Vol de Nuit

You can read all the reviews below about the notes and what not, but I'm here to say this is one of those fragrances where when you haven't worn for a while, you think "It can't be as good as the last time I wore it." Then you spray it and wear it and are amazed. Every. Single. Time. Top 5 forever perfumes.

Vol de Nuit smells like I imagine outer space smells like. Cold and unfathomable. “Night flight,” indeed. It doesn’t smell like anything I can put my head around. It is unlike any other Guerlain, unlike any other perfumes. I'm not even convinced it smells like a "perfume" at all. It is an olfactory experience. I love it. The extrait is the most beautiful bottle in perfumery! Altogether, Vol de Nuit is just a brilliant piece of artwork, the best art that perfume can be.

Classic, Masterpiece, no words needed.

Like the immortal Guerlain classics by Jacques there is something so timeless about this. It is soft with iris and a touch of rose, sweet with lingering vanilla, grounded in the earth, rich with citrus, hefted with exactly the right aldehydes. I’m choosing to wear it while I grieve instead of Mitsouko. It will never disappoint me with memories I cannot handle. It will turn grief into acceptance and everlasting love. It won’t give contradiction and trauma when I smell it again.

An intelligent and dark feminine scent reminiscent of an airplane flying on a cold night. A very chypre scent that quietly kills.

Heeelp. How can I get over this perfume? i had the chance to test it a few times, and it’s become my almost unattainable dream. There is a version of me before and after smelling it: the one who tries to pull herself together, and the one who longs for it. I hope I can own a bottle someday

Shalimar is brash and bold and unapologetic, the life of the party. I am not that. Apres l’Ondee is young and vulnerable and wears her heart on her sleeve. I am not that. L’Heure Bleu is an older Apres l’Ondee, wiser now, married, no longer vulnerable, but there is still a wistfulness about her. I am not that. Jicky is an acquired taste, a dirty girl but opens her arms to those who fall in love with her and loves them back unconditionally. I am not that. Mitsouko is peachy and spicy and comforting. I am not that. Vol de Nuit is guarded, even cold at times to those who do not know her. A green chypre with a dominant narcissus (sweet but cool and aloof) and an earthy iris. The Guerlainade here is restrained, not dominant or elaborate, the austerity of the early 1930s after the excesses of the roaring 1920s. Projection and sillage are modest. Quiet, not shy. I am that. Sprinkle daffodils into Gnash’s music video for I Hate You, I Love You. Vol de Nuit.

Vol de Nuit extract prior to IFRA (pre 1970's) is the only fragrance I consider to be my signature. Forget the versions that followed, they all are missing something -or in the newer versions, missing quite a lot. The version in my possession (1950's) is incredibly denser, darker, spicier, muskier, and more leathery. Everything feels more saturated and rounded, and lasting power is 24+ hours. This Vol de Nuit is even more androgynous than any other I've tried, and is also the most evocative. I find myself wandering deep into a primeval forest way past midnight. There is an endlessly soothing sense of serenity in this place, and the feeling of time being paused... For me, this is a happy place. Sometimes, Vol de Nuit makes me think also of those Da Vinci paintings that are quite tenebrous, but somehow feel just as comforting. Vintage, pre IFRA, Vol de Nuit is something otherworldly for sure. The most puzzling and hauntingly beautiful fragrance Jacques Guerlain ever created, and in my opinion -among his very best.

I'm wearing the 1960s bath oil version and dear Lord this is good! It smells so natural and outdoorsy, while also having a divine iris/orris powdery edge. Cannot stop sniffing my wrist. The modern version apparently has quite a lot more citrus, but this is overall a fantastically well-blended formula. It's less well-rounded and isn't quite as distinctly Guerlain, but you can't definitely detect their trademark tonka and old school genuine oak moss. Very MCAS-friendly and not likely to offend or trigger allergies. Good for all weather and times of day, but something more floral or spicy might be preferred for date nights. It seems truly unisex and can be worn equally well by anyone. The original does have a faint castoreum/civet note, but it's so gentle and well-blended that you won't be offended or even really notice it unless you're looking. Absolutely worth a try.

This is one of the Guerlain classics, released in 1933. It’s got a ridiculously fluffy lemon-cream top with buttery iris texture, followed by an ornate floral heart rich with narcissus. Yellow citrus meets yellow florals, all dolled up in vanilla mousse. The galbanum and some of the “cooler” flowers make a nice breezy counterpoint to the sweet creamy notes. You’ve taken your patisserie to a picnic in the park in late April. You are wearing a pale-yellow chiffon dress. There are daffodils everywhere. Vol de Nuit? it’s the least nocturnal perfume ever! It’s sometimes classified as a chypre, but I don’t smell the oakmoss; I do notice a kinship with other narcissus-dominant spring floral chypres like Madame Rochas or Romanza or Futur, which have a similar garden-picnic feel. While my favorite thing to do with spring flowers is muss their hair with oakmoss and civet, I admit that spring flowers + vanilla cream is a delightful combination. The Guerlain vanilla base always makes for a soft landing that goes well with skin. The delight of “green” florals is in their freshness, but then you have to stick the landing. Weil de Weil does it with creamy iris, Y and Futur and Romanza do it with oakmoss (or some reasonable facsimile thereof), and Vol de Nuit does it with vanilla.

This dry down to something very similar to what I smell off my mom and her signature is Chanel No. 5 parfum. I initially okayed this as it smelled very vintage to me until it dried down, then I loved it. Yes, one’s preference really does get biased by their love ones.

Guerlain’s Vol de Nuit is a beautifully complex fragrance, blending green, powdery, and spicy notes with a rich, mysterious warmth. It embodies sophistication and nostalgia, offering a timeless aura that feels both classic and daringly modern. An unforgettable scent.

I have a rectangular glass bottle from 2003 EdT: Do you remember driving in a car; hand out the window or head through the moon roof, air rushing against your skin? That’s the opening of Vol de Nuit I imagine myself as a pilot in the 20’s, open cockpit Blackhawk, the smell of the leather from my helmet, fur around my aviation googles. The flowers and grass in the field. Engines on. We’re about to take flight!! The galbanum, oakmoss and rounded citrus notes create a sensation of movement. It’s bracing. It’s cold. It’s marvelous! After 20 minutes things become more still. We’re now at cruising altitude. The powdery florals are taking over and this creates a feeling of calm meditation. Iris and carnation stand out to me. Hues of green, blue and purple. It’s twilight. Stars are shining in the sky around us. Things are peaceful but contemplative. Focused. The deep dry down is suede like to me. Reminiscent of a matte brown bomber jacket. Wow! What magic!

Ohh Jacques Guerlain. How did you compose this masterpiece symphony of the sky and resignation? I wonder... Because that is what I feel and smell wearing it. I have a fear of flying. The first time I entered the plane I said to myself "Either I do it or I die." I beat the fear with resignation. Giving up, because there is no other way...and flying, through the night and clouds. Till you feel sadistic muscles relaxation... That's what this perfume is. Someone said "To understand this perfume you must sleep with it..." Truth. It is a scent that puts you to sleep. Flying you through other places. It's a masterpiece in every single perfumery art aspect. The resignation begins like this! Just look at that! Amazing. Top notes: orange, orange blossom, basil, mandarin orange, rosemary, mint, lemon, bergamot, galbanum, sage and petitgrain Let's just say that this itself can be a nice, fresh and aldehydes flash perfume. I can't describe how much I love Rosemary and Bergamot together. You can literally smell it. Inhaling. So beautiful. Fresh. Like air is. After you beat the fear of entering the plane. Because I am (was) scared of flying. To beat fear you need resignation. No, that is not "giving up." It is accepting the challenge and responsibilities. It's totally surrendering. Middle notes: lavender, wild thyme, dittany, rose, carnation, violet, aldehydes, narcissus, jasmine, bay leaf and nutmeg... I love herbal elixirs. I love it when herbs show their power. Love how they cooperate with flowers! Love how Guerlain put Narcissus and Jasmine under control. Like magician. Putting the spell on them. To follow him and herbs. Again. Flying you to muscle pain relaxation. Sniff some lavender, and let me massage your skin with thyme tonic... The magic of storytelling of the master perfumer. Lost. Long-lasting lost. You won't even notice base... You can't... Do you see anything? No. Night flight. Sharp, cold air. Till you leave your body. Opening your eyes flying into warm sun and clouds. Your nose is penetrated by Base notes: myrrh, spikenard, civet, cascarilla, castoreum, musk, orris, oakmoss, iris, vanilla, ambergris and Sandalwood... Waking you... Have you ever seen an English patient film? I hate Hollywood. It's one of the rare films I have seen. From Hollywood. Ohh the soundtrack is nice. Remember? Ralph is so...resignant. Carnal enough as Germans are. Ralph plays that German spy. This is not Exupery romanticism. It's not. This is real love flying you to death... German flying you. (Ladies knowing German men will understand this.)) "The bottle, which I find quite masculine, was created by Raymond Guerlain in collaboration with Baccarat. The square bottle is made of smoked glass with eight chamfered corners. On both sides, the decoration in relief represents the motif of an aircraft propeller in motion. The name in gilded metal, die-cut, forms the belt of the propeller on a surface. Between the wars, the sky was considered a place of mystery and excitement, evoking exoticism and distant destinations. The square, golden metal cap is a symbol of modernity, as it evokes a famous piece of machinery, the triumph of machinismo and the conquest of the air. This bottle, like many others by Guerlain, is avant-garde as it is the first time it combines metal and glass: it is very much in keeping with its Art Deco period. Its box is lined with an imitation zebra skin. The original bottle is only available in the 60 ml size. For smaller sizes, the fragrance comes in the Jicky bottle. " (Sylvaine Delacourte) The bottle is one of my favourite ones. Robust elegance. So beautiful... P. S: this is not a perfume for girls. Or guys. This is feminine submissiveness. Perfume for females, that adore their pilots... inhaling night flights between their breasts... Because you know. Perfumes should be worn where your natural smell is the strongest. Fly with me, Josephine... Fly

(This review is for last of the bee bottles. Since I never got a whiff of what can only be the glorious and legendary original, this will focus on that only.) The opening is beautiful, unlike anything, perhaps the greatest blend I've ever smelled. Then, boom, it's gone as soon as it appeared. Afterwards sets in a powdery, makeup smell that is the total opposite of the mystery and sexiness with which it began. Quickly that dries down into a sweet, goodie girl, almost baby powder like scent that I did not expect at all. Isn't this supposed to be a badass fragrance? Katherine Hepburn's signature!? No, not this prim and proper darling. In any case, it doesn't linger long enough for you to tell. It vanishes so quickly it's a joke. Now I know why this was discontinued. The loss of this version is nothing mourn. I just hope that one day I can experience the original which surely must be one the greatest perfumes of all time. That tiny glimpse I got in the opening told me that much!

I have a teensy decant that I purchased so that I could finally smell this beautiful fragrance. I put some on before bed last night, inspired by the name, which means "Night Flight" in French (or Flight of Night if you think that sounds better). I was surprised that the iris notes were not more dominant on my skin. I got a very green floral, almost a chypre, with a particularly beautiful galbanum/daffodil/citrus accord that reminded me a bit of my precious residue of vintage Miss Dior and also Private Collection by Estée Lauder; I didn't get much iris from Vol de Nuit, which surprised me, although the powdery orris note came through reliably. I do think this is certainly full bottle worthy, but I have other holes in my collection that require plugging first. I'm also surprised that this is categorized as "woody," despite the plentiful woods in the base (but most Guerlains have some wood in the base, yes?). To my nose this reads more like a classic chypre-oriental, or maybe a green-floral-oriental. When I think of "woody" fragrances, I think of very sandalwood-forward scents, and this ain't that. I do love it, though, and in some ways I love it as much as Samsara, if not quite as much as my old standby L'Heure Bleue. I'm not sure about the longevity, but Vol de Nuit was going strong for a few hours after I put it on, and then it slipped away like a thief in the night while I slept. That seems very on brand!

It was scarce where I’m living so I had to buy a partial or let’s say half a bottle and he price seemed good and the great plus it’s a vintage scent I don’t know what the newer versions smells like but this one is definitely artistic in nature Not anyone can pull it off To me it was incredible especially trying it on skin and blotters When I wore it on clothes it was very airy and ethereal I liked it but I wished it was a little stronger or heavier Performance was good the frag kept coming and going I think I’ll have to try newer versions to compare them

August 21 is the birthday of Claude Grahame-White, the first to fly a plane at night. So what better day to wear Vol de Nuit? Besides, this is a gorgeous galbanum.

Vol de Nuit is deep green Shalimar. Think about 1930s, a woman, wearing a brown fur coat and Shalimar, stands at airport far away from her homeland. She is just told about her husband has not returned from battle. He is somewhere in a jungle. Now she has to choice, run or stay. The sun is going down, the smell of flowers starts to mingle with damp wind of dark mossy woods...Vol de Nuit smells like this. Dramatic! I have two bottle of 30ml. One from 2011 and a vintage from 1980 in zigzag box. I notice the 1980 bottle has more dirty animalic note. But I can't find massive difference between them. Even if 2011 bottle doesn't contain genuine oakmoss anymore, it's still so rich and beautiful.

Just started with the vial. Smells vintage and classy. For my untrained nose, I can hardly tell any single note out of the hard to describe scent. Sillage is weak, longevity to be found later. Not as sweet as Samsara, not as green as Champ Elysee, and not as oriental as Shalimar. Oh I don't know how to describe it, but it's good. --- After a few hours: Not sure if my vial is just sealed poorly, but I get really short longevity of it, either on skin or textile. After 1 hour I can barely smell it. I reapplied a few times before lunch, and the longevity hasn't changed. To compare, I sprayed some L'air du temps EDT and it's quite noticeable after 1 hour. I hope the longevity is better for the full bottle, otherwise it's a huge pity.

Ahhh, Vol de Nuit. Sometimes I wonder if I love it so much because of the story behind it, the adventure, the romance, and the mystery of the early days of aviation. But no, it's not just that... This is a fragrance that so wonderfully captures the concept, the feelings and emotions of that story and conveys it beautifully in olfactory art form. That ability, the skill to take that story, the concept, and then to convey it through a fragrance is truly extraordinary and reveals incredible artistry. Wearing Vol de Nuit, I might well be on my own up in a plane in the dark sky, with the cool, fragrant night air and the light of the stars all around. The first time I smelled it, I only had a vague idea of the details and story behind the perfume, but I loved it the moment I sprayed it on. My first spray of Vol de Nuit came from an EDT refill bottle (not the bee bottle but possibly the iteration before that one). Mysterious, dreamy, powdery and evocative, it defied easy description. I soon learned that the extrait, especially vintage was the one to smell, but it would be a while before I was able to acquire a late 80s version, which to my nose is stunning and incredibly complex. I will review that separately later.

Guerlinade perfection, in particular the vintage extrait. While this does have an intriguing and angular galbanum/narcissus opening and definite cinnamic spices along its journey, in many ways, the drydown is one of the best exemplars of an unadorned (or at least not overly adorned) Guerlinade--the doughy orris root and powdery ionones, sweet vanilla and tonka, woods, and light animalics. You can obviously smell this imprint in the other classics, but Vol de Nuit is rather subdued and the Guerlinade is not as masked as it is in say, the bolder L'Heure Bleue, Shalimar, and the like. VdN is more contemplative, autumnal, and spare. I'm eager to try the newest version in the bouchon coeur bottles, since I've loved the most recent Jicky, but the non-extrait concentrations have always struck me as just being rather thin. Modern parfum versions (90's and later) I've smelled capture this dynamic, androgynous beauty fairly well. Smelled side by side with a vintage extrait, though, (a 70's rosebud one in particular) the modern does smell fine but also thinner and sharper, whereas there is a sueded, plush, sumptuous feel to the vintage extrait. Whether that's attributed to the particular older nitromusks, more prominent costus root (which is very perceptible to me), or civet, I'm not totally sure, but it is a thing of true beauty.

Musky Green Suede fragrance. Suede with a powdered finish. It smells traditional and vintage, but only marginally because there are so many niche perfumes out there with contemporary leather, earthy, woody, and suede scents. This is the most strange and most interesting smell. It smells either classic or antiquated, and the intricacy is mind-boggling. From the beginning to the conclusion, it's woody, green, powdery, and gently spicy, yet the balance between them shifts continually. It is lovely, delicate, and glittering beauty. What an airy, subtle scent.

I own the vintage and the newer bottles. The vintage has much more depth and smells higher quality. Both are just average though. I like it but I don’t love it. Reminds me of Danas tabu. I smell chocolate somewhere.

Shades of yellow, violet, and blue. Beautifully sparkling, powdery, warm, soothing, and just all around delightful. Narcissus leads followed by galbanum, then delves into a powdery iris with a sparkling aldehydic heart. The base is evocative of Shalimar; spicy, woody, with shades of vanilla (not listed, but still there oddly enough). This shines in autumn and spring, just enough blend of warm and cool to allow this scent to blossom. Arms length sillage, lasts around 8 hrs. Another Guerlain knockout.

I've worn this on and off for years, it falls in and out of favour. My current bottle is about 20 years old so may be the original(ish) formulation. I've always found it intriguing, at one time I thought it heavy, sultry and mysterious: no leather, no incense, no smoke, if fur coats, gloves and velvet were a scent, they would be Vol de Nuit. Habanita de Molinard sits in the same family, perfumes which have edge, rich but not cloying, posh skank. Vol de Nuit is complex like many scents of its time, and I can't detect any individual note, not one! tonight Vol de Nuit is light like a pink crepe evening dress. I love it! Pagan from Lentheric has a very similar vibe.

Iris, aldehydes, sandalwood. Very gentle, very 30s. If you ever put your hands on items from that era, I think it´s unforgettable experience. Anything, paper notebook, envelope opener, powder case with last bits of the product, dresses with buttons covered in the same fabric as the dress, old photographs in pale green shade on real paper carton, old wooden furniture, most likely hand made .. timeless quality and beautiful design. One of the last mass products, made out of natural materials with high craft skills, starting to meet the first "modern" plastic, imitating them. Vol de Nuit fits perfectly in this scenery.

Guerlain Vol de Nuit (1933) - night clouds - #jacquesguerlain’s galbanum, oakmoss, iris perfume was inspired from his friend Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s novel in 1931. Better to share an excerpt from the book to explain the feeling of the fragrance: “And now a wonder seized him. Dazzled by that brightness, he had to keep his eyes closed for some seconds. He had never dreamt the night-clouds could dazzle thus. But the full moon and all the constellations were changing them to light. Now all grew luminous, his hands, his clothes, the wings, and Fabien thought that he was in a limbo of strange magic; for the light did not come down from the stars but welled up from below, from all that snowy whiteness.”

Muted shades of green and mauve, flecks of gold light, Vol de Nuit EDT is one that I've worn more than once on an introspective walk, setting the mood for when I'm feeling a bit wistful and vulnerable in the heart. A cool narcissus precedes a flash of galbanum, but what really is the spirit of the composition is this tender, warm, starchy iris. There is almost a cacao-like quality as it merges with the Guerlainade vanilla that runs from the heart through the base of the composition. The gossamer quality of the EDT is what makes it so alluring to me, as if to pique yearning. It is just out of reach, haunting, like echoes from the past that bring a tear to the eye, as we know they inevitably fade from memory, until we ourselves cease to exist. As the Grass Roots once sang, "live for today." I am impressed with the oakmoss feel in spite of restrictions, it really is convincing and quite lovely at the very dry down, feeling almost gilded and opalescent. I just had an epiphany: this dry down reminds me of the smell of a velvet-lined jewelry box my mother had when I was young. Now that is illumination through scent memory. I miss you, Mom.

I remember reading somewhere that many people believe this is one of the best perfumes of all time. I agree, and it is tied with greats such as Shalimar and Mitsouko for that honor. I have trouble describing the individual notes, except to say that it is quite complex and high quality. It has that warm, amber, comforting note of Shalimar and Mitsouko, but unlike Shalimar it is not lemony at all. It is not as mysterious and earthy as Mitsouko and the color the scent evokes for me is more of a spicy cinnamon as opposed to an almost black red for mitsouko. It is likely that when it was first created that, because all perfumes then were so heavy, the idea of a night flight smelling like this seemed logical. To me, now, it spells too heavy and spicy to really evoke flight. It is not really subtle and airy. It smells more like Fall to me, or a spice market-- there is none of that heavy tuberose and other oppressive florals of some older perfumes. It also just smells beautiful-- I know that a good reviewer could use better words but it's just simply. lovely. It is lovely all the way through, beginning to end, and I love how the dry down smells, hours later. It is definitely a perfume to savor (and spray lightly). I think it is unisex and would be super sexy on a man. It is just sexy in general. Edit: my bottle is about 20 year old, so I think my version is much stronger than the current version.