Louis Vuitton New Fragrance Releases – Review

Louis Vuitton apparently had some fragrances a long time ago, but it’s been many decades.  This fall, they have released seven new fragrances.  You know, because it’s never enough to just have one. But this makes more sense for them than anyone because it gets them back in the fragrance game.

Louis Vuitton perfumes - Turbulences, Apogee, Dans la peau, mille feux, contre moi, matiere noire

Of course I’ve tried them all.  You know, at first I just wasn’t sure, they seemed fleeting in parts, and then I got it. They are wafters.  Every time I walked through the house, the fragrances billowed and shimmered, and I’d walk back through a cloud of smells.  It was pretty fantastic.  As fragrances prices have gone, I was expecting these to be pretty ridiculously priced.  $250’ish for 100 mls and $350 for the big 200 ml bottle.  You know what?  That’s not the worst pricing I’ve seen – I mean, it’s not great, but I was bracing myself for 300-plus for the 100 ml. They also have a 7-scent coffret for like $290. I’m doing some of this pricing from memory, but this is close.

These are understated fragrances. They aren’t big or bold. Turbulences comes the closest to being a statement fragrance, but it has a subtlety to it as well.

Turbulences – notes of jasmine from Grasse, tuberose, musk, magnolia, rose and leather.  Loved, loved, loved this one, the tuberose does open ripe and bold and stays far into the drydown, aided by some slightly indolic jasmine.

Contre Moi – notes of vanilla, orange blossom, herbs, rose and magnolia. Loved this one as well.  It feels gourmandish with an almost sweet open of vanilla and orange blossom.  It worried me a wee bit then, but the saccarine’ish aspect got much more wispy (a good thing!). I never really discretely smelled the herbs in this, but I had some smell sense of them ironing out that sweetness.  The longer this is on, the more the magnolia blends into the vanilla and comes out a really creamy magnolia.

Dans le Peau – notes of leather, musk, jasmine, daffodil and magnolia.  I really liked this, it feels a little less defined than some of the others. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just more blended into a musky leather.  How can that be bad? It’s not.  It stood out less in a series of seven fragrances, but I’ve got a reminder to come back and smell it completely on its own in the future.

Apogee – notes of Grasse jasmine, lily of the valley, rose, magnolia, guaiac wood and sandalwood.  This is a gorgeous, crystalline lily of the valley.  If you hate LOTV, well, skip right on by it.  With the jasmine and the guaiac, I expected this to be warmed, but it’s a colder muguet.

Rose des Vents – May rose from Grasse, with two additional types of roses, iris, cedar and spices.  A beautiful, woody rose that isn’t just about the rose.  The iris plays a major part in this, and the spices give it a charm in the drydown I wasn’t expected. I was ready to write it off as “just another rose fragrance,” but I wound up liking it a lot!

Mille Feux – notes of leather with raspberry and osmanthus.  Another one that i was completely charmed by. I think leather and raspberry are a great combination to begin with, but adding in the osmanthus?  Oh, yum, just gives that little apricoty, buttery aspect that is perfect with leather.  It’s elegant and just smells like the inside of a Vuitton bag of a perfumista.  I didn’t expect this to be my absolutely favorite, but it was by a small margin.  I’d happily wear this one every day, there just enough interesting bits as you wear it, that it keeps me entertained.

Matiere Noire – notes of cyclamen, narcissus, jasmine, blackcurrant, patchouli and oud.  This one is the least made for me. I liked it, but the patchouli wound up being a little more dominant in the drydown, and I’m just not a patch fan-girl.  The open was amazing for me – lots of bright, jammy blackcurrant swirled in cyclamen and narcissus.  If it would have held there, it would have quickly became my favorite spring/summer fragrance.  But the patchouli and oud become more dominant. It’s nice and will be a great fit for other people, and I feel like I’m not doing it justice since it’s just not my thing personally.

With this many releases at one time, smelling these all at once, it is easy to get these mixed up or confused, so I’m hoping that people spend some time with them. They are subtle and well-made.  If the notes of any interest you, probably smell just that one or try one at at time.  Though, I have to say, having them all on at one time is amazing and is actually my very favorite of all of them. They really are made to go together, and I think anyone could wear a couple of them at one time and have something even better than one alone.  I’m picking Mille Feux and Turbulences as two I want to wear together without the other five accompanying them on their date like they are right this minute up and down my arms.

I do have some winners from two weeks ago for the Tom Ford Vert D’Encens and Vert Boheme. I just have those two, I only had one small sample vial of the third, which I can’t find.  Okay, winners are – snarkyshiba, mikasminion and carob.  Just click on Drop Us a Note at the top, send me an e-mail, remind me of what you won and get me your mailing address. I’ll send you a quick e-mail to let you know I got your e-mail and it didn’t land in a spam filter and then get it on the way to you.  I only check Posse e-mail like once a week, so it can take a few days sometimes to respond there.

So let’s do a giveaway!  BTW, missed you guys the last couple of weeks.  I had a DNS problem that turned out to be my fault, and it just took me a few days to figure out what I had done wrong.  Let’s do sample sets of all seven fragrances to three commenters drawn at random. Which one of the seven interests you the most, or are you just going to give it a miss because it’s too many at one time?

 

  • Julee says:

    I love your article ! Really really true description. I smelled all of them yesterday on blotter. They are all very lovely ! I really enjoy the fact that all of them has a vocabulary in common. I would love to have the coffret, it would be like having only a signature scent with many variation. I see it as a complete day-scent collection. Easily wearable like the OJ florals. To be complete with bolder perfumes for evenings (like Amouage). Anyway I would be CRAZY happy to win the sample set. Thank you for the draw !

  • Tara C says:

    I have smelled them all. Bought Mille Feux already and Matière Noire and Apogee are next in my sights. I think the line is nicely done and fit in well with the Dior Privee/Chanel Exclusive/Hermessence lines.

  • Lia says:

    Definitely Apogee!! But honestly they all sound good.

  • Callie says:

    I would love to try contre moi and matiere noir the most but they all sound interesting! Thanks ?

  • Hana says:

    These sound lovely…I would love to try Mille Feux as fall has really arrived now here in Germany.

  • Sapphire says:

    I can’t decide which of these sounds most promising. But I’d be more than happy to test them and find out!

  • TaffyJ says:

    I was planning on skipping over these, but you make them sound lovely! Contre Moi would be the one I’d love to test. Thanks for the draw!

  • flowergirlbee! says:

    mille feux is the most interesting to me.i love apricot leather smells and would love to see how the raspberry note fits in with that.i am keen to try all 7 together too : ) thanks for the giveaway.

  • Jirish says:

    Mille Feux is calling my name right now, especially since I need a work-appropriate leather. But really they all sound interesting. I need more polite scents – in the past I’ve favored the heavy hitters with tons of sillage.

  • Ellen M says:

    They all sound really awesome. I love magnolia, so Contre Moi and Dans Le Peau and Apogee grabbed my attention right off the bat, but I’d love to try all seven. Thanks so much.

  • Kathryn says:

    I’m curious about Matière Noire. It seems like it might occupy the same general territory as Chamber Noire which is a near miss for me. I keep hoping for something a bit deeper and darker. Wouldn’t it be nice if this were it?

  • Maureen says:

    I would love to try Dans Le Peau and Mille Feux, as I love leather, and elegant is always good in a fragrance. Please enter me, and thanks for the chance.

  • carob says:

    Turbulences & Apogee most pique my interest, but all sound lovely. The old, old, pre-reformulations Diorissimo was divine & tuberose is hypnotic, for me. Contre Moi, developing into magnolia is also intriguing.

  • Zazie says:

    Oh, I’m curious now!!! Turbulences and milles feux seem very much up my alley, because tuberose…and osmanthus… <3

    In any event, these huge pricey collections that get out all at once are not particularly endearing, but at the same time I feel I shouldn't miss out. Can't wait to get my nose to work on them! 🙂

  • Tatiana says:

    Contre Moi, Dans le Peau, Apogee and Rose des Vents sound like the ones I will be trying to sniff first. Not sure I really need anymore perfume at this point. There’s LV boutique within walking distance, guess I need to go for a walk and give these a sniff.

  • Jenbat says:

    Dans le peau! All thr leather for me! Plus I’m curious to smell some daffodil in a perfume.

  • Elizabeth says:

    OOO! Mille feux!

  • HeidiC says:

    Turbulences and Mille Feux also sound the most appealing to me — I wish Turbulences was bolder, because I’d love to knock some people over with tuberose, indolic jasmine, and leather! The way you’re describing the whole set, they sound sort of like the Hermessence perfumes — interesting and well-made, but completely polite. Does that sound like a fair comparison?

    • Patty White says:

      Yup, pretty much! I am guessing people are thinking for the price tag, they are not unique enough to justify it, which may be completely fair. But there are a lot of way worse Chanel Les Exclusifs and Tom Ford Private Blends for this price tag, and all of these are completely well-behaved (Turbulences is the only one that I’d put a caution flag on to wear to work). So I thought of it that way as far as price – were they as good as Chanel Les Exclusifs, Tom Ford Private Blend, Hermessence and Dior La Collection scents? They are. Same price point, so i just didn’t even factor it.

  • Connie says:

    Mille Feux interests me most, and all of your descriptions sound tantalizing….
    But so far what I’ve heard of perfume public reception suggests that they should be given a ‘miss’. In fact, I think this is the first site where I’ve seen positivity about them.

    • Patty says:

      I know. I saw that too. I didn’t read around to see what others didn’t like about them so it wouldn’t color how I felt. But you know, i really liked two or three of them a lot and the others are quite good.

  • sara elizabeth levy says:

    THanks for the review! I am most interested in Mille Feux and Contre Moi. Thanks for the drawing

  • Koyel says:

    Mille Feux sounds like it’ll be my favorite 🙂 Though Turbulences also sounds wonderful. If I don’t win the draw, I kind of doubt I’ll make the effort to sniff out this insta-line, but your descriptions sound just lovely. And Patty, we’ve missed you too!

  • EchoCharlie says:

    Based on your description Mille Feux sounds really appealing! I love the way the bottles look!

  • Caroline says:

    Yep, 7 is a lot at once, but oh well! Love tuberose, so am most interested in giving Turbulences a shot.

  • Chelembound says:

    Contre Moi sounds like me all day long! I’m a gourmand junkie! Thank you for the draw!

  • MaureenC says:

    Apogee interests me, as a big muget fan I’m always on the look out for a new one. Particularly since Delrae reformulated theirs into a shadow of its former self.

  • Nemo says:

    I didn’t know LV had fragrances, but I shouldn’t be surprised by that I suppose. I am not a LOTV fan so Apogee might not be for me, but the rest of the perfumes sound lovely! Raspberry and osmanthus and leather? Yum!

  • I would definitely love to try the Mulle Feux, but Contre Moi also sounds amazing! Thanks. 😀

  • BostonScentGuy says:

    My brain says it’s too many at once, but my nose (and heart) are saying I’m excited to try all of them…perhaps slowly and methodically. I definitely think Mille Feux (yes, osmanthus and raspberry and leather!) and Matiere Noire sound the most up my alley! Thanks for the draw.

  • Marianna says:

    Dans le Peau sounds very interesting – Iris and jasmine!!!

  • Marianna says:

    This sound amazing esp dans le Peau – Jasmine and Iris!!

  • Tiffanie says:

    Contre Moi makes my heart flutter. It sounds like a gorgeous magnolia. Matiere Noire and Dans le Peau are appealing, too.

    I think it’s great that these fragrances were released as a group. I love it when I get a nice uber-scent from several that work together.

    And the wafting, that’s fabulous. It’s lovely when scents are very much present but don’t shout for attention. Thank you for sharing these with us.

  • Solntse says:

    The way you have described these perfumes I feel like trying all of them but the first one I would try would be rose des vents followed by dans le peau.

  • Vanie says:

    You sold Mille Feux very well, and I’d also be very interested in smelling Rose des vents and Contre Moi (great name!). I don’t know if these will be available somewhere near me though. Thanks for the giveaway!

  • Molly says:

    Oooh, they all sound amazing. Miile Feux, Dans le Peau and Rose des Vents could have been made-to-order for me.

    (How is the tub working?)

  • Been waiting for these! For me it would be Apogee because I love LOTV in any way, shape, or form. Thanks!

  • Cb Sutcliffe says:

    I love rose and osmanthus so Miile Feux and Rose des Vents would be the first two I would want to try, but white flowers are my friends as well, so Turbences would round out my top three.

  • Donna S says:

    I’ve been looking to try these. My initial pick would be Contre Moi. Sounds yummy. The rose would be pretty as well. Thank you so much for the review and draw!

  • Luanne Teall says:

    I think I would like 6 of the 7. Rose des Vents sounds like the only one I am not looking forward to trying.

  • Ruth says:

    I hope these make it to Australia! I like the sound of Contre Moi, thanks for the give away

  • tfk31 says:

    Dans Le Peau and Miile Feux sound amazing!! Leather is so perfect as Autumn begins. Thank you for the chance to sniff.

  • Rina says:

    I’ve been watching these… Turbulences sounds the most up my alley but they all sound intriguing! Thanks for the draw, glad you’re back!

  • janebkrn says:

    These all sound up my alley! I like a fragrance that lasts, but not loud or overpowering.