Guerlain — Local services in Paris

Guerlain is a legendary French perfume house with 175 years of outstanding business, passion and tradition. Guerlain has always used luxurious and rare materials for its perfumes, such as French vanilla or ylang-ylang from their own plantations in Comoro Islands. Beside that, Guerlain has been an innovator in use of synthetic materials: Jicky (1889) was the first perfume to which Aimé Guerlain added a synthetic component—coumarin.

The Guerlain house was founded by Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain in 1828. Starting with common hygiene products, Guerlain was also creating perfumes for his customers, and over time he developed the business into a highly successful company that became an official perfumer for several European royal courts.

After he died, his son Aimé Guerlain became the main perfumer. His famous perfume Jicky, created in 1889, became the first "modern" perfume. It is also believed that it was he who created the so-called "Guerlinade"—the Guerlain signature base notes used for creation of multiple Guerlain perfumes.

His nephew Jacques Guerlain was the next nose of the Guerlain house. He created some of the most well-known perfumes of the house, including L'Heure Bleue (1912), Mitsouko (1919) and Shalimar (1925), which is one of the best loved perfumes of all time.

Jean-Paul Guerlain is the grandson of Jacques Guerlain. He first assisted, and then created his first "solo" offering, the now-famous Vetiver (1959). His other well-known creations include Habit Rouge, Chamade, Eau de Guerlain and Nahema.

The Guerlain perfume house was a family business until 1994, when it was acquired by Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH). In 2002, the family legacy of Guerlain ended with Jean-Paul Guerlain's retirement, though he continues to work for the house as a consultant. Thierry Wasser was named the official in-house perfumer of Guerlain in 2008.

The flagship Guerlain boutique in Paris was thoroughly renovated and reopened in June 2005. The house at the magic address 68 Champs Elysées, now not only a boutique and the main office but a museum as well, welcomes...

I visited the Guerlain flagship boutique on April 14 — a visit I had dreamed of for years. As a loyal Guerlain client in Riyadh, Dubai, and the UK, I’ve always held this Maison close to my heart. My admiration for Guerlain is deep; I study the history, know the collections intimately, and proudly own most of the L’Art & La Matière and Les Légendaires range.

Unfortunately, my visit to the Paris flagship was far from the experience I hoped for. The service was nearly nonexistent. No one offered to show me exclusive pieces from Les Parisiennes or any boutique-only creations. I was genuinely looking forward to discovering rare extraits and hidden gems—perhaps even pieces I didn’t yet know existed.

I’ve always associated Guerlain with excellence, elegance, and respect. I’ve even photographed products from my personal collection out of sheer love for the brand. I know and admire great artists like Thierry Wasser, and I came with sincere excitement and high expectations.

But the reality was disappointing, almost heartbreaking. It left me with no desire to return.

I’ve attached photos from my visit, including one of my own Shalimar bottle—a true icon. If anyone from the Maison would like to understand more about my experience, I would be open to sharing. Because I still love Guerlain… and that’s...

I just can't say enough about this store on the Champs-Elyseés! From the location to the building to the displays to the perfume bottles themselves, Guerlain is absolutely beautiful! The salespeople were charming, helpful, and patient when I came back to make an exchange. And although a perfume consultation to design a signature scent was (sadly) out of my price range, I still feel like I got a really unique experience with the custom bottle and engraving (about 40€ extra). I also enjoyed the free samples with my purchase—I loved the makeup so much that I came back and bought it! (How did she pick the perfect skin tone for the sample? We didn't even discuss makeup on my first visit! See what I mean? Amazing!) My sister and I also visited the Guerlain spa next door for a pedicure, and let me tell you, the Americans are doing it wrong! It was significantly more expensive than a pedicure in the US, and you'll want to book an appointment ahead of time, but it was well worth the price for such a luxurious treat. Overall, a truly magical place. I wish I could give it 10 stars. Highly...