Last week I was in my perfumery (Filipp in Leinfelden near Stuttgart) and stood in front of the beautiful 2m x 2m Serge Lutens shelf..next to the bottles (about 25) lay the individual fragrance notes as granules, dried fruits, spice bags..or depending on what they contain..so elegantly and beautifully done that I immediately felt the urge to test everything completely..which I almost did:-) But I can't recommend that to anyone, because you overwhelm yourself, your nose, your brain..and the nice staff on site. Now I know again how I felt as a 7-year-old on the morning of December 24th when the Christmas tree was set up....
At that time, it became Ambre Sultan and Cedre..Cris Clair was eliminated in the first round..too piercing, too sharp..not a charmer. An average perfume among many giants. I was still too captivated by Chergui and Five o'clock...
In the days that followed, I kept testing it again and again..just when it got warm again, the Sultans, Cherguis, and Cedres were simply a bit too heavy, too intense for the workday..too intense for everyday life.
And so slowly I started to like this gray mule..it fascinated me because it made it so difficult for me...it opened up so little to me..so stubborn..difficult..and somehow also hard to categorize.
You should never test this fragrance together with another fragrance..especially not with SL scents that are very captivating and dominant. For that, Gris Clair is too delicate..too elegant..too fine.
While in the other SL fragrances, the flowers, herbs, essences explode..sometimes being too complex within themselves..Gris Clair unfolds so wonderfully "slim"..airy..and light...not in the sense of a simple and thin little water..rather in the form of a quiet, discreet, and very elegant appearance..without begging for attention..Gris Clair knows exactly how unique and stylish it is. Essentially like Tobacco Vanille, just two or three fragrance notes..but soooo elegant and valuable.
The lavender briefly stands out in the first 10-15 seconds, freshly picked lavender crushed in the hands...this refreshing ethereal note rises and invigorates you..an absolute pick-me-up. After just 2-3 minutes, it becomes noticeably softer..which lets the incense come to the forefront a bit. Much more subtle, round, and softer than in Fille en aiguilles..but still everything very fresh. The beautiful iris, which could absolutely be of the quality of The Different Company, and amber give this fragrance a slight sweetness and creaminess..one can also perceive or describe it as warmth or depth. After hours, the freshness is still very noticeable..mixed with a very subtle vanilla note (tonka bean) at the end. Now, Gris Clair is at the very latest an absolute feel-good fragrance..neither Chergui nor a fragrance experiment...rather a self-assured and slightly cool charmer..it draws me in magically and doesn't let go.
The scent has something sublime..even though it made it very difficult for me the first 2-3 times, it then won my heart...piece by piece, hour by hour it collected points with me. It is another grand contrast in my collection and also within the SL family..and that's what I love so much about Serge Lutens...he can simply captivate, fascinate, and enchant in 100 different ways. I don't know any other perfumer who has such a large number of grand and unique perfumes in his offering. The diversity and distinctiveness are, for me, without competition.
Give this fragrance (and the others anyway) a little time..you will almost always be rewarded in the end.
However, I don't want to wear Serge Lutens fragrances every day, because they are simply very intense scent experiences..that, like a fine watch or a suit, shouldn't be worn every day...but should be showcased...but when I have worn something completely different for 1-2 days...then I look forward to a Serge Lutens fragrance the next morning. It's wonderful when a fragrance can evoke such emotions....
Ormeli 11 years ago