Once in a while, it’s fun to play those “what if?” games. So for today: What if a generous perfumed fairy godmother showed up on your doorstep and offered to give you three bottles of scent. The only catch? All three have to be from the same house and the scents have to be in current production.
Today, let’s play with Serge Lutens, shall we?
Right off the bat, I know I’ll have to have Fleurs de Citronnier. This citrusy beauty was one of the first Serges I fell for, and it’s still among my favorites. The lemon blossom, neroli and tuberose make this feel a bit refreshing as well as beautiful. I never want to be without it in my collection. FdC would be a lovely choice for a bride, a bridal shower, or for any occasion when you want to feel classy and elegant, yet fresh and approachable.
Speaking of classy and elegant, if initially a tad haughty, my No. 2 choice would be Bas de Soie. As I’ve said in other reviews/picks of it: “A bit off-putting for me at first try, I came to see its icy-cool, not-quite aloof aura as an acquired taste. Kind of like that girl in high school or college you thought was conceited, but turns out she’s just reserved, and perhaps a little shy. And once you got to know her, you found her quiet elegance rather refreshing.” This is delightful for spring and offers a nice antidote to summer’s sultry, muggy weather.
Oh, dear, now comes the really hard part — I’m quite sorely tested on the choice for No. 3 from Serge Lutens. There’s the smoky, cuddly, tobacco-y warmth of Chergui, the lovely leather-floral-apricot suede of Daim Blond, and A La Nuit with its bold, sensuous jasmine growl.
OK, let’s think rationally here. I do have other jasmines that I enjoy, so guess I can let A La Nuit slip out the door without too big a fuss. And since my first two Serge Lutens picks seem best suited for warmer weather, I imagine I should go for something to warm my bones in fall and winter. So Chergui takes the third spot.
What about you? What are your top Serge Lutens scents?
Fleurs d’oranger,la fille de Berlin,Jeux de peau
Un Lys, A La Nuit and Sa Majeste La Rose. I also like Chergui…
I’m apparently just not that big a Serge fan. I have a partial bell jar of La Myrrhe, which I adore but don’t wear very often – I think of it as being special, perhaps. Would definitely take a bottle of Fleurs d’Oranger (the modern stuff, not the old fleshy one), and… um…
Um. Huh. Well. I *like* Sa Majeste La Rose and Serge Noire, but I don’t see myself actually wearing them. Quite a few of the SL line I admire only in principle, and can’t manage to wear them at all.
Well, that was disappointing, eh?
OH! Datura Noir. Totally forgot about that one, but I’d wear it if I had it.
Also, I just noticed, this comment form knows I’m currently (on vacation, tagging along with my husband who is here on business) in New Zealand, instead of the US. Heh.
I’m late to the game since I’m out of town. Since I already have Bad Dr Door, otherwise known as Bas de Soie, dontcha love autocorrect? and Clair de Musc, I would ask the SL fairy for Fille en Aiguilles, Iris Silver Mist, and A La Nuit.
Top 3 Serge Lutens is really easy
Those are my LOVE I will save them in case of fire kind of way 😉
Jeux de Peau
Chergui
Cedre
Serge!!! Off the bat: La Myrrhe, Douce Amere, Bois de Violette. Still have many I’d love to try, esp. any (or all) of the roses.
Serge Lutens fragrances were my first introduction to “niche” fragrances. It is a house which seems to be totally suited to my tastes and skin chemistry. I have not yet found a Serge Lutens I don’t love. I’d have ALL of them if I could…
My faves? Hard to choose:
Chergui
Fleurs d’Oranger
Rousse
Muscs Koublai Khan
Five o’Clock Gingembre
Jeux de Peau
(however….I also adore Fumerie Turque, La Fille de Berlin, Fille en Aiguilles, Bas de Soie, A La Nuit)
Ooohhh.. I am a Serge fan, but there are still a bunch I haven’t tried. I already have bottles of Chergui and Fleurs d’Oranger and decants of Feminite du Bois, Bas de Soie, and Vetiver Oriental.. I think I’d go with Iris Silver Mist (with the awesome engraved bell jar, of course), Boxeuses, and maybe Tubereuse Criminelle for the third one.
I’m not really a Serge fangirl, but love Chene (have a half bottle, but wouldn’t mind more), like Un Bois Vanille, and for the 3rd? Based on reviews, Santal Majascule, Chergui, or Five O’Clock Au Gingembre.
First Fleurs de citronnier would make me say “oooh!” Then Sa majesté la rose brings an “ahhh!” And Féminité du bois is perfect for an “mmmm, that smells wonderful!”
Thanks for these imagined moments of perfumed magic. On peut rêver.
I would go with Chergui, 5 O’Clock au Gingembre and Fleurs d’Oranger. Love Douce Amere, too, so this was hard! Have to sort of agree with Tammy on Fille de Berlin. Although I don’t get a cat pee note, it just doesn’t smell as good on me as I am sure it does on other folks. I wanted to like it because of the gorgeous pink color.
This is an easy one, my Serge lemmings have been in place for ages now: 5 O’clock Gingembre, Muscs Koublai Khan and Gris Clair. Wait, I have at least two decants of Gris Clair, so replace that with a blind buy of La Fille de Berlin, which has been on my sample list since it came out. It would be easy to swap if I don’t like it!
I’d have to say Feminite de Bois, Bois de Violette, and Chergui. There are so many that I haven’t given my proper attention to, so I’m sure this is subject to change.
My first choice would definitely be La Fille de Berlin. Then, two amongst these three: Santal Majuscule, Daim Blond and Fille en Aiguilles… I would need to retest them in order to choose!
Un BoiSVanille, Sa Majeste la Rose, Ambre Sultan… In no particular order
Oh, what a nice idea…I’d love that fairy came along asap 🙂 I’d have Feminite du Bois, Jeux de Peau and L’orpheline !
I’d choose Tubereuse Criminelle, Bas de Soie and Fourreau Noir.
I love my Uncle Serge. My first love many years ago, Ambre Sultan. My bottle is almost empty, but the remaining juice is aged dark brown and so beautiful! La Fille de Berlin, which I discovered last year, makes me feel like I’m in the 1930’s, in a cabaret. A beautiful, retro rose. My third — hard, hard choice — between the elegance of Iris Silver Mist, so elegant, maybe too elegant, and Chergui, which is deep and spicy and everything nice.
Serge Lutens was one of the first houses that I fell in love with, and over the years I’ve managed to get my hands on quite a few of his scents (although I haven’t kept up with a lot of the most recent ones). My three favorites are Douce Amere, Chypre Rouge and Serge Noire. I used to love Feminite du Bois, but lately it has started to go all harsh and screechy on me.
I have no further interest in SL. I tried two highly rated ones. One was a “meh”, the other I strongly disliked. I did like your idea of the three scents fairy godmother and wondered who I would want………………come to me Roja Dove!
Oooh Serge! How I love him. Ambre Sultan was my first love. So sexy. Iris Silver Mist is number two, for when I’m feeling frosty. Hmmmmnumber three. Fumerie Turque. I’m a tobacco girl, so it’s definitely the Turque. May Allah, or maybe a fairy, grant me a bottle some day!
Chene
Fille en Aiguilles
Fleurs de Citronnier
However, I must add that three SL scents I would like to be given are not necesarily my top three SL scents. I already have bottles of Chergui and Ambre Sultan, and decants of Bois de Violette and L’Eau Froide, so I am not asking for them. Although I am tempted to request a backup bottle of Chergui.:)
Hmm… Fumerie Turque (I would take a spare!), Tuberose Criminelle …. and. Hmm. This is hard. Encens et Lavande, or maybe Bois des Miel? Depends on my mood that day I suppose.
Fille en Aiguilles, 5’oclock au gingembre, Ambre Sultan, and Un Lys are beauties I think.
Uncle Serge and I don’t generally get along, but if a perfume fairy godmother was involved, I’d probably go with De Profundis, which I do like, Bais de Soie which I wanted to like but was disappointed in, and Sarrasins which also let me down. (I want that one in the uber fancy bell jar, please.)
A part of me would be tempted to swap the Bais out with Fille de Berlin, because the hot pink juice would go so well with the purples of other two, but the Fraulein gets quite pissy on me.
Ohhh. Such a hard call. Let’s see… Daim Blond, Muscs Koublaï Khän, and Borneo 1834.
MKK, Fille en Aiguilles, and De Profundis for me (unless the Fairy Godmother was offering an older bottle of Daim Blond in which case it bumps De P.).
I do have lots of Serge and love ALL of them but a full bottle of Santal blanc, La Myrrhe and Sarrasin would complete me (and I’d pick up L’Orpheline myself). Of course I’d then NEVER BUY ANOTHER PERFUME [that’s what I’d tell my husband].
I wouldn’t manage with SL as I am having a difficulty finding even one that works for me, however, my husband would be able to fill his 3 and my 3 🙂
So I will enter for him: Tubereuse Criminelle, La Fille de Berlin, Santal Majuscule.
Ambre Sultan for me, Tubereuse Criminelle and Fleurs d’Oranger for my wife.
Musc Koublai Kahn, de Profundis, and Santal de Mysore. Subtlety is overrated.
Hey there Ann,
What an amazing question.
Borneo 1834
Chypre Rouge
Une Voix Noire
Hopefully the Fairy Godmother will put them in the export atomiser bottles for me too.
Portia xx
Chypre Rouge is one of my top three, too! Lovelovelove it. Other people say it smells like Red Hots (cinnamon candy), but I find it both warm and cool, spicy and complex, with a strange and lovely celery note running through it. Hit me up at the July FG!
Tough choice, but I think I’d go with Un Lys, A La Nuit, and…hmmmm…probably Fumerie Turque.
I’ll play. FBs of the following I wouldn’t mind getting–wave the magic wand!
– L’Incendiaire (I know there’s not community love for this…somewhat ordinary perfume at a price reserved for gold…but I do like it)
– La Fille de Berlin…I’m waiting for the discounters to have this again
– Cuir Maresque…I have a good size decant but if this were to be given to me, I wouldn’t refuse 🙂
De profundis: this one took me a bit to get my head around it, but I have grown to love it and my decant is running low, El attarine which is just beautiful full stop, and Sarrasins which is a radiant jasmine wreath around hung round the winner of the Kentucky Derby. There are other Lutens I love more, but these three are the next on my Serge list.
La fille de Berlin, Sa Majeste La Rose, Ambre Sultan – La fille is my favourite warm weather scent (Malle’s POAL for the cold).