WHAT I SMELL: Lui opens with a warm, lightly spiced benzoin that’s deeply sensuous and lightly tar like, but without the heavy weight. Soon enough, a buzzing carnation makes an entrance in the quietest of ways. And then, a nutmeg and clove spice begins to take shape after a short time adding just a bit of a bite. The perfume is rather brooding in it’s spicy persona with a mix of benzoin, leather and vanilla spice carrying the perfume on its journey. In the end, you’re left with a light smoky dry haze of a perfume that hugs close to the skin.
From the Guerlain website:
Feminine. Masculine. Why choose? LUI is a fragrance that likes to blur the boundaries. Not entirely feminine, nor truly masculine, it is both at once. Inspired by a generation that is breaking free from gender norms, Guerlain had the idea of an unmistakably universal fragrance.
Its ambiguous fragrance trail is based on benzoin: floral, spicy and woody in turn, this resin is revealed in all of its complexity as the composition created by perfumer Delphine Jelk unfolds. Fused with powdery and spicy carnation accents, they form an equally unexpected and harmonious blend.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Autumn in Paris.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE LUI: reserved, contemplative, semi-spicy
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT LUI: The Black Narcissus, Colognoisseur
BOTTOM LINE: I love Guerlain perfumes, but I don’t love Lui. Truly a fall and winter perfume, the nutty-ish spice almost reminds me of the season’s tragic “pumpkin spice” phenomena. And weirdly, Lui doesn’t make me feel any emotion as I wear it. Instead, it just rather bores me.
- Bone Rating: 2.5 out of possible 5 bones
- Scent: Spicy Woody Floral
- Nose: Delphine Jelk
- Classification: Unisex
- Expense: $185 for 50 ml eau de parfum
WHAT I SMELL: Patchouli’s opening is warm, with musty and thickened earthy patchouli that increasingly radiates off of the skin at every breath you take in. There’s also a medicinal quality that is a cross between herbaceous and mentholated. In a short time, Patchouli becomes woody, rather dry and it feels like the perfume was dug out from the bottom of a forest. This is not a pretty patchouli, nor one of sweet youth, but a patchouli that reins from ancient times and one that has been fermenting in a cask until ready to be released after years of careful curation. As the perfume develops in slow, deliberate and small nuances, it quietly settles in a woody, musky and dried, yet creamy crush of patchouli. Patchouli would be perfect for those cool and rainy contemplative days when you don’t want to be troubled by current events.
WHAT I SMELL: Scandal Pour Homme Parfum Cologne isn’t quite scandalous as it opens, but it is rather uplifting with zesty bergamot, lemon and lavender with a perfect touch of spearmint. Instead of being infused with juice, the perfume enters with a dryness that reminds me of an application of talc. From first spritz, Scandal is a refined masculine scent and its herbal sweetness is incredibly magnetic. As the perfume continues to develop, the dryness begins to lessen in order to allow for the most delicate of florals to begin to grace the skin. Here, the mix of florals, with a quiet violet and rose being most prominent, make the perfume a bit brighter and more lighthearted. Continuing on its journey, a woody vetiver rises to take its place at the heart of the perfume. After some time, the perfume warms with a wonderful tonka bean and becomes ever so lightly sweet and sour. Scandal is a traditional fougère with just the right amount of “twist.”
The Scented Hound 