HOUSE REVIEW - Serge Lutens
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Serge Lutens isn’t your typical fragrance house—it’s more like a moody poet with a passport full of exotic stamps and a flair for drama. Founded by the French artist and former makeup director Serge Lutens in the early ’90s, the brand started under Shiseido’s wing before branching off on its own. From the jump, Lutens made it clear he wasn’t interested in pumping out crowd-pleasing freshies. He teamed up with perfumer Christopher Sheldrake and began crafting bold, unconventional scents that leaned into the mysterious, the exotic, and sometimes the downright strange.
Fragrances like Ambre Sultan, Chergui, and Féminité du Bois have become cult classics, and for good reason. They don’t play it safe—these are scents that walk into a room and start quoting poetry or reminiscing about desert nights and smoky temples. They're rich, layered, and unapologetically complex. You won’t find bubblegum sweetness or sporty blue blends here. Instead, Serge Lutens offers incense, spices, woods, and sometimes something you can’t quite put your finger on but can't stop sniffing either.
The presentation matches the vibe: minimalist bottles with gothic type, mysterious names, and descriptions that read more like short stories than scent breakdowns. It’s a house for the fragrance lover who’s tired of smelling like everyone else and wants something with a little edge—or a lot. Sure, not every scent is easy to wear, and some might have you scratching your head at first whiff, but that’s part of the charm. Serge Lutens doesn’t chase trends; it invites you to slow down, lean in, and maybe even get a little weird.
What say you Gents? Have you gotten your nose on any of these? What's been your experiences? Any favorites? Any duds? If not, what one, or ones, are you thinking of trying? Love to here from ya!