It's taken me a long time to finally revisit Guerlain Heritage So much so that I'd completely forgotten what it smelled like. Good is what! Very distinctive and complex yet effortless in it's composition, just a Guerlain throughout really. Floral and fruity notes in the top are fresh and the calming vibe or lavender gives way to a warmer heart of sandalwood with a kind of musky, oakmossy, woody drydown. A blend of classic 'male' type florals too such as carnation which I'm not overly fond of but are well handled in this scent. A great fragrance then... and something which I think everyman should aspire to wear at some point. A must for my collection a little sweet, powdery, creamy, floral and woody.
Released in 1992
Classified as a woody spicy.
Nose: Jean-Paul Guerlain, who's created other masculine classic at Guerlain such as Habit Rouge and Heritage. He was the last of the family master perfumers, being the fourth generation Guerlain to work as the master perfumer of the brand. He retired as the head perfumer in the early 2000s and stayed on as advisor but removed from the Guerlain brand in 2010 for racist remarks made on French TV regarding his inspiration for one his classic perfumes Samsara.
Top Notes: Lavender, Aldehydes, Juniper Berries, Clary Sage, Bergamot, Lemon, Violet, Petitgrain and Green Notes
Heart Notes: Patchouli, Coriander, Geranium, Pepper, Carnation, Balsam Fir, Rose, Pink Pepper, Orris Root, Jasmine, Cyclamen and Lily-of-the-Valley
Base Notes: Sandalwood, Amber, Oakmoss, Cedar and Musk.
My take: Opens with a blast of brightness and gentle clean ambery warmness, which comes across to my nose slightly boozy. The main note of the opening is the aldehydes and lavender, with a touch of juniper berries and amber. The opening to my nose is just like an ambery boziness, with some comforting lavender and touch of juniper berries adding some sweetness, it's smooth and juicy.
As the scent develops into the heart, it's introduced to a beautiful patchouli, which is slightly woody, and has a gentle earthy quality. The patchouli is the main star of this scent, however this scent is not an out and out patchouli scent, the other notes are strong backing players which create a unique scent.
As the fragrance dries down, it's becomes slightly powdery, possibly from the iris and sandalwood with also adds a touch more woods, and finally some slightly sweet vanilla/amber. But still retains the patchouli from the heart and the lavender from the opening.
Overall it's a sweet powdery scent, with some woods and earthy notes.
Longevity is around 7 to 8 hours, with moderate projection for the first 2 hours after which it sits close to the skin.
In terms of seasons, this could work for every season apart from the blazing hot days of summer. It's mostly a day time scent.
In terms of occasions this would work well as a signature scent, for work and a dinner date.
Overall rating of 7/10 - just wish it projected more!