Eau de Shalimar
Guerlain (2008)

Setting aside any great expectations of Shalimar-ness, I'm pleasantly surprised by this one. For one thing, the vanilla—generally not my favorite note—benefits from restraint and the Guerlain touch. I don't think any other house does vanilla as well. The gentle citrus on top, understated floral heart, and clean, powdery iris in the base make for a light, easy-wearing fragrance. It hasn't got all the magic of Guerlain's greatest creations. But it does have just enough to elevate it above the generic composition it seems to be on paper. It's not especially "me," so I'm not likely to hunt down a bottle. If you're looking for a vanilla-iris cologne, though, you'd do well to sample this one.

Shalimar for all
I’m getting tired of black and white thinking. The die hard Shalimar fans snub their noses at anything that doesn’t smell just like the original Shalimar edt, I’m sorry but get over it- this is Eau de Shalimar or “water of Shalimar” and it delicious. It’s a fresh gourmand (classified by Guerlian themselves as per the tester bottles I’ve seen labeled as such) I have a vintage goutte bottle of the EdT dated to 69’ and it’s one of the most complex and beautiful fragrances I have in my collection. That doesn’t mean I can’t also appreciate the beauty of the other versions or veils of Shalimar.
I have the 2009 bottle that’s shown above. It’s opens with a striking, rounded, pastel lime. Very similar to the way the bergamot in Shalimar hits your nose but here it’s lighter. That quickly softens to a sheer, slightly powdery amber vanilla.
I can enjoy Eau de Shalimar without feeling like I’m betraying the grand dame herself.

The idea of
Shalimar at a distance
Was perfume's perfume

So we pursued it
Where cologne mom could not go
Into a future

Of extreme sport girls
With their extreme sport colognes
Not yet their next quaint

Yet to timeproof eye
Spitting image of grandma
With badminton dabs

Tiger mom, the cub
Upon examination
A paper tigress

Like all the others
We knew we were on her tail
By the Shalinade

Too many jewels
Dangling imaginary
In Shalimar space

And webinar time
Not to be reality
And complexity

We knew we were still
In Shalimar Universe
Where such wonders be

The family curse
To get better and better
With both youth and age

We'll see you again
Young Lady Shalimistress
The next time around.

(Edition Charmes, 2009)

This is a great flanker of the original. I don't get any orange on the top but, I do smell the bergamot and lime. Rose and jasmine in the middle - I smell those, also. the rose, in particular stands out. I think the citrus at the beginning and the rose in the middle are what makes this so different from original Shalimar. The base is classic vanilla and resin. Now and then I get a whiff of iris. A lighter version of Shalimar indeed. I'll stick with my bottles of original and the Mexican Vanilla version. However, there are one or two other flankers I may try in the future.

This fragrance gets less love than it should, I think. It's taken plenty of criticism from Shalimar purists for being insubstantial and sweet and consequently, somehow immature and less sophisticated. It's neither of those things, despite being pretty and undemanding. The Shalimar heart and base are instantly recognisable and due to the softer top notes in EdS, make themselves known faster than in the full-fat original.
I should say that I love Shalimar. It was the scent that got me interested in the world of fragrance and the first perfume I bought with the intent of understanding it as much as wearing it. 6 years later, I still find it challenging and tend to wear it only when the weather, my mood, my wardrobe, my date and the planets are all in perfect alignment. Each time I wear it, I am knocked out by its beauty, depth and complexity; each time I wear it, I am distracted from what I am *supposed* to be doing by my need to engage with the fragrance, analyse and appreciate it. I have a vintage extrait, a vintage PDT and a relatively recent EDT; all of them without exception demand my attention in some way or another. EdS gives me the opportunity to wear Shalimar just for the sheer pleasure of it, without having to think about applying 40 minutes before I leave the house, or whether it might set off someone's rhinitis, be overpowering in a car or clash with the wine. I truly love Shalimar, but I'm on a long journey with it - EdS is my pretty shortcut home.

It is always a risk, messing with a classic--especially one as iconic as Shalimar. Eau de Shalimar achieves its goal of being a lighter, fresher version of this classic oriental. The top notes are lifted with a bright and light lemon/lime/bergamot note--literally good enough to eat--and the base notes are relieved of some of the tonka and rich incense (resin notes are listed instead of the traditional opoponax) but the rest is pure Shalimar. The vanilla is still there since it wouldn't me Shalimar without it. This is not a watery scent; it has more freshness than classic Shalimar but is still an Eau de Toilette and has excellent lasting power. Great for Shalimar wearers in warm climates or for those who do not want the heavy French formality of the original but love the citrus/floral/incense/vanilla dream that is Shalimar.