Champs Elysees Eau de Parfum by Guerlain

One of my mom’s favorites, the EDP version. Champs Elysees with its slogan… ‘Life is more beautiful when you write it yourself.’ It’s a bubbly, elegant floral with a mimosa note that I love and recognize in YSL’s Paris d’été, Kenzo’s Parfum d’été, and Givenchy’s Amarige. A fragrance with history and memory. There’s one created by Jacques Guerlain in 1906 and this one by Jean Paul in 1996; I don’t know if they resemble each other, but if they do, I’d love it. I adore vintage; it feels like a timeless essence. It’s a must-have. It’s the scent of my mom and every delicate, sensitive woman. Both the vintage and modern versions have differences, but the DNA remains. I wish they would sell all their presentations and flankers again. It’s not a common scent on our streets, so I recommend it if you want to feel a bit eclectic.

Champs Elysees is an innocent, simple floral, like a refined hand lotion that smells expensive. Every time I try it, I wonder what it would be like without melon, a specialist note at ruining any perfume with its sickening freshness. Here it’s not as obvious as in other youthful florals, but I know it’s there, camouflaged, flaunting its withered, overripe fleshy fruitiness without a care. My relationship with melon is impossible; I hate it to death. That prevents me from enjoying it fully; it’s an irrelevant footnote in Guerlain’s history. Given that, it’s a white, homey composition, pretty and pleasant, but ultimately it comes off as insidious, smelling of dirty mouth due to the mix of melon, hibiscus, almond blossom, and peony, all flaccid notes with a raw, greasy, oily aftertaste.

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting this based on the notes! I thought it would be a boring, powdery floral, but I was intrigued. Like most Guerlain vintage pieces, it didn’t disappoint. This is more than a common fruity floral. It opens with powdery, natural flowers like mimosa, lilac, and violet, with a slightly anise-like touch that gives it character. That spicy note makes all the difference. In the dry down, you get well-blended ripe fruits: juicy, effervescent peach and melon. The base features Guerlain’s signature powdery vanilla, creamy and woody notes of almond and sandalwood. Very elegant and mature; not for little girls, but a feminine, energetic, vintage fragrance in the true Guerlain style.

Talking about Champs Elysees is talking about class and poise. It’s not for everyone; it’s a yellow floral for young girls who know their perfumes and value quality. It’s timeless, ageless. Very Guerlain, with those natural aromas that feel like you just cut the flower and are wearing it. I recommend it; you can gift it, but you must smell it first. It smells of abundant nature, freshly cut flowers, which speaks to its quality. It’s pricey, but worth it.

Smells great; I love it. Powdery floral sensation with wood, perceived as sweet and vanilla. I want to own it again. It made me feel special, with an aroma you don’t find anywhere; it’s not very popular in my city. It has good longevity and sillage, seeming like an ageless perfume. I imagine it defining a sensitive, tender, romantic, and elegantly timeless woman.

I’m sorry I didn’t like the mimosa note; it just didn’t work for me. It’s very long-lasting and has great sillage, but unfortunately, it’s not my taste. I gifted it to my mom, and she used it up quickly because she actually liked it. I suppose the perfume is of excellent quality, but simply didn’t mesh with me.

Unique, one of the best scents I’ve ever smelled. It makes you unforgettable; no one else smells quite like you. It doesn’t resemble Ananda or the new version at all. Too bad for Guerlain with their reformulations.

A fresh, challenging, yet elegant blend with a strong presence. You receive many compliments wearing it; it’s for those who don’t want to go unnoticed and wish to be admired.

I owned this fifteen years ago, and all that remains is a memory of honey; a fine, elegant scent.