What does a 10-year old perfume smell like?
The Guerlain Shalimar was my first true grown-up perfume. It’s what started my love for deep, oriental fragrances in chic perfume bottles that I’d rather look at than drain. I reviewed it 10 years ago, in 2011, and while I never finished it I kept it close to me despite all the massive changes that encompassed my life in the last ten years.
In 2011, I’ve just been working on Project Vanity for three years. It’s not big yet and far from being a sustainable business back then, but it was growing steadily and getting some notice from people. I remember the Guerlain Philippines brand manager then, Sigrid, who sat with me for coffee to discuss some of Guerlain’s iconic products. What a fabulous woman! I recall thinking to myself. She gave me a few gifts, and the Shalimar perfume was one of them.
Shalimar I learned soon enough was not for everybody. It smelled like a fragrant rum or gin, with a lot of smoke and warmth infused into it. Those who’ve noticed it on me though it was a man’s fragrance - that’s how strong and distinctive it is! But I rather enjoyed wearing it. I liked thinking I was the kind of person who would dare to wear this kind of perfume.
But as with enjoying funky blue cheese or fine wine, my taste had yet to catch up with my confidence. I was a deeply insecure person, you know, because I wasn’t born rich or beautiful. I have a chip on my shoulder because of that, which drives me to achieve as much as I can. I kept Shalimar in my closet for a decade. I was waiting for the day when I could put it on and feel like I’m wearing it - and not that it was wearing me.
Well, by the fifth year, Shalimar started to smell a bit off. So I never really wore it again.
Yesterday though I was staging a shoot for my jewelry line Nobela. I spotted Shalimar in my scent shelf and fell in love with the bottle again. I was curious if it still smelled funky, so I sprayed it into the space in front of me.
Strangely, it smelled fresh, like it was new. Just a couple of spritzes filled my entire condo with a heady warm glow - so much that my dog started sneezing. The scent brought on memories from how my life was 10 years ago. I remember being so hungry, and angry, and wanting to prove myself so bad that it hurt. I remember being unsure about my place in the world yet fighting for every inch of space like I had nothing to lose. Things are so different now. Better. I’m grateful for everything I’ve learned and I like who I’ve become in the process.
That, my friends, is what a 10-year old perfume smells like.
