Guerlain

Insolence Eau Glacee by Guerlain

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Winding down on my current crop of scent to test out, I have today’s entry from Guerlain’s women’s collection, Insolence Eau Glacee. Now, I’m pretty sure that this one has been discontinued by this point in time, but you can still find bottles available online. I will of course cover how it smells, performs, what notes are included, and if it is worth a purchase.

What does Insolence Eau Glacee?

Notes include: red berries, apple, iris, violet, and citrus

Click here to try: Guerlain Insolence Eau Glacee Eau De Toilette Spray for Women, 1.7 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

Insolence Eau Glacee was marketed as an ‘icy’ aroma and while I have come across multiple men’s colognes which also go this route, this one doesn’t seem to strike the same ‘cold’ tone. I mean, it’s there but not nearly to the same degree.

Initially, I get a lot of violet and apple in particular which is supported by the iris note. This gives the fragrance a crisp yet powdery sensation, that is quite pleasant.

Apple is the main fruit note, but the berries and a very light citrus blend is there as well. The citrus isn’t a major factor in this Guerlain. All together, the fruity notes are more tart at the beginning, then it’s a tad sweeter during the dry down.

This is a pretty linear scent and after a few minutes, what you smell is what you get. More of the iris note development and some juiciness supplied by the red berries. Violet, apple, and iris, with the additional highlights of the berries.

It’s a watery sweetness, as if the fruit notes have been soaked in a vase of the floral notes that are present here. The iciness is a nice touch, that gives it the feeling of more depth versus what it actually has.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Eau Glacee is soft and understated. This isn’t a bold or in your face sort of fragrance, it is quiet but you’ll know that it is there. It’ll project maybe 3-5 feet from the skin and that’s about it.

While it isn’t a strong perfume, it is one that lasts a work day. During testing, I managed about 8 hours with a few sprays. The performance is good, as a low key scent, that isn’t going to take over a room.

It is interesting when you get a softer fragrance that actually sticks around despite not being a complete bomb.

Eau Glacee strikes me as a casual scent or one for a business type environment. It elegant and has a seriousness to it, that doesn’t come across to me as a ‘sexy’ perfume. Nonetheless, it is pleasant and has its own charm.

I’d also say, it’s probably best in the springtime or other days in which the climate is mild. Maybe venturing into the early days of summer.

Overall Impressions of Insolence Eau Glacee

Overall, do I think Insolence Eau Glacee, is worth a purchase? If you’re a fan of violet and iris and you happen to need something low key. I think it smells fine, it’s not harsh or ugly in anyway, but I don’t think it’s incredible.

It is a solid performer that is well blended and takes you on an easy and steady ride. I like the iris, berries, and that chilly quality that comes through. Nice, clean, tart/sweet, and plenty of powder.

Eau Glacee has some very familiar aspects found in many other perfumes. It’s not super unique, though, it’s nice enough for what it is.

Update: This one seems to be long gone and got discontinued at some point after this review.

La Petite Robe Noire by Guerlain

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So, I’ve received two samples of La Petite Robe Noire fragrances by Guerlain, and it of course confused me as to which one was which. There seems to be a long complicated structure to when the original was released and then all of the subsequent flanker perfumes that all have very similar bottles.

Never mind all of that though, this post will take a closer look at the Eau de Parfum version of this Guerlain scent, and present my opinions on how it smells, performs, and when it should be worn.

What does La Petite Robe Noire Smell Like?

Notes include: black cherry, rose, almond, licorice, black tea, red berry, vanilla, and more

Click here to try: Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening is a blend of black cherry and berry notes that has a heavy syrup quality to it, much like the type of cherries you’d find at a bar or used as candy flavoring.

This does have that strong candy/medicinal aroma that can wear on me, thanks to the licorice note, much like the one found in Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin. However, it doesn’t bother me as much in this eau de parfum, as it does in that men’s fragrance.

As it dries down, I do begin to detect more of the almond and vanilla note in La Petite Robe Noire. It gives it a bit of a different profile than that strong almost overly sweet start and some much needed depth to the perfume.

What’s interesting, is that even though this is a sweet/fruity fragrance, it does have a darker and less girly feel than many similar fragrances of its ilk. Also, as it wear it does seem to evolve further, while never losing its cherry aroma.

The black tea, rose, and other floral notes begin to take shape and make me appreciate this scent even more.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it starts off strong for the first ten minutes or so, before it fades into something much more moderate and tolerable. That opening sweetness can feel a lot more powerful, than the perfume actually is.

The longevity struck me as pretty good but not insane, I would say it lasted about 6-7 good hours on my skin. It’s about in line with what I’ve come to expect from this series.

I think that this is a scent for colder weather. La Petite Robe Noire does have that kind of sweetness that can overwhelm and annoy some people, so I’m not too sure that I’d recommend it for office or school wear. Best to be worn on an evening out, it would seem.

Overall Impressions of La Petite Robe Noire EDP

Overall, would I recommend this fragrance? For some people, yes. If you’re in the market for a solid cherry based scent, this could be one to explore. I find it very interesting, but not incredible, by any means.

I like when the opening settles down and more of the almond and vanilla comes through. That’s when Robe Noire is at its absolute best.

In my opinion, it’s decent to good but for some ladies this might be love at first sniff…and others still will detest this parfum. It’s definitely one to try out and not expect a universal appeal while wearing it. A mostly good Guerlain scent.

La Petite Robe Noire Couture by Guerlain

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This is going to be my second review of Guerlain’s La Petite Robe Noire series of fragrances. There seems to be 80 million variations of this namesake perfume and they all come in bottles that look close to the same. The original La Petite Robe Noire that I reviewed was highlighted by a black cherry note with berries and almonds supporting.

Today’s review is going to cover the Couture version in an Eau de Parfum. So, let’s go ahead and jump into my review, starting below.

What does La Petite Robe Noire Couture Smell Like?

Notes include: patchouli, raspberry, bergamot, rose, tonka bean, moss, and vetiver.

Click here to try: Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Couture Eau de Parfum, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

From the opening, I of course notice how similar Couture and the original Petite Robe Noire are to one another. Now, Couture replaces the black cherry and other red berries for a singular raspberry note.

It is interesting how this one maintains its sweetness and has a similar aroma to the first one just by swapping the fruit note.

Couture feels like it has just inverted some of the background players in the original and then dropped some other notes in favor of new ones like the raspberry.

There also is a very noticeable patchouli note in this. It’s combination with the raspberry reminds me of Black XS for Men and how it pairs itself with a lemon note. However, that men’s fragrance develops into a fairly acrid smell while Couture remains sweet and pleasant.

This perfume also contains a rose note that gets tempered by the presence of patchouli. The rose and the tonka bean pair to give Couture its smooth and powdery element and prevents the sweetness from going too overboard.

The dry down period, gives Couture a nice change of pace as the moss and vetiver begin to emerge and develops into a much more grounded woody base. It’s nice and not too masculine but I think that it gives this fragrance more character.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, La Petite Robe Noire Couture is pretty moderate but by no means weak. It’s not a perfume that will choke out a room. Nonetheless, I noticed it waft up from the skin many times during the day, as I tested this scent out.

Couture seems to have pretty good but not amazing longevity with around 7 hours of wear being well within its abilities. Not an elite perfume, with how long it lasts, but it is certainly a serviceable fragrance.

I’m not sure that I could classify this as a certain ‘season’. It would seemingly work well in all but the high heat of summertime and is versatile enough to wear at the office or out for a date.

Overall Impressions of Couture

Overall, is La Petite Robe Noire Couture worth a buy? Yes, granted you enjoy sweet fragrances. The patchouli isn’t bad in this one, which is usually a note that I don’t care too much for. If you’re not really into sweets, I’d probably avoid this one as it might be headache inducing for you.

That being said, if you enjoy fruity floral scents, this is a very solid choice. I actually think that I like it better than the original fragrance that it followed.

Couture isn’t a super powerful fragrance, but it does have a good use as a daily wear, so at a good price it might be worthwhile.

The vetiver and moss in the dry down, does help to set Couture apart, and comes across as a greenish aroma. Somewhat dry itself and a nice contrast from the raspberry and sweetness as a whole.