History of Shalimar Perfume
Shalimar was named after the garden in Srinagar, built for Mumtaz Mahal, wife of Shah Jahan in honor of his wife. Before he became emperor his name was Prince Khurram. According to the legend, twenty- year-old Prince Khurram met a young girl, named Arjumand Banu at the bazaar where her family worked.
![]()
Mesmerized by her beauty, after becoming emperor, he made her his wife as Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the "Jewel of the Palace". After the wedding ,the prince and Mumtaz were inseparable, in war and in peace. She had given 13 children to Shahjahan and died during the birth of their 14th child at the age of 39. Her death devastated Shah Jahan and had built Taj Mahal in memory of his wife and their undying love. Shalimar is named after ‘The Gardens of Shalimar’.It was Mumtaz’s favorite garden.
Guerlain filed a trademark for the name Shalimar on 8/24/1926, and noted that its first recorded use in commerce was 4/3/1926. The trademark was renewed in 1966 to include these Shalimar named products: perfume, cologne, toilet water, dusting powder, talcum powder, skin lotion, hair spray and bath oil. The name was again renewed in 2006 and 2009.
Michael Edwards' book Perfume Legends: French Feminine Fragrances notes that at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes in Paris in 1925, Guerlain received an award, but it didn't attract much attention. It wasn't until later when traveling to the United States, Madame Guerlain and her husband learned that Shalimar had already been desired by the American public before they stepped off the ship into New York.
A 1931 ad reads: "And if she seeks perfume, then will she find in the enchanting, the miraculous creations of Guerlain the end of her quest. Who can forget ever the emotion of gorgeous Shalimar . . . the muted voice of velvet Shalimar!' Its fame has gone round the world.."
A 1932 ad reads: " A perfume by Guerlain is the epitome of elegance, the consummate gift among luxuries. For it is a gift which enhances the elegance of women. Shalimar is the reigning perfume of the world. Women of elegance in all the great capitals bow to its power and beauty."
Controversy
Shalimar proved to be so successful that in 1927 a rival perfume company, DuBarry Perfumery Co. of England who was already using the name for a line of toiletry products in the United Kingdom as filed for opposition against Guerlain's trademark and subsequently a legal battle issued. Throughout the 1920s and into early part of the 1930s, Shalimar's name was replaced by "No. 90", "No. 91", and "No. 92", Guerlain's stock catalog numbers for the perfume, on bottles for export to the United Kingdom.
![]()
DuBarry Perfumery Co. (Goldstone Laboratories, Hove), was selling line of toiletry products named Shalimar, by 1930, the line was extended to include even more products than before. I saw ads for DuBarry's Shalimar manicure products and other toiletries in 1916, before Guerlain "officially" launched Shalimar perfume and I still saw ads for Creme Shalimar by DuBarry being sold in 1972.
Villon Perfumer, also decided to cash in on the popularity and launched a cheaper perfume. Samuel A. Klein doing business as Villon Perfumer was blending small amounts of Guerlain's Shalimar with his own cheap perfume blend and rebottling them into smaller bottles. He was advertising these bottles as "Guerlain's Shalimar et Villon Blend, Rebottled by Villon, NYC, Wholly Independent of Guerlain" and "Genuine Extracts of Shalimar with Villon Blender". A legal battle ensued in 1931, suing Villon for using the trade names of Mitsouko and Shalimar. There was also uncontradicted testimony that scientific and practical tests reveals that there was a marked difference between Guerlain's Shalimar perfume and the contents of the small vials sold by Villon.
Original Fragrance Composition
So what does it smell like? It is classified as an oriental fragrance for women.
- Top notes: vanilla, leather, bergamot, lemon
- Middle notes: jasmine, rose, vanilla, orris, patchouli, vetiver, incense, civet
- Base notes: vanilla, tonka bean and musk
Shalimar made use of the ambreine accord, which is formed between bergamot, vanillin (or ethyl vanillin), coumarin and civet, with woody (vetiver, patchouli 4% and sandalwood) and rose notes (Calkin and Jellinek 1994). This was also used in the following oriental ambery fragrances: L'Origan by Coty, Must de Cartier and Obsession by Calvin Klein.
Reformulated Fragrance Composition
So what does it smell like? It is classified as an oriental fragrance for women. In 2001, it was slightly tweaked to appeal to a wider audience.
- Top notes: lemon, bergamot, mandarin
- Middle notes: jasmine, may rose, heliotrope, opoponax, patchouli, iris
- Base notes: orris, sandalwood, vetiver, musk, incense, tonka bean, vanilla, civet, balsam of Peru, benzoin, leather, ambergris
Shalimar was one of the first scents to incorporate the synthetic vanilla compound, vanillin (Methoxy-3-Hydroxybenzaldehyde). Jacques Guerlain believed that the scent of vanilla was an aphrodisiac, so while examining a sample of vanillin, suddenly poured the entire contents into a nearby bottle of Jicky,," just to see what would happen." The resulting concoction was to be named Shalimar.
Perfume Shrine has noted that "Vanillin was first isolated as a relatively pure substance in 1858 by Nicolas-Theodore Gobley, by evaporating a vanilla extract to dryness and recrystallizing the resulting solids. In 1874, German scientists Ferdinand Tiemann and Wilhelm Haarmann found a way to synthesize vanillin from coniferin, a glycoside of isoeugenol found in pine bark (they went on to found a company which now belongs to Symrise and produce it industrially). In 1876, Karl Reimer synthesized vanillin from another source: guaiacol. The laboratories De Laire bought the patent for vanillin and sold the product to Guerlain for their perfumery, first used in Jicky. But, Jicky already contained vanillin along with natural vanilla extract, as well as coumarin and linalool. The secret to the medicinal, smoky yellow vanillin of Jicky, reprised in Shalimar, was the remnants of guaiacol and phenols, lending an autumnal darkness to what would otherwise be a confectionary sweet cream. This is the reason that Guerlain insisted on ordering the impure grade of vanillin even when the chemical process was improved."
Famous perfumer Ernest Beaux, realized that Shalimar was a great perfume and thus complained: "When I do vanilla I get crème anglaise, when Guerlain does it he gets Shalimar!"
Jean-Paul Guerlain has said, “Vanilla is famous as an aphrodisiac and I think that this is true. My grand-father, Jacques Guerlain, taught me how to love vanilla as it adds something wonderfully erotic to a perfume. It turned Shalimar into an evening gown with an outrageously plunging neckline.”
To me, the scent of Shalimar is deep and velvety black with the scent of lemons hinted with medicinal vanilla. Night-blooming flowers, vanilla and musks blend exquisitely in this heady, romantic and sensual scent to create instant and lasting intrigue. Shalimar is one of the best selling perfumes ever and it's magic is undeniable.
Personally I find that vintage Shalimar perfumes smell the best, as their perfume oils were more concentrated and natural and didnt have the synthetic chemical smell that today's reformulated versions have. The vintage perfumes have a delightful musky, smoky, velvety and well rounded accord that are not comparable in the Shalimar of today due to IFRA restrictions and the fact that the perfumers at Guerlain may not have access to exclusive perfume bases once used in the composition.
If you wish to obtain the earlier versions, I suggest the Shalimar of the 1920s up until the 1990s. They have aged beautifully, like a fine wine. Ebay always has some really good examples, and they are usually at bargain prices.
I suggest getting the perfumes that look dark, syrupy and thick. I find that these last a very long time when applied to the skin and the vanilla warms up nicely. Please remember that the older Shalimar is, the darker it will be in the bottle. If it is light colored, it is newer.
If you can find it, a vintage bottle of Scherk's Intermezzo perfume smells similar to Shalimar, but it is a tad weaker and lighter in character, a good substitute if you find Shalimar a little too strong.
Current Bottles & Products:
![]()
Ancillary Products
Shalimar was so popular that Guerlain came out with ancillary products that showcased its unique scent. The first of these was the Shalimar Face Powder, La Poudre C'Est Moi.
A 1931 ad reads: " So why do you not hasten to try Guerlain's new achievement, Shalimar Powder? It is scented with the famous Shalimar. ... Guerlain meant this Shalimar Powder to give the skin an effect of surreal loveliness. And his patrons say that it does." In 1930, Shalimar face powder was then packed in a sealed container which had a “window” of transparent tissue, so that the purchaser could see the actual color.
Then came the Shalimar scented Lotion Vegetale, meant to perfume the hair before or after shampooing, combed through the hair to make it soft and smooth, although men also used it as an aftershave lotion too. The 8 oz capsule bottles were sold from 1953 til 1971, earlier bottles were tall and rectangular with a glass ball stopper.
Shalimar Talcum powder in the frosted bottle "Flacon Poudreur" was introduced in 1950, it was being put up in a white plastic canister in the late 1960s, then it was sold in a turquoise canister in the 1980s.
![]()
Shalimar Dusting Powder was introduced around 1955 housed in a faux tortoiseshell plastic powder box, then inside of a white plastic powder box in the 1960s and 1970s, then in a turquoise plastic powder box in the 1983, then a navy blue and white plastic powder box starting in the late 1990s, and is still being sold today.
Guerlain's Creme Hydratante introduced in 1959, a lanolin based moisturizer, lightly scented and meant to be lavished all over the body, particularly on arms and legs. Still sold around 1967.
Shalimar Film Spray Body Lotion was a scented, pink, light moisturizing body lotion in spray form created in 1966 and sold until 1975.
Shalimar Capillaque hair spray, Capillaque was the name of scented hair sprays/brilliantine sprays . A trademark was filed in 1961 for the hair spray and the trademark expired in 1988, but I am pretty sure this was discontinued by around 1971.
Shalimar Body Shampoo was released in 1976.
Bath oils were introduced in 1952. These lyre shaped glass flacons held six scents: Shalimar, Mitsouko, Liu, Fleur de Feu, L'Heure Bleue and Vol de Nuit.
Guerlain released Shalimar's ancillary products in this turquoise packaging starting in 1983, this line was known as Les Voluptes du Bain de Guerlain and sold til 1999, when the products were given a makeover with a shape hearkening back to the original Shalimar flacon. Three new products were offered, Perfumed Bath Salts, Sensual Milky Veil.
The following Shalimar products can be found in the online or at fine department stores or on ebay/etsy:
- Eau de Cologne 2.5fl oz
- Eau de Toilette Spray 2.5 fl oz
- Eau de Toilette Spray 1.7fl oz
- Eau de Toilette Gold Bee Bottle 16.9fl oz
- Eau de Toilette Gold Bee Bottle 33.8fl oz
- Eau de Toilette White Bee Bottle 16.9fl oz
- Habit De Fete Eau de Parfum Spray Refill 1.69fl oz
- Habit De Fete Eau de Toilette Spray Refill 3.1fl oz
- Habit De Fete Perfume Spray Refill 0.27fl oz
- Eau de Parfum Spray 2.5fl oz Eau de Parfum Spray 1.7fl oz
- Eau de Parfum Spray 1fl oz
- Eau de Parfum mini Parfum/Extrait 0.25fl oz
- Parfum/Extrait 0.50fl oz
- Parfum/Extrait 1 fl oz
- Sensual Milky Veil (Body Lotion) 6.8fl oz
- Moisturising Body Lotion Bottle 6.8fl oz
- Silky Moisturising Body Mist Spray 3.4fl oz
- Body Cream 7fl oz
- Sensual Body Oil 3.3fl oz
- Perfumed Dusting Powder 4.4oz
- Bath Salts 17.6oz
- Ritual Bath Gel 6.8fl oz
- Shower Gel Bottle 6.8fl oz
- Voluptuous Foaming Bath Bottle 6.8fl oz
- Deodorant Spray 3.4fl oz
- Hair Gel 0.25fl oz
- Shalimar Light Eau de Toilette Spray 2.5fl oz
- Shalimar Beautifying Hair Gel
- Soothing Bath Oil Beads
- Bath Essence
- Body Shampoo
The line consisted of the following products in the late 1960s-1970s:
- Parfum
- Parfum Spray
- Eau de Toilette
- Eau de Cologne
- Spray Cologne
- Film Spray Parfumé
- Capillaque
- Bath Oil
- Déodorant
- Talc
- Crème Hydratante
- Flanelle pour le linge
