Throughout history, artists and creators have spent much of their lives attempting to convey their emotions and thoughts through their work. This abstract goal is at the very heart of so many great works of art and masterpieces. Achieving this goal means being able to transcend your voice through the ages and hit at the very core of what makes us human.
The constant churn of time has led to many works being cast astray in favor of a very select few whose legend lives on. The fragrance industry is no different, and I would argue is even faster paced at times than the traditional art world. Every year, hundreds of fragrances are created and launched, and every year hundreds of fragrances are forgotten to the annuls of history.
Shalimar is one of those very few to live on, and in this article we will explore the man behind it, the inspiration and context of its time, and finally a retrospective review on its scent profile.
If you prefer video format, check my TikTok video on this scent as well!
The Master behind the Masterpiece
Prior to the release of Shalimar, Guerlain had already been a long established and successful boutique in the Parisian beauty sphere. Having been first opened in 1828, the brand had, by the end of the century, amassed a wide collection of highly profitable products. Some noteworthy examples include:Eau de Cologne Impériale (1860), Ne M’oubliez Pas (1870), and Jicky (1889).
In 1899, Jacques Guerlain would assume the role as the third, and perhaps most illustrious, head perfumer in his namesake company. A true master of scent blends, Jacques was able to create a very impressive list of legendary fragrances that are still made to this day.
The true genius behind Jacques’ work lay not only in his talent and skill in scent blending, but also in his eye for inspiration. No matter what was the then current cultural zeitgeist, Jacques was able translate it into blends that lasted beyond that moment in history.
But what were his inspirations exactly?
Inspiring the Inspired
For over 200 years, Japan had staunchly enforced an isolationist foreign policy. Although not completely isolated (they traded quite a bit with their neighbors), stringent restrictions on trade, immigration, and visitation on their lands were strictly enforced. This period of isolation ended in 1853, and with it a rush of cultural exchange occurred via trade.
By the end of the century, European artists and designers had become transfixed by the designs, patterns, imagery, and stories coming from these countries. This obsession was only heightened after WWI with the rise in excavations in Egypt.
Jacques, as a contemporary to this art movement, was also captivated and inspired by what he saw. Many of his scents drew inspiration and ingredients from a variety of countries in the Middle East and East Asia. Mitsouko (1916) was one such famous example, being a fragrance bearing a quite heavy Japanese influence (one I shall review at a later date).
For Shalimar, however, Jacques was inspired by a love story that came from the country of India. This story was the one between Shah Jahan, and his dearly beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal.
The story between the two is a beautiful, and tragic one. Betrothed to one another at the ages of 14 (Mumtaz) and 15 (Jahan), their eventual marriage was a happy and loving one. Although Shah Jahan had other wives, Mumtaz was the one he was most enamored with. In the court, Mumtaz was awarded large swaths of influence, and she often used that influence to intervene on behalf of the poor. He lavished her with love, gifts, and lands, and in return she lavished him with her love, wisdom, and loyalty.
Sadly, this story does not end in happily ever after. Mumtaz died during the birth of their 14th child, and the grief of losing her sent Shah Jahan into an inconsolable despair. In tribute to her memory, and to provide a suitable resting place for someone so beloved, he built the Taj Mahal in her honor.
Jacques drew emotional inspiration from this story, choosing notes that he felt represented not only the geographic context, but also the emotional context. Another talented Guerlain member, Raymond Guerlain, designed the bottle still in production to this day. A triumph of Art Deco design, the bottle is inspired both by Mughal art motifs, and the famous water features at the Shalimar gardens in Lahore, for whom the scent is named after.
An Ethereal Experience
Shalimar originally released in 1921 under the name of N.90 due to another fragrance brand using the name. In 1925, it was relaunched under the name we know today. Since then, it has been reformulated a few times to keep up with new and changing laws on ingredients. The version I will be using for my retrospective review will be a more modern version in the Parfum concentration from around 2014.
Finally, let’s talk about the scent itself.
As I apply a small amount onto my wrist, the first notes that hit me are mandarin and a powdery note, with a hint of cedar. It is vaguely citrusy without being too intense, like a warm cozy citrus you would smell in a baked good. In fact, I would describe the start of Shalimar like a warm, loving hug. It is fresh, without being sharp nor aquatic, and it is clean without losing that human warmth. As it sits, the base and middle notes start to come out to play. On me, I smell the floral notes first, the iris and rose especially. They sort of waft their way through the blend like silk gently wraps around soft skin when met with a warm breeze. As it sits longer, the base notes become more evident, the incense, tonka, and warm vanilla especially. What I love about them is that they don’t rush through the blend to make themselves evident, no they allow the breeze of the top and middle notes to pass by them before they radiate out from the foundations of the fragrance. I am entranced with the roasted vanilla at the scents base, on me that comes right at the end as a sort of parting gift. It’s not overly sweet or saccharine like a lot of modern vanilla fragrances tend to be (in my opinion). No it is warm, roasted, and delicious, to me if the other notes are the appetizers and main courses, the roasted vanilla is a warm perfectly proportioned dessert that rounds everything out. One of the things I love the most about Shalimar is how nothing in the blend is overly punchy beyond its initial dry-down. Every single note has its place in the blend, like a well trained orchestra, the notes play off one another and just gently allow each instrument be highlighted when their time has come.
I think what makes Shalimar so special to me is truly the way it makes me feel. I own a lot of fragrances (it is truly an addiction), a good variety of classics and modern scents. Shalimar rises above them all in how it is able to transcend time and space into its own little world. It is somehow classic, but modern. Dated, yet timeless. I have often heard people describe a variety of scents as intoxicating, but none have intoxicated me like Shalimar. To put it bluntly, the scent smells like sex and lust, but not the animalistic kind. No, it smells like the idea of sex, it smells like what you would read in a romance novel. An experience that is warm, loving, comforting, and just ethereal in every possible way. It smells like romance, combined with the sweet song of a summer breeze in a garden. The melody of the song is like an old blues record that still hits you in the feelings 100 years later. You feel the emotions Jacques put into this bottle, you feel the love between Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan, you feel the richness and splendor of the gardens themselves.
The Legend, Concluded
Shalimar is a scent that makes me feel emotions and thoughts I have only read about. On days when I feel weak, it makes me feel strong. There is a clear reason why this fragrance has stood the test of time, and I will always treasure it for as long as I live.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this retrospective on Shalimar and I hope to see you join me for next one.
Thank you. – Zak
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