— fragrance, video reviews —

Serge Lutens Chergui EDP Perfume Video Review

October 1, 2011

Sometimes a review is so difficult to write because all  you want to say is “this smells good”. Chergui is one of those fragrances. It smells so good. It’s the type of scent that if I smelled it on somebody I would have to ask what they are wearing.

Serge Lutens Chergui

Chergui opens musky and sweet with an animalic honey and pastoral hay. I get a blonde tobacco that is sweet and warm. This tobacco reminds me of being in a very nice, sophisticated tobacco shop. There’s a leather hint. Or maybe it is more of a smoky black tea. Both work for me. The amber in this is slightly camphoric, like an amber resin. This isn’t a “creamy” amber or a “skin” amber. This is a resinous amber. The dry-down is a warm amber. The amber is no longer jagged, but it isn’t exactly smooth either. It reminds me of sun-warmed sand. And it should. Chergui is a hot Saharan wind. Chergui smells like hot, warm grains of sand.

Deutsch La Fumeur painting

Notes listed include honey, musk, incense, tobacco leaf, hay sugar, amber, iris, rose, and sandalwood. PERFUMER – Christopher Sheldrake

Try Chergui if you like tobacco fragrances or sweeter amber fragrances or perfumes like Tom Ford Tobacco Vanilla, Serge Lutens Chene, By Kilian Back to Black, and/or Penhaligon’s Sartorial. I consider Chergui unisex but it seems to very popular with men. Good smelling men.

Serge Lutens Chergui retails for $150 for 1.7 oz at Beautyhabit and Saks.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Damn, this smells good. A wonderful amber tobacco that is both familiar and exotic.

Want more reviews? Try…

The Non-Blonde

Basenotes (member reviews)

Bois de Jasmin (beautiful review)

Olfactoria’s Travels

Perfume-Smellin’ Things

Pere de Pierre 

*Sample purchased by me. Post contains an affiliate link. Thanks!

17 thoughts on “Serge Lutens Chergui EDP Perfume Video Review”

  1. Recently I’ve got a sample of this perfume but was able to try it only once. General impression – I liked it. But what made me smile while reading your review (no sound on my work computer, so I’ll have to listen to it from home) was that when I checked my notes from the first wearing I noticed that I also kept repeating the same word again and again. In my case, though, it was not “good” but “interesting”. Though, I want to stress, that it was a good “interesting”. I definitely want a decant of this one.
    Undina recently posted..Scents of My Hawaii Vacation

    1. Oh, yeah! There is a big difference between “interesting” and “good interesting”. I admit that these SL take some time to wrap one’s head around. But, even when they are “interesting” they are good. Even if they aren’t something you feel like wearing.

  5. This is the scent I’m always meaning to buy and never do. After devouring the Turin/Sanchez Guide, I trotted off to find Borneo 1834, convinced by the listed notes that I would love it. I was surprised to find that I was kinda “meh” on Borneo 1834, but randomly came across Chergui and really dug it. Somehow, though, it never rises to the top of the “next purchase” list.

    1. Chergui was on my purchase list years ago. Here I am sampling it again and I’m like “why don’t I have this?” For some reason, it is one that keeps losing it’s “next in line” spot. I love it and I want a bottle. It’s a wonderful oriental tobacco.

    1. Me too! I don’t know how it happens. I’ll get sidetracked by something hyped up or something on sale, etc. I STILL don’t have a bottle of Borneo or 5 o’clock Gingembre. I’ve got to make a list and stick to it. New Year’s resolution!

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