CuirCuir

Fumerie Turque is the reference tobacco scent. While Chergui is the popular pick, FT is what niche snobs wear. Women and children, stay away! Smokey bar, leather sofas, cigarette ash and sweet animalic honey. Fortunately, it doesn’t come off as sweet as Chergui. Tobacco here is both sweet and sour. FT isn’t for everyone but if you take your tobacco frag game seriously, this is the one to try or even to have in the collection. It is totally unique and no other scent comes close. Whether you love it or not, you won’t stop sniffing your wrist.

Chene (Oak) is one I don’t see often talked about but it should be. Definitely in my SL top ten and one of favorites. It starts spicy, ends smoky but all along it is very woody with notes of oak, birch and cedar. I generally dislike boozy scents but rum here pairs fantastically with woods. As usual with Lutens, there is a sweet touch but not overbearing. Rather than listed beeswax, I find the sweet sirupy undertone to smell like honey, with immortelle. Due to the dominant oak, it comes out as a masculine scent. For my taste, the only woody scent that can compete on a cold day is Chanel Bois des Iles but my preference lies with Chene.

If you plan on blind-buying Muscs Koublai Khan, I don't know what to tell you. It is legendary, experts say it is even a reference musk scent. I agree it is absolutely wondeful. Its fans however differ on the perception of musk being clean or dirty. When I had just a small dab sample, I thought it was more on the clean and soapy side. Today I had five full sprays and I do feel like a Mongolian savage:) but the scent is beautiful at the same time. I already got my first anti-compliment today, was told that I really stink:)) Whatever you do, just don't believe fragrantica, it doesn't smell anything like Kiehls Original Musk.

If you're getting lost in the vast portfolio of Serge Lutens, just remember that Rousse is the cinnamon one. I like cinnamon but also I'm not too crazy for it. However, if cinnamon smelled just like this, it could well become my favorite spice. Rousse is far from being just a "cinnamon scent". It is a warm spicy oriental that screams Christmas time in my head. Scent itself doesn't scream, it's calm and elegant, definitely not heavy. It is also not too sweet or gourmand. Cinnamon here is rather bitter-sweet, gives an edible vibe but you won't feel with it like a walking cake:) Rousse isn't a regular in my rotation but it's a reference scent, a must-stay in the collection.

Vitriol d'Oeillet is a spicy floral with main players being cloves, pepper and carnation which gives it a retro masculine feel. I am a big fan of cloves, especially when paired with carnation. Have two perfumes with this combination and it’s a staple in the rotation. Vitriol has recently been moved to the exclusive line of belljars so it will be harder to get from now on:(