Monday, January 5, 2009

Serge Lutens news: Chergui and Feminite du Bois widely available

"The perfume Chergui, which has been available exclusively from the Shiseido Palais Royal Salons in Paris since 2001, will be launched more generally in 2009 on both the French and the international markets. After Ambre Sultan and Fleurs d’Oranger, Chergui is the third exclusive scent to join the prestigious ‘Collection des Parfums Serge Lutens’. 1.7 oz., 79 euros".
Available wherever the Lutens export range is sold.

The old trusty standby Féminité du Bois, overseen by Serge Lutens and composed by Chris Sheldrake for Shiseido in 1992, was getting truly scarce on counters stateside (where it was pulled from in 2002)especially in the Eau de Parfum concentration (there is also an Eau Timide). Its mysterious, fruity-incense-y cedarwood laced with spice was the basis on which the Bois series of the Salons de Palais Royal by Shiseido began, offering four variations on the theme: Bois de Violette, Bois et fruits, Bois et musc and Bois oriental. Its scarcity had been lamented by many.
Féminité du Bois now joins the export line in the same oblong bottles of 50ml/1.7oz and will be available at the places that regularly stock the Lutens line at corresponding prices. This is not strange as the American market is second to France in consuming Lutens products (Italy is following suit).
Seeing as Féminité du Bois is still available in Europe in its curvaceous purple-brown bottle, it is left to be settled whether that edition will be pulled making the old bottles rare collectibles or whether the export oblong bottles are mainly destined for the American market. Usually such relaunches mean either reformulation or a licencing disrupture with the previous distributor. We will see soon enough.
The new bottle version is available at Senteurs d'Ailleurs for 80 euros.


Info/pics via Osmoz and Senteurs d'Ailleurs.

5 comments:

  1. 'The perfume Chergui, which has been available exclusively from the Shiseido Palais Royal Salons in Paris since 2001 [...].'

    Hardly. Chergui joined the Export range, as a LE, in 2005. It was available - as stocks lasted - for quite a while and masses of people were able to buy it without setting foot in the Salons du Palais Royal in Paris.

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  2. Yes, I know. This is the direct quote from Osmoz though (I have kept it in quotes, as you can see; my own commentary is on the Feminite du Bois below).
    I think the point of the Osmoz announcement is there is going to be a permanent oblong bottle of Chergui like all the others in the export range (not just the stock of the LE and then kaput); like with Ambre Sultan and Fleurs d'Oranger.
    At least I think that's what they meant.

    Any newer info on the Nuit de Cellophane one, btw? ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Holding breath, but not too hard...sadly, anticipating reformulation. :(

    On the other hand, I love both...so this could *potentially* be happy news...

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  4. Hope that they haven't messed up with the formula, although I fear that some of the damascenones might be in for some axing.
    It's good to see that people who really love some scent are given the opportunity to enjoy it. I'm not crazy about Chergui (I realize it has copious numbers of fans though) but it's good to see it gain a permanent stature in the export line.

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  5. On the "new" Feminite du Bois, as returned to the Serge Lutens collection.
    When the Shiseido FdB came out, it was love at first sniff; however, the fragrance, even as Eau de Parfum, literally vanished from my skin after 15 minutes. To try and recover from the ensuing trauma, I eventually made my way to the Salons du Palais Royal, where, lo and behold!, not one but four gorgeous variations on the Cedar's divine essence were nestled on the shelf. It was Bois Oriental that stole my heart. My nose had found its master.

    Fast forward 17 years: the Lutens collection has grown (as has my own...^_^); three days ago I sampled the newly released FdB by Lutens, and, while it may differ from the original in some respects, I was glad to find that it lasts as well on my skin as other Lutens of the same concentration: soon to be welcomed back in to my humble perfume shrine, then. And the thrill goes on...

    Fragrant regards (today: Brin de Reglisse)

    ReplyDelete

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