Serge Lutens Cracheuse de Flammes

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Source: Premiere Avenue. [Photo cropped by me.]

Source: Premiere Avenue. [Photo cropped by me.]

I’ve already shared my overall thoughts regarding the new Serge Lutens’ Section d’Or fragrances, so I’ll skip any introduction for Cracheuse de Flammes, and get straight to the review.

Like the others in the line, Cracheuse de Flammes is an extrait de parfum. The name is an unfortunate one, in my opinion, when translated. “Cracher” is the French verb for spitting, so the name essentially means “Female Spitter of Flames.” Spitting is not exactly what I like to think about when wearing an incredibly expensive perfume.

For once, Serge Lutens’ official description actually does mention a note and something specific about the scent, namely the fact that it includes roses:

Seduction is a weapon, the flames a language. I breathe the fire which ignites her passion! And in this war of fire, all that remains of the woman, the rose in this instance, is a burning passion.

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Serge Lutens Renard Constrictor

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Renard Constrictor via Premiere Avenue. [Photo cropped by me.]

Renard Constrictor via Premiere Avenue. [Photo cropped by me.]

I’ve already shared with you my feelings about the totality of the five new Serge Lutens fragrances, so I’ll skip any introduction for Renard Constrictor and get straight to the review.

Renard Constrictor is a pure parfum or extrait that was presumably created by Christopher Sheldrake, and its name translates to “Fox Constrictor” (which my mind unfortunately insists on reading as “Boa Constrictor”). The official description that is quoted on Premiere Avenue talks about furry animals, but says nothing concrete about the scent itself:

The memory is but fleeting, it refuses to remain in my conscience.
Like a timid furry creature, it retracts at a caress. It is a fear that stifles the hero.

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Serge Lutens, Section d’Or Fragrances & Some Personal Thoughts

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In an ideal world, perfume should lift you, move you, and make you happy. You don’t expect it to send you into a funk, fill you with overwhelming sadness and a tinge of despair, particularly not when the perfume comes from one of your favorite houses, from a brand justifiably celebrated the world over for its visionary brilliance, and from a man who you respect and admire above all others. Unfortunately, sadness and feeling depressed are precisely what ensued when I tried the remaining three new Section d’Or releases from Serge Lutens. I wish that were dramatic exaggeration or hyperbole, but it is not.

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Maison Francis Kurkdjian Ciel de Gum: Golden Delight

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Francis Kurkdjian. Photo source: m.buro247.ru

Francis Kurkdjian. Photo source: m.buro247.ru

A swirling vortex of gold and red lies at the heart of Ciel de Gum, an eau de parfum created by Francis Kurkdjian in commemoration of the 120th anniversary of Moscow’s famed G.U.M. department store. The fragrance was released in 2013, originally as a GUM exclusive but later available at other Russian retailers.

I try to avoid reviewing fragrances with extremely limited availability, but several bottles of Ciel de Gum found their way to American shores last month. The New York niche boutique, OsswaldNYC, obtained quite a few and the American decanting site, Surrender to Chance, began offering samples soon after. That’s still not the widest availability possible, particularly as OsswaldNYC only has 2 bottles left at this time, but I decided to review the fragrance after a friend told me that Ciel de Gum was available on the Maison Francis Kurkdjian website for €195 and could be shipped worldwide.

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