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Gris clair... Serge Lutens 2006

Version from 2006

7.6 / 10 514 Ratings

A popular perfume by Serge Lutens for women and men, released in 2006. The scent is woody-floral. The longevity is above-average. It was last marketed by Shiseido Group / Beauté Prestige International.
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Main accords

Woody

Floral

Spicy

Fresh

Powdery

Fragrance Notes

Lavender

Tonka bean Amber

Amber

Dry woods

Frankincense Iris

Iris

Perfumers

Christopher Sheldrake, Serge Lutens

Ratings

Scent

7.6514 Ratings

Longevity

8.0381 Ratings

Sillage

6.9356 Ratings

Bottle

7.7348 Ratings

Value for money

7.144 Ratings

Submitted by Kankuro · last update on 12/06/2025.

Source-backed & verified

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Gris clair... (2019)

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Reviews

58 in-depth fragrance descriptions

05/14/2014

Platinum1
59 Reviews

Platinum1

Helpful Review 5

~ True Taste of Heaven ~

~ This to my nose is what the true "taste of heaven" is! It evokes in my mind riding on a comforting smokey cloud of incense and pleasant lavender. It also carries my nose away to what it would be like to inhale deeply in the middle of an actual field of lavender with the early morning chimney smoke of a nearby cozy cottage rising in the background. This Sheldrake creation is definitely an all~season pleasant scent that is very safe and not challenging at all for me. As my first S.L. full bottle Gris Clair will make another classy choice as a personal pleasant companion during my daily chores of yard work, quiet times reading or even present an air of debonair with a suit and tie at my place of worship....how fitting for a true taste of heaven ~

Kind Regards, Platinum1 ~

12/21/2012

4Scent

Drseid
828 Reviews

Drseid

4

Oh No, Powdery Lavender And Iris -- Near Scrubber...

I'll go somewhat against the grain in saying that the clean lavender opening of Gris Clair is the best part of the scent, IMO. It is a refreshing menthol mixed with a nice natural lavender that led me to think for a moment that Gris Clair was a rare exception to my "no lavender scents" rule. Unfortunately the top notes disappear in seconds, and then a powdery iris note (another note I can't stand) appears in full force and mixes with the lavender making the scent near "scrubber" material for me. The iris continues to build even further as the scent develops, making it more and more powdery and less to my taste. Finally, amber adds a touch of sweetness to the iris/lavender combo to finish off the disappointing development. Sillage is average, and longevity is well above average.

This one started off with a lot of promise with its uncommonly appealing lavender rendition, but in the end the iris ruined it for me and made it a mild thumbs down overall. I could see iris fans enjoying this scent plenty though, so please do try it if iris and lavender are notes you enjoy. In my case they are two of my least favorite notes, so the odds of me liking Gris Clair were low to begin with. Oh well. 2 stars out of 5.

01/13/2016

7.5Scent 8Longevity 7Sillage

Karenin
40 Reviews

Karenin

Helpful Review 3

Gris Clair...

The Hilliard Ensemble is a British group of singers specializing in the interpretation vocal compositions from the Renaissance to the Baroque period. As I'm writing this review, I'm listening to their rendition of Johannes Ockeghem's “Requiem” and “Missa ´Mi-mi´”. The Ensemble's interpretation is divine: incredibly soft, pure, meditative, ideal for a quiet winter evening spent by the fireplace, preferably with a glass of mulled wine to lift one's spirits a bit higher. I started this review by mentioning the Hilliard Ensemble because lately I've been trying to match various musical compositions and styles with appropriate fragrances. I once sprayed on Serge Lutens' “Gris Clair...” while listening to the aforementioned CD, and was amazed at how effortlessly the music and the scent complemented each other.

“Gris Clair...” is a melodious interplay between two notes, namely lavender and tonka bean. Thanks to the lavender, the head of the perfume is markedly herbal and aromatic. The lavender note provides a generous amount freshness to the perfume, evoking the feeling of genuine joy. Gradually, the herbal character of “Gris Clair...” is toned down and substituted by the spicy sweetness of tonka bean. The initial feeling of joy is transformed into nostalgia, meditation, even a longing for the unattainable. Lurking somewhere in the shadows of the fragrance's two stars is iris, so delicate it's barely perceptible to my nose.

Due to its straightforward, aromatic freshness in its opening, “Gris Clair...” initially displays a different character to the other perfumes I've sampled from the Serge Lutens line thus far. Simultaneously, it is firmly embedded in Lutens' olfactory philosophy owing to its emphasis on the quality of raw materials, substance and the belief in the artistic value of perfumery. “Gris Clair...” might never become the most celebrated Lutens fragrance, but it surely is, just like medieval polyphony in music, one of his most comforting ones.

01/31/2013

7Scent 7.5Longevity 7.5Sillage

Sherapop
1240 Reviews

Sherapop

4

Lavender-Iris Ambergris

Lavender and I are not the closest of friends when it comes to perfume. For some reason the note often strikes me as harsh and sharp. My favorite lavender scents have been smoothed out, but even the best of the best I consider for the most part to be aromatherapeutic inducements to sleep. I also bathe HRH Emperor Oliver in lavender bubbles because it seems to calm his nerves.

Given my attitude toward lavender, it might seem that I would not take very well to Serge Lutens GRIS CLAIR, which opens with a pretty powerful blast of an ink-like dark purple lavender. It's strong enough to evoke vague memories of the essential oil concoction offerings from the house of Lush. Fortunately this composition is not intense and caustic as are some of those--I don't feel my nasal passages burning!

A rich iris note comes forth with more force as the perfume dries down, but the lavender in GRIS CLAIR really covers everything up in the opening, and remains dominant throughout the duration of a wear.

After the somewhat strong, almost lavender-oil opening, GRIS CLAIR swiftly settles down to a smooth ambergris lavender layer. I thought initially that the base was musk, but apparently it is ambergris. In any case, the texture coheres with my concept of ambergris: similar to a supple metal mesh.

While wearing this creation earlier today, I thought of Gandini LAVANDA ED AMBRA ORO, so I decided to compare them side-by-side. Despite the vast differences in the other notes listed in the official hierarchies of these two creations, the lavender and the amber are dominant in both. Where GRIS CLAIR features "old wood", LAVANDA ED AMBRA ORO features patchouli. They are closely enough related compositions that anyone who likes GRIS CLAIR would probably like LAVANDA ED AMBRA ORO, and vice versa.

GRIS CLAIR is better, I believe. There is something appealing about this rich layer of ambergris and lavender embellished with iris, and I understand why so many people love this composition. For me, the inky lavender is a bit too strong, but GRIS CLAIR is nonetheless more appealing to me than some of the other perfumes from this house. It's definitely one of the best lavender perfumes I come across in recent times.

09/12/2022

Mlleghoul
468 Reviews

Mlleghoul

2

a scintilla of lavender

Gris Clair from Serge Lutens makes me think of Moira Rose's observation in a later episode of Schitt's Creek, where she's strolling along the path outside their hotel room and remarks to her husband that she "detects a scintilla of lavender" in the air. Gris Clair is several scintillas of astringent lavender, crisp linen, and sharp, smoky resins in a cut-glass crystal bowl. I actually love to layer this with the pillowy vanilla Lea from Calypso St. Barth's. Together these fragrances lend depth where nuance is lacking in one and buff out the bitter edges of the other. Think lavender vanilla bean shortbread cookie bath bomb bedtime treat.

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