Welcome friends, this is my review of Serge Lutens' Chergui, a personal favourite. Enjoy! #fragrances #perfume #cologne #vintageperfume #sergelutens #fragrance
Nice review Rich. Lucky enough to own a vintage bottle like yours. Simply a masterpiece of a fragrance! Popped into Harvey Nicks the other week and I gave the recent iteration a try. Very disappointed! Poor reformulation, found it very muted! The vintage literally stings your nostrils, it’s so potent! Also can’t stand those newer bottles with the huge god awful label plastered all over the front of every bottle! Get a vintage (if you can!). Those older bottles way better suit such a classy fragrance! ps. The whole marketing team at Surge Lutens should be sacked! Nuff said!
Believe it or not I don’t own any other Serge! On my buy list are Fille en Aiguilles and Ambre Sultan. Popped out today to pick up a bottle of Arso at Rojas Haute Perfumerie in Harrods but frustratingly they’re having trouble stocking Profumum at the mo due to Brexit and won’t be resolved until March at the earliest. Where did you pick up your bottle?
Happy Wednesday my brother. I want to thank you for the most excellent review. I’ve had this Perfume for a good number of years now and totally love it. Your review is correct at every level. Thank you so much for your hard work. Always love hearing what you have to say
Man I have so much respect for this fragrance, for the work that took to make this remarkable fragrance.it’s a masterpiece in my opinion! Many companies have tried to clone it but it’s just hard at least not for less than triple it’s price.thanks for this gorgeous review brother.
I’m currently wearing the Confit De Parfum of Chergui along with the Toison D’or “ Hair Perfume “ of Chergui and am really enjoying them so far that I might go ahead and grab the Ambre Sultan in both of these concentrations as well. Not sure what the current formulation smells like as I have like you several bottles and a couple bell jars of the original Chergui! Cheers
The chergui is beautiful in this iteration. It is more palatable than the original 05 release and it is more defined than the latest version. I have limited experience of the latest ambre Sultan but I remember being distinctly unimpressed
@@RichMitch I agree I’m referring to the bottle that your currently showing, have you had the chance to try the new Confit de Parfum’s yet? They’re supposed to be a concentrated oil that you apply to your wrists etc… as I’m wearing it I find it to be quite light but still enjoyable!
I’m kinda sad that I don’t pick up the Iris note in my bottles. But I sold the version you show here, so maybe it’s formulation dependent. One version that I have smells of lush hay, tobacco leaf, rose, honey, and sandalwood. Another version is lush tobacco leaf, spices, hay, musk, and powder. It’s spice where the other version is more rose. Funny thing is that the versions taken together remind me of the evolution of a good oud oil how it can move from spicy to a magnificent creamy dense drydown. You are totally right about the lack of a pyramid. The notes all seem to blend together in one thick layer. Sheldrake was a genius.
Accurate description. The Iris note keeps it stunning. This is such a compelling and interesting perfume…I just adore it. “It will never let you down.” That’s a great description. I think your reviews are very thorough and helpful. My bottle is the same as yours, but I have much less juice.
I appreciate you saying that about my reviews. It's such a clever perfume, seems simple yet complex. Sheldrake does that well, could come from his architectural background
Absolutely spot on, brilliant review m8! I’m so happy you highlighted the Iris, it’s stunning in this fragrance. Shame to hear about the reform, very happy with my old bottle. Such an important house in the history of modern fragrance, and you did this one justice! Ive been on a Lutens kick lately, as I went crazy and stocked up on some bell jars recently, so this was good timing!
@@RichMitch oh yea, went nuts and grabbed 4! One of them being Sarrasins, a top 10 all timer for me. Modern version is still amazing, big jasmine and leather
Yeah I'm scared of that one! Lol, I'm not a jasmine fan. Iquitos is probably the only Jasmine I've ever really cared for, not indolic at all. Someone called Sebastian Furtado just uploaded a video about Sarrasins if you care to search. Which others did you get?
@@RichMitch you absolutely outta be scared! very indolic, very much a nighttime jasmine, I just find it to be breathtaking. Thanks for the rec, will be searching for that video this evening. Also picked up Fourreau Noire, la Myrrhe, and Santal de mysore.
Every time I smell the drydown of D&G's Intenso, it reminds me of the hay and tobacco in this. Chergui tops it by a mile though, especially with that frankincense sparkle. ✨ I can still remember the hype all those years back. Quickly overshadowed by ....well....designer drudgery. And Aventus-who-must-not-be-named. Wasn't a fan originally of the lipsticky rose-iris, but that quickly passed. Amazing fragrance for its time. Excellent review Rich. 👍
Great comment. It is a great fragrance and it does take me back to pre Jeremy fragcomm, a bit sad in a way. We live in a different fragcomm now... progress is not assured
Great video, RM! "There's no pyramid per se, the notes sort of live together on one floor." This jibes with my (admittedly limited) experience with Sheldrake SLs. I have Arabie and Serge Noire, and in each case, my experience of wearing it is that when I first spray it, all the notes shoot out at once, really tightly packed together, dense, and then over the course of the wear, the perfume gets lighter and the notes seem to be more spread out, airier. To me it's like those foam mattresses you can buy in tiny boxes, and when you unpack them you have to let them sit for hours while they expand.
I do agree with you, as I get a dominate "green" type note from the iris. Very unique and somewhat weird perfume to me, re: the juxtaposition of the Tobacco/Amber along with the iris, grassy-floral. I always remember your recommendation that Chergui, goes, even in hotter weather...this, is good for me:) I wish I jumped on this og bottle 5 years ago when it was so hyped/revered ....I'm happy to have my reformed late version ;) Best review ever on this..and, I've heard many;) ..btw, a date of mine love it on me, she said "..it smells, mysterious."
Justice Done… Just Received That Bottle So I Hade To Hear What You Thought Again.. You Get The Opening All The Way Though.. Excellent Observation.. This Is Why I Continue To Rewatch All The Videos.. 🙏🏽
One of the fragrances why I got into this expensive hobby in the first place! Not sure whether I regret smelling it though. So good, no doubt about that. Seems like you're into old school balsamic, high quality, powaahhh fragrances of Serge Lutens. Not sure if they are still good after the sale. Have you ever tried the niche house Nishane from Turkey? Not sure if you can find it in the UK, but I strongly recommend Ani and B-612 that will definitely give you Serge Lutens vibes back in the old days. Highly potent, quite complex, well executed.
I've got nearly 20 Serge Lutens fragrances. Love the house! Love vintage fragrances too. That's what most of my collection is. I've smelled quite a few from Nishane but I wasn't too impressed, to be honest. I own Sultan Vetiver and I love it until the dry down where the synthetic "amberwood" takes over and that's all you're left with
@@RichMitch I absolutely loved Múnegu and Afrika Olifant when they first launched and exclusively worked with Jorge Lee. They really nailed it with a great collection of fragrances. After that, sometimes it was either hit or miss but nonetheless they worked with really amazing perfumers and I still like them. I'm reading a lot of batch issues like people whine about Creed batches, it's a bit worrying though. So beware.
I'll bear it in mind, thank you. Speaking of creed, have you read The Ghost Perfumer by Gabe Oppenheim? Fantastic expose on the fragrance industry and Creed in particular, must read for a fragrance fan
@@RichMitch I have heard about it, yes. Haven't read it yet, but I'm not at all surprised. Have you seen the movie Big Eyes? Or the Netflix documentary about Bob Ross? It happens all the time. The fragrance industry is also pretty high margin. I've seen a comment from an ISIPCA graduate person a while ago suggesting one should never really know the true cost of a mainstream perfume. In a world, Louis ducking Vuitton owns Maison Francis Kurkdjian it's hard to find a house that is anti mass/low quality perfumes, very anti-corporate, or very pro-craftsmanship and independent. I should go ahead and buy a Centauri after this comment.
Thanks, I was wondering what to wear tomorrow, same style bottle as yours hiding at the back. Spot on with the Iris, it's what seperates it. Juice as dark as can be, never tried in hot weather but I get it.
Wow your gong must have ancient mysterious powers. Tried Chergui today and wanted to buy a bottle for my mother's birthday 👀. But they had no bottles left. Loved it, and interesting enough it has a honey note and I like it! Also tried Amouage Silver Oud amongst many. Must say, I was disappointed. But I'll possibly discuss that on a live sometime in the future 🤷🏻♂️. P.S. don't bang your gong around a Montale please. Don't want to be buying those!
🤣 No chance of the gong around montale, they're shite. The new amouage are the same. The honey in chergui is done brilliantly to tie the whole fragrance together, chergui is one one of the most popular Serge so it makes sense they were all gone.
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Nice review Rich. Lucky enough to own a vintage bottle like yours. Simply a masterpiece of a fragrance! Popped into Harvey Nicks the other week and I gave the recent iteration a try. Very disappointed! Poor reformulation, found it very muted! The vintage literally stings your nostrils, it’s so potent! Also can’t stand those newer bottles with the huge god awful label plastered all over the front of every bottle! Get a vintage (if you can!). Those older bottles way better suit such a classy fragrance! ps. The whole marketing team at Surge Lutens should be sacked! Nuff said!
Lol i agree. Have you got any other Serge?
Believe it or not I don’t own any other Serge! On my buy list are Fille en Aiguilles and Ambre Sultan. Popped out today to pick up a bottle of Arso at Rojas Haute Perfumerie in Harrods but frustratingly they’re having trouble stocking Profumum at the mo due to Brexit and won’t be resolved until March at the earliest. Where did you pick up your bottle?
It's a good question actually, I cant remember. It was only a few months ago too, let me check and I'll get back to you
@@RichMitch Cheers Rich!
Happy Wednesday my brother. I want to thank you for the most excellent review. I’ve had this Perfume for a good number of years now and totally love it. Your review is correct at every level. Thank you so much for your hard work. Always love hearing what you have to say
Thank you Andy, mate. You are very kind.
I've had this for a long time too and I still love it, fantastic scent.
Always look forward to your comments
Man I have so much respect for this fragrance, for the work that took to make this remarkable fragrance.it’s a masterpiece in my opinion! Many companies have tried to clone it but it’s just hard at least not for less than triple it’s price.thanks for this gorgeous review brother.
I love it too, cheers
I’m currently wearing the Confit De Parfum of Chergui along with the Toison D’or “ Hair Perfume “ of Chergui and am really enjoying them so far that I might go ahead and grab the Ambre Sultan in both of these concentrations as well. Not sure what the current formulation smells like as I have like you several bottles and a couple bell jars of the original Chergui! Cheers
The chergui is beautiful in this iteration. It is more palatable than the original 05 release and it is more defined than the latest version.
I have limited experience of the latest ambre Sultan but I remember being distinctly unimpressed
@@RichMitch I agree I’m referring to the bottle that your currently showing, have you had the chance to try the new Confit de Parfum’s yet? They’re supposed to be a concentrated oil that you apply to your wrists etc… as I’m wearing it I find it to be quite light but still enjoyable!
@@thepacific8363 I haven't tried them, no. I'm still searching for vintage bottles at this point tbh
I’m kinda sad that I don’t pick up the Iris note in my bottles. But I sold the version you show here, so maybe it’s formulation dependent.
One version that I have smells of lush hay, tobacco leaf, rose, honey, and sandalwood.
Another version is lush tobacco leaf, spices, hay, musk, and powder. It’s spice where the other version is more rose. Funny thing is that the versions taken together remind me of the evolution of a good oud oil how it can move from spicy to a magnificent creamy dense drydown.
You are totally right about the lack of a pyramid. The notes all seem to blend together in one thick layer. Sheldrake was a genius.
Yes I think there was a reform between the palais royale and the version I have.
Love Sheldrake!
Thank you for watching!
Accurate description. The Iris note keeps it stunning. This is such a compelling and interesting perfume…I just adore it. “It will never let you down.” That’s a great description.
I think your reviews are very thorough and helpful.
My bottle is the same as yours, but I have much less juice.
I appreciate you saying that about my reviews.
It's such a clever perfume, seems simple yet complex. Sheldrake does that well, could come from his architectural background
Another one on my long wish list!
Thanks for the review!!!
Thanks for watching mate
Waited to come around to wearing Chergui then concurrently catching up on this video. And today’s the day! Thanks for the video!
Cheers hope you enjoy
@@RichMitch Definitely loving it! Can’t unsmell the iris in Chergui now, thanks to you :)
Absolutely spot on, brilliant review m8! I’m so happy you highlighted the Iris, it’s stunning in this fragrance. Shame to hear about the reform, very happy with my old bottle. Such an important house in the history of modern fragrance, and you did this one justice!
Ive been on a Lutens kick lately, as I went crazy and stocked up on some bell jars recently, so this was good timing!
Thank you very much, appreciate it greatly!
Did you get the bell jars during his black Friday sale? Had 25% off
@@RichMitch oh yea, went nuts and grabbed 4! One of them being Sarrasins, a top 10 all timer for me. Modern version is still amazing, big jasmine and leather
Yeah I'm scared of that one! Lol, I'm not a jasmine fan. Iquitos is probably the only Jasmine I've ever really cared for, not indolic at all.
Someone called Sebastian Furtado just uploaded a video about Sarrasins if you care to search.
Which others did you get?
@@RichMitch you absolutely outta be scared! very indolic, very much a nighttime jasmine, I just find it to be breathtaking. Thanks for the rec, will be searching for that video this evening.
Also picked up Fourreau Noire, la Myrrhe, and Santal de mysore.
Ohhhh. What are they like?
Love this stuff, don't wear it often but love it.
I love it too, deserves more outings
@@RichMitch ya for sure. I only have a 50ml like most of my serges and don't want to buy the new version so I use them sparingly.
Every time I smell the drydown of D&G's Intenso, it reminds me of the hay and tobacco in this. Chergui tops it by a mile though, especially with that frankincense sparkle. ✨ I can still remember the hype all those years back. Quickly overshadowed by ....well....designer drudgery. And Aventus-who-must-not-be-named. Wasn't a fan originally of the lipsticky rose-iris, but that quickly passed. Amazing fragrance for its time. Excellent review Rich. 👍
Great comment.
It is a great fragrance and it does take me back to pre Jeremy fragcomm, a bit sad in a way. We live in a different fragcomm now... progress is not assured
Great video, RM!
"There's no pyramid per se, the notes sort of live together on one floor." This jibes with my (admittedly limited) experience with Sheldrake SLs. I have Arabie and Serge Noire, and in each case, my experience of wearing it is that when I first spray it, all the notes shoot out at once, really tightly packed together, dense, and then over the course of the wear, the perfume gets lighter and the notes seem to be more spread out, airier. To me it's like those foam mattresses you can buy in tiny boxes, and when you unpack them you have to let them sit for hours while they expand.
😂😂😂😂
That's a really good analogy. I saw it like a wheel, with one note in the centre whilst the others spin around it slowly
@@RichMitch that's a gorgeous and evocative analogy, I dig it
I do agree with you, as I get a dominate "green" type note from the iris. Very unique and somewhat weird perfume to me, re: the juxtaposition of the Tobacco/Amber along with the iris, grassy-floral. I always remember your recommendation that Chergui, goes, even in hotter weather...this, is good for me:)
I wish I jumped on this og bottle 5 years ago when it was so hyped/revered ....I'm happy to have my reformed late version ;)
Best review ever on this..and, I've heard many;)
..btw, a date of mine love it on me, she said "..it smells, mysterious."
Cheers BobbyO!
_A_ date? How many you had?
🤣
Justice Done… Just Received That Bottle So I Hade To Hear What You Thought Again.. You Get The Opening All The Way Though.. Excellent Observation.. This Is Why I Continue To Rewatch All The Videos.. 🙏🏽
I really appreciate it and I'm glad you got your bottle!
We have Sheldrake to thank for Le Male
Yikes
👀 what what
Sheldrake also created Chanel Coromandel, my favorite.
I feel like a fraghead outkast. I must smell this. I just ordered Bapteme Du Feu…
It's really good stuff, widely available too! I’ve got bapteme du feu, crazy sauce
Does the combo of tobacco, honey and amber remind you of chocolate here? i almost get an illusion of chocolate
@@SPACEDOUT19 not for me, I get a lot of iris actually
@@RichMitch I saw some dude selling the Palais Royal version, with the black label and green juice, for 500 bucks
@@SPACEDOUT19 yikes. I've got an old one but it's not worth that. Serge madness is outrageous
Lol! It’s time for the review! Hey DUCK. We’re did you find SERGE? You make me think i neeeed it .
Been collecting Serge for a long time, Vintage are almost impossible to come across but I believe the website ships worldwide
One of the fragrances why I got into this expensive hobby in the first place! Not sure whether I regret smelling it though. So good, no doubt about that.
Seems like you're into old school balsamic, high quality, powaahhh fragrances of Serge Lutens. Not sure if they are still good after the sale. Have you ever tried the niche house Nishane from Turkey? Not sure if you can find it in the UK, but I strongly recommend Ani and B-612 that will definitely give you Serge Lutens vibes back in the old days. Highly potent, quite complex, well executed.
I've got nearly 20 Serge Lutens fragrances. Love the house!
Love vintage fragrances too. That's what most of my collection is.
I've smelled quite a few from Nishane but I wasn't too impressed, to be honest. I own Sultan Vetiver and I love it until the dry down where the synthetic "amberwood" takes over and that's all you're left with
@@RichMitch I absolutely loved Múnegu and Afrika Olifant when they first launched and exclusively worked with Jorge Lee. They really nailed it with a great collection of fragrances. After that, sometimes it was either hit or miss but nonetheless they worked with really amazing perfumers and I still like them. I'm reading a lot of batch issues like people whine about Creed batches, it's a bit worrying though. So beware.
I'll bear it in mind, thank you.
Speaking of creed, have you read The Ghost Perfumer by Gabe Oppenheim? Fantastic expose on the fragrance industry and Creed in particular, must read for a fragrance fan
@@RichMitch I have heard about it, yes. Haven't read it yet, but I'm not at all surprised. Have you seen the movie Big Eyes? Or the Netflix documentary about Bob Ross? It happens all the time.
The fragrance industry is also pretty high margin. I've seen a comment from an ISIPCA graduate person a while ago suggesting one should never really know the true cost of a mainstream perfume. In a world, Louis ducking Vuitton owns Maison Francis Kurkdjian it's hard to find a house that is anti mass/low quality perfumes, very anti-corporate, or very pro-craftsmanship and independent. I should go ahead and buy a Centauri after this comment.
Why are we even doing this? I don't even
Thanks, I was wondering what to wear tomorrow, same style bottle as yours hiding at the back. Spot on with the Iris, it's what seperates it. Juice as dark as can be, never tried in hot weather but I get it.
Honestly, it's so good in the heat. Dry heat though.
Thanks mate
great review
🫡🙏🏻
Hay, rich. Great stuff, glad I bought the older bottle. 100% watered down.
Hay there!
Older bottles of Serge are so much better, glad I stocked up
😭
@@BobbyDior oops… I was just kidding. Great stuff all around, lol.
😂
Hello.I need to buy the new versio n of Chergui and I did tasted old version..Longivity or projection is the similiar or new is weak than old version?
Hello! I think longevity and projection are OK but the smell may have changed a bit
Wow your gong must have ancient mysterious powers. Tried Chergui today and wanted to buy a bottle for my mother's birthday 👀. But they had no bottles left. Loved it, and interesting enough it has a honey note and I like it!
Also tried Amouage Silver Oud amongst many. Must say, I was disappointed. But I'll possibly discuss that on a live sometime in the future 🤷🏻♂️.
P.S. don't bang your gong around a Montale please. Don't want to be buying those!
🤣
No chance of the gong around montale, they're shite. The new amouage are the same.
The honey in chergui is done brilliantly to tie the whole fragrance together, chergui is one one of the most popular Serge so it makes sense they were all gone.
First niche bottle I ever bought.
Ambre Sultan was mine but this wasn't far behind
Good stuff, that Churgui.
You are good stuff!
😂
Never tried any serge yet, very outrageous of me? 😣
Very outrageous 🤣 especially for a man of your taste
@@RichMitch will need to try soon, imma need your email to keep in touch whenever i need a top guys insight like yours 😭
@@RichMitch got it 👏🏽
What’s your thoughts on koublai Khan
Not my type of scent, heavy musks and a bit fecal.
Well made and quality fragrance, just not for me
Second😜
Better luck next time, Hub
@@RichMitch 🙏🙏🙏
*Review*
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