My Pascal

A budget interpretation of Guerlain's modern classic Mon Guerlain, My Pascal opens with a fresh, aromatic blast of lavender lifted by bergamot before easing into a soft, powdery floral heart of jasmine sambac and iris. The base is where the original lives: a generous, sweet vanilla wrapped in creamy Australian sandalwood and almond-warm coumarin, lending the cosy, slightly powdery glow Mon Guerlain is known for. Set against the real thing it reads sweeter and more two-dimensional, the iris-lavender powder thinner and the vanilla less refined, so it trades some of the Guerlain elegance for an easy, pretty floral-vanilla. Projection is moderate and turns close after the first hour, with respectable rather than standout longevity. Even so, for the money it captures that balanced, feminine signature convincingly - a powdery lavender-and-vanilla warmth that suits dates, daily wear and the office across spring and cooler months, reading as elegant, romantic and comforting.