The word Shalimar means temple of love and of course it reminds people of a garden in Lahore, Pakistan, built by an Emperor as a testament of his love for his wife. This was the inspiration behind Jacques Guerlain, in creating this French oriental fragrance.

Shalimar was formally launched in 1925. It was perfume that was sexy and perhaps too daring for the era when it was first introduced. It was said that during those times there were three things a lady should not do: smoke, dance the tango, and wear Shalimar. But of course this fragrance is so groundbreaking that even with prohibition it only made women wanted to wear it more. That is how this perfume became a true classic which thrives even to this day.

The one I own (see photo), is not an eau de parfum. It is an eau de toilette so the concentration is lighter and well due to reformulations I guess the EDT of today is but a shadow of the vintage EDT. Shalimar to me smells of uplifting Bergamot wonderfully blended with vanilla, some spices. It is also a bit musky and powdery. It will remind of you what a creme brulee smells like.

Although marketed for women, I believe men can wear this fragrance because of the citrus note in it. It also does not come across as too floral (bear in mind that this is an EDT). Furthermore, on my skin this scent is not very loud, it is rather soft so it is safe enough for office wears. Longevity is on the lower spectrum of average, it lasts somewhere between 4 to 6 hours, and only projects for about 15 minutes and then it sits close the skin.

This gorgeous dame may perhaps was one raunchy gal during her time, but now she has considerably mellowed. Still beautiful but unlike the carefree days of yore, she  is now armed with wisdom. And though her past will forever follow her, she has built a reputation that made her strong enough so as not to be eclipsed by her history.