There is a fleeting moment when the sky transitions from day into night—or from night into morning. As the world becomes enveloped in deep blue, this interval is known as the “blue hour.” In 1912, Jacques Guerlain encountered this sight on a summer evening in Paris and created L’Heure Bleue 1912, which would go on to become one of the Maison’s emblematic fragrances.

More than a century later, in 2026, Guerlain unveils L’Heure Bleue Eau de Parfum, a new fragrance that reinterprets the “blue hour” for the present day. Ahead of its nationwide launch on August 28, the fragrance will make its advance debut at a special event held from August 26 to September 1 at The Stage on the first floor of the Isetan Shinjuku Main Building.

Courtesy of GUERLAIN
1912 and 2026. Separated by 114 years, two perfumers turn their attention to the same “blue hour,” connecting past and present through the invisible medium of scent.

The “Blue Hour” That Arrives Twice a Day

L’Heure Bleue means “the blue hour” in French. From evening into night, and from night into morning, there is a brief interval when the sun remains below the horizon while its light still illuminates the sky, enveloping the world in a deep blue unlike either day or night.

On a summer evening in Paris in 1912, Jacques Guerlain, the Maison’s third-generation perfumer, encountered this fleeting moment on the Pont Neuf. Captivated by the dreamlike scene, reminiscent of an Impressionist painting, he created L’Heure Bleue 1912.

To translate into fragrance a fleeting moment that cannot be held still—like color or light. More than a century later, that idea continues to resonate through Guerlain’s creations.

114 Years Later, Delphine Jelk Looks to the Blue

In 2026, it is Delphine Jelk, Guerlain Perfumer and Fragrance Creation Director, who turns her gaze once again to the “blue hour.”

Her intention was not simply to recreate the fragrance of 1912, but to create something new from the same natural phenomenon. She reinterprets the “blue hour” as a “switch”—one that empowers women, and everyone who wears the fragrance, to express themselves as they are and unlock their potential.

L’Heure Bleue Eau de Parfum
30mL ¥12,320 / 50mL ¥17,600 (tax included)
Courtesy of GUERLAIN
The Parisian sky Jacques Guerlain witnessed more than a century ago, and the sky Delphine Jelk observes today. Both begin with the same “blue,” yet give rise to fragrances belonging to different eras.

What the name L’Heure Bleue carries forward, then, may be less a single, fixed fragrance than a creative spirit—the impulse to translate the shifting nature of time and light into scent.

A World of “Blue” Beyond Fragrance

At Isetan Shinjuku, L’Heure Bleue Eau de Parfum will be available ahead of its nationwide release in 30mL and 50mL formats, alongside a 200mL refill and L’Heure Bleue Scented Soap.

L’Heure Bleue Scented Soap
120g ¥6,050 (tax included)
Courtesy of GUERLAIN

L’Heure Bleue Eau de Parfum Refill
200mL ¥30,800 (tax included)
Courtesy of GUERLAIN
The event will also feature three limited-edition cases for Guerlain’s iconic Rouge G lipstick—Blue Iconic, Blue Astral, and Blue Rêverie—extending the world of “blue” from fragrance into object and color.

Rouge G Case (Blue Astral)
¥4,950 (tax included)
Courtesy of Guerlain
By bringing together invisible scent and visible color, the fleeting landscape of the “blue hour” takes on a more tangible dimension.

Tanabata and a Parisian Garden—Translating Time and Place into Scent

The event will also present two exclusive fragrances that capture times and landscapes distinct from those of L’Heure Bleue.

Amour Céleste Eau de Parfum draws inspiration from Tanabata, Japan’s Star Festival. Its name means “celestial love” in French, while its floral composition layers osmanthus and rose with a refreshing citrus accent. The midnight-blue Bee Bottle incorporates embroidery and paper-cutting techniques by French artist Lucie Touré.

Amour Céleste Eau de Parfum
125mL + 30mL ¥122,430 (tax included)
Courtesy of GUERLAIN
Jardin de l’Élysée Eau de Parfum, meanwhile, evokes a moment in spring within the gardens of the Élysée Palace in Paris. Beginning with bergamot, the fragrance unfolds through magnolia, rose, and jasmine before giving way to amber and black tea, translating the memory of a place connecting Guerlain with French history into scent.

Jardin de l’Élysée Eau de Parfum
125mL + 30mL ¥68,090 (tax included)
Courtesy of GUERLAIN
A Parisian twilight, the night sky of Tanabata, a garden in spring. Memories of different places and moments are transformed into something without physical form: fragrance.

Can Fragrance Capture Time?

Fragrance cannot be seen, nor can its shape be held in the hand. Yet a scent can preserve a memory of where we were, how the light looked, and even how we felt at a particular moment.

In 1912, Jacques Guerlain looked out over a summer evening from the Pont Neuf and created L’Heure Bleue from that fleeting scene. One hundred and fourteen years later, Delphine Jelk reinterprets the same “blue hour” for the present.

The “blue hour” Guerlain presents today is not an attempt to reproduce the past. Rather, it becomes a point of departure from which a single landscape can continue to inspire new creation.

At Isetan Shinjuku, the event offers not only an opportunity to discover the new fragrance ahead of its nationwide release, but also a chance to experience how light, color, time, and memory can be translated into scent.