Perfumer Teone Reinthal says:

When my friend Nikhil first challenged me to attempt this juice, I recoiled. Why try and make (again) what is already perfect? Already here and someone else’s idea? A natural version of Shalimar? No way.

Besides, surely every perfumer has had a go at blending this and No 5, right?

Nikhil urged me to give it my best shot, So, I began to think deeply and read widely about the life and times of the esteemed Monsieur Jacques Guerlain.

Jacques fragrance notes

    • lemon, bergamot, rose, jasmine grandiflorum, cypriol, orris, vanilla, portuguese labdanum, venezuelan tonka bean, styrax

Latest Reviews of Jacques

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The “Jacques” in question is Jacques Guerlain, to whom this is a tribute by way of reconstructing Shalimar. It is, of course, not a literal reconstruction, unless ol' JG was using Vietnamese oudh in 1921. But, a century later, he probably would be, especially with the restrictions on some of what he used to create Shallie's original animalic growl. Besides, with all the variations of concentration and formulation over the past 100 years, which Shalimar to copy? Better to emulate more generally.

I like some iterations of Shalimar much better than others, but none so much that it would get play in my wardrobe. That's my wife's territory, and I'm happy to cede it. So, I wasn't expecting to love Jacques, and I don't. It's good, and S'mar devotees might lap it up like a kitten with milk, but the amber base that quickly dominates is just too polite and familiar to thrill me. If this sounds like your sort of thing, it probably is.
14th September 2021
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