Finally fulfilling my fragrant destiny*, I’m Nordstrom’s newest Guerlain girl! After three delightful months in the fragrance department, I’ve been transferred to the Guerlain counter. You won’t catch me complaining about selling $54 lipsticks and $455 face creams, but our perfume selection is a little painful. Out of the dozens of iconic fragrances Guerlain has created over the last 200 years, we carry exactly one (Shalimar, of course). So imagine my excitement when I unpacked Terracotta Le Parfum last week, literally doubling our fragrance selection!
Guerlain calls Terracotta Le Parfum, their seasonal summer fragrance as of 2014, “a sun-soaked invitation to explore faraway lands.” It’s supposed to recall those oh-so-French, SPF -10 bronzing oils that beach bunnies of the past wore on their glamorous St. Tropez vacations. “Sun-soaked” or not, Terracotta is a less literal sunscreen fragrance than scents like Bobbi Brown Beach, Bond No. 9 Fire Island, or CB I Hate Perfume At The Beach 1966. Instead, Terracotta is one of those rich, sultry white florals that make me want to evacuate the room.
In all fairness, Terracotta is a very good example of the evacuation-worthy white floral genre! I might not wear Terracotta myself, but I’d happily recommend it to anyone looking for a summer fragrance with a little more depth than usual. It’s more polished than jasmine bombs like Gorilla Perfumes Lust (my nemesis!), and less heavy and thick than those very French white florals we all know and fear. Still a little heavy for the younger crowd, though, who usually declare it “old lady” before racing over to Flowerbomb. (Despite this crushing rejection, my first shipment of Terracotta sold out within the week.)
* Book of Apres L’Ondee, Chapter 8, Verse 2: “And thou shalt know her by her height, which shall be three cubits. Just really, really short, you guys.”
SCENTS OF SELF 
SOOOOO discouraging…..WHAT ARE THEY THINKING…..After 50+ years of lusting after ‘fumes,Vtg. Shalimar,is the only one I care about,from this House……PS….ALWAYS love your posts!
Don’t despair, annielil! Terracotta might not be the most innovative, but I can definitely think of worse Guerlains. If Guerlain can survive Insolence, they can survive anything! 😉 (I know everyone thinks it’s genius, but I find it hideous.)
The Nordstrom here had two the last time I checked: Shalimar and LPRN. I’ll have to see if they have Terracotta now, for a 50% increase.
I’m so jealous of your Nordstrom!! Someone asks for LPRN at least once a day. We clearly had it at one point, since the promotional materials are in our drawers… Our restocking process is a little mysterious.
I’m so glad you reviewed this one. I was curious about it. Thanks.
My pleasure, Katherine! So do you think you’ll try it?
I can’t find it anywhere where I live. I might order a decant. I’m interested in the new fancy sparkly Tom Ford Bronze Goddess copycat too. It gets so hot here in the summer that I need something that doesn’t smother me.
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Hi, I was wondering if this perfume (or any other that you know of) smells like the new Guerlain ‘Terracotta Terre d’Été’ Tan-Enhancing Bronzer – I’m obsessed with the smell. Thank you in advance for your help
Hi Yuliya! I haven’t had the chance to try Terre d’Ete specifically, but most Guerlain products have the same violet-y fragrance. If that sounds right, the discontinued Guerlain Meteorites fragrance was very close, and I bet you’d also enjoy Chanel Misia or Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose for their rose-violet lipstick accords. Good luck!
thank you
Thank you for sharing the article. I’d like to try it. Hope to hear more from you.