Guerlain
Shalimar Eau de Parfum
Shalimar: The Taj Mahal in the base note of the precious oriental fragrance. Carnal temptation, desire, mystery, otherworldliness... this is how the beautiful Shalimar is described by Guerlain at its release, in 1925. Created by Jacques Guerlain around an original and originating accord of vanillin molecules, the mysterious and enchanting Shalimar would become the very first fragrance dubbed oriental in history.
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How does one create a fragrance so precious, still as appreciated today as it was yesterday? Mysteries of love and scents, but nonetheless a few perfumers' secrets will be revealed to uncover the secret of this emblematic fragrance of the house of Guerlain...
An Indian fragrance for the very first oriental in history: Shalimar
The legend of the creation of the fabulous Shalimar would have us believe that Jacques Guerlain, moved during a visit to India by the fabulous love story between Emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz, named his fragrance in homage to the gardens of their love, Shalimar. Indeed, Shah Jahan, desperately grief-stricken at the death of his beloved, had the magnificent and so precious Taj Mahal built in memory of his love, very close to the Shalimar gardens where they had lived so much happiness.
This magnificent story linked to the fragrance Shalimar and to Jacques Guerlain was moreover the origin of the house of Guerlain's pharaonic advertising film in 2013. Against a backdrop of teasing and anticipated suspense as if announcing the launch of a new film, Guerlain offered Shalimar a 5-minute film (a record for a fragrance) shot in the manner of a blockbuster in Indian lands with Natalia Vodianova transformed for the scenario into Mumtaz. Shalimar sought to convey the world of Temple of Love or the Essence of Desire...
Vanillin and a flurry of flowers for a sensual and enchanting fragrance
Another explanation regarding the creation of the revolutionary Shalimar, less romantic but perhaps more plausible, would suggest that Jacques Guerlain created Shalimar by pouring a few drops of ethyl-vanillin into the accord of Jicky. It is also believed that the latter was influenced by his close relationship with François Coty, who created a brilliant Emeraude at the same time Guerlain was creating Shalimar.
Whether through this mysterious and oriental fragrance or through its bottle, designed and conceived as a true work of art by Raymond Guerlain (awarded at the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs), Shalimar had everything from its release in 1925 to become a great perfumery success.
The glass basins representing the fountains of Shalimar in Baccarat crystal have the pleasure of carrying a revolutionary and gourmand oriental fragrance. The top notes of bergamot and lemon are fresh and citrusy, offering in turn a luxurious heart of jasmine and rose delicately powdered with iris. Then the gourmand scent of vanilla, mixed with powerful and animalic notes of benzoin, patchouli, leather and Peru balsam, creates a unique and deep sillage where the oriental scents exhale their sensual and unsettling perfumes.
Shalimar offers a symphony of sensual and ultra-feminine scents in a bottle of great beauty. As a true genius of storytelling ahead of his time, Guerlain imagined (or embellished) the wonderful story of the Taj Mahal to link it forever to his magnificent oriental, an ode to femininity and exotic pleasures. Shalimar leaves an unforgettable trace and embodies a sensuality close to the skin, a hint of the forbidden. Guerlain.
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The advertising
Created in 1825 by Jacques Guerlain, Shalimar entered the history of perfumery and is now among the legendary fragrances. It was while visiting the Taj Mahal palace in India that Jacques Guerlain wished to convey this incredible story of eternal love. Since its release, Shalimar has been featured in numerous advertisements, all intended to glorify the elixir of love. In 2013, Guerlain presented a 5-minute-44-second short film titled The Legend of Shalimar.
The Legend of Shalimar, a timeless advertising short film
The Legend of Shalimar was released in August 2013 and it can be said that nothing was left to chance. Everything was carried out as if it were a cinematic film. Even if it is not one, it must be admitted that The Legend of Shalimar has nothing to envy from the seventh art... Leading the cast is the one who has been the face of the fragrance's campaign since 2009, Natalia Vodianova. Naturally, she embodies Princess Mumtaz, the wife of the Indian Mughal prince Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal to prove his love for her. The short film evokes a romantic and mysterious world that transports us to 1628. Because he is filled with unconditional love, her husband settles his beloved in a distant palace with a magical setting, that of the Gardens of Shalimar. The prince then travels the whole country to find her.
The Legend of Shalimar, a sensual and luxurious storytelling advertisement
The short film is a particularly bold production and is signed by Bruno Aveillan, the director also behind Cartier's L'Odyssée. This short film, recounting a story of eternal love, unfolds in a sensual and utterly luxurious world. The action takes place in India, sitars and pigeons fly to the almost majestic music of Hans Zimmer, taken from the album The Da Vinci Code. The characters' appearances are a source of both duality and sensuality. Indeed, Natalia Vodianova has fair skin, blue eyes and wears virtually nothing. Only a translucent veil and jewelry clothe her. The prince, who embodies the counterpart to Mumtaz Mahal, is played by Willy Cartier, a French model. The latter sports olive skin, long hair and dark eyes. Only his horse is white, echoing traditional tales. The beauty of the landscapes and the very particular way in which the short film is shot showcase the beauty of India. The storytelling allows Guerlain to tell the story of Shalimar, and to send each of us back to the image we hold of tales and legends.
Because Shalimar is a legendary fragrance, Guerlain owed it to itself to offer an advertising clip worthy of its fragrance. Magical, timeless and sensual, the short film presenting Shalimar is titled The Legend of Shalimar. It stages the origin of Shalimar, in India, in landscapes as majestic as they are imaginary. In order to make this storytelling a masterpiece, Guerlain wonderfully chose its faces of the campaign, its music, its director... A memorable short film.