Serge Lutens | The Scented Hound

February 24, 2013
by The Scented Hound 17 Comments

Daim Blond by Serge Lutens

WHAT I SMELL: I was just at the grocery store and I kept smelling Tide laundry detergent. I didn’t think much of it as I was at the grocery store, but let me explain that I loathe the smell of Tide. I would almost rather not wash my clothes than to have to use Tide because the smell is just nauseating to me. Well, as it turns out, when I got home I sniffed my arm and sure enough what I was smelling was me. Now, I spritzed this on about four hours ago and this was the result.

Let’s look at the beginning of this journey. Daim Blond went on so light that I barely could tell that I had put any perfume on at all. I got an initial whiff of cardamom, but then just a light touch of powder and then almost nothing. After what seems to be about 10 minutes, I started smelling a light sweet flowered apricot. It’s very sheer and almost candied sweet like Sweetarts candy. I don’t mind where the scent is at this point, but it’s so light that you wonder if it yourself that you are smelling or something else that’s in the room. Daim Blond is interpreted as White Suede, but I am not getting any leather whatsoever from this fragrance. But I have to admit that at this stage, Daim Blond albeit wispy is really quite pretty. It’s not until much later that Daim Blond transforms into Tide; which I won’t try to dissect!

From Fragrantica:

The top notes contain hawthorn, Ceylon cardamom; the heart includes iris, apricot kernel, while the base encompasses musk, heliotrope and leather.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Tide laundry detergent, but you already know that!

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE DAIM BLOND: faint, sheer, wispy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT DAIM BLOND: The Other Scent, The Scentualist, Les Tuileries

BOTTOM LINE: Just one word…NO.

Bone Rating: 2 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Chypre Floral
Nose: Christopher Sheldrake
Classification: Unisex
Expense: Approximately $110 for 50ml EdP

November 17, 2012
by The Scented Hound 29 Comments

Tubereuse Criminelle by Serge Lutens

WHAT I SMELL: A blast of menthol with a full bodied orange blossom and jasmine layered on top. It’s medicinal, warm and rounded. I am worried that this will be too much at this point, but as it starts to drydown it softens and becomes more bearable. The tuberose is not moist and not dry. To me it just feels substantial and beefy. This is floral that begs not to be in that it’s not too sweet and it’s wants to be grounded rather than ethereal. The menthol opening continues but grows softer and there is just a hint of the nutmeg and clove to give this a slight spice. After a while, the musk helps to even out the tuberose which finally settles down and starts behaving itself.

Tubereuse Criminelle Notes: jasmine, orange blossom, hyacinth, tuberose, nutmeg, clove, styrax (what in the world is styrax????), musk and vanilla

No, this isn’t my grandmother!

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Semi-tough and slightly old-fashioned in a way that it reminds me of my grandmother (my grandmother was not a shrinking violet but was a stern and serious German woman)!

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE TUBEREUSE CRIMINELLE: hearty, fearless, serious

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT TUBEREUSE CRIMINELLE: Memory of Scent, Muse in Wooden Shoes, Scentsate

BOTTOM LINE: I have yet to find a tuberose fragrance that I really like, but I can see how others who love the note could find this appealing. It’s not too loud, but its not a girly-girl fragrance by any means.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Floral
Nose: Christopher Sheldrake
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $140 for 50ml EdP

August 29, 2012
by The Scented Hound 21 Comments

Chypre Rouge by Serge Lutens

If a fragrance is golden, amber or red, I want to check it out. Add oakmoss and Serge Lutens, I have no choice but to check it out!

WHAT I SMELL: A strong coffee/tonka bean spiced opening (some say it smells curried, I can see that too). The top notes are listed as pine needle and thyme, but what I find is that it’s incredibly gourmand, like some chocolate latte spiced drink or what you smell when you walk by a Yankee Candle Company (if you don’t know this smell, it is overpowering and a little goes a long way). I find this opening very interesting and intriguing, but I am wondering if I want to smell like that all day. This opening last for a while, but when it begins to dissipate, the dusty oakmoss which I love so much starts to surface along with a honeyed fruitiness. But the fruit is not sweet, the oakmoss keeps it grounded and earthy. This phase is strong at first but slowly mellows and Chypre Rouge begins to hug closely to the skin. What I was left with after many hours was a layer of light sweet berry which then strangely moves into a barely detectable incense.

Chypre Rouge Notes: thyme, pine tree needles, honey, bees wax, jasmine and fruity resins, patchouli, moss, amber, musk and vanilla

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: What I was expecting was a full-bodied Moulin Rouge can-can kind of scent. Rouge/Red to me means loud and vibrant. Instead I found this to be a calming, close to the skin, lovely chypre scent that starts off with an outrageous bang. To illustrate, the opening is pure Pepe Le Pew, while the remainder is his beloved object of affection

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE CHYPRE ROUGE: bipolar, unique, mysterious

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CHYPRE ROUGE: SmellyThoughts, Now Smell This, I Smell Therefore I Am

BOTTOM LINE: This may have show up on my full-bottle want list for the fall. My only concern is that it disappears on me quicker than I would like. More testing is definitely needed…and that’s a good thing!

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Chypre Fruity
Classification: Unisex
Nose: Christopher Sheldrake
Expense: Approximately $125-140 for 50ml EdP