Guerlain – Patchouli Paris – Soft, Elegant & Overpriced

For whatever reason, I thought that Guerlain’s new Patchouli Paris would be another in the long line of rose/patchouli scents. Thankfully, it’s not. No doubt, the reference to Paris in the name, the color of the perfume, and the association we have linking rose with patchouli caused me to come to a false assumption. After sampling the scent, it surprised me in good and bad ways.

It’s undoubtedly a patchouli-forward scent, woody and earthy but not damp, as is sometimes the case with patchouli. I find Patchouli Paris to be bright and soft. The silken, velvety union of iris and aldehydes cushions and takes the edge off patchouli’s dark, damp attributes. The iris note has an almost buttery feel. It’s smooth. While some patchouli fragrances might be rank and unpolite, Delphine Jelk’s rendering maintains an understated, sparkly, posh, woody elegance.

Eventually, Guerlain’s customary vanilla notes creep forward, and Patchouli Paris grows sweeter into the base. But unlike some of the more treacly scents in this collection, it’s more a dusting of icing sugar than a full-on dessert. Still, the duet of iris and vanilla allows the patchouli to take on a creamy texture. And if there were such a thing as a patchouli mousse, maybe it would take the form of Patchouli Paris. I don’t pick up much ambergris in the base. Indeed, there probably isn’t any genuine ambergris here. Most likely, Ambroxan props up the composition. 

The last patchouli scent from Guerlain, Patchouli Ardent, heads in a much greener, figgier direction than Patchouli Paris. But, it had more presence than Patchouli Paris. Patchouli Paris is so soft and understated that it might have fit into Celine’s “Haute Parfumerie” line, which is dominated by off-white, buttery, iris, and vanilla perfumes.

Guerlain colour this perfume red (see above), but it’s not dark and rosy. Indeed, this patchouli has a beige, almost opaque quality. Overwhelming, it is not. I think of light purple and chalky white flowers when I wear it. Guerlain subverted my expectations. I enjoy wearing Patchouli Paris, but it could be more exciting and complex, especially at this staggering price point. Guerlain’s L’Art & La Matière range is a Fragcomm favourite, but I’ve never fallen for many. Chart-topping hits like Spiritueuse Double Vanille and Tonka Imperiale were too thick and gooey for my taste. I preferred deeper cuts like Iris Torréfié and Bois d’Armenie. Patchouli Paris sits somewhere in the middle. And probably wouldn’t make a Guerlain’s greatest hits album.

Do you have a favourite L’Art & La Matière? Have you sampled Patchouli Paris?

The images are my own, except for the bottle image of Patchouli Paris, which is from Guerlain. I purchased the sample of Patchouli Paris used for this post.