Breaking Gold: New Perfume Collection by Serge Lutens

by: Serguey Borisov

Have you heard about the five new perfumes of our beloved Maître Serge Lutens? The new Section d'Or collection, famous for its price of  450 euros (USD 600) per bottle, was opened earlier by L'Incendiaire and now has been continued by Cracheuse de Flammes, Renard Constrictor, Cannibale, Sidi Bel-Abbès and L'Haleine des Dieux. 

"I use the word section to describe a breakaway, a separation. This divided version of me awakens a forgotten yet timeless image from the very first moments of my life. To the right of me, touching the edge of my shadow, in another light, it illuminates a crown, one that could belong to my other."—Serge Lutens

Maestro Lutens writes the materials on the website so beautifully and intricately that it almost goes beyond sense. For example, "Section d'Or is more than a collection, the Serge Lutens mark of exception. Section d'Or is infinite, Serge Lutens take infinity to a new level." Or "Beyond anything I myself am yet to discover. Creation knows no bounds and with Section d'or I take the concept even further, pushing it to the limit, beyond the reasonable." Not all of us could expand the infinity. Or "A division in my own life. From now on, time is all that matters. That is how it is. Section d'or is part of my expression, it divides, it unites, extends beyond something which was holding me back. An obstacle I cannot as yet clearly define."

Whether it is thought-provoking philosophy for the few who are able to evaluate the associated biographical tragedy (his mother left Serge and he grew up an orphan) and the unusual dramatic perfumes born out of it, or a show for the public, or just the subconscious glossolalia of a perfume Pythia for the sake of all the enthusiastic fans, let's try to figure it out together (welcome to the comments!).

It seems to me that the Maestro has been somewhat stagnated in his work, missing the impulse after the strange colognes and he had to go back to his own roots and re-invent his own style. It would be strange to repeat himself, and for the elimination of self-competition from innovative perfumes with his own old hits, the Serge Lutens house, with the support of Shiseido has entered a new price level. For example, the collection's firestarter, fiery fragrance L'Incendiaire was presented with the hot price of 450 euros (or $600) with the words, "The fire is not within the perfume but within me. I want to ignite the smoldering embers of the perfume world, to put the fire back in perfumes!" Quite an inspiring speech, and a rather obscene price, after the announcement of which we were left to guess what Serge Lutens was going to say. Is there enough fire for the money? Did Maestro decide to compete with Roja Dove for the bigger brand image? What is the maximum price for a perfume their names are able to sell? Both Maestros will soon begin to sell their fragrant liquids for the same weight of gold, literally! And they will be right!

Fortunately or not, our brains have learned to feel more pleasure from higher prices, and the pleasure level does not depend on our conscious rational thoughts. Just putting an exorbitant price on a good perfume will make it even more high-quality, prestigious and luxurious in the eyes of the buyers. There is some scientific proof: theAntonio Rangel experiments at the California Institute of Technology in 2013-2014 on the taste of wine depending on price and the David Just experiments at Cornell University for the pleasure of pizza depending on price. It works just as well with jewelry, handbags, clothing, chef restaurants and all-all-all. Expensive cannot be trash. Money cannot be wrong.

L'Haleine des Dieux, or The Breath of the Gods, in its description mentions modest white gypsophila, which sets off the splendor of roses in bouquets. This mild and delicate perfume with such a magnificent name shows obvious oriental character. Moderately sweet, resinous and ambery, slightly fruity and delicate, with tree needles and the leather, it gives a sense of cool gloves, that cover the arm to the elbow in the soft skin as if the leather been poured upon the arm... Here! Seems like that’s the feeling that Maestro wanted to transmit in the perfume! Gloves from venerable brand like Hermès, gloves of exceptional quality, made in a comfortable cut and some inconspicuous gloomy military color, not calling attention to themselves. Gloves for the owner's self-awareness, not for show. A lot of money, disguised as an everyday thing.

Notes: Amber, Leather, Fir balsam absolute, Cashmeran, Sage, Musk, Vanilla and Cistus.

Cannibale promises bite marks on the skin and vibrant acidity resembling the French floral vinegars of the 18th century. But first, foremost and for a long time, it is burning cistus with bright glowing rose, with resins, incense and woods. Greet the new Amber, smoldering, bright, not-Ambre-Sultan, but much more real and perceptible than the Divine Breath! It becomes sour, just as promised, at the drydown. Sour, woody, ambery, interesting. First, I remembered the Ambre Sultan, which has gone mad, and the thick gooey cistus of Norma Kamali Incense, but in the last stage of the cannibal I got used to it, and even feel empathy with him, a sort of Stockholm Syndrome ...

Notes: Burning resins, Flowers in fire, Rose, Frankincense, Cistus, Woods and Smoky notes.

Sidi Bel-Abbès is a city in Algeria. It is famous for its military history: the French Foreign Legion had its training camp here, which has now been changed for Algerian national gendarmerie trainings. The eternal legend of Beauty and the Beast's love story created in a new colonial style: Parisian aristocratesse and brutal Legionnaire—if you want—told through perfume contradictions. It alternates typical masculine and feminine notes: sweet tobacco flower and bitter leather, gourmand vanilla and sweat-smelling rough cumin, bright tropical flowers and spicy fougère cologne for men. This contradiction is unusual and frightening at first, but later on it fascinates and captivates. Sidi Bel-Abbes starts much more active and bold in comparison to Fumerie Turque, its apparent ancestor. This relationship will become more apparent after a few hours.

Notes: White Tobacco, Beeswax, Russian leather, Cumin, Coumarin, Vanilla.

The remaining pair of perfumes—Cracheuse de Flammes and Renard Constrictor—were out of my reach. Serge Lutens perfumes Cracheuse de Flammes, Renard Constrictor, Cannibale, Sidi Bel-Abbès and L'Haleine des Dieux are available at Le Palais Royal Serge Lutens in Paris, in 50 ml Extrait de Parfum, as well as at Barneys in the U.S.