Daim Blond (2004)
by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

Such soft Suede/Leather notes...!
Warm and Creamy on my skin .. but
it lacks kick .. punch ...zing!
a "Heaviness" that I associate with LEATHER scents...
it's a good scent .. but ...
too "Uptight" ..
too "Lady's that Lunch Crowd"
too dare I say.... "CORPORATE" ..
it doesn't "Stir the Pot" ..
it doesn't "cause conflict" ..
it doesn't promote "Overt Sexuality" ..
it's at best "Naughty Underwear under your Best Suit"!
I like it ...
but I really wanted this to be sooo much more ..
I might still purchase it ... but
use it as a base for a layering effect ..

8th October, 2011.

This one opens with a slightly fruity and very velvety aroma guaranteed by damask and suede, this note of animal origin, which is very evident trough the whole life of this fragrance! Also from the opening, I can also smell the scent of iris, but not a very dominant one as in Dior Homme, with that makeup smell. Here, the iris only contributes to give more texture to the obvious aroma of suede.

Over time, the scent does not change much. It just decreases the suede, leaving the scent with it's character more focused on the feminine side.

22nd August, 2011.

One of the few compositions in the Lutens range that doesn't make me fall to the ground for the excessive sweetness. Don't get me wrong, Daim Blond is definitely a SWEET fragrance but it's incredibly balanced to never become cloying or too rich. A very wearable fruity (apricot) and canvas (read soft leather) composition with woody hints on a musky base. Not too far from Armani's Cuir Amethiste but way much better executed. In the same vein I still prefer Cuir Ottoman but if you're a fan of Lutens you won't be disappointed.

4th July, 2011. (Last Edited: 5th August, 2011.)

Apricot, pencil shavings, and the eponymous suede, topped off with a cherry (Serge can't help himself). With eyes closed I detect fainter, alternating hints of buttery-oatiness, a little osmanthus effect generated by the suede-apricot interaction, and the iris-imbued waxiness of makeup, à la Dior Homme.

While Daim Blond is most obviously an apricot suede, these materials feel estranged from one another and the impression is of an ordinary perfume soaked into an extraordinary cut of fabric. The latter on its own would be more blond and possess greater appeal for me than the current arrangement, which is nevertheless plush and charismatic. It is consistent across wearings too, unlike, say, Bulgari Black or Dzing!, which can prove unpredictable depending on their mood.

Best of all, Daim Blond dries down to a fresh-fruit, close leathery fuzz, with a sillage that makes me want to chase my own t(r)ail.

15th February, 2011.

Nice suede but too lineal.Nice when layered with Esencia de Loewe or with any chypre.

2nd July, 2010.

I get way too much fruitiness in this fragrance, and would not consider it "unisex" if I were the one to make the decision. I don't get much in the way of leather, or really anything else. Perhaps it's a "skin chemistry" issue. In any case, I don't really find anything interesting, unique, or pleasant about it. I'd rather wear Cinema, actually, because I find that to be pleasant, and not quite as "feminine." Some have compared DB to Histoire d'Eau, but I like Hd'E much better, and I don't think there is much of a reason to compare them. Hd'E has better note articulation and I'd call that one unisex. The drydown is more vanillic, less fruity, and you can detect some suede or soft leathery quality. DB is natural enough, but linear on me. Projection/sillage and longevity are very good.

9th May, 2010.