L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme Guerlain (2005) Eau de Parfum

L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme (Eau de Parfum) by Guerlain

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8.5 / 10 968 Ratings

L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme (Eau de Parfum) is a popular perfume by Guerlain for men and was released in 2005. The scent is gourmand-sweet. The longevity is above-average. It is being marketed by LVMH.

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Perfumer

Béatrice Piquet

Fragrance Notes

Top Notes	Elemi resin, Star anise, Citric notes
Heart Notes	Jasmine, Neroli, Patchouli blossom
Base Notes	Hibiscus seed, Cocoa, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Tea, Cedar

Ratings

Scent

8.5 (968 Ratings)

Longevity

8.8 (649 Ratings)

Sillage

7.8 (622 Ratings)

Bottle

7.6 (612 Ratings)

Submitted by Kankuro, last update on 23.09.2018

Interesting Facts

The previous addition "Eau Extrême" is omitted since 2016, following the alteration of the bottle.

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Reviews

01/30/2017

RhythmnHues

Helpful Review 3

Absolutely Stunning!

Even though I was already in love with the EDT, the first time I tried this EDP version I was stunned! It was a decant from a 'new' bottle. Absolutely warm and beautifully sweet with a hint of citrus, cocao, and anise. Truly glorious interpretation for a flanker.

As soon as I finished my 10ml decant, I went around looking for this so called "holy-grail vintage bottle with black border" thing. And to be honest I've always been lucky in that department - finding discontinued stuff. I didn't even have to look much, I found a vintage tester for less than a current edition price. The first time I wore that one it was some other experience altogether. The anise and cocoa combination was very prominent in the beginning and there's a brilliant sandalwood accord-very deep and almost meditative, like the ones used for religious ceremonies in India. Doesn't smell like the new Sandalwood they use in perfumes these days. Then there's the beautiful neroli-tea-hibiscus-patchouli-jasmine accord - just like in the EDT probably a little rounder - on a warm, creamy, almost gourmand base of something ambery/resins, bitter-ish dry cocao and woods. Nothing in this perfume smells generic to me. It's extremely well crafted and made with top-notch ingredients. Performance is magnificent too. Even if you have the EDT this is totally worth having, in my opinion. Absolutely stunning!

I just totally love these old French perfume houses, like Guerlain. They just know their schitt! Respect.

10/10

p.s: After a couple of wears the vintage bottle smells just the same as the new bottle. So for those unable to find the vintage stuff - don't stress, it's the same juice.

01/15/2016

ColinM

Very helpful Review 6

A must!

L’Instant pour Homme by Guerlain is one of my favourite fragrances ever, and together with Dior Homme and a very limited few others, surely well represents the highest peak of recent contemporary perfumery for me (any perfumery, niche included). That kind of perfection which would make any flanker of it smell fantastic as wel, obviously provided the bone-structure remains the same. And in fact, this Extreme version is just as great as the original, to any extent. I neglected this for long thinking that it was only a more concentrated version of the original L’Instant, but now that I tried it, I realised it’s more than that (I know I’m ridicolously late on the party... better late than never, right?). It’s 95% L’Instant with the brightness knob turned down a little bit, and a 5% of anisic-cocoa boost. So it smells kind of darker, rounder, also woodier (especially on sandalwood) and a tad sweeter, shortly a bit more gourmand-ish than the original version, with a sort of younger feel all over. And it also feels bolder and understandably more powerful on skin. Sweeter and more powerful – now I see why this seems more popular among younger fans, if compared to classic L’Instant with its slightly more mature, musky, ephemeral and distinguished green-citrus vibe. But for once, dudes and bros are nailing it – this is some phenomenal scent as well. Different enough from classic L’Instant not to be redundant, great enough to make you want to own both. Brilliant.

8,5-9/10

10/09/2015

10.0/10

Omid2am

best of guerlain

Fantastic .i love it .very high quality perfume with a very good price . i will buy it again .very long lasting , after one day my friend asked me about my perfume . and i love the powdery chocolate and patchouli notes in it .

09/29/2015

WildGardener

Helpful Review 2

Instant boredom

Call me philistine but I don't get this. It smells predominantly of cocoa and I don't understand why I would want to smell of a sweet powdery foodstuff.

In the development of the human palate, taste starts with easy - the sweet tooth of a child, and graduates to an adult's appreciation of the challenging bitter and sour notes - remember the first time you drank beer or coffee and how wretched it was?

This feels likes regression back to perfume infancy.

A pleasant confection with nothing grown up to say, its the guy equivalent of the pink fruity floral.

Classy bottle though.

07/02/2014

10.0/10

7.5/10

10.0/10

MasterLi

Very helpful Review 6

Dreamy cocoa-covered sandalwood...

This fragrance is deep, it's rich, and it's intoxicating. I can't stop smelling my wrist when I try it out! I get the resins, anise and hibiscus, and jasmine and patchoulli... followed by a strong base of rich, dark bitter cacao. It's wonderful to smell, very addictive!

I'm a huge Guerlain fan and I love the house very much. L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme Eau Extrême is a fascinating one. There is a lot going on and it does smell extremely smooth, almost intoxicating.

Describing this one is interesting... It is supposedly inspired by the food of North Africa and the Middle East, with the honeyed, caramel chocolate and the strong anise liqueur vibe, hibiscus flower, and strong tea aroma. It is definitely interesting. As always I do love the 'Guerlainade' (Guerlain's signature) dry-down of Rose, Jasmine, Orris Root, Tonka Bean and Resins. It's still very appealing and I certainly give Guerlain the credit for it.

The quality is fantastic here and I love what the late Béatrice Piquet has done with this creation(it won an international award after all!). I read that she tried to evoke an impression of 'cold light' or 'luminescence', and I totally get that from the combination of bright citrus and the creamy sandalwood/cocoa. I do both appreciate and understand the concept, and respect her for doing that. I also really think this could almost be like a modern, updated 'Habit Rouge' for the 21st Century, as I definitely think it pays homage to that creation. I must also say that I really enjoy the bottle, with it's Art Deco style. Very nice touch.

Overall, although I highly commend Guerlain for this interesting creation... I actually like this Eau de Parfum version much more than the EdT. I believe that everything Guerlain does is both enjoyable and exquisite!

04/28/2014

7.5/10

5.0/10

7.5/10

9.0/10

Swami

Helpful Review 3

Sweet as Candy

One of the best perfume I ever had...

You open the bottle and feel the aroma of Cocoa is been filled with a slight Citrus smell.

Once you apply initial 10-15 seconds you feel surrounded by a strong aroma which is a mix of Cocoa and Tea...

After few hours you can feel the confidence of the beautiful aroma of cocoa making you feel as sweet as a Candy.

I can now say that am a proud owner of L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme Eue Extreme.

02/20/2014

2.5/10

7.5/10

10.0/10

9.0/10

CarlMacau

Very helpful Review 3

Cacao Masterpiece

What a almost gourmand-ish Parfum. A rich, tasty cocoa-based fragrance for the man with age and style, Guerlain has created a crowd-pleaser that begs compliments. Best for winter or a cool night outside in the snow, this contemporary scent is powerful and strong despite a combination of “light” notes blended so smoothly together. Citrus / Neroli fates in about 1 minute. Cocoa, Patchouli, Sandalwood an a Tea Mix stay forever and ever. This scent is not only for special occasions. I use a little each day at work when its cold outside, keeps me warm and happy. Nonetheless, you will certainly pass on this one if creamy and powdery are olfactory characteristics from which you shy away. The most similar bottle out there, in my collection at least, is Dior’s Homme Intense, which is far more Heavy for some nose, more powdery and also wearable for older ladies. Masterpiece for a cheap Price! 75ml in Spain about 45€. Hands down on this.Thank you Guerlain.

04/25/2013

10.0/10

Mojtaba

Very helpful Review 8

The real fun

I was really surprised when I first got this perfume test.I love it
A unique fragrance that smells to me like nothing else does.Strong aroma of Patchouli blossom fragrances that might be a bit annoying.
But this is not the end...
After 2 hours,in Base Notes,You will encounter a mysterious fragrance.Tea, cocoa,cedar and Sandalwood aromas balanced, and have created a pleasant fragrance.Dark&sweet and spicy

02/25/2013

10.0/10

7.5/10

10.0/10

Nicky

Greatly helpful Review 4

Aroma therapy

This is like aromatherapy for me... I can´t get enough of its gorgeous aroma. Just have to spray my pillow every now and then before getting to bed. Dark, spicy, sweet chocolate. I love it. My bottle will last a while because i don´t wear it outdoors. My secret little treasure...;)

05/28/2012

10.0/10

Momoo

Helpful Review 2

guerlain perfection

to be honest with you the first time i smelled it it didnon attract me but after few times what can i say it became one of my favourite definitely a masterpiece canot go wrong with this best cacao perfume with great longevity & projection honestly its a niche quality my advice to you donot judge it through its opening wait for the magic to start and you will full in love with it its guerlain perfection
smell 10
proj 9.5
long 10

05/08/2012

ArkangeL

Very helpful Review 4

More Cacao - Less Sillage

L'instant EDT is a winner for me. I find the EDP to be not only softer, but closer to the skin. The Eau de Toilette concentration seems to be the bigger gun, giving off more projection and also allowing the fragrance to breathe more clearly. I feel the Parfum closes off a lot of the notes and limits the fragrance to cacao, anise and a timid patchouli. This is the same case with La Nuit de L'Homme EDT and EDP. It's a nice scent overall, but L'instant EDT is classier and every note is active within. Dior Homme Intense is a far more complex and addictive structure of the cacao element with amazing projection.

01/19/2012

10.0/10

5.0/10

10.0/10

9.0/10

DieNase

Very helpful Review 4

Yummy spicy cocoa

This treasure is part of my collection of late (edit: original comment from 2.9.2011). I had tested the EdT various times (in summer) - it is much easier to find in ordinary perfumeries. It was somehow very nice, but it seemed to lack some harmony. i suppose that the combination citrus + cocoa does not work that well on my skin (although I really love the citrus note of l'instant). Maybe it was the temperatures. In food, I don't like the combination choclate + fruit/lemon either. Rather either or. Well, an exception is bitter choclate (at least 85% cocoa) with bitter orange. Maybe Guerlain should do that as a flanker.
Well, I tried to love the EdT, because I loved the citric-spicy top notes so much. But somehow, the development on my skin did not convince me. Maybe I should try again in winter.
Then, in july I finally got to try the EdP in the Alterhaus (Hamburg) and it was obvious that I would get this version instead. The drydown is more beautiful, better balanced, more high grade.
The scent sweetens when smelled directly on the skin, when smelled from further away it's not that sweet (depending on the weather conditions) although I have a quite "sweet skin".
The EdP is heavier and more intense than the Edt, but I don't think it is too heavy or cloying. Elemi and aniseed give it an ethereous character. To me, the EdP is more unisex (not feminine) than the EdT due to the lower key citrus notes and because of a noticeable jasmine note in the heart/drydown. Instead of the citrus here the peppery elemi takes the role of a counterbalance to the bitter-sweet cocoa. In the beginning it tingles a bit in the nose, which must be the elemi. The aniseed supplies additional spice and character. The discreet jasmine note in the heart blends in seamlessly.
It is difficult to identify all the single notes. I got no idea how hibiscus seed smells actually. And I would never have thought of tea. But that's not important after all. This is just a very well balanced composition. Very pleasing, at the same time it has character and recognition value.

Longevity: very good.

Sillage: imho the sillage is medium. It is not breathtaking nor room-filling. It is significant directly after spraying. But when it starts drying down it has a rather discreet presence, it is noticeable, but rather subtle. Some reviewers on the internet call it a sillage monster. I cannot see why. I think, in autumn/winter it is very suitable for the office. It is also perfect for special occasions or even as a signature scent. Very versatile in my opinion.

Concerning the category: I would name it a borderline-gourmand. Despite of the cocoa I wouldn't call it a pure gourmand. It is too complex and hard to categorize. The choclate-patchouli also has some woodiness.

PS: They try to prevent women from using this scent by making the 75 ml bottle nearly too broad for my hands to hold - and i don't have particularly small hands :))

01/09/2012

10.0/10

MrX

MrX

Piece of Art

This is a piece of art . one of the best Guerlain fragrances for Men. In fact I love most of Guerlain fragrances!

Long-lasting and so unique. This is my signature fragrance > I love it

01/03/2012

10.0/10

Thatsmr2usir

Very helpful Review 7

Class & distinction in a bottle

I own the EDP & have tested the EDT! I much prefer the EDP! & here is why. The EDT is a nice offering from Guerlain which opens with a nice citrus burst, a tad of cocoa & woods. In the EDT version the citrus is the more dominant player. While it is nice, it does not last very long for me to get a full bottle! 4-5 hours max is what I get out of the EDT.

Now for the EDP! The first initial blast of this concentration is a heavy, yet sharp dry, bitter cocoa accord with a hint of citrus & woods. This concentration the dry, cocoa is the main player. It last @ least 10 hours on me & is indeed lovely! It leaves a nice lingering aroma for people to follow & its just awesome! Pure class here! For fans looking for a sweet cocoa note, THIS IS NOT YOUR FRAGRANCE! The only sweetness I may get from this is when the citrus & cocoa note collide.

I Would not really call the EDP a straight gourmand, because clearly it is not, but its more so a mixture between a gourmand/oriental if that makes any sense. Not for the faint of heart, or who is looking for something sicking sweet! The EDP is more mature than the EDT & for the $$$ its a better option to go with including the fact that the EDT has longevity issues compared to this! Kudos to Guerlain for this masterpiece!

3 Replies

12/31/2011

7.5/10

9.0/10

Taurus1967

Very helpful Review 5

House of pralines

In Duesseldorf – one of the nicest cities in Germany – was a little shop called “Haus der Praline” (house of pralines). They offered belgian pralines in different kinds. Some of them was made of bright or dark or white chocolate.
The stuffing was with chocolate-, nougat-, fruit- or buttercreme. All pralines was handmade and tasted excellent. No doubt – they was made with exquisit and freshest ingredients.

Who ever degust one of these little artworks never wants cheap pralines of a factory.

If you entered this doom of confiserie, you smelled this wonderful yummy flavour nobody can resist. Inherently to take a breath, your calory requirement is covered for a half day.

It´s a long time ago and I´m missing this “Haus der Praline”. L´ Instant de Guerlain pour Homme Eau Extrême give me back this trip down memory lane. Especially I can see again these little darkbrown pralines covered by kakaopowder and filled with lemoncreme, if I smell this fragrance.
For me a divine revelation of a gourmand scent. Guerlain has done everything right and is remain true oneself.

A little bit kakao and a little bit fruity but not excessive sweet, wonderful aromatic with light dark fragrance notes and for me definitely enough masculine. Yepp – basically women can wear this fragrance too, but as man I have no unpleasant feeling. However this fragrance press on some synopses of my brain, so it makes me hungry. Hungry for pralines …

I can advise L´ Instant de Guerlain pour Homme Eau Extrême, but more for cooler seasons – like a little reward for oneself.

1 Replies