GUERLAIN UPDATES SHALIMAR

Many people who defend the use of the word “Oriental” in perfumery will reference Guerlain’s Shalimar as the “original Oriental” perfume that was “invented” by Jacques Guerlain in 1921. It’s widely documented that Guerlain was fascinated by “The Orient” having first created Mitsuoko in 1919.

Over the last several years, there has been a movement in the perfumery industry to update the word “Oriental” due to its racist and colonial roots. Finally, in 2025, on Guerlain’s website, the distinction has been updated to AMBER. In the finder bar, Oriental is also no longer searchable.

Thank you to all who have supported this movement. More info can be found at Scent Festival.