Serge Lutens Écrin de Fumée and Cannibale

Final week, for some purpose, I rewatched the Bourne movies, together with the bizarre kind of associated one with Jeremy Renner somewhat than Matt Damon (that one didn’t work, however I suppose that typically occurs once you resolve to patch in a brand new however kind of associated story with bizarre related flashbacks). They’re (bar the bizarre non-Damon one) actually stress-free. I stored questioning if I may 1) be taught all these languages and a pair of) discover ways to run throughout rooftops like that.

Anyway.

Onward to the opposite two samples I ordered from the Tiny Fragrances web site, that are each from Serge Lutens.

First off is the 2023 launch, Écrin de Fumée, which I smelled on a ribbon throughout my wondrous time out with Portia just a few months in the past. We had been each very taken with it and I’d been that means to get a correct pattern to be thrown on pores and skin.

Écrin de Fumée interprets as ‘smokescreen’. The advertising and marketing guff goes like this: “Infused with the candy and sensual scent of tobacco, it is a poetic ode to those that burn life at each ends. To these for whom extra is a lifestyle …” Yeah, okay.

Notes for this embrace cocoa, tobacco, rum, ‘smoke’ and woods. It begins out on me as boozy cocoa smoke, which could be very good. It then will get a bit spicy because it opens up – and the rum will get extra outstanding. The tobacco involves the fore within the drydown.

On paper it’s all this however barely bitter. So, significantly better on pores and skin. The spice is possibly cloves and I ponder if there’s any sandalwood in it.

EdF could be very good, very wearable. However I don’t know the place the advertising and marketing guff got here from as a result of it’s not edgy in any sense of the creativeness. It’s a really nicely finished smoky-woody, with some good twists. However, it’s not terribly uncommon – simply actually nice to put on. Nonetheless, doesn’t make my coronary heart go pitter pat. So, doesn’t go on to the need listing. Right here, a 50ml (export-type) bottle is £125 (100ml is £182), which is a discount within the scheme of fragrance costs nowadays.

Cannibale is a really completely different creature. I purchased this based mostly on the title. And for as soon as I wasn’t in any respect disillusioned having finished that. However, this, which was launched in 2015, is discontinued. That is what occurs once you purchase one thing on the fly with out researching it. Oh, nicely. I’m nonetheless happy to have had an opportunity to pattern it.

In any case.

Cannibale is sort of intriguing. First, the advertising and marketing guff, which is, fairly frankly, ludicrous. Sigh. Whoever wrote the EdF stuff, whereas nonetheless providing silliness, did significantly better than this: “The cannibal is famished. How can we point out him with no reference to like …” WtAF??? If you realize the place this derived from please inform me as a result of if it’s not referencing one thing particular, I feel the copy author was on medicine.

Apparently, this was a riff on floral vinegars from the 18^th century. One assessment I learn said it was “a beautiful sourish floral wooden”.

Not on me. Notes are arduous to search out. Perhaps rose, carnation, vinegar, ambergris, amber, frankincense, styrax, birch tar, castoreum, myrrh, tonka, patchouli, plum, some tuberose-related mothballiness?

Having written that, on me, the opening is immortelle: straight up. Darkish, syrupy, barely bitter and barely candy. Not as refined as Dior Eau Noire however it’s speculated to have one thing to do with a cannibal, in spite of everything.

The center improvement sees floral incense on me – light, resinous and the place did that immortelle factor go??? – after which issues get a bit sweeter because the perfume dries down. It winds up as a candy smoky incense – ie, one thing of a consolation scent in the long run.

Even when it had been nonetheless round, I don’t want this. The fake immortelle side on the opening is probably the most fascinating a part of the perfume.

So, there we’re. I’m actually happy with all three of my latest samples.  Anybody else finished EdF and Cannibale when it was launched?

Pics: Pexels and mine

Associated