Guerlain Kadine Extrait De Parfum 30ml

Kadine (2021) by Guerlain is a limited edition fragrance dedicated to the brand's historical heritage. The new fragrance is inspired by the 2011 composition of the same name, which was so popular that it remained on sale for 30 years. Guerlain Kadine (2021) was created by Thierry Wasser, who creatively reimagined the original fragrance.

Top notes: bergamot, aromatic notes;

Heart notes: rose, jasmine, iris;

Base notes: leather, vanilla.

In the Ottoman Empire, Kadine was a woman in the sultan's harem, elevated to the rank of wife, or "favorite." During a visit to Topkapi Palace, Jacques Guerlain saw a portrait of Kadine. He was struck by her incredible beauty and her exceptional olfactory gift, which was celebrated by the courtiers... In 1911, in homage to this story, he created the perfume Kadine.

Kadine was a powdery floral composition built on the note of iris, derived from the roots of this plant:

Top accord: anise, bergamot, Parma violet, aromatic notes, orange;

Heart accord: iris, jasmine, Bulgarian rose, carnation, leather, iris, violet leaf;

Base accord: musk, almond, vanilla.

In 1913, the Evening Star wrote:

"Kadine is iris, but so fragrant and persistent, so arranged and decorated, that it seems the queen of scents."

A 1914 issue of Pearson's Magazine described Kadine's story in connection with the fate of Marie Louise, an Italian princess and the first princess consort of Bulgaria:

"Perfumery was her hobby. From her gardens, she extracted what, according to Gabriel Guerlain, no Parisian perfumer could buy in its pure form—the true, concentrated essence of Bulgarian roses. Parma violets, a family invention, imparted their virtually unchanging scent to her. Above all, she loved the iris [water lily or Iris pseudo-calamus], the emblem or so-called fleur de luce [heraldic emblem with a lily] of the old French kings." The powder from the root of this plant is well known, but no perfumer had succeeded in creating what captured the refined imagination of Marie Louise [the Italian princess]—a concentrated liquid iris that was not bland, a dominant iris, adorned with fleeting undertones and tantalizing hints of dissonance with orange. Gabriel Guerlain, a great master whom the princess considered a friend, recreated this effect for her in the perfume Kadine, which means "queen" and "woman" in Turkish or Bulgarian, and it was ultimately destined to become a treasured modern fragrance. And the glory of the Rue de la Paix. Who today, paying $5 for seven grams of this fragrance, could imagine it personifying the dreams of the fair-haired daughter of the Bourbon dynasty of Parma—the destiny of her beloved Ferdinand [Prince of Bulgaria]: the ancient heraldic lily, the royal emblem of their common ancestor, now adorned with the haunting undertones of modern human admiration!

Kadine was released in a four-sided bottle (Flacon Carré), the standard of the time. It was also presented in a de Guerre bottle (a wartime bottle) and a 1/2-liter Quadrilobe bottle in a black wooden box made by Cristalleries de Baccarat. Editions from 1926-1939 are also available in a Petit Beurre bottle.

Guerlain's new Kadine (2021) edition differs from its predecessor in both its fragrance pyramid and its garb, yet it exudes chic and royal charm. The limited edition bottle's cap is made of glass and features a wire fastening, in keeping with the traditions of ancient artisans.