SL La fille de Berlin

Where did you get the sample?

Fab! Any more details on it?
Waiting eagerly for my sample to get here!

Sounds really lovely, I cannot wait for my sample(I got a email from the Paris boutique offering one), it can take a while though. Some times the fragrance is already released before I get the sample. LOL

Me too - awaiting a sample eagerly as I am really interested in this one.

I'm planning to pop into Barneys tomorrow to see if they've got a tester. Apparently it released in the US yesterday on Valentine's Day, and lucky scent already have it. I read someplace that it's available at Barneys as well. Barneys have some beauty event going on, so if I end up liking this and decide to get a FB, I might as well get it during the promotion.

I own a FB of Rose de Nuit but wasn't terribly impressed with Sa Majeste la Rose. THis is touted to be an animalic rose, and both of the reviews I've read thus far are favourable. Can't wait to test this out.

Is the rose in it anything that the note in Santal Majascule?

A kind Basenoter sent me a sample of this. I'm not wearing it fully but I just had to spray a tiny bit on my left elbow/inner arm. It's beautiful, very juicy/unctuous rose notes with a nice, sweet, confectionery/powdery sort of vibe. I'm reminded of those violet scented breath mints (from C. Howards) with a large, sweet rose smell. It is nothing, IMO, like Sa Majeste la Rose, so I'm enjoying it's unique allure. If you blind folded me I'd think I was smelling a Santa Maria Novella scent - it has that gentlemanly, hair-oil, retro vibe that a few rose masculine rose scents conjure up like No. 88 and Hammam Bouquet but much more alive, vibrant and potent.

It's nothing like Majestie? I may like it then!

Les Senteurs in the UK now have it. But I am waiting for my local House of Fraser to get it in, hopefully next week.

It sounds gorgeous. No doubt as usual my sample from SL in Paris will arrive after I have bought a bottle.

How does Berlin compare to Rose de Nuit? Does anyone know?

Thanks for the description Mike.

I can imagine what it smells like.

I briefly tried it on Saturday and posted a few thoughts on the SotD thread.
For what it's worth, I found it a big, luscious, shiny, crimson rose that enters with pepper and leaves with a sweet amber. Longevity seemed to be very good.

Thanks for the first impressions. I do not know if this marks a return to form for the house but based on what Mike has written, it sounds promising... Hope to sample it soon.

Looking forward to this after many SL disappointments. German reviews have said it is a quality rose with unisex character, not unlike a Lutenized version of TDC Rose Poivrée. Hope the sample is in my mailbox soon.

I have just bought this blind from Escentual in the UK, they have 15% off all SL at the moment. I had a 10% voucher as well, so only £52.79!!!!

All the reviews make me think this is going to be gorgeous.

Is the rose note in this one feminine?

It sounds like it. Some say Jo Malone Red Roses and another review said Caron Or et Noir

Well, it's not a pretty-pretty, pink, powdery rose. Take that how you will.

I found it a bit bornig, I must say. A pretty straightforward rose without much mystery to it...

Congrats. Enjoy!

Wearing it again today.

I must say that I like it a bit less this time - mostly because the violet/rose combo isn't as satisfying to me as a full blown rose note in and of itself. I like the talc-y effect that the violet note adds, it's quite alluring but I think ultimately I would never wear this that often.

I think it is a nice variation on a standard rose theme, and I give a big THUMBS UP to Serge for bringing something unique to the market. Still...it's just not me.

My bottle just arrived and I've had it on a few minutes. It opens in a very familiar way- it has a sheer, cold and almost metallic quality to it like Vitirol d'oeillet did. In fact, if I were lazy I would say its VDO done with rose at this point.
Its definitely different from Sa Majeste la Rose (which I found sickeningly unappealing) so on that score I'm very happy. No danger of doubling up if you already have SMLR.

10 mins in and its changing into something sweeter and powdery and my heart is racing because I'm starting to fall in love with it! Its really smoothing out, losing the cold metallic sheerness and is starting to plump up. Slightly sweetened rose petals with a powdery touch- and nary a peppercorn in sight. There is a constant warmth in the background- lukewarm milky chai spices. You know how you rub your fingertip over a rose petal and get that velvet texture? That's how the chai spices in this fragrance is conveyed.

20 mins in now and its just divine. Its become more berry, almost like cough syrup (Lush Snow Fairy anyone?), but in no way sickening or cheap. It has a gossamer, yet definite presence.
I'm not sure if its my nose picking up a tiny spray of Songes on my opposite upper arm or if its La Fille itself - but I caught a subliminal waft of pissy musk. Not at all unpleasant because its almost non-existent, but its got me rooting around in my arm like a madwoman- want the piss again! LOL

Okay, I couldn't help myself, I had to give myself another spray and this time I briefly caught a whiff of something very dirty and swamp-like. It has disappeared pretty quickly though.

I look forward to the drydown and how it evolves over the next few hours.

I see this as more of a Fall scent than Spring- its just too velvety and plush for Spring.

All in all I'm so glad I bought this blind, I'm thrilled with it and finally have a Lutens rose I love. The colour of the juice is incredible, such a vibrant magenta.

My bottle arrived on Monday and the sample for SL Paris yesterday. LOL

I get old fashioned velvet roses in the opening, then some raspberry and finally a soft powdery spice vibe.

I am going to stick with this one being feminine, but do try it for sure to decide for yourself.

My sample has arrived after a first test I am disappointed. It falls into the category of lisptick-like rose scents such as Moulin Rouge, Rose Etoille d'Hollande, Lisptick Rose, Drole de Rose but it is sadly inferior to all of these. It feels a bit as if Sa Majeste la Rose and Lisptick Rose would be coexisting in the same bottle without really forming a whole.

The rumours said it would be a peppery rose - I don't detect any trace of it. I would have loved a dirty rose from SL with a strong character. Disappointed...

I tried it, too, from a sample. This is very different from SL's other roses. I agree with bonsai that it reminds of Rose Etoille d'Hollande, mainly because of the velvet softness of rose petals and their color. The rose is dark red, not pink, and certainly not bright red. It starts as a deep rose scent; then, the rose becomes somehow metallic. It happens sometimes with roses, and I don't like this stage. I think at this point I can feel the violet as well. The metallic element eventually goes away, and what's left is still a soft, very lightly powdery rose-ambery scent. I don't sense a lot of spice or raspberry. It is warm, though, throughout; it does not turn "chilly" as some reviews made me expect.

After reading people's reviews and thoughts on this one, I was very excited to give it a try when it arrived. I think it's a very well-done scent - a plush, velvety, crimson jammy rose, underscored with metallic-blood like notes that I assume represent the thorns. Unfortunately, I personally don't like the thorny aspect of the fragrance, so it's not for me. But I think it's a great portrayal of the rose with all it's aspects - beautiful, feminine (though definitely wearable by a man - I'd love to smell it on a guy), sensual and dangerous. Oh, and the colour of the juice is sooooo beautiful!

That's how I felt about this "metallic" element. It would have been perfect without it (for me)! Thankfully, it is only a phase and goes away. I agree about the color of the juice: It matches the color of the rose petals well!

It lingers forever on my skin--without much sillage, but it is persistent In its very last stages--hours and hours after application--it reminds me of the dry-down of Keiko Mecheri Attar de Roses. It reminds me of other deep, sweet roses, too. I so wish that the gorgeous, lush opening had stayed longer, though.

I'm so eager to try this, Serge Lutens making a predominantly rose based fragrance sounds like it would fit perfect for me.

Strangely a friend who is the SA for Lutens in my local House of Fraser, was disappointed with this one. But she loves the Sa Majestic Rose.

I like this one a lot. It opens with a juicy, sweet rose with a hint of something metallic that quickly turns jammy but the dry down is gorgeously woody. It is nothing like Sa Majeste and I think it smells fresher, cleaner and lighter.

Same here. To me it smells like something Duchaufour discarded three years ago as too lame... Remember the days when Lutens was a leader rather than a follower?

I tried it. It didn't knock my socks off, but I admit I didn't give it my undivided attention.

I found it pleasant but rather weak. Will stick with FM Une Rose.

Somewhat fruity rose, with hints of violet in the opening, over dusty slightly woodsy clean musks. Imo it's a little too conventional for a Lutens, even less for a girl from Berlin. Not bad but nothing to write home about, I'm afraid. Strictly for Lutens fans in search of another rose scent.

Gorgeous looking juice though.

Finally got around to wearing this one yesterday and was quite impressed. It is a "feminine" straight rose soliflore and not much else, but very high quality stuff with outstanding projection, IMO. I absolutely loved it, but don't know if I can wear it. This one would smell incredible on a woman, IMO.

As an aside, I personally don't get the MdO comparisons, as that release was more peach than rose to my nose. To me the two fragrances are completely different and I would take the SL all day long over the Mona despite my absolute love for most of her releases.