Description
Niche perfumer Stéphane Humbert Lucas launches his new fragrance Mortal Skin in 2015, the first fragrance of The Snake Collection, unlike the rest which belong to the 777 collection. The fragrance is smoky, oriental – woody.
“1st Act: The perfume, languid and colourful, hypnotises me,
I am facing two eyes that desire me.
Leafy coolness, fruits, the magic of the encounter,
The seduction begins.
2nd Act:
The perfume rises up and paralyses me,
The fangs ooze, wanting to sink into me.
Throbbing heat mixed with blue cold, I think I am bitten.
Sandalwood, tequila, intoxication.
3rd Act:
Bestiality, brutality, journey,
The perfume smells of hot ash.
Life slips away.
It now knows that all is beautiful.
Top notes: blackberry, ink, incense and labdanum. Heart: opoponax, iris, davana, myrrh and cardamom. Base: ambergris, styrax, sandalwood, labdanum, civet, cedar, birch and musk.
It is available as 50 ml EDP.
The nose behind this fragrance is Stephane Humbert Lucas.
SandN – :
A 2015. év egyik legkülönlegesebb hipnotikus művészi alkotása, nem egy hétköznapi viselet… egy brutális, de mennyei utazás kezdete…
Meztelenül állunk egy kristálytiszta térben, az abszolút sötétségben, bőrünkön érezzük a világegyetem, az örök éjszaka lüktetését, a távolban égő haldokló csillagködök lassú hullámzását, melyek csak az ionizált anyaguk miatt világítanak. A halandó bőr és egy összeomló távoli csillag feszültséggel teli illata…
Az utazás mesésen indul, fekete tinta füstös tömjénnel párosul, egyesülésüket a kardamom is támogatja, mindehhez a gyanták kellő meleget kölcsönöznek az írisz fagyosságával szemben. Finom füst lebeg mindenfelé, olyan érzésünk támad, hogy mindez az élet törékenységéről szól, melyet körülvesz a nyírfából, szantálfából és cédrusból készült erős keret.
Mindehhez nagy koncentrációban csatlakozik a parfüm tökéletes egyediségét biztosító, pézsmába és forró tintába mártott szeder igen különös illata. A háttérben egy száraz, illuzórikus zúgó erdőt hallunk, amely tényleg csak egy káprázat, hiszen valójában az erdő egy sima üvegre festett kép csupán.
Ez nem az a fajta parfüm, amelyet egyszerűen csak viselünk, ez olyan, amit akkor kívánunk meg, amikor olyan emberrel találkozunk, akivel érdemes együtt lenni, és amikor felnézünk az égre, tudjuk, hogy nem vagyunk egyedül.
wolverines – :
This one makes me melancholy, because I keep sensing that there are wonderful things in there about to do something spectacular, but these fireworks lurk eternally out of reach … there’s something evanescent and elusive about every note, so I can’t settle in and enjoy it. Could be an individual chemistry thing, but MY mortal skin seemed to first mute this down to a gently spiced powdery-wood with a few almost imperceptible sparks of iris … didn’t get the burst of blackberry or ink or darkness I was primed to expect … and then I’d get the occasional waft of something wonderful every 10 minutes or so, but on burying my nose back to my wrist, it just wasn’t there. Any trace of its loveliness entirely gone in 4h or so. So… not sure if I’m anosmic to it, or if it just doesn’t perform on me, but this one was definitively NOT as billed. From the pyramid here I hoped for something rich, dark, almost boozily intoxicating, whereas Mortal Skin turned out to be a very subtle, adult, discreet performer. I worried I’d fall expensively in love with this one, but although I’m really glad to have tried it, am relieved to find that it’s not meant to be. Unarguably a class act and a beautiful, complex scent if it works for you, though.
Engettided – :
You are standing outside the Garden of Eden. The air is cool, and a slight breeze coming from inside is scented with the most amazing smell. The combination of liturgical incense and fruity wood is intoxicating. A glistening giant anaconda glides by on the ground, disturbing leaves on shrubs, and causing you to tremble with a mix of awe and fear. Your adrenaline spikes, and everything is brighter and more precious. Even the smell of your skin, still reacting to your scare is tantalizing. This is the experience of Mortal Skin. Awesome!
Xeroxooooc – :
Smells incredible and unlike any other scent I can think of.
Bloody_Baron – :
Mortal Skin is quite an abstract perfume on my skin. The notes blend and percolate through each other, that the smell as a whole, feels like an object exhibiting inflections of different notes. The evolution also takes place in a incremental manner, although three different phases can be distinguished on my skin.
The first 30 minutes of Mortal Skin is a chewy, almost chalk-like musk to my nose, with abstract berry sweetness and clean “ozonic” feeling lifting the fragrance up without actually smelling like marine or ozonic elements, which is probably the “ink” referred to in the note list.
The woody elements then become stronger with time, as well as the berry sweetness turns more sugary in parallel. There is also an almost oily creamy resin undertone and a saffron-like bitter fruitiness. The combined effect of musky, resinous and slightly inky wood and sweet berries, actually strongly reminds me of the synthetic oud dry down in certain western brands.
Like many western “oud” fragrances, Mortal Skin turns drier towards the dry down, but thankfully not as harsh as a few overdosed by woody amber aromachemicals. A simultaneously balmy, date-like and cool, mineral myrrh also comes to rescue, which makes a sweet balsamic berry skin scent with an interesting bitter twang.
Mortal Skin stays mostly close to skin and lasts about at least 9 hours.
I find it interesting that Mortal Skin is not as heavy as the note list suggests, which allows me to enjoy the fragrance even though I’m not so keen on occidental “oud” and sweet berry in general. But it also leaves me somewhat underwhelmed by this overall nebulous trail, especially at this price. If you happen to be looking for a soft, sweet “oud” and myrrh fragrance and has less limit on budget, Mortal Skin might be a contender, but I would otherwise hesitate to recommend it due to its price and accessibility.
syncAnidscese – :
The opening was sublime but 10 minutes in, the pepper and cumarin are kind of choking me out. Let’s see how this progresses.
unfifehubseri – :
Stephane does modern oriental fragrance fantastically and this is another one of them, I’m shocked at all the hate in some of the reviews. I find his perfumes wear YOU as oppose to you wearing them, they come and go throughout the wearing and the ones that I have tested or bought are not obtrusive, including this one. I get at the start an inky blackberry aroma that does hit you first off, then it settles down on me to an earthy, woodsy aromaand although not listed I get a hint of a nutmeg aroma. All the while the blackberry ( toned down from the first blast) sits in the background and with the styrax and wormwood combine to create a very melancholic feeling. Marvellous.
sergei-ps – :
I recently tested this and asked my friend to describe this. To him, it smells like Fabuloso (cleaning solution) dissolved in mop water and “chalky like Necco wafers”.
expirimen – :
I do not get these notes at all! To my nose without looking here first when I deconstructed it in my mind I get something that at first smells like a very light and soft westernized oud with light, sharp florals underneath supporting it, something gourmand is in there that makes it sweet then it dries down to tanned leather.
step845 – :
I’m really liking this one. It’s really familiar and different at the same time as another reviewer mentioned. It reminds me of d&g the one and Mugler pure wood but doesn’t really smell like either. To me it is a bit linear, starting off just a bit moist and finishing off just a bit dry. I don’t get blackberry or ink (not that I really know what ink is supposed to smell like) but I do get something milky and powdery and dark. This part reminds me of Odin #10 but without the coconut. I get incense and spice and wood too, this makes it feel more masculine than unisex. It smells classy too. There is just the tiniest bit of sweetness as well. Definitely for the evening imo. Now the one thing that is really impressing me is the longevity with the just the right amount of silage; 6 – 8 solid hours before it settles and 18+ on the skin if you don’t wash it off. If nothing else it’s worthy of sniff.
heeltPlogeota – :
Honestly, I can’t smell darkness or sin from this. Literally what comes to mind are iris or rose (which is not mentioned) and ink. This rose is “genderless” It’s balsamic as well. It gives you strange feeling, cause it’s different and familiar at the same time. It’s not for everyone, but can find some fans. I need more testing for an ultimate marks, but for now:
SMELL: 6,5 – 7/10
PROJECTION: 6,5/10
LONGEVITY: 7/10
Tho bottle, and sprayer are top notch, though.
Saigak1980 – :
This has an avant gard feel to it. The use of ink, incense and blackberry feels like a Bertrand dechefuer (sorry – no idea how to spell his name). It’s a dark smell. I don’t find it fresh at all. It is appealing to me in the way it plays off the contrast between sweet and bitter. Similar to the Lartisan Amour Nocturne
rookbox – :
@ unregistered
Literal and primary definition of “bestiality”:
“savagely cruel or depraved behaviour”
The secondary meaning is sexual intercourse between human and animal.
Given the context in which the word has been used, the editor/copy writer for the perfume clearly intends its use to infer the primary – not secondary – definition.
vitt – :
A bewitching beauty from the master of modern Oriental perfumes. This mysterious and evocative perfume designed to evoke the feel of a viper begins with a mote of leather and blackberry which dries down to reveal notes of ink, styrax, opoponax, cardamom, iris, sandalwood, myrrh, cedar, birch, ambergris, and civet. This is not an easy perfume and needs an adventurous and open mind to appreciate the interplay of dark animalic and some lighter woodsy/spicy notes. The feeling created is right on – a mysterious, slithery, viper nestled among the forest vines. The bottle with its beautiful embossed viper with crystals for its eyes is also a work of art. Stunning and definitely not for the faint hearted.
xiron – :
Haven’t smelled it yet, but their marketing department / copy editor needs clued into the meaning of the word “bestiality” as described in “Act 3” of the press release shared above.
maradark – :
Mortal Skin.
Stephane Humbert Lucas can be counted on to provide intrigue, masterful blending and a story.
I love this opening of sweet blackberry ink and rock rose reminiscent of the amber used in O’Hira. The incense and myrrh swirl around to add interest yet something is familiar. The polished cold-sweet iris rises in the heart much like Iris Fauve by Atelier des Ors.
The slight forest like apparition reminds me of Galaad by Lubin when it is in its woody myrrh notes. There is a leathery nuance, and ambergris marine note as well keeping this dark, cool, smooth, animalic and supple.
The notes could suggest a heavy beast however the delivery is light, lithe and clean. I suppose its because the synthetics are wielded very adeptly in this story. Out of all the fragrances mentioned..Mortal Skin rises above them all for me in terms of wear ability. Silage is light to moderate, an exemplary fruity iris woody oriental. Longevity is excellent. Sexy Intrigue in a bottle. If you want something unique, artistic and wearable.. Mortal Skin.
iigo – :
I have tried alot of fragrances but this one just blown me away with its performance, all I can say this is a projection beast. Scent is masculine unique, smoky and well crafted. Best to be used as a signature scent. Can be worn in all seasons. Mostly for formal events/dating etc
Tentboosede – :
I deleted my initial,disappointed scathing review, whereupon I had lavishly applied from my sample and couldn’t smell anything! But I must have been having an anosmic day….It is actually a soft sweet floral Incense starting faintly with a chalky vague berry with what I perceive as a nutty note as used in Tom Fords Noir Femme and underlies the new Angel Muse. Those two are sweeter and not as iris-y. However, the big but is, you get real quality with persistence and projection in those two mainstream perfumes for your $€£. I went to a couple of sites because it is an unusual pretty perfume despite its shy performance and nearly fainted at the price of the Mortal Skin. I used to think TF and SL were expensive!
колебас – :
My husband writes calligraphy at times, and he always uses a fountain pen for general writing. One of the inks that he uses is a brand “Iroshizuku”. The colors are rich; the ink is smooth. The bottles are simple and elegantly beautiful. When I wear Mortal Skin, I think of the darkest colors of this ink.
A kind member sent me a sample of Mortal Skin quite some time ago. I was smitten, but the price at that time was something that I’d only spend on a rare Guerlain… maybe. So, for many months, I kept stalking online sites with a wild hope of finding one I might afford. As good fortune would have it, another member with whom I’ve traded several times had an almost full, with total presentation bottle for trade. I hemmed and hawed, and cursed. She kindly accepted my trade offer of a very HTF bottle. I sighed a bit, and then danced for joy!
Mortal Skin is not similar to the other Stéphane Humbert Lucas fragrances that I’ve tried. In my opinion, this is the nicest one. Unique in its’ stark beauty. I adore the ink note that underlies the scent throughout its’ wearing. If there were such a thing as Blackberry Ink, this would be it. The other notes that talk to me are the myrrh, incense, artemisia (yes, a faint whiff of absinthe), and cardamom. I wouldn’t be surprised that ambergris contributes to the mix by joining everything together beautifully.
I find MS to be a serene, peaceful scent that speaks with an Asian tone. Sillage is moderate, but definitely noticeable, dry down is long-lasting and mesmerizing. The bottle speaks for itself…
I hope I never empty my bottle.
Kamazchik – :
Mortal Skin is an olfactory journey like no other. The opening feels like entering a slick, black cave filled with bats or snakes. The ink is cold, silky smooth, and addictive. The ink gives way to an almost religious experience with the strongly incense-y middle notes – a comforting, warm incense. And at the end, Mortal Skin turns soft, sweet, and woody.
Stephane Humbert Lucas has certainly created an interesting experience with Mortal Skin. And while I appreciate and admire this experience, it isn’t something that I will crave to recreate on a regular basis, so I will satisfy myself with my sample vial. I’m just glad that my skin was able to bring out the full 3 acts of this “play.”
Perhaps I would appreciate it more on a man than myself. The wood and incense is a bit too masculine for me to wear with confidence. Beautiful and enchanting nonetheless.
thilllync – :
Scent – iris, myrrh & incense.
Season/Time of Day – I prefer to use this one in the colder months, day or night.
Projection – I did get noticed, I didn’t get a compliment.
Longevity – I get 8hrs consistently.
tory88 – :
Opens up very inky, leathery with a smoky undertone. It envelops you in a witchy, poisonous aura, it really stands out for its name.
One of the most original perfumes that I’ve ever tried, very dense, deep and hypnotising.
8/10
airflot2012 – :
Mystical,hypnotic and powerful! beautiful its evolution, beginning with a powerful note of ancient incense,followed by a well-known of this ink and blackberry… the initial phase drags you with him …. after a couple of minutes continues enigmatic transformation. Fragrance impact,cold and captivating! Beautiful fragrance,to try and find out…this one stands out a lot. In the bottom it evolves slowly, as does a snake while the strip, goes slowly towards a base almost “rubbery”..the incense note is always there,very nice!! The sillage is great,very good longevity! Medieval
Sillage: 9./10
Longevity: 8.5/10
Scent: 8./10
Overall: 8.5/10
viskha73 – :
The opening is wonderful with a leathery, resinous smell overlaid by serious blackberry. There’s a bit of stemmy-greenness, too, as befits a blackberry patch, and a lovely clay-like scent as well. The blackberry is wonderfully fruity without being childish. I’ve tried this perfume half a dozen times now, and I find this phase lasts anywhere from 15 to 90 minutes, depending on the day and my luck. Some days I get unlucky and get almost no blackberry at all, though the resin/clay is always there, if perhaps briefly.
After that it devolves into a pleasant, but not terribly interesting floral. Unfortunately, this is something I’ve found all too common with 777 scents (Black Gemstone, O Hira and especially Qom Chilom): an amazing opening with a questionable follow-through. If they were selling at drugstore/Demeter prices (or if I were a much wealthier woman) I’d be happy enough to them in bulk and spend all day respraying myself, but at six bucks a milliliter I need them to do better, longer.
Mezbu708elipseskism – :
I love Stephane’s creations and his amazing house beside his superb personality and humbleness.
Now this fragrance is one of his fragrances that i like the least maybe although the bottle & the name of this perfume is superb in away that makes me wanna love it but i can’t because the liquid doesn’t describe neither the name nor the bottle. I can’t smell the ink as i can in Notturno by “Meo Fusciuni” but i can smell the rest which are the cardamom, incense, Blackberry, Myrrah, etc.. but i can’t relate the smell to that mortal poisonous skin of a snake! to be honest i would relate this bottle and name to Cuir Venenum by “Parfumerie Generale” at best.
I can’t put this fragrance down because it is made by Stephane the great who made an evolution in perfumes by creating the amazing “Nur” & “Soleil De Jeddah”. & all i can say is that i like this one the least and i would request Stephane to re-consider this bottle & name to something more related.
Edit (29th Jan 2017) It’s more of a spicy incense, myrrah, opoponax, birch, and above them all is the styrax. It is earthy a bit with hint of cacao powder as well and the blackberry note adds the synthetic effect and the slightly metallic note. It remains unpleasant to me comparing it to it’s name, bottle, and his other fragrances.
19jenya94 – :
Profumo complicato, caleidoscopico, intenzionalmente confuso.
Io sento tante spezie (in primis cardamomo), non variopinte ma ammantate da una scura dolcezza.
Emergono, da un velo d’incenso, piccole dense bolle di more, ciliegie, amarene e castagne sotto spirito. Leggo in piramide olfattiva la presenza di tequila ma io sento il classico liquore italiano utile per conservare le amarene.
Il sottofondo è ambra fruttata, resinoso labdano viola addolcito da mirra.
Il nome è altamente drammatico…
Lo cambierei da Mortal Skin in Mora Skin, data la prevalenza della nota.
Inusuale e costosissimo.
Satanych – :
O.K with much trepidation I awaited for this to be launched and sent to me. No samples were available then. I can now see the merit of why. This would have meant I would not have ever bought this. All I can say I have paid £160 for a bottle!
If you have read the descriptives of this; “1st Act: The perfume, languid and colourful, hypnotises me, I am facing two eyes that desire me. Leafy coolness, fruits, the magic of the encounter, The seduction begins.
It goes on with even more pretentiousness with a second and third act. There should be a fourth ACT and that is the act act of Highway robbery. It takes you money and the seduction acts, into the gallows of the hangman, for you have just realised you have been mugged. All this smells like a corner store Indian Grocery, where Mr Patel has a small Statue of Laxmi the Goddess of wealth, and burning Incense and offering sickly sweets. I am doing my own ritual to Lord Shiva, the destroyer with the antidote for the aptly placed fangs on the bottle, which I am the guinea pig.
5TH act place on ebay and get rid!
Absolute rubbish!