Liu by Guerlain

The guerlinade – bergamot, rose, jasmine, iris, vanilla and tonka bean – tinged with aldehydes. A sum of Guerlain’s violet and powdery identity with soapy sparkles that inevitably evoke Chanel 22. That flower-decorated bar of soap you would use to scent a drawer of clothes you want to look at and smell without using up. Because it is so pretty, and has such a clean floral smell you wish it would last forever. A lilac soap-bar scent whose foam smells of hygienic, luminous flower honey. Liu is Guerlain’s aldehydic contribution to a wonderful, very rich, diverse fragrance collection. Guerlain’s Chanel 5 – though more 22. Classic, historic and forever beautiful soapy cleanliness. Especially recommended for noses that appreciate vintage.

I waited a long time to buy Liu. Why have another aldehydic perfume when you have N-5 at hand? Just like I thought about Chamade compared to N-19. I have both and yes they remind me of each other but they are not comparable. They are actually two different perfumes. I make the link only for the galbanum. Back to Liu; indeed, because of the aldehydes, you immediately think of N-5 but that is because that perfume is the only one I know with aldehydes. (Although I also know Chant d’Aromes but that one turns unpleasantly sour on my skin). Liu opens with a lot of aldehydes but as others mention, this one is lighter, more airy. I smell less jasmine and sandalwood than in N-5. In Liu I smell the vanilla base that makes it cuddly and soft, I also smell the Iris and it blends very well. Liu is much less intense and can be worn without making a statement. I like that Guerlain also has a good aldehyde fragrance, a fragrance note cannot be claimed by one house, right? 😉.

First of all, the top notes are incomplete, things are much more complicated. My first thought was how the opening resembles l’Heure Bleue. It’s the combination of bergamot, neroli, violet, iris, rose and jasmine on a bed of vanilla at its old-school best. That bergamot is so distinctively Guerlain. And the aldehydes are pure magic, the composition is so airy and transparent, while the opening of the old girl l’Heure Bleue is often described as a furniture wax polish. Liu may be a historic floral aldehyde, but it is first and foremost a Guerlain. It captivated me from the first sniff, pretty perfumes do that. Comparison with No 5 is inevitable, it is closest to the edt and parfum concentrations. Many forget that the edp is the 80s child and shows its age more than the others. Strangely, Liu is closer to the original concentrations than to the edp. But it is nobody’s dupe. Probably closest to the original Givenchy L’Interdit but less fruity. L’Interdit had a lovely strawberry note. Nothing to do with that sticky tubereuse they call it now. For many, this kind of perfume is grandmother personified, it smells of soap, powder in a makeup bag and hairspray. Smelling it, you might expect to see someone with freshly permed blue hair. When I’m older, I’ll proudly become that old lady with blue hair. Anyway, if you like classics and you’re not scared by vintage charm and hairspray and want something as bright and cheerful as No 5 Eau Première and L’Eau, you’ll love it. It’s a pleasure to wear, it has a magnificent effervescent quality. Beautifully transparent, light and ethereal. The colors I see are ivory, lemon yellow, pale blue and lilac. Everything is so smooth, soft and pastel. I get at least 6h from it and that’s enough for me. Several days on clothes, I don’t know, I washed it before it stopped smelling. There’s a special place in my heart for perfumes that scent my laundry basket. A big hurrah for Guerlain for bringing it, along with L’Initial, to the masses. It’s lovely. Update… It’s mid-June and we have a heatwave, whatever. I’ve sprayed it more out of desperation than refreshing expectations and it’s absolutely lovely. You know that No 5 even in edt can be stifling at high temperatures? I think it’s because of the civet and musk… anyway, not this baby. It’s even better than in spring. I feel my melted dignity coming back to me.

Lovely volatile spicy yet buttery aldehydes over powdery floral pollen and incense. Lovely for spring. It’s bitter, diffuse. And an absolute part of the Guerlain family at its best – no matter how bitter and volatile – and still powdery, still vanilla and still iris. Extraordinarily happy they have reassembled and released it, and in such a way that it’s not a pity, but beautiful!

Liu is a clear and straightforward copy of Chanel No. 5, but without the je ne sais quoi or the longevity of the original. I have both and I’ll use Liu for daytime, but I’d stick with No. 5 for special occasions. Chanel is richer, creamier and longer-lasting and I won’t repurchase Liu, while I’ll always want to have Chanel No. 5 in my collection.

I tried this new version at the airport, there’s a vaseline-wax effect, with nuances of Russian church and artificial incense, this effect seemed more vivid to me than in the old version (in the old 00– version there’s a reference, more to sweet-salty-spicy ginger-milk Thai soup). The fragrance certainly echoes Five, but this “church” strips the composition of any frivolity. To me it’s a good-looking woman, a young teacher for example, but she is dressed in a very strict fitted kremplenovyj suit in dull vintage colors and buttoned up, even her sheer kapronovyj underneath the suit is buttoned to the top. It’s depressing to my taste