Eau No, Again- Serge Lutens Laine de Verre

First of all, stating the obvious, I’m back. As most of you know I’ve been having some dental work done. My dentist is fantastic, very gentle and soothing and can do the work pain-free- didn’t even feel the shots (email me if you’re in LA and need a dentist.) But since Liz and Anna-Nicole and Michael and the dancing as fast as I can crowd, getting decent drugs for the afters is like, well, pulling teeth. Also, what could have been done in one or two visits was done over a longer period of time, because although I apparently heal faster than Wolverine, I bleed like the Monty Python sketch “Sam Peckinpah’s ‘Salad Days'” and he didn’t want to have to make a trip to the ER with me. But it’s all done now, and I can smile.

Before I started the end of this journey, I dropped into Barneys in Beverly Hills. I hadn’t been in a while, and for those of you who came out to play with us Posse Perps there, you wouldn’t recognize it. They took what used to be bathrooms and HR on the first basement level and dropped the beauty stuff down there, extending the grand staircase to that level. I also saw that the Bell Jars have made it Beverly Hills. Please, if you have a Barneys in your city, chime in if they’re in your hood too. I admit I am kind of of two minds about it- it’s nice that I don’t have to whine and moan to get a friend who might be going to Europe to carry me one back and I can get a bottle of Rahat Loukoum here and not worry too much about running out.I won’t even complain about the $290 dollar cost, since a trip to Europe would cost more. I’ll just live off of Joe-O’s the month I run out. But I will miss a bot of the cachet of being able to tell people that you can only get this in France.

I know, cheap AND a raving snob- how do I stay single?

In any case, they also had Laine de Verre, the latest of the dreaded (by some, not me) Eaux. The name apparently translates to “cotton wool” which in Europe is what we know as fiberglass. Yes, that pink stuff you insulated your attic in when you got all Bob Vila that one time.

What it like? I kind of love it. It starts out with fizzy and bright aldehydes with a totally giggle inducing orange. It’s slight, but there and reminds me for all the world of opening an ice-cold Fanta (one of the old recipe with sugar that you have to get from Mexico these days) on a hot summer day and taking a long, cooling sip. Then pressing the ice cold can to the back of your neck. Like most Serge openings, it doesn’t last. Almost immediately the scent starts to warm and adds in the green of the fern and further getting just this side of slutty with the cashmeran and musk. Lasting power is pretty good- 8 hours on skin and it will stick to a sweater until you have it cleaned.

Am I purchasing? Not at this time. I have some things that sort of tread the same ground. If someone gifted it to me however (not that I’m asking!) they would certainly be the recipient of a (newly rebuilt) smile..

$110 for 50ML and $160 for 100ML, at the usual suspects. I spritzed heavily at Barneys and asked for and received a sample from ScentBar.

Image: LuckyScent