A fearless archaeologist leaping between the tree roots of Angkor, a spy-wife with a disarming smile, a mother who stares down 1928 Los Angeles, a betrayed fairy with severed wings. Angelina Jolie is the actress of adventure and sensitivity — and, since 2017, the face of Mon Guerlain, the house's great lavender-vanilla. A portrait in four roles, with a selection to explore in the Olara perfumery's Guerlain collection.
1Lara Croft: Tomb Raider — the born adventurer
In 2001, Simon West handed a twenty-five-year-old actress video gaming's most famous role: in "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider", Angelina Jolie plays Lara Croft, English aristocrat and extreme archaeologist — opposite her own father, Jon Voight, as Lord Croft. The shoot set up its cameras in Cambodia, among the giant tree roots of Ta Prohm and the stones of Angkor, a first for a major Hollywood production in decades. The film established a female action hero for a new era and changed the actress's life: it was on this set that she discovered Cambodia, a country that would never leave her. The spirit of adventure, already, running through our boldest women's fragrances.
2Mr. & Mrs. Smith — the explosive duo
In 2005, Doug Liman turned the marital comedy into a battlefield: in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith", Angelina Jolie plays Jane Smith, picture-perfect suburban wife — and elite contract killer, a secret her husband John, played by Brad Pitt, knows nothing about, while hiding exactly the same job himself. Gunfights in the kitchen, a venomous tango, double-edged one-liners: the film became one of the year's biggest worldwide hits and sealed one of modern cinema's most talked-about duos. Between black dress and velvet glove, Jane Smith embodies that lethal elegance — half glamour, half danger — that fits the actress like a second skin.
3Changeling — the unbending mother
In 2008, Clint Eastwood gave her her most devastating role: in "Changeling", presented in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, Angelina Jolie plays Christine Collins, a Los Angeles switchboard operator whose son vanishes in 1928 — and to whom the police, eager to polish their image, return a child who is not hers. Against an administration that commits her to an asylum rather than admit its mistake, she opposes an unshakeable dignity. The performance earned the actress an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress — eight years after her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for "Girl, Interrupted". Sensitivity beneath the armour: the other side of her craft.
4Maleficent — the wounded fairy
In 2014, Disney entrusted Robert Stromberg with its retelling of "Sleeping Beauty": in "Maleficent", Angelina Jolie plays the fairy Maleficent, sculpted cheekbones and obsidian horns, in a film that reveals the original wound — wings torn away through betrayal. A huge worldwide success, the inverted fairy tale turns a villain into a tragic figure, opposite the luminous Aurora of Elle Fanning, whose fragrant universe we explored here. A family wink: young Aurora is played by Vivienne, the actress's own daughter. A sequel, "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil", continued the tale in 2019.
5Mon Guerlain: a self-portrait in four raw materials
In January 2017, Guerlain announced Angelina Jolie as the face of its new feminine fragrance: Mon Guerlain, composed by Thierry Wasser, the house's in-house perfumer since 2008, and Delphine Jelk. Conceived as the portrait of a modern femininity inspired by the actress, it brings together four exceptional raw materials: Carla lavender from Provence — traditionally a masculine note, here carried like a banner —, Sambac jasmine from India, Album sandalwood from Australia and Tahitensis vanilla from Papua New Guinea. The campaigns, entrusted to master image-makers such as Terrence Malick and then Emmanuel Lubezki, were filmed in Cambodia, near the actress's home — where it all began with Lara Croft.
Did you know?
Angelina Jolie has an intimate bond with the house: her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, loved Guerlain. The actress also chose to donate her ambassador fee to charitable causes. And the Cambodian circle is complete: the country she discovered while shooting "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" in 2000 became her family's — and the setting of the Mon Guerlain campaigns.
6Which Mon Guerlain to choose? The Olara selection
Like its muse, Mon Guerlain has several faces. The 2017 eau de parfum remains the signature: fresh lavender over enveloping vanilla, from morning to night. The eau de parfum intense pushes the accord towards the oriental — a more carnal jasmine, a darker vanilla — our pick for autumn evenings. Sparkling Bouquet plays the opposite score, fizzy and luminous, and the scented body milk extends the trail through layering. Keen to explore the house further? Shalimar, the founding oriental signed by Jacques Guerlain in 1925, has just arrived at Olara in its most precious parfum (extrait) version; Santal Royal leaves a magnetic amber wake, and the Aqua Allegoria Nerolia Vetiver or Pamplelune keep the travelling spirit alive. Find them all in the Guerlain collection and among our women's eaux de parfum.
Your questions, answered
Is Angelina Jolie the face of Mon Guerlain?
Yes. Guerlain announced her in January 2017 as the face of Mon Guerlain, and she has remained so for the fragrance's variations. The campaigns were filmed in Cambodia, near her home, and the actress chose to donate her fee to charitable causes.
Which films does Angelina Jolie star in?
She plays Lara Croft in Simon West's "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" (2001), Jane Smith in Doug Liman's "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (2005), Christine Collins in Clint Eastwood's "Changeling" (2008, Academy Award nomination for Best Actress) and Maleficent in the eponymous film (2014). She won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2000 for "Girl, Interrupted".
What does Mon Guerlain smell like?
A fresh oriental built on four exceptional raw materials: Carla lavender from Provence on top, Sambac jasmine from India at the heart, Album sandalwood from Australia and Tahitensis vanilla from Papua New Guinea in the base. The accord was composed in 2017 by Thierry Wasser and Delphine Jelk.
What is the difference between the eau de parfum, the intense and Sparkling Bouquet?
The 2017 eau de parfum is the signature balance, luminous lavender over creamy vanilla. The eau de parfum intense warms the accord — more present jasmine, a more amber base — for the evening. Sparkling Bouquet, fizzier and fruitier, is the lightest of the three: perfect for daytime and warmer months.
Which Mon Guerlain should I wear in autumn?
As the days grow shorter, the eau de parfum intense wraps you like a shawl, and the scented body milk, applied before the fragrance, noticeably extends its hold. The classic eau de parfum remains the chameleon choice from morning to night.
