L'Instant de Guerlain

again, it must have been in 2003 that I bought this perfume at first sniff. I remember how I loved it totally when the first notes reached my nasal receptors. and now, in the 'research' of my collection, it is still there with a fourth of 1.7oz50mL Edp left, pleasantly darkened in colour. if any perfume (and already in 2003) reached the Grape Spot, or scent of Grapeness, it was this perfume. perhaps this was due to the Fruits, used (Mandarin Orange, Red Apple, Bergamot), and then in combination especially with the (White [cold processed ?]) Honey and further all the Basenotes Amber, Vanille, Benzoin and White Musk. at least at first impression I would call this an Amber Perfume. yet it isn't exactly scarce on the Flowers either (Magnolia, Iris, Ylang, Jasmine) and with the Masterly Strokes of Genius Perfumer Maurice Roucel, this has truly become (for me) one of the Legendary Perfumes not only of Guerlain but also of, let's say, some Decades (and still). Magnolia comes forward noticeably, which in itself already is quite a feature. when you smell the real flower in nature, and get the petals flow to and in your nose, it has that White Flower Aroma, but more refined and also a bit of saltiness (memory of the Sea as Originator) and a Super Elegant Frailness (Fragilité) and the beauty of the whole shrub. what I immediately smelled this morning (and remembered) was the Jasmine and the Headiness of the perfume, here guaranteed by the Ylang, Jasmine, Iris (as I learned the last days) and perhaps blatantly the Honey, Amber, Benzoin, Vanilla and Musks. any way the whole perfume is fabulously blended (also due to the In-House History of 2003-2025) and (what I love to think) Macerated and Ripened a bit unto a Wine (the Grape Touch). one of the perfumes I will always love.

I don’t really understand why so many people consider this fragrance very feminine. I smelled and tried it yesterday, and I can easily see myself wearing it. It reminds me a lot of Angélique Noire, which is also a unisex fragrance. In fact, I believe fragrances don’t really have a gender.

Absolutely beautiful and classic, feminine and classy, I have loved and still love this chic, flowery, soft powder dry down perfume for years .since it came out

Comfort scent, like skin washed with citrussy water, topped with vanillic skin powder (that you have to dust on with a puff), finished off with a honey floral perfume. Perfect for spring and autumn, needs a nice balance of warm and cool. Lasts all day on my skin, projects quite strongly in the first 2 hours before becoming arms' length.

The citrus/amber/vanilla combination is amazing and utterly iconic. But it's really strong and can be a tad bugspray-like. I had this perfume, ended up selling it. Then I was gifted two minis - a side by side of both the EDP and the EDT. Turns out, I am falling in love with l'Instant all over again, but my true love is the eau de toilette!

I am smitten! I kept trying to figure out what it reminded me of ….. and somebody commented it is similar to Angelique noir. Omg 🙌 yes. ❤️

@lollsazz, Thank you so much for your feedback.

To the reviewer below: it is VERY feminine. Very flowery, sweet and powdery. I mean: anyone can smell pretty much anything, but this is not something I would consider anywhere near unisex, looking at it from a traditional standpoint. This is about as feminine as Narciso Rodriguez Poudrée.

Question for the ladies. I am a guy in my 40s. I have and love both L'Instant de Guerlain pour Homme and Extreme, but I am wondering if this (the female) offering is too feminine for a man. Is it too feminine for a man to wear or it's somewhat unisex. I wear other frags that are somewhat feminine like Dior Homme, Shalimar, etc and feel perfectly comfortable doing so. Thanks!

Opens up bright and citrusy with a touch of that classic Guerlain powdery vanilla. As it settles the honey and base notes come through and the citrus dissipates, but never disappears completely. You can get a full days wear out of this perfume, while enjoying a warm honey floral cloud throughout the day. This would be a great signature scent as it can be worn all seasons, uplifting and refreshing in the summer, while being sweet and comforting in the winter.

Why Guerlain reformulated & destroyed this beautiful scent ? created by the Great Maurice Roucel ❤️ Such a pity! I think Delphine Jelke she's doing lots of harm to the Guerlain fragrances 👎 and her own creations are so mediocre!

An absolute Y2K stunner. Peak fragrance era, for me at least. Even the elite niche houses aren't doing it like it was done 20 years ago and this is exhibit #1. I don't know how this flew under the radar for me, but I think that I wasn't getting the right idea about it so I didn't think to try. Pretty, floral, quiet, etc etc. That it is NOT, at least to me. The florals in this are stunning, top shelf, but the drydown... just unreal. Rich, euphoric, a full body experience. Like drugs without any of the bad stuff lol. Fully dimensional. Words are pitiful in describing it. It's musical. There's some higher form to it. I want to jump in and swim around in it but that might end me.

Honestly, this has to be one of the best fragrances ever created. Not because the notes are super unique or exotic. But because it truly is in a different league. It's like it belongs in the celestial realm. It's ethereal, light and so so beautiful, fresh and delicious. Fairy dust yes. Powdery no. It doesn't sit on your skin enough to be powdery. It creates a haze above it. There is a forest honey called honeydew and this reminds me of it. Honeydew, apple tree and vanilla pods.

Smells warm, soft, and comforting. Feels like a quiet moment — cozy, gentle, and quietly elegant.

I just inherited this fragrance from my late Mother. Not her usual taste, but I love it in the bottle - sweet, sexy, sophisticated. The color seems to have gone off, so I'm not sure about using it. She's used about 25-30% of a 50ml bottle. NUXE Huile Prodigieuse dry oil could be a wearable alternative for me. Someone else (chimidoro) wrote that it's a dead ringer. If it's an acceptable dupe, it's good enough for me. The bottle has seen some abuse but isn't broken, so I can't bring myself to get rid of L'instant de Guerlain. Someone else mentioned the top notes having gone off on her 2003 bottle and mine is also from 2003, but I can still detect the top notes for a brief instance. Update May 11th. It's like a luxury soap with some hints of honey and vanilla and a prominent iris on me. Even if Mom used 1/3 before she died, this could last me forever. . I can use the slightest spritz and L'Instant still has good projection and longevity. I don't know why I thought L'Instant would be a strong evening scent. I'm perfectly happy to wear it since this Sunday morning, and I can still smell it 4 hours later. It's not a very warm May day here though. If I manage to use up my inherited bottle or it goes bad on my skin, I'll go with NUXE Huile Prodigieuse dry oil as a dupe or actually buy L'instant.

I really love this one. It 's quite sophisticated a blend of fruit and flowers. The apple stands out for me. The drydown is a heavenly mix of vanilla and honey. Very easy to wear.

Sweet, amber cream. How do I even begin? I have been dying to smell this for ages, and I couldn’t tell you why. I just had this feeling. And now it’s here, and it has melted my heart. L’Instant is heavenly, like it comes from another world. A disarming and tender fragrance, so dreamlike and darling. It’s very alluring and sexy, but in a soft and natural way. As a piece in a perfume wardrobe, L’Instant is like a magical second skin out of a fairytale: a silk chiffon slip sewn so close to your body that it stays next to you forever. It’s one of those perfumes that defies its list of notes, but if I were to name it, I would say that it’s a lusciously creamy and sumptuous haze of featherlight honey and powdery vanilla. I don’t really smell any florals, but I can sense their delicate sweetness that makes this way more special than your typical vanilla perfume. Truly in masterpiece territory, a rare and unexpected joy.

Is the honey note prominent in this perfume? Should I blind buy if I'm looking for a good honey scent?

A very subjective - and weird - review of L’Instant de Guerlain for women *So I’ll preface this review by saying that I am a very average perfume enjoyer with an average sense of smell* L’Instant De Guerlain is an enigma to me. It was a blind purchase and one I very much regretted at first sniff. I’d looked at the fragranticq page and expected something fairly similar to my other floral-musky-vanilla perfumes but my oh my was I wrong. The best way to describe L’instant De Guerlain on me is dusty vanilla. Imagine going into the attic and finding an old old chest that hasn’t been opened in years. So you open it, curious what the contents are, only to be hit by a moist cloud of dust that’s been stashed away for a couple years. It’s a familiar and somewhat comforting smell but not one that’s very pleasant. After an hour or so when the dust storm settles you can finally see a gathering of vanilla in the depths of the chest with a small smattering of white floral petals accompanying it. The dusty quality is still very potent but there’s a not completely straightforward sweetness accompanying it. A very interesting non-gourmand vanilla starts to develop and after say 3 hours or so it *finally* starts to take over. Like you’ve finally taken the vanilla out of the chest but without it loosing some of the almost stale (for lack of a better word) qualities that at first were so prominent. After the five-six hour mark it’s almost exclusively a very nice vanilla/benzoin mixture that most people would like. It’s not a fresh/refreshing scent, and never will be, but it’s one that’s comforting and captivating. If I imagine an old academia library this is what it would smell like. It’s the kind of perfume where you continuously sniff your wrist just to see what’s happening at this point in the aeration (or whatever the correct word is). After my initial scepticism I’ve fallen under its spell and it’s now one of my most cherished scents.

A sweet, feminine, pretty perfume. Also smells classy. Update: 07/232025 Somehow I get anglica from this and powdery vanilla. It reminds me of Fragonard Belle d’Amour.

Category: Vanilla, floral Notes: Since my bottle is from the original 2003 launch it has lost its top notes entirely and waltzes pretty much straight into the mids and base. I'm getting mostly vanilla and loads of honey with a twinge of magnolia and iris. The iris is not so much powdery as it is dry or chalky. Vibe: Springtime. Colorful chalk drawing on pavement. Flower shop. Lychee iced tea. Dream journaling. Crisp morning air. Swiss Alps. Daffodils. Sillage: 6/10. Perfect middle ground; minor projection but very present in close proximity. I only used a tiny bit so perhaps it projects better with more product. Longevity: 7.5/10. Lasts for about 8 hours before it disappears. Decent longevity in my book. Wear: Definitely daytime and this scent is absolutely perfect for spring! So much so that I might have to try and get a hold of this again for springtime next year. Overall rating: 6.5/10. This is actually incredibly nice. In some ways it reminds me of Lady Gaga’s Fame, at least for the first hour of wear, although this leans more floral whereas Fame is fruitier. Perhaps because they both have a very distinct honey note? After some time this diverges a little more distinctly. Regardless, I think if you like either, you'll like the other. Personally I prefer this, as it's a little softer and rounder with the vanilla in the base and I love the almost chalky feel the iris adds, and I'm normally not a fan of iris because I find it too powdery. It's a very sweet and feminine scent, clean and refined without smelling like shampoo or coming off as juvenile. I see this fitting of a woman in her 20’s to mid 30’s, although it definitely wouldn't feel off or raise eyebrows for wearers younger or older than that. My bottle is a vintage release from the original 2003 launch, a tiny little miniature that I have now unfortunately sold, but I would definitely consider getting a full sized bottle of this at some point. (Note to self: if you can snag it for a good price - do, but not worth overspending for.) Overall I'd consider this a perfect day-to-day scent. If I had to describe L’Instant with one word it would be “daffodil” as it totally evokes the springtime feeling of daffodils in bloom. Who would wear it?: Nothing is as much of a Carrie Bradshaw scent as Calvin Klein Euphoria, but this is close - definitely something you'd find in her bathroom cabinet but wouldn't be her go-to scent. Basically it’s giving leggy Manhattanite who runs errands in a trench coat and 4-inch heels.

I only discovered this beauty because people kept saying Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi by Kilian smells like it, and they're right! They smell pretty similar, but L'instant is sweeter and way sexier thanks to the delicious honey note. The dry down is glorious with dewy flowers dripping with honey and gorgeous amber and vanilla. This will be my new winter fragrance. Ultra feminine and sophisticated. I am in love!

Beautiful ❤️ I have a vintage eau de parfum that I I would not wear anymore ❤️ I have my own signature scent ❤️ if anyone interested let me know 😄

The scent of joy and happiness!.. It is so well-blended, yet I prominently sense red apple juice with a bouquet of white flowers (jasmin leads here, and it is one of the few perfumes where I can tolerate it in). The perfume turns slightly powdery, but this enhances its beauty. Imho good for all seasons and occasions, and should be prescribed as antidepressant

HEADS UP fans of L' Instant! NUXE Huile Prodigieuse dry oil is a DEAD RINGER for the original formula. 👌💕🍯💐

This beauty was delivered some moments ago from a super nice person in Spain. I bought a 2003 version (vintage) and, expectantly, unboxed the perfume. This is a real gem! It's full of flowers: imagine petals of delicately pink magnolia and white jasmine dipped in golden-yellow honey, so honey-honey you almost feel the pollen it was made of :) The fragrance is not aggressive, although it's rich, opulent and dense. I think it's an all-year round perfume, although might turn oppressive in high temperatures but must be tested to see how it behaves under scorching sun. Although the juice is brownish, in my imagination this perfume is yellow. It is office-friendly if you don't overspray but can be worn in the evening as well or at home, during winter, when a cosy woolen blanket warms your legs while you're sipping tea with honey and reading by the fireplace. As a matter of fact, we live once, life itself is a special ocassion so why keep perfumes for special ocassions? Enjoy them anytime you feel like!

I stumbled upon this in a combo online sale and I blind bought it because I love Guerlain perfumes. This fragrance is the epitome of a beautiful fragrance for a beautiful, confident woman. When I sprayed it, I was like “what is this?”. I was perplexed because it smelled really heavy and muddled but within 5 minutes, it transformed to the most beautiful bouquet of flowers I have ever smelt. I was transported to a garden full of the sweetest flowers. I can smell the gardenia and the ylang ylang but I can’t pick up any of the citruses or apple so they must have retreated after the crazy opening. In the dry down, I can tell there is vanilla, honey and Amber in the mix. It stays creamy and beautiful for hours. I love how it smells on my clothes. I always feel like hugging myself when I wear L’Instant de Guerlain (old bottle). Will I buy it again? Yes because I honestly don’t have anything that smells close to this intoxicating and comforting scent. The classics are winning big time for me now in my late 40s because most of the new creations are a bit boring and similar to each other. It makes me appreciate more and more the great perfumes we were spoilt for choices with back in the 90’s and early 2000.

If comfort and serenity would have a smell it would be l'instant de Guerlain, for me. The red apple, the magnolia, that usually I am not crazy about, here become like a magic potion. A wonderful fragrance a little underrated

One of my favorite perfumes! What I smell first is orange blossom (according to the ingredients it would be mandarin and bergamot!), then the powdery side, vanilla, honey and finally a little note of amber . It's flowery, that's for sure, but without the olfactory pyramid I would be incapable of giving the name of the flowers. A very beautiful oriental, floral certainly, but still oriental and that's what pleases me above all. Very well balanced, very chic, nice staying power, nice sillage.

I had 2 old bottles and now I'm using the 3° , this is a good exemple where less is more. I would like that the bottle stay as was, so beautiful. The last time I were to work I was using one little room at work, the one that usually people use to get concentrate, all the time I get out to go somewhere else, when I come back the room it was SO GORGEOUS SMELLED, omg, Guerlain is the house of fragrance😍😍😍