Samsara Eau de Toilette by Guerlain

★★★★★ Exquisite, one of the most beautiful perfumes in the world 🌎. It’s sweet yet sophisticated; the blend of notes is perfect. I absolutely love it, it’s definitely a favorite 💯💓💜. The longevity on my skin is amazing, lasting over 10 hours, and whenever you pass by with this scent, you leave behind a delicious and elegant trail 🧡🥰. It’s a shame it’s not sold in Argentina and they don’t import it anymore 🥹

Samsara is transgressive even for its time; while fruity floral narcotic scents were all the rage, Samsara stepped out and left you with your eyes wide open. It has a strong presence, featuring soft but well-defined flowers, an incredible sandalwood that is proud and striking, with an air of grandeur and a slightly decadent personality. It was the perfume for ‘different’ women with a very distinct style. It’s an oriental that loves to stand out: at first, it might confuse you with strong citrus, a sweet peach, and a peek of ylang-ylang. Then radiant narcissus appear with touches of violet, jasmine, iris, and a few roses welcoming the king, sandalwood, which permeates everything. Finally, a soft vanilla joins amber and tonka bean. Samsara is powerful, striking, radiant, and unmistakable, with a texture that is both creamy and powdery, full of warmth, and hard to describe when it has you head over heels. On my skin, it lasts about 8 hours with moderate sillage. I think it shines more in moderate climates and at night. If you love perfumes with lots of sandalwood and a ‘Thousand and One Nights’ personality, it’s a must-have.

I searched for this beauty for quite some time, almost buying the reformulated version. In the end, at an 80-year-old perfumerie, I bought the oldest version. When I got home and opened the box, I cried with emotion over the beautiful red bottle; so many memories came flooding back… I consider myself lucky; the wait was worth it.

The first time I used it, I was 17; for me, it was a wonderful jewel and it still is a delight. It has a wonderful sandalwood that makes it dark and sensual. At first, it feels strong and empowered, then the sweetness of vanilla and narcissus comes through. It has a wide sillage and excellent projection on my skin.

I don’t know what happened, but it just smells like baby powder and more baby powder. It was disappointing, but whatever, on to the next one.

I’m left with the bottom of the bottle, the old red one. The presentations of the little bottles with bees can’t be compared. It’s a great perfume, with longevity, projection, everything good. It’s sweet but not cloying, and it has exquisite sandalwood and vanilla, no doubt. If you over-spray it, you ruin everything; with the right amount, you last all day with a very special powdery touch. It’s a shame it’s no longer sold with its previous formula; I’ll wait to see which perfumery brings out something similar. A beauty.

Blind buy. I got the vintage version, which I assumed would be the best approach, and it was a total hit: I’m 😍😍😍 in love. There were fireworks in my brain. Warm and exquisite woods, opulent sandalwood, a home in the middle of a forest. It also smells like tar to me, in a good way. I don’t know what it’s due to, maybe my brain associates sensations of home, well-being, and warmth. There’s a bit of leather with tar, even though it has nothing to do with its notes, that’s what comes to mind. I’m not able to identify note by note, but I get a waterfall of sensations. It’s like what happens with Magie Noire, even though they don’t resemble each other. A gem, I feel like I bought a gem. Edit 20/9: After using it several times, I can identify the notes according to the evolution. It’s not linear, and in its middle phase (at 2 or 3 hours), on my skin it starts to sweeten quite a bit. The sandalwood softens a lot and the woody notes stay in the background, but not as absolute protagonists as at the start. I sense the peach, the ylang-ylang, and also the vanilla. I really think it’s a work of art. I’m delighted with Samsara.

I’m always looking for knowledge and don’t stop at just one, but this is my favorite. It’s great that it’s no longer trendy because it puts me in a reproducing mode. I couldn’t buy it when I was 15, but I’d go to the store just to perfume myself with it. The saleswomen would ask, ‘Is it for women?’ and the obvious answer was: ‘No.’

I like it. The floral opening with ylang-ylang at the top barely fades, while the sandalwood adds a creamy, woody touch, and the vanilla provides a sweet base. There’s a powdery sensation, surely from the iris. It’s more of an oriental floral than a woody one: beautiful, warm, slightly exotic, and sensual. The performance is excellent in both longevity and projection. I see it for cold weather, night, and women. Perfect for autumn and winter. Lasting longevity and a heavy sillage.

Elegant, sophisticated, durable, very Guerlain… A strong, powerful, and very sexy fragrance. A classic that I adore.

Silver plating. Since it’s vintage, there are no testers in my country, so I bought it because it’s a classic and wanted it in my collection, but I didn’t like it at all. On the other hand, my mom and her friend, from the 60s and 70s generations, loved it. So I gifted it to her; better she uses it than it ends up gathering dust in a closet.

Samsara EDT vintage, the first version. In my opinion, a masterpiece of the high and old school. Although the current formula is delicious, the vintage surpasses it by far. Its opening is a fresh and potent essence of bergamot that brings a young lime and a happy lily root. These notes soften in a few minutes and give way to the heart of a latent ylang-ylang, very sweet, aphrodisiac, and relaxing, which embraces with passion the exquisite sandalwood. For me, the magic of Samsara lies there. Of course, this oriental harmony goes beyond that: you can also perceive jasmine and neroli as great guests, adding a subtle sparkling accent, and an iris with violets to powder and reinforce the sweetness of the protagonists. Definitely, it’s a sweet, exuberant, and seductive fragrance that has no equal; it projects extraordinarily and lasts for hours. An unforgettable perfume!!!!!

I’ve worn it for years; it’s Guerlain’s masterpiece. I met it in childhood and always keep it nearby. In my opinion, it’s the richest and creamiest. Here, you can only get the toilette, so I keep it in my collection. It lasts the longest on my skin; at first, it’s strong, but then it becomes super pleasant. I love it; it’s very special to me.

I’ve used it since 1992. I love it, both the EDT and the EDP. It’s unique, addictive, and original. It’s sensual for a special night but also cheerful for going out with friends. It will always be one of my favorites; there’s nothing like it. It has great sillage and longevity.