Description
The new fragrance of the Serge Lutens collection named LA RELIGIEUSE will be available at Palais Royal on January 30, 2015. The theme of the new edition is deep, philosophical and religious, and its composition was constructed as a fight of good and evil, a contrast of black and white.
The composition highlights jasmine, which is as pure and white as snow in this case and represents the bright side of the fragrance, while Lutens’ religion is black, mysterious and dark, enveloped in aromas of civet, musk and incense.
Before this edition Lutens presented two fragrances with perfumer Christopher Sheldrake, in which jasmine played the main role. Those are Sarrasins from 2007 and A la Nuit from 2000. The new fragrance LA RELIGIEUSE will be available in a square-shaped glass flacon, while the fluid of the fragrance is colored in dark purple.
maximall96 – :
Very pretty jasmine scent. I’m surprised that this is a Serge Lutens as it is missing the house trademark of mixing unusual notes to make something memorable. I don’t pick up civet or musk, just a straight forward jasmine. That said, this is easy to wear and does carry the Lutens longevity trademark. If you love jasmine, take this out for a spin.
ZloyFahitos – :
A rather beautiful, dark and indolent jasmine from the eclectic Serge Lutens. The perfume in addition to the central note of jasmine contains traces of civet, jasmine and musk giving it a very animalic and erotic feel. The unisex (feminine leaning) perfume has moderate sillage /projection and good longevity. This is slight Serge Lutens but still very beautiful in a dark and languid way. Recommended for white floral and Oriental lovers who like things a bit edgy. Enjoy!
rentikleo – :
La Religieuse may be considered a distant relative of De Profundis also by Serge Lutens. La Religieuse focuses on the forest fruit/flowery aromas in a way which is not that pensive, while still being capable of delivering some sort of mystery. It is also not as dramatic as De Profundis. La Religieuse is an undoubtedly feminine fragrance, but its sour/fruity/flowery embrace may tempt you into wearing it even if you’re a man. La Religieuse evokes a calm mood appropriate for your library visit or solitary walk, and its slightly melancholic character somehow manages to stay on the positive side of life.
Alva – :
La Religieuse by Serge Lutens is a scent that needs to be sampled on the skin rather than on a paper strip.
My very first interaction with this fragrance was via a tester strip in a boutique perfumery. I found it quite lack-lustre and difficult to smell. The jasmine fell rather flat and the animalic notes smelt more sour than appealing.
Testing for the second time, but this time on the skin, this fragrance smelt vastly different. It smelt like a beautiful, clean jasmine with powdery white musk and a touch of smoky, cathedral-type incense.
La Religieuse is definitely not the most ground-breaking scent from Serge Lutens, it may even be one of his more wearable offerings as it doesn’t have that bold scent projection that many of his fragrances are known for. It’s surprisingly office appropriate and crisp enough to be considered a clean white floral.
Jasmine is a note that has been toyed with a lot in the Serge Lutens range. Thankfully none of them are alike. A La Nuit is best for those craving a sweet, honeyed jasmine; Sarrasins is for the broody, opulent jasmine lovers and La Religieuse is for those finnicky wearers that love a clean, musky jasmine with the indoles removed.
Deroxjrhwg – :
After the somewhat promising opening, I’m left with jasmine, jasmine, (which gets no mention in the note pyramid) and that’s about it sadly.
La religieuse reminds me of A La Nuit, also by Serge Lutens. My bottle is for sale on eBay now! Disappointing because I liked it when I sampled it in Mecca! Oh well….
Gianna_fromAC – :
Serge Lutens fragrances tell a story, it isn’t a brand I find easy to like for my taste,but La religieuse is interesting, as it smells at first sniff rather nice, cold but nice, floral, not a happy bright floral, more a dim scent..the type that makes you think of reading a book at night by the fire ..definitely grown up, serious, but overall pleasant smelling..the Jasmine dominates, a bit metallic smelling, with a hint of spices, I personally do not find it unisex , this is overall floral and feminine..it softens on the skin pretty fast, and I enjoy the drydown more, the scent warms up on the skin, and gets sweeter..the hint of spice remains, but doesn’t dominate..i wonder if Lutens wanted to project a church scent, with the name religieuse, bringing a note of austerity and piety to this perfume…very nice interpretation..the perfume was created in reference to the life of solitude and sanctity Lutens lived in Marrakech..and it does bring such images of a quiet faraway place and a nice flower garden..
For me, I think of holy water.., the church I used to go to in France , something pure and kind..
fink26-26 – :
“Jasmine petals are as white as snow.
Black is my religion. ”
Serge Lutens
One of the interesting part of Serge Lutens’ perfumes is to create the intense contrast between common sense and imaginary world that the perfumer trying to deliver via the combination of things usually won’t pop up at the same time in your mind.
wyk191Negeltzex – :
Update to my previous review- I have a 9/10ths full boxed bottle of this to sell if anyone would like it, please DM me if interested.
33669933 – :
Somewhere between a house of worship and a house of sin. The incense is not as pronounced as the CdG series, but it persists through the dry down, lying beneath the softly sweet and smokey middle notes.
uaz4x408 – :
I really love this fragrance for what it is the cleanest Jasmin musk I’ve ever run into I get a smoky incense that balances out the squeaky clean Jasmin and gives the musk more dimensions I love this! Simply bc indolic jasmin hates my guts and I’m sure the house of Serge wants to have a Jasmin for everyone! Thanks SL for thinking of the few (Like ME!) that can’t wear your indolic jasmins! Xo
437908 – :
Serge lutens is NICHE FRAGRANCE aroma very lasting
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pavelpavel – :
I was drawn to La Religieuse for its notes. I adore jasmine and incense. With civet and musk in the mix, I was expecting to find some sort of wild animal. And all I got was a neutered jasmine – a clean, soapy jasmine. It’s pretty, but it’s also pretty boring. Combined with the fact that it doesn’t project very far, it would likely make a great work scent. It’s unlikely to offend anyone.
A great fragrance that doesn’t align very well with what I was hoping to get out of it. I’d take TF Jasmine Rouge or any Alien rendition over this one any day.
tassick – :
This scent was on paper all I’ve ever wanted and more.
It failed in every single way possible, from start to finish, and I have no idea as to how something with such stated notes could fail so awfully. The jasmine is shrill, then plastic (yes, and I have no clue as to how this occurs), and if there contains any incense, I never found it – seriously – where was it? I’ve seen mention of Iso E Super – I have no idea exactly how to pick that particular chemical structure out yet, but perhaps that is what is causing my head to spin (in a very unpleasant manner).
WHAT civet? Musk? I have no clue where those two come into play. I love civet, but I don’t detect it here at all. If there is musk, it is so white, it’s too pale to pick up.
Plastic, Plastic, Plastic. It’s just ugly and I had very high hopes. VERY.
petrozavdv – :
I wonder whether Lutens was going for a literal or metaphorical/euphemistic association when deciding the name of this fragrance.
I was hoping for the latter to be honest. For what lies beneath the religious facade, for holy smoke, for unexpected twists in the plot.
I found that La Religieuse is very much true to its name: a subtly clean, subtly sweet, subtly musky subtle perfume.
It is beautiful but not what I hoped it would have been.
benladen75 – :
As an atheist I wasn’t so eager to try religieuse, but it doesn’t smell like what I imagined it to smell like at all. I expected to smell lots of oriental notes, oud and incense. Instead I’m getting lots of innocent jasmine and tuberose.
So, it was a positive surprise! I could even rock this perfume if I were younger, as I used to love uncomplicated white florals. Still I’m enjoying it as an average white floral perfume, but honestly I doubt if I would go for this one comparing to lots of cheaper alternatives.
CefPaiseHeeda – :
In a nutshell: Soapy clean jasmine floral musk that has been whitewashed an inch of its jasmines life to flush out any indolic traces what so ever. Pristine. The formula is light, thin and (obviously) synthetic in nature.
Sometimes you got a puff of incense but the aromachemical du jour is monstrous here that puts out a clean airy musk. You can also find it in Bvlgari Aqva Divina. Morallas styles this note better with his version in the Bvlgari offering than Sheldrake does for Lutens.
Another analogy of this fragrance is when your photo editing a picture and you turn up the brightness so much..its bright but also whitewashed so you loose any contrast. That is in essence, La Religieuse. There was no dark edge that is famous with Lutens offerings. This idea went completely inverted from his usual style and came off.. Meh.
It would be great for:
-Persons that want a clean jasmine, cant handle any indolic notes
-Lover of white soapy musks
– Its super safe for work. I cant believe I just said that about a Lutens fragrance.
-About as innocent as Lutens can get
dog_loc – :
Have not smelled this composition of Serge yet but as I know he quite often have notes as “cake dough” I wonder if this has something to do with the famouse french pastry called “La religieuse”?
Esayl – :
it starts off as a clean dry white floral, light and bright at first.A bit smoky and very much so soapy, actually it becomes a harsh soap bomb, mature style. Soap and musk wear quite heavy and are cloying. Contrast; light innocent start, mid to and end heavy duty white floral. I guess not dark gothic church like as many of you mentioned but strict woman in authority. Lasts awhile, all day/night. To compare; if you like L’air du Temps this is for you.
Andrej686686 – :
I had wanted to try this for a long time and ended up blind buying as there was no tester available but there was an available opportunity! I can’t say I dislike it, I actually do ‘like’ it but that’s just it…it’s a bit ‘meh’. I was expecting a dark, gothic, incensy, jasmine; a jasmine that has gone trick or treating and then sat by a bonfire drinking dark liqueur and smoking Sobranies til dawn. This jasmine has just got out of the shower, put on a beige dress and gone out for a civilised, booze-free lunch. Safe and disappointing and a little old fashioned. A wasted opportunity.
mfg283Negeltzex – :
OK. This is a beautiful jasmine all right. Absolutely the same sweet jasmine as A La Nuit and Sarrasins. Yet in this one the floral is lifted by a keen high incense and warmed by a haunting musk of the best kind. It is lightly but powerfully persistent and there is a warm animal quality drifting about. Sure, it represents an unavoidably commercial direction compared to the stunners from the past, but as a decades long perfumista, I would recommend this totally to anyone looking for a definitive jasmine. It actually reminds me of his lily Un Lys from some years back…. That flower was so ripe and real that it attracted pollen gathering insects and bees around me when I went outside! I still think that SL is producing beautiful legible meaningful perfumes even though they may not be as jaw dropping as the early oeuvre. I hovered over the buy button for a couple of years, but that is just time I missed with this beauty.
Shabby – :
Initially I smelled a note of banana sweetness which then became blended with a darker note of sandalwood/incence and then opened into a slightly sweet Jasmine. I like this very much perhaps because I have smelled few other Lutens fragrances and had no expectations.
Tupasov – :
I really like this. It is a bright white shining jasmine beauty, laced with a drizzle of lemon, perfect for spring and summer. I dont get any incense but i do get White musk. I dont find this department store at all but lovers of serge may be unimpressed because its not that complex and its not pushing boundaries. If this came from a mainstream house i think peoples expectations wouldnt be so high and it would garner more love.
VARXANGEL – :
I got my sample from Lucky Scents, and they sent me a free sample of ” New York Intense” which is a sweet spicy something. Puting them on side by side helped me appreciate the beautifull simplicity of La Religieuse.
After capping of my collection, I started to explore shared floral fragrances. I have L’ Artisan Seville at Dawn, which is a bright enjoyable orange blossom fragrance. This one is darker, melancholic, beautifull. It’s like the color of the juice, dark lavender, I thought I was smelling lavender, but it’s a fine Jasmine that’s made more intense and warm with the civet note.
I think this may be bottle worthy for me. It does lean on the feminine side, but because of its dark and mysterious vib, I may be able to pull this off.
A very simple fragrance, mostly Jasmine, the incense and anamalic notes are light nuances that accentuate the Jasmine’s somber, dark quality. I think I’m picking up a slight melony fruitiness, none listed.
I read some nocking this one as a common Jasmine scent. No way, the quality of the Jasmine is natural, and first class, as you would expect a Serge Lutens to be. The opening is a nice simple Jasmine, then it begins to intensify into an extraordinary Jasmine scent.
If you love Jasmine, surely give this a try, or even a good blind buy.
I think it’s a classy fragrance for a guy, white shirt, tie, night out to a play or classic concert, yes…
Rating: 8.25/10
Happy Easter, John 3:16.
васильевич – :
After sniffing La Religieuse I am still in search of my holy grail jasmine fragrance. This fragrance starts off great with the natural smell of the jasmine flower. After a few minutes it morphs into the many soft floral frags that can be found in every department store. No smokiness, incense, or animalic notes here. It is an every day scent that would be safe for an interview or in an office environment.
spsfhlw222 – :
Ambivalent.
I love love love the opening of this one. a powehouse jasmine that is lush, succulent and strangely enough – with a whiff of incense, wet soil and animalic notes. my knees buckled. for some 30minutes. then it dried down to a pleasant but rather uniform vanilla-jasmine kind of vibe. nice, but quite faint and lacking the wow factor that intoxicated me in the first minutes. and then silence. it just retreats into nothingness on me after 3, maybe 3,5 hours at most. and that is a pity. because those first notes smell like a night walk somewhere through a mystical jasmine forest. sun is not quite gone, but stars begin to appear. an oxymoron of light and dark, alluring and scary, passion and innocence, undiluted lust and deep affection. but alas, that does not last long until it’s just a very prudent decorative jasmine in broad daylight. for a short while.
some significantly less expensive scents from far less “cool” brands last much longer on me and don’t undergo such a disappointing transformation.
for the price, I would expect this to last longer, so I will not be rushing out to buy it any time soon. however, if I was to receive it as a gift, I would probably bathe in it, just to be able to wrap myself constantly in its initial glory.
endrysch – :
The contrast between the white and the black, the other a note prevails .. but after a couple of minutes are combined to perfection! This is a unique scent, and well balanced. The note Jasmine definitely predominates in the whole composition, but I like how the moss and other notes evolving in a sublime way. Serge Lutens here has created another masterpiece in my opinion … White as snow, white as the light, goes by ”darkness” to light … is eternal. Great parfum, I want to use it in the winter. The sillage is moderate, and longevity enormous, (12+h).
Sillage: 6.5/10
Longevity: 9/10
Scent: 8.5/10
Overall: 9/10
Over – :
At the beginning you have an exotic mixture of the sweet ,sweet jasmine. Juicy , sweet as with the fruit . Then scent sparkles florally , recently , exotically as of the orange flowers like in Jo malone. Elegant, refined, light, little sweet Bois .
This one is for people who don’t like strong Jasminum . This scent is exotic fruits <3
With You all day.
xdoz1 – :
Another one not interesting fragrance by Serge Lutens. Too light, too dusty. Nothing in common with his masterpieces.
ghitulica – :
I thought that this would be dark and mysterious. Instead, it smells like my grandmothers’ face powder and lipstick from the early 1960s. Back to La fille de Berlin.
poizn82 – :
I’m no typical fan of jasmine. I often find jasmine to be too indolic, too screechy, too fecal. But not in this scent. This is glorious, pleasant, beautiful jasmine. I adore it.
The jasmine is stripped down to its core. All the burlesque, the boudoir and the carnal is gone – and we’re left with a clean, pure, innocent and angelic jasmine. I understand it’s name – La religieuse – The Nun.
I don’t get much of the civet or the incense, or the musk for that matter. They’re there, but just as faint shadows in the distance.
Some would say that this is a boring and far from sexy scent. I disagree. This scents strength and allure lies in the unpronounced, in the mystery, the hidden aspects. The brighter the light, the deeper the shadow – and this is a radient scent, with the brightest jasmine I’ve ever smelled. It’s sexy because of the story untold.
When your nose gets used to the light,and no longer are blinded by it, what hides in the shadows will appear. It’s a scent that slowly unravels its secrets. It’s a scent that forces us to read between the lines.
And suddenly there’s a flash of black silk and lace. A patch of naked skin. Arousal. Passion. A single drop of sweat… And there she is – La religieuse – The nun – not as innocent as she first appeared.
Sillage is moderate. Longevity quite good. It lasts all day on me. And in those last hours on my skin I feel the incense. A soft, smoky caress before she’s gone.
On my wishlist for sure. 🙂
kirnorbi – :
This is a very nice fragrance that might have trouble finding its intended audience of pretty white floral enthusiasts because of it’s color, name, listed notes and the brand name. I don’t get any incense or civet at all. To me, it’s a clean, musky, soapy jasmine that dries down into a lovely sweet, almost fruity musk. Not my thing at all, I was expecting something dark, gothic and incense-laden, but not terrible either.
brerieClora – :
I stumbled upon La religieuse yesterday at the counter, and sprayed two generous sprays, as i mistook it for “la vierge de fer” which i never smelled but really anticipated to. Also my favourite Lutens are tubereuse criminelle and chergui among others.
My initial impression was ok since i expected Lily(as i said mix up with la vierge de fer). I was shocked that it’s a kind and “gentile” floral scent, with a bit of vintage feel. No drama, but i thought it’ll come. Instead it kept getting sweeter, a nondescript floral mix with mostly jasmine, and a nondescript fruitiness. It feels quite mainstream and really didnt feel worthy of it’s name and dark juice color.
When i got home and looked up on fragrantica; civet?? incense,musk and jasmine?? What civet, what incense? a great example of misleading notes and name. Nothing like the notes imply, fruity, sweet floral mix.
Had the incense, civet been amplified, it might have been great and befitted the name, but this? we dont need another cute jasmine scent.
Disappointment…
scent: 6/10
longevity: 5/10
sillage: 5/10
expexOwesia – :
Un semplicissimo bouquet di gelsomini avvolti da incenso sbiadito. Una nota sola, lineare, indolica, astringente, senza pretese, senza evoluzione.
E’ olio essenziale di gelsomino, utilizzato in aromaterapia, ma in abito da sera griffato Lutens.
Soliflore. Nulla di che.
Sorry.
Berdnik – :
She’s a stunner…the languid, almost lazy, jasmine shows no nakedness or animalic indole. It’s pure creamy floral…I imagine because the “balsamic” and/or incense notes nip at the heels of the jasmine almost immediately after application. Soft musk comes in after 2 or so hours and then, pure heaven. hints of jasmine remain and all the notes continue to play nice with each other. It does exceedingly well in the heat and humidity. i’m over the moon for this scent. the color of the juice is just another perk.
krr07 – :
As my bottle of Muscs Koubläi Khan got low and I was faced with the fact I would have to bite the bullet and pay for the full sized bell jar I thought maybe I would find a different animalic bomb that would be a little more floral for summer and that with jasmine, incense, civet, and musk this just could have been it, but it was not. I have to say that I do like it. It is a very nice and pleasant warm, jasmine perfume. But that is the problem..I smelled the nice…I got that. But where was the naughty? I was waiting for the civet that had to be hiding in there somewhere, but it turned out to be “G” rated. For some reason Christopher Sheldrake did not divvy out the civet when creating this one with the same heavy hand he did when making MKK, which was a huge disappointment. So it’s a nice, safe, clean floral. In fact it seems like the frankincense even seems to offset the indole note from the jasmine. I make my own perfumes and have natural civet tincture and will experiment adding some naughtiness to all that nice. I’m sure then I will enjoy it a lot more.
FoX32 – :
This was wholly unexpected. From this somber, serious looking bottle comes…a somewhat soapy fruity-floral? Given its name and appearance, plus the incense note, I was expecting something completely different, something along the lines of Avignon or L’Orpheline. This is sweeter, fresher, and brighter than I would have ever guessed. There’s no darkness or mystery to this one. Its name and appearance are deceptively dark, as are its notes, but this is mainly a jasmine scent with a bit of sweet musk.
dut877speagoessenda – :
Much as I’m a faithful admirer of Mr. Lutens’ oriental creations, his recent output brings a massive letdown, especially considering the high hopes I had for a scent called La Religieuse. It’s sad for me as it’s another fragrance he has released in a row that I just cannot relate to in any way. I wish he got back on the good old track of oriental motifs exploration as it’s what he excels at (just to name a few: Ambre Sultan, Arabie, FumerieTurque, Borneo 1834, Feminite du Bois, etc.).
But to the point: La Religieuse, behind the very scent, has a mysterious and very personal background story, open to a plethora of possible interpretations, which boosted my expectations to an unprecedented level. I thought it would be a highly inspirational, spiritual and unique perfume that should tell us something about Serge himself or at least render some aura of intangibility. It seems I made a huge mistake of falling under a common misconception that the notes employed in this composition entail a classic combat between the good and the evil: the clichéd categorization of incense as good/spiritual/ethereal; musk and civet as evil/animal/carnal, with marking jasmine, depending on its facet (either indolic or virginal), as decisive for the final character of the fragrance. No such thing in reality. Nothing and nobody is fighting here at all. No church/convent associations of modesty, piety, austerity, rigor or even harshness and suppression. All I get instead is a very easy to wear floral-musky scent with a huge dose of sweetness, softness and warmth that simply comes up to meet popular tastes, almost bordering on mediocrity. Jasmine (or any other bush blossoming in white) with tons of clean, soapy musk smell similarly to an ordinary washing liquid for delicate fabrics. No traces of spiritual incense, no hint of a demonized civet. Ladies and gentlemen, this is it: musk and flowers, soft and bland in the final appeal that induces no vivid emotions, brave visions, burning desires or deepened reflections. Just plain boredom, not to mention a complete lack of spirituality of any kind or a quietly expected element of controversy. I keep asking myself what went wrong, but I guess it’s just the clash between the creator’s and my own vision of spiritual/religious issues. From technical point of view, the wearing parameters are decent: 6hrs of staying power and intimate projection, yet detectable by the wearer. If only there were something to nose about…
Gvardeyskoe – :
Another SL I cannot get. I was never a fan of SL overcomplicated and distonic fragrances, but I also admired the daring originality of many of them. Not the last ones and not this one.
I tried to forget about the “story” and bla blas (SL, if his behind the briefing of these creations, must have a complicated-complexed mind). Good and evil. Yes, right. Evil wins. The evil is a cheap, obnoxious, ubiquitous, overwhelming note called “white musk”, that nobody wants to dismiss as dated, regardless of the fact that so many perfumes get the label of “dated”.
Few perfume notes have overwhelmed and ruined perfumery and acquired tastes more than synthetical musks (not even “green tea”), but the white type is the worst.
Not that I had great expectations, but upon trying on paper and skin, I was disappointed.
The opening made me hope for a grand oriental white floral… but no. 30 seconds it becomes an “our-pricey-version” of your typical white musk body water. Plasticky and brain numbing and cheap! Expensive.
evgenii.t – :
I don’t know which one is I could rate.
It’s close to fruity floral. No animalic.
First, It starts sweet fruits, and finish floral something subtle and musky.
I agreed that this one reminds Still of J.LO.
It’s similar way to La vierge de fer. The company insists there is lily(in this case, jasmine), but there no. just fruity parts of the flowers has originally, that means these perfumes are consist of cheap and simple molecules.
Huge dissapointment, even more than L’orphéline.
Sondex2010 – :
This is meant to be serious. It really is serious. But at the same time it’s just nothing good. Is smells like old and dusty room full of old books and furniture.
I am surprized, that they have managed to put it in the bottle.
I can’t imagine, who would like to smell like this.
dimarik86 – :
It started out with a beautiful fruity jasmine, but soon turned to a soapy jasmine which never developed into anything else on my skin. If you LIKE a soapy, quiet jasmine, then I would recommend this. Its quality is top-notch and it’s pretty long-lasting as well.
BobbzAX – :
La stessa base di Black Opium con la nota di fiori bianchi sintetici più sviluppata.
E poi dov’è il gelsomino? di quale gelsomino si parla? sento un odore rotondo e bianco ma non è certo gelsomino.
E non sento nemmeno l’incenso.
questa roba è proprio triste
julia_koluzanova – :
After the beautiful depth of “L’orphéline”, Serge Lutens introduces a new fragrance beautifully called “La religieuse”. When I read the news about it some months ago, I was really excited because of the name, conjuring images of a dark monastery, secret chapels and mossy walls. As a follower of Serge Lutens perfumes, I’ve always dreamed about an interpretation “à la Lutens” of frankincense or church incense, one of my favorite notes. At first, after reading the first informations about “La religieuse” I thought that my dream came true. Then, when I read the description of the fragrance, I felt a bit disappointed. Nevertheless, I was expecting to find something special.
Today I tested “La religieuse” for the first time and I felt quite frustrated. It’s basically a jasmine perfume, a soft rendition of the flower, quite creamy, clean and inoffensive. It smells like jasmine soap mixed with white musks (I can’t smell the dirtiness of the civet, only the musk and perhaps a little bit of vintage aldehydes). After three hours, the drydown has lost the soapy qualities and it’s just a sweet mess reminiscent of pastries.
“La religieuse” is nicely done, but the overall result feels terribly banal and unfinished.
semasem – :
La Religeuse was a sadly disappointing one day affair for me, as I had high hopes for another Serge Lutens to love madly.
Yes, I gave it time. I applied lightly, then heavily. I stood on my head and wiggled my ears. Nothing.
I’m sorry that this fragrance on me is weak, bland, not even interesting, let alone shocking. It is a very mild floral scent and I almost felt like sobbing. It is a pretty color and the hue causes the bottle to look quite lovely. I wanted to fall head over heels for it. 🙁
zoyachengal – :
I just got a sample of this.
I tried it on and was at first, underwhelmed. From what people were saying in their reviews, a pale cousin to Sarrasins or even, De profundis and I had to agree. I was waiting to be blown away and all I was getting was a soft nudge. Plus, it dried down and evaporated pretty quickly. I was a bit disappointed because I have great faith in Serge to pick me up and carry me away on some strange journey–to transport me places I didn’t know existed, let alone wanted to go to. So, I decided to freshen it up in the evening and make sure to have spent a full day of it–away from work and people and noise and continue my introduction/experimentation in order to make sure I was giving it a real chance. Something strange happened that night–the genie had been let out of the bottle. The scent unfurled right under my nose(hah!) It had started out pretty, nice, safe but it was moving away from that, to I don’t know where. It isn’t a femme fatale per se but a more mercurial being who can be approachable but still has some secrets. So, no it isn’t either of the aforementioned Serge fragrances and why should it be? It has something different to offer. It has all the jasmine you could possibly want, mixed with a smoky/incense accord with a sort of heartbeat of musk, thumping away underneath. It did remind a bit of De Profundis in it’s chilled confection start, warming up but not becoming overly sweet in its dry down. Perhaps people will think this is Sarrasins with training wheels but I think that’s selling it short. It is a game of cat and mouse with a very pretty cat who wants affection and independence in equal parts–no need to hit you over the head, you follow if you want to, she doesn’t care either way. haha
Addendum: I have realized I have days when scents last and when they are just eaten up and spit out by my skin. Wearing it later, it lasted quite nicely and so, alls well that ends well..
mokiea – :
If you like the jasmine accord but usually find it too cloying in perfume, La Religieuse may be the jasmine fragrance for you. I found it pretty, and pretty light. Jasmine can make me feel a little green around the gills, but this version is not too overpowering. That said, it’s not my favorite Lutens by a mile. I’d recommend this for someone who wants a low-key version of jasmine.
russ_kz – :
This is one of those where the simplicity, artifice, and apparent lack of complexity is kind of the point. One thing about Lutens is that he always tells a story. His best creations are just as much about the ingredients themselves as they are about him expressing his philosophical notions and proclivities through those ingredients. My first Lutens was Louve, I remember the night I first put it on. I was all about the idea of cherries and almonds, but something disturbed me in the base as I kept sniffing…it was blood. Very faint, but it was there, a metallic twang in the final moments. I remember having a Eureka moment as I made the connection to lunar energy in pale color of the juice, wolves, predators, and the milky tenderness of the fragrance meant to denote a wild animal nursing her cubs. Up to that point, I hadn’t understood how cherries and almonds connected to a she-wolf! What a wonderful fairy tale! For this reason, I have faith that every Lutens tells a story, even when it seems like the scent itself might be difficult to actually wear (Tubereuse Criminelle) or for others to enjoy (Musc Koublai Khan), but that’s what I love about his line! La Religieuse is no different. I could go into the story it tells me, but I’d rather not as I think that figuring out the story is part of the fun, but suffice to say, I get the buttoned-up, sort of stiff, prim qualities it has, along with a sort of plain unassuming facade, which of course perfectly sums up the appearance of a nun. I also get the color black which again fits the nun