Samsara Guerlain 1991 Eau de Toilette

Bottle Design Robert Granai

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8.3 / 10 227 Ratings

Samsara (Eau de Toilette) is a popular perfume by Guerlain for women and was released in 1991. The scent is floral-oriental. It is being marketed by LVMH.
Pronunciation

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Main accords

Floral

Oriental

Woody

Sweet

Spicy

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Ylang-ylang

Green notes

Peach

Bergamot

Lemon

Heart Notes

Carnation

Jasmine

Narcissus

Orris root

Rose

Violet

Base Notes

Sandalwood

Tonka bean

Vanilla

Amber

Iris

Musk

Perfumers

Jean-Paul Guerlain, Gérard Anthony

Ratings

Scent

8.3227 Ratings

Longevity

7.9198 Ratings

Sillage

7.6196 Ratings

Bottle

8.1196 Ratings

Value for money

8.055 Ratings

Submitted by Venice, last update on 12.03.2024.

Variant of the fragrance concentration

This is a variant of the perfume Samsara (Eau de Parfum) by Guerlain, which differs in concentration.

Reviews

7 in-depth fragrance descriptions

10/12/2018

9
Bottle 8
Sillage 8
Longevity 9
Scent

pudelbonzo
689 Reviews

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pudelbonzo

Top Review 35

Unanimity

Today I felt nervousness in me germinate, and it pulled me - purely therapeutically - into the perfumery.

I asked for a consolation or " harmonizer ".

Besides, I wanted to surprise myself with a blind buy.

The grab bag was Rechs Paris est une Fete - but then I discovered the rare red bottle Samsara.
I simply like this design better than the new flacons - and you can't have enough of Samsara in your house.

Despite my supplies, I sprayed at home, and was amazed.
The scent is beautiful, but a little different?

Oh - I had accidentally bought the EDT - and accidentally done everything right.

His statement is also full and strong - but somewhat more cautious than the EDP.
It first circles me quietly before it lies shining on my skin.
The ingredients are the same, but the Edt comes lighter and more floating towards me.
A trace more transparent - but not thinner.

I feel reminded of Samsara Shine by its consistency, although Shine comes with other ingredients.

But this distinctive " translucent " is similar.

The EDP reminds me of velvet - the EDT of silk.
I wouldn't want to miss either.

The husband adds one more thing by rejecting my hand wetted with right, but gladly reaching for the samsara hand.
I have to agree with him.

The Paris surprise party is good - but Samsara is better.

04/29/2021

10
Pricing 8
Bottle 8
Sillage 8
Longevity 8
Scent

Chanelle
113 Reviews

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Chanelle

Top Review 23

Cream of sandal cream

Samsara is indisputably recognized among Guerlainfans as a masterpiece, although there are very strong fluctuations in the batches. With other fragrances, I personally never noticed them (of course I know about the endless Aventus batch discussion or reformulations and relaunches that have mutilated the original scent beyond recognition, but...GUERLAIN! Hey! Before Thierry Wasser neuters a fragrance because of new IFRA regulations, it better be discontinued!), but Samsara EdT really does come in different delivery forms. Right now I'm specifically concerned with the version in the red bottle, which I've heard was not the best. Mmmh.
But beautiful she is already...
While the top note starts slightly velvety-fruity, downright flattering in the nose, the first Asian influences are already recognizable or erriechbar. Spicy, gentle sandalwood note on cuddly soft flower soap.
Indian incense of the most timid kind.
The sandalwood note still gains strength, but remains exceedingly creamy, with mild sweetness. A glow emanates from this blend, not as opulent as from the EdP, not as imperious as from the PdT, and not as all-night as from the Extrait.
Portable, Indian-spicy sandalwood cream. Not such an 80s/90s powerhouse as one might expect, but easily perceived for a long time due to its quiet, yet persistent nature. Price / performance phenomenal.

10/12/2020

10
Bottle 9
Sillage 10
Longevity 10
Scent

MariReniRena
13 Reviews

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MariReniRena

Top Review 19

The smell of my childhood

If there is one fragrance that takes me straight back to my childhood, it is samsara.

In 1999, when I was still a 5 year old girl, my grandma was given this fragrance as a gift. She only used this one fragrance and I loved it so much! I kept taking the bottle out of the closet to smell it. I still see this gift in front of me. The flacon looked different back then, a black/red/gold cap and a transparent bottle adorned the fragrance. Unfortunately I don't like the design of today any more. In my opinion, the bottle no longer has a character of its own, all fragrances look the same, only the colors differ. I think that's a real pity. But it's good that we still have a vintage bottle, it's well protected.

In itself, the fragrance is difficult for me to describe, I just think of my childhood when I smell it. The fragrance is already very heavy, but it also has something light and airy, which I like so much. Most of all I perceive the sandalwood, the jasmine and the vanilla. An incredibly seductive composition. The Sillage is also very strong, so I treated myself to the Eau de Toilette in order not to be overwhelmed by the scent. But for an Eau de Toilette the scent is still strong and one should be careful with the dosage!

There's something really soothing about the way I smell that smell. It also makes me so happy that the fragrance still exists and that I can buy it myself! At that time as a child, of course, you didn't think that you would be able to wear this fragrance yourself one day. Perfume was still something mysterious then.

At first I had doubts whether this fragrance was a bit old-fashioned for me, but I think it suits me perfectly. Besides, it always depends on the dosage and you should not overdo it with this fragrance :)

For me this fragrance will always bring back a piece of childhood and that's what I love about it

09/30/2021

Laminatrix
35 Reviews

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Laminatrix

Top Review 19

When it happens

"A heartbeat just for me and those who are with me". We are heroes.

It's 1994, little Lami is with Dad in Stuttgart's largest department store. He has to go through the perfume department and meineriner stands in front of the flacons. My dad was a cop - yes one of the variety "crime scene" and as it is in the crime novel, he likes to arrest people. So my dad leaves me in heaven and I stand there, eight, half able to read, in front of the display of Guerlain (Guär-lah-ihn) with orders to stay there and not go. The saleswoman catches sight of me, sits me down behind the counter and hands me a book by Bräuni-Bär, For those who don't know: Bräuni was the mascot of a traditional department store in Stuttgart, which was supposed to bind childish consumers. Gladly students stuck in the plush prison to improve the BAföG.
So I sat there and there it was, that smell. soft, beautiful and extremely powdery. The saleswoman sprayed something on a tempo for me. "It's called Samsara, you'll wear this scent when you grow up."

So, 26 years later. Whenever I go to the department store today, I think of my dad and I always get sore. The other day, when the man was testing L'Homme Ideal, and Vetivier, and L'Homme, I stood around and reached for Samsara - more to smell something different. And yes, I was in love. Warm, soft and so cozy and very special.
All the green fruitiness of the citrus notes of the top slowly gives way to this great balanced heart of iris root, jasmine, rose, violet and garden carnation - I barely smell narcissus. Slowly the base melts into the heart and the impossibly well balanced notes of iris, amber and musk come into play, making the scent soft and powdery. Tonka and vanilla give it warmth and sandalwood rounds things off beautifully.

Yes, Samsara is a gem. Rarely do I find myself so eager for the heart notes of a fragrance. I admit, I often have a hard time with classics - especially those from the early 90s. But this one is wonderfully timeless and yet I got the vibes of my childhood.

Now I'm grown up, own enough perfume, and Dad is no more. He never had any understanding for my passion and yet I have one thing from him: thanks to him it is there, this comforting pain when I walk through Stuttgart's big B.. And still I prefer to turn into the perfumery and not into the sweets tunnel(imagine: Massive amounts of sweets in a bordellesque lit passageway). Still I wonder how shop detectives could be shaken off and rich upper-class bling wives could unobtrusively switch shopping bags. And still this place is one for me: flaunted consumerism and childhood. Thanks old man.

05/31/2022

8
Pricing 9
Bottle 7
Sillage 8
Longevity 9
Scent

Elysium
815 Reviews

Elysium

Helpful Review 6

Awakening To Reality

Maybe not everyone knows that Samsara is a religious concept of reincarnation in Hinduism and other Indian religions. The word means “wandering through, flowing on”, in the sense of “aimless and directionless wandering”. Perhaps it is for this reason that Samsara is rich in harmony and balance, thanks to the purest Mysore sandalwood and Arabian jasmine that until then had only been used for religious offerings. And Samsara features the best sandalwood and jasmine that were used only n religious ceremonies. Even though Samsara was known to me as one pillar of Guerlain, I don’t think I’ve ever tried it. Until a few days ago, when I found a fortuitous opportunity that allowed me to buy both Samsara Eau de Toilette and Insolence Eau de Toilette, blindly because, being promotions, the tester was not available. And my instincts didn’t let me down. Once at home, I unboxed both, and just sprinkled them on warm skin, Samsara resulted in a riot of sensual notes. Every single note brings with it a tropical and sensual aroma, which, when mixed, gives rise to a kind of sensuality made a person. Samsara is wonderfully delicate but has a subtle warmth that creates a romantic atmosphere. If Indolence is a flaunt to the violet flower, Samsara is the ostentation of sandalwood. The jasmine and sandalwood reign, but that’s not all there is here. Not even close.

There is a creamy opening, an explosion of oriental edges, rich in sweet, delicate and fruity citrus fruits, with a sharp balsamic and resinous background note. There is something tart, floral, not sweet and brilliantly aldehyde, with the aldehyde top notes never mentioned that don’t fade at all quickly and give a pungent nuance like coriander. A ripe nectarine peach and a mellifluous ylang-ylang flower sweeten the lemon and bergamot. I can’t say for sure whether the resinous note I feel on the base is due to green accords, the overdose of sandalwood, or the amber notes of the base. Anyway, especially if you smell the sprayer, you will get that typical greenish accord of the 70s and 80s fragrances. Already from the first notes, the scent envelops with the predominance of indolic jasmine and solar ylang-ylang.

Slowly, all the bittersweet harshness of the opening subsides, leaving room for a heart full of creamy flowers. The dusty iris rises very high, wrapped in a bouquet of exorbitant jasmine and daffodils. Instead, I feel the rose and violet flowers are very docile. Here, the violet does not dominate as in #insolence but supports the iris in creating a powdery accord. There is also a veil of precious carnation, one of those beautiful flowers that have fallen by the wayside in modern blends. It is a smell that I adore, whether smelled by a real flower or mixed in a perfume. The result is a flowery and creamy heart, of light and dark, delicate and virile flowers, a beautiful oxymoron of contrasts and opposites. At times spicy, then fresh, then powdery floral, then soapy and woody.

The creamy, milky, and woody notes of sandalwood rise from the bottom, perceptible from the start, but here they become overbearing and dominant. This tropical wood native to the Indies divides the scene with the spicy and gourmand notes of vanilla beans and tonka beans. The sandalwood stands out more than the vanilla; the amber adds warmth; the iris maintains the powdery hints, and the musk and tonka bean add more interest. To make everything less cloying, there is a touch of white musk and a salty veil of amber. The result is something timeless, classic, but always pleasant. In all this beauty, I get a kind of like gingerbread aroma. The dry-down is discreet like it was a part of my skin but fragrant with powdery sandalwood and blossoms, so soft and slightly musky florals.

For an Eau de Toilette, Samsara boasts impressive longevity; its subtle powderiness and warm sandalwood nuance remain on the skin throughout the day or the night. It stays close to my skin but lasts for eight hours. The modern reformulation is pretty inoffensive, so perfect for wearing at work, or for an evening party. The florals and creamy woods make me prefer it during the transition seasons of fall and spring, but summer nights might be an option. I can’t help but think of another perfume in my collection that smells a lot like it, but I can’t find it. I will update the review if the light bulb turns on!

I base the review on a 30ml bottle I have owned since May 2022.

-Elysium

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