The House of Guerlain is one of the oldest perfume houses in the world. It was founded in 1828 when Pierre-Francois Pascal Guerlain opened up his first perfume store on 42, Rue de Rivoli in Paris.
Pierre-Francois composed and manufactured custom perfumes with the help of his two sons, Aime & Gabriel. His unique approach was to personalize perfume for a specific person, place or event. Honore de Balzac commisioned his own eau de toilette during the writing of Cesar Birotteau, and the periodical La Sylphide, le Journal des Elegances, scented each issue with a different fragrance by Guerlain.
Guerlain catered to the high society of Paris, and obtained a very loyal following. The perfume house was so successful that Guerlain decided to open a flagship store at 15, Rue de la Paix in Paris in 1840. The house was at its peak in 1853 with it's fragrance Eau de Cologne Imperiale. This perfume gained Guerlain the prestigious title of His Majesty's Official Perfumer of France. This in turn led him to create perfumes for other royals such as Queen Victoria of England, the Empress Sissi of Austria, the Queen of Belgium and Queen Isabella of Spain as well as other crowned heads of royalty.
Pierre-Francois passed away in 1854 and his sons inherited the perfume house. Aime became the master perfumer, a tradition that would be upheld for the next master perfumer in lineage. Gabriel managed and further expanded the house. Aime, created several fragrances for the perfume house, these include Fleur d'Italie, Rococo, and Eau de Cologne du Coq and his greatest creation, Jicky.
Guerlain launched Héritage in 1992 as a secret counterpart to Samsara, which had been launched just before it. Guerlain wanted to give men this counterpart, combining some of the same notes. He gave the flacon the same stopper as Samsara, a golden dome, remaniscent of the dome of an Italian church. Then we discover, after the fragrance's first spiky citrus tang an inner harmony of spice, blending pepper, coriander, and clove that suddenly unveils rich woody notes. Then this fragrance's perspective is emphasized by the shape and facets of the flacon, designed like an architectural model.
It is true that fragrance holds the immutable power to conjure up and reflect our entire private inheritance. Héritage marked the first time that the term "Guerlinade" was used, designating the olfactory seal jealously guarded at Guerlain. Héritage is constructed around favourite raw materials, such as bergamot, patchouli, tonka bean and vanilla. They can be found in all Guerlain creations, giving them a very identifiable and inimitable trail.
Héritage is described as a Spicy Oriental, refined, warm, and authentic.
The exuberant freshness of lemon and bergamot top notes meets an aromatic breeze of lavender. Then, the heart is enriched with fresh, spicy notes such as coriander and pink pepper. Finally, with the patchouli there emerges a rich, oriental woody dry-down. Inspired by yesterday’s generations, Héritage is a fragrance dedicated to the men of tomorrow. It opens with aromatic freshness, succeeded by the subtlety of a warm spicy accord on a woody dry-down with shades of the orient.
Top notes are Juniper Berries, Lavender, Green Notes, Violet, Clary Sage, Petitgrain, Bergamot, and Lemon
Heart notes are Cyclamen, Coriander, Carnation, Patchouli, Pepper, Balsam Fir, Orris Root, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Rose, Geranium, and Pink Pepper
Base notes are Sandalwood, Amber, Oak Moss, and Cedar
"Héritage opens on my skin with a powerful burst of lavender that is aromatic and fresh, but also creamy, dried, sweet, and occasionally a bit medicinal. On its heels is a deeply spicy brown patchouli, followed by an aromatic blend of herbs, a wisp of greenness, and amber. For a moment, the latter feels surprisingly meaty and musky, as well as having a caramel undertone, but those nuances fade away within a minute or two, leaving only golden warmth. On the sidelines, there are tiny bursts of bergamot and the suggestion of soft woodiness." Kafkaesque
Offered here is an immaculate flacon of the beautiful Héritage in its original presentation box. The batch code is WC OJT 1 which indicates that this was one of the original flacons launched in 1995 before several reformulations took place. Hard to find this original formula .. fabulous!
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