10 Best Guerlain Perfumes For You

"Perfume is the most intense form of memory" - Jean Paul Guerlain.

Let the memory of you linger with an exceptional fragrance from Guerlain. These Best Guerlain Perfumes will make you feel feminine, gorgeous and elegant. Here is our list of the best Guerlain fragrances - enjoy!

The Top Guerlain Perfumes

Guerlain has left its mark on the history of modern fragrances with a series of creations that tell tales both real and imagined, inspired by romantic encounters, literary classics and journeys to distant lands.

If you are ready to experience a true classic perfume, browse through the selection of the best Guerlain perfumes we have selected for you here - there is no wrong choice - each one is unique and unforgettable!

Shalimar was created by Jacques Guerlain in 1925, as a tribute to the legendary love story between Emperor Shahjahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Shalimar is named after ‘The Gardens of Shalimar’ - Mumtaz’s favorite garden. 

Guerlain Shalimar is without a doubt the best Guerlain perfume ever and its magic is undeniable. An amber spicy oriental fragrance, it is creamy, smoky, moody, and resinous. Shalimar is an absolutely essential component of any perfume collection.  

Shalimar is best worn on cooler evenings in fall and winter, or for special daytime occasions. It is extremely long lasting, and the beautiful sillage is strong. You should wear Shalimar when you’re on top of the world and want to be noticed!

Top: Citruses, Bergamot, Lemon, Cedar, Mandarin orange

Middle Note: Iris, Patchouli, Vetiver, Jasmine, Rose

Base: Incense, Vanilla, Leather, Opoponax, Sandalwood, Civet, Tonka bean, Musk

Samsara is a classic amber oriental fragrance with woody notes.

The scent brings a deep sense of spirituality, tranquility and balance to the soul - another "must have" from our list of the best Guerlain perfume for her.

This sweet and enchanting guerlain fragrance envelops you. Samsara opens with best and elegant sandalwood and heady jasmine flowers. The sandalwood note here is gentle with almost ambery tones. The end result is soft, sweet, slightly powdery vanilla and ylang-ylang with sandalwood rounding off the scent.

Samsara is long lasting, with great yet not offending sillage. A true classic! Samsara is perfect for the cooler evenings of fall and winter, but it is light enough to be worn on cooler days as well. This exceptional perfume is suitable for all occasions.

Top: Peach, Bergamot, Ylang-ylang, Lemon, Green notes

Middle: Violet, Jasmine, Narcissus, Iris, Rose, Orris

Base: Tonka bean, Musk, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Amber

Insolence is a fruity floral fragrance with powdery hints that you can wear with ease for any casual occasion. It has a delightful sensuality that shines through and reflects the bold spontaneity within you.

Insolence is an ethereal, magical, fairy like fragrance. At the same time it is potent, frosty, vintage, young, sweet and feminine. If you love the small of violets then this fragrance is for you!

Insolence is a bright and fresh fragrance - one of the best floral perfumes for spring. You can also wear it on warmer fall days. This lovely scent is suitable for all occasions and can even be worn in the evenings. The longevity is very good and the sillage is quite strong without being overpowering.

Top Notes: Violet, Raspberry

Middle Notes: Rose, Orange blossom, Violet

Base Notes: Balsam, Iris, Tonka bean, Raisin

Champs Elysees is a joyful floral and fruity fragrance that celebrates lilac and mimosa. 

In the opening there is a mixture of mimosa, rose, lily-of-the-valley, violet – like a little floral garden! Some fruity notes can be detected, but they are not very strong. The anise spreads a sharp, pungent and pleasant scent. The result is a beautiful harmony between the flowers and fruits.

Champs Elysees is a sensual and inviting perfume for the sensual woman. This delicate fragrance with it's fresh character makes it most suitable for spring days. This lovely scent is best for all day wear as it is very long lasting. The sillage is definitely noticeable.

Make Champs Elysees your signature scent!

Top: Black currant, Almond, Peach, Melon, Violet, Anise

Middle: Mimosa flowers, Peony, Lilac, Lily-of-the-valley, Hibiscus, Almond blossom, Rose

Base: Sandalwood, Vanilla, Cedar

Guerlain Mitsouko is a beautifully mysterious chypre fruity fragrance - a famous scent on our list of the best Guerlain perfume.   

At first sniff, one gets a lovely old-school breath of sharp, almost austere oakmoss mingled with dry, dusty cinnamon and juicy peach. This brilliant accord forms the backbone of the fragrance and makes it highly unisex. Then, a secondary accord of powdery florals, sparkling bergamot, and creamy jasmine adds depth and sophistication to the top notes. The dry down is delicious: the oakmoss becomes softer, the jasmine fades and is replaced by the subtlest of roses. Finally, the peachy middle note gets airier and somehow muskier, almost animalic. The overall effect is quite opulent.

The sillage and longevity of this perfume make it a powerful and ideal scent for those days when you want to stand out from the crowd. It's warm fragrant notes make it the perfect choice for cooler weather.

Top: Bergamot, Citruses, Jasmine, Rose

Middle: Peach, Ylang-ylang, Jasmine, Rose, Lilac

Base Note: Oakmoss, Spices, Cinnamon, Vetiver, Amber

L’heure Bleue is elegant, mysterious, and timeless. The fragrance is a celebration of dusk – a time before the first stars make their appearance in the sky.

The opening presents us with an anise licorice, and that soon surrenders to the somewhat intense florals, with emphasis on the iris and violet, and the heliotrope. The spices are mainly in the background - cloves, cinnamon and tonka bean - rounding off the sweetness of the florals. L’heure Bleue is decadent, indulgent, and extremely personal in its sweet dessert-like dry down. It is one among the best Guerlain perfume.

Guerlain fragrance exudes casual sophistication, and is best suited to evening wear on cooler nights. L’heure Bleue is a long lasting fragrance with moderate sillage.

Top: Anise, Neroli, Coriander, Bergamot, Lemon

Middle: Heliotrope, Carnation, Violet, Cloves, Neroli, Ylang-ylang, Bulgarian Rose, Jasmine, Orchid, Tuberose

Base: Iris, Vanilla, Benzoin, Sandalwood, Tonka bean, Musk, Vetiver

L’Instant de Guerlain is a beautiful amber floral fragrance sure to accentuate the allure of all your favorite ensembles!

The opening of this perfume combines dewy jasmine flowers and magnolia, in their most gentle and natural forms. The overall effect is dainty and feminine.

This is a very special scent on our list of the best Guerlain perfume.

The dry down reveals an incredibly smooth, creamy, and lightly sweet vanilla floral scent. L’Instant de Guerlain is a great casual yet elegant perfume.

L’Instant De Guerlain is perfect for cooler days during winter and fall. It can also be worn for evening occasions. This is a strong perfume with excellent staying power.

Top: Mandarin orange, Red apple, Bergamot

Middle: Magnolia, Iris, Ylang-ylang, Jasmine

Base: Honey, Vanilla, Amber, Benzoin, Musk

Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic is an aromatic citrus fragrance of unusual grace and lightness. The Aqua Allegoria collection combines the freshness of a cologne with the sensual appeal of a Guerlain perfume.

The opening is a deliciously sweet, strong, lush mandarin orange note. Then the fresh basil and subtle green tea pleasantly join in, followed by the floral notes. The florals keep the stars of the scent, basil and orange, in check. But in fact, the orange note gets deeper and stronger during the dry down.

Top: Clementine, Bitter orange, Orange blossom, Green tea, Ivy

Middle: Mandarin orange, Basil, Chamomile, Peony

Base: Sandalwood, Amber

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire takes inspiration from the elegance of the little black dress – a staple in any woman’s wardrobe. It is a fun and flirty fragrance - young and carefree rather than mature and sophisticated. A classic on the list of best Guerlain perfume.

La Petite Robe Noire is a dark, sweet, juicy floral fruity perfume. The main note is ripe, sweet, deep red cherry, opening the way to soft almond and red berries. The dry down introduces fresher notes of tea, rose and peony. Eventually La Petite Robe Noire develops its luxurious base of sweet vanilla, powdery tonka bean and iris. This is a fruity floral perfume with an outstanding complexity. 

Top: Sour cherry, Almond, Red berries, Bergamot

Middle: Licorice, Rose, Tea, Taif rose

Base: Vanilla, Tonka bean, Anise, Patchouli, Iris

Mon Guerlain is an amber woody fragrance that was launched in 2017. 

The fragrance opens with a pleasant combination of lavender and a subdued bergamot. Then jasmine and iris enter the mix as it starts to dry down. The iris gives Mon Guerlain a soft powdery texture. Towards the end, jasmine and vanilla become the most prominent notes and they really are quite a pleasant feminine combination.

Mon Guerlain is super strong and long lasting. The sillage is moderate. It is ideal for daytime wear in cooler weather, or for a special night out. 

Top: Lavender, Bergamot

Middle: Iris, Jasmine Sambac, Rose

Base: Tahitian vanilla, Coumarin, Australian sandalwood, Benzoin, Licorice, Patchouli

The History Of Guerlain Perfumes

Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain (1798 – 1864) was a chemist, explorer and inventor. He founded the House of Guerlain Perfumes in 1828. 

At those times, fragrances strived to reproduce scents from nature. Aime Guerlain (1834 – 1910) broke with this tradition in 1889. He brought synthetic notes into the natural composition of perfume. 

Jacques Guerlain (1874 – 1963) was a romantic who saw the making of fragrances as an art form. This prolific creator was responsible for some 400 perfumes, including Shalimar.

Jean Paul Guerlain (born in 1937) was called the Marco Polo of perfumes. He is an avid traveler and spent long periods living alone on plantations to cultivate his creativity. Jean-Paul created many of the House’s most successful fragrances including Habit Rouge for men, Aqua Allegoria and Samsara.

Today the House of Guerlain is led by perfumer Thierry Wasser – a worthy successor to the four generations of Geurlain perfumers.

In Conclusion

This list offers some of the best Guerlain perfumes you can buy from the legendary French perfume house. 

Still hugely popular, today Guerlain scents are made in Orphin on the outskirts of the Rambouillet forest in France. Everything is "home made" to extremely high standards of quality and excellence.

We hope you have found your perfect choice from our list of the best Guerlain perfumes!

Find out how to wear your perfume and make it last longer in our section about perfumes and colognes.