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

Fille en Aiguilles opens with a dark, rich burst of frankincense and spices. FeA is somewhat similar to Fou D' Absinthe in the opening, but I smell more pine in FD'A right out of the bottle. The balsam fir note in FeA also appears shortly after application but becomes less noticeable after about ten minutes. Overall, I find FeA to be outstanding. It reminds me of time spent hiking through the Northwoods of my youth, before heading back to the cabin when it is fully decked out for Christmas, fire blazing in the wood stove. I get a winter holiday vibe with Fille en Aiguilles.

I find FeA to be more masculine than feminine. I just don't smell the "Girl in the Needles" in this fragrance. osMoz also suggests that Fille en Aiguilles means "Girl in High Heels". Again, I don't "get" the pun, but I don't think Serge Lutens is really aiming for a "serious" name. What they have achieved with Fille en Aiguilles is a rich, resinous oriental that creates a sense of place, a place that I don't mind hanging around in for a day or two every once in a while.

3rd December, 2011.

A rich, resinous mixture of pine, frankincense, amber and to my mind, mulled wine. Lasts for ever it seems and is a 'go to' fragrance for the coming winter.

Stop Press:
Dolce and Gabbana have released a select range of fragrances under the 'Velvet' banner. Three for men and three for women. The mens are predictably, woods, patchouli and vetiver, which all have the prefix of 'velvet'. They are all pretty good, but the top and heart of the Vetiver is outstanding -- a creamy, nutty take on vetiver, which is gorgeous. The drydown doesn't match up though being reminiscent of the rather cloying Pasha by Cartier. Worth checking out though, even at £120 for 50ml.

There is a new flanker to A-Men, which is a limited edition. The concept is to add 'tastes' to the original so the new one, which is red peppers, will be replaced by another soon. The red peppers work particularly well though, giving the original a real kick. I think it's great and relatively cheap.

Due to EU regulations concerning allergens, Creed have had to discontinue 'Vetiver', which is a shame -- I could have swallowed it being the 'Original' version that got bumped.

7th November, 2011.

i'm weirding myself (and my wife) out with how much i love this juice. pine and frankincense that just stays warm & cozy on my skin. NO perfume has had me sniffing myself as much :/ uplifting, entertaining and energizing, redolent of mediterranean pine forests, resiny incense and some xmas confection. this is my fourth lutens and now, my fave (sorry chergui & sarrasins!)

28th September, 2011. (Last Edited: 1st October, 2011.)

I completely agree with Diamondflame, Fille en Aiguilles is the warmer, more approachable and less sophisticated sister of the spiritual and drier Serge Noir. This fragrance turns out as a resinous blend of camphoraceous resins of mountain, pine needles, incense, mild woods and syrupy burnt sugar combined with some dried tasty wild berries, benzoin and amber. The note of vetiver and some spices enhance the rooty dark touch in order to balance the syrupy temperament of some elements. The combination of pine, camphor, frankincense and dried fruits turns it out very similar to Wazamba by Parfum d'Empire which is a bit dustier (more incense and labdanum) than the Lutens's one. The mellifluence despite being important is controlled and the fragrance itself is very delicious, woodsy, just an hint smoky and dark. Is like smelling the exhalations of a fruity burning forest. Linked with woods and greens i smell jam of red-purple fruits, some dropes of liquor cream and an hint of tobacco. A not particularly bold or distinguished this one is anyway  in my opinion a very captivating and evocative fragrance. The sillage seems to be weaker than usual for a Lutens's fragrance.

19th September, 2011.

Fille En Aiguilles strikes at full blast with a resinous pine/burnt sugar accord that's dark, extremely deep and charming. Frankincense plays an incredibly relevant role adding warmness and mistery and bringing this composition to a breand new level that's nowhere close to the room-freshener type of fragrance. Spices and a remarkable candied fruit note add the final touch with detailed refinements while sweetness is handled to never become cloying or overwhelming.

Overall I can say that Fille En Aiguilles is a Lutens composition by all means (bold, sweet, powerful, rich) but unlike many fragrances by the Sheldrake/Lutens duo it settles as one of the most balanced and misterious of the whole range. As usual with this house, be careful with dosage. A personal favourite.

16th August, 2011. (Last Edited: 18th August, 2011.)

Sharp coniferous note at the top fades quickly to make some room for a warm, tasty accord which basically smells like a combination of dried fruit and warm bread to my nose. That evergreen's still there, but not in a very prominent fashion.

To my nose, dry-down goes subtle, pure dry woodsy vetiver with hints of caramel apples, pencil shavings and incense.
Not nearly as room-spray-ish as you might think.

In my opinion works at it's best on clothing, and belive it or not, sprayed on hair.

23rd March, 2011.