Description
One of the top selling perfumes of the 1980-es, one of those bold, powerful, distinguishing, and timeless fragrances. Loulou is a controversial perfume that people either like, or dislike, the one that provoke different emotions, and indifference for sure is not one of them. Loulou is a fragrance dangerous like Pandora’s Box. Loulou is like intoxicating dark red flower which allures you to the depth of dangerous and dark forest. Yet, it is not possible to resist. It is irresistible and once you are engrossed by its warm scent, you simply have to let go and follow it, you have to pick the forbidden fruit.
The perfume is built around the beautiful and sensual scent of Tiare flower, the Tahitian symbol of welcoming and generous offer. The top notes are composed of violet, plum black currant, marigold and anis; the heart of sweet Tiare flower is accentuated with the notes of tuberose, ylang-ylang and orange blossom; all that is followed by powdery trace of orris and Tonka bean, and sensual mix of vanilla and balsam.
This sensual, wild and mysterious perfume is captured in an opaque blue and red flacon of a simple octagonal straight-lines shape that narrows towards the top. Earlier version of the bottle was designed like Alladin’s lamp with blue octagonal base and red spiky top. It comes in a cardboard outer box, painted in red flowers and colorful vegetation, against very dark forest decor.
Read more about LouLou Cacharel in Loulou – The Fragrance of Pandora’s Box LouLou was launched in 1987. The nose behind this fragrance is Jean Guichard.
volckodaw – :
Oh my soul! I’m in perfume heaven. Juicy, powdery, floral heaven.
This is so beautiful. Jean Guichard managed to bring out the indolic headiness of tuberose, the juiciness of plum, the sensual intoxication of ylang ylang and mimosa, and the creamy smoothness of vanilla all together. These notes on me seem to stand out on their own and yet still work well together. I can’t stop sniffing my wrist. Genius stuff!
The incense and spices only play a supportive role on my skin. I mostly get cinnamon with a hint of incense and benzoin, and they come out after LouLou has settled down (like 5 hours later!). I also get a “smooth powdery coolness” in the middle from the heliotrope and iris.
I really wish the incense was a little more pronounced though. From the reviews here, it would seem that incense and benzoin are quite present in the vintage version. I am almost tempted to layer LouLou with CK Obsessions just to give it a spicy incense boost, but I am afraid of neutralising the heady tuberose and juicy plum.
I love this reformulated version just the same though.
This is a BEAST in sillage and longevity, so be warned. I also think it develops better in cold weather.
edlist – :
Jean Guichard, who gave us Calvin Klein Obsession, has an often-unsung beauty in LouLou. The fragrance is powdery and sweet without being cloying, capturing Tiare flower quite well. All the other notes support this broad stroke, and as others have pointed out, LouLou may seem different from day to day, almost like a real person. It lasts for days on clothing and hair, so it’s not for the timid; it was created in 1987 after all, when little was subtle. I don’t think you could find a better or more interesting fragrance around this price point.
HaizEnadraxia – :
LouLou is an odd beast. I’ve been wearing it for a few weeks now and yet to review it because it seems to give me a slightly different scent from day to day. At its worst I think it gives me a headache but it’s got a really intriguing edge that keeps me coming back. I think the first spray is its most variable – if you’re lucky, an intriguing spicy anise that smells like an old-fashioned sweetshop, on an off-day it’s an odd synthetic blast and if you’re really unlucky, unmistakable cat piss.
Give it a bit of time to settle down, though, and you have a really interesting and very wearable retro oriental. Lots of plums, spice and tuberose, sweet vanilla and resins – the fragrance develops and changes a fair amount but I’d say once you’re past the initial blast the plums, spice and basenotes are fairly consistently there throughout, with waves of various white florals along the way. It’s noticeable and long-lasting but not overwhelming (unless it’s one of the days it’s chosen to give me a headache, unfortunately) – I’ve been pleasantly surprised at what a subdued, gentle presence it can be. I love the retro oriental powerhouses like Poison and Opium, which LouLou is clearly a cousin of, but they’re so powerful that it takes a very certain type of person to wear them, and I’m more suited to admire them from afar. Compared to them LouLou is far more accommodating – it’s got a sweet, warm heart that invites you in rather than dragging you. Interesting that it can be so obviously of its time and yet such an oddball.
vovanch – :
Loulou
First off, I adore the packaging, and bottle.
I’ve had my first try of this today. Just to see.
It has a bit of an, almost, unpleasant first spray, something plastic floral, not terrible, but I’m a younger generation so this is a bit of a shock compared to the usual offerings.
Lou Lou has a beastly feel – powerhouse in the first hour or so.
But it doesn’t stay that way, it’s perfectly interestingly lovely in an unfamiliar way. It’s not heavy. We are spring here.
Give it at least 10 mins to settle, you gotta, then you get a creamy white complex floral, slightly bitter edge. When I sniff up close over the next hour I get a bitter tinge to the white floralness. If I sniff away from skin-kinda like whiff it, I get a slightly sweeter floral more creamy composition.
It’s got an 80’s or 90’s vibe, you know ysatis and a few others around that time, they’ve got this base to them, a complexity base of that time, this has that too. It’s not girly by any means,
Now about 4 hours later, I get a lighter creamy white ish floral with a (nice) eraser rubber note. Perfumey slightly sweet floral. Not fresh type, not wet, not warm either, you could almost say, there’s a sweet aspect to it like honey smells, not how it tastes.
Complex and worth trying even if you don’t end up liking or buying.
Very end notes about 5-6 hours post spray is like the nice smell if a smiggle stationary shop- that gorgeous rubber eraser scent
Shominab – :
Magical lou lou, such a stunning fragrance! Long lasting and just beautiful, they don’t make perfumes like that these days… My signature perfume is Kenzo jungle elephant, but I was in a mood to find some other scent that I like, and that’s how I found Lou Lou 🙂 Is woody, incense,smoky and very sexy!If you like oriental, spicy perfumes you definitely need to try Lou Lou
serjmass – :
All of us had Lou Lou back than.. even I had a tiny bottle of this magic water,
for my neightbour it was the holy grale, she loved it so very much, and she was the right girl to wear it,
I was stuck with Eden and eau d’eden,
Lou Lou is such an epiq scent, it is the summary of the 80/90 thies,
we were so full of dreams for the future to come,
Lou Lou is the rock, and what a beautiful scent
3698741 – :
i really really don’t like it for the first hour or two. some violet (and lily) gives me a very specific type of ‘nose ache’ in my sinuses, and this definitely has it. and while it is a distinctly different fragrance, the parma violet – incense combo instantly reminds me of kenzo flower, which i don’t get along with at all. but upon trying it, there was something so different about lou lou that left me intrigued (lou lou is far naughtier than flower), so i didn’t scrub her off. i’m so glad i didn’t, as i find the dry down very lovely !! a powdery vanilla and orris with flowers fluttering around it, it’s both innocent and suggestive all at once (again…that naughty thing). i like it enough where i am willing to wade through the opening to get to it (as it lasts ages in this stage), i just have to be in the right headspace for it.
tol418 – :
Mysterious & beautiful. A blast of powdery incense with creamy tuberose. 80s Barbie would wear this!
[Side note: This is one of Dita von Teese’s favorites! She even decorated the dining room of her new home with blue walls & red chairs to match the colors of the bottle (she posted a video of it on her personal app)]
error517 – :
This review is for vintage Loulou which I applied today at 1pm in the afternoon. It’s now 9.40pm and Loulou is still making her presence felt. I’ve caught whiffs of her all day, and at time’s I’m like what is that beautiful smell. Then I remember.
I honestly can’t explain what or how with this scent but all I know is I adore it when the weather changes..I feel like Loulou cat catches my essence which is feminine, yet strong. Alluring, dark but has a sweetness and playfulness…If she was a charecter I would say that LouLou is an indie chick with dark berried lips, a cats eye flick, black leather jacket, with a vintage midi day dress and Dr Marten boots with jet black hair..She’s modern, edgy and knows who she is..
Armen – :
Totally love <3
Loulou is a lady that goes her own way and don’t give a s**t about what other thinks!
First spray- is it plastic? Is there an alien inside the bottle? The first minutes are very special, but then when it evolves on the skin… Aaaa, an occult teenage incense vibe but then very female with plum, lots of flowers( tuberose, Jasmine, sweet mimosa), somehow I start to think about Dior Poison and Givench Ange ou Demon…
After a couple of hours depending on heat and humidity she will linger on your skin with soft powdery vanilla, wood scent.
Last weeks this is my new “confidence scent” <3
seslus – :
I havent come across too many scents like LouLou. Yummy incense, velvety balsamic spices! So good. Very strong on the opening and the dry down brings a lasting bold oriental vibe. Not for everyone. Just right for those of us who love bold spicy frags.
denis.lyova – :
The year was 1988, it was my first job, I was young, precocious and willing to try anything in life, the senior MD’s wife came in one day to check if I was a competitor for her husband. He was mid 40s, Of course not to me, but obviously a threat for her. She wore LouLou, it was powerful, I asked her what perfume she was wearing because the entire office smelt like LouLou.
I wanted a bottle then, and I bought one not too long after.
I was too young for LouLou.
But now, I’m the perfect age for LouLou.
The plastic, loud alien like opening which lasted all but few minutes doesn’t turn me on but the rest of the day, LouLou is just beautiful, creamy, powder, white flowers (jasmine, ylang-ylang) and unique.
2 sprays lasts over 12 hours on clothes and strong enough for me to smell it all day long, it’s not in my face, it’s subtle….but it’s there
If I have to sum LouLou up in one word, I would say She is Mysterious, not a woman you take for granted, not a woman who is easy to seduce…
And oh, LouLou didnt fit that MD’s wife, It wore her instead.
Know thyself is LouLou’s chic
mersi1111 – :
Phase 1. Tuberose + jasmine + honey + black currant. It opens similar to Jil Sander No 4, wax-y, thick scent, the same group as Eden or Kenzo by Kenzo – it’s hard to differentiate notes.
Phase 2. After 15 minutes I’m enshrouded by a mist of burning plastic note + carraway (Mystery N. Campbell?) + anise + almond/arrack extract + wax crayons + scented doll (90-ties) + mimosa suntan cream.
Phase 3. sweet, milky, very cosy note, that feels like second skin (as in Guerlain’s Mahora)
huseynovnv – :
So beautiful mysterius rubber flower fragrance but not me too often
aibollit89 – :
I could pretty much sum up my review with: I wish there were more plum.
It’s nice. But I’ve got a LOT of pretty white flowers with a bit of incense scents. On me this settled WAY too fast into orris root and sandalwood and not much else.
If this had been plumy I might have gone for a full bottle. As it is it’s just OK and I’ll happily pass.
gbc175Negeltzex – :
The word that springs to mind when I wear LouLou is ‘plush’–commonly creamy, bright tuberose is given a dark twist in this perfume. Paired with plum, the flower smells ultra velvety and pretty sweet. It’s mildly spicy as the incense isn’t too loud. This isn’t a tropical summer white floral; this is an 80s hallmark fragrance best paired with velvet cocktail dresses. It’s dated, but if you like vintage style perfumes, this won’t disappoint you.
EDIT: this smells like a local sex shop in the best way possible. They burn incense there too.
LenovaD7 – :
I had a small Jeannie bottle in the 90′,s. I don’t think I ever really wore it. Just would smell the bottle. The little gem was sacred. Because I could never find it in the stores, I just thought it was discontinued. After moving a few times the the bottle of course became lost. Fast forward to now. Surprised to see it is in production and inexpensive. Just got my bottle. Thought I would be disappointed. No. It’s as beautiful as I remember. I never want to be without it again.
lastrwarrior – :
LouLou was an odd, hesitant ‘love at first sniff’. There was something so strangely captivating about it that honestly just had me sniffing my wrists every minute I could without looking like a complete humpty.
Incense and tuberose are definitely the main players here, but they are blended so oddly that nothing smells entirely natural. It’s actually bizarre how something so unnatural can feel so natural.
A true example of the eighties, a time in which things aren’t meant to be realistic but instead totally otherworldly. You wouldn’t get ‘feminine’from this in today’s age.
kalyanh – :
I like this one, but I would say that Petit Bisou by Paris Elysées is better than this reformulation. All that was left was an amorphous synthetic mass and the only notes that are more noticeable are praline (that reigns supreme)and that strong synthetic smokey incense (that is hardly noticeable in its cheaper cousin). It’s flat and dark, and just that. It’s sweet to the point of causing diabetes, but somehow not in bad taste.
isa06 – :
I’ve learned today that Lou Lou needs to be given plenty of time to display her beauty. I’ve dismissed Lou Lou in the past, because I only ever sprayed it on card in stores. I now know that for me at least, this particular fragrance works best on skin. The spray on paper test just didn’t showcase her multi facets and dry down elegance.
Based on all the positive reviews, I wanted to give Lou Lou a second chance – a real test – so I purchased a decent sized sample and used the whole lot up today. Yes, the whole sample! I enjoyed it so much I became a bit of an addict.
At first, the strong incense and plum notes made me think that Lou Lou was just a watered down version of Poison, but she’s so much more. The dry down is gorgeously floral, tempered by the incense. If you do enjoy Poison, Samsara, Shalimar and Passion by Elizabeth Taylor, but find them too intense to wear in public, you might like to try Lou Lou. Silage is strong, but I didn’t find it anywhere near as powerful as the others – and I did use the entire sample up today!
Just as an odd coincidence (speaking of Elizabeth Taylor fragrances), I’ve just put on my scarf which has the lingering scent of White Diamonds Parfum. The two blend well together. They do share some notes, but I never would have thought to blend Lou Lou and White Diamonds. Together on skin I think they would be too much, but with only a faint whiff of WD on clothing, this is lovely. Cheers.
igor.kupyrev – :
Iconic, I dare to say that there are no more powerful fragrances like this … like Poison, Oscar, Coco and Obsession … fabulous releases of the glorious eighties. A complex, tumultuous fragrance, a field of magnetic force, really intoxicating! Excellent color combination for your bottles …
vi080471aan – :
This is a lovely, lovely perfume. I wasn’t wild about the opening — I hate anise, though this has little enough it wasn’t a huge problem for me, and the incense accord was kind of meh. But it was warm today where I live (in the low 70s) and I went outside, and I started getting wafts of this gorgeous powdery vanilla… Not too sweet, not gourmand at all, just warm and slightly sexy, and I loved it! I think this might be a great warm-weather scent for me.
pilaowl – :
I am relatively new to fragrance as a hobby and sad to say that the more I read on this website, the more I realise I have not got an especially good “nose”.
I have acquired a vintage 1988 Aladdin bottle of Loulou. I collect vintage fragrances for two reasons,firstly the smell of course, but also for the historical aspect. I enjoy knowing I own a part of history that can be a joy to the senses and help transport me to times gone by, to days when family members now gone were around.
This is where my lack of a sensitive nose becomes relevant. This was not a fragrance I had in the 1980’s. Having read the reviews I do not get any bubblegum, vanilla or any sweetness at all. I actually thought on first smell and based on the reviews that I must have got a spoilt bottle. I drove to my local Boots store to smell the current formulation and to my surprise whilst there were discernible differences, it was definitely close. The new one seemed to have a bit more sweetness where as my vintage seemed more powdery and spicy.
In any case, I can not make my mind up about Loulou. I keep going back to smell it and I am enjoying it more. I doubt however this will ever be a scent I wear in public. Some 80s big guns I still wear loud and proud, especially my beloved vintage Poison and Opium. The vintage Loulou is definitely of its time and I love it because of that. It definitely sends me back to the big hair and shoulder pads and general excess of the 1980’s. This is one I am going to save for wearing and enjoying indoors possibly with some Madonna or Billy Ocean playing in the background.
I just wish my nose was more keen 🙁
ramones32 – :
Bubblegum tuberose and incense. If I had to use one word to describe this scent, it would be creepy. Not in a bad way, a very good way. It’s like a trail of something terrible and wonderful down a dark corridor. Like laughter in the darkness, a vampire of a scent without the blood.
Even the bottle is haunting. I have vauge, childhood memories of it on dressers and can never recall if I really saw this perfume growing up or not. Yet here she is, a perfect tuberose.
It’s pure plutonian. I wasn’t surprised at all when I saw the actress this was inspired by turned out to be a Scorpio ha.
denis_180488 – :
Thank you Jean Guichard, thank you, thank you, thank you for this gorgeous, sexy, beautiful scent. I wore this today and a man standing behind me asked me what I was wearing, he said I smelled so good. I did, I knew I did. This scent is going right in my favorites. I usually love vintage, power scents anyway, my signature is Obsession, but this is just out of this world. It’s the fragrance of a woman who knows what she wants in life and has a few stories to tell. 😉
I can’t really say any notes stand out to me, I’m not good with notes as it were, but it’s certainly invokes a sexy, mysterious and confident vibe. And there’s no season specific for this one, I’m in hot Florida today and wore it. I’m sure it would be nice in the winter and fall as well. Lasts all day into the night, I am still getting whiffs of it and I am Livvviiiiinnng!
Lou Lou, you are a legend!
chiga1795 – :
Dear lord, what a gem this is, even after all these years when I’ve gotten it as a gift in my high school years, still adore it. Very complex, obviously mind boggling dark and beautiful at the same time! I would even see this as a predecessor to Dior Addict, strong on benzoin, oriental flowers. As a vintage fragrance from the mid 80s and made its place amongst current days tops to this day, next to Shalimar, Samsara – amazing.
seol9 – :
I had to review this again on finally receiving a bottle through a swap. I love dark narcotic purple and white florals and LouLou is one of the best. Dark baby powder and dusty sweet deep smoky flowers. At times it smells like marshmallows toasted over burning incense. It’s the epitome of innocence corrupted, a perfect scent representation of a good girl gone bad. In my opinion, LouLou is one of the best scents EVER created, may this classic never be discontinued, and may it continue to corrupt innocent young girls with its powers of dark seduction for many many years to come.
НИКОЛАЙ64 – :
I’ve heard people call this perfume “a diva” or “a beautiful beast” etc., and now I acquired it I completely understand what they mean! It certainly does provoke a glimpse of a glamorous, statuesque, confident, and perfectly poised 50s Hollywood actress, yet it’s surprisingly not too sexy or sweet (on my skin, at least). It’s like a string of pearls in a bottle. The scent itself will choose the venue to which the wearer will go. It’s powerful that it feels like I will need some time to really get to know it – and I look forward to the process!
evgenchy – :
Sampling a vintage 5ml. Lou Lou doesnt smell dated to me, in part because I didn’t wear it in the 80s. This is my first time experiencing it: super pretty, powdery vanilla with incense and flowers. I’m curious how this compares to the reformulation, but this vintage one is a beauty. Long lasting with a mysterious, exotic vibe.
1geroy1 – :
What a lovely dose of tuberose, ylang ylang, vanilla and balsam! I used to buy this for my sister back in the 90’s then somehow, I must have forgotten all about it until recently, I saw it on the perfume rack in London and casually sprayed it on me. And you know, magic happens.. I’m so glad it is still in production! I’m going to be honest here, I am going to stock up on this one, like a lotttt haha!!
It is balsamic, creamy, and intoxicatingly beautiful all at once. It is super love for me.
VeronikaDi – :
… oldie but goodie …
LouLou is an oriental potion in a quaint bottle. I could write many adjectives characterizing this scent: rich, dark, honey-sweet, smoky, intensive, intoxicating, alluring – and it won´t be enough.
This scent is so thick & significant that you could almost see it in the air & touch it. Overripe plums, carnal /but creamy/ tuberose, sweet vanilla, spices, resins & a cloud of incense. And my soul & heart couldn´t ask for more.
zpEngel – :
I will never be able to repeat enough times how much I love LouLou since I first smelled it in 1992, there is no perfume better than this: thick smoky powdery vanilla flowers. Nothings beats this reformulated or not. I even own a factice géant that stands proud in my bathroom.
Sexy, forbidden, soft, feminine, like a whispered secret or a confession of love after an eternity of waiting…
kbv438JeomiWogkig – :
God I love this! This was released the year I was born in 1987.
I just blind bought it today. SO obviously unique straight away. Does not smell a bit like standard, conventional, modern perfumes. Powdery and musky but in a beautiful dusky, stand out way. Smells like magic spells. I’m quite alt/rock & I absolutely love it, it’s my new daytime wear.
Boxengemnen – :
Lou lou for me is on the same shelf with Habanita and Samsara. All three i took time to appreciate, but now all three are special among the popular sugarbombs in the air. Unique and comforting ylang ylang with a light smokiness hiding the white flower crush.
delphi – :
Ahhh LouLou… Why are you everything I need?
I’ve finally got myself a bottle, after years of playing around with the concept of wearing it.
There are two kinds of perfumes I can’t resist on this earth: big, lush, tropical white florals, and grand creamy orientals. LouLou is a land placed squarely between those two continents.
It’s also halfway between the dark, poisonously sweet floral orientals of the eighties and the gourmands of the nineties. Today it feels as trendy as ever.
My mother recalls how cloying it smelled to her when it had just come out (she was more of a Cerruti girl). Nowadays, LouLou feels restrained compared to the sugar-bombs that crowd modern perfumeries.
Despite how inexpensive it is, LouLou is a masterpiece in my humble eyes.
OrikonePattajaDa – :
I love it. that’s it.
saharov3 – :
This was one of my favourite perfumes in the 1980’s. When I saw it on-line, I had to get some. Brings back memories. Compared to the new trend of perfumes, it’s a bit strong and sweet … in a flowery way … instead of the current popular ‘fruity way’. Not quite as strong and rich as I remember, but still very nice. Spicy sweet flowers!
Extpumajl – :
As cheap as chips and yet so lovely on the right person. This (and Opium) was one of my favourite female scent when I was at Uni. It was far sexier than the more pricey Chanels some girls wore. I recall one incident, when I talking to a hot friend of mine in a pub… it suited her and blended with her so well, must have been around 1991…. and as we talked and I breathed her in, the whole side of my body nearest her began to tingle and go numb, my arm, my cheek… ridiculous. I’ve never known anything like that before or since with any other perfume. Well… there was that one time… also involving LouLou… but that’s far too naughty to relate….
I bought a bottle recently just for the memories. I don’t think it’s quite the same or as good, but it’s still quite lovely… I just need to find the right girl to put it on!
LaptevaNM – :
The most Genius perfume and bottle ever created . I must at least once every day spray it on my neck . Make-up talc and dark magical flower incense mixed here , such an provokative and attraktive . And the bottle , oh my . Once I had heard that the colours red and blue are oppose to each other and a woman dressed like this has no class . OK , I am just lougthing now . Maybe , maybe not . Hot and Cold in contrast – that what Lou Lou is for me . Big Love , unbelievable Beauty .
TATARIN 116 – :
Lou Lou without a sense memory:
Smoky tuberose. Incense over a vase of creamy white flowers. A hint of heliotrope skin cream.
Lou Lou with my specific sense memory:
Oh no! My aunt used to spray this heavily inside the outdoor toilet at our lake cottage. The minute I smelled Lou Lou I KNEW that’s what she must have done. I can’t wear it because all I can think is “yup, this is the outhouse”
Dbrnjhbz – :
This is very very very sweet floral with fruit; the plum is punching out then ylang is huge, some creamy tuberose, some heliotrope, a little underlying powdery violet
kjz603Negeltzex – :
SO Power 80s, elegant, yet sweet. Think “Overboard” when Goldie Hawn turned into a materialistic power fashion queen. She’s making an impression. Yet, she is soft. Powerful yet soft.
If you like tuberose you will love this. It is a little bit sweet, and I normally do not love sweet frags, but this one is great. A+ one of my favs
Kakyshonok – :
This is a very nice smelling perfume. I would wear this at night I recommend loulou to you. It smells divine. buy it right now.
alexandrdavy – :
I have wanted to try this perfume for a long time! Thanks to a gift from a member, i finally wore LouLou today.I find it very elegant, but i am not sure id consider it an oriental at all. It reminds me of tropical monoi oil ( tiare flowers infused in coconut oil) used by ladies in Polynesia and Hawaii. First is gardenia-like floral, some yellower flowers with some incensy haze, and then powdery vanilla. With all the contoversy, I am suprised that its not shockingly dirty or far out. Its just pretty Imo. But I think Id have liked being a flapper.
Good longevity and changes a lot from start to drydown. The dry down is more tonka vanilla but i still dont consider this a dark scent, but sexy, yes!
Love Love the bottle style.
TrideThem – :
This is for vintage Loulou of which I aquired after 30 odd years and she smells exactly how I remembered her.
SHe is warm, aloof, sensual, feminine, dark, assured and a woman who knows her own mind and is happy in her own skin. I would even say that she is unisex as this is the perfect blend of dark and light.
I adore the violet, plum black currant and the powdery trace of orris and Tonka bean, with vanilla and balsam notes. And i’m glad to say that the vanilla is moderate, with the smooth smoky incense running throughout.
Loulou isn’t dated; rather she is misunderstood as she was before her time, hence why she is a classic for the dark, untamed woman.
She brings me so much comfort on a cold winter day and my heart sings; I love you Loulou, will you be mine ?
megaToxa – :
Initial spray was a hideous shrieking stink bomb that I felt self conscious to be wearing in public, having tested it in store. So I thought it would be a big no, but after half an hour it calmed down and showed a character distinct from the other fumes I’d tested that day. It lasted the longest and was the one I enjoyed smelling the most, which I found odd given the unpleasant opening. It definitely smells retro… I get a strong spicy incense balanced perfectly on a bed of creamy sweet vanilla. It’s feminine sweetness with a ballsy, intoxicating character – so 80’s!
Edit: Tested it again today and the opening is really obnoxious. The sweet scent which showed up after a 30 mins wait was gone in about 2-3 hours.
sergey-paradox842 – :
Loulou is one of my evening/ going out perfumes (others being Chopards Casmir and Wish), but with just one spray, its not overpowering and I’ve worn it by day also, even in summer (Finnish “summer”, that is). I never put on more than two sprays of it. Like few others here, I like it better on clothes/hair, than skin only. Lovely and long lasting. I find it unique, mysterious and sexy. I believe not many wear it today in my country, at least in my age group and that’s a plus.
morTurnerie – :
Lou Lou is absolutely beautiful, balsamic and creamy. Love love love
Sluplebypeddy – :
Then and now:
It was 1987 and I was in the same department store I practically grew up in. The front counters had the newest fragrances and eventually, the core line was moved farther back. Lou Lou was all over the place in its plastic, obtrusive, blinding glory. The whole place smelled like Lou Lou, but I was too shy to save up for a bottle and wear it around. This was a problem I often had because I didn’t understand drydown, etc. But in the bottle, where fragrances blew me away, I would tend to put them down and go for the scented oils that didn’t have silage (the hippie type oils). This was one of the very first fragrances that *I* wanted, instead of something gifted to me.
Such regret that I didn’t snap on the opportunity, and even moreso when I realized how unique it was.
Now, because I am returning to my inner fragrance scent hound origins, primarily because of scented grandmothers of mine they lived through the Depression and WWII and the Elizabeth Taylor 1950’s–I get to choose. Here’s the snap: I had no idea how this smelled, only that I wanted it and couldn’t have it because I was afraid it was too bold.
Now I have this in my home and I sprayed it first thing. I have no idea how to describe Lou Lou, only that it might be something to eat. I feel it has a creamy, slightly spiced dessert smell. I think that’s the vanilla and the cinnamon wood (though I could very well be wrong). It’s so complex! Then I get maybe a tad of sweet raisin? Who knows! Then after that, I feel like I’m biting into a floral jelly candy, something like what they call here “fruit snacks” and they’re extremely flavorful and stick to your teeth.
If they made “floral” snacks instead, chewy and punched with flavor, you would feel like eating flowers in a dessert, instead of fruit, or maybe with a little of a plum jam.
The weird part is that I cannot identify a single flower. I thought jasmine, but I couldn’t be sure. I have no idea what iris, heliotrope or ylang-ylang smells like anymore. But the word “heliotrope” and “jasmine” were somehow in my head for whatever reason. I guess probably because I read Fragrantica’s description and reviews a bunch, in anticipation of my purchase.
So the bottom line for me is creamy spices, fruit, a smear of plum preserves in a mysterious almost nose-itchy laundry detergent floral, or a violet gum, or some mish-mash of fruits and florals in a new way. The strangest thing, though, is something I have never felt, but I think Lou Lou is resonating on my skin, almost a drumbeat or a heartbeat. Forgive me if I sound insane, but I feel that Lou Lou is an entity in some way, pleasantly following me around.
Assibesox – :
Then and now:
It was 1987 and I was in the same department store I practically grew up in. The front counters had the newest fragrances and eventually, the core line was moved farther back. Lou Lou was all over the place in its plastic, obtrusive, blinding glory. The whole place smelled like Lou Lou, but I was too shy to save up for a bottle and wear it around. This was a problem I often had because I didn’t understand drydown, etc. But in the bottle, where fragrances blew me away, I would tend to put them down and go for the scented oils that didn’t have silage (the hippie type oils). This was one of the very first fragrances that *I* wanted, instead of something gifted to me.
Such regret that I didn’t snap on the opportunity, and even moreso when I realized how unique it was.
Now, because I am returning to my inner fragrance scent hound origins, primarily because of scented grandmothers of mine they lived through the Depression and WWII and the Elizabeth Taylor 1950’s–I get to choose. Here’s the snap: I had no idea how this smelled, only that I wanted it and couldn’t have it because I was afraid it was too bold.
Now I have this