Shalimar

Pros

• It's such a robust and complex fragrance. On me, the dry-down is like a darker, almost floral powdery scent.
• Never fails to turn heads (in a good way) and a little bit goes a long way. There is a reason it's a classic scent. I had to let it macerate for a month or two before it blended properly and was wearable but damn, I love it.
• Love this. Shalimar smells incredible and has such a beautiful bottle.
• when you get into amber/spice/woody, they have Shalimar, Heritage, Vetiver and the whole Les Absolus d'Orient collection which is also great
• Shalimar for me, there is something about that opening that is impossible to describe. The way the bergamot clashes in the opening for a few seconds then leads into that beautifully blended experience, it just feels luxurious.

Cons

• Parent context: I still need to smell this. Apparently it’s vanilla heavy which I love. Reply: The vanilla isn’t sweet. This is a classic spicy oriental, my mother’s signature scent.
• Scents I occasionally spot in the wild are a Shalimar, Chanel no 5 or Coco Mademoiselle, Narciso Rodriguez for her.
• Old fashioned leather notes (example: shalimar) have a dusty, somewhat powdery quality to them.
• SHALIMAR. The opening reeks, the dry down is heaven.
• What perfumes are the closest to Shalimar without the sandalwood? It's one of my favourite scents but unfortunately it has one foot in the pickle dimension and I can't always tolerate it