Arabie by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido, 2000

I received a sample of Arabie about a week ago and I have a hard time identifying the notes in this oriental blend. I tried it on my skin, and really didn't like it. It was part new-car-smell that made me nauseous. My sister came over for a visit (and she was fragrance-free because she knew she was coming over to try out a few new scents of mine) and I had to show her this new revolting fragrance. I put a good amount on her arm, waited, and asked her what she thought. She liked it! So I took a sniff, and it wasn't at all bad on her! I then applied some to myself, waited, and have her sniff Arabie on me. She made an unpleasant face, and said it smelled horrible on me. I've always thought that the whole fragrance-changes-with-body-chemistry had some truth but was overly blown out of proportion but this experience cemented the statement for me. It can work on the right person, and it's a well-blended fragrance.

Oh god, with the curry again (that's for the Archer fans). Wood, cloves and LOTS of spices. I'm not such a fan of the savoury gourmand category of fragrances, into which Arabie proudly and loudly plonks itself. The caraway and nutmeg in this fragrance are too strong to make this a wearable fragrance for me. They get cloying and feel like they hang about the wearer like a haze....a haze that smells like curry. There will be occasions for some of us on which this fragrance is a suitable wear. I can't think of any for me, though. If you like a spicy oriental that has savoury gourmand accords, you might really like this. I'm giving Arabie a wide berth, though.

Dried apricots, sweet, spicy, but alas, I don't care for most gourmands, and this is no exception. I wish it had a bit more spice, and less sugar. I may like it more.

Dried or old fruits? Maybe. Hard to use? Yes. Unique smell? Indeed. Arabie must be worn for several times in order to be understood. That's very difficult to undertand it. I did hate the first times, and now i do recognize a unique and wonderful smell on this.

This reminds me so much of Caswell Massey's discontinued VETIVER, that I sampled them side by side. Yes, same dark, smoky, sweet burnt sugar on top of vetiver - only the Caswell is strong, while the Serge is light. For those who miss the Caswell, the scent is found once again.

This has been bothering me. It smells like something from the late 70s early 80s and the memory is a happy one as it puts a big silly grin on my face. On my way to visit my mother it hit me... Wallop.... Arabie is the child of vintage Femme de Rochas! Oily, apricotty , peachy, spicy and deeply mysterious and alluring. I now see the relationship with Mitsouko and other fruity chypres but Arabie is done with all the swirls and curlicues of Morocco is typical Lutens style. Brilliant work! Oh and when I walked into my mothers her reaction was to sniff deeply and tell my I smelt fabulous and it reminded her of Femme

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.

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...

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!

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?