It is not a confirmed information, but it looks like if not a straightforward discontinuation some changes are about to happen to this Guerlain‘s line. After the last week’s perfume bottles swaps discussion where hajusuuri mentioned that Guerlain was changing bottles for this line, I saw ThePerfumeGuy’s YouTube video, in which he shared tidbits he got from several brand’s SAs, all of which boiled down to these perfumes being re-released in new, larger and more expensive bottles. And it is not clear, which of the perfumes are coming back.
Saturday Question #76:
Will You Miss Any of L’Art et la Matiere Perfumes?
Do you have any that you planned to buy eventually but haven’t yet? Or are there any bottles that you planned to re-purchase once you finish the current one? Do you hope for any of the previously discontinued perfumes from this line to come back?
My Answer
For the longest time, I planned to buy Angelique Noire once I finish the decant I have. I always liked this perfume, but with how seldom I wear each of the perfumes in my collection, I easily had another year before facing the decision whether to buy a bottle or try to get another decant.
When I learned about the upcoming changes, I searched for a bottle and found it available on one of the large department store’s websites. I could have bought it then and there, but of course being me I wanted to wear Angelique Noire once again… Do I have to tell that the next time I looked it was gone?
In a futile attempt to find it, among other places I visited the brand’s site. Of course, it’s not available there as well, but at least Angelique Noire is listed there with a somewhat pacifying “Email when in stock” action offered. I do realize that it might come back reformulated again and in a 100 ml (or larger?) bottle. But there is at least some hope. And that’s when I realized that I didn’t see there the first perfume from Guerlain that I bought – Cruel Gardenia.
I still have probably about 20 ml left in my bottle (the photo above was taken about 5 years ago). But the thought that it might be gone completely upset me so much that I ran back to the same sites looking now for a backup bottle of my beloved Cruel Gardenia. Luckily for me, it has always been an odd one in the line, so it is the last one left from the older creations (another one still available in the US stores is Iris Torréfié, but I don’t think I’ve ever tried it). Since I want it for myself and do not plan to sell for profit or split, it doesn’t matter to me that others do not like it as much as I do. So, now maybe one of the last few Cruel Gardenia bottles left in the US is on its way to me.
How about you?
Undina's Looking Glass 
I bought the Myrrhe et Delires, and I still have a good amount left. I really enjoyed CG too-i can see owning a full bottle. I’m trying hard to change my thinking about discontinuations-I often want to buy backups, or worse still, buy things I’ve read about for years, just because they’re being discontinued.
LikeLike
When I hear that something is being discontinued, I get curious to try it but never to buy. I’m fine with a single bottle for most of my perfumes. But there are 20 perfumes that “I love and don’t ever want to be without” – so, I get nervous when I get to the last 20 ml of any of these :)
It’s interesting: I didn’t even realize that Cruel Gardenia was on that list until I went there to count the number of perfumes mentioned there.
I liked Myrrhe et Delires, but never bought a bottle – so, once I’m done with the decant that I have, that will be it.
LikeLike
I have tried a number of the perfumes from this line but never purchased, so if they disappear I don’t suppose I will miss them. If they come back in smaller bottles I might me more likely, but these days my preferred size is 50ml or even smaller. I just can’t imagine using anything up anymore, I’d probably need to reduce my collection to under 20 to feel like I could reliably use what I have – unless I start spraying at hajusuuri levels!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think you should spray at hajusuuri levels 😆. Now that I am back in the office 1-2x per week, I’ve had to dial back.
For a time, there was a 20mL format called La Goutte Parfumee. It may still be available in some of the in-store boutiques. Saks definitely had them, including about 10 different colored holders.
LikeLike
Spray Brigitte levels (32) and you will be thunking a lot.
LikeLiked by 1 person
:)
LikeLike
Yeah, at this point I too prefer much smaller bottles, even if they get more expensive per ml. I don’t need any perfumes. But I can’t completely stop getting something new. That’s why I prefer small bottles.
LikeLike
“ So, now maybe one of the last few Cruel Gardenia bottles left in the US is on its way to me.” 🤔 Pray tell I wonder what this means? 😆
I won’t miss it because I already have back-ups (bottles and La Goutte Parfumee) of several: Cuir Beluga, Neroli Outrenoir, and Spiritueuse Double Vanille
LikeLike
Easy! I bought a backup bottle. It hasn’t arrived yet (hence “on its way”). I still can see this perfume listed on Saks’ site, which means that it’s still available (so, mine wasn’t the last), but I suspect that soon these will be sold out as well (that’s how I got to “one of the last few”), but since I don’t know that for a fact (after all, it might be that unpopular, so there might be hundreds of those bottles left), I qualified it with “maybe” :)
LikeLike
I can’t say I’ll miss any of them. Like MMKinPA, I’ve tried some of them, and liked them, but never enough to buy a full bottle, especially at those prices. I did really like Angelique Noire, though. Wouldn’t it be great if more brands sold collection sets with sizes of 10 or 15 ml, without gouging too much on the price/ml?
LikeLike
If I could buy 10-15-20 ml, I would have bought 4-5 different scents from the line.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have a still pretty full bottle of Angelique Noire, the only one of the collection that really spoke to me, so no, I’m good.
LikeLike
I should have bought it when I could :) Now I’ll have to find something else to wear… Yeah, I know, it’ll be tough: I’ll have to figure out what to wear a couple of times per year instead on Angelique Noire ;)
LikeLike
I bought a backup bottle of Encens Mythique before the new round-bottle version, but haven’t opened it yet. Am with Old Herbaceous re smaller bottles, and in fact I was reading how in the past year more companies were at least coming out with wee starter sets. Great way for people to have perfume experiences, especially when people couldn’t travel…
LikeLiked by 1 person
I didn’t even know there was a “round-bottle version”! :) I still have enough Encens Mythique in my bottle, so I should be fine with it for several years (but I like it a lot, so I would have been upset had I not bought it before it was reformulated/discontinued).
LikeLike
This is quite possibly my favorite line, and I have multiple backups of the ones I love. Just purchased a final backup of Iris Torrefie, Cruel Gardenia, Angelique Noire and Tonka Imperiale from Bergdorf Goodman. No regrets. I hear the price for the new bottles will be $360, yikes. They were already very expensive at $260.
LikeLike
Had I known about the deal BG had on this line, I would have probably bought Angelique Noire as well. But since I rarely have time to read NST (or any other perfume forums), I missed both the discontinuation news and possible PSA on the sale.
LikeLike
My comment is going to be a little harsh, but this is why I opted out of purchasing so many perfumes in recent years. The bloom is off the pumpkin.
Discontinuing, rebranding, changing the packaging to something ‘blah-all bottles are the same’ and increasing the price when it’s the same juice, or reformulated to something unrecognizable while charging more money is price-gouging and an insult to the consumer.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you.
LikeLike
I completely agree! So far, I haven’t purchased a single reformulated/re-branded/re-bottled perfume. I don’t understand how we came to the situation that $300+ price is something ordinary, and perfume doesn’t even have to pretend to use expensive ingredients or hire famous perfumers to justify those prices.
LikeLike
Exactly!!!
LikeLike
@rickyrebarco a little off topic, but your avatar picture is too cute!
LikeLike
I didn’t really get to know this line, although I tried Iris Torréfié recently at the Guerlain store at Disney’s Epcot. I liked it a lot at first, a gentle, powdery, elegant iris – and it got stronger and stronger over time. It reminded me of a tamer Chanel Allure. In the end, it wasn’t for me.
LikeLike
I don’t think I tried Iris Torréfié, and I’m not sure that I would try it now – not unless they reissue it an a smaller bottle.
LikeLike
Nope. Don’t care. Like Smokeytoes I’m sick of this price gouging. Maybe when consumers finally start to boycott these companies will think twice about what they are doing.
LikeLike
Agreed, and there are so many independent perfumers creating high quality fragrances. I lean toward supporting them, especially now.
LikeLike
With the current prices, $175 for 50 ml (I did a proportion from the actual size and price) isn’t something unheard of. It’s rather on the lower side if to compare to other luxury/niche perfumes. But I definitely won’t be either buying larger bottle or paying more per ml if they re-release these perfumes.
LikeLike
OOOHH! Good question.
I’ve been thinking about this a LOT since the news came out. Here’s the little I know (mainly hearsay, don’t quote me). Yes, they will be square-ish bottles like an upmarket, ribboned Tom Ford in dark see through glass, 100ml. There will be a few DCs and a few new. They’re saying around the 400 Euro mark.
Currently I’ve got Cuir Beluga, Rose Barbare, Tonka Imperial and Spiritueuse Double Vanille open. I think there might be a couple of others still in cellophane. They are all in the old gold rimmed bottles with the removable gold spritzer.
Portia xx
LikeLike
If you’re right, and those perfumes will cost EUR 400+, I won’t even test them: this line was good but not EUR 400+ good.
In reality, I do not nee any new perfumes for a long while. I will be checking out new ones when I get a chance, but something has to be exceptional to justify any price for me now.
LikeLike
I hear you Undina. If ever I ran out of Cuir Beluga I would pay that much but fortunately I grabbed a 125ml green bee bottle of it so will never run out.
Yeah, I too need zero more perfume. The thrill of shopping for it though, that I love.
Portia xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just ordered Iris Torreife with a friend who is shopping in Paris now and the only other one I would want is Cuir Beluga. I may search for that one and see if I can find it somewhere, but I’m not buying any backups. I have plenty left of my favorites, Angelique Noire being at the top of the list, along with Spiriteuse Double Vanille. I also have Neroli Outrenoir and Joyeuse Tuberose, both of which I love. I sold Myrrhe et Delire and Tonka Imperiale earlier because I didn’t love them anymore and wasn’t wearing them at all.
I’m rather disgusted with Guerlain and their constant repackaging to make everything so much more expensive. It’s disheartening, to say the least. I hope they don’t put the new ones in those bee bottles so that there is only a stopper or those awful puffy pump things. I’m pretty clumsy and I’m always afraid I’ll drop the big bottles with the stoppers and spill all the juice. There are always the decant services, thank goodness.
LikeLike
I’m thinking they just put out Iris Torriefe and Embruns d’Ylang in early 2020 didn’t they? Maybe December of 2019? So these two have barely been available for a year and a half and now they’re re-bottling? Crazy, what can I say?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wish I could find another Neroli Outrenoir but alas it seems sold out. That’s the only one with no backup.
LikeLike
I’m not sure if this site is legitimate, but they seem to have it: https://www.jomashop.com/neroli-outrenoir-by-guerlain-2-5-oz-75-ml-3346470175808.html
LikeLike
Thanks, I think I’ve ordered from them before, they are a grey market retailer of watches and other luxury goods.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t think you’ll find any Cuir Beluga… You could try calling Las Vegas boutique or a couple of others, but I think most of the old collection is sold out already. Oh, well… There will be other perfumes, right?
LikeLike
I did like Angelique Noire quite a lot, and was partial to a few others from the line though they never tipped over into full lemmings. Saying that, I have one anonymous vial I really enjoy that I think may be one, but which? Soon the answer will be lost in the mists of time, but at least that will help with option anxiety ‘going forward’. ;)
LikeLiked by 1 person
I also have one anonymous vial from the line! :) I won’t even try to identify it now.
LikeLike
I have never been a massive fan of this line, Angelique Noire was the only strong like for me but still no love. Neroli Outrenoir is a different story, I think it’s a hidden masterpiece.
Last week I saw a good deal for a used bottle of NO and opted to not buy it since I still have a decant :-/ Now I’m torn between rushing to town and paying full price for a new bottle or being mad at Guerlain and boycotting their perfumes. It’s enough, really. Prices are becoming ridiculous and it is a shame what some companies try to sell to us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree: it makes me angry to see money grab tactics from some brand.
As to the NO, I’m not sure you can still find a new bottle of it anywhere – so, the decision might have been made for you ;)
LikeLike
Pingback: Saturday Question: What Is Your Favorite Guerlain L’Art & La Matière? – Undina's Looking Glass