What BPAL is the most like Shalimar?

[sgrace]

My mother has always worn Shalimar, albiet for special occasions only.

 

I'd live to get her a special perfume oil as a gift. What scent would be reccommended to match Shalimar?

[VelvetSky]

sgrace, here are the notes in Guerlain's Shalimar:

Bergamot/mandarin/cedar/lemon/patchouli/jasmine/rose/orris/vanilla/balsam/

leather.

 

You might want to go to the Search feature of the Lab and start putting in those notes to find a blend or blends that come close to the citrus top/floral middle/woody/vanilla base of Shalimar.

 

Or...you could just email Beth and ask her again; she's the expert.

[shriekingviolet]

Someone wrote in a Vixen review that it was similar to Shalimar. Same with Snake oil. Might try either!

[Morrighana]

My mother commented awhile back that Glasya reminded her very distinctly of Shalimar. I'd definately recommend giving it a go.

 

Since you're buying for your mother, perhaps you could get her a few imps of possibles, and give them to her with a "gift certificate" sort of thing that she can redeem with you for a bottle? That way you get to give her something really special, and there is no chance of buying her a bottle of something that really doesn't work with her skin chemistry. Good luck!

[quinkel]

I used to wear Shalimar and Vixen and ravenous reminded me both, certainly after the drydown

[heartbeast]

Snake Oil smells similar to Shalimar to me, under all the vanilla. It also layers beautifully with Shalimar (my friend at the office said "You smell GORGEOUS! Is that what you're going to name that scent, 'Gorgeous'??"

[psykhe]

quick question!

 

i'm planning on ordering a set of imps for my friend's birthday [so she can have her pick and i can order her a whatever-she-wants size of it] and i was wondering if there are any particular scents that mimic that of Shalimar [her favorite perfume]-- something that contains that same spicy oriental theme but isn't ENTIRELY reminiscent of Shalimar. i've been looking over scent descriptions and comparing those with actual reviews and my head's starting to hurt.

 

i appreciate all your suggestions. thanks!

 

 

E.

[aessedai]

My Mom likes Shalimar. People have recommended Haunted to me. My mom has enjoyed it.

[The_Witching_Hour]

Hope I'm not too late but RAVENOUS is an exact duplicate, no exageration!!!

[enigmae]

I don't know how similar it is, but I was wearing Vixen and someone thought it was Shalimar. May be worth a try.

[psykhe]

Hope I'm not too late but RAVENOUS is an exact duplicate, no exageration!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

nope, nope. not too late. still reading over reviews and whatnot. i ran across one review which mentions Vixen as being the better of the two. before enlisting everyone's help, i ALSO chose Vixen. have you tried Vixen and, if so, which of the two would you recommend?

 

 

E.

[The_Witching_Hour]

Hope I'm not too late but RAVENOUS is an exact duplicate, no exageration!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

nope, nope. not too late. still reading over reviews and whatnot. i ran across one review which mentions Vixen as being the better of the two. before enlisting everyone's help, i ALSO chose Vixen. have you tried Vixen and, if so, which of the two would you recommend?

 

 

E.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I, too have also worn Vixen and maybe its chemistry but I had more people ask me (they know I'm a Shalimar wearer) if I switched over to EDP from EDT when I wore the Ravenous. They smelled "Shalimar" on me, only much richer in the 'wafting' department.

 

Order both----if you aren't happy with the Ravenous, I'll purchase it from you as I'll be needing more in the next few months! No $$ lost.

[ChupaChup]

I've tried all three (Haunted, Ravenous and Vixen) and Haunted is by far the closest to Shalimar (and I have a bottle of Shalimar for comparison). It's funny, because when you read the notes listed for Haunted it doesn't sound like Shalimar's notes. But Haunted does have something slightly citrus and the oriental musk and amber base of Shalimar. Vixen is also a wonderful oil, so try it anyway! And Ravenous is somewhat like Vixen but tamer - not as much musk, no ginger and a lot more candy-like orange.

[bigeyedgirl]

One of my coworkers refuses to belive I'm wearing anything other than Shalimar when I have Snake Oil on.

[quinkel]

Me too adding a vote for Haunted, I dislike Shalimar because i used to wear it to much. For that same reason I don't like Haunted. But Vixen and Ravenous are close calls but not THAT close cause I can still wear them

[scarlet]

I was told just the other day that Snake Oil is a lot like Shalimar.

[inkheart]

As stated above, I'm looking for any BPAL scents that might be similar to the two listed, but I'm also looking for just a starter BPAL scent, something that is popularly loved. To give you an idea of what scents I like, I adore "seasonal smells", I guess you could say. Just different scents that define their season, be it winter, spring, fall, or summer. Two BPAL scents which I'm interested in already are Gingerbread Poppet, Mistletoe, and Evening Star. Would you recommend any of them? Oh, also, if anyone can recommend a BPAL scent that is sophisticated, Victorian-like that would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Edited January 3, 2006 by Inkheart

[hangingfire]

I'm a big Shalimar fan, myself. Belle Epoque, while not exactly similar, has the same kind of "vibe", at least to my nose. Sed non Satiata might be another contender.

[AliBabble]

it never occurred to me before, but i think Black Opal has a similarity to Shalimar. funny, i always loved shalimar but haven't thought about it in years. and i think black opal has that "thing" that shalimar has...that sultry, musky, slightly metallic, vanilla, creamy mysterious thing.

as far as "victorian" reccomendations...there are many. do you mean victorian rose? violet? vanilla? it would depend what you associate with "victorian"...maybe antique lace? for me, libertine and blood pearl smell "victorian" - so does laudanum and absinthe, but the associations are very subjective. oh, also moon rose.

[foxroses]

the first thing that came to my mind when you said victorian was Dorian (three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea), but i think it's because of that infamous review of it:

 

Oh. My. God. This is like having a cup of strong but sweet tea laced with a hint of lemon in a posh Victorian parlor whilst sitting opposite a very civilised Victoran gentleman. And as soon as the maid serving the tea is gone, this proper Victoran gentleman fucks you six ways from Sunday. -andrabell

 

:D

[Macha]

You can pretty much assume that any perfume ending with "moon" is a Lunar LE.

 

I'd write the lab and give them a substitute. They're usually able to make replacements.

 

As for the Victorian angle...hmm....sophisticated and/or innocent is a pretty subjective vibe. What's innocent to me may not be to someone else. Perhaps Ouija for that Victorian mansion air? How do you feel about roses? Lucy's Kiss and London are both Victorian roses scents.

[parrot_suspect]

Inkheart, BPAL's Haunted is a dead ringer for Shalimar. VERY much in the Guerlain vein.

 

Yes, if you like foody/seasonal blends you'll definitely like Gingerbread Poppet, and probably Hearth as well.

[inkheart]

Someone in another forum told me this scent was VERY similar to Guerlain Shalimar. Can anyone here back up this opinion? If so, I will definately be purchasing possibly a BIG bottle of this, because Shalimar is my ultimate favorite perfume. Ever.

Mod note: This post has been moved from the Haunted thread, and is reference to that scent. - clover

Edited January 5, 2006 by clover

[Chrysantza]

I'm also interested in hearing a backup to Haunted = Shalimar, because I'm thinking of getting a friend of mine addicted to BPAL by sending her an imp pack. She loves Shalimar, and I want to include an imp of something similar.

[Torrilin]

I'd say Haunted is similar to Shalimar, but not exact, nor is it intended to be. It's a strong scent, and very much a classic Oriental scent (which is pretty much Shalimar all over). Since BPAL ambers and musks are blends to mimic the scent of the real thing, they can have more complexity than you might expect from a blend with only 2 notes.

 

Definitely try Haunted, but don't expect a Shalimar dupe .

 

Kalli