Description
Many of the Serge Lutens fragrances were inspired by journeys around Middle East. Arabie was inspired by eastern spice shops; it is an exquisitely warm spicy fragrance, dense and sweet from aromatic resins, temperamental, sunny, yet mysterious like East itself. Precious notes of cedar and sandal blend in with sweet notes of candied mandarin, dried fig and date. Nutmeg, cumin and clove at the heart pervade the composition with hot spicy notes. Aromatic bay-leaf, harsh and pleasant, joins the spices, dwelling in dense resin waves of Tonka, Siamese benzoina and myrrh. The final accord of labdanum joins aromatic opulence into a harmonic wholeness. Arabie was launched in 2000. The nose behind this fragrance is Christopher Sheldrake.
whophiemi – :
Funny thing this skin chemistry. On me there are no dried fruits, no tonka, no sweetness. Just a very medicinal opening and then a curry mix of spices. I love spicy scents, but I’m not a big fan of smelling like a curry dinner. I wish candied fruits and some sweetness in the spices would show up on my skin, but alas no. If you have the opportunity to test Arabie before you buy, please do. Unfortunately I couldn’t. It would be interesting to smell how this one is on other people, though.
e963tx2009 – :
Had high expectations on this fragrance based on the featured notes…I love a luxurious,rich and dark oriental perfume. But why would someone pay the high price tag when you can delight your pheromones by sniffing the spices cabinet? It’s just a mess but a fancy one, as you could expect from Serge Lutens… It’s a perfume to show off and being asked “What is that unique perfume you’re wearing?” by an overdressed, over made up lady with a pearl necklace around her neck. Very pretencious scent that might catch attention for its uniqueness, weirdness if you like… It doesn’t bring any emotions up on me, can’t really pull it off outside home. But I do enjoy the mhyrr and cumin. Longevity is short on my skin and sillage is moderate. For me it’s an overpriced, low quality creation of yet another Lutens release in order to please customers eager of exclusive, niche products wrapped up in a pretty art deco design. But Lutens and other luxury brands don’t sell perfume, what you’re purchasing is a concept, a fantasy. And that might good enough for some.
GARIIK55 – :
For some reason I had this and decided to sell it. I genuinely have no idea why. I kept a 10mL decant of it in case I missed it and decided to wear it for the first time in a year and fell in love all over again. Sweet honey curry is the only way I can describe this. So rich, so full and so unusual for a scent that one would wear. Cumin & carraway heaven!
Meqap957intitytek – :
Bought a decant as it really sounded interesting, but this was not for me. I can see how some might like this, but on me it was a weird mix or rubber and spices.
мася1986 – :
Based on the notes, this perfume has everything that I love. But the moment I sprayed it on my skin, it bypassed beautiful and went straight to ‘scented candle’! Oh no! It was so awful that I had to wash it off. I tried it again a few weeks later, vowing to power through the awfulness in the hopes that it would get better. Unfortunately, after two hours, I still smelled like a walking air freshener and had to scrub it off. I’ll give it one more chance once the weather changes, but it doesn’t look like Arabie is for me. 🙁
kostolom1482 – :
I expected to struggle with this because of the spice, instead I’m struggling with the candied fruits. This is sweet, not like powder or lipstick, but like syrup, maybe because of the resins. Too medicinal and gourmand for me, but I can see why people love it. It’s distinct, realistic, and captures specific memories, much in the way Fille en Aiguilles does.
wirtual – :
The stewed fruits note is so strong and persistent that the tonka, wood, and benzoin are only supportive players. A wet mandarine note lightens things and goes well with spices like nutmeg. There’s not much to add to what others have said. In the spirit of niche perfumery, where single notes are isolated, I find this to possess honest heft. A couple of sprays to walk through are sufficient. The presentation doesn’t feel dated.
gel759Negeltzex – :
Very good like but not in a gourmand way. My first thought was, this smells like a steak rub or marinade!
I find it way too spice heavy but it could be my chemistry. I prefer Penhalingtons Malabah.
icerierow – :
Take a trip to the gorgeous Arabian desert with SL’s incredible Arabie. A spicy Oriental gourmand, this is another trendsetting perfume from this eclectic line. The perfume opens with a woody gourmand blast of cedar, sandalwood, and candied dry fruits. As it begins to settle, the spice notes of cumin, clove, nutmeg, and bay leaf emerge. Finally the perfume settles into a powdery base of tonka bean, benzoin, myrrh and labdanum. Very much the smell of middle eastern markets with their open spice vendors, but refined considerably using woody powdery notes. Unisex with moderate to strong projection and very good longevity. As incredible as all this sounds, please be warned this is not a scent for everyone, especially those averse to strong smelling spices like cumin. Nevertheless, it is a great attempt to refine Oriental accords for Western tastes. Enjoy!
ludik ICE – :
I just bought a bottle at half price from Luckyscent. This is beautiful. My mother says it smells like baking – very exotic baking. The resinous undertone keeps it from being truly edible. It is very bold and warm. I’m in my early twenties, and I don’t think this is too mature for me, although it is probably not everyone’s cup of tea. As I try more niche scents, my tastes are changing. I definitely would not have considered wearing this a couple of years ago.
Kommunizm – :
definitely unisex, mature oriental…very nice smell of dates and dried fruits, lasts some 10-12 hours
Natali_Jitoruk – :
Best in class, What class ? ,you might ask
The classy mature women class that is.
For me this slightly boozy heady classy fragrance with prodimentnet floral accord and the smell of caramel.
This is the best kind of fragrance that herald to glamourous fragrances with a modern and middle eastern twist. There is a sense of spices and resin blended within the fragrance too.
Reminds me of a Relaxed Mature and stunning blond lady in gold dress and a white fur jacket.
30 plus age range and for special or luxurious occasions only IMO.
%nickname% – :
I wanted to love this scent. I bought a sample spray vial on ebay for $10 and so glad I didn’t spring upwards of $100 for a bottle. I hunt out incense-y perfumes because I just love incense. However this one is so strong it really affected my fragrance sensitivities…at only 1 spray no less! I didn’t like the dry down much either. It smells like a very masculine scent. Lastly – it gave me a rash on the area of my wrist that I sprayed it on. I had to wash it off.
lolerGoat – :
All I could smell from this was red hot candies. Not sure if that’s a bad thing, but not something I wanna pay $100+ for anyways… This was my very first time to sample Serge Lutens and I’m definitely gonna try more, but hopefully on to bigger and better things with this house.
Also sillage and longevity was disappointing on me, at least for a niche. Lasted about 4 hours with very moderate projection, then down to a skin scent the last hour or two.
Not sure if it’s my body chemistry or what but I wasn’t too impressed.
bananazury – :
Think of Arabie as Ambre Sultan with added dry fruits and a creamier base. Awesome scent.Longevity is moderate but lasts a lot as skin scent.
yjkivqz526 – :
The young Gypsy by Amedeo Modigliani 1909
Kirra8 – :
(Review from a sample)
First, I want to say that the reviewer before me described this fragrance perfectly.
As far as my impression goes, Arabie is a warm and enveloping perfume, primarily characterised by dried fruits – mainly apricots, to my nose, and maybe a tiny bit of orange -, spices – especially caraway, bay leaf and well, oregano? – plus a bit of resins, but not much. Now, this does not smell foody to me at all, more like the idea of a market rather than an actual one. And don’t be afraid of the caraway because it does not smell sweaty or animalic to me :). Projection and longevity are both moderate, it is not a beast, though I personally would never wear it in the heat.
It reminds me of childhood for some reasons, of children running and having fun through small alleys in a middle-Eastern town, under the sun 🙂
Васёк1306 – :
Beautiful, rich, captivating, pity I didn’t have a chance to meet Arabie earlier.
It evokes memories of places I have never been in this life, same as Indochine PG does to me. But I definitely know the smell of these rich woods and spices from earlier lives, such a comfort to be surrounded by these aromatic clouds and veils “again”.
On me it is very warm, hot sandy, woody-spice fragrance, with generously served table of hot tea and variety of dried fruits and nuts, as it happens in Middle East. I do not find it is gourmand at any point though, or that it is smells like a kitchen, – totally no. It is a Place, A Time, A person from the past. Maybe someone’s clothes and accessoires, that absorbed smells of bazaars and oils. Most atmospheric and love from the first sniff.
extra023 – :
Serge Lutens is a master of the chic, sophisticated, non-traditional gourmand. Most of fragrances of this house strongly feature some sort of kitchen-inspired element and they manage to do so in an oddly sophisticated way. Arabie is my favorite of the SL line (with Amber Sultan and Datura Noir coming in close seconds) and it is arguably the most kitchen-esque of all.
On me, this lovely opens with a fresh burst of candied Christmas orange and spicy clove and dries down to a sweet and fluffy fruited incense. The fruit here is never fresh; it is dense and dry. But it is still very pretty and refreshing, with dates and candied orange peels being the most prominent. The benzoin and myrrh and tonka come to the fore in the dry down, creating a near religious effect, which I absolutely adore. This fragrance is like walking into a warm church stuffed with fruitcake on a cold Christmas morning. And yet it doesn’t smell like a candle or a candy bomb or something unwearably kitchen-y. It is absolutely divine in execution and competes with the likes of Chanel’s Coco for my favorite spicy fragrance.
It doesn’t take me long to go through a relatively large quantity of Arabie, so I would say that performance is moderate. But while it performs, it performs so beautifully that I smile the entire time I’m wearing it.
RedCikeHier – :
SL seem to strike the best balance between colour and scent. Somehow one always seems to match the other (Gris Clair, La Fille De Berlin, Chypre Rouge, Fille en Aiguilles to name just a few)
Arabie is a sunny fragrance in both scent and colour. Of the 9 SL that i have Arabie is probably the most optimistic. It still has that distinguishable SL plethora of nuances and warm character of rich spices, but with an added lightheartedness. Very joyful and positive. From afar it is fruity and resinous, a closer inhale reveals an amazing spicy depth (mostly caraway and cloves). Lovely.
****(*)
kimizol – :
‘Savory gourmand’ is what I’d say if I had to describe Arabie in two words.
It starts out a bit camphorous for a short while, and otherwise very, very spicy. The fruit notes are faintly noticeable in the background, the warm balsamic notes are more of a general accord and everything is completely dominated by caraway, cumin, cloves and nutmeg.
The lovely dates and other dried fruits only come out in the drydown, after the spices had some hours to mellow out.
I enjoy this scent, at least in the drydown, but I don’t want to smell like that, especially not like the first hours. I would like my kitchen to smell like that, or maybe even my living room. It’s a unique oriental scent, intense, warm and also cozy, but in the end it’s too much like spicy food for me to be wearable. Maybe it would be my thing if the fruit to spice ratio came out differently on my skin. It’s a bit unbalanced on me.
I would still recommend to try Arabie for everyone who likes spices, as it’s a very interesting fragrance.
(For reference: I love some spicy scents like Kenzo L’Elephant, but it’s not the first time that a Lutens smells too dry and spicy on me, for example I really can’t stand Feminite de Bois.)
pentaxer – :
Medicinal raisin. To me, Arabie feels like a thumbnail sketch of a Serge Lutens perfume: good bones, but broad strokes, unrefined. I prefer this as distinguishable DNA in other (better) SL scents — Ambre Sultan, Chergui, Fille en Aiguilles, Fumerie Turque — than as a scent on its own.
EWGENIY – :
I couldn’t believe how many cultures I could smell in Arabie! I get Indian spices, the bazaars in Morocco and then smell Christmas pudding!!
For me it’s a really pleasant scent to smell around me rather than wear as a perfume. I love the dried and candied fruits. What I’m not liking is the bay leaf note and the clove which appears to amplify on my skin. A very complex scent and well made. In general I’m not keen perfumes which have cumin (not that this has), bayleaf and clove. You can smell the layers in this. I prefer fragrances for myself to be smooth and rounded. But I wouldn’t mind smelling this on someone else.
yuhbigtorrent.org – :
Arabie, oh Arabie how much I love you!
First and foremost, is this for everybody? The answer is probably not. I can only guess that Serge Lutens was out in the battle to create the ultimate “oriental” fragrance, and Arabie takes no prisoners.
Arabie begins as a cacophony of Moorish, Turkish and Indian spice markets brought all together in a minimalist bottle with a dash of liquor for good measure 🙂
Eventually, all these notes die down to a warm spicy glow that cuts through the colder nights. PS. they have to be really cold.
Marvellous 9/10
smooven – :
the smell is very lovely, spicy and sweet from dry fruits. however i can not imagine wearing it as a perfume. it is too spicy, and too reminiscent of food and spicies in the kitchen. i do love the smell, this is something i imagine middle East marked with spicies and fruits smells like. i would like my kitchen to smell like that, especially during colder seasons, autumn, and winter. i most likely would never be able to use it as a perfume on my skin.
vanuna – :
Love it from the first spray. Sadly I can’t find a proper occasion to wear this. My GF hates it. Maybe not suitable for my age.
It’s a blast of dried fruits in the opening, followed by notes of dates. It’s really sweet in the opening. It than turns into this warm spicy mix of clove, nutmeg, and prominent caraway. The drydown smells like unburnt clove ciggarete with some balsamic notes.
2z1k – :
I absolutely love L’Elephant…
Is Arabie as long lasting?
Sounds like one I would love!!
I cant test this so would have to be a blind buy…
sergio-tkach – :
With all the “arabic” inspired scents have come onto the market in recent years, this is still one of the best! It is an accurate, heady, atmospheric snap-shot into a bustling souk on a hot, dusty, sunny day. I close my eyes and am transported there. For me, it’s not overtly sweet, but rich, thick and honeyed – they way a date tastes and feels eating it. And Ariana Grande??? Please…..
2010 bmw 13 – :
@emyalda
I don’t think it “smells like Elephant”, either! But the unusual combination of sweetness and spices in Arabie definitely “reminds me of” Elephant, in that it juxtaposes some spices which may normally be associated with savoury food with a slightly unsettling sweetness from other notes.
It also brings to mind another favourite – “Idole” by Armani, now sadly discontinued (I am referring to the EDP – haven’t tested the EDT).
My feeling is that anyone who enjoys one of these perfumes is very likely to feel the same about the others.
Demento03 – :
Imagine mixing spices and some herbs in a bowl then drizzeling syrup all over it. This is what arable smells like on me.
And over time it becomes a little more boozy smelling, with slight hints of dusty woods.
Its too spicy for me but a nice scent overall.
(Doesn’t smell like elephant to me)
vitt – :
PLEASE can someone else remove the comparison to Ari by Ariana Grande?
Seriously – I mean SERIOUSLY???????????????????
Fantom116 – :
After reading some of these reviews, I was very hesitant to blind buy this perfume as it seemed like it was really challenging for some people, so I ordered a sample from Luckyscent. Well, guess what- This is lovely! I own Kenzo Jungle and definitely get the association with that fragrance, so I m glad I didn’t blind buy it for that reason. This absolutely does NOT smell like body odor or Indian food! It’s actually pretty tame! This smells like the Yankee Candle Co store when they’ve got all their fall and holiday candles out. If you like that spicy potpourri melange of holiday cheer as I do, no fear, you will love this scent! We’ll see how the longevity is- this may replace Jungle when I’m finished with my bottle.
ALEXX111 – :
Sooooo unusual, I feel as though I must own this… but I also can’t imagine many times where I’d use it? It’s a very unusual scent with all the comfort of Indian/spicy Eastern foods that come from suburbs surrounding me.
I DO get cumin, but I also think my mind may be playing tricks on me. I heard this was getting pulled, so I might have to get my hands on it quick smart.
Reminds me of curry, as many say… lasts a LONG,LONG time. Eternally romantic.
Brattlcc – :
forgot to mention: I find the cumin very prominent, and lastingly so, which is what makes it not smell like holiday baking to me.
efremov5 – :
Magistralmente evocativo.
Un’esplosione di aromi e ricordi all’apertura.
Sul mio polso c’è qualcosa di animalico che ritrovo in bapteme de feu che possiedo.
Questo potrebbe essere la sorellastra non fiorita ma piu dolce e fruttata.
Fuoco e fiamme a scaldare il natale.
La durata e’ lunga.
Non per me, ma mi stimola la strana apertura.
Lokgoll – :
Just adore this one. It smells like Indian food and body odor, in the best way–as if I’ve just been rolling around with my hot Indian boyfriend. But also sweet and fruity and spicy, like Christmas–but maybe in a souk. I look forward to getting this out again in fall with my cashmere and suede. It’s so pleasingly complex: not cartoon orientalist or too-sweet gourmand or aggressively spicy or any of the less-than-magnificent things it could have been.
Volshvid – :
This doesn’t smell bad, but it is sickishly sweet. It reminds me of the baking one do for christmas. And while I do love the smells of advent and christmas, I do not want to smell like it. It would suffocate me and those around me.
mosian – :
This is unbelievably tasty, Serge Lutens does food smells extraordinarily well. This is an old souk somewhere lost in an ideal Middle Eastern past where luxury was in abundance. Piles of dried fruits, nuts, spices from cinnamon to cloves and cumin sky high, and you’re encased in a hot bed of sand which is translated here in wooden notes. There is some candied sweetness, something warm from herbs and some ambery notes. The dates! My god, you can taste them! Transformation, delectable. The longer it sits, the more it evolves. Curry begins to come through, some more herbs bringing it closer to earth, just the slightest scent of orange citrus which keeps the fragrance bursting in brightness. There is a distinctly light and low sweet-smokiness from Myrrh, which is heavenly and divine. While Arabie is so carmely sweet, it is deeply savory. As it begins to simmer down and relax, out comes a nice leather-amber note which feels very similar to Serge Lutens “Ambre Sultan”. This fragrance is absolutely perfect for a cold night when you need some good old fashioned comfort. It’s so warm and inviting and it just wraps around your whole being in an embrace that doesn’t waiver. 9/10
myasorubkivsedly – :
This perfume is what I call a grower. When I first tried it I was very much on the fence. It just felt like I’d rubbed some Christmas cake on my wrists. And it was so strong! However, I have found myself returning and returning to it. Especially when it is dismal and rainy outside, and all I want is a perfume that wraps me up like a cashmere jumper. The dried fruits are strong and if you can’t take that in a perfume then stay away. But for me this can comfort me in a way no other perfume can. It’s a great big hug in a bottle. A hug from a dark, shiny brown eyed lover, this is definitely not pale and interesting. This is a musky, dusky attraction, and all the better for it.
Ionimi – :
This is very oriental, I feel that I am in Saudi Arabia or another Arab place, this burns the cloves along with dried fruits and dates, strong, I feel something aromatic in the middle, that pulsates from minute to minute, I found the perfume was very well made and lives up to the name it carries, excellent performance on my skin.
I evaluate this:
Smell: 8.5/10
Projection: 8/10
Longevity: 8.5/10
trencho – :
The first time I tested this it was nearly a scrubber. it seemed so masculine and not me at all. It had a black licorice smell to me that day and it took me months to try it again. And now I’m in love. The fig and spice that is so utterly rich and exotic. I have a decant and I’ll put it on my someday wish list.
ascha555 – :
Great spicy Fragrance .i will wear year round except maybe in very hot weather
tansyluv – :
I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to try Arabie. I guess I haven’t because of so many saying it’s like Aziyade which I already have. Well, it’s puzzling. Aziyade doesn’t open up with such a powerful hit of spices that is more akin to Malle Noir Epices. Aziyade is a totally decadent spicy gourmand. A beautiful platter of sweet, spicey Turkish delicacies.
Wait half an hour along its timeline and the puzzle is no more. The spice punch becomes more of a caress and Aziyade steps forward.
This would be perfect on a grey cold day when you need to be warmed up and remember the heat of the Middle East.
Moderate sillage and good longevity.
FriendLillian – :
The following notes, for anyone tempted to try this at home:
sultana
raisin
dried fig
candied peel
dried apricot
dark glacé cherry
brandy
quince
orange zest
muscovado sugar
cinnamon
nutmeg
clove
stem ginger
For best results, add two sixpenny bits.
dqn548bedyWelty – :
Arabie 1.6oz bottle
I dabbed on Arabie after reading the reviews that it can be a bit of a spicy monster. That is definitely how you should wear it. I think a spray may even lean too much. It emminated from the bottle much like its cousin Ambre Sultan. Its got big silage, richness and spices. It really is perfect for a cold winters day to warm you up. Arabie was released with a lot of fanfare, and caused quite a stir. Now, it seems it has receded back into a forgotten category of the Lutens line with Ambre Sultan and Chergui leading the way in this genre.
Spices, woods, sweet dates warm the skin. A leathery nuance adds into its lovely drydown. I always get a kick out of people saying they cant wear Arabie because they dont want to “smell like that” but run out and douse themselves in the syrupy florals and chocolate gourmands.
Arabie is wonderful for the holiday season, and even a little but of spicy fruitcake memories thrown in. Youll definitely be noticed, and sporting something unique. I like to layer Cedre with it to add a floral touch and cut the spices sometimes. Ambre Sultan+Daim Blond+Arabie.
Warm and beautiful.
gromozek – :
I received my decant from a member “cherry_darling” yesterday, thanks for the sample.
I tried this before in a perfume corner but didn’t spend much time with it, I’m glad I have another chance now.
The scent is truly amazing, I feel like I smelt it somewhere and I don’t know where.
It reminds me of old traditional grocery shops in the old souk, It’s the spice and dried fruit which projects heavily.
I’m familiar with many of the scents in this perfume, I can tell the caraway, the nutmeg and coriander, I can smell dates and dried fruit, there’s some woody scent too but it’s faint, I can smell resins or labdanum too.
To me these are mouthwatering stuff.
I love this combination, but here’s the thing: I don’t want to wear it, I love to see it on a plate or cooked in a dish. That’s the contradiction I’m getting with this one here
But I really like it
GOLOVA3004 – :
Tried this at the Sephora the other day and I love it so much. My absolute favourite out of all the Serge Lutens fragrances. Definitely a comfort scent for me, it reminds me of the spices that my mother and grandmother use for cooking alongside chai tea and dates…I absolutely love it, will purchase in the full size soon.
alexsus2006 – :
Cool weather always makes me crave sweet and spicy comforts, which is why this is such a pleasure. At first spray I’m hit with cumin and clove and some kind of sweet citrusy juice – Orange notes, perhaps. Riding close at the heart comes a gentle but rich blend of dried date and fig, adding a subtle fruit note and a thick sweetness at the top. The mix would likely not work for me except for that herbal lift from the bay leaf, which I’m both surprised and delighted to love in the opening. I wish that bay leaf stuck around longer, but it’s gone within the first hour. But the evolution gets more intimate, and the fragrance stays closer to the skin, holding onto that spice as the sweetness settles down further. (The clove dissipates somewhere along the second or third hour, and I must praise Arabie for not overusing it in the blend. I had initially been worried it’d be too strong, but there’s just enough clove here to keep the essence of its warmth and charm without making it cloying.) Underneath there’s a soft woodsy base with myrrh and vanilla-ish tonka bean that wraps me up like a warm blanket.
This is one of the only fragrances I have tried that’s been true to its notes – I actually do smell what’s advertised, and it’s delicious! Not for office wear – this I like for hiking around outdoors, catching yummy wafts of sweet spice under my scarf, or curling up on the couch during a snowstorm. This scent gives me that cold-weather coziness I’ve been craving. All that’s missing is a fire and a cup of mulled cider, and maybe lights glowing in the night sky from my window.
Very nice.
bodnar_chuk – :
This starts off with a mouth-watering, sour and sweet note of stewed fruit and cumin. The initial blast is quite herbal and masculine. Then in half hour, Arabie becomes Kenzo Jungle l’Elephant, which happens to be my favorite scent of all time. Longevity and projection of Arabie, however, are smaller than those of the Kenzo . So because of its resemblance to Kenzo Jungle L’Elephant, I do like Arabie a lot, but since I already have the former, I don’t think I need a full bottle of Arabie, the decant that I now have is more than enough.
adamesin – :
This reminds me of Kiste by Slumberhouse. Not that it’s a dupe, but they *feel* very similar. Stewed fruit (here it’s dates), dry pollen loaded honey, and some depth of resins. It’s a lovely and cozy scent but I already have Kiste and I just don’t need something else to fill that niche.
9118083801 – :
This is reminding me a bit of Chergui with more fruitiness, and there is something slightly cinommony thats reminding me of Chergui SL.
Its gourmandise, plenty of nice dried fruity notes, mostly like an apricot desert liquor.
I like it better than chergui, and it is a nice Christmas cold weather fragrance, but I dont care for the cinommon like note, though its balanced with the sweet fruits and balsamic notes.
I like it and would use it if I had it, but not quite bottle worthy to ad to an allready oversized collection.
Rating: 8.25/10
God bless. John 3:16
tisa11 – :
I got this, hoping I would like it. Nope…not for me! I have it up for swap. A full bottle, no box with cap.
ser176141 – :
I’m in love! This is right up my street. Sweet, like a good chewy date, spicy, woody, yum, on my buy list straight away. <3
Sadly this barely lasts on me but I am going to try it a few times.
I have 100+ niche samples for swap within Europe – get in touch! Updated spreadsheet of samples on my profile.
Supdiuniori – :
When could be the best time to wear this perfume, if not during the cold and snowy winter?
The fantastic compositon of dried fruits and spices lingers through out the day.
I love spraying my scarf with it.
And then coming back to it during the day, because it stays on the clothing a bit longer.
This scent snuggles you up like a warm cosy blanket, and gives you a soft kiss on the forehead. And you catch yourself smiling, because of how comforting this scent is.
For me definately this isn’t a to-go scent, but rather, this is a special thing, to paint a beautiful picture of feelings for yourself.
I return to it, in special moments like this.
06.11.2016.
A snowy day, beginning of winter.
krot202 – :
Arabie is my personal favorite from the whole line of Lutens. Arabie is all about dried fruits. A very well combined mixture of arabian bazaar fruits.
My bottle is from 2013, the color is brownish and not yellow like on the picture above.
Staying power and projection are really good. Above most mainstream perfumes.
I would place the scent as something between Thierry Mugler Pure Malt and Esteban Baume Tolu.
oli4ka1507 – :
I had sampled this during a “fragrance crawl”, a long adventure of sampling many, many fragrances. Serge Lutens was towards the end. I must have sampled a dozen of his works. Arabie was one of the ones I found very pleasant and intriguing.
Well, it was olfactory overload that was attenuating the experience, because wow… I got a bottle and like Alfarom said “Too Rich, Too Sweet, Too complex, Too dry, Too heavy….Too Much!”
The dried fruits are definitely upfront with a waxy clove garnish. This is like bringing the autumn holidays to your nose in an instant. I do find the clove just a bit more in the mix than I care for. The whole composition is gourmand, and sweet clove is certainly preferable to dry and sharp clove.
Overall, it’s a quality composition. I really like the concept, only if it wasn’t so full on. I do NOT recommend using the sprayer. Better to do a light dabbing.
If you love cloves and dried fruits in a gourmand composition you will be in heaven. Otherwise, you may find yourself giving this a pass.
7.5/10
dima0205 – :
First, this is a very spicy fragrance, but not in the traditional sense. It’s very evocative of culinary spices. It doesn’t start off as sweet as thought it would be. It smells a lot like potpourri. I think this really shines in the dry down. This is when it becomes sweeter. Thanksgiving and Christmas come to mind. Like opening a spice cabinet in late November, with the scent of potpourri and your aunt’s traditional dessert in the air. Good stuff.
CrimeaBest – :
I rejected this one initially because I “didn’t want to smell like a kitchen”. Many of Serge Lutens perfumes I find beautifully crafted, but unwearable. I’m also not keen on the sweetness. But the mass of positive reviews for Arabie have convinced me to give it another go, as I would love it to be a mated pair to my beloved Ambre Sultan.
vozdvig – :
Reminding me Hermes elixir des Merveilles, almost the same. But this stronger, deeper, better.
макс80 – :
Love from the first …smell! I am addicted to all oriental and spicy woody fragrances, and this one is just divine. It lasts all day on my skin. When it dries down, the smell takes me back to my childhood. It reminds me my grandma baking cans and spice jars – just loved to open the pantry door and inhale that fabulous mixture.
vgv1111 – :
Yes. Yes yes yes. This is nose-gasm material. This easily qualifies into my top 5 oriental list right away. Even though it is spicy, it is impossibly soft, round, fluffy, syrupy. I’m loving the date note in particular since it is so unusual. The nutmeg invokes just a touch of Organza, but mostly it is all about the dried fruit and spices. Delectable.
Assassin_0136 – :
Arabie arrived in the market in 2000 and its name means “Saudi Arabia”. Serge Lutens says that the Arabia is immense within us and embraces all fragrances. This metaphor is not as unusual as it seems, because the Middle East is known to harbor the richest spices, incenses, resins and essential oils.
Some say that the inspiration was the scent of Eastern spice shops and, as part of the concept, Serge Lutens sets this fragrance as “a caravan lost in the desert”.
The composition is a delight, just by imagining how such notes were combined. Arabie has candied peels of Mandarin orange, dried figs and dates, as well as cumin, nutmeg, clove, fava tonka, benzoin from Siam, myrrh, cashews, resins, cedar and s