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Serge Noire = Serge Nope

post #1 of 25
10/31/08 at 6:21pm
Thread Starter 
God bless, I am so dissapointed with Serge Noir!! I SOOOOOOO wanted to love it like my own child. Alas, SL evades me still. I just feel like its missing that SL something something that I associate with the others. No passion in this one, no evolution or complexity, nor ingenuity. What I get is Josef Stratkus, then Rousse. Well folks, if I wanted Stratkus or Rousse, I'd buy them. Its kinda been there, done that to me.

I'm gonna have to spray this again before I make my final determination but its not looking too good.

TNMA
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post #2 of 25
10/31/08 at 6:34pm
I agree that SN is hard to wrap your mind around, but that's about as far as I agree. I find it to be one of the most evolutionary scents I've tried. It has a bit of body odor weirdness for a while, but eventually it's something I totally dig. It's loaded with a ton of spicy facets. I know mikeperez23 really enjoys his bottle so hopefully he'll have some input. I'm still on the fence on it though but I've only sampled and not worn fully. Soon though!
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post #3 of 25
10/31/08 at 6:42pm
I was not impressed with Serge Noire either. It began interestingly, with a hot, dry spice, cedar, and incense accord, but collapsed within an hour into a bare, undistinguished cedar. This occurred during multiple wearings and ever more generous applications. It's possible that I habituate quickly to this scent, but for whatever the reason I haven't been able to enjoy it.
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post #4 of 25
10/31/08 at 6:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrd4t View Post

It's loaded with a ton of spicy facets.

I am still working on my sample but that there ^ is one of the problems with this juice..
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post #5 of 25
10/31/08 at 6:52pm
Serge Noir leaves me nonplussed. I think it's a good attempt at coming up with a commercial fragrance, but I find it a bit dullsville. At first I felt this way about 5 O'clock at the Cheese Cake Factory, but I've grown to like that one.
Yes, I agree with thenmarcher, file it away, in a desk drawer with Rousse.
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post #6 of 25
10/31/08 at 7:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vibert View Post

I was not impressed with Serge Noire either. It began interestingly, with a hot, dry spice, cedar, and incense accord, but collapsed within an hour into a bare, undistinguished cedar. This occurred during multiple wearings and ever more generous applications. It's possible that I habituate quickly to this scent, but for whatever the reason I haven't been able to enjoy it.

You're my lost nose-twin when it comes to this fragrance. Seems to be going somewhere, then doesn't and smells like pencils.

It does nothing that other fragrances don't do better.
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post #7 of 25
10/31/08 at 10:48pm
Love the title of this thread

I've recently acquired a bottle, but i'm yet to give it a full wearing. I loved it from the sampling though.
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post #8 of 25
11/1/08 at 10:31am
I have a bottle and I love it, but I have to be careful with application. Too much and it is cloying and will last a long time. I over-applied one night and I woke up in the middle of the night and that's all I could smell. If you uder-apply then it goes away fast. I found that it is better dabbed than sprayed and I am scared to wear it for work. I love it as a private pleasure though. It is certainly different, even if it references other SLs.
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post #9 of 25
11/1/08 at 11:20am
Great title, thenmarcher - it really made me chuckle!

Does anyone get a Gucci pour Homme vibe in the drydown? Galamb_Borong mentioned SN smelling like pencils, so I'm curious if I'm the only one to notice this.
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post #10 of 25
11/1/08 at 2:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jrd4t View Post

I agree that SN is hard to wrap your mind around, but that's about as far as I agree. I find it to be one of the most evolutionary scents I've tried. It has a bit of body odor weirdness for a while, but eventually it's something I totally dig. It's loaded with a ton of spicy facets. I know mikeperez23 really enjoys his bottle so hopefully he'll have some input. I'm still on the fence on it though but I've only sampled and not worn fully. Soon though!

Fortunately, I get no 'body odor' or 'burnt hair' vibe from SN, like some do. Thank goodness! All I get is a ton of spices (which is fine with me, I'm a spice ho!) and simmering incense.

I am done with my 5 ml decant that I bought when TPC had their sale. So...this will be my full bottle purchase, when I visit Scent Bar next month. I have it already planned out.

For a while there, I was wearing SN ever single Sunday evening. I think it matched perfectly that somber, quiet mood I get on Sunday nights, a bit sad that the weekend's over.

Love this stuff!
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post #11 of 25
11/1/08 at 4:36pm
Thread Starter 
"...collapsed within an hour into a bare, undistinguished cedar"

That totally sums up SN for me...starts great, but just dies an barely perceptile death. So unpredictable given the heritage of this line.

TNMA
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post #12 of 25
11/3/08 at 5:18pm
After testing it twice I decided that unlike other woody scents I've tried/owned (CdG 2Man or GpH) serge noir is really hard to wear and enjoy - I'm happy to admit it is unique but just not for me.
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post #13 of 25
6/24/11 at 2:32pm
Wow, I thought this was a definite winner to everyone. I'll have to add it to my next sample splurge.
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post #14 of 25
6/24/11 at 2:59pm
I don't like it either. It's gross how it goes from that BO / meat smell to the standard Lutens vanilla / balsam base.
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post #15 of 25
6/24/11 at 3:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by monsieur_sparkle View Post

I don't like it either.

Nor do I.
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post #16 of 25
6/24/11 at 3:22pm
This one made me grimace and pull back from my wrist. Just too dirty clovey for me. I've kept a sample just for reference and it may grow on my with time but I was surprised by this one.
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post #17 of 25
6/24/11 at 5:04pm
I don't like it either: cloves.. .loads of them...
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post #18 of 25
6/24/11 at 6:09pm
It's not for everyone. I got a bottle for very specific situations, if I ever get to see The Cure, Bauhaus, or Siouxsie in concert.
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post #19 of 25
6/25/11 at 1:51am
I might be alone, but i find it's one of the best Lutens creation currently on the market (and the best recent release).
I don't find any equivalent scent on the market, i not only smell a complex blend of spices but also camphor and the amazing "fire work" smoky note.
Try it on hot weather for make it bloom, i really like it for spring/ summer days.
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post #20 of 25
6/25/11 at 4:29am
Josef Statkus seems more like Amber sultan dipped in incense.

count me in as a fan of SN.. it's my go to scent for colder weather, especially evenings. something vampiric about it..mysterious, like being in a blair witch project. resinous, spicy incense with a very imaginative and magnificent depth. and by no means i find it a sell out.

for me, it lives up to the release that serge felt his name should be attached to. bravo.
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post #21 of 25
6/25/11 at 6:07am
I rather enjoyed Serge Noire when I tested it - thought it was interesting, but not as interesting as Chene. Then I was offered an excellent deal on a bottle of SN and bought it on a whim. Since then, it's become one of my top three or four. It wears beautifully and has the depth that makes it ever-interesting and enjoyably surprising for the 8 - 10 hours that it lasts. I love it now and seldom wear Chene. Fantastic scent for cool weather, which I have a lot of.
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post #22 of 25
6/25/11 at 8:02am
Camphor, a ton of burnt spices, and some cumin. I love it.
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post #23 of 25
6/25/11 at 8:06am
I thought it was a bad joke at first - it seemed almost sinister - but something kept me going back to try a spritz, then taking a sample home and after a year or so I have done a complete 180. Go figure - it's certainly a compelling piece of work, like it or not. I can't see many people saying 'oh yeah, tried it, quite nice'

I'll be picking up a bottle at some point soon as Lutens is being pulled from the Shiseido counters here.
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post #24 of 25
6/26/11 at 4:24am
Serge Noire happens to be my top pick from Serge Lutens. Go figure. Wrist sniffing won't do. It needs to be worn.
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post #25 of 25
6/26/11 at 8:37pm
Nope, don't like it either.
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