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heagelveply – :
That Good-n-Plenty + caraway opening is a real punch to the senses. Hang on, though, because in less than 30 minutes, it morphs into orange-tinged incense. Weirdly likable, but too much of a skin-scent for me to go full bottle.
mr.onistchuck – :
I just got this today, this was a blind buy, but after reading the mixed reviews on here I was scared to open it . So after Carefully peeling open the cellophane ( in case I had to return it) …the first sniff…OMG , it’s beautiful. The references to gunpowder made me think of Amour Nocturne, it’s nothing like it at all, i do not get the reference. This is as others have said is “Christmas in a bottle” deffo an autumn/winter perfume, I can’t wait to wear it full on, as I’ve only tested it today… such a brill blind buy
INNOMBROR – :
The ultimate dark fairytale perfume. With Baptism by Fire, the eclectic Serge Lutens have created one of the most unique perfumes that immediately transport you to the land of the Grimm fairytales. The perfume opens with notes of gingerbread and tangerine. The heart encompasses osmanthus and castoreum. The perfume dries down into a woody powdery base where I can detect cedar, cloves, ginger and patchouli, perhaps amber. Unisex (slight feminine leaning) with moderate projection and sillage and very good longevity. Only for fairy tale lovers. Enjoy!
Merqh502elipseskism – :
Ohh, fun. Serge Lutens always makes unique compositions. The opening is… interesting. I had a little bit of regret upon first sniff because it’s nothing like how I had imagined. I agree with the other reviewers who mentioned it smells a bit sharp or gunpowder-like. It’s almost off-putting because of the strangeness. A few minutes later, the citruses and spice start coming through. It never goes full gourmand, but if I had to explain it to someone who couldn’t test it, it does smell a lot like Christmas time in America, not cookies or cakes, but the smell of scented Christmas decor like those ornate pinecones and spicy scented room sprays that appear in higher-end home decor stores. It brings back memories of Christmases in Pennsylvania, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Best suited for cold weather.
LYV_63 – :
I really thought I was destined to love this one, but alas, it did not work for me. On my skin, the ginger was sharp, fresh, and honestly a bit acrid. It was so strong I felt like I could taste it in the back of my throat. I am generally a fan of ginger, but this just felt too raw.
Unfortunately, the ginger overpowered the rest of the notes in this. I detected osmanthus and a bit of that “gunpowder” note, but I wasn’t even lucky enough to get tangerine or any citrus for that matter.
I don’t think this is inherently a bad scent by any means, I just think it’s one that’s best tested before purchasing. It’s worth trying!
—Колян— – :
I tried a sample of this, a very light swipe from a wand and got lovely sweet, hot whiffs from my arm. Tried it again and it reminded me of those “masculine” scented candles with names like Thunderstorm or Midnight. Decided it wasn’t for me, but ended up buying it anyway because I found a deal I couldn’t pass up (I know, it’s an issue, but it’s better than drugs). After giving myself a rather heavy few sprays I learned 3 things 1) when SL says it’s high concentration, he means it 2) this is way more interesting than a scented candle 3) some scents definitely are meant for cold weather. I have no idea what gunpowder smells like, and I’m not getting a fireworks vibe from this so far (I say so far because I’m on hour 5 and it’s still going strong). What I do get is an almost lemon verbena with sweet ginger that starts off with almost an old school men’s cologne vibe before tapering into a sweet warmth… I want to describe it as a scent like after you’ve sprayed a fragrance, then went outside on a hot humid day. A bit ripe and salty under the warm sweetness. That sounds gross, but it’s not a stinky odor, just a warm, animalic saltiness. BdF also has a sensation- dry heat. When you smell it, it feels hot and dry. It’s basically a headache in a bottle for summer, but I imagine this will be perfection in winter. This is a weird and unusual fragrance, but I’m looking forward to getting to know it better once the chill is back in the air and the leaves begin to turn.
xmk064Negeltzex – :
Smells on me; like citrus & blood.
very odd.
I do like it. but it’s very strange on me.
on him, well yes, cloves & orange and all things Christmas,but on me it’s metallic like blood and copper pennies in your mouth with a citrus scent.
Serge Lutens.
Never Boring!
AnodeAffind – :
Bapteme du Feu makes me think of Christmas and New Years Eve. It starts out citrussy with mandarins and oranges. At times, it has an edge of a classic male citrus cologne, but there is also sweetness from the gingerbread to balance it out. This is a really spicy gingerbread with lots of ginger, not some bland sweet stuff from the supermarket. That’s the Christmas part.
And why NYE? It’s not listed here from some reason, but in the official description from SL, they talk about a gunpowder note, representig shooting ranges on a funfair. I’ve always been more of a fan of claw cranes, so this metallic tingle reminds me of firecrackers on NYE instead.
So, this is very conceptual to me. Christmas with mandarins, spicy pastries and grandpa’s old school cologne (not my own grandpa’s, mind you). Small fireworks on the street a week later.
It’s completely unisex to me, as these smells are universal. But it’s not something I would wear.
Injuroengerne – :
Bapteme du Feu doesn’t smell like I expected from the Fragrantica note pyramid, it was a blind buy. I don’t really get gingerbread or marmalade here. What I smell (overall) is more of a spiced tangerine fougere type of scent with a little hint of something dry/salty (the gunpowder note, yes? –
a sort of unlit firework vibe). Whatever…it’s quite clever & strange, & is not a talc/cosmetic type of “powdery”.
It opens up orangey, spicy & herbacious, but as it progresses white florals come through quite prominently, imo. I think neroli & orange blossom or petitgrain? It reminds me strongly of a warmer (winter) version of Kenzo Ca Sent Beau, & I think anyone who likes the Kenzo would enjoy this one. I’m quite puzzled by BdF, it makes me wonder if I perhaps smell things differently to most people … Anyway, I sure wasn’t expecting such prominent white floral notes – & (to my nose at least) they’re absolutely there, loud & clear ! I don’t think the note pyramid above represents accurately, there’s a lot more going on here than the listed notes suggest.
It’s nicely done & I like it, but this type of white florals are not my favourite notes so (with hindsight) I possibly wouldn’t have bought it. BUT, it does smell really really good in freezing cold weather, I have to say – so I’m keeping it. It’s a Guy Fawkes perfume !
Edit: I was hoping for a sort of orangey/gingerbread version of Jeux de Peau – & this isn’t it. Oh well, (maybe) my perception just might help someone else considering a blind buy of BdF …or maybe not 🙂
Stepanidze05 – :
Imagine you are at a bonfire and someone rolls up in a front loader full of pomander balls and dumps them into the fire.
smoky cloves, oranges
anton-budagova – :
I would love to love this, but after a lovely orange-spicy opening, this just turns metallic on me, like corroded silver, and faded to nothing after an hour. I love Serge Lutens and happily wear many of his more obscure creations and have to say, this is a safe one for most people to try and not be repulsed. Sadly, it’s not for me, although I love it on others.
blv092speagoessenda – :
Very interesting this one, yet comforting too. I like it.
For some reason I thought I was smelling immortelle, but when I checked notes here I decided it might be the combination of ginger and castoreum.
It’s very more-ish as a scent, I like the way castoreum works here. I’m not so keen on it when it’s paired with intense vanilla though (such as Musc Ravageur, which I like but find a little too sickly or obviously animalic at times, also Felanilla which can veer towards too sweet in drydown, lovely as it is).
The orange and ginger in Bapteme di Feu cut through the pissiness of castoreum here, making it warm so it becomes more of a comfort scent, definitely one for winter though.
It reminds me of a cosy dark liqueur, castoreum is usually associated with sexy animalistic effects, but this is subtler thanks to the sharper, less sweet notes.Into drydown it becomes significantly sweeter though.
Probably my favourite of the more recent Lutens perfumes. One to think of buying when the nights draw in again!
Atruhan – :
I don’t know where this “marmalade” is coming from. I sprayed up and get a huge herbal opening then a bit of dry ginger spice not like a sweet gingerbread then all of a sudden it is gone, and I am left with a sharp skin-scent chypre.
ralexus – :
Wonderful! Sweet and delicious!! Gorgeous marmalade beginning, followed soon by delicious gingerbread then lovely flowers and woods. It becomes smoother and more velvety as time goes on, and is really beautiful. Beautiful and totally divine. A scrumptious gourmand. I love it, it’s fabulous. It lasts so well too, hours and hours, and stays delectably strong the whole way. It’s a gorgeous gorgeous fragrance.
vagrand – :
Baptême du Feu is more than just the notes listed above. Yes, it has a slight gourmand edge, a bit like orange rinds and gingerbread, but there is much more at work here. First, it has a long life, and each stage of the perfume is interesting. Initial spray is a perfect balance of sweet/floral and darker wood/incense. In a few minutes, it’s slightly more powdery, but a subdued and mellow powder, more akin to an old lipstick smell, and not the high-pitched powder of carnations. Then as it fades it is nuttier, darker, thinning out finally to a soft floral that is then more like carnation but with sweetness. Here at this stage it resembles Vitriol d’Oeillet.
The fact that it moves from such a heavy and dense beginning to a rounded, smooth, almost velvety-paper end is really wonderful. Such a rich perfume experience. It really must be experienced – it seems to me almost a perfect “starter” perfume for someone who wants to know what Serge Lutens is all about. It takes the best of his nose for gourmand and his love of sharp floral and pulls them together into a long-life perfume of many rich faces.
accept7 – :
I had a sample of this and tested it completely expecting it to be a ” meh” going off the earlier reviews. Boy was I wrong! This starts out on me as a very jammy orange that calms down and gives way to a Moreish gingerbread, but never disappears totally.
Woody notes creep into the mix and it switches from harshness to loveliness constantly creating the most addictive aroma. Its silage and longevity are both great and I just find it such a mysterious, intoxicating scent and from so few ingredients! Who knew?!
lag488 – :
It opens with a lovely and unusual riff on burnt marmalade, but does not hold long enough. (To someone who just adores Mandarin Mandarine). I thought we were back in Oncle Serge’s fine art milleau but….. in the end I get a strange feeling that it’s a melange of Chypre Rouge and ? Nuit Cellophane…something… there is a nice but not very persistent chord of cinnamon. The ginger is very warmly, yeasty, subdued to a cook who does a lot of Pacific Rim stuff with raw grated ginger root. It is completely unique, and as such I had to try and express what it makes me think….
I’m sure I will buy a bottle.
Мишка – :
Opening decisive and strong tangerine,it is the first Note that you feel very much in evidence! After a while I feel like the other notes accompany so soft, almost in the distance,a whisper of a past memory, made harmonious by the notes listed in the background … I can detect a certain dust,and a note of great Osmanthus ! Another really nice S.Lutens perfume, I feel that this perfume is a combination of old and new,of melancholy and harmony. That’s a different fragrance for autumn/winter… among other Lutens always amazes me, how did with this new eau de parfum….Nice!
Sillage: 7.5/10
Longevity: 8.5/10
Scent: 8.5/10
Overall: 8.5/10
marlboro – :
Apre con una zaffata di mandarino acerbo e arancio amarissimo che rimangono a lungo insieme ad un fumoso zenzero molto piccante.
Il bruciato somiglia molto alla polvere da sparo.
Poi si calma (pure troppo per un Lutens) e si alternano metalli ,legni e fiori.
A tratti animalico.
Sudando,trafila la ben nota caramella alla Lutens fino a placarsi un un aromatico miscuglio.buono.
non gourmant.
Un’atmosfera strana,non comune e positiva.
Alternativo e buono.
Una bella sorpresa la coppia polvere da sparo-arancio.
Piu’maschile.
Autunno-inverno.
Sillage moderato e ottima durata.
Think different!
EnzoForza – :
The initial vibe is a strong citrusy and aromatic opening that recalls the classic men aftershaves from the 70s.
After 10-15 minutes, the classic cologne accord is becoming sweeter and sweeter. We can smell pungent spices (the accord of gingerbread is noticeable, but not overwhelming) mixed with powdery notes that recall sweet myrrh or opoponax.
“Baptême de Feu” is nice, well done, and that classic-retro vibe never disappears. But, despite the name, there’s nothing striking, wild, ritualistic or violent in this perfume.
6,5/10
herepok – :
While I think Serge still has some major cleaning up to do following the utter mess he’s made over the last few years, there’s a faint echo of the line’s apex here. Some of the weird, winey, fruity, woody-gourmands like Chene and Chergui are mirrored here, but it’s closer to Xerjoff’s Red Hoba than anything — only several decibels lower. For the first ten minutes it smells like chewy cinnamon candy — a touch mentholated for ventilation (think red vines, only less saccharine and more rich). A slight cosmetic floral effect is mapped onto a tame cashmeran for a creamy, velvety texture. After the opening fades away (very fast, unfortunately), that’s really what you’re left with: a savory take on cinnamon candy masquerading as a plush albeit diaphanous fabric. While it does get your attention, it doesn’t hold it for long.
eksend – :
Cross between l’orpheline and Vitriol d’oeillet. If you love those two then you will love this. Or you could mix l’orpheline and VdO yourself.
Opens with a burst of ginger and dries down to a lovely violet/iris/musc base and finally an wee oud note peeps through but not overtly.
This is good – I am a fan of Serge anyway, I love his perfumes, some more than others. This isn’t as stellar as some of his other potions but that said, I bought, I like it and I will wear it.
Highly recommended if you like the idea of owning a calmer fragrance from his line.
Sagos – :
Interesting mix of woody notes and spices. I can sense cloves in it. Smells like early Christmas, as many Serge Lutens scents do.
It has the quality, the interesting composition and the longevity, it doesn’t disappoint.
Gingerbread note definitely exists in this fragrance.
vlad-super – :
Barney’s in NYC just got it in today. I’m smelling fresh, slightly fiery ginger instead of gingerbread, but the composition has a counterintuitive “cool” feeling thanks to an almost incense-like gunpowder note. A lack of sweetness stops this being too obviously gourmand. While it’s not the most groundbreaking composition, it is certainly interesting and well-made. There’s a very autumnal feeling to it.
stroimdomiksami – :
“My emotions are fluid. Like liquid wax poured into a mould, they determine what seduces me – like this gingerbread heart”
Serge Lutens
Bapteme du Feu
A bombastic gourmand!
i got my bottle from Niche Essence in Toronto, Canada.
Scorpion90 – :
Well, Oncle Serge as we know him is “back from his long trip,” bringing us loads of tangerines! This is not Mandarine Mandarin (though it shares some DNA without the “celery”), and it’s not Gingembre (that is more woody, resin, spicy oriental), and I love Vitriol d’Oeillet which someone compared this too (I’m alone there too…)–and This is not That, but, something rather fresh. And old.
To my nose this is a woody-aquatic initially summery fragrance in the top notes that border on “foody-gourmand” plunging one into a “jammy rosy citrus” potpourri in the first discordant and dazzling few minutes. I kind of like the first 5 minutes–though they conjure up many “men’s” scents (Old Spice meets CK1). I also was transported instantly to the realms of Yankee Candle shops which did not exactly delight.
Five–ten minutes in BDF trims the gourmand border closely. The osthmanthus is present but gripped more tightly by its truer tangerine captor, and the ginger is neither a “biting-lemonesque,” nor is it a warm, woody “gingerbread ginger.” It skews toward “potpourri.” Twenty minutes in, it seems like Oncle’s trip down memory lane brought back grandma’s drying bits of old flowers heavily mingled with long-dead spices, now so old and blended one cannot make out the clove from the cinnamon stick lying in the dusty crystal dish.
I love potpourri (I do!), but this one is disconcerting. Perhaps more accurately, it calls to mind the old-fashioned pomanders that used to hang in closets that as young girls we’d make as gifts, where one punctures an orange with a bunch of cloves. Where the cloves would be, is the ginger, so imagine the effect if it was somehow “dried bits of ginger star” piercing a mandarin rather than orange, and hanging in the closet for a very long time.
Underlying this odd powder pomander-tangerine predominant note is an “aquatic-calone” vibe I know is not listed and nothing above in the notes identifies or points to. Nowhere do I get gunpowder, and I grew up shooting guns. Ignoring the politics for now, from a very early age, I watched my father clean his guns, and we would shoot pistols, his regulation gun as well as rifles and shotguns. I even had the dubious pleasure of shooting a muzzleloader with powder that knocked my 10 year old frame nearly to the ground. I know what gunpowder smells like, and I was looking forward to seeing how that note could (easily I thought) be incorporated to the overall notes. But I don’t get it unless it is a slight, very faint “metal”tinge to the aquatic, or, what I’m sensing is similar to “calone” is the purported “gunpowder” note.
All of the SLs that this points to I quite enjoy (including the feared “celery-Mandarine” which turns into what this one “wants” to be, that is, a spicy oriental that I just love…).
On the tester strip, rather than my skin, the scent is more generally “citrusy” with a subtle ginger bite to it, cleaner and crisper with better defined edges and less powder. The osthmanthus is still subdued but present and trying to hold its own. I sense vetiver though not listed, as well as a jammy rose quality, and I think that it does share some notes with Mandarine Mandarin (so if one did not love that scent, I really don’t think one would like this one either–but, if it was the “celery” that repelled, that note is absent here).
I wear Vitriol d’Oeillet with great pleasure, and my Gingembre is a comfort scent, but I really don’t know about this one. I have a FB so will wear for a while to see how it morphs. I have discovered that SL perfumes change with weather and temperature and personal chemistry as well as mood. In its overall “wearability” it’s a bit like Douce Amere.
Silage seems low with good to very good longevity.
Happy sniffing!
lfrfh – :
Intriguing and mysterious … a playful interpretation of gingerbread (and fresh ginger, I feel) combined with a citrus halo suspended between velvety and harsh and with a surprising woody note which composes , decomposes… very special… another great Lutens!!!