Fille en Aiguilles (2009)
by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

This starts sugary and piney. Very piney. Then dries smoke-like into pines. It went on for a good 4 hours. Not what I expect from a Serge Lutens that are usually so aggressive, thick and never-ending. Yes it was sweet. Yes it was spicy but... I liked this at first sniff but the second sniff wasn't even there so...

Chypre Rouge + Arabie = Fille en Aiguilles

Unlike Chypre Rouge, the pine note is more prominent in Fille en Aiguilles, with an overbearingly burnt sugary-fruity accord running throughout. Unfortunately, the combination of these two prominent accords feels quite unbalanced and muddled. Needless to say, I found the composition very unusual but not in an encouraging way.

Its longevity isn't great either – four spritzes on my forearm and there wasn’t much evidence of it two hours later. But, hey, what do you expect from a haute concentrate?

No thanks!

This scent’s cool, bracing conifer resin opening is deep and rounded enough to avoid smelling like a room air freshener, which is always a danger when dealing with fir and pine notes. In any case, a rich smelling frankincense descends so quickly upon the pine needle blanket that there's no chance for this composition to smell cheap.

The conifer, frankincense and spice mélange at Fille en Aiguilles' heart calls to mind Comme des Garçons' Zagorsk, but the Lutens scent is much warmer and sweeter, set as it is upon a candied fruit and cedar foundation not far removed from Feminité du Bois or even Arabie. Indeed, once the contrastingly bracing conifer needle accord dissipates, what remains of Fille en Aiguilles smells a touch disappointing in its familiarity - a kind of "standard issue" Sheldrake-Lutens drydown accord. Even so, the pleasantly surprising juxtaposition of warm/sweet and icy/crisp at Fille en Aiguilles' core makes it one of the more enjoyable of recent Serge Lutens releases.

Fille en Aiguilles might be too bold for you if you are uncomfortable wearing something that walks a thin line between: room spray and fragrance. The synthetic smell of pine needles has been introduced to most of us from those large aerosol cans, which you spray in your home during the holidays – not something you splash on your body after a morning shower.

FeA is different. The strong pine needle, resinous top notes are intermingled with fresh cut cedar wood, gentle fruit notes and a tiny wisp of incense. From top, to middle to base notes, the entire fragrance evokes the smell of place(s): forests; wood lined walk in closets; a home with fruit pastries baking in the oven; an apothecary store filled with balms, ointments and elixirs; a single wisp of incense smoke in a moment by the Christmas tree and fireplace.

Unlike many of the woody Serge Lutens scents (Chene, for instance, is a close relative) FeA is gentle and polite due in part to the way it dials down the sharpness with vetiver and a tiny, savory bit of laurel. Instead of feeling like you’re trapped inside a wood closet, the smell of woods diffuses around me: as if the trees I smell are in the distance…a circle of pine trees, if you will, that hovers and travels with me wherever I move. This might lead you to believe that FeA is a fougere but it’s not - perhaps it’s best categorized as a woody oriental.

The bitter medicinal edge reveals itself at the very initial spray but then quickly becomes reserved and hushed - allowing me to enjoy it without a disturbing, loud or hissy synthetic smell (I smell no aldehydes). Perhaps because of this – it only lasts 5-6 hours before it starts to fade and give off a subtle tannic aura…like warm, mulled red wine.

It might prove difficult, to disassociate the smell of FeA with the holiday season. I can’t see wearing this in the heat of the summer. Just like Aqua Allegoria Winter Delice by Guerlain, this just feels more appropriate and comforting worn during the holidays.

Notes via luckyscent:Pine needles, vetiver, sugary sap, laurel, fir balsam, frankincense, candied fruit and spice.

I'm gonna give my interpretation in the way I perceive it instead of analyzing individual notes above. I will extrapolate the smell to what other fragrances comes to mind. I don't get a dose of pine as in Blenheim Bouquet or Windsor. Instead, I get the likes of Gucci Pour Homme/CDG 2 Man with Hinoki in the background. After a while, the CDG 2 Man vibe fades and leaves a strong presence of Hinoki. You are wondering if one can justify owning this if you already have the aforementioned fragrances. Yes! Fille en Aiguilles has quality ingredients, the best parts of both fragrances and no weaknesses from the Gucci Pour Homme/CDG 2 Man aspect. FeA retains that incense, pencil shavings character that is present in Gucci PH, done much better in Santal Blanc, and has comparable quality in FeA. The sauna aroma that shows resemblance to a Japanese bath house is the Hinoki aspect. FeA is the best of both worlds. The longevity is excellent and so is the sillage. It wears smooth and never feels uncomfortable. A must own from the house of Serge Lutens!

An interesting composition involving camphor, resins, woods and incense accords laced with hints of dried fruits and amber. It feels cool yet comfortingly warm at the same time, like sitting around a campfire in a pine forest on an autumn evening. But it is a scent very similar to one I encountered recently, one that I've grown to respect, even love for its spiritual resonance. And a side by side comparison quickly confirms my suspicions and establishes the family resemblance.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet FILLE EN AIGUILLES, the warmer and more affable sister to the cool, sophisticated yet introspective Serge Noire.