Christopher Sheldrake: 57 posts

The most interesting aspect of Serge Lutens Fleurs de Citronnier is its ability to change dramatically on my skin, revealing different facets of the composition. At first, it is a delicate citrus, which warms into an elegant orange blossom. Subsequently, the composition becomes sweetened by a honey note, which is gorgeous, creating a sense of sunlight entering the room on a warm summer morning. The drydown is balanced by a hint of tuberose and musk. Although the musk dominates, it is cashmere soft, gently soapy and sensual, rather than sharp or animalic. I have discovered that it works remarkably well during hot weather, because the notes meld beautifully into the skin, without overwhelming. Fleurs de Citronnier (2004) is another creation by Serge Lutens and Chris Sheldrake.

For those who like to experiment, Fleurs de Citronniers layers beautifully with Vétiver Oriental, creating a composition with subdued musk and unique pairing of earthy vetiver and sweet orange blossom.

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

In one of his most famous poems, Alexandr Sergeevich Pushkin, a revered Russian poet, remarks upon the nostalgic autumnal beauty. The beauty that is poignant because of its evanescence. The serene silence pervading the atmosphere forebodes fragile frosts turning into the dense snows of winter. The vibrancy of the gold over crimson foliage hints at the decay about to envelop it. The scents of chrysanthemums and late roses intoxicate as the flowers rush to bloom before the chill.

Chris Sheldrake and Serge Lutens’s Bois et Fruits (1992) captures a moment of autumn before one becomes aware of its farewell connotations. Warm cedarwood is folded over lusciously ripe fall fruits—figs, peaches, and plums, which speak more of a voluptuous aspect of autumn than of its nostalgic side. This fragrance is one of few instances when fruit is not rendered as treacly and artificial. Instead, sweet resinous cedar married to fruit results in a very elegant scent with the brightness of sweet-sour plum courting the soft powderiness of fig.

Painting (click to enlarge): Caravaggio, Still Life with a Basket of Fruit. 1601. Oil on canvas. Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Milan, Italy. abcgallery.com.

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

My appreciation of most musks is much more theoretical than practical, with Muscs Koublaï Khän being the ultimate sensual animalic musk. Serge Lutens Bois et Musc (a 1992 Chris Sheldrake creation) is a much more restrained fragrance, pairing vegetal musk with Atlas cedarwood. Like Muscs Koublaï Khän, it is sweet and animalistic, however cedar softens the musky notes and lends a satiny counterpoint. Whereas Muscs Koublaï Khän is a Luis Buñuel film, shocking and erotic, Bois et Musc is a much softer take on the sensual aspect of musk. It has an interesting quality of appearing much more innocuous than it really is by starting out gently sweet and smooth and then revealing its more animalic side in the drydown. Perhaps, not as innovative as Muscs Koublaï Khän, but more wearable for me.

Photo: Serge Lutens photography for a Shiseido ad.

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Chris Sheldrake and Serge Lutens created Bois de Violette in 1992, inaugurating the stint of Serge Lutens as a leading figure of the perfume line for Shiseido at Les Salons du Palais Royal. There is a tendency both to relegate cedar to the masculine, while violet to the feminine domains. One is sharp, resinous and potent, another is soft, modest and sentimental. Yet, Bois de Violette blurs these conventional distinctions so effectively that it cannot but be appreciated for this reason alone. Of course, the ingenuity and the beauty of the composition is another reason to sample this fragrance.

The top notes settle into a mélange of violet leaves with their fresh cut grass scent and soft white cedar, which gradually allows a clear violet note to appear. At first, it is just a glimpse of violet, misted over by sweet and resinous notes, however, the adagio of violet gathers force and takes the center stage. Cedar in Bois de Violette acts like corps de ballet in Marius Petipa choreographed pieces, in which dancers in the background hold same poses for long stretches of time, with minor permutations, thus providing an essential backdrop, without which the ethereal beauty cannot be achieved. The violet is sweet enough to temper resinous notes of cedar, while cedar, in turn, prevents it from becoming a confection-type or powdery violet. It stays close to the skin, creating an olfactory vision of opalescent silk.

Photo: Swan Lake by St. Petersburg’s Ballet Theater. arts-world.co.uk. Swan Lake is an example of classical Petipa choreography.

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Serge Lutens Cèdre (2005) is a flame caressing hot cedarwood curls. Its pairing of tuberose and cedar settles into a dark warm composition, with rather soft woodsy notes. Once again, Sheldrake&Lutens flight of fancy results in an enchanting Arabian vignette, taken from the One Thousand and One Nights. The sensual fluidity of the composition transports one from the fragrant pillows of Middle Eastern palaces through the spice stalls of the souks and into the confines of a tea house, where steam rising from the cups swirls amid heated conversations. Tuberose shimmers against the dark backdrop of resinous juices dusted with cinnamon. Heated by a hot breath of spices, the floral notes attain a clove ornamentation. This soft whisper of cloves echoes through the dark sweetness of wood. Ambery warmth suffuses the sonorous melody of the composition, adding an autumnal feel to the cedarwood foundation.

Picture: Limited edition bottle of Cèdre.