Guerlain Les Voyages Olfactifs: Moscow, Tokyo, New York and a Prize Draw

I am not going to comment on the size of the bottles. Because...well, we've been through that so many times since the arrival of Les Exclusives de Chanel. I shall not analyze whether Les Voyages Olfactifs fragrances suit the cities for which they are named. Because if you are willing to stretch an idea, anything will suit anything. Paris-Moscou. Flowerbomb Lite. A more graceful, more floral, slightly less sweet version of the same candied-flowers idea. There is a certain refinement of a long pedigree that even such conventionally pretty representatives of the noble Guerlain family as Moscow, Nuir d'Amour and Plus Que Jamais can't help but possess. As witnessed by the three aforementioned fragrances, Guerlain is very capable to produce this kind of high quality olfactory pop music. I wish they made them widely available as there is nothing exclusive about them, instead of a lot of stuff they market widely. Although Moscou has a certain smoky sort of darkness in the base, I did not get either the promised absinthe or the pine needles I so longed for. Nevertheless, a very, very pretty little scent. If it fell into my lap...and, being of a considerable size and weight, not broke it...I'd wear it when a disco roller girl mood strikes me. You probably don't need it if you have: Flowerbomb. Paris-Tokyo. For those who like this green-tea-citrus-jasmin-pinch-of-sugar sort of thing, this will be exactly the sort of thing they like, only more expensive and in a bigger bottle. This is the opposite of what I am attracted to, but I find it -here is the word again- very pretty. Tokyo is fresh and transparent, but not overly so, because I don't think that, even at their most un-guerlain-iest, Guerlain are capable of a lot of transparency. Tokyo is not sweet, but that pinch of sugar keeps it from being too bland and pale. You probably don't need it if you have: Thé Pour un Été. Paris-New York. The most interesting of the three. But only inasmuch as I am predisposed to automatically find spice-resins-oriental fragrances the most interesting in any group of scents. Then I let them develop and realize that it has been done and done much more interestingly before. The woody-incensey accord in New York has a very attractive leather quality, the cinnamon does not overpower other ingredients, and vanilla, while kept to a minimum, still manages to give the blend a certain fluffy-powdery voluptuousness. You probably don't need it if you have: a lot of stuff by Serge Lutens. If you would like to be in a draw for a set of samples of Les Voyages Olfactifs, please say so in your comment. The winner will be announced on Friday. The draw is now closed. Image source, firstluxe.com