Arabie (2000)
by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

Dried apricot, orange zest, and other figgy candied accords dominate this perfume, which plays interestingly against a "curry" accord of turmeric and cardamom. There is a boozy "schnapps" aspect to it, and a "fruitcake" facet (cloves? nutmeg?) that hovers in the periphery. Dries down to a spicy, slightly dirty myrrh/sandalwood/resinous blend, with a hint of vanilla. I find it a creative take on gourmand... reminiscent of a syrupy tajine sauce and apricot brandy more than the fruitcake it has been compared to in other reviews.

This is definitely not an easy perfume to wear, and likely not for everyone. The apricot tilts the unisex bar a bit towards the feminine side, but it's still wearable by a man. I really enjoy the fragrance (enough so that when choosing one scent from the entire current SL export line, it's the one I found most interesting next to Chergui), though I would definitely choose the occasion to wear it carefully. Whether you like smelling vaguely like a Morroccan restaurant is up to you, so definitely test before buying. But from me, it gets a big thumbs up.

15th January, 2012.

hhhmmmm... this is my first blind buy... and i have to admit: it was not the best decision i have ever made. but due to all the enthusiastic reviews on serge lutens i thought it would work for me too.

well, it took a grand while (half the bottle!) for me to understand the whole hype around this perfume. in the meantime i do like it to some extend but i wouldn't buy it again.

arabie - for me - starts off with quite a sharp blow of spices that somehow reminds me of chinese pharmacies (clove and nutmeg?) from my childhood days which i really like. and than... it turns into (as sfonativeboy says) BAKLAVA!!! it smells so sweet, that i can almost FEEL the honey dripping off me!

conclusion: this fragrance is ok for me pre-christmas at the christmas markets drinking punsch but it will not make it into my wardrobe a second time...

16th December, 2011.

Dried fruits... Weird but actually nice.
Though I do not know who would wear this. And I do not think it is masculine.
An imagery of black haired girl who achieves cute face and hot body both at same time?

22nd November, 2011.

Do I really want to smell like this? I love to be different and loath shimmering sparkling or effervescent.I have been courting the niche fragrance nooks searching for that dark mysterious vile of mischief,but Serge Lutens Arabie unfortunately is non the closer.That is because it smells like a vacuum pack bag of prunes that whoosh opened in your direction unexpectedly!, and that's not Sexy or mysterious!. I was hoping for something dank or sexy serious, but its simply bulky and clunky, and dimensionless,It simply smells of dried fruit,with a tad of ceder. As I sat on the train home I wondered if anyone in my vicinity found my fragrance intriguing?,perhaps someone with mischievous irregularity!

22nd November, 2011.

"This smells familiar" was the first phrase out of my mouth upon applying Serge Lutens ARABIE. Then it only remained to determine what, precisely, I was reminded of by this intoxicating—or is it suffocating?—perfume. With the help of the many able reviewers below, I have deduced that ARABIE approximates a collision of my grandmother's brandy-soaked dark fruitcake (not the wimpy light kind, but the one that is black as night, filled with raisins and dates and pecans and candied maraschino cherries and citrus rind, and so drenched in brandy that you could actually catch a buzz from eating a slice) and morrocan couscous with a very strong curry piled up on top. Or perhaps my grandmother, her sight failing as she grew older, reached for the cumin instead of the cinnamon as she prepared her cake?

What an odd assortment of rich and dark notes! But is it perfume? I think that, in the end, the combination of the dark, boozy fruits and the cumin-rich curry just puts me over the top. Similar to the way I'd feel if I feasted on a huge curry dinner and then my host insisted that I eat a fat slab of fruitcake before permitting me to leave. As the flavors mingle in my aching stomach, I begin to feel like a pot of chutney simmering on the stove, thick gurgling bubbles fighting their way slowly to the surface before popping. My speech begins to slur. My head is spinning, and it seems that I might actually hurl. There is simply too much going on in this kaleidoscopic culinary composition. In a word: No. De trop!

If ever there were a "try before you buy", ARABIE would be that. Does cumin mingle well with your skin? Spritz on this powerful potion and observe your friends' behavior. Do they appear to be sitting farther away from you than usual?

7th October, 2011.

...strange wrenching combination of sweet candied fruits in the front and Bel Ami leather in the background. A yellow no.

5th October, 2011.