L’Instant Magique by Guerlain

An updated portrait of Guerlain’s La Guerlinade retaining that floral signature of house-specific ingredients that define the brand. Everything Guerlain: violet almond bergamot vanilla rose… synthesised and refreshed. A precious aniseed formula with a subtle powdery presence. Clean and floral. It is the antithesis of the insolence of Guerlain’s classic baroque violets. Here that coquettish and delicate world of cosmetic care is represented with subtlety. Instant Magique is a well-nourished neutral floral talc richly enriched with flowers anise and more resulting in a clean exquisite complexity. In my opinion the magic happens thanks to the anise and its contrast with the rest of the flowers. It plays many things at once without ceasing to be a powdery portrait of classic beauty.

L’Instant Magique is a very natural elegant powdery perfume. Its opening somewhat floral and citrusy with a faint rose quickly gives way to the most powdery iris with fresh almonds becoming noticeable much later. They are not creamy or dense but light. It is a sweet perfume yet nothing cloying; the sweetness of each component is felt without excess and the iris wraps everything in pure Guerlain style. Its concept is a slightly almonded powder room talc with non-strident vanilla. It boasts impeccable longevity and trail. I find it more attractive than the latest creations from this house’s non-high-end range knowing they are expensive. It has a very seductive vintage touch.

Despite not resembling its sibling and despite this seeming like a negative: it isn’t. An exceptional creature crafted by an expert hand in configuring olfactory deities. It was a love at first sight in my life: a friendly hand gifted me that magical moment where you took the highway from lung to heart and I didn’t even know how to breathe. I simply wanted to inhale your air because with every exhalation I felt I was losing you. A tornado of almond vanilla and iris that envelops and lifts you off the ground: a magical journey always in the company of rose freesia and violet which slowly spinning around you lose their scent to gift it to the wind your sustenance… and now a sun smelling of white musk and sandalwood slips through the eye of this dry hurricane and deposits you back on the earth which you will now feel and live under the influence of a magique tornado’s trail.

VELVET CAress The world of fragrances for my mother sums up to: Chanel Guerlain and Lancôme and this was another Guerlain my mother gifted me that I didn’t know how to appreciate at the time for reminding me of Flower by Kenzo a perfume that never called to me… so it remained for years in ostracism keeping company at the bottom of the wardrobe alongside others like Insolence a floral too forceful for my then-self… until relatively recently. Now I am ready to enjoy them. I perceive it as a refined luminous smoke-free version of Lou Lou more powdery and creamy and nothing overladen or eighties-style although it has a dark slightly boozy sweet component in the Gloria style. Fortunately I don’t perceive the anise which I detest for being sticky cheap and intoxicating but it has a refined soft sweetness coming from the vanilla as well as a vegetal and powdery sweetness from the iris and violet. The almond does not have the lollipop aroma but contributes the creaminess and woody texture of dried almond. It has floral notes similar to Insolence but whereas that one has resins that boost the flowers and give great longevity plus red fruits that make it sweeter L’instant Magique has a sweetness that is a bit less crystalline more muted and vanillaised and the creaminess of the almond gives it a different finish and neutralises the violet more. I also perceive that sort of melon-like sweetness present in perfumes like J’adore very faint and balanced making it aquatic which could also come from flowers like jasmine or mimosa. If that scent had a colour it would be orange… and it transports me directly to a Halloween context pumpkins end of summer night by the pool or blue lake where the moon reflects… only that this perfume though magical is much more versatile and romantic than that. For me it is a cult scent very different but delicious nothing cloying but refined like fine velvet like a light cream that extends in a caress. It never tires me; it is a masterful and addictive composition around the warm almond but they have managed to introduce forceful flowers perfect so it doesn’t end up as marzipan. In my opinion although slightly sweet it is not exclusively feminine. It is sensual with body restorative calming magical mysterious silky luminous intimate has personality… and lasts infinitely. USE: It is very versatile suitable for all climates because although warm and with woody texture or very slightly powdery above all it has a natural herbal sweetness that I link to the aquatic. It must have been conceived for the in-between seasons although it suits me more in autumn/winter than in spring. It is very suitable for night due to longevity and the trail it leaves but as it is not intoxicating or with intrusive notes it is perfect for the day. It is ideal for a formal context but also not a wall-scent frivolous one that would be out of place in informal occasions; on the contrary… that is why it is versatile.

It is aromatic without being heavy elegant and long-lasting preferably for winter and night. Excellent scent. I hope they do not withdraw this line.

Today it has reached my hands this wonder is exquisite delicate fine of excellent quality a dream come true. Sweet soft but persistent; I have only put a little on my wrist and every time I move it the scent comes out like a gentle breeze. Ideal all the time and at any hour. Adorable in Guerlain.