At what point does a flanker stray so far from its parent that it ceases to earn the family name? Guerlain Shalimar Souffle de Parfum edges awfully close to that line. Yes, it still broadcasts its familiar vanilla, amber, and lemon, but Shalimar Souffle flouts its mother’s mystery and marches straight into “Hi folks, see you down at the mall — the fancy one with the Neiman Marcus” territory.

Shalimar Souffle de Parfum was developed by Guerlain’s house perfumer, Thierry Wasser. Its notes include bergamot, lemon, mandarin orange, jasmine sambac, “l’absolu de l’eau de fleurs d’oranger” (a material Guerlain notes it’s using for the first time), white musk (“an avalanche” of it, the French press release reads), and a combination of Indian and Tahitian vanillas.

I don’t want you to think I’m such a traditionalist that I oppose any Shalimar flanker…

Read the rest of this article »