Serge Lutens L’Orpheline : Perfume Review

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The other day I was trying hard to figure out why exactly I disliked Serge Lutens’s L’Orpheline as much as I did. Because I didn’t simply not care for it; it made me recoil and I had difficulty wearing it multiple times in order to review it. With some fragrances, you need a longer courtship to learn their moods and see how they can match yours, but in the case of L’Orpheline, I liked it less and less with each wear.

lorpheline

On the face of it, L’Orpheline should be the right one for me. It’s an incense blend, and I love incense. It intriguingly promises to layer incense with cream, and I’m game for such surprises. It’s also the product of a collaboration between Serge Lutens and Christopher Sheldrake, and I have so many perfumes created by them in my wardrobe that I can be easily called a fan. So, why does L’Orpheline fail so dramatically to entice me?

For one thing, from the moment I apply it, it reminds me of the smell inside a perfumery lab, where a variety of materials mix to a point that you don’t perceive them individually but as a fog of odor, dominated by something sharp and mineral. (It’s a marvel of the human nose that after a while you simply tune out this smell and don’t even notice it until someone draws your attention to it.) L’Orpheline, which starts on the cool, metallic notes of incense and aldehydes is too close to that smell, and since it doesn’t change much over its development, if you don’t like this kind of abstract, blurry effect, you’re out of luck.

Secondly, the plastic-like drydown of L’Orpheline turns me off further. Once it settles down, I get the promised cream and softness, but again, I can’t shake off the artificial, cold sensation, and the combination of peppery, resinous incense with milky, musky notes makes me queasy.  I imagine myself inside a brightly lit, modern art installation made out of brand new plastic that still reeks of the factory.

On the plus side, L’Orpheline lasts really well, and despite its rich notes, it’s not at all heavy or dense. It can even be comforting, if you find the cool incense to be so, but you have to have more appetite for Serge Lutens doing odd things than I do. I will instead turn to my beloved but much neglected El Attarine, a woody violet topped with cumin. Unusual, intriguing, but still wearable.

Of course, if you love L’Orpheline, please comment!

Serge Lutens’s L’Orpheline is available at Serge Lutens’s boutique, Barneys and other retailers carrying the export collection. 50ml/€99

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93 Comments

  • Masha: Intriguing review! How does L’Orpheline compare to Serge’s other “cold” perfumes, such as L’Eau Froide (I own a bottle, sometimes love it, sometimes loathe it), Bas de Soie, L’Eau, etc.? September 29, 2014 at 7:12am Reply

    • Victoria: They are all very different and pretty much have nothing in common, except the cool, artificial character. The closest would be L’Eau Froide, because of incense, but L’Eau Froide is clean and crisp, while L’Orpheline is clean and creamy. September 29, 2014 at 7:20am Reply

      • Amer: I hope my sample will arrive in the mail soon so I can have an opinion on the subject. Still, I was -and still am- more intrigued by l’Incendiaire. Have you tried that yet? September 29, 2014 at 5:10pm Reply

        • Victoria: No, I haven’t tried it yet! September 30, 2014 at 10:02am Reply

  • Cornelia Blimber: I tested it briefly, did not like it and did not dislike it. On my skin, it vanished within half an hour.
    After this intriguing review, I will revisit it as soon as possible! September 29, 2014 at 7:18am Reply

    • Victoria: As it often happens with perfumes you don’t like, L’Orpheline lasts for the whole day on my skin and for ages on clothes! September 29, 2014 at 7:32am Reply

      • N: The ones I do like never seem to last as long. A La Nuit only lasts maybe a couple hours on me and it is the only one of his I like. For some reason most Serge Lutens fragrances don’t sit well with me or make me queasy. Bois de Violette was repulsive to me, despite it being lauded by others, and lasted I scrubbed it off and I had to change my shirt. September 29, 2014 at 8:57am Reply

        • Victoria: I bought a new bottle of A La Nuit a couple of weeks ago, and I think that it has been altered somewhat, because it also doesn’t last as long as it used to. I like it anyway, but it vanishes much quicker. September 29, 2014 at 10:49am Reply

          • Elia: I sprayed A la Nuit a year ago and then got a sample elsewhere recently and they seemed very different to me. There’s the factor of memory of course, but it left me wondering. September 30, 2014 at 6:08am Reply

            • Victoria: I thought so too, which is why I compared. Even accounting for the natural aging that happened (perfume changes in the bottle, after all), there are some differences. September 30, 2014 at 10:11am Reply

      • limegreen: After reading the article you posted earlier on why we can’t smell our home and perfumes after a while, I wonder if with perfumes we DON’T like, our brain registers it as toxic and so we continue to smell it because the nose can’t tune it out? September 29, 2014 at 9:43am Reply

        • Michaela: Good point! September 29, 2014 at 9:57am Reply

        • solanace: Yeah, I like your theory! September 29, 2014 at 10:16am Reply

        • iodine: That’s my theory, too. 🙂 September 29, 2014 at 10:45am Reply

        • iodine: I tested it on a paper strip- didn’t allow it to touch my skin!
          You said it all: cold and super synthetic. I decidedly don’t like SL treatment of incense. September 29, 2014 at 10:48am Reply

          • Victoria: It does work better on skin (on paper, it smelled almost industrial), but it is still very cold. I suppose that this is the interesting part of this perfume, but it’s challenging. September 29, 2014 at 10:58am Reply

        • Victoria: What a good theory! Makes sense to me. September 29, 2014 at 10:51am Reply

  • George: I think the closest fragrance that I’ve smelled in the Serge Lutens range to L’Orpheline is Fourreau Noir, but whereas the latter registered with me as a costus and currying up of a creamy fougere (a bit like Kouros), this is an incensing up of one. They both feel kind of messy. September 29, 2014 at 8:07am Reply

    • Victoria: I must have blanked the memory of Fourreau Noir, because it has been so far my least favorite from Lutens’s collection. But yes, I see what you mean. Fourreau Noir was ruined to me by an overdose of dihydromyrcenol, a material that smells like a cross between lavender and citrus and feels very aggressive. September 29, 2014 at 8:40am Reply

  • Karen: I just got a sample after reading a very positive review(somewhere??), and don’t like it at all, either! Give me lushness and dreams please! Could be that getting a sample of Rozy EDP at the same time just heightened the difference between what works for me and what doesn’t. September 29, 2014 at 8:30am Reply

    • Victoria: I’m sure it will have its fans, but I will wait for another Lutens’s tale. 🙂 September 29, 2014 at 8:43am Reply

  • Andy: Hello!

    I like it for the reasons you don’t, allow me to elaborate.

    The blurriness I find alluring.
    I also like the balance between dry smoke and the sweet creaminess.

    It might be worthwhile saying that I haven’t liked any Lutens ones so far and would say this is the least Lutens-esque in the range, more modern.

    The cold metallic quality offers a stark contrast to the body, I found it developed into this intriguing blend and throughout the wear would be pleased by the wafts.

    In the opening I got some mint and licorice but I may be imagining these notes.

    The varied reception of this fragrance is testament to how individual our tastes are!

    Good to read your review,

    Andy September 29, 2014 at 9:13am Reply

    • Victoria: Thank you, Andy! Yes, I agree, it’s so good to exchange thoughts, because we all perceive smells very differently, and sometimes it’s amazing how varies our responses can be. But it is exactly what makes perfumery such a fascinating topic. You constantly discover something new. September 29, 2014 at 10:50am Reply

  • Umer: Victoria, I could not agree more. L’Orpheline is intended to invoke some kind of melancholia, but the truth is it does not evoke much of anything. This feels like a candidate for the L’Eau Serge Lutens line (where it might still be redundant).

    Why this deserves to stand next to La Myrrhe, Serge Noire and La fille de Berlin, I cannot yet understand! September 29, 2014 at 9:27am Reply

    • Victoria: I didn’t care for L’Eau, but I would rather wear that than L’Orpheline. The latter just doesn’t work for me at all. September 29, 2014 at 10:51am Reply

  • solanace: I like my perfumes warm, since my melancholic soul is cold enough! A Lutens that I recently discovered and am enjoying very much is Serge Noire, which reminds me a bit of Chergui. But the cold ones… Laine de Verre… Count´t me out, I´ll be waiting for the next barroque fantasy. September 29, 2014 at 10:21am Reply

    • Victoria: I liked De Profundis and Vierge de Fer, which were cool, and of course, Iris Silver Mist, but I guess, I like my perfumes to have a “natural” feel. September 29, 2014 at 10:53am Reply

      • solanace: I understand what you mean, I really dislike when my perfume starts feeling like a Kraftwerk tune! September 29, 2014 at 12:46pm Reply

        • Victoria: Yes, that’s it! September 30, 2014 at 9:56am Reply

        • Amer: that was a genius comparison! October 1, 2014 at 7:28pm Reply

  • Annikky: I don’t mind Serge going for the cold (Iris Silver Mist, Un Lys, even Bas de Soie), but this doesn’t sound encouraging… Will give it a try, though, as with every Lutens.

    Thanks for the frank review. September 29, 2014 at 10:50am Reply

    • Victoria: I was replying to Solanace at the same time as you did with a similar comment. I also don’t mind cool, but I just don’t like obviously artificial (not to say that L’Orpheline doesn’t contain naturals, it does; it’s just the feel that it has to me). Oh well, there is plenty among Lutens’s offerings for me to enjoy as it is. September 29, 2014 at 10:56am Reply

  • Mj: Sounds like a “dryer lint” perfume to me. Beautiful separate colors mixed and lost to grey. September 29, 2014 at 11:17am Reply

    • Victoria: It’s better than that, but I still didn’t like it. 🙂 September 30, 2014 at 9:55am Reply

  • Anita Monroe: It happens once in a while..something that you expect to like just repels you. Bandit did that for me. It actually made me ill, and I didn’t even like to have it sitting in my fragrance cupboard. Off it went to a FrangranceFriend. September 29, 2014 at 11:48am Reply

    • Victoria: I don’t often encounter perfumes that downright repel me (most of the time they simply leave me indifferent), but this one does. I suppose, it makes sense, since they were going for polarizing. September 30, 2014 at 9:56am Reply

  • Gentiana: I just received a few days ago the sample of L’Orpheline, as I applied for it on the S.L. site.
    I spritzed my wrist in enthusiasm as I think I am, too, a kind of fan for Lutens & Sheldrake…
    I had to fight with all my patience and power not to scrub it off, I kept it on my wrist for more hours, waiting some miracle will happen.
    I didn’t know how to describe the mixture of unpleasant odors and sensations – totally repelling for me.
    You described it exactly – better than I ever could – metallic, chemical, plastic…
    I would only add that in the head notes I felt a kind of cheap mens cologne undercurrent/ vibe. Flat and sharp. Maybe in the early drydown, somewhere after 2 hours of torture I felt an acceptable incense… otherwise… me too I felt like – Genial!
    I feel such a relief! I thought my tastes are not evolved enough for the Haute Parfumerie’s Creations… September 29, 2014 at 12:46pm Reply

    • Gentiana: EDIT:
      I felt like – Genial! September 29, 2014 at 12:47pm Reply

    • Victoria: The main role of perfume is to please its wearer. At least, that’s my humble opinion. September 30, 2014 at 9:57am Reply

  • Gentiana: Oh, the engine doesn’t let me to publish quotes from your article… I did the edit as I thought I lost the quote… with the plastic installation. 🙂 That is what I called genial 🙂 September 29, 2014 at 12:50pm Reply

  • ushie: (Serge Lutens’ web site is offering the assorted miniatures now through 10/9–don’t take them all! I want one!) I love Ambre Sultan, but want another Lutens’ perfume in my impressive collection of 4 scents–it sounds like I couldn’t deal with the “cold” ones, as above. With my Fibro, scents are tricky, anyway–I can’t even smell some things, others just smell weird (I smell weird to myself today, like cool old water, if that makes sense). How do you boldly go and try/buy a scent? September 29, 2014 at 1:06pm Reply

    • Victoria: Trying on skin is always so important, because some perfumes really change a lot. There are also decanting websites like surrendertochance.com, where you can buy samples to try before splurging on a full bottle. September 30, 2014 at 9:59am Reply

      • ushie: Well, I sent away for a sample, and…I’m not getting anything fake or plastic or chemically. What I get when I first put it on is a mysterious almost wine-like smell, a sweeter, older wine; then it mellows out into a nighttime garden in August; then it morphs (after a couple of hours) into an ambery flowery very quiet scent. It lasts on me for 8 hours or so. I got it because it sounded so weird, but on me…it smells relaxing and reassuring. March 27, 2015 at 7:05pm Reply

        • ushie: Also tobacco-inflected, after 15 minutes or so. March 27, 2015 at 7:09pm Reply

  • Joy: This is a fragrance that I will not need to try. Victoria’s excellent description almost made me queasy.
    I had that experience recently with a purchase of Miss Dior L’Original. This after I had used two large samples and loved the fragrance. The purchased bottle smelled of melted plastic as if someone had taken a cigarette lighter to a car seat. My head was spinning in not a good way until I was able to remove it. Luckily I was able to return it. I will stick to mossy chypre florals that I have tested thoroughly. Not sure what happened to the fragrance between the spring samples and the summer purchase. September 29, 2014 at 2:37pm Reply

    • Victoria: I know that exactly smell! That’s what the latest version of Diorama smelled like to me, but I still hope that it might have been a bad bottle, since the store kept their testers under bright lights. September 30, 2014 at 9:59am Reply

  • Andy: I’m still going to try L’Orpheline, but I can see it’s certainly not the creature I expected it was going to be. That being said, the fact that it’s incense and sort of synthetic/edgy/weird makes me think it could smell like something released by Comme des Garçons. I’ll have to test this one to see. September 29, 2014 at 5:28pm Reply

    • Victoria: That’s a great point, Andy. Yes, it does have that CdG industrial, artificial feel. All in all, try it, because you might have a totally different experience with it. September 30, 2014 at 10:03am Reply

  • Merlin: I love the name of this one – but it sounds like the scent will not cut it! September 29, 2014 at 6:37pm Reply

  • Katy: I think perfume is like conceptual art. If your audience does not receive the message, or the intended one, which I am sure is not to be repulsed, then did you succeed? I have personally found that many Serge Lutens fragrances do not live up to the hype. I have yet to find one I adore…… September 29, 2014 at 7:46pm Reply

    • Victoria: Maybe, the idea here is to rattle the audience, in which case they’ve succeeded with me. 🙂 September 30, 2014 at 10:07am Reply

  • nemo: I do like incense in perfume, but I think more than anything this review made me curious to try El Attarine! I am kind of a sucker for hints of cumin mixed with woodsy smells 🙂 September 29, 2014 at 11:00pm Reply

    • Victoria: El Attarine is terrific and it is relatively underrated in the collection. September 30, 2014 at 10:07am Reply

  • Millicent: Your review, which I really enjoyed, makes me think L’Orpheline is a bit like Andy Warhol Silver Factory (Bond #9) in its mix of incense and cold metals. Did you find them similar? September 29, 2014 at 11:15pm Reply

    • Victoria: I remember Silver Factory as a little warmer, but I haven’t tried it in a while. If someone knows it better than I do, I’d love to hear the comparison. September 30, 2014 at 10:08am Reply

  • Rowanhill: The name already says it, or what should we do, purchase out of pity? What were they thinking? September 30, 2014 at 6:44am Reply

    • Annette: LOL! Call me cold-hearted, but I just won’t force myself to buy a scent out of pity. So I guess no alms are forthcoming from my purse to this poor orphaned creature 🙂 September 30, 2014 at 8:08am Reply

    • Victoria: I will also pass! I’d rather save up for another bottle of something else from the collection. September 30, 2014 at 10:12am Reply

  • Aurora: After your description I certainly won’t try it in a hurry: ‘synthetic modern art exhibition made of brand new plastic’ non merci Monsieur Lutens.

    And then it might be superficial of me but I am getting angrier and angrier about the names. Yes to some indie brands with their puns (good or bad), Moschino is good at this too, yes to whimsical names, and poetic names but really La Vierge de Fer and now L’Orpheline. Will it be La Veuve next time? These names struck me as a sort of snobism for things sad: I don’t want to feel sad when I reach for a perfume but happy or excited or tantalised. Sorry, I don’t want to be ranting so I’ll stop. September 30, 2014 at 8:11am Reply

    • Victoria: They’re very conceptual and sometimes convoluted. Same goes for the press releases. I suppose, it’s curious on one level, but it just makes me shrug my shoulders.

      And don’t apologize for ranting, which is justified! September 30, 2014 at 10:13am Reply

    • Rowanhill: Speaking of names, what about Laine de Verre? While it brought back visions of construction sites and bright yellow glass wool panels, it did not evoke any perfume spending urges on me. But if the commercial success is of secondary importance then of course one has the luxury of artistic freedom. However, just as a name example, I would rather still were Shalimar than Glass Wool. Think I will need some Daim Blond now. October 2, 2014 at 4:48am Reply

  • Hannah: This sounds kind of like 21 from Costume National. September 30, 2014 at 12:15pm Reply

    • Victoria: I haven’t smelled it in a while, so I don’t remember it well. Kind of curious to try it again. September 30, 2014 at 1:56pm Reply

      • Hannah: 21 isn’t cold so they probably are very different; however, 21 has milky/musky notes mixed with peppery notes. I think it has frankincense, if not it definitely has other resins, so the incense paired with cream thing made me think of 21. I wore 21 the day after reading this review. When I wore it before it was a nuanced perfume that smelled like warm milk/honey/saffron/orange blossom (which is something I drink when I can’t sleep) and becomes spicier/more resinous/earthier. But I suppose the Berlin weather made it just really musky and spicy. October 2, 2014 at 6:45am Reply

        • Victoria: It sounds like they are completely different, though. And for all of the talk of creamy incense in L’Orpheline, I don’t find it to be really that milky or creamy. October 2, 2014 at 7:51am Reply

  • monkeytoe: Have you smelled the Laine de Verre? I haven’t sniffed this one but Laine had an unpleasant half mechanical/half human accord in it that I found off-putting. Malfunctioning android accord, maybe? Frozen beef and printer toner, maybe? Whatever it was was kind of quease-inducing. I should head out and sniff the two of them together and see if I smell an kinship. And carry a squeeze bottle of dawn with me to wash ’em both off! September 30, 2014 at 2:43pm Reply

    • Victoria: “Malfunctioning android accord” is just brilliant! 🙂 I already can think of several perfumes to which this description might apply. Laine de Verre also didn’t work for me at all, for much the same reason. September 30, 2014 at 4:33pm Reply

    • Amer: agree 100%. I think artificiality is a common trait between those two and an overdose of musks too. I get the same “unfinished” impression by both. Hope it doesn’t become the new SL trend cause it really isn’t my thing. October 1, 2014 at 7:19pm Reply

  • Rose: I agree it’s somehow inhuman, like something hyper new and remote, it doesn’t blend with natural smells and I winder if there’s a particular musk in this I don’t like.

    Maybe it’s a woody musk (I love wood in perfumes but not the harsh synthetic musky versions that remind me of over-urban taupe hotels that are trying too hard)

    But if Lutens wanted to evoke a sense of disconnectedness then I suppose it works. He gets away with these experiments because his (or Sheldrake’s) palette is so diverse.

    Strange that someone can produce something as comforting and grounding as Santal Majuscule, or Chergui is you prefer, then make this inhuman and strange odour! September 30, 2014 at 8:12pm Reply

    • Rose: Oh just seen ‘malfuntioning android’ (above) – genius! September 30, 2014 at 8:13pm Reply

    • Victoria: Yes, that’s true, their palette and collection are very diverse, and it’s not a bad thing to try something different. I may not like it, but at least, it evokes some sort of emotion rather than “I’ve smelled it before.” October 1, 2014 at 9:09am Reply

  • songeuse: When I sampled L’Orpheline the other Lutens fragrance that it reminded me of most was Gris Clair, maybe because I got a similar hazy/blurred effect. I still prefer Gris Clair though, since I like lavender and incense together, and I feel like the tonka grounds it and gives it some warmth. It also feels more natural; to me L’Orpheline also seemed a bit artificial, but almost intentionally so, as if it was part of the unsettling effect they wanted to create. I found it interesting to sample, but I don’t really feel like I need it… there are many incense perfumes I like better, and I’m not really sure when I’d wear it. October 1, 2014 at 3:04pm Reply

    • Victoria: Your comment made me reach for Gris Clair, and I had a fun time comparing them. I much prefer Gris Clair, but I see what you mean. It’s also the combination of incense and musk that gives me that effect. October 1, 2014 at 4:32pm Reply

    • Joy: I do love Gris Clair and some days can’t get enough of it. It doesn’t seem metallic to me just fresh and green.

      I was given a sample recently of EL Modern Muse. It is metallic to me. I couldn’t bear it. Just a tiny spritz overwhelmed me. So different from most EL perfumes. October 1, 2014 at 4:49pm Reply

  • Amer: Ask and thou shall receive! The sample arrived in the mail today. I’ve only had a few hours or wear but I can say this: l’orpheline unlike what the name would imply, is definitely the most masculine SL I have ever tried.

    From the start it demonstrates all the hardcore traits of a dated masculine release, minty, clovey and piney. As far as testosterone goes, the start is up there with the likes of Drakkar Noir in my book. The incense reminds me of eau froide but sadly the unfortunate connotations with functional products that ruined the first for me also make an appearance here. This time I get a cross between mouthwash and vaporub (salicylates?). I get an impression of white floralness in the background but could be my idea…

    Drydown is a bit one dimensional for my taste and again, an unfortunate connotation with fabric softener -but is this a hint of sandalwood and amber in the margins of musk I detect?

    Now, for all the negative traits I am not ready to write l’orpheline off. I think perhaps it is not the kind of perfume one needs to stick his nose into and analyse to enjoy. It might simply work as a clean (and I mean squeaky clean) aura. Lasting power is very good -if a bit too good for my tastes.

    PS: For those who like fun comparisons. Don’t know if you are familiar with l’erbolario’s Dolcelisir. It is a cheap but not half bad perfume (especially if you consider the price). They both seem to share the same core to me but Dolcelisir puts some flesh on the orphan’s bones with generous doses of vanilla and tonka making it more feminine (well, unisex for my tastes). October 1, 2014 at 7:14pm Reply

    • Victoria: Thank you for your detailed comparison and description. Yes, that’s very true; Orpheline is not a perfume to analyze nose to wrist, it’s more about an aura. I appreciate the intent, even if I don’t like the result. October 2, 2014 at 4:04am Reply

  • Cornelia Blimber: Yes, a very accurate description, will keep it in mind while testing. I did not dislike L’Orphéline, just found it not very interesting and having not enough longevity.
    I like vaporub, so maybe this perfume is good for me!
    We live in a time with more artificiality than in the past, esthetics will change as well. Maybe Lutens is ahead of his time? October 2, 2014 at 4:42am Reply

    • Victoria: Perhaps, he is! Or perhaps, he is just exploring something different. October 2, 2014 at 7:47am Reply

    • Amer: Perhaps that’s true but I still appreciate it when someone puts an effort to create the illusion of naturalness. Perfumery is an illusory art and I am here to be fooled 😉 On the matter of longevity, one day later and I can still smell it on my wrist! Now it comes off as a patchouli skin scent. I much prefer this to the initial stage. October 2, 2014 at 7:53am Reply

      • Victoria: Yes, it lasts through a shower on me. Amazing!

        Ultimately, the perfume is about pleasure, a pleasure that a wearer derives from it. I don’t see perfume as some conceptual art that exists in the vacuum. It only becomes meaningful once it is on someone’s skin. Whatever the intent of the creator, perfume needs to delight and move its wearer. October 2, 2014 at 8:00am Reply

        • Cornelia Blimber: Amazing, yes, usually perfumes last long on my skin. I certainly must try it again.
          Of course perfume is only meaningful on skin, but should meaningful be the same as beautiful, or pretty? Maybe, when experimenting perfumers or other artists take new esthetics, our perceptions do change with the time. Once upon a time No.5 was daring, revolutionnary, ”abstract”–and nowadays it is called conventional or even ”old ladies perfume” by many people.
          Speaking of Lutens: his make-up for Dior was certainly ahead of his time. I remember very well how I was laughed at when I painted my eyes like he did for Dior. And today everybody has ”smoky eyes”.. October 2, 2014 at 9:02am Reply

          • Victoria: It certainly doesn’t have be to be pretty to be meaningful. Plus, the concept of what is beautiful varies from person to person and from one time period to another. October 2, 2014 at 11:04am Reply

          • Amer: You might be right about that and we might come around to loving it. I remember this happening to many people with tuberose criminelle and it just so happens it was the vaporub top that was shocking there too. October 3, 2014 at 2:41am Reply

            • Cornelia Blimber: Haha, for me the sweet bubblegum drydown was the shock! I like vaporub. October 3, 2014 at 4:28am Reply

              • Victoria: Tubereuse Criminelle was the first Serge Lutens my mom has tried and she loved it at first sniff, vaporub and all. 🙂 It wasn’t my first Lutens, but for me it was also instant love. I might wear it today, because all of this talk made me crave it. October 3, 2014 at 4:33am Reply

        • Amer: Isn’t cashmeran suposed to be water-phobic? No wonder it doesn’t wash off October 3, 2014 at 2:37am Reply

          • Victoria: Yes, that’s right, cashmeran is not solulible in water. October 3, 2014 at 4:53am Reply

  • crikey: I’m really enjoying this one. I went to test it at lunchtime the day it came out, and bought the bottle in the evening. I’ve not regretted that at all. It’s remarkably different on me on a cold day, and a warmer, more humid one.

    I wish it had more power to it, but it’s got a quiet persistence to it, and enough sillage to wrap tendrils round me even if they don’t reach far beyond. It shifts and changes almost constantly on me, never going icy. (I can’t deal with ISM–as I’ve mentioned elsewhere that feels like iced silver skewers being hammered into my sinuses.) Cool, yes, but not cold. It’s the cool of stone in a dark room, but a room where I’m wrapped in a soft scarf so any chill is a distant pleasure, countered by the balance of buttered incense.

    Delicate, yes, but unbreakable. October 6, 2014 at 2:47pm Reply

    • Victoria: I enjoyed reading your different perspective, and it sounds like it smells beautiful on you. October 6, 2014 at 4:07pm Reply

  • Seda: I usually share the same tastes with you. When it comes to L’Orpheline, it’s a bit different. To me it smells like an old book, a bit mouldy perhaps, the smell when they’re aged and soaked a bit of water. I spent lots of time in old book shops in my 20s, I don’t know if L’Orpheline reminds me those days, when I held an old book that preserves lots of memories, and touched it, smelled it, filled with joy, I find this fragrance quite soothing. July 26, 2015 at 2:14am Reply

    • Victoria: Seda, your description is just so evocative! I enjoyed reading it very much. July 26, 2015 at 5:17am Reply

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