Until my friend and fellow perfume lover presented me with an early Christmas gift of Guerlain Shalimar and Habit Rouge teas, I had no idea that such a thing existed. I’m waiting till Christmas to open the box and try the tea, but I can’t resist taking whiffs from the tins and leafing through the booklet. The collection of fragrant teas matches several perfumes from Guerlain’s line, and it includes black and green tea varieties. It was created by Constance Braud, the founder of Thés de Constance, and is exclusive to the Guerlain flagship store.
Below are the excerpts from the brochure that accompanied my teas.
Shalimar
“A subtle blend of green and black teas from China and Sri Lanka, flavored with vanilla, bergamot, cinnamon, lavender, and natural aromas of cardamom. This tea recalls the rich and compelling character of the very first Oriental perfume.”
La Petit Robe Noire
“A black tea that comes from the high mountain ranges of India, mildly fruity and spicy, just like La Petite Robe Noire. A black tea bursting with character, whose strength is softened by a delicious hint of red berries and raspberries. Rich in caffeine, it is energizing and excellent for concentration.”
Habit Rouge
“A black tea from China, the FTGFOP Aiguilles d’Or, is a superb tea from the Yunnan region. The buds take on a beautiful golden hue. Their strength and aroma suggest leather, honey, and the light smoky fragrance of Habit Rouge.”
Nérolia Bianca
“A white tea from China’s Fujian region, Bai Mu Dan, meaning ‘white peony’, is harvested once a year during springtime. It is made up of buds and the two first leaves of the tea bush, and has notes of citrus, weeping willow, honey and flowers. A delicate tea which immerses us in the freshness of Nerolia Bianca. This exceptional tea is hand sorted then dried naturally.”
L’Heure Bleue
“Taïwanese oolong Dong Ding, meaning ‘freezing mist of the mountains’, makes reference to the Dong Ding mountain where this tea is cultivated. It’s lovely rolled leaves bring to mind the delicious aromas of chestnut, honey and white flowers.”
Orchidée Impériale
“A Chinese black tea, scented with orchid. The symbol of femininity throughout Asia, the orchid is known for its extraordinary longevity and the star ingredient of Orchidée Impériale [Guerlain’s skincare range]. The addition of the orchid aroma to the black tea base has been made possible by a complex process which demands a perfect mastering of the dose to create the right balance, the subtle and perfect marriage between the tea and the flower.”
Liu
“A Chinese green tea perfumed with jasmine flowers. Cultivated in the Fujian region, this harvest contains buds of green tea delicately scented with jasmine flowers gathered in July.”
The tea collection is available at the Guerlain flagship store, 68 avenue des Champs-Elysées, 75008 Paris. 35€. More information on the tea collection is available via luxsure.fr (in French).
Photography by Bois de Jasmin
50 Comments
FearsMice: These sound amazing! Will be waiting with anticipation for your reviews of the Shalimar and Habit Rouge teas after Christmas. December 17, 2013 at 7:14am
Victoria: Shalimar smells very strong, right through the package! December 17, 2013 at 11:40am
rosarita: Ooh, Shalimar tea! Be sure and let us know how it tastes! December 17, 2013 at 7:45am
Victoria: I will do! I keep sniffing it every day, but I’m holding strong till Christmas. December 17, 2013 at 11:45am
Jenna: Nerolia Blanca from Aqua Allegoria? I haven’t tried it but the tea with orange blossom sounds amazing. December 17, 2013 at 8:21am
Victoria: Yes, that’s the one. I love anything with orange blossom, so I would be curious to try it. December 17, 2013 at 11:45am
Zazie: Oh, I envy your willpower!
I doubt I could wait until Christmas to taste these teas!
I didn’t know they existed, and from your list there are several I would be eager to try:
Shalimar, LPRN, nerolia Bianca, L’heure bleue and Liu… yes, I didn’t leave out many from my list!
Let us know how they taste! 😉 December 17, 2013 at 8:26am
Victoria: I love having something pleasant to anticipate, especially since the week between now and Christmas is very hectic. But as I mentioned, I can’t resist sniffing the tins every now and then. 🙂 December 17, 2013 at 11:46am
Esperanza: What a wonderful gift, Victoria. Very generous. can’t wait to read your review. Friends of mine will be visiting Paris in two weeks and asked if they could bring me something. Would you have an idea how much the shalimar tea costs ? So I know if I can ask them to bring me a tin 😉 December 17, 2013 at 9:06am
Victoria: I haven’t been able to find out online. I was planning to call the boutique and ask them (+33 1 45 62 52 57), but I didn’t have time today. December 17, 2013 at 11:57am
Tijana: This is an amazing gift idea for someone like you! What a thoughtful friend! December 17, 2013 at 9:22am
Victoria: Well, Habit Rouge is technically for my husband, but we will be sharing them. 🙂 And yes, she is a lovely friend. December 17, 2013 at 11:50am
Ines: Oh, I want one!
Or all. 🙂 December 17, 2013 at 9:32am
Victoria: They all seem so interesting. I think that L’Heure Bleue sounds very interesting too. December 17, 2013 at 11:58am
The Perfumed Veil: Love tea and perfume, so love this idea. Many teas are so delicious that I wish there was a matching perfume for them, and now there is such a thing! December 17, 2013 at 9:33am
Victoria: Apparently, Guerlain also has its own honey hives, and you can get “Guerlain honey.” Not sure if it smells of Shalimar, though. 🙂 December 17, 2013 at 11:59am
Betsy: Wow, THE perfect gift for a fragrance and tea lover! December 17, 2013 at 9:40am
Victoria: It really is! I couldn’t have asked for a more thoughtful and interesting gift. December 17, 2013 at 12:00pm
key change: I am so so jealous! Do you know if this will be available year-round? I need some! December 17, 2013 at 9:46am
Victoria: Yes, it’s now available at their flagship store, and it doesn’t look like a limited edition collection. December 17, 2013 at 12:00pm
Amer: ohhh, Shalimar tea!!! Yes! December 17, 2013 at 10:14am
Victoria: The idea itself seems intriguing. And the tea does smell like Shalimar! December 17, 2013 at 12:01pm
Marsi: Incredible!! December 17, 2013 at 10:45am
Victoria: I can’t wait to try them. December 17, 2013 at 12:02pm
maja: count me in for La Petite Robe Noir and Liu! 🙂 December 17, 2013 at 11:17am
Victoria: I’m interested in Liu too, since I love jasmine scented teas. December 17, 2013 at 11:43am
maja: Me, too. I have recently harvested flowers from my jasmin plant and added it to most of my blends while they were still fresh. They eventually dried leaving the aroma that is just incredible. 🙂 I was thinking about jasmin jam too but I was too lazy. Oh well, next year. 🙂 December 18, 2013 at 2:08am
Victoria: Lucky you! 🙂 By the way, I was told by a friend that in Eastern India, a type of jasmine is used in cooking. The leaves are added to stews and are made into fritters. I’ve never tried anything like it, but it sounds fascinating. December 18, 2013 at 8:05am
Austenfan: They sure sound gorgeous. What I can’t make out is, that while some are obviously flavoured, others seem to be unflavoured and chosen for their character to match the Guerlain scent. The L’Heure Bleue tea for instance, seems to be a traditional oolong without added flavours. Or am I mistaken?
Isn’t it wonderful when people think out their presents? It must have been lovely to receive these beautiful tins. December 17, 2013 at 12:50pm
Victoria: Now that you mention it, I’m not sure. The booklet doesn’t say much else on L’Heure Bleue, but I assumed that all of them were flavored. December 17, 2013 at 4:27pm
Austenfan: If the Habit Rouge isn’t then my bet is that L’Heure Bleue won’t be either, as their descriptions do not specifically mention added flavours.
Considering they are Guerlains it does seem more likely that they would be perfumed.
I am very interested to hear what they are like once you have tasted them. I am sure they will be very enjoyable. December 17, 2013 at 4:41pm
Victoria: Yes, Habit Rouge doesn’t smell of anything other than the natural tea leaf. But Shalimar tea is definitely flavored. December 18, 2013 at 7:54am
Allison: The teas sound amazing, you made my day! December 17, 2013 at 5:13pm
Victoria: I was also very excited when I opened the package! 🙂 December 18, 2013 at 7:59am
Ariadne: YUM, YUM, YUM!!!! If it were my house and this gift came via the post before christmas Day it would be opened already. We have an umwritten rule that any gift arriving this way is FAIR GAME! LOL, naughty kittens! December 17, 2013 at 6:05pm
Victoria: My will power is waning slightly, I admit. 🙂 December 18, 2013 at 8:00am
Claire: Like everyone else here, I am looking forward to read all your reviews about these heavenly-sounding-and-smelling teas! My best holiday wishes to you, Victoria. December 18, 2013 at 12:26am
Victoria: Happy holidays to you too, Claire! 🙂 December 18, 2013 at 8:03am
Aisha: I’ll take one of each, please and thank you. And all that talk of bergamot in the previous post makes me want to especially try the Shalimar tea. 😉
Very clever of the folks at Guerlain to interpret their fragrances for tea lovers. December 18, 2013 at 2:14am
Victoria: I agree, they definitely had a great idea there! I wonder how many other perfume lines will follow suit. December 18, 2013 at 8:05am
kaori: Amazing!! December 18, 2013 at 3:09am
Victoria: On the other hand, you have so many incredible teas to choose from in Japan that I doubt that you need these ones. 😉 December 18, 2013 at 8:06am
Cornelia Blimber: When my Japanese tenant went for good back to Japan, she took loads of Dutch Pickwick tea with her. December 18, 2013 at 10:10am
Victoria: The imported teas are quite expensive in Japan, I believe, and I think that you get a much better selection of green than black teas at most shops. December 18, 2013 at 1:13pm
Alessandra: This is wonderful. Definitely going to buy a tin in Paris in February! I’m jealous of these gifts, anyway! Hahah December 18, 2013 at 6:52am
Victoria: No need to be jealous, when you have a nice trip to anticipate fairly soon. 🙂 December 18, 2013 at 8:10am
Alessandra: Haha, good point! 🙂 December 18, 2013 at 9:33am
Adriana Galani: If anyone is to follow the perfume/tea line, that may be the DKNY with their “Be delicious” I guess. 🙂
Shalimar tea is sounding just amazing. Wondering if there will be an YSL “Opium” version too sometime soon. 🙂 Strange thing, most of my friends really serious into fragrances are fans of special teas as well…. Certainly a link between the two somewhere. December 18, 2013 at 8:50am
Victoria: Opium tea would be interesting, especially if they wouldn’t shy away from incense and amber. 🙂 December 18, 2013 at 1:02pm
Esperanza: Thank you, Victoria, I will phone them and ask and let you know how much the tea is. December 20, 2013 at 5:13pm