Shalimar the perfume of love by Guerlain

Shalimar: The Taj Mahal as a base note of the precious oriental perfume
Shalimar the perfume of love by Guerlain
Shalimar the perfume of love by Guerlain

Shalimar or the interpretation of absolute love

The Guerlain house was founded in 1928 by Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain and its shop is located on the famous rue de Rivoli, in Paris. At that time, he created each perfume and even personalized the bottle according to the tastes of his customers. His motto was “Glory is ephemeral, only fame lasts…”. The Guerlain house released its first perfume in 1889, “Jicky”, which immediately broke with the fashion for perfumery of the time. In 1925, the brand presented “Shalimar”, a perfect myth, an exceptional story .

Shalimar, the perfume of the Temple of love

“Shalimar” is the symbol of eternal love. We offer “Shalimar” to a woman as a pledge of love, in order to prove her love for her forever, because that is what “Shalimar” embodies. In 1925, Jacques Guerlain imagined “Shalimar” which would be the first great oriental perfume in the history of perfumery. The fragrance of “Shalimar” was in this respect, a true pioneer. The story of “Shalimar” begins in India, in the north of India, more exactly. Emperor Shah Jahan was madly in love with his wife, Princess Mumtaz Mahal. After the death of his wife, and in order to immortalize this exceptional love, the emperor chose to offer his beauty a mausoleum, and then created “Les Jardins de Shalimar” for her. This incredible story ignited the imagination of Jacques Guerlain who decided to make this wonderful love story, a fragrance that will symbolize eternal love. In Sanskrit, an Indian language, “Shalimar” also means “Temple of love”.

The oriental scent notes of Guerlain Shalimar

The first oriental perfume, “Shalimar” won first prize at the Decorative Arts exhibition in Paris in 1925. Elegant, sensual and subtle, “Shalimar” is the perfume of an eternally desirable woman. The fragrance begins with the ultra lively freshness of lemon and bergamot. The heart is ultra feminine, as it is made up of flowers, jasmine, May rose and iris. Finally, the base is greedy and sensual thanks to the presence of vanilla, opopanax and tonka bean. Jacques Guerlain will dare to use here a brand new molecule, ethyl vanillin, associated with the accord used for the composition of Jicky… Pioneer of a small olfactory revolution, Jacques Guerlain will remain in the history of the House of Guerlain forever. As for the bottle, it is the work of Raymond Guerlain. As with all precious essences, the nectar gushes out of the basin like from a magic fountain. The curves of the bottle evoke the delicate roundness of a woman’s curves. The fan-shaped cap in blue transparency recalls the eternal jets of water from the Gardens of Shalimar. As carnal as it is enigmatic, the bottle is equal to the eternal love potion it contains.

A true legend of the Guerlain house, “Shalimar” is the first oriental fragrance in history. However, “Shalimar” is above all the embodiment of eternal love. Magical, breathtaking, “Shalimar” is still one of the best-selling perfumes in the world.

Guerlain’s Shalimar advertisement, a true Indian epic

Shalimar perfume is undoubtedly one of the greatest perfumes of all time. It was created in 1925 to pay tribute to the Guerlain family’s love for India. Its oriental and citrus scent made it one of the first chypre juices in the history of female perfumery. Shalimar can boast of having literally revolutionized the olfactory landscape.

To perpetuate the legend, the Guerlain house nevertheless continues to advertise it. Thus, Shalimar remains in the memory and only increases its timelessness from year to year. Guerlain’s latest Shalimar ad, however, sparked much controversy. A true masterpiece for some, too long and cartoonish clip for others… Here are the keys to this extraordinary film, as little is done in the world of perfumery.

The splendor of Guerlain Shalimar in pictures

To showcase the power of Shalimar perfume, extraordinary advertising was needed. Thus, the Guerlain house did not hesitate to create a film with a length of 5.45m!

Admittedly, this duration may seem a little excessive. Nonetheless, it incorporates many of Guerlain’s symbols and offers us a plunge into history. First of all, it is worth remembering the story that inspired the creation of the Shalimar perfume. This juice takes us back to the 17th century, in the heart of India. He tells us the story of Emperor Shah Jahan, in love with one of his wives: Mumtaz Mahal. So, upon the death of his beloved, the Emperor was literally devastated with grief.

He decided to build one of the most beautiful mausoleums in the world in the sumptuous gardens of Shalimar. Today, this monument is famous all over the planet: it is the Taj Mahal. Thus, it is precisely this symbolism that we find in advertising for Shalimar. More than just a television spot, it is a real short film.

Natalia Vodianova incarne cette princesse d’Orient, cette fois bien vivante. La jolie jeune femme attend le retour de son bien-aimé qui revient d’une véritable épopée au cœur d’un décor à couper le souffle. À son retour, après une folle étreinte, Shah Jahan offre à cette jeune femme un écrin mystérieux contenant une poudre d’or remise par un sage. En dispersant cette poudre étoilée dans l’eau des jardins de Shalimar, la belle y voit surgir le Taj Mahal. Les effets spéciaux sont renversants et le parfum de Guerlain devient aussitôt semblable à un cadeau magique et majestueux. Cette publicité est l’œuvre de Bruno Aveillan. Enfin, notons que la splendide musique de Hans Zimmer, « les Chevaliers de Sangreal », ne fait que rajouter une émotion indescriptible à cette publicité.

Une publicité Shalimar très décriée

Certains cinéphiles ont pourtant eu du mal à accepter ce spot télévisuel hors du commun. Nombreux sont ceux à avoir critiqué la longueur de cette publicité ainsi que le manque de réalisme de l’histoire. En effet, dans la réalité, la princesse indienne Mumtaz Mahal ne ressemblait pas du tout à Natalia Vodianova et elle est décédée en donnant naissance à leur 14e enfant. Qui plus est, le coût de cette publicité en a également choqué plus d’un… Comptez 4 millions d’euros, soit plus de 11 000 € la seconde ! Qu’à cela ne tienne, rien ne semble trop beau pour Shalimar et il faut bien reconnaître que cette publicité est une prouesse technique.

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