Guerlain's L’Heure Dorée, the second in the brand's series of limited edition bee bottles for Eid al-Fitr (see last year's Perle Impériale Millésime 2024): "In 2025, Guerlain repeats its Exceptional Rendezvous dedicated to the First Eid, a moment of sharing where tradition and modernity become one. For the 2025 Millésime, fine craftsmanship meets delicate fragrance. Draped in purple velvet and pearly sheen, it embodies the subtle alchemy between memory and audacity of which Guerlain has the secret. [...] The fragrance opens with luminous, spicy notes of cardamom before revealing a majestic rose, combining sweetness and passion. It is then enhanced by opopanine, Shalimar’s legendary amber accord, with sugar, coconut, and sandalwood." 2,095 were made, 125 ml Eau de Parfum plus 30 ml travel spray and funnel, $880.
Holy cow, that bottle is just SOMETHING ELSE!
In a good way?
(I admit it does nothing for me at all, which is fine they do so many bee bottles there is one for everyone, ha.)
Ha ha, good question, and I’m honestly not sure. I think it is such a unique sort of aesthetic category, that it’s supposed to be over the top–you know, like the outfits of a circus performer or Las Vegas dancer. In this category, which is not the usual category “perfume bottle,” more is definitely more!
The close-up of the beadwork makes it look cheap and tacky, like a grade-school craft project. It probably looks even worse in person. They clearly didn’t spend any money on the execution. Guerlain has done some gorgeous bottles (the 2023 Muguet bottle with its porcelain lily-of-the-valley cap and jewelled gauze leaves comes to mind) but that sure is not one of them.
That was my take on it too. I didn’t love last year’s Eid bottle but it was better than this.
I agree with your beading critique 100%. It was a total turnoff for me, not that Guerlain cares one whit about my opinion! 🙃