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Serge Lutens Chene

post #1 of 17
2/13/09 at 4:49am
Thread Starter 
I have been testing Chene from a wax sample and I really must say I enjoy it: it has a distinctive oak smell that makes it stand out, coupled with a bit of smokiness and sweetness.

I will be looking to get a liquid sample of this soon, as I will never (again) make a purchase decision on a Lutens wax sample.

My question is this: do you feel Chene is wearable on a regular basis? I think I am wondering if the novelty of its uniquenss would wear off quickly.

At any rate, I do look forward to hearing your opinions on this one!
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post #2 of 17
2/13/09 at 5:23am
Chêne is probably the most different Serge Lutens scent. It's the driest at least. I own a bottle of it and I must say I'm not sure whether one could wear it on a regular basis. I don't. The opening notes of Chêne are very green and piercing of tannins, like very bitter, green herbs freshly cut (given by the black thyme). Then it passes to a rounder heart, deep and woody that's really enjoyable. The drydown is still bitter-green and woody but gets smoother with a mossy, powdery and slightly animalic touch of immortelle, beeswax and oakmoss giving a hint of sweetness balancing the initial bitterness. All it's well balanced and unsweet, but the whole effect is anyway dense, complex and quite important. You must for sure like a lot woody and unsweet scents to like it and of course to like the very piercing heady initial bitter blast.
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post #3 of 17
2/13/09 at 5:33am
Chene has a very distinct note of cedar..and it's very "woody". we dont have winters like you folks have in US or Europe..i'd imagine it would be very comforting during winters..

on a side note, chene reminds me of Gucci PH a lot..maybe the Cedar..
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post #4 of 17
2/13/09 at 5:42am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Magnifiscent View Post

Chêne is probably the most different Serge Lutens scent. It's the driest at least. I own a bottle of it and I must say I'm not sure whether one could wear it on a regular basis. I don't. The opening notes of Chêne are very green and piercing of tannins, like very bitter, green herbs freshly cut (given by the black thyme). Then it passes to a rounder heart, deep and woody that's really enjoyable. The drydown is still bitter-green and woody but gets smoother with a mossy, powdery and slightly animalic touch of immortelle, beeswax and oakmoss giving a hint of sweetness balancing the initial bitterness. All it's well balanced and unsweet, but the whole effect is anyway dense, complex and quite important. You must for sure like a lot woody and unsweet scents to like it and of course to like the very piercing heady initial bitter blast.

Thank you for that excellent description. I do get the immortelle, but obviously am missing the initial blast since I tested via wax. I suppose a concern of mine is whether I will consider it to be "too dense". Again, I will gather that testing liquid.

One thing I should clarify: I probably overstate myself when I say regular use. I just would not want it to be a novelty that grows dusty and is never worn. If I reach for it 10 times a year, that is good enough for me.
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post #5 of 17
2/13/09 at 5:55am
Huh, I just wore this the other day and wasn't thinking immortelle at all, so now I really need to go back and sniff again. I really love having the bottle but don't wear it often. To me there is something about the sappiness that is unbalanced, too much treble, needs a bit more earth to ground it. On the other hand it does smell like newly cut oak, and the smell can be transporting. It reminds me of altitude and open space. And, contra Turin, it doesn't smell to me at all like pencil shavings, although I share his sense that it's more an opening gambit than a finished fragrance. On the other hand, if it had been done by Ellena I might perceive it differently, might read it as transparent rather than unfinished? It may just need more time and attention to settle in. I find it fascinating and a little too much to wear regularly. Glad they make it.
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post #6 of 17
2/13/09 at 6:21am
Quote:
Originally Posted by scentsitivity View Post

I suppose a concern of mine is whether I will consider it to be "too dense". .

Your concern is not unfounded. "dense" would be quite appropriate in describing "Chene". I wouldn't consider it a fragrance for day to day use. It's well suited as a "power" scent, but unlike the power scents of the past. It has a dignified aire to it.
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post #7 of 17
2/13/09 at 6:30am
Quote:
Originally Posted by scentsitivity View Post

Thank you for that excellent description. I do get the immortelle, but obviously am missing the initial blast since I tested via wax. I suppose a concern of mine is whether I will consider it to be "too dense". Again, I will gather that testing liquid.

One thing I should clarify: I probably overstate myself when I say regular use. I just would not want it to be a novelty that grows dusty and is never worn. If I reach for it 10 times a year, that is good enough for me.

Ok, ok scentsitivity, in that sense I can say I use it on a regular basis (I do put it on at least 10 times in a year ) and I can tell you it's dense indeed but not too dense to be well worn when you're in the mood for it, specially in cold weather when you feel the need of something dense yet not sweet.
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post #8 of 17
2/13/09 at 6:43am
Dense, dense, dense, super-dense. I bought it on the basis of the wax sample. Wrong. The wax sample is a faint shadow of the real thing.

I will say this: it is all about the wood. But, to me, anyway, it is wood on fire, embers, a warm fireplace. I first wore it on a warm day in May and nearly fell over. I felt like it was choking me -- just two dabs to the neck -- and washed it off after an hour. The heat was too much. I wore it again this winter, a couple of times, and it was bearable, interesting, and pleasant.

Like I said elsewhere, I mostly like the Lutens line on an intellectual level. I really want to like this stuff. But Chene, especially, I find too heady and overdone.

Look, if you've got the money to throw around, like the line, and like collecting stuff, then get it. Otherwise, look elsewhere, because I can't imagine you'd be wearing this on a regular basis.
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post #9 of 17
2/13/09 at 7:18am
Along with Borneo and La Myrrhe, Chene was one of my favorites from the SL wax samples. However, like others upthread, I've avoided buying anything on the basis of these samples. They basically lack topnotes and I don't quite trust them to give me a sense of the fragrance. Someday I want to get a sample of the juice to give it a try!

The one Lutens bottle I own is Fumerie Turque, about which I feel as Strollyourlobster does about Chene: I don't wear it much, but I'm really glad I have the bottle..
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post #10 of 17
2/13/09 at 7:22am
Magnifiscent has given an excellent review, I agree with it completely.
Chene is a dense, woody scent. If you love ultra-dry, deeply woody scents with some moss (as I do) then you will enjoy it. I don't wear it regularly, but I appreciate it every single time I do wear it.
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post #11 of 17
2/13/09 at 7:31am
  • cpk
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I wear Chene and I have never found too... dense. It is definately woody but in a very unusual way. It is pungeant which makes it actually easier to wear than most heavy woody scents. Actually people who hate SL frags often find Chene very appealing because it lacks the sweet basenotes found in most other SL scents. I think it projects warmth but the person wearing it almost feels a detached coolness.
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post #12 of 17
2/13/09 at 11:49am
Personally, I think the juice in the bell jar and spray bottles are slightly different. I got so frustrated trying to figure it out that I ended up not breaking the seal of my bell jar...
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post #13 of 17
5/4/09 at 8:23pm
Wearing this tonight - wow! Oak like I've never smelled it before in a fragrance. I'm not sure I could pull this off in S. Florida in the summer time (I'm sitting in an air conditioned house now) but this sure has gotten me excited. I thought Scent One: Hinoki was woody. Chene takes wood notes to a whole new level. Amazing scent. Thanks sloan_8013.
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post #14 of 17
5/4/09 at 8:29pm
Sounds delicious... any kind soul wanna send me a sample of Chene? Sould like it'd be right up my alley
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post #15 of 17
5/4/09 at 10:12pm
Love the stuff myself, but can only wear it October through March, when it's the perfect answer to our damp and dingy Pacific Northwest weather.
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post #16 of 17
5/5/09 at 4:44am
Thread Starter 
I did get to test the liquid sample and found I liked it as much as the wax.

I tested it on a warm day; I think it would be better in cooler weather. I will revisit it then. I did get a headache while I was wearing it; not a typical migraine that I have gotten from other frags. I hope it is unrelated. I guess I will figure it out the next time I test it.

I do love the incredible realism Chene has.
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post #17 of 17
5/5/09 at 5:36am
  • cpk
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My opinion is, and I do tend to make strange associations of fragrances, that if you find Chene a bit too strong for your taste or if you don't know if you'll like it, try Jil Sander Man. They have the same weird woody note, a note that took me several wearings to associate with wood. Initially i thought it was something fruity or floral but definately completely different than cedar, sandalwood or any other wood I had ever smelled. Only trouble is JS Man is now far more difficult to find and probably even more expensive than a bell jar of Chene.
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