The first fragrance can be a make or break moment for any perfume company, but it can also be the same for a new perfumer. When Guerlain launched Idylle in 2009 it was the first release that was created by Thierry Wasser in his new position as in-house perfumer for the company. His previous three fragrances, Iris Ganache, Quand Vient la Pluie and Guerlain Homme, had been created whilst he was working for Firmenich, but Idylle was released under his own name. It would eventually be joined by three variations, Duet Rose-Patchouli, Eau Sublime and Duet Jasmin-Lilas, but it is the second one that I’m going to revisit.
Taking over the mantle of a company’s in-house perfumer can be a challenging time, even when the outgoing one supports you, and this was the situation that Thierry Wasser found himself in when he was given just that responsibility in 2008. He was taking over from the legendary Jean-Paul Guerlain and so it was officially the end of the family line. Jean-Paul would stay on as an advisor until 2010 but the Guerlain name was now, in reality, just a trademark. Thierry would go on to become a firm favourite with fans of the company but in the beginning the response was not quite as warm.
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The release was not greeted with the rapturous response that Guerlain had hoped for. Many reviewers felt that the company had “sold out” by creating a fragrance that held none of the usual Guerlain traits and lacked the power of previous releases. Add into the mix that it was the “first” perfume from a non-family in-house perfumer and maybe it was inevitable that there would be problems. However, if you haven’t smelled Idylle already then I definitely recommend that you do because it is the perfect embodiment of subtle femininity.
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