Ysbrand

If they asked me a time frame for Eau de Courrèges it wouldn´t be a season but a time of the day. It is a very nice morning fragance. Not that it is strikingly unique, and maybe that is the reason i associate it with the time of the day when the least exciting things occur in our lives. But lets not look down to those quotidian activities, since they are the base for the rest of the day´s challenges and rewards, and also can bring so much joy in their simplicity. Well begun is half done.
Charmingly green, this cologne has a bright opening that soon gives way to a leafy, tender, almost aqueous, heart. The blast of citrus ,where lime stands out, amplified with minty notes is quite misleading about the direction Eau de Courrèges take. Mint is the transitional element from the sunny zest to the dewy lawn. Grassy sparks recall the lovely Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca, but weaker and calmer in mood. Lily of the valley steps out (projecting a pale, bluish shadow of hyacinth, that is only a mere ghost) smelling beautifully dilluted in chilly mint with the herbal facet of absinth. I would say this fresh powderiness that comes out of the juxtaposition of muget and soft herbs is the true soul of Eau de Courrèges.
Longevity is not its most remarkable feature, which is something i love in cologne because i well might want to switch to something more intense for the second half of the day! Basenotes keep greenness but loose the floral character, taking a definitely dryer, woodier shape. Have a great day!

One thing i noticed in the last times about Serge Lutens is how they are becoming more and more obscure at the time to list the ingredients of their fragances. And i would say it is a trend other niche fragances are following too (i am thinking of LÁrtisan, for example)

Not much could be found when researching L´Orpheline. Mostly, a mere reference to incense and a lot of lutensian literature (written in that ambiguous Confucius/Chesire Cat way that only rises more questions) about orphans and Orpheus. Which actually prepares one for the mood of the fragance.

So i expected a classical incense. Avignon type. Well, nope. I mean, it is a very incense centered fragance, but dont expect warm spirals of smoke. L´orpheline is ghostly, a steel-cold incense, incredibly clean and fresh, with an inorganic vibrant feeling coming from aldehydes and woody aromachemical, also cool spices, i smell hints of clove and pepper. Indeed, i can sniff in L´orpheline elements from other SL fragances, that interact very well. The buzzing-high pitched etheric note in Miel De Bois, like fictional woods. The cool spiciness of Vitriol d´Oeillet and the sparkling aldehydes of Laine de Verre and De Profundis, and also the clean musk of Laine. Miel without the honey, Oeillet without the flowers.

If you enjoyed those perfumes, you might like L´orpheline. As the fragrance develops in my skin, i feel it less metallic, gets smokier and the texture of dark wood and humid soil is more obvious. It is refined in a low key way, almost austere and ethereal. I personally find it easier in a man, but of course, as all Serge Lutens are conceived for, it is wearable for women.

Eau Captivante is the one cologne of this line of Eaux that even if I dont care very much for citrusy fraganes, made it to my collection; probably because its refreshing effect relies not only on citrus but on typical mediterranean aromatic plants, in a way that it stays refreshing when the volatile citric oils have already vanished.

It starts bright and sunny as one could expect from green lemon. The notes of mint are, to my nose, more noticeable at this first stages, mingled with the lemon. Not dark cool, as in menthol, but sweet cool as in spearmint. It also feels cool on the skin, which is very lovely, if u splash enough cologne as one should do in this hot weather! (i didnt dare to substitute the cap with the sprayer that comes with the beautiful flask, note the beautiful Arts´& Crafts typography and the big retro beveled bottle)

Eau Captivante gets more and more pungent as the citrus notes fade, but it stays lemony. Verbena or citronella type of lemony. The base is woody, dry and pungent, again, with a sweet touch that reminds to fig tree wood. Cold, balsamic notes of sweet basil support the mint and the lavender, very woody and subtle here but the three plants provide a shadowy effect, like finding a little grove close to the water as u stroll under the blinding midday sun, when only insects dare to wander around.

Definitely i am going to wear Eau Captivante a lot this summer, on the hottest days.

In my exploration of this brand , i am taken this time to my beloved south of France. 44ºN 03ºE features very iconic mediterranean raw materials. The result, thoug, is less pungent of what one would expect with such ingredients list, but certainly very interesting and appealing. 44ºN 03ºE (seriously, this name is beyond annoying, beacause it just doesnt say anything. Marketing, someone?) has a delightful texture, pretty much like the marron glacé that it does contain; soft, dim, sweet, rich and enveloping are adjectives that come to my mind while i am wearing this fragance. The sweet, resinous notes are well balanced with fresh-balsamic/herbaceous touches from lavender and pine. There is a terpenic glow from the juniper, but all this darker accents fade progresively so 44ºN 03ºE becomes mostly sweet,almost gourmand but never foody, quite as it happens with the 04ºN 74º W. Very suitable for winter, lasts many hours and has an appropriate sillage. As with the other creations of Richard Lüscher Britos, despite of being SO demanding on us a what it comes to remembering names and coordinates, i am quite fond of the quality of this perfume.

Richard Lüscher-Britos 04ºN 74ºW (Is there a more impractical, less memorable way of calling a perfume? seriously) transports us to Guamal, Colombia (thanks google maps) what it seems to be a Natural Park and a paradise on earth. That is the only research i did berfore sniffing the sample that, so kindly, T. forwarded me.
That is why I was expecting something green, lush and humid, in the style of L´Artisan´s rainforest beauty Fleur de Liane. 04ºN 74ºW doesnt deliver this, but instead a beautiful floriental with sweet gourmand accents, the abstraction of an orchid scent.

Rather linear, it opens with and interesting steamy note (quite like opening the door of a hamam) mingled with coffee (earthy and sweetened with vanilla)

Soon, this clean steam note moves away revealing a seductive cluster of cattleyas growing in the shadows of this dry, coffee-colored jungle. I just pictured cattleyas, but truly could be any other, since orchid is a construction in perfumery, as is gardenia, the note listed here. You certainly smell a gardenia-type of scent...dusty, creamy white floral, with spicy lily and the vanillic aspect of some orchids. Pinch of cinnamon. Thats is my imaginary cattleya. A very addictive scent.

The longevity and sillage are quite good. The coffee note lingers on my skin until the next day. I really think both men or women would feel confortable with 04ºN 47ºW (yay! i managed to remember it without looking!!) for a sensual mood.