Perfume Review: Serge Lutens Chypre Rouge

Chypre Rouge is the latest fragrance to join the export part of Serge Lutens collection. The official description outdoes all the previous ones in its sheer poetical obscurity: “I remember looking at the forest ground, covered with dead leaves, and finding it both macabre and beautiful. Something caught my attention: a strange patch of moss at the base of a tree, it looked as if it were bleeding, purple and red. Ceremonial dress, splendid and dying, lit by the rays of a nearby clearing. “Don’t deny, you will confess!” In this doorless dungeon we look for an exit. Thin light comes from a murdering hole. Eagle nest, precious stones, coat of arms, standards, what are we made of? Eternity, limpidity, freshness, beauty, velvet softness. A secret continent of which we would be the body, in golden darkness, moss of spices and vermeil. The kiss of a choirboy on the ring of an archbishop. Softness and depth, secret in scents where, laying our cheeks we can only dream.” (Please read the full text at Senteurs d’Ailleurs) Chypre Rouge starts with a strange juxtaposition of a green, vegetal smell of celery and a dark, dry and smoky smell of coffee. It smells as bizarre as it sounds, and is quite wonderful. When immortelle joins the mix, Chypre Rouge becomes better still, since the note accentuates and enriches the spicy-vegetable aspect of the fragrance. Because of the immortelle note, Chypre Rouge reminds me a little of Annick Goutal Sables, however, the former lacks the syrupy thickness of Sables; at that stage of its development, Chypre Rouge is a much drier, much less sweet scent. At one point, I smell a sharply fresh-floral note that might be lavender and that, in conjunction with immortelle, makes me think of Dior’s Eau Noire. The woody accord of Chypre Rouge is smoky and warm, somewhat reminiscent of Chene…And, to conclude this orgy of comparisons, somewhere towards the end of the middle stage, Chypre Rouge acquires a sweet, darkly gourmand, licorice undertone, which makes it scarily evocative of my arch-enemy, Lolita Lempicka… Objectively speaking, the combination of sharp “vegetal” notes, smoky woods and sweet anise/licorice is striking and interesting. Despite the fact that I provided here a list of scents that somewhat remind me of Chypre Rouge, this is an entirely original, very interesting composition, certainly on a par with Lutens’ other weird and wonderful creations. Unfortunately, although I admire the idea and its execution, because of the Lempickaesque licorice drydown, I am unable to enjoy Chypre Rouge. I humbly predict, however, that the fragrance will have many fans, both women and men. I should also add that, like Cèdre and Daim Blond, Chypre Rouge is an Haute Concentration Eau de Parfum, and has great lasting power. Right now, Chypre Rouge is available at Senteurs dAilleurs in Brussels and at Salons du Palais Royal in Paris, however, it should be arriving to the States in the near future.