Serge Lutens Feminite du Bois ~ fragrance relaunch

Posted by Robin on 2 January 2009 52 Comments

Serge Lutens Feminite du Bois perfume Féminité du Bois, developed by perfumers Pierre Bourdon and Christopher Sheldrake under the direction of Serge Lutens and originally released under the Shiseido brand name in 1992, has joined the Serge Lutens export line.

Serge Lutens Féminité du Bois is available in 75 50 ml Eau de Parfum. It can be found now at Senteurs d'Ailleurs in Brussels, where it is €80, or at The Perfume Shoppe in Canada, where it is CAD $79. Update: my mistake (and I managed two in this one article); The Perfume Shoppe appears to be selling the original Shiseido Féminité du Bois.

Serge Lutens El Attarine ~ perfume review

Posted by Robin on 21 October 2008 58 Comments

Serge Lutens El Attarine

Two quick and somewhat contradictory thoughts sprung to mind when I first smelled El Attarine, the latest fragrance from the Serge Lutens exclusive* line. The first was to ponder how much longer Serge Lutens could possibly go on releasing three new fragrances a year based on this same rather narrow thematic palette. To my nose, many of the newer releases smell like riffs on older scents in the range — interesting riffs, to be sure, but how many riffs do most consumers, even rabid Serge Lutens fans and collectors, want or need? My second thought was simply to wonder how long it would be before El Attarine was selected as the limited edition export of the year so that I could buy a bottle…

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Serge Lutens Sarrasins ~ perfume review, with an aside on Norma Kamali Jazmin

Posted by Robin on 15 January 2008 44 Comments

Serge Lutens Sarrasins fragrance, limited edition bottle

Sarrasins was the latest fragrance to join the exclusive (i.e., not exported) collection at Serge Lutens. It launched last year, and was described as a velvety floral, built around “a stunningly beautiful jasmine, gloved in jet-black ink”. The notes include jasmine, carnation, woods, musk and coumarin.

I read quite a few reviews of Sarrasins* before I smelled it, but as sometimes happens, I had already developed an idea of the scent in my head shortly after seeing the bottle and reading the ad copy (the “gloved in jet-black ink” and also “a sumptuous jasmin which smoothes its fur… A sigh of time”). So despite all evidence to the contrary, I was expecting — and looking forward to — a big huge skanky jasmine, dark and possibly rather scary…

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Serge Lutens Chene ~ fragrance review

Posted by Robin on 17 December 2007 33 Comments

tree bark

As every serious Serge Lutens fan knows, every year, one fragrance from the “exclusive” collection (i.e., those that aren’t exported to the US) is selected as a limited edition addition to the “export” collection (i.e., those that are). These fragrances get packaged in the regular export bottle (i.e., the tall rectangle) instead of the bell jar you get in Paris, and they hang around until they sell out. Last year’s pick was Fumerie Turque; this year, we’re getting Chêne. I don’t know why it is never Iris Silver Mist or Tubéreuse Criminelle, but I keep waiting and hoping.

Chêne was launched in 2004, and described as “the comfort and magnitude of oak” (chêne is the French word for oak). It was developed by perfumer Christopher Sheldrake, and the notes include cedar crystals, wood sap, black thyme, immortelle, beeswax, silver birch, rum absolute and tonka bean. Chêne opens on the rum absolute and sweet green wood sap, lightly honeyed…

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Serge Lutens Louve ~ fragrance review

Posted by Robin on 21 August 2007 67 Comments

Serge Lutens Louve fragrance

Serge Lutens is the darling of the niche perfumista world, and I have the highest admiration for his work. But Serge and me, we’re kind of going through a rough patch lately. I was looking over the fragrances he’s released since I started this blog, and I have to say that if this list represented the entirety of his output, my estimation of the line would quite different:

Borneo 1834 (2005) — hated it.

Cèdre (2005) — I can see why some people adore Cèdre, but it has never really grown on me.

Miel de Bois (2005) — probably my favorite of this group, but I’d be shocked if this sells. Most people apparently think it smells like urine.

Gris Clair (2006) — not me.

Chypre Rouge (2006) — admire it, but don’t adore it.

Mandarine Mandarin (2006) — ditto.

Rousse (2007) — I really liked Rousse. Not quite so much as Miel de Bois, maybe, but it is higher on the wearability scale. Of all these, this might be the one I’d most like to own.

So now we have Louve, the “She-Wolf”. It is the lastest to join the export line…

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Now Smell This

a blog about perfume

Serge Lutens Feminite du Bois ~ fragrance relaunch

Serge Lutens El Attarine ~ perfume review

Serge Lutens Sarrasins ~ perfume review, with an aside on Norma Kamali Jazmin

Serge Lutens Chene ~ fragrance review

Serge Lutens Louve ~ fragrance review