enjoy the good bits.

Very warm and sexy fragrance. I wore it every day and ran out.

I'm not going to say this perfume is bad but in comparison with the bottle a schoolfriend's mother used to have 20 years ago mmm The dry down is not as good.. that milky and incensy smell is gone. Now it's more like vanilla and almonds. The floral part is very nice but the end is a no no for me.

Aaaaaah, how good this feels being able to smell again after 10 days of flu and being anosmic and totally free of taste! Let me celebrate this with my review of Samsara EDP.

Big, exotic perfumes were popular. Yves Saint Laurent Opium raced to the top of the charts in 1977, and Chanel Coco followed in 1984. Opium claimed the red-lacquered world of the Orient, and Coco snapped up Marco Polo’s Venice. Guerlain decided to focus on India.

Samsara has a top note of bergamot; heart notes of Indian jasmine, narcissus, rose, and ylang ylang; and a base of sandalwood, iris, tonka bean, and vanilla. Unlike Opium and Coco, it isn’t spicy or resinous. Instead, it is warm and creamy, sweet and clean. Samsara’s pairing of sandalwood (as much as 30%, Edwards writes) and jasmine smells so obvious, you have to wonder why it hadn’t been done before. The almost syrupy sensuality of sandalwood can be cloying on its own. Similarly, jasmine can be sharp and demanding. In Samsara, sandalwood softens jasmine, while the jasmine gives the sandalwood light and movement. Ylang ylang adds to the floral creaminess, and a touch of vanilla and tonka remind you Samsara is, after all, a Guerlain. Samsara is often — undeservedly, in my opinion — tarred with the same brush as some 1980s bombastic perfumes. Samsara is distinctive, true. Like Guerlain Shalimar or Chanel No. 5, you know it when you smell it.

For EDT: Samsara has a soothing and hypnotizing effect thanks to a megadose of Mysore sandalwood it contains. Guerlain by the way used to have its own sandalwood plantains in India, to be used for Samsara only. I don't know if that's still the case, but I hope it is!
People's -I dunno why but in my experience especially women's- reaction to this perfume is quite positive.

At first ylang-ylang, now sandalwood, amber and roses... two hours after applying. This is a soft scent to me and can go day or night. I could wear this for all four seasons, another sensuous experience.

I wore this earlier this week and my sheets still smell of it... I am not complaining, my friends in fact not lingering is one of my complaints about the new fragrances. So I'm wearing Samsara again today to lunch with a friend.

It's never cold enough in Florida to get away with this. It is pretty, but far too intense in it's spiciness.

This one Is very warm and Unique.
My first sniff of this one was questionable but after continually smelling Samsara,I knew why a lot of people liked it.
Very Sophisticated Indeed..
I detected a lot of Jasmine actually but the blend used in this scent blended well together to make a warm mystical smell....Nice!!:)

Sensual & sophisitcated in a bottle ! my mom always used it !

warm , creamy, sweet,classy,a jewel
i wear everyday in any season.

Wrapped up at home, researching fragrances for a close friend's birthday.
I'm wearing Samsara body lotion, in order to channel her tastes rather than my own. She wore Obsession when we were at school together and this is the closest I can manage from my own stable...

Usually far sweeter than I like but, in this form and on a Northern winter day, it is comforting me in lieu of a mug of hot chocolate.

One thing for sure is that Samsara is one of those perfumes you will easily recorgnise or is it memorable by its scent!, thats the down side for me. Am not good with notes but i know when a perfume leaves a stamp on me, the thumbs up of it. As a kid, i loved this perfumed when my mom's sis wore it. One day a friend of mine asked me what my fav perfume was and i told her this was it...well it seemed too vintage from her remark. Then she bought be a fragrance gift one day and suprisingly i think its among my collection of fav perfumes, maybe it could be my signature fragrance one day...we'll see. But hey, i do purchase it and wear it and i think i like it, thought i think it is too strong for me atimes.
Guess what I got to appreciate this scent more in the evenings and wow perfect between the sheets, this is my night time scent and coincedently it's voted for evenings

I felt sick when i tested it in the perfumery! I don't like it at all, is to sweet and to creamy for me! I love/like Shalimar, Shalimar Initial, Joop Femme, Youth Dew, but this one is not for me at all.

Samsara (EDP) is an absolute masterpiece. If Guerlain was seeking to capture the beauty and mystique of the dance of the seven veils inside of a bottle, I would say that they've achieved just that. This is sensuality in an art form, and it waves and dances around you, inviting you to come closer to its beauty. The sandalwood and vanilla create a heavenly blend; the florals are soft and elegant; and the musk adds a warm sexiness. Just as many petals share in being a rose, so the notes of Samsara come together in beauty, harmony, and balance. I could swear this fragrance, in all of its smooth, creamy softness, is mood-altering. It is, as others have said, as if I'm not "wearing" anything, but I am reminded by its gentle, intoxicating waft that it's there. It is unbelievably mellow and exotic, sensual and feminine. I am either being hypnotized by this fragrance, or I'm actually falling in love. All I can keep saying is, "mmmmmmmmmm". Years ago, I used the EDT version, which is also lovely, but this is an entirely different experience. It's very "intimate" yet distinct and alluring. This could easily become my signature scent, which I would have no problem wearing year-round.

Unfortunately, I realized that i must wait at least another 20 years to i juse this beauthiful frag its just too much now i feel like itss complicated but no not now!!!

I have bought today EDT. One of the most beautiful perfume. I always was afraid even to try this perfume as thought that it will be very strong and suffocating. But this perfume is magnificent. Love it.

most beautiful woody fragrance ever, the most I like is sandelwood,i love the smell of sandelwood and rose togather become creamy expensive smell with hint of yasmin iris and violet !LOng lasting sexy sophisticated frag for confident woman who is elgant and mystical!!!10/10

"The other one he loved like a slave,
like a crazed and like a beggar.
Why? Ask the dust on the road
and the falling leaves,
ask the mysterious God of life;
for no one knows such things.

She gave him nothing, no nothing did
she give him and yet he thanked her.
She said: Give me your peace and your reason!
And he was only sorry she did not ask for his life."

This poem describes to me the spirit of Samsara.

Its an evening parfum

Rich, seductive, gold, dark,warm,strong,french moulin rouge boudoir style.

It smells wonderfull like being a bee that is seduced by a flower full of honey and he is just drawn in to it ... like its hypnotic.

Its is for the mature experienced women in my opinion.
Use with a light hand because this scent is very strong!

i am 29 years old and i adore this EDP veeeery much fantastic winter signature, loooooooong lasting
never feel enough of sniffing your self

Wow! I see that Samsara has constant new reviews! For it's a perfume that doesn't leave people indifferent, in a good or in a bad way!
It's been a staple of mine for ages and it still is some way... I now find it too strong for my purposes and also re-formulation didn't help :-(
I much prefer EdP over EdT because on my skin chemistry (fair, dry, cold skin) it smells more creamy and less green-harsh that EdT. AS for all Guerlains different version can give different results, so you'd better test on your skin and allow some time to the scent to develop on yourself.
First 30 minutes of Samsara are not that nice on me... After that time it is to die for, sweet and woody.
In any case this is a classic of perfumery and giving it a try could be worthy, if nothing else, as a reference if you happen not to like it.
Yes, it is a weapon :-)

Want to be covered in a mystery?
Wear Samsara!

This review is for the EdP. The EdT smells smoother, much more wearable, not exactly the same fragrance, quite different. I find it hard to believe that anyone does actually think it (the EdP) smells good, but I did get complimented on it.I do not like the smell, but I do respect the fragrance. For me it is like a weapon, merciless and anihilating. When once a woman stteped on the bus wearing this perfume, I had the temptation to roll on the floor in total defensive surrender, like asking for mercy and having my life spared.It sort of revolts me, like a chemical, the simple thought of it makes my gums contract. Nevertheless, I find it a very good perfume.It is the mixture of sandalawood, amber and jasmine what makes it. I think that 30% of it is sandalwood. Guerlain claims it took him 11 years to create it, but if you mix up those three notes, you get more or less the effect I appreciate in it, not considering now the lethal power, which, as I said, I also respect. The spectacular thing about this perfume is that it hits you like an S, a wave, like a whip, it comes and goes, but I think that is because of the sandalwood, which plays tricks on one's nose, now it is there, and then it is not, quite fidgety. That effect is absolutely marvelous, and there is really something about this perfume (the EdP) that I find overwhelming, it reduces one to nothing, in a glorious way. Having said that, nice I do not find it. It seems that it is no longer much appreciated these days, because I do not see the EdP being sold anylonger in perfune shops and that does not surprise me. The Edt is nicer, but does not have the character and the features I am referring to.
I also like the name, it was a very nice idea. Samsara is, in budhism, the way of sensual pleasure to nirvana. Lovely.

I have tried both the EDP and the EDT, and I found the EDP very sharp and green compared to the creaminess of the EDT.
The EDT is creamy, exotic, oriental and sensuous.
Samsara is one of the first perfumes that I recognised. A work friend used to wear it years ago (though not at work) and I would go into our locker room and get a whiff of this amazing scent from her scarf which would be hanging by the door. I would go in there just to inhale Samsara. There is no mistaking Samsara, nothing else smells like it. Its a wonderful one-off.
I don't wear Samsara for work as I am in and out of other peoples homes all day and I'm concerned it may be a bit strong, the sillage is amazing. I wear it for days out with friends or family, evenings out and even for a day at home alone doing errands and chores. Its fantastic company!
Everytime I wear Samsara in the company of others I get at least one compliment, from men and women.
It also lasts well on cats!!! I was carrying my cat around one day when I was wearing this (he's a bit of a baby and likes to be carried everywhere if he can get away with it!) and for days afterwards I could smell Samsara when he sat on my lap or lay beside me.

This scent covers like a warm woolen luxury blanket. In a good way. It is hot smmer where I am at the moment-so not on my wish list for a while still.

A mature scent which is intimate and saves its best until the end..

I applied 6 heavy sprays of the EDP

0 - 1 .5 Hours - 1 foot projection. This is a classic mature scent which is heavy and damp, but not sour or harsh. It is classic 80's. Not too my personal taste; very dated and long gone for me

1.5 hours - 4 hours - 3-4 inch projection. Linear from above. I was expecting thunderous projection, instead this is very intimate

4 - 9 hours. No projection. Scent starts to become more softer and eventually turns gentile, appealing and sensous with an ever-so creamy texture which is lovely and the best bit by a million miles - a transformation to a more between the bed sheets romantic interlude..

I will remember this by the beautiful drydown

Another lovely strong frag from the 80s, reminds me a little bit of Red Door, but R.D is stronger

I was out the other day and came across a bottle of Samsara EDT for a good price, and so I picked it up on a whim. I can remember my best friend’s mom wearing this when I was a kid, and while I loved the way the bottle looked on her vanity, I hated the smell. On top of that, I’m a blonde, and I’ve heard a lot about Samsara being a “brunette” scent. So, you can imagine my surprise when I realized…. I *love* this stuff. Not sort of like, not like a lot but not love…. No, I actually LOVE this stuff.

The top notes are a little dated, sure, but as others have mentioned, it’s what happens after the opening that’s important. It’s pure sandalwood-vanilla-spice magic. Simultaneously sweet and spicy, Samsara is exotic, dark, and intoxicating, but oddly inviting and wearable, even for a stereotypical “All-American” blonde like myself. The longevity is impressive, especially for an EDT, and the sillage is moderate, which is just how I like it.

I often tell people that I love perfume because of the way different fragrances can bring out different sides to my personality. Well, Samsara brings out my inner brunette, in the way that it makes me feel sultry, sexy, even mysterious and exotic. I imagine it on the kind of woman who walks into an upscale bar alone, and sits in the corner with a cigar and a dry martini. Every man in the place wants to be with her, and every woman wants to be her, but she’s far too classy to be aware of her allure.

In some local shops, it is now sold as "Samsara Renais"
I don't know what it is, is it being renewed/reformulated?
Or is it a new edition like Shalimar Initial?

I smell the sandal in the top note, it is mentioned in the base note,is it normal? vanilla comes after 10 to 15 minutes, mine is edt, but the bottle looks from 90's I guess. I think sandal makes it different from other Guirlain's perfume, but the vanill that comes after somtime is so Guirlain, I agree with who called it Arabic, Oriental or simply Eastern, but to finde it spiritual you should have smelled it in a Temble or a Mosque,or during a meditation or a prayer

The longest drydown of any perfume I've ever tried!! Meaning, it takes a very long while to get to where it's going, maybe 30-60 minutes on some days. But boy, oh boy, once it gets there, what a payoff!! Because it's pure magic!!!

True, those top notes are SO sharp and, dare I say, old-fashioned compared to more modern perfumes. The top notes even make me think of old-school type hairspray sometimes (not the more or less aromatherapeutic scented hairspray they make these days), and if that's all Samsara had to offer, I would not wear it. BUT, that is of course NOT all Samsara has to offer!!

The drydown takes me on a journey like no other, like the most beautiful symphony in a world full of 3-chord one-hit wonders or a 7-course gourmet meal in a world full of Big Macs.

An olfactory treasure chest of perfectly balanced wood, spice, vanilla, fruit, flowers, etc. A perfume for the ages that will pass the test of time, generation after generation.

I used to love this scent. Smells like incense. Then I got tired of it (the perfume, and the smell of incense too.)

Sensual, warm, spicy, just gorgeous

I agree with boruvka44
"breast-fed baby's breath smells" like-
like a butter milk :) it is warm and creamy.
think it is so strange that people describe it as "edgy" and "dark" and "spicy" - my nose does not detect that,
It is so soft, not at all too strong in my opinion.
It is absolutely exotic and very very romantic fragrance.
I tried EDT
for oriental-loving brunettes who wish to acquire an air of the exotic..

Samsara EDT:
A strong and dry sandalwood came first; then about 15 minutes later, amber, tonka bean, and jasmine came out and woody scent faded. I would say it was kind of masculine and aggressive in the first 10 minutes, but it became lovely afterwards. Right now, after 20-25 minutes, my skin projects a very nice amber scent and almost no sandalwood at all. It's great for Autumn and Winter. Definitely not a Summer scent.
I like it.

This review is for the EDT:

I purchased it blind this week, once again based in the reviews.. I tought I was going to love it.. WRONG!! This is the worst perfume I ever owned.. This was a big mistake buy this blind(I really have to stop doing this!)and it is better not to speak of the price,This is the kind of fume that nobody should buy without test OMG!! This is going directly for the perfume exchange forum.. Btw the top note is talcum powder.. Sorry for all the fans, but we all have the right to review no matter if it´s good or bad, with all due respect, of course..

Modern Parfum review
This is another scent that is so widely available and popular that there's no use describing it; folks can go see for themselves. I'll just share my experience.

I'm trying the parfum strength. I know this wants to be a warm woody, but on my skin that ain't gonna happen. I get a big ol' helping of jasmine, framed by some citrus and sprinkled by something not so smooth. I don't get much sandalwood, or anything else that suggests a woody base lies beneath.

I put this on before going out for the evening, and honestly, it didn't last more than 2 hours. So I'm trying it again today, and this is when I can better detect the heavy white floral hand.

So alright, not my favorite Guerlain, but this is OK since I have so many others that are.

Oh so long since I've had a bottle of Samsara (about 12 years). I think I went through about 5 huge bottles of this in a couple of years (many years ago). Deeply devine, this has to be one of the most popular fragrances of all time. So luxurious, indulgent, succulent and sensuous. When I smell it, I almost feel a weird sense of completion in my life. Strange, mysterious and just so classic! It's magic in a bottle! There is something dark and about Samsara that I love as well, dark and brooding. It has two sides to it's personality...

Samsara (in Edt) is one of my favourite fragrance.
The start is green and crisp, It explodes from the start, it shows the exotics colors and the evolution is wonderful.

Samsara is for me the incarnation of classy and luxury ♥

The concentrations are differents.
Edt is very dry and airy, deep-heat and at the same time distant-cold, it's a paradoxe but it's the nature of Samsara: complex, mysterious, multi-faceted... The dominants notes are jasmine, orris, iris and vanilla in this edt version. The long lasting is very good, it during many hours...

The Edp is not dry airy, not distant as edt, it is more deep, sexy, oily and sharp and the dominants notes in it are rose, ylang, santal and tonkabean. It is beautiful too but not my type, I think it's better for sexy womens...

Another fragrance of the week, another review...
First, I have to be frank; I am biased towards Guerlain fragrances; I've neven encountered one that I haven't at least respected (most of them I've loved). Samsara is no exception. It is sweeter that I would expect; the jasmine/rose/ylang accord is pretty prominent, but the sandalwood adds another, more exotic dimension. I also get some vanilla from this; not as strongly as Armani Code or Addict, but it is definitely there.
What I don't get is its sillage monster reputation. The EDT is definitely a skin scent, pleasant, warm, intimate...not blastingly extroverted (maybe that's the reformulation, but I can't comment on that...I don't know what it used to be like. I really like this, though. It does seem to have density, a multidimensionality that great fragrances all seem to have, and texture, too--a cashmere-like, caressing richness. It's lovely.
One more thing...there is a Clive Christian fragrance that is allegedly the world's most expensive perfume (is it No. 1? I can't remember...) I tried it at the SF Saks Fifth Avenue; a bargain, the sales rep said, only $300/ 1 oz. bottle. I thanked her, walked away, sniffed my arm...and it smelled EXACTLY like Samsara (39.99 for 1oz. EDT at Perfumania). It could just be my body chemistry, but if you're in love with a perfume that would bankrupt you, try my alternative...it's worth a sniff!

The only formulation I've ever smelled is for the older version, and it is beautiful! I may have to try the newer version just to see how generous I can be with spritzing; I'd hate to use all mine up and have to sell my firstborn to secure another vintage bottle! For those who have an aversion to it, another choice may be Tuscany per Donna by Estee Lauder. This fragrance has similar notes but imo doesn't pack quite as much of a wallop.

The most fantastic perfume I have ever smelled for women! It's like, OMG, what do you smell?!!! I love it, it reminds me of the Arabian culture and the deserts, it has a wonderful smell, it is strong indeed, but this is just amazing! No words to describe it!! I reccomend this to everyone who wants to cause a great impact on people!

A ghost of what it used to be! EDT. I have a friend who wears this exclusively. I recently came upon a new EDT bottle but the perfume doesn't smell like anything I remembered it to be. Upon first spray all I can smell is orris, immediately thought of No.5 and Arpege. The staying power was also weak on me. I sprayed it at 1:30 pm. then my sister came to visit me at 3:30 in the afternoon, she is into perfumes just as much as I am. I didn't mention to her what I was wearing and she didn't comment on smelling my perfume. At the beginning the scent is easily perceptible but as time goes on it just fades to a skin scent. My skin just eats up perfume so this is not something new to me. I was a bit disappointed with this as it doesn't smell like the Samsara that I remembered from years ago. I will test again and will spray clothes instead to see if it last a bit longer!

Jtd, you said it all. A sad story of how a magical, soft yet intense, absolutely balanced romantic perfume can be transformed in butterscotch vomit and a rancid-gourmand!
That's it, exactly.
Istill like Samsara. After the first 30 minutes it's not so bad and carries a memory of what it used to be, especially EdP, but I still remember what Samsara was even in EdT.
Never before re-formulation I could smell that nauseating initial rancid punch.
And it was sooooo much cheaper!
I have a small bottle of vintage EdP in the transparent bottle and it smells so sweet and creamy sandalwood. It's almost gone :-( I won't track vintage bottles around the world, not my way.
Samsara will be a part of my past and memories.

Perfumery lore has it that Samsara contained 30% sandalwood oil when launched. It’s also part of perfumery’s body of common knowledge that Samsara’s sandalwood is long gone. Apparently early iterations of Samsara used this botanical sandalwood as well as botanical jasmine and had a wonderful vanilla note. There was certainly more to the composition than that, but these 3 elements defined Samsara’s shape.

Sandalwood has effectively been removed from the perfumer’s palette, and in Samsara’s case, it’s been replaced by polysantol (more from perfumery lore), a powerful synthetic. Perhaps a lush, botanically derived jasmine might have been overmatched by the polysantol, but it appears that a jasmine-analogue of equal volume and shrillness to the synthetic sandalwood is employed as well. I imagine the vanilla in the early Samsara versions would have complemented the creamy tartness of true sandalwood. In the current Samsara the shriek of the polysantol combined with the vanilla gives us a new, sick-making gourmand note: butterscotch vomit.

Samsara is for me what Secretions Magnifiques is to its detractors.

When powerful aromachemicals are used in largely synthetic perfumes, imbalanced accords and compositions carry greater risks. For better or for worse, when aromachemicals are particularly strong, their effects are a leveraged increase in punch, sillage, durability. If the accords made with these strong chemicals are imbalanced (read: unappealing) the negatives will be leveraged as well. Whereas a haphazard mix of botanicals will likely read as muddy, Samsara’s polysantol-based composition is both horrifying in its gear-grinding volume and nauseating. Samsara creates a perfume sub-genre: the rancid gourmand.

Don't be put off by the fact it's an 80's fragrance, it has not really dated at all. It's a beautiful floriental, proabbly more of a night fragrance as it is quite strong. I have worn this since I was 18 and still love it so that's saying something.

I wish Samsara had more sandalwood in it, but all I can smell is a big rose note. Rose all the way with a hint of sandalwood in the background.

Maybe the vintage stuff is better.

I wore this recently and got a compliment within 5 mins of getting to work. Beautiful and sophisticated! Definately worth getting!!

What an interesting fragrance. I tried it today for the first time - after much curiosity - and wrote it off right away. I found it to be weird and overpowering. Like Shalimar, I was WRONG. The dry down is GORGEOUS! It is so floral and so fresh and pretty. I will definitely be looking in to this one. Love love love!

Today I tried Samsara after many years. I had Samsara in the early ninetes and love it. But I had a huge shock when I smell this today, there is nothing left of the beautiful perfume that I remember, I don't understand how Guerlain could do something so horrible to that magic perfume that I knew. Very sad.

I blindly bought 5ml of pure perfume. GOD! how delightful it is! Divine, soft, mysterious and intimate. So clean, lightly naturally sweet. I was expecting something heavy, retro, biting sharp, old fashioned etc. It is absolutely timeless. I can imagine it on Cleopatra as well as on MM, or even myself:)
It's like walking through indian bazaar, smelling the light mix of freshly baked sweets with nuts, all kinds of spices, genuine leather goods, aromatic oils, warm dust, fresh flowers, all drown in evening sun.
I dislike jasmin, that makes perfumes cold. Samsara is skin warm and sweet though, true pleasure to smell it on my skin, although the jasmin smells kind of indolic. The sandal wood is in a raw form here, pretty sensuous with the musk. Yland makes it round and typical rubbery, but it's not very loud. I'm not getting much vanilla, more tonka bean and orris, that makes it blurred soapy, but very mild kind of soap, the scent is totaly round, it has no sharp edges (except the citruses in the top, but those are gone in couple minutes)
Who ever smelled breast-fed baby's breath knows, that their breath smells very nice, like a butter cookie:) I smell something babyish in Samsara too, among sandal wood and jasmin. Can't stop sniffing my wrist. It makes my head spin with delight:) I lightly spritzed the pure perfume and it's not overepowering at all. I don't think it's only night time scent for special occasions. It's a smell of woman - clean sweet animal :) The animalic strenght of raw sandal wood works with body chemistry a lot. I can't wear Samsara for a couple days of month...

I believe "Samsara" deserves a more contemporary bottle, I don't see why it shouldn't merit an equally bright luck to the mythic "Chanel No 5", which of course enjoys an "always modern" look.
It is a fantastic, incense like perfume, very balanced and relatively easy going, made for women in their thirties onwards. :)
It creates a statement of class, character, comfort, sophistication and of life experience!
Why perfumes like this don't come out anymore is a good question. I hope it's not that they get cut in the preproduction stage for some silly reason about modernism or minimalism.
There is another reason why I mentioned No 5 before.
"Samsara" when really dries down, smells a lot like it.

Imagine this as the "Shalimar" for the younger.
Great work and a somehow addictive smell!

Fantastic fragance . It grows on you over time after being on your skin for a while. Very heat reactive , which makes it perfect to wear during the summer. Excelent silage. I would highly recommend to others.

I LOVE THIS STUFF! Smelled it today for the first time ever. I thought this was going to be another 80's bomb or another foul Shalimar knock off but god no, this is heaven. It's totally my style: heavy oriental and woody. They only had the 100ml bottle, I didn't want that so now i'm on the search for a 50ml or perhaps 30ml one to add to the collection. Really ladies, this is a classic wonderful perfume. So sexy and wintery. I'm addicted.

Update: I bought a 30ml EDP today and it's pure heaven. An AMAZING perfume, will probably beat my nr one fragrance. I wear this when I want to feel warm, cosy and oriental!

This is for the EDT.

This gets grouped in with big, heady, spicy 80's fragrances and I can't figure out why (except for the fact that it came out in '89.)

This perfume on me is more woody on top, and then the woods uncover the flowers underneath. The flowers are liquidy smooth, like wet glass. The woods come out again toward the bottom, along with some vanilla. The whole thing just has an unruffled, quiet smoothness that I really like.

Perhaps the top notes have some projection--they're supposed to--but this quickly wears like a skin scent, it is not loud or obnoxious at all. Actually I find it quite classy.

OMG...SAMSARA is divine,this scent make me feel the sandalwood is burning in the oriental temples.Such a exotic mystery!

In 1988, Guerlain launched it first major promotion for a perfume ever. It was the pinnacle of the house, and brought international attention to the somewhat obscure house with a vast history already behind it. This attention would lead to the unintentional end of the dynasty.

Guerlain was famous for complex and exotic formulas starting with Jicky in 1888. Everyone knows Shalimar and for decades it was a perennial best seller. Samsara was Shalimar in red for me. Its Indo-Tibetan influence allures and enchants. Being a Westerner who practices Tibetan Buddhism, this is an utimate olfactory experience. Rather than burning incenses, you can wear this and get the same effect! The bottle cap is the Buddhas eye. I use at as a shrine offering.

Sandalwood in the original formula was unmatched. It plays tricks on your nose. One drop and I swear I can detect it for days. In fact, its projection can fill an office space or classroom. Like many reviews below, it gets stronger the longer you wear it. As far as the other notes-peach,jasmin, narcissus and vanilla peek through. There was so much sandalwood, however...

Alas, instead of securing Guerlains future, Samsara was a "chime at midnight". It sales were through the roof and LVMH purchased the company to help distribution. There was some sort of restriction on Indian sandalwood. It was toned down to a whisper, leaving its original reputation to live in legend. There are some limited supplies left, mostly minis.

One wiff of this masterwork brings you closer to enlightenment indeed.

Boooom! This is my olfactory blowing up!
This absolute classy oriental jewel shot me to ten years ago; the days this kind of perfumes were on throne! Yet after about ten years, Samsara is still shining and keeps the place. It's exact meaning of Oriental.
It's deep, wild, mystic, overwhelming and charismatic.
If I write brief is because I don't know how to say more. This is just a masterpiece which sillage is jaw drawing and abnormally strong.

Yes greydove said it! I had (still have some) of this in the vintage version from way back- I liked it when it first came out- but soon tired of it and later learned how sandalwood is supposed to smell. Horrible fake sandalwood- any one who knows the smell of decent quality sandalwood- let alone good Mysore sandalwood oil, knows this is junk. Yep, not Asia in here, which is to say- not what it's cracked up to be.

Yes yes YES... This is what i dreamt and wished that Joy would have been. Thick sweet jasmine and roses with some sandalwood in the base. Simply beautiful. To you all trying it out, go for the edp before judgeing it.

I have a tiny 2 ml micro-mini perfume that is the smoothest thing I've ever smelt, but this blast from my friends EdP with sprayer really made the jasmine shine throght in all its beauty. This is the best jasmine I ever smelt. Not raw and cold but instead thick, warm and vibrant.

I tried a mini of "vintage EDP". The thing that really bothers me about it, is the use of aldehydes combined with poor quality sandalwood. It yields a fragrance that just falls flat and two dimensional, lacking personality. Plus, the aldehydes scream France instead of Asia. Good quality sandalwood is transcendent. I continue the search for a true "sandalwood" perfume. Very few seem to live up to the potential of this ingredient.

I am by Habanita with this. It is extremely sweet, heavy really oriental woody for me, present in every second you wear it. If somebody wear it, I always detect it. Lot of true sandalwood and vanilla in it. Something for a tall, corpulent, black haired woman. I used a half of the 100 ml EdP bottle and then passed it to my mother and actually did not hear about it anymore from her - her´s diplomatically way to say no to this scent.

Samsara is my HG fragrance. I've gotten a sample when it first came out and was thinking OMG, what a beautiful rich scent. Mind you, at the time I was in high school so many people probably don't think of it as a scent suitable for teenage girls. However, my mom always wore spicy headier perfumes like Climat and J'ai Ose so I love heavier scents as well. For the next 6 years I wore nothing else. After that I started venturing out into various other perfumes but Samsara is the only scent that I willl always have in my collection and repurchase again and again. To my nose it smells like rich vanilla mixed with incense and amber.Dry down is warm and slightly powdery. Do not think however it smells like Cashmere Mist which IMO smell like powder and nothing else. Samsara is vanilla and amber scent, only on the drydown it smells a little powdery. Lasting power is very good-1 spritz lasts 3-4 hours with edt. Mind you, edt and edp are quite different and to truly experience the beauty of Samsara, you must try edp or pure perfum.
Not great in the summer, unfortunately where I live weather is relatively warm all year around. I usually wear it in the winter when the temperature drops to 65-70. If you want a sexy fragrance this is the one. Most of my friends associate this perfume with me and I always get "oh, I smelled some woman today and it was that perfume that you wear". I'll never get tired of it. I've gotten lots of compliments on it, mostly from men. Last time I was wearing it, a client asked me what perfume I was wearing and that it smelled really good..
The price has gone way up ove the years-1.7 oz of edp cost $80 at Nordstrom! I usually buy it online for at least half that price.
Word of caution-I expected to like Un Air de Samsara which is supposed to be a lighter version of Samsara but Un Air is seriously vile!
Lemon is supposed to be one of the additional notes in this fragrance and it made it into really musty grandma like perfume. Awful! Talk about ruining a fragrance...

On me, Samsara is a blend of green notes, powder, sandalwood, vanilla and musk. Rose and lemon add a hint of sweetness, but this is not a sweet scent. It's a warm, woody scent - intoxicating. I find that Samsara works on different levels. Spray once, and it's appropriate in the office when you just want to smell nice up close but not overpowering. Spray a little more, and now you are an exotic temptress ready for a night on the town and more.

Samsara packs a punch upon first spray. But don't judge it by this. On dry down, the warm scents of sandalwood, vanilla, amber and musk will wrap you in a velvet aura. Overall, this is destined to be a classic scent. Samsara is very deep, very warm, very French, very Guerlain.

My husband loves this. It has quite an effect on him. Put it this way, I don't wear this if I've got a headache!

My Birthday present... I was not sure what to expect at all as I never tried it before
after first spray I was not impressed, it smelled "old"... luckily it changed quickly.... and I can smell lemon and roses.... an then it becomes sweet but not overpowering.
Samsara is elegant, sensual and lovele
will buy it in the future

I don't know how anyone could dislike Samsara and find it overpowering. Obviously, you know instantly when someone around you is wearing it and it remains very popular but I see that as a good thing. When ever I smell it on someone when out shopping I stop in my tracks and take a big sniff like a dog smelling bacon. Mmm, lovely.

I bought it today after reading al the revieuws. I was a bit disappointend, because the green notes are dominant on my skin. Other revieuwers write about sweet notes but unfortunately not on my skin. I still like this scent but I wish it was sweeter on my skin.

Bought a sampler of the pure parfum and love it. Smells strikingly similar to caswell-massey's casma. The only difference i can tell is that casma is slightly more vanilla dominated and the oriental part slightly less complex. But who said simplicity was ever a bad thing?! To a very undiscerning nose casma would do and would save you a bit, but decide for yourselves!

Fraganticans!!!! You're all awesome... Another blind buy, and NO REGRETS!!!

SEXY and FABOLOUS is how I feel wearing this masterpiece!!!

Desert wind, white sand, silk dress touches skin, deep, rich and sexy smell for mysterious and strong woman. It touches your inside and lighten it up. Samsara dress you into sofistication.
Samsara is raindrop on skin in the midddle of summer. Samsara is poeme, Samsara is rhapsody, Samsara is PERFUME

Very, verrrry sexy. Monied sexy. Sweet, deep and rich. Very comforting and risque at the same time. Lasts forever.

The beginning reminded me a little of Habanita. But all in all I found Samsara too strong and sweet for me. It's a nice oriental but it's too overwhelming for me. The drydown on me didn't convince me.

This perfume now that I have it brings back a lot of memories. Different places I have worked I can remebewr smelling this strange but alluring smell in the office usually associated with an older women. I never thought much about it. I would be out somewhere and again that familiar smell. One of my friends who is quite a bit older than me met up with us the other night and as I kissed her cheek hello, that familiar smell again. I could never work out what it was all these years but I knew I liked it. I thought it was Chanel No.5 but my friend gave me that and it wasn't the smell that I kept encountering. Anyway, I finally got a bottle of Samsara and I sprayed it and all day that familiar smell kept wafting around me. Reading the reviews on here I think it must be the sandlewood. I never knew what that was until now it is very recognisable. I have the edp and it lasts but it seems to be the sandlewood that really runs ahead of itself in this fragrance but in a classy way. Even if people don't like it I cannot imagine this offending anyone. I know when I was younger and kept smelling this at office places I didn't like it but it didn't offend me or give me a headache. It is cheaper to buy now so that's a good thing I am just praying they don't disscontinue it because a lot of women today don't seem to have the confidence to wear this they are too worried about offending others.

I think that was about 10 years ago, when I've read interview with my favorite actress/singer, who swear, that since started use Samsara, each day heard many compliments from many man. After trying this scent for years I couldn't wait till I will grow up to wear it. Now come this right time and I'm so pleased that I have chance to buy in such a good price on airport.
Wearing this scent during all this hot summer days make me feel happy and pretty inside and also very feminine. I didn't feel that is to heavy at all. Last for very all long day.
About smell: is like a being somewhere on middle of burning Sahara's desert - you can't forget. Is a mystyfying, intriguing and oriental.

A modern classic. I love orientals, and Samsara is one of the best. I don't have any at the moment, but every so often I add a bottle to my collection. Very recognizable and never fails to draw compliments.

Warm, deep and complex, this perfume seems to be the very essence of sensual femininity and mature wisdom. It's cozy and enveloping, like a hug from someone you love and at the same time it exudes strength and maturity.

Jasmine, ylang-ylang and vanilla are amazing together, but it's the rich sandalwood that really shines in this composition, giving it sensual and even spiritual qualities.

Samsara is an incredible confidence booster. This perfume has a soul of its own and it feels like a loving companion that soothes and reassures you all along the way.

I can see a mature, dark haired woman wearing this, someone who's strong and beautiful and wise. A woman who can keep her mind clear and her heart open and who lives life gracefully, with empathy and reason at the same time.

Lasting power and sillage are the best I have ever known (I own the EDP). This perfume lasts for more than 24 hours on my skin and it easily projects across a 10 meter room. There was not one occasion when I put this on and no one noticed it :).

A true classic.

This is another world I have stepped into.

There are soft smoke clouds around my head and smile.
There is cream and powder sweetly wrapped around my heart.
Something juicy softly tangy,is it a bergamot tree floating towards the warm sunset?

Even through the gorgeous, strong sandalwood incense smoke swirling rings,I can still feel you, oh delicate purple powder violets.

I understand you Samasara. You speak in song.

How very lucky I am to have a taste of this amazing scent! It is not the real Guerlain,but a very lovely vegan imitation of it. I am loyal to the shop I buy so many of my scents from. I am willing to bet that nowadays,Guerlain is not using real animal musk anymore. I think I did once smell the real scent quite a few years ago (it smelled gorgeous,but I was too shy to ask the lovely lady what she was wearing). I can't afford real Guerlain.

My ex-boss use to wear it all the time and I kept asking her because it smelled lovely on her. But I smelled it on a airport and it was far too strong so didn't dare to spray it on me!

I can see how everybody like samsara.But my self can not stand on it.It is so heavy and heady. I feeling plastic smell in it.Staying power is great.But anyway this is not my cup of tea.

After reading all the reviews, I am definitly trying it, Oriental perfumes are missing in my collection and this one woild be a good start, Wish me luck!

You remember what Coco Chanel said about accessorizing, ”always take off the last thing that you put on”? Well, you can safely take off all of them, put on Samsara, go out and still feel like a queen. This fragrance is a precious jewel.

Inspire, it has probably a lot to do with exposing your nose to a wide range of scents that makes one understand and appreciate certain fragrances. If I had bought it blindly over a year ago I would have thrown it in the trash in a blink of an eye. But today I really treasure this beauty. It is truly amazing how a lot of so-called stinkers transform into the most gorgeous and sexy scents if you give them a chance and some time.

An excellent winter wear its a bit strong but it has this fresh powdery smell I think its sexy and sophisticated

My grandmother's perfume!! Woody,spicy, strong, FANTASTIC!!

My evaluation:

Scent - 10/10 (there's no other...)
Sillage - 10/10
Longevity - 10/10 (more than 14 hours)

I thought this would smell exotic but it doesn't it is just a sophisticated powder dry down. I have the edp so maybe that is not a nice as the edt. I waited ages to get this and tested it many times but it just does not do it for me. I wish I could smell what other are smelling but to me it is a little simple. I also like Channel No. 5 and was given it as a gift and even that I think just smells like baby powder. It does last well and is not as expensive as it used to be.

This is my signature fragrance. I may flirt with many, many others, but this one has my heart. It is at once comforting and sensual, sexy and intriguing. If it speaks to you, as it has to me, it will wrap its beautiful jasmine-and-sandalwood soul around you. It will enchant you and leave you feeling seductive, powerful, and serene, an enchantress who owns who she is. I wear this for myself, always. My darling husband is a lover of solifloral fragrances, and the occasional rich floral - he adores my beloved Amarige, thank goodness! - but sadly, the ethereal sensuality of this masterpiece eludes him.

I only had to open the door and my colleagues knew it was me, without turning their heads. And I could do the same with other people. Extremely strong, rich, sophisticated and keeping warm in cold days. Still, love it or hate it kind of perfume. I wore it for years, now I can't even get close to it.

I am also one that happens to like Chanel N0 5 but not Samsara. It just doesn't happen to be my cup of tea. Happens a lot with a lot of fragrances I'm sure ;)

it is heavy but i iove it
i wear it in winter

Samsara is my long time love. I always wear this in autumn and winter as it is such a warm and comforting fragrance on me. It's not like any other fragrance I have tried and I've tried a LOT. Beautiful.

For me is a dry perfume with a strong stay in power.lots of Amber mixed and sensuality with the most sexy flower on heart.sandalwood calm everything down and make it carnal.hate or love it.pace

Samsara is a very strong and heavy, but smooth and sweet at the drydown. So think twice before you wear it!..It most suits an evening romantic meeting at the open air...

I think Samsara is a little bit of an oddity, the scent is very unique and original.. so different then other scents I own and have tried. Upon first sniff of this one, I didn't really like it. It was just too different for my nose to handle, but I tried it again yesterday in the store, and this time my nose picked up on some of Samsara's pleasant notes. I think in the right mood I can really wear this. I find it quite romantic. I love Guerlain scents very much so I hope in the future to buy this and wear it on certain occasions

Don't be a bully Sierota.....both scents are very sophisticated, but that's where the similarities end.

Many who like No. 5 find Samsara overpowering...I think Samsara may be sexier to some, and it is stronger for sure. Both are for sexy women of power & influence. Okay, so two gaint similarities.

It's all a matter of taste.

Ms. Samsara would be the one with whom you will catch glimpses of her black lace push-up bra under her jewel-toned silk blouse, paired with black cigarette skirt & sky high black patent stilettos.

Miss. No.5 would be wearing a knee length light baby-pink wool dress that showcased her every curve, big fat pearls, and nude medium height pumps.

I prefer Samsara, although something tells me that I haven't smelled nothin' yet as I haven't smelled the parfum of No. 5.

We ALL sometimes take our perfumes a little too seriously.....Big Smooches for Everyone...On The House!

Oh boy, Samsara is a very strong scent. Ill probably wait for another 10 years or so to appreciate this scent totally.

I can't make up my mind about Samsara. I am attracted to the floral fruitiness and the spicy, woody heart but when it dries down on my skin there is a note coming through that I really don't like - and I don't know what it is! It's not musk or vanilla but it's something strong and quite sweet. Does anyone else find this?

Being reunited today with the original Samsara after 20 years was like going home for me. This was the first perfume bought for me by a boy when I was 17.

It was from a place where I had time to write poetry, indulge in art, and contemplate the universe with normal teenage angst. Wearing Samsara today, I'm wondering how I ever pulled off such a complex fragrance when I was younger. Yet somehow, it was perfect for me at the time. I really feel like I have found a part of myself again that I hadn't been in touch with for quite some time.

Biography aside, Samsara is truly a masterpiece from Guerlain. Rather than a remarkably, well blended formula, I like to think of the vintage as a work of art with a lot of heart:

A classic bright opening with a touch of green that feels smooth rather than sharp, attributable to the ylang-ylang combining with the sensory fleshiness of peach without much of its inherent scent. Even the opening alone is masterfully balanced.

Green, earthy, floral voluptuousness; sweet, slightly bitter leaves and flowers. The heart feels like it has a little bit of a clean, sweet, gently sour weedy feel that's hard to describe and won't appeal to everyone. A really unusual accord that's plush and velvety. If you don't get this softness, perhaps it exists only in the vintage version. I really don't know as I don't care to try the reformulation.

Sandalwood, warm tonka, the green feel of iris all contribute to such a transcendental ambience. True, this is a very full fragrance that is complete in itself, but I feel it also entices and leaves room for deep contemplation.

I only need to wear one light spritz deep down on my decolette. It's enough for me to enjoy without announcing to everyone "I'm wearing Samsara!" Besides, I'm selfish in that I don't care if anyone smells it or not. Samsara is one that I'd rather indulge in its subtleties.

An added bonus, my husband loves this on me. I just can't tell him that on old boyfriend (who he has met but I have no ties with now) gave me my very first bottle. My vintage EDP is very precious and will be saved for special occasions.

I recently acquired an old formulation EDP and am stunned by the perfection and sublime balance. Smooth and extremely mellow, deep and warm! It is golden and slick with amber and sandalwood. There is a strange stale note that reminds me of a cooking smell often perceived on the clothing of others in damp weather, but it doesn't detract but rather adds to the complexity! I also detect a bitter note that I believe is the narcissus. I can also separate a strong, albeit weird for this pyramid, violet that makes this fragrance seem serious and subdued. Maybe even dark and solemn in an old church sort of way. I can imagine this on a painfully beautiful 40 something woman with immaculate makeup and hair that softly ripples back from her regal face. This is one is for someone who feels like a Goddess! Nothing old lady, loud or dated here, only timeless elegance and effortless sex appeal!

As Samsara is my signature scent, I had to write a review. I read so many different opinions here.
I have to clear some things out.

1. There's a huge difference between the EDT and the EDP. If you overspray on the EDT you know how the EDP smells (at least that is my opinion).
The vanilla and sandalwood are way too strong in the EDP.
To me, this makes the whole Samsara experience much different than what it should be. So, I believe that people who don't like Samsara must have been sampling the EDP.
I once bought the EDP, after years wanting to re-try and that was a mistake. Now I buy EDT.
And DO NOT use to much, one or two sprays of EDT and you can smell it ALL day long, even if it's the EDT!

2. I believe that they use another formulation, depending on the country where they sell it. My last bought bottle (on the internet) has Arabic letters on the box while normally these are not on (when I buy Samsara in Belgium or France).
The one with the Arabic letters on is much stronger and not as pleasant, more synthetic.
So, if you can choose between both, look for the one that stays in Europe or VS.I believe that a small change in formulation can make a big difference, it's very well balanced.

What makes Samsara so different?
It is as well oriental as fresh. You can see on the top notes that it contains green notes but still it's warm. If you wear Samsara you keep on smelling both. One time it's fresh, another blow of wind or movement with your head and it's oriental.
Everytime I smell Samsara my hearts beats faster and I can assure you that heads are turning if you wear this walking into a room.
No other perfume has ever reached the level of Samsara, and believe me, I've tried a lot.

I used to have a small bottle in the 80's but I never thought that it would make suche an impression on me later on.For about 4 years I've started to wear this again (once in a while, I leave it for special occasions and I even have two bottles)and it's definetely a perfume I will keep on using. They started giving samples again 4-5 years ago, so I got caught. But it is very well possible that formulation has changed, so they started promoting it again.

I have so many evolving thoughts and memories linked with Samsara. It’s such a spiritual perfume in my perception (more so than sexual); to this day it takes my breath away. Samsara belongs in the category of perfume, that you until you’ve smelled it you have not experienced true perfect alchemy in perfume.I feel even those who don't believe in reincarnation, will remember all of the ancient souls and lands from past earthly incarnations upon first sniff. It is similar to opening a vial of magic that time forgot long ago. It's like some distant dream aroma for me. I can imagine Cleopatra loving Samsara.

Samsara taught me about jasmine, and how different strains of it can evoke different feelings or moods, whatever you want to call it. I have noticed the batches of juice being different, but I'm pressed to call it reformulated. I believe the sandalwood accord is what truly blew me into a different realm.

I don’t believe it has been reformulated at all unlike others. I think Guerlain just has different strains of essences to work with.I also believe the essences to be spectacular and top notch. Perhaps that is why the juice varies slightly. So I don’t’ buy into the false claims reformulation. Just my opinion but I've smelled Samsara from the early 90's until the present day and what I detect is essence variation, not formula at all. However, the EDP and the EDT is noticeably different. I recommend the EDP if you really want to experience the transcendental beauty this potion holds.

What can I say here....Samsara is a timeless classic, deep, complex, majestic. EDP is exactly my cup of tea: huge projection and the lasting power is forever and a day.

Samsara is not in the least as I expected. I can't find it to be dark or deep at all. It disintegrates almost at once into a great big powder bomb. And that's all there is to it! Unless you want to walk around smelling as if you had fallen into a mountain of granny talc, avoid!

Es un perfume fuerte, Solo para damas elegantes, no apto para chicas deportivas... No es mi estilo en perfumes .

Is a strong perfume, elegant ladies only, not for girls sports ... Not my style perfume

I love the smell of this on others and in the bottle, unfortunately when i wear it it gives me a migraine, pity :(

I didn't know people could vote your reviews off? Seriously?! That's silly stuff. There are people I look to for help when making a decision, such as scorpiosheep. These are people we trust.

I know that this is likely the best sight for perfumers regarding profits, but we ALL rely on these people, and sometimes friends, who aren't allowed to be honest? Goofy silly!

Each one of us is probably a 'go to' reviewer for somebody, and some of you to MANY of us. (no pressure! ha ha!)

We don't want to waste our time and money. This helps us make informed decisions on how to best indulge our senses.

I do love Samsara, and agree with lady love, this does smell like Bois des Iles, but stronger of course!

I put in an honest review of this perfume back in January, but you Samsara lovers ganged up on me and voted it off! I have to say that not everybody likes everything, and Samsara unfortunately had a dreadful effect on me and made me physically ill (first time a perfume had ever done that), so to me it is a really terrible smell. I acknowledge that Guerlain is a talented perfume house with many, many great perfumes, and I own quite a few, but this Samsara...no, not for me, and I hope I never again smell it on anyone. I note several other reviewers have been honest enough to say they dislike it, just because you don't agree, don't give them the red thumb. The whole point of reviews is to give your personal viewpoint.

Wearing Samsara is like wearing no perfume, just your inner tranquility, spirituality and soul beauty.

I heard about the oriental delights of this perfume and so wanted to love it, but was taken aback by the strong initial heavy-handed assault of what seemed like plastic sandalwood. My hopes that this would lessen in time are dashed by now as the perfume still gives me a headache right to the end of the day. I have heard that many perfumes these days use synthetic sandalwood, though it could be the double-strength Orris root ingredient doing all the damage. Excessive amounts of Orris root does horrible things to my sinuses.

Such a shame because the beautiful vanilla and jasmine/florals notes mixed with the spices seem a more daring and intriguing combination than Shalimar. Samsara reminds me vividly of those Oriental bazaar shops that sprang up in the 1970s - bold, novel and enduringly fascinating. Worn on a blazing hot day it evokes sensuousness and insouciance - always a good thing. Maybe I should take it with a dose of Panadol, or else stick to L'Heure Bleue, which suits my biological chemistry so much better...

The reviews here are so poetically beautiful, wow, like a lost child returned to its mother. I remember when this launched back in the late 80s..... at the time I didn't care for it so much. However, I was only 14. Perhaps I will revisit this fragrance..... such lovely odes to this scent can't be wrong!

This is the one I return to, like a lost child to it's mother. It is always the same, loving, generous and imparts an enveloping cloud of such warmth and sweetness. I don't know of any other perfume that affects my spirit and mood as much as Samsara - even the name is pure poetry - whisper it and whatever you want can be yours. The spices travel on the wind and the amber gives it the warmth - it surrounds you and becomes you - when I wear it it makes me feel more "woman" than any other fragrance I have had. Samsara - your are truly a floriental treasure and I will never abandon you. Forever Yours!

Samsara (EDP original version)
Samsara is a warm embrace, a refuge, and at the same time, a reflection of our individual image. This fragrance is a mirror: you will find from the first day about yourself.

Needless to say nothing of her silky, sensuous bottle, longevity, Sillage: All intense and flashy. Uninterrupted notes all over the pyramid: fruity floral rout of the iris and the dominant proudly Itself flower, the marriage of the roses and daffodils with sandalwood, musk, amber, vanilla, and finally with closing of tonka.

Samsara has given me great joy to smell, on its own, unequivocally, the guerlinede for the first time in my life: a breath of fresh air held its resins and vanilla completely isolated from the fragrance for a while, I hope I will not forget ever.

- I feel a sad for this oriental bound to consider a status symbol, of what others see in a woman, or a static image of the perfume of the eighties (the bomb shell of fragances). It is a meeting, as well by Guerlain House says, with with self and our place in the world.

I wish someone would make the younger version of Samsara. The original formula's of course. It is for 35+ age,I think, while I love it, I can't use it:( it really is a classic for me though, great choice for a signature scent but heavy for me... I would like to know if there's a 20 y.o. version of it though:D

.....Then there was the 'Silky Spray Body Powder' Aerosol.
Twenty two years on and the red can with what little content remains still smells classically Guerlain and beautiful! Judging by what I have read in various reviews, some of you reminisce of original formulations and have said that you have noticed changes in scents. Samsara, in my opinion, is no exception.

Although I respect all measures taken to preserve trees, the environment and the world in general, I cannot bring myself to compare the newer formulation of this scent to the one I remembered and loved - that powdery, lingering essence so.....uniquely Guerlain.

I received a vintage decant of this from a fellow perfumista and was immediately swept away with the immense amount of Indian sandalwood when my package arrived. I recently went to Ulta and smelled the current version and while they share much similarity, I reccomend if you try this to get a hold of the original as the Mysore sandalwood is more evident, most likely due to the Indian government's strict regulation of this wonderful and sadly endangered tree. This is definitely a perfume that is done best in small doses. It announces itself in a huge way: Lots of amber (which I am not that fond of, but the sandalwood smooths it out.)The current version is still good, but the original in anything is always the best.

Purchased a small bottle of the un-reformulated version on Ebay because the reviews have totally piqued my curiosity and since when has Guerlain ever made a bad fragrance ??? Can't wait to try.

Received and tried. Classis, classic and very elegant and beautiful oriental on the same level as Opium by YSL. Can't say I really remember the original Samsara from the 80's except to say that back then I thought it too mature for me. Now, I feel it suits me well.

I'll definitely have to get the old formulation somehow, for I remember having smelled Samsara many years ago in a shop and I was totally fascinated by it, and now that I want to buy it, it literally makes me sick! I certainly can appreciate its beauty, but I can't stand smelling this perfume for more than 5 minutes. I saw this was also the reaction to Samsara of some other reviewer. Could anyone tell me why this happens?

Samsara (pre-reformulated version) is a gem!
The start is quite weird and unwelcoming to me, it reminds me a lot of Vol de Nuit, which I find too tart, nutty and hard to understand, but still intriguing enough.

Soon after the start, the scent starts to bloom. I get a lot of plastic-doll-head scent (it’s so real, just like what you smelt when you were four or five, decades ago), in a really good, nostalgic way. It has similar vibe as John Galliano's John Galliano. It’s powdery, soothing and every now and then slightly cold due to the iris.

The dry down is to die for, it has the spicy, woody, slightly cinnamon-y, almondy and vanilla blend. It’s creamy, vanilla-y, but with the woody and almond smell there to make it more grounded. It is warm, nice, like a cup of Chai tea Latte, but doesn’t have the edible or drinkable quality; it has some unique elegance, based on the Chai tea latte smell I love, but evolved from it, and stand out elegantly.

Wonderful scent which soothes, and makes me feel quite sexy in a confident, effortless way. If you can get your hands on a pre-reformulated bottle, get it while you can. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys scents with a more complex personality.

I got the old formula from eBay. What a fascinating creature! This one's definitely a chameleon. The opening notes are so fresh that I honestly didn't think I was going to like this perfume at first. I was expecting something more sultry. But within 5 minutes, the scent morphed into something very woodsy and a bit coconutty. I expected spices to start cropping up, but they didn't. Instead something luscious and creamy crept in along with some mesmerizing florals. There is also something sticky-sweet in the base.

I can't help but think that if Allure and Hypnotic Poison were distant relatives, Samsara would be the missing link. It's got the bergamot and sandalwood of Allure, yet it also has the powdery vanilla of Hypnotic Poison.

a strong powder, not baby powder at all. a boss i had years ago wore this as her signature scent. it smelled heavenly on her. she always smelled like warm, amber, powder. on myself, it wasn't quite as stunning but still nice. a very classy and sophisticated perfume. quite nice for an evening out when you want to make a statement. a light hand is all thats needed.

Absolutely hate it. I was told that its a fragrance for "older people", but I don't believe age makes a difference. It punches you in the face with a power that I could only compare to turps/heavy spices. It smells like it's gone bad. Definately not for me.

I really wanted to like this one, but it has way to much amber powederiness for my taste.

What I smell:
First spray - Bergamont, Sandalwood, Amber
Middle - Violet, Orris root, sandalwood, Amber
Dry down - Orris root, sandalwood, AMBERRRRRR!!!

lol that's just my take on it.

I didn't believe the rave reviews here. I thought from the look of the bottle, that's another Opium and I would hate it. Just shows how some perfumes can give the wrong impression so easily from the packaging alone. Samsara is so NOT a Seventies/Eighties formula.It's elegant and incensey in a modern way, though it's very powerful stuff and a little goes a long way.

That said I don't love it the way I love Angel and Midnight Poison, which strike me as great originals that set a unique special tone.

But it's more than just good and it's definitely a great addition to any fragrance wardrobe. I'd recommend it (lightly applied!)for formal interviews and business appointments.

This is one of the miracles of Guerlain.

The best oriental Woody fragrance.

Jean-Paul Guerlain made a perfume for an Englishwoman he wanted to seduce. She said she liked sandalwood and jasmine, so he designed for her a fragrance loaded with both notes.

Oh my god!!!! I Want Him to Fall in Love With Me! This perfume is so awesome.. I am in heaven.

The first thing I smelled was a sweet spicy-sandalwood, then jazmin ylang ylang and violet take the stage, finally it dried down to a musky vanilla, followed by a very light powder scent. Unlike Opium and Coco it isn’t spicy or resinous, it is more warm and creamy.

Woody, Exotic, Complex, I really believe this perfume has a soul.

از بهترینهای عطرهای زنانه و در نوع خود بی نظیر

Rich and heady straight out of the bottle! Subtle spices riding the narcissus and jasmine..Samsara changes as it develops which makes it interesting and also means it's a test before you buy scent. Seems sweeter and cleaner at the base than vintage Guerlains; would also be too much if overapplied! It does dry down much softer (powdery violets) than the opening blast..eventually the subtle spices overtake the flowers. Very rich, mature and sophisticated- I find it warm and lovely!

This is stunning, God, oh how I love Guerlain. My 40 year old french friend used to use this and the perfume and my 14 year old self didn't get it at all, much too strong. Now I am 21, a niche/classic perfume junkie who tends to OD on perfume but is known for always smelling really good. Samsara is sweet and spicy, in the EDT not overwhelming in the least, a subtle sweet spicy oriental that is what it says it is. I have a feeling chemistry plays a big roll, my skin tends to bring out the sweetness in fragrances and lucky for me I love sweet frags. This is perfect for me, I can't wait to get my small spray instead of the sample. In the future I might be interested in the pure parfum and that body cream (my french friend let me try hers and it was LUXURY in a pot!) I think this is a sexy fragrance, if a girl wore it in front of me I would absolutely go weak in the knees! But really, its fantastic and I love Guerlain, the disappointments in this line are few and far between for me after trying most every guerlain creation I can get my hands on. Until recently, I could not appreciate the classics, I was just too young and my nose wasn't sophisticated enough to appreciate such beauties, and maybe my chemistry was different back then because these used to really be gross to me and now I can't stop obsessing on the classic Guerlains.... A must try for a strong woman who isn't afraid of some attention.

I would like to add I have Isvaraya on one wrist and this on the other and they smell quite similar despite not having any of the same notes, I think edt Samsara is a much better, and less expensive fragrance- so I am taking Isvaraya of my "want" list, I like this one more!

Samsara is definitely an oriental exotic spicy fragrance, in the line of Opium or Must de Cartier, but far more edgy. Opium is more floral and Must is more masculine. It is dark and mysterious. I can't wear it often, because it does make me a little sick, but I still like it. You don't need a lot of it. I have a small bottle of the original formula but use it sparingly, because it is strong. I like to dip or spray often, and you can't do that with this perfume. Definitely for evening. It means reincarnation, or life and rebirth. It's woodsy and warm, very spicy strong, but it always gives me a headache, so I can't wear it often. And it gives me a headache when someone else wears it too! But it does have a definite allure, a somewhat addictive quality, but in the worst of ways!

A partner at my work has this. She's in her late 40's I think, and obviously has taste. That corner of the floor always smells really nice.
I find this a very appealling smell in a sense that I would love for my mum fo wear it, I love the oriental spiciness the envelopes every pocket of air it is trailed through, but without making it unbreathable and sickly, like alot of classic fragrances tend to do(Chanel 5, Red Door and the like).
Although this is aimed at the slightly older crowd of women, It's not restricted as such, and is not a clssic fragrance in my nose.
Elegant, successful, enticing, powerful, respectable and respectful. Mature without age.

Es un perfume magico, romantico, sonador, excelente en los dias de otono e invierno, recomendable para aquellas personas que nunca encuentran un perfume que les dure varias horas por la acidez de la piel.
Al principio parece un perfume fuerte, despues de varios minutos quedan unas dulces notas de vainilla y sandalo, con un poco de musgo.
Solo para damas elegantes no chicas deportivas...

I tried Samsara edp at the mall and I thought it smelled cloying, heavy, and well, with a play dough note, really strange and chemical. But I have already arranged for a swap with another member here, so I decided to keep my word and get it from her, anyway. Well, the stuff that I got, a beautiful thing in an obviously old box.

This is another story: it opens somewhat fruity oriental, quite heavy and somewhat similar to the store one. I felt no citric notes at all. The dominant note for me is ylang ylang, which I am very familiar with from real essential oils. But soon after, narcissus blooms, coupled with a weaker jasmine, and makes this beautiful. Half an hour down the road, a strong violet appears and changes the direction of this perfume entirely. This is my favorite phase. After another time lapse, some vanillic sandalwoody and somewhat creamy chapter begins, with the violet and a slight jasmine still there. And it lasts and lasts....

This version of edp that I have gotten is absolutelly BEAUTIFUL! But I am hesitant to recomend it because I had such an unpleasant experience with the tester at the mall. Has it been reformulated? Was the tester off? I don't know, but what I know is that my tiny edp is a true chameleonic fragrance, as if one's watching a fast-forward movie in the life of a fragrance. Beautiful 'til the last breath! Thank you Mr.Chaz!

When I was an adolescent girl in the early nineties, an older cousin gave me a bunch of her old Cosmo magazines.

One magazine in particular had a fold-out sample of Samsara in it; the same edition also had a 'sealed section' (long, long unzipped, of course) that showed - gasp! - a naked man. Full frontal, full surprise to innocent little me.

So Samsara has ever, and will ever, remind of the heady experience of viewing the male form for the first time: strange, beautiful, and totally exotic.

What more do I need to say?

I am so excited to find this- it reminds me of my darling Tuscany Per Donna. This, however, is smoother and fruitier. I thought I smelled berries and I was surprised that there are none listed in the notes. I love it.

I think it is so strange that people describe it as "edgy" and "dark" and "spicy"- my nose doesn't detect that, it seems softer and more floral compared to Opium for example. My daughter told me it smelled like lemons. Visually I would describe it as a rich red velvety rose. Maybe it's my nose, or chemistry? I am using EDT.

I fell in love at first sniff with Samsara when it first came out back in the 90's. And at the tender age of 15, I got a bottle of it. Far too young to pull off such a heavy oriental fragrance, but I didn't care as it was the most wonderful smell ever. I never tired of sniffing my wrists or my scarves, and this gorgeous smell conjured images of the woman I wanted to become: beautiful, powerful and sensual. Samsara was the fragrance that inspired me, that defined me, that made me. Truly unforgetable!
I got a couple of bottles of Samsara then moved on to new, different fragrances as they came out (Laguna by Dali, Tribu by Benetton, CK1...)
But you would think that I would have gone back to Samsara after a while, as you do with any signature scent... well, I attempted to rekindle the passion with Samsara about 5 years ago... and the chemistry did not work this time. I was left confused as to why I had been so in love with the fragrance: was it me? My taste and my nose had changed??
I think not, I think the real reason is very sad: reformulation. The ad for "Un air de Samsara" (a fragrance I loved at least as much as Samsara itself) said "ni tout a fait la meme, ni tout a fait une autre", meaning "neither quite the same woman, nor quite another woman". Well this is what I feel with this new Samsara: it kind of smells like the old one, the right notes are there, but it is not the same, and it no longer does it for me.
Guerlain, you have disappointed me big time, and I would even say: you have lost me.

Very sweet, not spicy at all, Oriental? More floral...and again ... extremely sweet. I like it, my husband likes it on me and my friends are asking what I'm wearing....so I guess it goes good with my chemistry, but for me .... so so frag:)

I just acquired a bottle of this and had never really thought of wearing it before as it reminded me of the 80's too much! As I got it for free I certainly wasn't going to turn it down, so here I am, proud owner of 100mls of EDT and matching lotion and hoping to god that I like it! On first spray there is an immediate white floral onslaught which hurriedly moves on to the mid stages of rose and jasmine - I don't get any citrus in this as I would in Shalimar, for instance. The praline-musky sweet drydown enters fairly quickly in the EDT and I am enjoying it, though there is a slight plasticky undertone. The sandalwood is also obviously synthetic but overall Samsara really is distinctive, memorable, smooth and beautiful and much more wearable nowadays than many of its contemporaries which lack its softness of character.
I will wear this perfume for cold days and nights out and feel that it's practically made for the festive season! Also, I loved the 80's so it's like welcoming back an old friend - such a familiar and stomping great powerhouse. Sillage and longevity are grrreat!!

A few weeks ago I wore Samsara and it reminded me of a more green version of the vintage Venice Yves Rocher. So you could say Venice is a cross between Cartier Must and Samsara. From the three loving Venice the most, but Must & Samsara are masterpieces too!!

I got a bottle of samsara EDT from my husband. I remember trying the EDP long time ago and did not like it at all. However when I tried the EDT my mind changed completely. It is a complex fragrance very far away from the floral-fruity-all-the-same fragrances we find so easily nowadays. At first I got a masculine note like after shave (maybe the green-lemon notes), then it developed to a flowery-spicy-musky note. It makes me feel powerful, classy, elegant, sexy, confident, sofisticated. My husband and I love it. Reserved to special occasions like my Tendre Poison and Chance Chanel.
Staying power in cold weather is great: around 24 hours.

SAMSARA is amazing! It has warmth and spiciness without being too spicy, character without being too strong, elegance beyond imagination and balance that brings spiritual and physical worlds together. The composition is done incredibly well. I love every bit of it from the spicy fresh opening to floral heart to warm vanilla musk woods. But there is so much more in this perfume. I saw comments by other reviewers on how this perfume helps meditate or invokes sense of peace and tranquility or transforms to another world. This is all true. When I bought this perfume based on reviews I did not entirely trust all of these experiences as I thought that the name Samsara sets the reviewers mind to see more than it is in this perfume. Oh, I was so wrong. This perfume fits its name perfectly. No doubt about that. The scent brings deep sense of spirituality, connection to eternal cycle of life and death and tranquility and balance to the soul. This perfume is definitely in my top 3 favorites. While I adore Shalimar, I do love this one even better.

The opening is fresh and bright with strong bergamot presence. Then it cools right away to ylang-ylang, citrus and green notes. The scent develops into flower heart but it does not get too sweet, as rose and jasmine duo is balanced by cool and distant notes of iris and orris root. This creates very pleasant tranquil flower combination. It is strong but it is not loud or distracting. The scent seems relaxing for the mind. It is very harmonious and balanced.

The dry down is absolutely divine. It is warm, comforting, sophisticated and just simply gorgeous. It is quite complex, so it is not easy to describe but I get very warm wood scent with light vanilla and iris aroma layered with light musk and amber. One of my favorite dry downs.

I definitely recommend it for anyone who loves classy beautiful scents. It is perfect for night and daytime as long as it is worn with elegance and chic that this scent deserves. I would not call it a casual scent but I can see myself wearing it at home when I am alone to unwind, put candles on, have a relaxing bath and let my mind to rejuvenate.

form me its more oriental floral,in my skin violet smell a lot.I like

THE BEST!

Hi.

However Words are Unable for SAMSARA Magneficence But I would say It is A Veneration to ROMANTIC LOVE!One of My All favorite time for a HIGH CLASS Lady.In my Opinion It is the Uniqueness That makes it Unforgettable. Classic, Rich,Mysterious,Masterpiece,Dreamy, Spicy,Luxurious,Alluring and Ultra Feminine.

This GUERLAIN Wonder is a Oriental Fragrance with precious Woods Undertones that give it an Air of Sharp Passion.A heart of Jasmine and Rose is complemented by Fresh Green notes of Bergamot,Lemon and Peach as with This Unique Blend surely You get Plenty Compliments when You wear it.

This Real Fragrance reminder My MOTHER. It is best reserved for SPECIAL EVENINGS and Cold Weather. Definitely it is not for a Young Girl I would recommend this perfume only to a CLASSY&RICH Lady who wants radiate at Special Occasions and Capture The Attention any Gentleman.

Sillage?Excellent.

Longevity?Extraordinary On my skin.

Thank You GUERLAIN.

SAMSARA Absolutely Deserves 9/10

For me it opened with lovely burst of citruses and green notes. Slowly it goes to somehow fresh, but very sweet phase, which I suspect is narcissus fault. Very, very wonderful/sunny and natural narcissus is lingering from my wrist, I feel tiny bits of jasmine, but never too much or overpowering. There is a slight touch of roses, which I see "fresh, pink and gentle". Rose is not all over the top, which is very good.
Somehow when the Iris appear it becomes little bit too powdery and sweet for my taste, but I can appreciate the quality of the sweetness. It's very natural, feminine and non aggressive as it sometimes is in more modern fragrances. But am I saying? Samsara is no old fragrance, it's modern and wearable at any ages if sweetness is the thing one is searching in perfume.

Definetely worn on fancy parties with black dresses. I do feel this to be little bit sexy and seductive.

Lovely masterpiece from Guerlain!

This is my signature scent for fall and winter. I love the powdery drydown - lovely and warm. I wear the body lotion, so it wafts whether I remove my jackets, but isn't too strong.

This is one of those scents that is questionable on first spray but soon develops into something deep luscious and stunning - hang in there and don't give up on Samsara.

The top notes are 'odd' for an oriental, sharp, green and a little zesty (almost headache producing). They fade quickly opening to a soft spicy floral middle. Then an earthyness enters with caressing sandalwood.

Samasara has bottled a spiritual metaphor.
Top notes - a euphoric sense of enlightenment beyond our bodily constraints.
Middle - the NOW the heart of daily living.
Base - the importance of remaining grounded to the connecting life force.

(I get a little coconut from Samsara - not sure from were, it sits in the base perhaps the tonka bean and vanilla is the cause - I welcome its presence)

Oh my gosh - SANDALWOOD! Sandalwood and powder and a hint of bergamot. This is very different and not for the faint of heart. It is certainly a sophisticated fragrance, but more for the mature confidant woman than the young.

As I'm a Buddhism I know what Samsara actually mean, it's based on our believe that being alive in the world is full of suffer and struggling and we human will all die and rebirth over and over again as consequences to what we have done when we alived.
That's the meaning of Samsara...to live, to die and rebirth over and over again.

And with this elegant red bottle of Samsara I'm willing to do so...it's a heaven scent, you don't need to go to nirvana just apply Samsara you will know what heaven might feel like. It's heaven in a bottle. I can't get enough of it.

Jean-Paul Guerlain is a genius!

How gorgeous! I smelt this at the duty free shop at gatwick a couple of weeks ago, but did not feel I could justify buying it there and then.But could not get the delicious ladylike spicy smell out of my mind(nose!) and have just recieved a bottle from a lovely lady on ebay, £19 for 30ml,a bagain.i really like that there are a few perfumes that might even be nicer on mature ladies,a bit of a plus for us,and I think this is one of them. Love the deep red bottle.Can't wait to try it out on my man friend!

Just got me a bottle Of Samsara edp 3.4oz for $52, not bad. This is incredible. I spray some at 2:00pm. And went to work with my animals and sweat so much and at 10:00pm I still can smell it strong. I took a bath a vigorous one and I still got a skin scent. It is so good. But what really got me was after I took a bath I spray some more just to see if It would smell in the morning and it did, Not only that. my husband do not care if I wear perfume and sometimes he dosnt notice it either. But in the morning he just went crazy ,the perfume drove him nuts!!! He love it This had never happen before I'm happy , I just love this perfume and my hubby too

Probably the most overpowering perfume I have ever smelled, don’t wear this to the office as the strong stale scent will have your colleagues searching for the source of the odour, that’s how I found out what it was called!

I got a sample vial from my mum today of the EDT. I instantly loved it and would never have guessed it's such an old fragrance. So I would say it is timeless. It's got the same sweet uplifting quality as Contradiction by CK although its a completely different kind of fragrance. I love the smell of Samsara, but I can also understand why some people don't.

I have EDP version and now I am the proud owner of a vintage preformulated EDP 30 mls bottle. I love both of them, the old formulation seems to me more vanilic and with less sillage than the current version.
My favourite over all my 100- and more bottles. Suits both summer and winter but I love it even more during summer.
What I can sense most are sandal, jasmine and narcissus.

I ignored this perfume for years, thinking it was not for me. Then I became very interested in guerlain perfumes. Samsara is very beautiful, it is pure sophiscation, and in my opinion only to be worn at night. It is a very sensual perfume, gives you confidence. It fills you with inspiration. There is also a very gentle side to it, this is the drydown, it is the most beautiful drydown.
For some reason the sandalwood and the vanilla comforts me, makes me feel warm and everything is all right in the world. Spray lightly and enjoy.

I love jasmine, sandal wood and Guerlain. Samsara is, to me, the epitome of orientals-classy, sharp, individual, french and poised. I wear it with burgundy, black, gold, I wear it in summer, with ivory silk, I wear it with furs,in winter and it never fades away. It is not a secnt for a bubble gum girl, it is not for snobberish people, it is not for uneducated. It's an arty fragrance and requires some grace ( to qoute Elaine Benes; You don't know who she is ?).

I bought some of this years ago and I really liked the rich exotic sensual smell of it. I had to put it aside though as my then BF said it was too spicy and strong for him and it really bothered his nose. It does have that Shalimar strong and assertive air about it that is typical of Guerlain. For goodness sake don't wear it to work or around any fragrance sensitive people.
I like it, it smells like Christmas to me with it's richness but I don't wear it anymore.

Update- got rid of BF , wearing Samsara again. Wonderful perfume.

I wrote a passionate review below because I love Samsara and used to love even more, but today I could smell the old formula again after many years I got used to the new one...
Please Guerlain bring the old original stuff back!!

I don't have any memories regarding Samsara and for many years I resented the idea of even testing something that old, especially since I have had some bad experiences with Opium (sorry, it's way to much for me) and Rive Gauche (kind of smells like chicken soup on my skin), but this one... I just love it!
There is a warm spicy scent that just lingers on me for hours. Even when I wake up in the morning I can still smell it... I would actually bathe in it! It's feminine and strong, but not overpowering (at least I couldn't manage to spray to much, and I usually have this talent). Truly one of the best perfumes I have ever had the pleasure to cross upon (actually it was suppose to fit my star sign - I tried it by accident, because I really thought them wrong).
Yet again, not for every age, IMHO you have to be at least 25 to wear this.

I bought Samsara to use it as a perfume for the Winter but now I have found out that the floral notes develop VERY well on the skin at higher temperatures.
In winter, they actually are a bit more subdued. Samsara is one of my favorites. A breathtaking beauty. I highly recommend that you try it.

I loved this perfume. It was elegant, refined, sophisticated, classy and just sexy in a candid, discreet way. Oh, I loved Samsara. I have to buy another bottle!

It was a scent for winter, for dark days. I'm sorry to hear they changed the formula.

It might be interesting, though, to have an lighter version of this classic perfume. Samsara Elixir ;-)

Oooh, Samsara you work magic on my skin! How could I have turned my back on you for so long? I misguidedly believed you to be a dated 'pile it all in & turn up the volume' relic from the 80's...how utterly shameful!

Samsara is effortlessly, strongly all woman in a loud-yet-soft way (here, at least, she bears the stamp of the long-lasting, loud & lingering 80's). She is not brash, sharp or foolishly flamboyant. She is the kind of woman who makes her presence known in a calm & quiet manner...the sway & swish of silk satin as she walks, the curve of her neck as she turns to you, the smile playing on her lips as she greets you...the look of a woman who is at peace with herself, a woman who knows. A woman you want to know.

Oriental all the way...the warm, inviting layers unfold & languish on the skin, wafting the wearer with subdued, wood-hued flowers on a deep, rich, resinous, incense & amber, almost leathery base. There is something ancient & mysterious about these perfectly preserved “still” florals – you could imagine this heady mix being part of some long-lost oil-&-honey ritual in a far away land.

Exceptional on warm-skinned, oriental-loving brunettes who wish to acquire an air of the exotic. A bewitching, captivating scent that needs to be applied with a light hand – you will share the secret of Samsara wherever you go. An ideal choice for that special evening. The bottle fits the perfume exactly – rich, opulent, sensual. Bravo, Guerlain!

(Thank you for educating me, Annica!)

Update: Remembering it, I fell for a small discount bottle (EDT). And Oh! I find it gorgeous like I remembered!! Funny to read that most people would wear it in winter, finding it a warm and/or dry scent. I find it quite refreshing and moist. Maybe the EDP and the EDT differ a lot (?)or this fragrance realy reacts differently to each single chemistry. I don't know for they did not have any sample of the EDP.
What I DO know though, is that I find the EDT strong enough as it is and it has a lasting power like no other EDT!
On me I smell no vanilla (for which I am glad!) but mainly ylang-ylang which heals the 'headache thing' I often experience from rose; and musk, very fresh! It feels as if I'm floating on air when the scent enters my nerves and sinews.
You should apply it with care indeed which I find in it's advance because you can enjoy a 30 ml bottle for a very long time. I don't tend to put on too much because I keep smelling it.

I finally got my bottle of the EDP today after waiting for nearly two months and oh what a joy!

This perfume...gosh..where do I start? As soon as I sprayed this the memories came flooding back. This perfume is such a gem to me. It's one of the big players, the mothers...the one that's untouchable. And it's all these things for it's uniqueness, it's power...it's ability to command a room, turn heads and make you stand out in a crowd.

It's absolutely stunning, it's one of the most sensual perfumes I've ever smelled. It smells like red musk, arabian nights, smoke by a fire and a gypsy dancer twirling by you.. it really evokes strong images in my head.

The actual smell? hm...it's very incencey and powdery, so so feminine...the wood is light in smell but apparent in strength if that makes sense. It's like a white sandalwood or something. This scent is truly enchanting.

It trails behind you a long long way so is to be treated with respect! hehe.

If you've never smelled this perfume before, you should because it is an absolute masterpeice!

JUST...AWESOME!

Oh yes..I DO remember!!!

I think it's the 'Sirene' amongst scents...
It is as subtle as it is present...

Sometimes a perfume ends in some kind of an 'afterglow' that is very 'transparent pink', like the bare sholders of a ballerina.
Samsara begins and ends with that glow.

Beautyful!

Samsara EDP is divine. It heals my soul and brings peace to my mind. It’s so smooth, woody and rich. It tenderly envelopes me in its cozy velvety wrap and makes me believe that nothing bad can happen while I wear this celestial scent.

I tried a little of samsara today and we are not friends, I tried and tried so many times over the last couple of years but to no avail. This perfume is beautiful but not on my skin.It is strong and sensual but not on my skin. It is romantic and very sophisticated kind of scent but not on my skin.Maybe sometimes in the future we will be friends.I have to mention that it does not smell bad on me but it does not smell good either.

I am sure I must have gotten a bum sample because to me the opening of this perfume smelt like beer! One of those awful fruity ales all the girls & metrosexuals drink nowadays.

It kind of mellowed out after that but then it just smelt like the 80s with 'essence of beer' thrown in.

I threw out the sample but I will probably retry it if I get a chance, to see if the beer note really exists!

UPDATE: I am happy to report it was entirely a rotten sample I got - Yay! I have never been so happy to be wrong before! Samsara is all black cashmere worn out to a candlelit cafe with a handsome man. Followed by romancing back home. It is the first fragrance I have come across which really suggested a season - winter.

I find it warm, comforting yet incredibly slinky, sexy & grown up at the same time. If it passes my handsome man's approval it could become a date night staple of my own. Nyack~!

my best pal used to wear this & let me tell you it almost distroyed our relationship- i got a head ache every time i stood near the poor girl, thankfully she soon got sick of it (well done her tolerance!!) a real "thick" scent, if you buy this make sure you buy extra paracetamol you will prob need it!

Body chemistry can make or break a fragrance on an individual. I happen to love this perfume; on anyone other than myself. On other women its beautiful, fragrant, sensual even, but on me is nothing short of vomit-worthy, not just to myself but to anyone who happens to be unfortunate enough to be standing in the near vicinity.

I love the rich dry sandalwood in this, the slightly green crisp notes over a floral heart, but it refuses to love me back. This is a perfume that not only should ordinarily work for me, but would also have joined the heart of my perfume collection - orientals/floriental/woods/mosses. I will continue to admire this scent from afar.

Do not do it to yourself!

Too strong and enters the room before you and kills people with asthma around.
Got it from my -70 mother-in-law, I think she was given it as a present and hated it as well that's why it ended up in my wardrobe, but I never asked her.

Dry, sweet sandalwood and vanilla on my skin.
Im a guy and wear this often. I have all three concentrations, the edt is the only one i can get away with in company, the other two are too floral. But no one has ever said it smells too feminine on me; just that it smells nice.

Probably my favourite scent. I dont find it loud or stuffy. It must simply depend on your chemistry.

To the existence of my idea of Utopia.

I must say Samsara is a wine colored cashmere long sleeved turtleneck dress.

I wear it knowing that I am cozy sitting near to my fire place sipping on a warm herbal tea. On a very snowy evening my husband comes home holding behind his back some essentials oils all of different flowers.

But oops, it ends up in the fireplace, our beautiful wood cottage is now infused with the scents of all these flowers. It's a new season now, and the scent lingers on.

Lovely and sometimes intense yet still addictive.

my aunt use to have it and it was ok on her, today a co-worker wears it. OMG I can't stand it, i close my nose every time she's near my office,, maybe it's the body chemistry, it's just not good at all on her, it's suffocating.

A beautiful classic. Instantly recognizable. Powerful, strong, sophisticated and sensual is how I would describe this oriental fragrance. I wore this many years ago and recently rediscovered it again.

To me the perfume has a mostly woody/dry feeling to it. I can mostly smell the sandlewood, ylang ylang, a strong jasmine, musk and vanilla. Very strong, you certainly don't need much and is extremely long lasting (EDP). Perfect for a evening out.

It is lovely but I find it somewhat changed from the bottle I had years ago, though it is still strong, it now seems to be somewhat less intense. I have read that it was reformulated some time back and perhaps it is changed due to this. Regardless of that fact, it is still smells expensive and wonderful and is very beautiful in my opinion.

Classy, refined and eligant. Most certainly a classic and very fitting to the house of Guerlain.

This is truly an awful perfume. A few years ago I worked with a lady who used to wear it. I could smell her coming before I saw her. The scent would choke me every time. I felt like I was suffocating and my nose itched and I sneezed if I smelled it. I can't believe it's still being manufactured!

I think this one might become a signature fragrance... Wow. Wow. Wow.I have the EDT, couldn't find any tester of the EDP anywhere. It has a great lasting power on me. It is so soft, but sensual at the same time... I think I could wear this fragrance day and night, summer and winter. Somehow I don't like the name, the bottle, even the color of the bottle. I don't mind, the fragrance is just divine. I am a huge Oriental Woody fan, and a Shalimar fan too, but this fragrance is the best, and much easier to wear then Shalimar. Very powdery, nicely mixed with vanilla. A must-have for Guerlain and Oriental fans!

To me it just smells like nappy sacks :/ anyone agree?

I don't see the point in thimbing down my comment - to some people it will be usefull.

Samsara EDT is so warm and beautiful , very long lasting, exotic and deep .
...But...there is something "sad" about it...gives me that impression ;(

The drydown is sweet vanilla-incensy , very powdery , like red silk !

* Still I prefere Shalimar !!!

Absolutely agree with hollycat!
Samsara is not necessarily something you'll instantly like - it grows onto you))
and the longevity of the EDP can only compete with TM Angel))

I wanted to add that the EDP version is more floral than the EDT, the rose is very present and holds its own with the jasmine, actually obscuring a good part of the jasmine note in my opinion. It also has a less sharp and medicinal smell. The EDT seems to dominate with the jasmine and sandelwood and the rose is not detectable to my nose. Also, the EDP lasts and lasts.

Ive been going back and forth with this one for a while. I always found this scent intriguing as well as mysterious, yet something about it had me a bit concerned about making it my own. Ive sampled the EDT and it sometimes made me nauseas. In dept stores I always found that they never had the EDP, just the EDT. I never wanted to buy it because I really wanted to know what the EDP smelled like. I tend to find EDT's are short lived on me. So just by chance I stopped in a discount fragrance shop in my neighborhood and couldnt believe they had the EDP, but no tester. I bit the bullet and bought the EDP unsniffed. I am so glad I went with the EDP for a few reasons. Firstly, it smells smoother, velvety, and richer. The down side is that its sweeter on the dry down, which Im not crazy about. Its stronger yet I dont find it nauseating. I has something I cant describe, like a quality that makes me think about its uniqueness, and appreciate it's uniqueness. I get the jasmine, amber, and insence, I cant figure out what else. I never found it instantly likable, but like a person who you meet for the first time thats not at all what you would consider attractive, over time you find that their personality is drawing you in and the next thing you know your infatuated. But you dont quite know why.

after sampling my EDT mini, i went ahead and ordered myself a larger bottle of EDP. Among all of the Guerlain's that i have sampled so far (i've tried only a few) this seems most memorable.
it is a blend of oriental flowers, rose, bergamot, citruses and iris... very unique. Towards dry-down it gets sweeter and muskier.
this perfume is very strong: i sprayed my wrist and feel so heady, the scent is everywhere!
definitely not for every-day wear, not for hot days or confined spaces!
it's for the cool evenings, a saunter along the lake, a romantic night under the stars)))

This perfume is a masterpiece and in my opinion smells utterly devine. It begins with a citrus smell that fresh and bright, the exotic flowers gently come to the surface and then a very soft vanilla comes through. I personally do not find it strong. I feel special and confident when I wear it. Love it to pieces.

I'got a loove/hate thing going with Samsara. Some days it smells like the ultimate in perfume, some days NOT. Maybe it's weather, mood? True classic but a bit dated, no? I think Dior Addict is a better choice if you're into orientals. :-)Think they could have done much better with the new bottle design too.

------later
I am totally back in love! Apply lightly, wait, enjoy! Stands out! :-)

Smells like a Pharmacy from the wild west when the Chinese Immigrants settled
setting up their shop full of Medical
Herbs and spices. with red walls yellow
Paper black Chinese Caligraphy on the paper beautiful
exotic dolls with lucious silks and brocade Ivory Beaded curtians Hanging
in hallways incense buring. the pharmacist with his long gray beard
in blue silk costume.
conjors up to me A medicine show of the wild west.

the Occidental meets Oriental.

Samsara seems to be a question of body chemistry and riding the edge, much like the scent it reminds me of in the beginning. And this may offend some true fans, but on me at least, it smells so similar LouLou. I even tried them on together, one on each arm. Slightly different yet so close I didn't feel I needed to own both. The dry down however is quite different. I suddenly saw what all the fuss was about. Samsara's closing notes are smooth, sweet and wonderful. A true combination of amber, sandalwood and vanilla. As many scents I have that close in that range Samsara manages to hold it's own and make it worth seeking out and adding to my collection. Thank you SedNonSatiata for popping this in for me to try!

If you love oriental perfumes, this is a must-have. Whenever I'm not quite sure which perfume to choose, I usually end up being comfortably wrapped in Samsara, getting lots of attention and positive remarks by the way.
Feminin, soft and warm, not at all too strong in my opinion.

Edit 25/07/11
The above describes de eau de parfum.

my beloved samsara, my perfume holy grail, this perfume will be my signature scent someday. from the moment i read its notes and heard the name i was so intrigued, i immediately tried it and got me samples. i love the spiciness in samsara, it is not intoxicating and strong as in kenzo jungle elephant, it is more creamy and fresh, peaches violets, roses, vanilla beautiful flowers and woods, fresh citruses prevent it from being heady or too spicy,classy, exotic, feminine, loud in a discreet chic way :). i'm just waiting for some years to pass and be a woman who can wear samsara. a true masterpiece.

This is my signature perfume. I have used Samsara for eight years and still haven't tired of it. It's funny, because I have a high sense of smell and used to get tired of a scent after a few uses . It was always some little part of the cologne that would start rubbing my nose the wrong way and drive me nuts. I also use the body lotion. I actually prefer the body lotion because the scent is even more smooth, soft, and velvety. I am always complimented and asked what perfume am I using. Still love it!!!!

This is a strange composition once you've sniffed a few earlier Guerlains'. Unfortunately I don't think it can shake off its 80's-ness as it was extremely popular at the time and the whole City of London must have reeked of fake sandalwood! It is a bit of a powerhouse in its strength. However, smelling it on someone nowadays would certainly bring a smile to my lips if they had the guts to pull it off, though the lack of real sandalwood available currently will no doubt deteriorate the quality.

This fragrance held some promise by its initial notes, a depth expected from guerlain, but it has a disappointing middle and base, that left a staleness in the lingering notes. It was a kind of overpowering oldness and heaviness, mutton dressed as lamb as it wore on, with a little more mutton and a little less lamb. I can't say that I hate it, but it just does not have that special something that lives up to its promise.

Classic & warm scent that grabs attention, respect & passion.

It says clearly “I am The different woman”
I had never been impressed by a perfume before.

Longevity & sillage and projection are legendary.

I love any woman wearing it ♥

یک عطر زنانه کلاسیک و گرم که اولش خیلی تند و تلخه ولی بعد از نیم ساعت کلاً عوض میشه و اینقدر عالیه و پخش بوی بالایی داره که توجه همه رو جلب میکنه
انگار که داره این پیام رو میده: "من با بقیه زن ها فرق دارم"
من هرگز اینقدر تحت تاثیر یه عطر زنونه قرار نگرفته بودم
دوامش هم عالیه
یه خورده قدیمیه و ممکنه سخت گیر بیاد
هر زنی که این عطر رو بزنه عاشقشم

I kind of liked Samsara from the start. Strange, knowing my fresh, light, green perfumes taste.

Samsara smells on old castles, like the one in which Vlad Tepes lived. Impure, yet fresh. Rotten, still vivid. Earthly and celestial. This perfume rejuvenated all the memories I had from palaces, museums and theaters. Not for the beauty seen there. But for the smell I carried with me.

Long time no fresh air, lacquered furniture, thick curtains falling to the wooden floor. Dust, and bronze made dishes. Moisture under the wall papers. Ivy arching the main entrance.

When you look at some places, you think that must have stood here from the beginning of the time. Try smelling Samsara.

This is a beautiful scent. It reminds me of the old days, of embarking on an adventure, walking through a Turkish bazaar and seeing the sights, sounds, and people. Truly an Oriental fragrance, and somehow dangerous and evocative. The woods and florals combine perfectly to create a bold, elegant, and sexually charged fragrance. Best worn at night.

One of my top orientals!jasmin rose santal wood vanilla on me!sensual feminine and woman frag.tranquility incense like trace.

I finally tried this today and couldn't believe this was the same perfume I've been reading about. On me, it smelled like sweet dusty powder, but not in a good way. It must be my chemistry because I smelled nothing green and nothing floral. It went straight to powder. I like some powdery drydowns, but not this one.

Samsara pure perfume ís like a bottle of perfect love. The fresh start resembles clarity of mind. The soft flowering heart brings you joy, comfort and sensual feelings enhanced by the musk and vanilla. The woodsy notes symbolizes integrity so much needed in a love relation. Red is the colour of love and I therefore find the bottle very suitable to this wonderful fragrance. It's now my best friends signature scent since I bought it for her. Hence it can't be mine - unfortunately :)

SAMSARA is an intensely woody, slightly sweet but still profound fragrance that is very well named. In Indian philosophy, SAMSARA is the breaking away from the cycle of hum-drum everyday existence to another, celestial realm. SAMSARA transports one to a place at once ethereal and sensual, resolving all contradictions to produce a synthetic unity of one's self with the world.

This intoxicating fragrance is rich and voluptuous, mingling many elements to form a magical elixir much greater than the sum of its parts. With SAMSARA, Guerlain broke from their unfathomably beautiful past while still managing to create a masterpiece of an entirely different genre. Somehow SAMSARA is both exotic and accessible, insistent and inviting.

SAMSARA is unforgettable and transformative, like a long trip to a land far away, after which nothing will ever be the same.

A beautiful but powerful smelling fragrance, not for the faint at heart.
Sophisticated and very long wearing.
Great classic fragrance but I like it during winter and only at nights. Packs too much of a punch for day wear. Probably suits 30+ wearer as well.

I love this fragrance. I had it ten years ago. A dark girl from Turkey was wearing it, and I fell in love with it instantly. I never got compliments on this perfume, yet I wore it for myself. Like Opium pefume, you have to have the personality to carry a perfume like this - not a delicate scent. Very bold, lush, beautiful, and confident and meant for that type of woman as well.

Not for me! I tried in Macy's couple of months back because ive heard so much about it but this is not one I would ever buy. too something that didn't agree with my nose.

This is the one of the rare high end perfumes that is truly worth its price for me (okay, this one and maybe Alien...both have dominant jasmine notes and I love jasmine)...note that I am 25 and I'm quite the amateur, but I have salivated over the smell of this ever since I first sniffed upon it 11 years ago. Most high-end classic perfumes (from the 80's or earlier) are just too complex and heavy for my simple tastes and sensitive nose.

But this one is a must-have classic and timeless scent. Like I said, I absolutely love jasmine, and white flowers in general, and I love the deep scent of woods as well as ambery-musky scents...so this is a clear winner in my book. Very sophisticated, intensely womanly and exotic but also warm, comfortable, creamy and rich. I owned the body cream once and felt like I was in creamy jasmine, woody heaven whenever I'd have it on my skin. The colors that pop to my mind when I smell this is a deep scarlet red and mahogany. It evokes to me, ancient Arabia, kohl-ed eyes, and elegant raven haired seductresses adorned in gold jewelery and flowing red robes made of the purest silk.

This is a luxuriant and rich fragrance, so you might want to save it for special occasions or for intimate use. However, if you have the right personality and the attitude for it, you can still pull this off as an everyday scent...you don't have to be 30+ or 40+ woman to be able to pull off this scent...just don't overdose and apply very sparingly!!!

This was one of the first perfumes i fell in love it and wore it on my prom night. It is exotic, yet fresh, light yet longlasting.Sexy but not trashy.

this is the very first perfume i have from guerlain..for my nose, its nice and mild more on a powdery side,i like wearing this during daytime specially hot days, it covers the sweat with sweet powder smell. :-)and it lasts long too..

I love this rich and glorious perfume that exudes class and elegance! Unfortunately, when I wear it I am reminded of a very difficult period in my lifetime, so I don't wear it often sadly. To me it fits special occasions and nighttime best. If it weren't for those bad memories that are associated with it....I would probably wear it very consistently as it is one of the classiest perfumes around.

Samsara is a beautiful composition, the holy grail of oriental woody scents that I would have shouted for when I first smelled and loved Shalimar.

Soft, and robust-I sigh for this now.

The sweetness is continuous, rolls over the senses..the freshness of bergamot and lemon zest are hushed by ylang ylang which keeps harmony with peach, which is replaced by narcissus and jasmine. The narcissus, jasmine, rose, violet and iris all become one flower, with rolling petals, dark, alive in a moving way that goes beyond my mind's notion of the life of florals, and the
distant beauty of gardens.

The base is present at once, and continues sending sinews of sandalwood, musk, amber, the dry nuttiness of tonka bean and only a drop of fresh vanilla.

This is very very romantic, a nightcap for a clear head, the smell of sweet warm smoke in the cleanest air, the feel of tiger's eye beads against a warm throat.

Elegant, Sophisticated lady,It is a sensual and exotic fragrance, perfect for the strong and confident woman who is not afraid to stand out. It is perfect for a special and romantic night if you want to feel like the lady in red. This one is a perfect piece of perfection.

Used to Samsara was too mystical for me, even a bit difficult, now is a beautiful perfume with fresh top notes.Woody notes are so warm, so sensual and very feminine, Samsara seduces in a subtle way with its magic dry-down.
Probably should try all the fragrances every few years to make sure that we are not always the same, and the taste changes with time. I like to try the fragrances that I loved long, and sometimes surprise me that some frags were in the background. Samsara is the case. Finally, it is oriental wooden fragrance that I like, I just forgot that Samsara still shines the same brilliance. There are fragrances and perfumes, Samsara is the perfume.
Well, I love perfumes.

Although I very much love and respect Guerlain perfumes, some how this one just does not sit right on me.It smells wonderful on my friend.

i smelt this on a girl about 5 years ago and instantly it took me back to my childhood as that gorgeous smell i can always smell on elegant women but i never knew what it was, so when she told me it was samsara, i had to have a bottle, it is slightly too strong for me to wear too often, i much prefer to smell it on the lid of the bottle, because i can smell the drydown there, and that is what i love about this perfume. the way i get the gorgeous smell to come out is i spray it on my pyjamas at night, and 2 days later it is still going strong but has become the smell that i love and adore so much. i think this is the thing with some guerlain perfumes, like my mother in law has a bottle of shalimar, but she doesnt like it as a perfume, as it is too strong for her, the way she loves this perfume is, when she has worn the perfume on her clothes, washed the clothes, dried them, then as she is ironing her clothes the subtle smell of shalimar comes out and THAT it what she loves. lol, so i think a lot of guerlain perfumes have to REALLY infuse before one can truly appreciate them

Quite an alluring fragrance that has certainly stood the test of time and is hailed as one of the most popular fragrances over the last two decades.

There's lots of rich woodsy notes and enough smokey incense to balance this fragrance out nicely. Particularly in the drydown, Samsara has a rather soapy yet spicy-like quality that I really admire.

The woman that wears Samsara is pictured in my mind as being classy yet seductively sexy, dressed immaculately in black silk and surrounded by a cloud of cigarette smoke which she manages to make a sophisticated recreation rather than a repulsive one.

Samsara is in one word; class. Luxurious, inspiring and elegant.

I can't say that I'm overly familiar with Guerlain scents, but from what I've tried or smelt on others I've been highly impressed, and Samsara is no exception.

I wouldn't call Samsara a loud or particularly bold type of scent, instead it is rather intimate and mysterious. I feel that this particular quality makes it all the more appealing.

Just a few squirts of Samsara and I can guarantee you that you will feel almost instantly more attractive and confident. A true gem in a world of rather common and boring scents. Samsara will make you stand out.

The favourite perfume of a good friend of mine- but I don´t like it´s smell.It`s smell is quite recognizable and unique although. Elegant and woody but also with that "old " touch, in a negative way. I like other even more "older" classic scents,this one not.To me it has something sour and sickening.Tried it on my skin, to be able to really judge it, and would never buy it. If I wan´t something oriental or woody I certainly wouldn´t buy Samsara.

I love this in vintage form when real sandalwood was used. The difference is amazing from the modern version so try it if you can find it.

i bought this perfume just a few months ago, and i already have little left on the bottle. :-)i thought this is a very classic perfume but on my skin its powdery..like a baby smell:-)and i like it.

I'm in it for the drydown. The EDP has an amazing and totally addictive drydown that seems to last forever! Pure class. IMO, there's nothing dated about it. Good taste will always beat fashion.

life without perfumes would be very boring , i think. I can't live without perfumes and samsara tops the list, it is the perfume that teaches you to respect the fragrance, starting with when, where and how to wear a perfume, any perfume.
I like samsara since it can be delightful, decadent, distinctive, sophisticated, elegant, provocative and the adjectives list can go a mile long.

I appreciate guerlain fragrances more than any other. Champs Elysees is another beautiful scent so is Nahema and Vol de Nuit, while Shalimar I never liked.
Some others I enjoy, depending on the season or the occasion :
J'adore Dior
Organza by Givenchy
Amarige-the old one- by Givency also
L'eau d'Issey by Issay Miyake, which is absolutelly stunning
Hypnose and Tresor both by Lancome
Light Blue D&G

i can honestlly say Samsara and I are in a passionate relationship. If you never tried it before give it patience and respect, you will not regret it. It is a strong, intoxicating, resourceful and surprising scent that stays with you and changes with you. Every now and then another subtle note comes to life on your skin and you look around to find the source and then..ohh..it's me.

This was my very first perfume and I fell in love with it the moment I smelled it. I can tell that how even over a few short years my tastes have changed. I used to love the oriental all encompssing scents such as this, but now I prefer chypre scents such as Coco Madamoiselle.

Jean-Paul jean paul...this frag is very classy it does take a while to kick made for a woman who conveys harmony and spirituality… while powdery and vanilla notes magnify this blend im don’t like vanilla but this vanilla pisses me off.. classic

A unique and recognizable scent, really deep and mysterious with amazing drydown. One of the best woody orientals imo. I simply adore Samsara and I would like to keep a huge bottle in my collection at all times! Great sillage!

You need to give it time,it starts a bit sharp but turns out so beautifully..very oriental,suits dark exotic women(like me...lol just kidding)And its better to go for the edp,it lasts of course longer.Love the bottle too!

As with Shalimar, this had to develop on my skin into gorgeus smelling oriental heaven. And it did.
At first maybe it's too old fashioned for some, but for me ok- it says don't mess with me, I'm mature. After all mature doesn't mean old, so it turned into rich, luxurious aura that wrapped me and warmed up. This should be worn with expensive, chic dress... or something cozy and feminine.
My thinks, you will never fail wearing this, this is the one of classic perfumes that for me stands in row with Shalimar and other orientals (hmm... in fact I should try more classic perfumes). I could say that this is a little similar to Hypnotic Poison only better in my opinion- it has more defined character.
It is sweet, but when I smell it my fantasy draws a piece of wood soaked in sweet floral oils. Fantastic dry-down. A must try for everyone who at least likes floral woody musks.

Wow! What an 80's powerhouse! But I love it.
It opens with a light fruity rosy top which quickly develops into a creamy sumptuous interior. The jasmine and Ylang are very evident to me and last forever. This is a stong perfume and I have had my best results with just one spray of the EdP. No im not joking. Any more than this on me and IT becomes almost claustrophobic its that cloying.
If used with a light hand this is really an extremely beautiful scent. Once the florals start to die down we are left with a soft cushion of powdery vanilla, woods and resins which will last up to 24 hours on my skin and longer on clothes.
Great sillage and bang for your buck.
A western translation of an oriental dream.
Love it!

you are right EvelynDFrech. i thought that samsara smelled like an old lady perfume too, until i bought it as a present for my sister. now, i think it is lovely and a young, elegant and sophisticated woman can wear this and smell fantastic. i think it's different with every skin. it's a matter of the ph.

This was a total surprise for me. Had excpected something like Shalimar and instead I tried some more and more, sniffed and sniffed, I really like this one! It does smell like one of my own compositions but with several layers under the first scent. It was more gentle than I had excpected, yet deeper. My friend who uses Shalimar, said she felt this one was for old ladies, I feel the opposite.

I dot understand why people buy freakin' original santal by creed when for a fifth of the price you can get an actually wonderfull and rich synthetic sandalwood composition. Very good if you feel for it

Sweet and exotic, yet musky and sexy. I love this scent. At first, I thought it smelled too strongly and wasn't sure about it. Over time it really grew on me. I wear the slightest drop on one wrist, and rub it in behind my ears and against my other wrist. Too much is really awful! But with just a hint, I find this perfume to be completely intoxicating.

Samsara is one of my favourite scents of all times. I fell in love with it when it came out and I was a young, insecure, innocent face, not so well dressed student, yet I was totally taken by it and didn't wear it. Other girls at school did, they dare to, but thinking about it now they were just more selfish people than I was. At that time I already own the beautiful PdT of Shalimar I treasured for sniffing purposes. And I wore romantic YSL Paris I still love. I don't know if it's a matter of eras, but very few things hit my brains like scents of that time. Among the others Samsara is one of the ones that many years later became signature scents. I had to wait for it. Previous signature scent was Amarige. Yeah, ok, I guess I like olfactive bombs :-) The secret for me are amber/vanilla in the base, very clean skin and tiny doses.
Samsara is for me an incredibly luscious oriental with floral tones that make it sweeter and less harsh than most pure oriental. It's a blissful mix of sweet jasmin and vanilla with interludes of sandalwood. It works lovely with my chemistry on some days, not always. There is a note I dislike in the beginning and I think it's what they call tarragon. It comes out as first note quite nauseating, but only on some days! The happier I am the more samsara smells gorgeous on me! So I bet I need to be happy to wear it (no easy job these days of my life, but I've seen worse things)
I have heard of Samsara like a powdery scent. not on me. The powder thing is there but very tamed, only giving a wift of warmth. It's both a comfort and a sensual dream scent. Relax and sex don't seem to deal well together in our minds influenced by competitive culture. Most people, even unconsciously, match sexual passion with aggressivity. Not my kind. Since I got interested in Eastern philosophies many years ago I always searched for this sense of well-being of both soul and body together that gives happiness. Samsara is sensual happiness with an eye on spirituality, intimacy, knowing. Extremely passionate yet elegant and in control, it's like a red dream in a Hindu temple. Of course, the Guerlain house has great marketing means and can build very strong images to carry their scents across the world. An exotic melodious name, spiritual meaning behind (it doesn't matter if they're understood the Western way), a colour, images that conjure sensuality and elegance (not vulgar like other ads) and the association game is done! That doesn't mean that Samsara is not what it is! It wouldn't be such a classic and beloved scent! Not everyone likes it, either on her (his?) skin or on others. It's a matter of tastes of course. I used to pair it with Habit Rouge with Guerlain. Female and male Samsara for me! I try not to overdo Samsara because it would me a big mistake like with many other old powerful Guerlains. Overdoing ruins these beauties and can easily result in annoying stink for the aftermaths.
Samsara is best recomended as a winter scent. Well, not true. If you wear EdP (only 2 drops), EdT or even the perfumed deodorant in warm spring or early summer Samsara will bloom in all its floral virtues, always blended with soft vanilla-woody notes as background. Not for the faint at heart :-) You need to be daring somehow and knowing too. I smelt "my" Samsara on some ladies... and I couldn't help asking myself: "Goodness, do I smell so crap wearing IT?" no, I don't think so. Many people complimented about my scent during years. Most of them are women and especially the ones who are deeply interested in perfume world, not the ones who buy the last flanker pushed by SA at dept store. Also some men complimented, but they were all 40 + and quite classical styled.
Someone told me that Samsara is red like me. I mean, red inside. Outside I'm a small Mediterranean woman with pale skin and dark hair and eyes. I've grown older since my first encounter with Samsara, but I still have that innocent-looking expression on my face, only harder because of life. Samsara is my softer, sensual. feminine side. When I'm in a more kicking mood I wear Nahema. Samsara is the good contented one, Nahema is the naughty girl.
Samsara is true beauty. I'm wearing only 1 drop of EdT on my left wrist and typing with right hand, sniffing my beauty in a corner desk of an industrial building in a grey city. A few sun rays enter the window. Samsara here is my close secret. Later at night I'll spray some more...

Classic, sexy, red in all means: it expresses the true and classic power of woman sensuality. It is strong, so you will have to use it sparingly if not, you will smell atrocious. I really love this one on women.

A friend of mine used to wear this perfume and it smelled very feminine and flowery on her. I loved it and always thought that this perfume won't fit me. I was wrong, this is part of my classics now. And funny, it doesn't smell the same on me than on my friend. It is very oriental woody on me and more floral on her. Strange.

My nose wrinkled and I found this to be immediately offensive and very 1980's. I didn't try it on my skin, as I just couldn't bring myself to do it, but perhaps it smells better on as some people claim.

Classic,oriental, powdery, warm, woody, refined, long lasting.

Samsara's wonderful scent brings to my mind beautiful images of Hindu women wrapped in their saris...

I love Samsara.

Sweet oriental, sexy and long lasting.

this is a heavy fragrance in the good way. i normally don't like oriental perfumes, but this one is really something...great staying power too

Sexy, lovely scent for her. It evokes the colour red in an excellent manner. This is maybe the perfume of love: roses, sandalwood and vanilla in a blend which has been imitated by many wannabes. An example would be Boss Intense-Hugo Boss. That one is good too, but not as upscale as this one.

Cool bottle, great scent... but the best part is the combo ylang-ylang with sandalwood, these notes run through the fragrance playing each other, enhancing each other, the ylang-ylang soft and sweet, the sandalwoods strong and spicy, but they feel like a couple, individual and complementary.

Got a tester several days ago, well guys, I didn.t really liked or disliked it personally, BUT, I got so many compliments on it! So I'm thinking about a full bottle:)

Its a very elegant scent I must say, not too sweet as many otientals, not obviously woody it soesn't hit you up your nose. Its subtle. Its like something slippering, I don't really feel it on myself, but its always present at the same time:)

Dark scent with sophisticated sweet. Like black tea poored out on red silk wear of oriental dancers, full of sandalwood and glare of roses, warm and strengh. When I wear it, I feel like oriental Queen on dinner dance, seductive and proud.

After many hours my body smell like put on me little sweet date oil. Date from datepalm.

For a long time Samsara took leading position in my wish-list of dreamed scents. Finally, its EDP version became a part of my collection. Dark, seductive scent, bringing in my mind images of the Orient, or at least of what my perception of the Orient is. At first it starts with lemon and peach, and gradually dries to a very well balanced combination of vanilla, sandalwood and musk. The staying power is really amazing. I should admit that probably I will never become addicted to it, as it is quite overpowering and too dark to fit my personality. But it is a little luxury pleasure to treat myself in a special moment or in a cold winter day.

I really wanted to love this scent. But for me, the musk unpleasantly overpowered all the other fragrances.

Having read how scents smell different at different times of year, perhaps i should try this in the cold season.

I bought Samsara Eau De Toilette,it smells very nice on my skin...sweet,exotic...

very long lasting..it has been 8 days since I sprayed it on the paper, it still stays there with a very nice, warm and elegant scent..but ı can not say that ı liked it a lot for the first hours...

well... definitively better than the classic opium for my nose :D
The drydown its specially pleasant.
Feminine, not too sweet, its a good oriental. On my skin its just an elegant scent :) good

I only had a sample of Samsara. It might have been my high expectations, but it did not smell at all sweet and cozy, mysterious and alluring. I just had the image of an ancient monolyth before my eyes, if I had to describe the smell. Reminded me a lot of Freya from Oriflame. Samsara was to me cold, calculated and a little bit of sophisticated, too. It faded in a couple of hours, perhaps it was the new formula someone it talking aboutin another post. It s a nice smell, but i won't buy it.

First blast is a punch in the nose. After the top notes, clashing terribly, leave, it’s a lovely dry down of sandaly vanilla.)

Although this scent is a bit aged, and therefore in my opinion more suitable for older women, this is a very lovely, warm and rich scent. At start it's a bit chemical, but it dries down very well and it becomes softer and richer every hour. Most perfumes don't stay very long on me but this one is really long lasting. Although I love it, I feel too young for this perfume.

I was studying abroad in Bordeaux 89-90 and one day I was sitting at a cafe and a lady walked past. I was instantly in love with her perfume. A few weeks later,I found it in a little perfumerie. I remember that it cost about $50.00 at the time and I was very broke but I had to have it even if it meant eating bread and cheese for days. I loved it. Alas, my body changed and now it smells harsh on me, almost plastic. Did they change the formula? I would love to recapture a bit of my youth and be able to wear it again...the memories it would bring back. I think for women that as we have kids, take the pill, get older, etc, our hormones change. Now I rarely give away a perfume that I don't like at first because my chemistry seems to change so much.

a very strong,sweet and kind of attitud-y scent... oriental,rich and foggy but with magnificent drydown that doesn't change for days....like a precious egyptian oil...

This one is a real gemstone, a piece of art. Very refined perfume. It's like a beautiful velvety veil which separates real world and heaven. Samsara is the most beautiful among all oriental-woodies, not overly sweet. And the bottle is fabulous...

This is classy and a head turning fragrance. I wore this years ago and would like to smell this again. Sexy, Confident woman only please.

Real uniqueness and sophistication....
I used to wear it a lot back in the 90s tillt they reformulate it to this ugly scent which it turned into. What a pitty !!
However, if i will use it again for old time sake memories, i would use the edp, the edt is a complete desaster.

I DIDN'T FIND IT INTERESTING IN MY SKIN.IT'S NICE WEARING IT IN THE MORNING ONLY.LIGHT AT FIRST AND THEN IT GETS STRONGER.

It is NOT a perfume for the afternoon. It turns heads!Very classy, very feminine and sexy.Requires a great deal of confidence and an evening dress. At least a nice cashmere sweater.

i wore this fragrance years ago, dont know what it was that attracted me to it at the time , but i did like it for a
while, i had it all, perfume lotion,cream........etc. i find that the tonka bean and musk become way too overwelming. it scared away a potential client for me and i never wore it again.

re: Kalte Stern's description of the 'putrid' smell...i myself have notice that a few times and i believe the culprit is the Orris Root. On some people it smells quite lovely, but on me it is usually (8 times out of 10) unbearable. check the other perfumes that you have tried that gave you the same effect; you may well find orris root in their notes. as well, i find frankincense quite abhorant on me as well.

There is something in it that doesn't work for me - so much so that it smells really horrible: animalistic, putrid or rotten. I have never worked out what it is, as it crops up in quite few fragrances, but I can spot it immediately. A pity, as many of he other notes are just lovely, and I usually love spicy and earthy ingredients

it is my parfum.all seasons i can wear. i like this smel elegant and deep . hawe nice vanilia achord long lasting

Great smell. Unique. Recognizable. Beautiful exotic flowers, sweet orientals base. Tranquility. Gentleness. Femininity. Mysticism.

add: now I see, than I wrote about Samsara. Really mistic smell.

very nice and strong scent ....for evening........

Strong, sophisticated, elegant, mysthical. You love it or you hate it.

When many years ago I have smelled first case Samsara, I have admiration. It's wonderful smell still. First it smells lemon roses. Next becomes very sweat, dark. It held about skins, but causes impression, as it if pulsed. Samsara is elegant and unusually appealing. Associated with mature, certain values, friendly, beautiful woman.

I agree with Candra, I do have great memories from wearing this very sophisticated and rich parfum too...surely is the one for the confident woman!!

I bought this perfume twice. It's sexy, smells very rich and sophisticated.I have great memories from wearing this perfume.It's a perfume for the confident woman.

I used to wear this quite a bit. After awhile I just stopped reaching for it. I absolutely love the smell of Samsara, but on my skin it just keeps getting stronger as it wears. Definitely, a perfume to use with a light hand. I won't repurchase this again, but, I love the scent.