Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist

Iris Silver Mist is another one of those exclusive, non-export Lutens perfumes one always reads about. It has gained almost mythical status in perfume and I had been longing to try it for a number of years.

The notes include iris, clover, cedar, sandalwood, vetiver, white amber, benzoin, labdanum, musks and incense. What strikes me about Iris Silver Mist is how un-Lutens like it is. If you are expecting a rich, oriental spice fest (not that you would with iris I would guess) you would be mistaken. That's not to say it isn't surprising. It opens with a raw, vegetal, rooty, carrot-like odour that is quite unusual. At one point (and bear in mind I am dabbing, not spraying) it smells like vodka, or at least some raw spirit distilled from potatoes or another root vegetable. 

After the strong opening Iris Silver Mist softens considerably. It isn't powdery exactly, but it does become soft, silky, almost like a sheer veil scented with violets and powder. There are a lot of notes listed that I don't readily identify, but I don't want to over-complicate it. Essentially Iris Silver Mist is a compelling Iris perfume that certainly stands out.

Is it one of my favourite Lutens? No, not really. I like it, but don't feel like I'm falling in love. I'd happily wear it, but I do prefer others in the line, but I do know that it has its acolytes, and rightly so. I do like encountering Lutens perfumes that avoid what has become known, somewhat cliched now, as that Lutens oriental accord. Like Tubereuse Criminelle for example, it really pushes the boat out by taking a note and presenting it in a way I haven't smelled before. 

Image credit - http://www.sergelutens.com

The banality of Monday

Monday, Monday, Monday. Boy, am I glad you are gone for another six days. The title of this post can be summed up by the news I read today that LVMH has bought a majority stake in Bulgari. Is there anything that they don't own or have their sticky fingers in?

I woke up today with a stiff neck that has left me walking around like a robot, unable to turn my head left or right, or even forward and backward. I know I did some DIY this weekend but definitely nothing so strenuous as to result in this affliction. For now I'll blame it on a poor pillow.

I have a question to ask. Do any of you find that the longer you delay putting on perfume on a particular day the less likely it is you'll put on any at all? I definitely find this is the case for me. Of course there are exceptions, for example if I'm going out after work ( a rare occasion these days with young kids) I will wear perfume if I haven't already worn some in the day. Generally though, if I haven't sprayed something on by the end of lunchtime, I reckon seven times out of ten I won't have worn any perfume by the end of that day. I'm not even sure why. It becomes almost like a state of inertia. Subconsciously I know I want to wear something, but I just put it off. It doesn't feel quite right to me. Am I a weirdo? (No, you don't have to answer that one, thanks)

In the end, I did spray on some perfume today, as I was leaving the office. In desperation I flung my hand in one of my drawers (of my desk) and sprayed the first sample I found, which happened to be A La Nuit by our Uncle Serge. It's a good thing it was the end of the working day, as I don't think I can carry this one off particularly well. Indolic jasmine - might not go down so well, unless people think I am having an affair with one of my colleagues at lunchtime... I actually like A La Nuit though, but it just isn't me. Incidentally my wife hates it on me. She wrinkled her nose as I walked in this evening and said I smelled sweet and cloying, like Gardenia or Frangipani. She says that sort of thing a lot whenever I wear a white floral. She thinks they all smell slightly 'sub tropical', which is her way of saying they smell shit. I think if I'm going to fall for a jasmine perfume it might end up being the skanky Nuit Noire, by Mona di Orio!

L'eau Serge Lutens

The marketing blurb for Serge Luten's L'eau was as ever, slightly fanciful. All this guff about an anti-perfume, with the emphasis on wanting to smell like a crisp, freshly laundered white shirt.

The notes, from Luckyscent, include aldehydes, citrus, magnolia, white mint, clary sage, ozonic notes and musk.

I have to admit, there is a ring of truth to the above. If I were to attribute a colour to L'eau, it would be white. And the fabric would be a linen, smartly-pressed shirt, well-tailored, not too smart, not raspy but not silky either. So what does that tell you about L'eau? Well, honestly, this style of perfume is not me at all, irrespective of who the house is or the perfumer. Having said that, L'eau is in my opinion actually very well done. I know there have been quite a number of negative reviews of L'eau, but as far as fresh and ozonic go, one could do a lot worse than try this little number. 

Usually when I read notes like ozonic and descriptions about crisp and fresh, I run a mile. But this is Lutens after all, and no matter what one says of L'eau, it certainly is not generic and manages to avoid the usual cliches, without smelling like  a synthetic mess in the process. This perfume is full of musk, from start to finish, but there is nothing skanky about it. The musk and aldehydes, with that touch of light herbs, citrus and just a hint of mint, give this perfume a feel of the laundry room, the air redolent with the fading heat and humidity of the iron. In fact, the smell mostly reminds me of that metallic, slightly ionic smell caused by a hot and steamy iron on fabric, so I think in this respect Lutens has been very successful with L'eau. 

The first half of L'eau is far more appealing to me, when the feel is most like that of cool, fresh laundry. In the dry down particularly, it all starts to smell a bit stale, when I wish the fragrance would change direction somewhat. Laundry musks only hold so much appeal for me after all.

As I said earlier, L'eau is not something I would consider wearing too often, but for what it is, it is quite impressive. If you enjoy this sort of perfume, L'eau will provide you with something bordering on fresh, with an intellectual twist to it and you could do far worse. Typically for Lutens, longevity is above average. This is one of the lighter and shorter-lived Lutens, but compared to other perfumes of its type, this lasts very well, at least 6-8 hours on my skin.

Image credit - http://www.punmiris.com/images/