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my impression of Chergui by Serge Lutens

post #1 of 49
2/24/13 at 9:42am
Thread Starter 
Looking at it objectively, it's a very well made fragrance. It projects very well, great performance. Very original, excellent development. It does lack in the versatility department as some people have mentioned and it's not very safe, so apply lightly. And at $100, it's at a perfect price for a niche fragrance.

But it is too feminine for me. You have to be very comfortable with your masculinity to wear this. Some people have said Original Santal, Le Male and Dior Homme Intense were feminine, but this takes it to an entirely new level of femininity.

It's hard to say what I don't like about it. It's not too sweet. I like fragrances like Pure Malt and New Haarlem.

The opening, I don't like. I don't hate it, but my opinion was less than nuetral. And I rarely dislike fragrances. The first hour or two was just bad in my opinion. But after that, it's developing very nicely. Even as it improves, it's still a decent fragrance, but nothing special (At least to me). I'm on my 4th hour and it is getting better.

I heard this was a cherry tobacco sweet fragrance. So, I immediately thought of M7. Nothing like M7, but I prefer M7 much over this. I also thought of Pure Havane, and it's nothing like that either. Actually, I do smell cherry, tobacco and even hay, but they're not at the forefront of the fragrance. This fragrance is largely floral and powdery.

This smells, honestly, like a higher-end version of Joop.

This was hyped a lot, but I can see why some people like it. Me, I'm not sure I would go triple digits on this.

EDIT - Actually, and I've thought this from the beginning, this reminds me of Chanel Egoiste. Sure, it's not shockingly similar, but I do notice a lot of similarities
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post #2 of 49
2/24/13 at 9:43am
IMO one of Lutens best.
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post #3 of 49
2/24/13 at 9:49am
A masterpiece imo
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post #4 of 49
2/24/13 at 10:39am
Thanks for the review. I haven't tried this one yet, but it's on my to-try list. Heard a lot of good things about it.

Interesting how you mentioned that the tobacco isn't at the forefront, but rather it's more of a floral scent. I'm a big fan of tobacco and was hoping Chergui would be very tobacco-centric. Looks like I'll have to manage my expectations when trying this one.
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post #5 of 49
2/24/13 at 10:40am
It's just 'Nice' IMHO. Nothing special at all
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post #6 of 49
2/24/13 at 10:52am
Don't like this one. Too sharp and feminine.
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post #7 of 49
2/24/13 at 10:55am
To me, Chergui is a PERFECT example of how we don't all agree when it comes to fragrances. That's why it's almost always imperative to sample before buying. There's not one fragrance that 100% of the people like.

I think we can all relate to this...

There's a certain member here that I particularly enjoy because I REALLY respect his opinion....mainly because he's so knowledgeable and experienced, and HIS likes are so in line with MY likes. He was reviewing a certain fragrance awhile back and gave a glowing report. I thought, "Hmm, I've got to try that!" So I did. And when I did, I couldn't stand it. I wasn't even close to liking it; I thought it was horrible. All I could think of was the guy that gave the glowing report...."What was he thinking?!? How could he like this?!?"

Truly, one man's love is another man's scrubber, and that's what Chergui was for me.
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post #8 of 49
2/24/13 at 10:59am
My favorite Serge Lutens. An excellent composition, IMO.
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post #9 of 49
2/24/13 at 11:01am
  • daz
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Thanks for the review. I was also disappointed by Chergui. There's some notes in there I just don't like.
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post #10 of 49
2/24/13 at 11:14am
I get a lot of alcohol with a powdery mix. What makes this feminine to me is every womens' fragrance I have tried I ALWAYS get a strong alcohol smell from it. Which is what I get with Chergui, I blind bought this and I am thinking about seeing if I can trade it for something else I have been eyeing. I plan on giving it a few more chances though before I do that though.
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post #11 of 49
2/24/13 at 11:20am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jer350 View Post

I get a lot of alcohol with a powdery mix. What makes this feminine to me is every womens' fragrance I have tried I ALWAYS get a strong alcohol smell from it. Which is what I get with Chergui, I blind bought this and I am thinking about seeing if I can trade it for something else I have been eyeing. I plan on giving it a few more chances though before I do that though.

I actually agree with the alcohol smells.

You know what, it actually smells like some candy flavored liquer.
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post #12 of 49
2/24/13 at 11:33am
It is not by all means your common mall-scent. It's not created with the mass market in mind.
For me it's a formidable and evocative perfumme. Sometimes I like to discover the notes in it, like the Tea or Tobacco, and the beautifull honey. Julio in Youtube mentioned that hay smell. Sometimes I just enjoy the fragrance as a whole
Yes it is overhypped, but a masterpiece to my nose.
Love the bottle and the color of the juice. Projects decent and lasts a good ten hours plus.
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post #13 of 49
2/24/13 at 11:35am
Hm, i don't see how people think this is feminine. Different noses i guess.
This is one of my absolute favorite, most complimented fragrances. A total masterpiece.
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post #14 of 49
2/24/13 at 11:46am
I cannot picture any woman wearing this. I wouldn't want to smell this on a female. It's an interesting scent but not one I like to wear.
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post #15 of 49
2/24/13 at 12:04pm
I'd prefer just a touch less powder, but I consider this one of the best niche colognes in existence. When I'm wearing a suit or even a jacket at night for any occasion other than a date (which happens fairly often), there is no better cologne, for me, than Chergui.

I don't think it's feminine in the least on my skin, and isn't nearly as sweet as some say.
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post #16 of 49
2/24/13 at 12:15pm
I own this and like it quite a bit. A very nice offering in a mostly otherwise overrated Serge Lutens house.

This is not an every day kind of fragrance for sure. I don't really get the floral notes or the feminine association. This is not in my top 20 (or probably even my top 50), but I do like it quite a bit. But it does seem like a good opportunity to wear this is few and far between.
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post #17 of 49
2/24/13 at 6:10pm
I really love this fragrance, but I have to agree with you on it being a bit feminine. It is kinda like Ambre Nuit in my opinion, in that a man can definitely pull it off but he has to be confident. It does tend to garner a ton of compliments from the ladies though. A very good frag in my opinion though.
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post #18 of 49
2/24/13 at 8:29pm
Chergui, one of my fav from Serge Lutens line, it's magical on a cool weather day
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post #19 of 49
2/24/13 at 8:34pm
Chergui is 'floral and powdery'? Has there been another reformulation?? I say look for the pre-2010 vintage.
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post #20 of 49
2/24/13 at 8:34pm
Tried it today and 8 hours later I can still smell it on my hand. But all I'm getting for the past few hours is vanilla. I enjoyed the initial few hours, although was not too thrilled with the hay note, but if the dry down is mainly vanilla that just doesn't seem like it's enough to warrant the price.
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post #21 of 49
2/24/13 at 8:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gooner3029:2856406

I cannot picture any woman wearing this. I wouldn't want to smell this on a female. It's an interesting scent but not one I like to wear.

This woman wears it all the time. Chergui is one of my favorite fragrances AND one of my most complimented. Fragrances with notes or profiles that are (stereotypically) considered masculine will often take on a completely different -- and often very sexy -- character when worn by a woman. The same is often true for (stereotypically) feminine fragrances worn by men.

I wear many "masculine" fragrances to great effect, including Lutens Fumerie Turque and Ambre Sultan, PdE Ambre Russe, Kerosene Copper Skies, Slumberhouse Baque, Jeke, and Norne, and Mazzolari Patchouly. I choose not to limit myself, and my fragrance adventure is all the richer for it.
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post #22 of 49
2/24/13 at 9:24pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Diamondflame View Post

Chergui is 'floral and powdery'? Has there been another reformulation?? I say look for the pre-2010 vintage.

Yeah, I dont find this powdery at all. I need to get a bottle, but I now if I have to test it again before purchasing to make sure it hasn't changed from what I smell in my sample.
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post #23 of 49
2/24/13 at 11:44pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by noirdrakkar View Post

This was hyped a lot, but I can see why some people like it. Me, I'm not sure I would go triple digits on this.

One of the wisest things you can learn is to not use other people's opinions as a basis for what your own opinions should be. You say you don't like it. That's fair. It's your opinion, right? It's your nose. You say Chergui is too feminine for you. That's fair too. It's your opinion. But then you leave the door open to purchasing it even though you don't like it and think it's too feminine. Why? Because of the hype? Who cares about hype!

Trust your own nose.

Quote:
Originally Posted by noirdrakkar View Post

The opening, I don't like. I don't hate it, but my opinion was less than nuetral. And I rarely dislike fragrances. The first hour or two was just bad in my opinion.

OK then. For you, Chergui isn't a win. No biggie. There are thousands of other options. Just because others love Chergui doesn't mean you have to. Learn to follow your own tastes and you'll end up with a collection of fragrances that you love. Or, you can go from hype to hype and end up with a collection of fragrances other people love but to you are hit or miss.

That's the beauty of sampling. I think L'Air du Desert Marocain is a work of art. I adore it. You don't. No biggie. You love 1 Million. I can't stand it. No biggie. Different strokes for different folks. The world don't move to the beat of just one drum
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post #24 of 49
2/24/13 at 11:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by noirdrakkar View Post

Looking at it objectively... This fragrance is largely floral and powdery....

One's opinion is usually considered completely subjective. I wouldn't consider Chergui powdery or floral, especially not floral. If you'd mentioned a bit of honey, a very subtle sweet tobacco and a touch of sandalwood then I would have agreed, but powdery and floral is really not the impression I got from it at all.
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post #25 of 49
2/25/13 at 12:13am
+1 on everything chopwet just said.
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post #26 of 49
2/25/13 at 1:44am
You can throw my name onto the list of Chergui fans.

When I first tested it (having previously become smitten with MKK and Cuir Mauresque) on my wrist I was really, REALLY underwhelmed. The opening seemed so understated compared to the rest of the SL line, and I applied a second spray to the same spot.

Big mistake.

After a minute or two this scent enveloped the entire store, and followed me around for the rest of the day, dominating everything within a 4 foot radius.
I like my powerhouses, and Chergui certainly fits the bill. Not so sweet as to be gourmandic or cloying, but definitely sweet enough to be unisex.
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post #27 of 49
2/25/13 at 8:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scentsucker View Post

Yeah, I dont find this powdery at all. I need to get a bottle, but I now if I have to test it again before purchasing to make sure it hasn't changed from what I smell in my sample.

Interesting. My bottle is new, just about a month old. I get a lot of powder, and when I wore it for the first time in a while the coffee barista in my building (who vets all my colognes) took a big sniff, looked at me, and just said the one word "powder."

This was about 30 minutes after application.
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post #28 of 49
2/25/13 at 8:39am
OK, but not the price IMO.
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post #29 of 49
2/25/13 at 9:44am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by chopwet View Post

One's opinion is usually considered completely subjective. I wouldn't consider Chergui powdery or floral, especially not floral. If you'd mentioned a bit of honey, a very subtle sweet tobacco and a touch of sandalwood then I would have agreed, but powdery and floral is really not the impression I got from it at all.

I love how you used ellipses in such a deceptive manner.

- - - Updated - - -

Quote:
Originally Posted by L'Homme Blanc Individuel View Post

One of the wisest things you can learn is to not use other people's opinions as a basis for what your own opinions should be. You say you don't like it. That's fair. It's your opinion, right? It's your nose. You say Chergui is too feminine for you. That's fair too. It's your opinion. But then you leave the door open to purchasing it even though you don't like it and think it's too feminine. Why? Because of the hype? Who cares about hype!

Trust your own nose.

OK then. For you, Chergui isn't a win. No biggie. There are thousands of other options. Just because others love Chergui doesn't mean you have to. Learn to follow your own tastes and you'll end up with a collection of fragrances that you love. Or, you can go from hype to hype and end up with a collection of fragrances other people love but to you are hit or miss.

That's the beauty of sampling. I think L'Air du Desert Marocain is a work of art. I adore it. You don't. No biggie. You love 1 Million. I can't stand it. No biggie. Different strokes for different folks. The world don't move to the beat of just one drum

I actually really Desert Marocain. In fact, I rated it a 4 out of 5. And I'm starting to like Chergui too, but it's just initially offputting and not a safe fragrance. For me, it COULD be a buy if I like it more, but if not, then I won't buy it. Hype sometimes decides what I try, but never decides what I buy.
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post #30 of 49
2/25/13 at 9:54am
A great fragrance, one that I can't wait to add to my collection
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post #31 of 49
2/25/13 at 10:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by noirdrakkar View Post

I love how you used ellipses in such a deceptive manner....

I commented on each part of the quote separately. I was too lazy to make two quotes.
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post #32 of 49
2/25/13 at 2:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ExtremeK View Post

This woman wears it all the time. Chergui is one of my favorite fragrances AND one of my most complimented. Fragrances with notes or profiles that are (stereotypically) considered masculine will often take on a completely different -- and often very sexy -- character when worn by a woman. The same is often true for (stereotypically) feminine fragrances worn by men.

I wear many "masculine" fragrances to great effect, including Lutens Fumerie Turque and Ambre Sultan, PdE Ambre Russe, Kerosene Copper Skies, Slumberhouse Baque, Jeke, and Norne, and Mazzolari Patchouly. I choose not to limit myself, and my fragrance adventure is all the richer for it.

Interesting. I'd like to smell this on a female and see how it differs. If only I could convince some. I already know my mom and sister are repulsed by Chergui and Ambre Sultan, my dad's a fan though.

I haven't sampled much women's fragrances yet, but I'll do so eventually and see whether I can pull them off myself. A whole lot of adventuring for me to do!
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post #33 of 49
2/25/13 at 3:10pm
I have a sample of Chergui. I enjoy it and had a date ask about it. I fetched the sample and sprayed her with it and... vahhhvoooooooooom! It smelled fantastic on her. I do wonder if Chergui is better on a woman than it is on a man.
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post #34 of 49
2/25/13 at 3:24pm
Chergui is a feminine scent to me. I couldn't see myself ever wearing it. I had a bunch of samples and gave them to my girlfriend, who loved them and used them for quite some time. Worked wonderfully on her. I think it's a charming, distinctive and well-made fragrance, one of the few SLs I've liked so far.
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post #35 of 49
2/25/13 at 3:30pm
My wife sniffed it and said "definitely for men." I wear it around her and she loves it. I wear it in public now and then, but almost never to work. I wouldn't say too feminine, but I would say a bit too pronounced and outrageous for any serious business setting.

Overall, I love Chergui. So glad it's in my collection. I own a bottle of the vintage dark juice, and need a new bottle a) for comparison, and b) so I don't casually drain off the rest of the vintage bottle. Can't imagine not having it in my wardrobe. I am 100% hooked.
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post #36 of 49
2/25/13 at 4:50pm
I never liked Chergui. The honey is overbearing and I also found it feminine and cloying.

Lutens is a tough sell for me.
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post #37 of 49
2/25/13 at 6:08pm
My sotd today. Its ok, nothing special.
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post #38 of 49
4/3/13 at 4:28am
Thread Starter 
As I've had more time to test it, I've appreciated it a little more on an artistic perspective, but now I'm sure I don't want to have Chergui in my collection. It's in a lot of people's top 10's, but for me, it's not really anywhere near it. It's not something I would wear often, as it is too pronounced and too bizarre. And also, I find the baby powder smell (which you can call amber and honey if you want) to be too strong.
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post #39 of 49
4/3/13 at 5:00am
Great fragrance. Hard to get much better if you want a substantial oriental. I don't wear it a lot but it goes great with a good cigar in cool weather.
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post #40 of 49
4/3/13 at 5:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by chopwet View Post

one's opinion is usually considered completely subjective. I wouldn't consider chergui powdery or floral, especially not floral. If you'd mentioned a bit of honey, a very subtle sweet tobacco and a touch of sandalwood then i would have agreed, but powdery and floral is really not the impression i got from it at all.

correctomundo!!
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post #41 of 49
4/3/13 at 6:40am
I'm not getting the feminine vibe, nor the powder, maybe because I'm using the old juice. I get honey, hay, tobacco, light wood & a hint of light cocoa. I haven't tried this one in a while, I'll have to revisit.
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post #42 of 49
4/3/13 at 7:16am
One of my favorites in that line and I also like 5 o'clock . I have to say , I wish the honey note was milder. It makes it too sweet. Apply away from your skin and avoid the clothes because it make the top notes dominates and last in an overwhelming way, not to mention it leaves a stained spot. I had to send two pieces of my clothes to dry cleaning , but since then I avoided spraying it on clothes .
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post #43 of 49
4/3/13 at 8:01am
It is nice, but not the best of Lutens IMO. So far, I have found Fille en Aiguilles to be the best of the ones I have tested.
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post #44 of 49
4/3/13 at 10:16am
Over time, I've grown to love Chergui. Not an everyday scent, but for a formal work event, it's my favorite. I rarely wear it on dates, but when I do, it always gets a thumbs up. I find it the most wearable -- almost the only wearable -- Lutens.
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post #45 of 49
4/5/13 at 10:42am
Nothing special to me......
I get tired of the sweet honey, which continues on my skin for hours.....

The pipe tobacco in it is not cherry like on my skin, but sweet.
i like tobacco scents, and sweet scents like Pure Malt, Pure Havanne and Bigart Pour Homme, but not a big fan of Chergui to be honest.

It's not bad per se, but far from a masterpiece to my nose - pretty average niche fragrance.
I have a hard time with a lot of the Serge Lutens frags.....
This is no exception

Rating 7/10
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post #46 of 49
4/5/13 at 10:48am
Thanks for sharing the extensive review of this. Considered testing and eventually purchasing it for quite a while, so any input and feedback is welcome.
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post #47 of 49
4/5/13 at 11:32am
The opening, to me, has too much powder. This powdery opening gives it the feminine qualities, IMO. After about an hour or so is when I find Chergui to really open up and play more like a unisex fragrance. I am not a fan of the feminine opening in Chergui, but I don't like the overly sweet opening of Body Kouros either. Again, I give it about and hour to mellow out, at this point, I enjoy both.
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post #48 of 49
4/5/13 at 1:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rynegne View Post

The opening, to me, has too much powder. This powdery opening gives it the feminine qualities, IMO. After about an hour or so is when I find Chergui to really open up and play more like a unisex fragrance. I am not a fan of the feminine opening in Chergui, but I don't like the overly sweet opening of Body Kouros either. Again, I give it about and hour to mellow out, at this point, I enjoy both.

I love body Kouros from start to finish

Chergui also gives me a slight animalic toned down hay note 2-3 hours in the mid, not a huge fan of Chergui.
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post #49 of 49
4/5/13 at 2:34pm
I have a sample, and it is indeed like sweetened hay. Unusual, not bad at all, but nothing I would buy.
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