Guerlarose
Guerlain (1930)

Rose I get throughout. It arrives immediately and presents as bright and fresh, partly it itself and partly because the lemon and the bergamot instill these attributes in the initial phase of the development of this creation. It starts out being an elegant and somewhat fragile being, a crystalline rose.

Most fragrances want to impress the potential buyer in their first and initial moments, prompting an immediate purchase; hence they are strong and intensive at the start and then gradually lose strength. This soliflore reverts the usual order on me and becomes more intense and vivid once the drydown begins. The rose grows stronger and and develops enhanced texture; it mainly is a blossom-centred rose and gradually loses parts of its freshness and replaces it with richness and vividness. At times a bit of the rose leaves with some woodsiness of the stems is evident too, whilst a violet adds a touch of a darker component to it. Above it all, an accompanying jasmine adds additional character and compliments the rose, the main player beautifully.

Leading into the base, heliotropes lead the way, merging with whiffs of tonka and a smooth almond impression, resulting is a rich melange that exudes discreet sweetness with whiffs of a faint caramel note making a transient appearance. And, yes, until about a couple of hours before the finish the rose is still there, but then it fades away gradually, giving way to the base notes eventually. In the last stages a faint and elegantly light powderiness is detectable, which is surprisingly modern and devoid of any musty or boudoir-style characteristics.

I get moderate sillage, excellent projection and, fittingly for such a concentrated parfum extrait, a splendid longevity of twelve hours.

This stunning solifore of considerable complexity is perfect for spring evening occasions. On of the finest roses I have come across for a long while, the high quality quality of the ingredients as well as the sublime blending make this one of the great rose scents of the last century, one of the finest floral Guerlains and, in essence, a classic. 4.25/5.

GUERLAIN – GUERLAROSE (1934)

The perfume world knows Guerlain's 1979 Nahema as a reference rose creation. I had been unaware until recently that their first take on the rose soliflore was Guerlarose back in 1934.

This is quite a different take on the “queen of flowers” than the later Nahema, which was strong and powerfully sexy. Guerlarose is extremely soft and delicate. There is restraint here and there is an interesting mix of other notes that intricately support and open out the rose impression.

Violet, Jasmine and Heliotrope provide a dry, powdery vanilla-like softness and there is just the right touch of almond to anchor it. Surprisingly, my nose also detects a hint of strawberry leaf, a note more prevalent in Mugler's Angel created decades later. I was thrown at first by this recognition, thinking the use of that leaf came much later in perfumery, but who is to say?

Guerlarose is a beautiful creation and one of the softest I have ever experienced. I get more the “impression” of rose than a direct detection. A masterly blend of notes that support and enhance the heart essence, never taking away from its statement, but surrounding it with clouds of nuance.

Top notes: Rose, Lemon, and Bergamot
Heart Notes: Violet, Jasmine, and Heliotrope
Base note: Almond

Luckily, this is still available on line from private sellers. A must experience for all lovers of the rose.