Jicky by Guerlain

Launched in 1889, Jicky is a legend among fragrance aficionados and perfumers. It was the first abstract ( not trying to replicate nature ) and unisex fragrance and is said to be a favorite of the likes of Sean Connery.

Often referred to as the first ‘Modernist’ scent, it was created the same year as the Eiffel Tower was built, by perfumer Aime Guerlain.  Jicky was one of the first scents to combine natural and synthetic ingredients, and is considered a member of the fougere (fern) class of scents, and is often referred to as a ‘bridge scent’, combining fresh, flowery, spicy, oriental and animal notes. It is similar to Shalimar, but for me, more modern and enduring, and provided the blueprint for Guerlain masterpieces that followed.

Topnotes: Lemon, Rosewood, Bergamot, Lavendar and Rosemary. Middle Notes: Orris Root (reminiscent of woody violets and used as a fixative), Jasmine, Rose, and Vetiver. Base Notes: Amber, Leather, Civet,  Vanillan ( to round off and add a suave note ), Opoponax, Tonka Bean ( an almond-like scent that is used to round off ) and Benzoin

I’ve fallen in love with this fragrance, and now consider it my signature scent. This sounds bad, but I could ‘huff’ Jicky. It’s that mesmerizing.

One thing I like about Guerlain fragrances, is that in the dry-down - once those bright, beautiful top notes are gone - you have a core scent or ‘accord’ (Guerlinade) that is very cozy and familiar. The scent opens with a noticeable burst of herbaceous freshness, led by lavender and rosemary. Citrus - in the form of bergemot - is singing the harmony. Vetiver floats seamlessly in and out. The floral middle notes are there, but somehow Jicky doesn’t come across as floral - which I like. Joy by Jean Patou - which I also wear - is unabashedly about roses, for example and I have to be in the mood for it.

Then the base notes of Tonka and Vanilla drift through, carrying along the animalistic notes of Civet and Opoponax. It’s like glowing warm skin on a summer night in the tropics, but sophisticated and in control. Jicky is subtle and narcotic. It continues to reveal something surprising throughout, and is difinitely not a one trick pony like so many of the more modern, celebrity fragrances today.

If you’d like to try Jicky and keep the price down, I recommend you sample it from The Perfumed Court. They sell so many different and hard to find fragrances, and decant them into smaller samples that you can actually afford to try before investing a lot of money in an entire bottle.

-maven