Shalimar

In 1925, the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts was held in the hall of the Grand Palais in Paris and chose to focus on perfumery. Every evening, Lalique's fountain glittered with crystal spangles. This new style, sometimes "flashy", highlights the most precious raw materials: ivory, crystal, Macassar ebony, shagreen, mother-of-pearl. Classical furniture was no longer in fashion, and the term "art décor" was used. From all over Europe, the last sovereigns and rich industrialists flocked to admire Paris, the city of splendour and luxury.

Guerlain chose to present for the first time the brand new creation: Shalimar. The bottle was created by Raymond Guerlain in collaboration with Baccarat (it was awarded the first prize). The fragrance was created by Jacques Guerlain.

In 1925, as Hemingway said, "Paris is a party", the women were more and more beautiful, allured and smiling. There is an air of freedom and madness in Paris, it is the time of prohibition, a troubled and disturbing period, the time of hot jazz and Charleston. It was also the birth of a myth: Shalimar would perfectly embody the woman in all her femininity and freedom.

 

 

Perfume bottle

The curved lines of its bottle, designed by Raymond Guerlain, draw the basins of Shalimar's gardens, while its blue fan-shaped cap evokes the splendour of a precious and refined Orient. The blue, sapphire-coloured cap is a real revolution in the world of perfumery; Shalimar is the first bottle with a coloured cap. Initially, to obtain this blue stopper, a hole was made in the stopper so that the mercury (very dangerous) could penetrate the glass. The Baccarat crystal works soon found a system, still secret, to obtain a blue stopper without the need to pierce it. Another technical feat is that it is the first footed bottle in the history of perfumery. The label was inspired by the engraved designs I saw on the pristine white walls of the Taj Mahal. In fact, the shape of the label inspired the shape of the bottle for the eau de toilette and eau de parfum.

 

Inspiration

Its name is that of the enchanting and marvellous Indian garden: the gardens of Shalimar in the north of India, in Pakistan, in Lahore (the name Shalimar means "temple of love" in Sanskrit). Also, in this fabulous garden the love affair between the princess Muntaz Mahal (meaning light of the palace) and Shah Jahan will blossom. When the latter died, after the birth of her child, Shah Jahan, "inconsolable", had a white marble mausoleum built for her, chiselled like lace: a true splendour that I had the chance to visit.

 

Fragrance

In 1921, Justin du Pont, an employee of the House, presented Jacques Guerlain with a sample of synthetic vanilla: ethylvanillin (10 times more powerful than vanillin), which he combined with vanilla tincture (an alcohol in which the vanilla pods were to macerate for as long as possible, at least 3 weeks). He works in a Jicky scheme: he locks himself up in his laboratory, tries out all the possible combinations, removes the aromatic notes, puts a little back in, replaces them with 30% citrus notes, and pushes the oriental notes. After many tests, Jacques comes out of his laboratory and says: "I think I've found the balance! His genius was expressed once again: Shalimar was born!

It is the mythical perfume of the oriental family, its bewitching scents make it a "transgenerational" perfume that seduces very young women. An overdose of citrus notes (especially bergamot), quickly melts into enveloping notes (rose, jasmine, iris, woody notes, tonka bean, balsamic notes). A voluptuous delight built around vanilla. In the background, have you noticed its very sexy leather note?

 

Shalimar range

The years go by and Shalimar evolves with the times. When it was released in 1925, it was offered as an eau de toilette, an essential complement to the perfume extract. In 1937, the fashion was for eau de Cologne. Guerlain therefore proposed Shalimar eau de Cologne, in a magnificent "watch" bottle. In 1986, the Pochet & Du Courval company produced a bottle for the Parfum de Toilette (today we say eau de parfum). Guerlain was one of the first houses to offer complementary products such as Shalimar hair spray, Shalimar Gomina, Shalimar Stilboïde and of course, body cream, milk, talcum powder and bath salts.

 

Myth

A fragrance of temptation and desire, a perfume that makes you want to get closer, Shalimar was first a great success in the United States. On the liner Normandie, the American women passengers were enthusiastic about this perfume worn by Madame Guerlain, the wife of Raymond Guerlain. The men only noticed her, her beauty and her head-turning perfume, the women were shocked and jealous, a scandal!

New York cable: Shalimar is all the talk. Some Americans even think it's a new perfume company! More than a success, it's a flood. The whole of New York only wants Shalimar by Shalimar. A legend was born and this perfume was to play a major role in the success of the house in the United States between the wars. Shalimar even inspired a song that was in vogue in those years: "In a little street in Singapore, a delicious scent of Shalimar floats in the air".

Getting to know Shalimar is impossible, it is not so easily understood. It charms the wearer by giving her the feeling that she is unique. There are no false pretences, you are either Shalimar or you are not! It refuses to be lukewarm, compromise does not suit it, the alchemy works or not. On each skin, it will express itself differently, to the point that, on certain people, I sometimes have trouble recognising it immediately!

For 25 years, I have smelled women who wore Shalimar wonderfully. Some were blondes, others brunettes, or redheads. I have even smelled it on men with astonishment, but with delight. This perfume is really a huge success, especially in France and in the USA: it is unbeatable.

L’eau de Shalimar, pure, a tangy delicacy, without the leathery, animalic and mysterious notes, "works well on my skin". Unfortunately, Shalimar doesn't like me! It's a shame.

 

Advertising

The many visuals of French perfume are sometimes true masterpieces. Elise Darçy, a great illustrator, explores the different facets of perfume, both its feminine sides and its inspiration from the Orient. In the American imagination, the advertising campaigns will leave the idea of a chic perfume. Let's remember that the GI's, when they participated in the liberation of France in 1945, lined up at Guerlain's to bring back the spirit of France in their luggage: a few essences of Shalimar.

 

Some figures to know more

• 19 years of happiness between Muntaz Mahal and Shah Jahan
• 14 children born from their union
• 1593/1631: date of birth and death of Muntaz Mahal
• 410 fountains in the Shalimar gardens
• 5 waterfalls
• 22 years of construction of the Taj Mahal
• 20,000 workers built the Taj Mahal
• 400 kg of gold were used to build the Taj Mahal. Precious stones, embedded in the marble, were unfortunately later looted by the British
• 2 years during which Shah Jahan abstained from all entertainment and official ceremonies to mourn his beloved
• 7 years of imprisonment of Shah Jahan by his son Aurangzeb, because he was going mad with love or simply mad
• 1 other mausoleum that Shah Jahan wanted to have built identically, in black marble, but without success because it was locked in the fort of Agra, just opposite, from where he could see his beloved resting

 

Sylvaine Delacourte perfumes

Discover Sylvaine Delacourte's brand with her Orange Blossom, Musk and Vanilla Collections. You can try them thanks to the Discovery Boxes (5 Eaux de Parfum x 2 ml) and rediscover these raw materials as you have never smelled them before.