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Saturday Question: What Are Your Top 3 Serge Lutens Perfumes?

Following great tradition started by two wonderful bloggers, Birgit (Olfactoria’s Travels) and Portia (Australian Perfume Junkies), once a week I or one of the guest writers will keep the lights on in this virtual leaving room, but I hope that you, my friends and readers, will engage in conversation not only with me or the other host, but also with each other.

Last week’s question collected 68 comments (I start thinking that I might have scared some potential commenters away by offering a draw for more perfume samples), so, there was no draw. but I decided to extend the time for the first draw winner to contact me with the choice of a decanter/samples site for the gift certificate.

 

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

 

Saturday Question #3:

What Are Your Top 3 Serge Lutens Perfumes?

I was torn between the desire to talk about the elephant in the room and inclination to maintain the normality. I don’t know what the next week will bring to the World, but for now let’s talk about something positive.

My Answer

This question was one of many that I planned to run eventually. It surfaced now partially because of the current situation and partially because of the last week’s Saturday question: while working from home, I decided to go through some of the samples that I had for years. The bag that I’ve got out first had a dozen of Serge Lutens samples that I collected over the years. As I was going through them, I was amazed by how much I liked most of them. And these were my “outcasts” – perfumes that I tried before and decided not to go beyond the sample. Today, years later, after having tested hundreds of modern perfumes, I got a new respect for this brand that at some point was on every perfumista’s mind and blog but recently seem to have fallen from grace.

I like and enjoy wearing a number of Serge Lutens’ perfumes, but if I have to name just three, it’ll be Boxeuses, my armor of strength for difficult situations, De Profundis, my way of celebrating life and Fille en Aiguilles, an ultimate Christmas perfume.

 

 

Now it’s your turn. If we get to 100 comments, there will be a prize: a random draw for a $25 (or equivalent in pounds or euro) gift certificate to a decanter service of your choice.

 

What Are Your Top 3 Serge Lutens Perfumes?

 

Disclaimer: this blog doesn’t use any affiliated links or benefit from any of the G-d awful ads that some of you might see inserted tastelessly by the WP engine inside the post and/or between comments. Encouraging readers to post more comments does not serve any purpose other then getting pleasure from communicating with people who share same interests.

65 thoughts on “Saturday Question: What Are Your Top 3 Serge Lutens Perfumes?”

    • I like the first two, though, I’m not sure if I’ll replenish Iris Silver Mist after I finish my decant in the next one or two wearing. I’m not sure I tried A la Nuit though.

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      • I find A la Nuit to be such a lovely Jasmine, not too clean, not too dirty, just lovely Jasmine fun. When I saw your 3 favs I was reminded that I haven’t tried Boxeuses yet either. Always meant to but forgot I guess. Will have to wait until I’m in Paris someday to try it now, along with the other intriguing sounding La Myrrhe

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      • A la Nuit is the best jasmine I have ever tried. Unfortunately is very fleeting and it needs to be reapplied a couple of times during the day, unless you spray on clothes.

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  4. Ohhh fun question.
    Iris Silver Mist and
    Fille de Berlin for sure.
    A third is tough for me. I own Rose de Nuit but wear it rarely. I love Fille en Aiguilles but wonder if it’s more like a Xmas room scent to me.
    I’ll go with Rose de Nuit.

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  6. I love perfume land because people are so polite and kind. Thank all of you, for being…well…polite and kind and for smelling so good :) I was a late convert to the SL bandwagon, and I have to admit I saw a picture of a bottle of SL fragrance, and I really loved the bottles. I also loved the spray vs dab option-I thought that was so clever. I love using the dab option for some of the heavy hitters-just a tiny dab of something, on the outside of a wrist or the inside of an ankle, so I could smell it but not overpower everyone else.

    As for my favourites I have a few-I panicked when some were brought back to the mothership in France. I bought Daim Blond, A La Nuit, and Fille. And a backup of each. Which led me to purchase the Le Vapo of Iris Silver Mist, Fourrer Noir, and De Profundis. And I’m not rich-these were super cheap. I just blind bought Five O’Clock, before the smaller sizes disappear. I was also given Fille de Berlin and Cedre and Nuit de Cellophane. And Suzanne may have started me on this journey with a huge decant of vetiver Oriental-a beautiful chocolate Vetiver. So my favourites-well each on has a place in my heart. But I think I would have to say … I can’t. I like all of them. I’m interested in what everyone else’s favourites are.

    Very best regards,
    Carole

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    • I still have and cherish Vetiver Orient decant from Suzanne. I consider buying a bottle of it to keep filling that small bottle that wears her name. I don’t think I would have tried it if it weren’t for her.
      I recently found a small sample of Cedre and was surprised how much I liked it.

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      • i wonder if Suzanne shared the small bottle of Cedre I made for her with you-what did you think of it? It reminds me of a sad time in my life so I cannot be objective about it. And I love your idea of refilling her bottle :)

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        • I had a small sample of Cedre from another perfumista, but somehow haven’t tried it until the last week. Now I’m thinking that maybe I want to buy a bottle of it… It was unexpectedly pleasant.

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  7. I haven’t tried that many! I own Chergui and Un Bois Vanille so I suppose those – of the ones I have sampled, Iris Silver Mist and Ambre Sultan are probably my favorites. Never tried De Profundis but have always wanted to!

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    • I like Chergui, and whenever I wear it, I always think that I should wear it more often. UBV isn’t “my” vanilla but I keep the mini I got with a purchase – just in case I change my mind.

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  9. It’s no secret that I am not a fan of Serge Lutens, but I recently tried and fell madly in love with Iris Silver Mist! I also tried Rose de Nuit and think it’s nice. Now I want to try Vitriol D’Oeillet. It doesn’t seem to get much love but I recently discovered that carnation perfumes can be beautiful. Here’s hoping.

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  10. La Fille de Berlin, Ambre Sultan then I can’t decide. I am tied on the third because I love all of these: La Vierge de Fer, Le Participe Passe, Gris Clair, Daim Blond, Five O’Clock, De Profundis and Fille en Aiguilles/

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  13. You know Undina, I totally agree with you. I have several Serge bottles and a few decants from years ago and when I review the ones that I don’t outright adore I still find them so much more interesting and downright beautiful and unfolding compared to many more easily available ‘modern’ perfumes.
    I have 2 absolute must have hoard and treasure until I can get replacements perfumes from Serge. One is Un Lys which has been one of my favourites for at least a decade now. I’m running low on my 2nd bottle and was really wondering how I was going to replace it short of actually going to France to buy it there. I discovered that Luckyscent now is selling the bell jars of this one and my 2nd other darling favourite, never want to be without Serge scent. De Profundis.
    I think my 3rd would have to be a tie between Fleurs de Orangers, A la Nuit, Chergui, and Feminitie du Bois. oh, but I also love Santal Majuscule, Datura Noir, Ambre Sultan oh, and how could I forget Bas de Soie.

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    • Are you sure you haven’t forgotten any other contenders for that third spot? ;)

      Somehow I missed trying Un Lys. I think it was because in my head I mixed it somehow with Frederick Malle’s Lys Mediterranee, which I didn’t like.

      Have you seen this? https://www.theperfumeshoppe.com/Un-Lys-Eau-De-Parfum-by-Serge-Lutens-p/lutens32.htm# If you try to add it to the cart from the U.S., it gives a phone to call to order. $150 for 50 ml is much better than $300 for 75 ml.

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      • ***grins*** I know, had a hard time with that 3rd spot. There just so many that are that good.

        I didn’t see that from the perfume shoppe Undina. I am very intrigued and thought I had hunted down all avenues of supply in North America. When I got my last bottle I thought they said I was lucky to have literally snagged the last one before Serge changed to bell jars and from Paris only. The pics in the link look like the older 50ml bottles too. Joy. Will have to see if they will ship to Canada.

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  14. Great question and very timely because just the wires I decided to wear a bunch of my Lutens from my collection. I have actually been gathering more and more of them since they changed the packaging, trying to get as many of the old bottles for decent prices as I can. My favorites are the older heavy hitters such as Fumerie Turque, Cuir Maurasque and probably a tie between Ambre Sultan and Fleurs d’Oranger. I also enjoy Iris Silver Mist and Tubereuse Criminelle….

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    • I’m really tempted to buy a couple more older bottles of perfumes I like. Some of Lutens’ perfumes I’ll probably re-purchase even if I have to pay the full price. But there are some that I like and don’t mind wearing but I wouldn’t pay their “updated” prices.

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  15. Oy! We’re limited to 3 🤔 so I say Iris Silver Mist, Boxeuses and Chergui. I have bell jars of the first two and as for Chergui, I’m hoping someone can find me a vintage version or at least one for over 3 years ago.

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    • I don’t know how it happened but I still haven’t tried Encens et Lavande. Somehow I missed it when I tested all other bell jars while in New York (I wonder, whether they are still available anywhere for testing after Barney’s had closed.

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  17. I used to love many Lutens’s but I’ve lost my love for them. The one Lutens I still wear and love is A la nuit, the perfect jasmine.

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  18. Funny, I have been thinking about SL lately. I’m pretty sure it’s what started the perfumeland trip for real for me. I remember looking forward to each new Serge perfume, because you’d be certain it was different in some way or other. Also, they were likely to be oriental, which I preferred. I remember one blogger finding them ‘unfinished’ and as I collected more knowledge and ‘nose’ for perfume, I understood what she meant. If you were used to classic perfumery they would seem confusing and lacking in subtlety and classic pyramid. However, smelling my old favourites today, I do feel nostalgic. The earlier SL perfumes ( the last ones I tried were babteme du feu and la religieuese) seemed so different and radical, they were making a statement. And we could talk about it for ages. ( waving at your now-favourite de profundis, and your opinion of it, before you’d even smelled it ;-) ) I have had more Serge perfumes, but got rid of the ones I didn’t wear like fumerie turque, rousse, chergui, une bois Vanille, Serge noir ( a friend sprayed this one 5 times !!! in my one bed flat and I could never wear it again. It was atomic and lasted for months ) une voix noir… not sure if there were more. Which brings me to your question my 3 SL favourites: these would be de profundis, douche amere, and a toss up between miel du Bois and ambre Sultan. I have a decant of Un Lys from Suzanne which I adore, but worry that it would no longer smell the same if I bought it. I never truly liked the first version of ISM, but am intrigued by the change, you and Tara talk about. Last but not least I recently ( in my perfume history, anyway so a year or two back, haha) thought I wanted Bas du Soir, which I remembered loving. I got a friend to send a sample, and it was awful, to an extend that I thought it would have been mixed with something else… if you or anybody else
    knows about that one, LMK.
    My longest comment ever 😍 another lovely trip down memory lane.

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    • I miss a lot about ol’ good days when a release from a favorite brand was an event and an immediate lemming.
      Ambre Sultan was my first SL bottle. I should probably use a chance and wear it while I’m working from home.
      I haven’t tried Une Lys but I think that if you manage to find an older bottle, it should still smell the same (or close).

      Any time you feel like leaving a long comment, feel free to do so: I miss your posts (and your pictures/collages), so I’m glad to read you in any form.

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      • Thank you, Undina, I do want to write and still love perfume, but since niche became mainstream with a luxury price tag, I lost faith a little. Good to be writing about perfume here 😊

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  19. This is very odd and for a long time bothered me but I’ve never found a SL that I’ve worn. I have bought Jeux de Peau several times as a gift for a family member who loves it.. and I love, seriously love smelling it on her. But I have yet to end up wearing or buying a Serge. This is very weird isn’t it! I’m a little offended at myself.. have not tried the Berlin one seriously though and that seems to get a lot of love so at some point I will do a big old test.

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    • Don’t be offended at yourself. I had a similar problem early on. I tried hard to like lines and perfumes that I didn’t. Finally it dawned on me that I was putting peer pressure on myself and just let it go. For me, perfumes should be fun and pleasant and happy-making, not stress inducing. BTW Jeux de Peau is the one SL that I loathe and Iris Silver Mist, a great love for me, is hated by my daughter

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    • Most likely, SL is just not “your” brand. It happens to me all the time. If you tried enough perfumes from the brand (let’s say, 8-10 from different types), and none of them spoke to you, there are hundreds of other brands and thousands of other perfumes to choose from.
      I like Jeux de Peau but not sure I need more than I have left in my decant: I don’t wear it often enough.

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  20. Gosh, this is a really hard question. My top fave is easily Gris Clair. I’d say it’s also my most worn Serge. I think one of my other choices is a bit unconventional – Fleurs de Citronnier. Finally, a more recent favorite is the perfect La Myrrhe.

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    • I like Gris Clair, and it was the last SL bottle that I added to my collection. I liked FdC when I tested it but I’m not sure I’d wear it if I had it. But plan to test once more soon to see. La Myrrhe is great but I don’t see myself wanting to use it often. So, for now I should be fine with a decant I have.

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  21. Although I have tried many from this house, SL just isn’t my jam–with the exception of the delightfully spicy Arabie, of which I own a fb. I would probably never have even given it a try, given my string of bad luck with SL fragrances, but a generous and beloved friend (and a member of this community) sent me a sample and it was instant love.

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    • How interesting! I like Arabie (and I am still considering getting a bottle of it), but I remember that I was a minority in liking this perfume. I’m surprised that you like this one but nothing else. Have you tried Santal Majescule and Ambre Sultan?

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  22. Hi there Undina,
    Sorry I’m so late to the party. LOVE Serge Lutens, have oodles of them but hardly wear any of them regularly.
    Five O’Clock Gingembre gets the most wear by far. The light, white floral and spiced tea is so pretty and luminous.
    Then I think the next two are a dead equal finish, La Fille de Berlin and Fille en Aiguilles. Both heavy hitters but entirely different. So happy the cool weather is back so I can get spritzing them.
    Portia xx

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    • Never late! Comment on any of the post from the last 9 years – and I’ll be glad to talk to you there :)

      None of SL perfumes that I like is a summer scent for me. They all are Spring or Fall maybe, and most of them – Winter. So, hopefully you’ll get to use at least some of yours soon.

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  23. Un Lys, Chergui and Tubereuse Criminelle, though Fumerie Turque is hovering under the top 3, along with Fleurs de Citronnier. That said, there are loads I have never tried! I do also like Fille en Aiguilles…

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    • I didn’t realize how many perfumes there were in that line before I started looking them up reading comments in this post.
      Interestingly, out of your top 3, Tuberose Criminalle doesn’t work for me at all (it’s tuberose), I don’t remember trying Un Lys, and now I feel bad taking your favorite Chergui (though, I do love it). Are you sure you don’t want it back?

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