Perfume Review: Metallica/Metalys by Guerlain
The notion of finding your Holy Grail perfume while quite appealing is rather utopian. Yet if I were to finally settle on one and only, dearly beloved perfume, Guerlain’s Metallica would no doubt be nominated for such a solemn occasion. It’s easy for me to love it. It’s perfect. It’s impeccable. It’s everything I want in a perfume: its masterful floral-oriental blend, its mosaic development on skin, its excellent lasting power, its glorious sillage. I realize I’m waxing slightly poetic here which isn’t my common way of writing but I simply cannot help myself – I adore Metallica.
Created in 2000, it was quickly pulled off the shelves due to a lawsuit for using the same name as the popular band Metallica. Thankfully, the scent was reissued a little while back under a slightly different name – Metalys. From what I can tell, the composition hasn’t changed, with perhaps one exception: Metalys seems to be a bit more vanillic. The scent features the notes of carnation, ylang-ylang, orange blossom, rose, iris, tonka bean, vanilla, amber. I’d never considered Metallica aldehydic until I read Victoria’s review. It does indeed have a slightly sharp, fizzy opening that’s so common in aldehydic perfumes. This is where its reference to metal is quite relevant. Its heart is creamy carnation and ylang-ylang, enveloped in plush vanillic amber. Metallica also has a certain spicy kick typical of carnation-dominated scents and just a touch of powder. Blissful perfection!
Now I should have included this in the first paragraph that it was Marina’s idea to review the same scent today, and she picked Metallica since she doesn’t care for it (blasphemy!), and I do. So the idea is to get two different perspectives. I had to gush about my beloved scent first, hence this paragraph. Please be sure to check out her (blasphemous!) impressions.
Metallica is still available for a hefty price on eBay now and then. Metalys can be purchased directly from the Guerlain shop in Paris.
Image source: www.aromat.ru
27 comments November 8th, 2006