Guerlain L’Heure Bleue is the embodiment of refinement. When I read that Catherine Deneuve wore it for many years as her signature fragrance, I was not at all surprised. Its luminous orange blossom is beautifully contrasted with the rich plushness of vanilla, iris and incense. L’Heure Bleue’s sillage is among the most beautiful of great classics—bright, radiant, enveloping.
It was also the first Guerlain perfume to use aldehydes (distinctive starchy-metallic notes) to give a lift to the rich floral accord. The carnation, ylang-ylang and anise introduce L’Heure Bleue, but then you become aware of its velvety layers–iris, vanilla, incense, musk, tonka bean. The leitmotif of anise persists through the layers of L’Heure Bleue. The eau de parfum concentration is plusher and warmer than the musk inflected eau de toilette. The extrait de parfum is even more memorable, a mouthwatering confection of orange blossom, iris, and vanilla with a touch of licorice.
L’Heure Bleue has set many trends in its day and it continues to do so. It is one of legendary perfumer Sophia Grojsman’s favorite fragrances, and her Kenzo Kashaya, Lagerfeld Sun, Moon, Stars and Laura Biagotti Sotto Voce were inspired by its structure of plush richness and opulent floral notes. Recent launches like Costume National Scent, Iris Ganache, Insolence and Kenzo Flower pay tribute to L’Heure Bleue.
On Reformulation (added 12/17/10):
Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.
The big dose of vanilla and coumarin without a strong animalic note renders the drydown of L’Heure Bleue somewhat unbalanced. For the extrait de parfum, it seemed rather soft spoken. Also missing is the lush, heavy powderiness as well as the striking brightness and anisic sparkle. Overall, though it is still a very lovely, plush blend, it has lost some of its character. Interestingly enough, minus the heavier animalic notes, it evokes the cleaner American take on the floral oriental genre of which L’Heure Bleue is a forerunner (Oscar, Gloria Vanderbilt.) The sillage is good, but the fragrance is not as radiant as it used to be. Still, better this version of L’Heure Bleue than none at all.
71 Comments
N aka parislondres: This is a real beauty. It took me while to appreciate this but now I have the parfum – I love wearing this when I want to feel special. Summer evenings in Paris is a perfect time for me to wear this. May 25, 2005 at 4:56pm
Diane: I agree, this is a remarkable and classical beauty. And N, my first encounter with it was not exactly love. 🙂 I tried it in the EDT and I was sent into a sneezing fit. Later, when I tried the EDP and parfum concentrations, I was taken to a state of wonderment. It is one of the most evocative and atmospheric fragrances ever created. And I love the story behind it. May 25, 2005 at 9:42pm
Tania: I wore this exclusively for a couple of years. Still a stunner. The parfum is worth shelling out for. June 14, 2005 at 2:00pm
julien: Yes…Even though i am a man,i love this scent and wear it.
It is so sweet,like a mother’s caress…
One of my favorite scent ever…sometimes,when i feel blue,i smell it and everything’s as if time and space stood still…only sweetness with this fragance.
It is also quite spiced and generous and powdery…
EDP is great for the “sillage”,but parfum(i find it in paris where i live),is truly an olfactive dream…
Kisses.
J. June 25, 2005 at 7:35pm
Victoria: Dear Julien,
Thank you for the comparison. I also find L’Heure Bleue warm and comforting. Exceptional fragrance! June 25, 2005 at 9:55pm
julien: The pleasure is mine…
I am a great fan of perfumes.
Sharing experiences is very important to me…it’s the only way to learn…
So,the pleasure is really all mine.
Thanks.
kiss.
J. June 26, 2005 at 8:24am
Linda: I’ve just bought my first bottle of the parfum which I shall cherish all my life. I’m so happy that other people think this is a truly great creation. I started wearing it(as a student so I could only afford a tiny bottle of Eau de Cologne) in 1973, and I return to it again and again. The memories it evokes are both melancholy and joyful: it seems to sum up life itself. December 30, 2006 at 9:29am
dawn: i read your lovely review and the following poem was inspired by your poetic turns of phrase. i hope you like it.
~
l’heure bleue
the scent of bittersweet anise
melds slowly into heart of rose,
like the way the blue hour spirals
imperceptibly into night,
like the way I once fell into you.
but love’s first blush is transient –
like the fleeting rose accord,
and it is the leitmotif of anise,
like a veil of melancholy haunting my skin,
that drifts on the winds of my passage
leaving a sillage of unspoken goodbyes,
inner journeys that lead ever further,
a distance – of elusive dreams.
if scent is evocative of memory,
like the elusive jasmine note that gradually blooms,
perhaps one day when my absence no longer lingers
and echoes of our love no longer resound,
you will breathe in fragments of anise
and remember the hour blue. December 5, 2007 at 11:16am
Niki Beal: This is BEAUTIFUL! April 29, 2015 at 1:29pm
Marla: Wow, this poem just is incredible. I LOVE the fragrance, and your writing does it justice. Thank you! March 31, 2018 at 8:56pm
angelyn: What a lovely poem by Dawn sums it up exactly so poetically.
Very beautiful poem to match an evocative perfume. Angelyn January 21, 2008 at 9:43pm
Erry: i tried the edt this afternoon when i bought mitsouko. i didn’t like it, i found it too strong, very brash. it was nothing like you mentioned in the review. maybe too much vanilla. October 17, 2011 at 5:16pm
Valerie: Oh, how lovely, the poem from Dawn …. yes, it is a truly delicious perfume. Someone introduced me to it several years ago, I have the body lotion too … it is sensuous. Different to Shalimar, which I adore, and again different entirely to Mitsouko … it is a night perfume really, I feel, although I do use it at other times. But it really is a perfume to spray on the sheets!! Long may my lover remember …. July 7, 2012 at 7:12am
Karen: L’heure bleue is to perfume what Norwegian Charlotte is to dessert. The Charlotte, with its sponge cake, almond paste, coconut, rose water, orange flower water, & whipping cream, which all eventually blend into a heavenly delight after painstaking preparation & overnight refrigeration, is an adventure to make, but so wonderful that you can still taste it years afterward. Similarly, the perfume’s ‘flavor’ gets imprinted on your senses & you can still smell it even after years’ absence. I first fell in love with both in my early 20’s & still love them 40 years later. Just putting on the perfume makes a day special. July 14, 2012 at 2:01am
Dominic: If the only way to express the feeling by Jaques Guerlain easto create that perfume, my expression for love to the fragrance will be buying and wearing it. I asked for the extract for this Christmas and i can’t wait till i open the box and see it myself. This is gonna be my first extract. That composition is in my head for minimum 2 years and this time i definitely couldn’t resist temptation. December 10, 2012 at 10:03am
JulienFromDijon: I’m sad for the extrait.
I’ve bought some cubic testers on ebay.
There is a big gap in the perfume : nice orange blossom with sillage on one hand, cosy tonka honey and vanilla on the other hand.
Strange how old classique like l’heure bleue, narcisse noir, and one other extrait I forgot end up smelling the same orange flower.
There were IFRA issues, but there is also an issue with the artistic direction.
Are the greasy jasmine, the misty white powdery fantasy, the whip of aromatic thym, the density of blurred woods, and animalic ground all gone?
And the rosy bergamotte, and the dollop of rose, and much more of horsy amber and basalm all gone.
And the anisic counterpart.
And even the iris goddammit.
Thierry Wasser can’t be serious. Such a lack of audacity. Who’s the numb one who claimed the old complexity wasn’t trendy anymore. Who decided to screw all the fans of the old, who reduced l’heure bleue to its vane gourmandy side : yummi tonka and sweet orange flowee, almost offputting without counterparts.
Is there a budget issue also?!?
I rely on the review of the last booklet of Tania and Turin, the actual l’heure bleue is a pretty imposteur.
Budget again : fucking mitsouko can’t have oakmoss and bergamotte anymore, ok.
But who decided to remove the iris? the costly jasmine and rose? Mitsouko is today an offputing patchouli in edt and edp, and a clear lean green chypre in extrait.
Guerlain makes thing cheap. December 15, 2012 at 10:30am
breezy: For Christmas I received L’Heure Bleue from my 15 grandson. What have they done? this is a crime what has been done to a beautiful parfum. I would take this back if it were not a gift. One last Note I will not be wearing this scent. January 1, 2013 at 1:40am
Ph: So sad ….I bought one too a couple of years ago and ….could not understand …thought my chemistry had changed. They have destroyed such beautiful perfumes by cheapness. Very sad. June 9, 2018 at 6:31am
breezy: Oh they are selling it in Target in the USA! January 1, 2013 at 1:44am
Frosty: Hello, just wanted to express my appreciation and thanks for your site, I love it and read often.
I just opened a small vintage bottle of extrait that I’d hemmed and hawed about opening — sometimes buying “vintage” is quite “disappointing” haha — but not in this case. My god, what a gorgeous scent. The old Guerlain scents are truly in a class of their own… January 5, 2013 at 10:04pm
Sarah: May I ask, how you decided to sever the cord? I just spent a good amount on the vintage in the Baccarat bottle. It’s unsealed and nervous about undoing it. May 25, 2013 at 9:39am
Ceci: This was my first fragrance, at the age of 15. That was 48 years ago. I close my eyes and the scent is burned in my memory. Beautiful. So sad that timeless perfumes such as these are being “bastardized”. February 4, 2013 at 12:54pm
Larisa: Hi Victoria, I’m wondering what concentration you prefer and would recommend after the reformulation? April 14, 2013 at 7:50pm
Victoria: I liked the EDP and the parfum. Those are my favorites. April 15, 2013 at 8:35am
Anna: Hi Victoria, I’ve been reading your reviews and love them. unfortunately, LHB doesn’t work well on my skin. I got only a wisp of flowery note and then loads of medicinal powdery note exactly like antiseptic soap. 🙁 only after 30 minutes or so did I get the sweet vanilla which I love. May 11, 2013 at 11:38am
Victoria: Unfortunately, that’s how the reformulated version behaves. The drydown is very heavy on vanilla. May 12, 2013 at 9:32am
Karen: Then I might as well just wear Shalimar! The whole reason I fell in love with L’Heure Bleue is because it WASN’T Shalimar! The news of a reformulation is so disappointing! I guess the folks at Guerlain finally read the old survey of men, in which they reported their favorite “fragrances”: Number one was roast beef, followed closely by vanilla. I’m just glad my husband doesn’t want me to wear “roast beef” scent behind my ears! May 12, 2013 at 10:28am
Robert: When OXO brings out designer atomizers for their stock, then I’ll give these pop-surveys more credence. May 21, 2013 at 1:29am
Suzy: I’ve been studying up a bit on L’Heure Bleue and came across this wonderful review. Is it too late to ask a question/make a comment since this was written in 2005? Anyway, here goes in case someone gets this.
I just reveived a sample of vintage LHB and was blown away by it. For me nothing comes close to this lush scent. I kept smelling my wrist all through the day. So it got me wondering what vintage means: Is everything that’s considered “vintage” what came before reformulation? And can’t there be many reformulations through the years making many different vintages? How do I know which “vintage” I am buying then? Which vintage would you be writing about, Victoria, in this review? When was the reformulation you write about? Just sorting issues out in my mind that have me perplexed.
Thanks for the cool reading on Sunday morning. September 15, 2013 at 9:21am
Victoria: In my review, I was comparing it to the original L’Heure Bleue. I have this Guerlain dating to every decade starting around late 40s, and I have studied the original formulation at the Osmotheque perfume conservatory. So, the term vintage on its own is a bit vague, but it’s usually used to mean older versions. You’re right, there has not been the one and only reformulation, especially since we’re talking about a fragrance from the turn of the last century. It has been reformulated many many times. September 16, 2013 at 5:07pm
Suzy: Thanks Victoria. Studying formulations at the Osmotheque–is that something anyone can do? Do you actually get to smell the original formulas? What a rush that would be. Or do you have special credentials that allow you admittance? Sounds like a fascinating thing to put on my bucket list. Suzy September 16, 2013 at 5:35pm
Victoria: Here is an article on the Osmotheque with some information on visiting there:
https://boisdejasmin.com/2012/12/visit-to-the-osmotheque-perfume-museum-in-versailles.html
Anyone can book an appointment for a group class or a private session with one of the Osmotheque trainers and experience many extraordinary fragrances in their original form. In the group classes the list of fragrances is preset, but L’Heure Bleue is on it. September 16, 2013 at 5:52pm
Suzy: You’re a gem. Thanks so much Victoria. Now I only have to work on my husband to take me there.
Suzy September 16, 2013 at 6:12pm
Julia: Is there any way in the world (besides eBay or similar) to buy or commission this scent pre- the most recent drastic IFRA reformulation? I am not myself without it. October 10, 2013 at 6:18pm
Victoria: You could try looking for an older bottle on EBay, but it is an expensive task. And the chances of finding fresh perfume are low at this point. I don’t think that L’Heure Bleue was all that defaced and I personally love and wear the most current version (from 2012). October 11, 2013 at 8:10am
Julia: Thank you. I love this site and your writing. October 11, 2013 at 10:16am
Andreea: I bought the extrait just to have it – it smelled a lot like sweat and pwoder on me. I did not give it away though – after pregnancy I tried this again. I know my non perfumista friends around me deeply dislike this kind of classic scents, but it turned waerable on me now. I get the vanilla, even some iris and definitv love the dusty patchouli (is ist patchouli?! that’s why I fell in love with it…)
I deeply dislike Shalimar, but I love Nahema – L’Heure Bleue is barely wearable I think, but I love it. I wear only occasionally.
May I ask – How do I know if this is a “new” version?
I bought mine at a time it was nearly not on the market as an extrait anymore. (So that’s why I bought it without looking on the price tag…). It was the last one they had in store, a quite exclusive one. October 25, 2013 at 4:25pm
Victoria: The drydown–once you start liking that sort of thing–is addictive!
What year did you buy it? October 26, 2013 at 12:12pm
Ella: I am very curious about L’heure Bleue but have never tested it. I haven’t been able to get “into” Mitsouko (apologies to its fans) BUT I LOVE Apres L’ondee (although I find it waaaaay too fleeting). Is L’heure Bleue closer to Mitsouko or AL? February 16, 2014 at 10:52pm
Victoria: No need to apologize, Ella! It can be such a difficult perfume, and it took me a long while to appreciate it.
As for L’heure Bleue, it’s a cousin of Apres L’Ondee (not at all like Mitsouko), but I should warn you that it’s much harder to wear. It’s quite heavy and powdery, whereas Apres L’Ondee is ethereal and delicate. L’heure Bleue is gorgeous, but like Mitsouko and some other classics, it’s an acquired taste. February 17, 2014 at 5:57am
Ella: Thank you Victoria! Much appreciated. Btw, I love your site. Everything you write is a joy to read 🙂 February 17, 2014 at 2:35pm
Victoria: Thank you for your nice words! 🙂 I’m very glad you’re enjoying it. February 17, 2014 at 2:55pm
James: Do you find the latest version (2014) better than previous reformulations? April 7, 2014 at 12:38pm
Victoria: I haven’t tried it yet, but I plan to as soon as it becomes available here. April 7, 2014 at 3:32pm
zari: I’m coming back to this review from 2005 because I just finally tested L’Heure Bleue. I’m so disappointed with the countless reviews I’ve read of this fragrance and the actual experience of the scent. LHB smells like by-gone era for sure; and like an Indian clothing store (any in Edison, NJ for example), reeking of some sweet incense-y smell, possibly cumin, coriander, and something sickeningly cloying if you stand it for too long. I love Shalimar and Samsara, and Samsara especially evokes lush and beautiful India inspired scent, but LHB is just under-whelming and frankly really disgusting. August 31, 2014 at 1:11pm
Victoria: Sorry to hear that you’re disappointed, but I’m not surprised that not everyone enjoys L’Heure Bleue. It is polarizing. Even Jean-Paul Guerlain used to say that people love either Shalimar or L’Heure Bleue, but not both with equal intensity. August 31, 2014 at 4:25pm
Erry: I’ve smelled L’heureu Bleue in the edt concentration and didn’t really like. I thought it was too harsh. But then yesterday I smell the edp version and I love it (although not as much as I love Mitsouko). The love the jolt of citrus and floral accord in the opening and swoon over the powderiness and spiciness in the middle and the drydown. It didn’t take long for me to think about buying the FB. October 21, 2014 at 2:29pm
Victoria: I don’t like the thinness of the current EDT. Well, even the vintage EDT was much sharper next to the other concentrations, but today I also would pick the EDP and the parfum. Glad that you got a chance to try the EDP! October 21, 2014 at 3:02pm
Karen: I just received my bottle of L’heure bleue EDP this afternoon. It is gorgeous! So very happy to have a full (beautiful) bottle. It is the 2014 formulation, read up on how to decipher the codes. No spraying on light bulbs, though – this bottle is all for me! February 25, 2015 at 3:12pm
Victoria: Good! Those would be the delicious smelling light bulbs, but yes, it would somewhat of a waste. February 25, 2015 at 5:41pm
Karen: Remember my comments about setting the light bulbs on fire years ago? It must have been with L’heure bleue. I am really enchanted with it – although I’ve noticed my style seems to be serial monogamy with my perfumes! February 25, 2015 at 8:39pm
Victoria: Yes, I do! 🙂 February 26, 2015 at 6:46am
Carina: I just managed to get my hands on a bottle of this one!
Im smitten, and what I feel most is the incense part of it and I feel very different than my ususal self using it.
Congratulations again to Guerlain.
I also feel a lot of Shalimar in it and it makes me happy! May 20, 2015 at 7:38am
Rosie: Hi Victoria, would you recomend buying the current edp rather than a partial vintage bottle?
There is one on ebay for a reasonable price, but i know some perfumes don’t fair too well over the years, especially if the bottle has been open/exposed to air,
I love the current edp, but hear that it was amazing before, and would love to try it.. do u think it may have weakened/gone off? or is l’heure bleu a perfume that survives well in vintage?,
many thanks! September 30, 2015 at 11:55am
Victoria: It may survive ok, but it should be stored well, and partial bottles are risky in this respect. The new EDP is fresh, and that’s already much better. It’s still a wonderful perfume, tweaks or not. September 30, 2015 at 11:58am
Ariadna: Victoria, a question: which would you rather say is more of a sophisticated, balanced formulation: the reformulated L’heure Bleue or Prada Infusion d-Iris? October 7, 2015 at 12:09pm
Victoria: They’re too different to me. L’Heure Bleue is more classical, Prada’s Iris is more contemporary. Both are very good, though, so the choice depends on what you prefer. October 8, 2015 at 9:36am
Laura: I have a 1950 Extrait a 1980s perfume and a 2007 perfume. All have been well cared for. I have to admit that the only one I really love is the 2007. The older perfumes are too marshmallow sweet. Not sultry. Whenever I wear the newer versions, men and women approach me to let me know how wonderful it smells. I also have the older EDP vs the one I bought last week. I prefer the newer one in this strength as well. It is much sexier.
The same can not be said of newer Vol De Nuit or Shalimar. My other two favorites by Guerlain.
Laura May 22, 2016 at 3:43pm
KatieAnn: Hello dear Victoria, I was wondering what your opinion would be on either purchasing a vintage 1/4oz L’Heure Bleue extrait from (probably) late 90’s to early 2000’s or a new current bottle of the pure perfume. The vintage bottle is unsealed but almost completely full and the seller is trustworthy and very helpful. Apparently it still smells ‘great’ and is similar to the vintage bottle she uses. I’m looking to reputable sources and doing my homework before making a decision and you are at the top of my list! Could you share your opinion? I would really appreciate it. Thank you, Victoria. October 6, 2016 at 11:51am
Victoria: If it was kept out of light and heat, it should be fine. If you know and trust the seller, then it’s even better. October 6, 2016 at 2:25pm
sunillusion: Dear Victoria, I’ve tried three different concentrations of L’Heure Bleue, which are manufactured after 2012. They didn’t impress me as new Shalimar, Mitsouko or Chamade. All three of them are “unpleasant” – if I have to use such word. EDT is sharper than glass, EDP is twisting between anise and resin, and Parfum is neither plush nor half-gourmand. And then I bought a mini-bottle of EDT made before 2000. It is AMAZING! It is velvety and delicious, starting with a luminous light, developing into oriental floral heart and ended with a soft, tender and powdery drydown.Once I understand why it is an eternal classic in perfume history, and what a shame the current version is. Even the current Parfum is incompetent with the gorgeous original formula. I am seeking the old bottles before 2007. And I feel heatbroken with such a change. People now prefer simpler and cleaner drydown, so the magically powder is lone gone in new L’Heure Bleue, what is left is as glassy as those abrasive and stupid perfumes. October 29, 2016 at 12:38pm
Victoria: Regulations are a pain. I like the current version of L’Heure Bleue just fine, but of course, it’s nothing like the original. November 2, 2016 at 12:04pm
dragonflysapp: Dear Victoria,
I am hesitant to leave a comment because I am not sure what I want to say, but I am absolutely amazed by L’heure bleue. I always like smelling things (nature and food), but I have only recently become curious about perfume when I smelled Cartier’s L’envol earlier this year. Then I bought a set of Guerlain samplers after reading your blog and others. This is the first one I tried just today, albeit on blotter, now I wonder why I never bothered to sample perfumes. I am not sure if I will like it on me, and I don’t know yet what intrigues me about it, but I feel like it’s telling a story. It feels so magical that I just wanted to share with you. 🙂 May 5, 2017 at 7:49pm
Ph: My grandmother wore l’heure bleu and I did for a while in 70/80s but it was a little too mature for me. When buying again recently it has only the slightest resemblance to the old versions. It used to be such a mysterious perfume …now it is merely odd and powdery. Gone. Do keep this updated so that if they reformulate closer to the 50s version I would buy and try again. Thank you for this site. June 9, 2018 at 6:40am
Christian: Can you update the review of the latest reformulaton of L’heure Bleue please? September 4, 2018 at 12:11pm
Victoria: Will do shortly! September 7, 2018 at 9:21am
Puhfume: Victoria, I would love to hear your thoughts on the most recent reformulation when you get a chance to review. Thanks. October 24, 2018 at 11:43am
Victoria: It’s quite good, but the drydown is sweeter and heavier on almond. October 25, 2018 at 2:56am
Jonathan: Is the modern post 2017 Extrait closer to the 1950’s vintage Extrait? I’ve compared mine to a couple 1960’s-2000’s bottles and it seems like it’s closest to the 1960’s only a tad sweeter and slightly more almond heavy. October 19, 2019 at 11:30am
Jonathan: Mind you, this is after one year of a macerated 2017 bottle. October 19, 2019 at 11:32am
a.: i’m testing a l’heure bleue sample from the mid-2010s, and it’s certainly a fascinating fragrance. i’ve determined that perfumes smell different on my right and left arms (because of blood flow i’m pretty sure; my right side is consistently warmer) — so, on my left elbow, i’m getting more of the cool, elegant, powdery, almost buttery-suede-like iris and i think violet drydown, while my right elbow is gourmand-dessert central: warm spices, nuttiness (from heliotrope i think), almost cloyingly sweet vanilla and tonka. it’s not necessarily for me, but i can appreciate the combination of these notes — like a 1+1=3 situation, the sum being greater than its parts. (which is what i like, generally speaking, about vintage vs. modern perfumes).
i only wish i were smelling a version with the animalic notes — i get the sense that if i were, this would go from an “appreciate” to a “can’t-stop-sniffing-myself” perfume for me. and also, that there were more of a… confluence, perhaps? between the name and the perfume! i read the poetic descriptions of what inspired jacques guerlain, and how he thinks of this perfume, and i get almost none of that. the aldehydes and citruses are so sparkly, the spices so warm and cozy — not at all the fleeting melancholic beauty i associate with the “blue hour”, one of my favorite times of day. earlier on i got a menthol note, which did lend a coolness and melancholy to the composition, but now i only get faint whiffs of it at my wrists. and one other thing that occurred to me; with its spicy facet it smells even more richly “oriental” to me than shalimar. i don’t know, all in all i find l’heure bleue a bit of an oddball. complex and intriguing, but odd. July 31, 2022 at 5:57pm