Serge Lutens De Profundis : Perfume Review

Star rating: 5 stars--outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars--very good, 3 stars--adequate, 2 stars--disappointing, 1 star--poor.

“Prosperity, pleasure and success, may be rough of grain and common in fibre, but sorrow is the most sensitive of all created things,” wrote Oscar Wilde in his moving essay “De Profundis,” which inspired Serge Lutens’s wistful and delicate creation. De Profundis, which also refers to Psalm 130, means “from the depth” in Latin, and it is from the depths of sadness and despair that Wilde wrote his epistle during his imprisonment. Knowing the background story can easily color one's perception of a perfume, and this is especially true in the case of Lutens  who is fond of complex and eclectic imagery. So, having learned of the origins of De Profundis, one might expect a somber composition of funereal darkness. Nothing could be further from the truth—De Profundis is a soaring, ethereal vignette of green flowers, full of surprises and such magic twists that I once again have to take off my hat to Lutens and his perfumer Christopher Sheldrake.

On skin, the vivid violet juice of De Profundis (a brighter and lighter shade than that of Sarrasins) explodes into a mass of green petals and delicate tendrils. The floral accord has a springtime delicacy reminiscent of bluebells and hyacinths. A bitter green note that oscillates between the freshness of rose buds and the spiciness of carnations anchors the initial dewy impression. The filigree effect of floral notes and the cool, polished character of the early stages are reminiscent of Bas de Soie, but the flowers of De Profundis lack the detached, metallic artificiality of the latter. Embellished with subtle indolic accents, the floral notes assume a lush, nature-like quality.

Descriptors like “crisp” and “rich” exist on opposite sides of the olfactory spectrum, but De Profundis manages to bring them together. In fact, the genius of the composition for me lies in its marriage of surprising elements. On the one hand, De Profundis has a classical woody oriental structure where the incense and woods create a mysterious, sonorous effect; on the other, its crisp green floral accord has a radiance and freshness of Balmain Vent Vert, Jean Patou Vacances, or perhaps even more so, Nina Ricci L’Air du Temps.  As the composition develops, the velvety richness of incense fills the spaces in between the leaves and petals, while the dewy bluebell impression that I found so captivating persists into the late dry down.

I find De Profundis exquisitely beautiful and serene, rather than overly cerebral and dark. It is also elegant in the effortless style of Miss Dior and Chanel Cristalle (although I would hasten to add that it shares none of their olfactory profiles.) Its lack of drama might disappoint those who love Lutens in his darkest phases like Cuir Mauresque, Bornéo 1834 or Fumerie Turque. The magic of De Profundis is much more subtle, but I find it spellbinding from the very first inhale. Gossamer, yet long lasting and possessing a great sillage, De Profundis is a floral composition for those who like their blossoms more abstract and complex. As I have been wearing this fragrance over the past month and thinking of its sources of inspiration, it occurred to me that if sorrow and death are a necessary part of our allotment, then the other side of the coin is that beauty and love are equally as crucial.

Serge Lutens De Profundis is available as part of the exclusive line, which is sold only at Les Salons du Palais Royal, 142, rue de Valois, www.salons-shiseido.com. 120 euro, 75ml.

Adding as an aftertought: as

Sample: my own acquisition

Comments

[Ann C.]

Beautiful review, and one of the few positive ones that I've read about this fragrance. Thank you for the interpretation of the name of the fragrance; I think it will help us understand SL's thinking.

I think I'll have to give this a sniff after all!

[Victoria]

I fell in love with it from the first time I've tried it. It has such an exquisite, graceful aura. That crisp, dark green floral accord is fantastic, and juxtaposed with soft incense, it assumes a richer, more complex character. It touches me, which happens so rarely with fragrances these days for me.

That being said, I can see how the fans of dark fragrances will find it not dark and Lutensian enough. 

[Marsi]

Fascinating. Must sample this one.

I have always loved your evocative way with words, Victoria. You were the first perfume blog I ever started to read way back in the day, and as far as I'm concerned, are yet the last word in perfume. I was so glad when you began writing it again!

[[email protected]]

I second Ann's comment. What a beautiful review of something which appears so far to be unloved by most.

I adore chrysanthamums which I believe also feature as an inspiration and green scents are amongst my favourites. As I'm not a fully paid up member of the Lutens fan club (I tend to admire rather than love)I'm happy to hear it is not so dark and brooding. This north european may find it easier on the skin and I will now seek some out.

[Victoria]

Marsi, thank you very much for your kind words! It might sound strange, but I am glad that I took a break (even though it was necessary due to the personal circumstances at the time,) because it made me realize how much I love writing on these pages and how much I value the interaction here. It all makes the fragrance exploration so much more rewarding!

[Victoria]

The first time I smelled De Profundis, it made me think of L'Air du Temps--that same verve and springtime brightness, tempered by a bittersweet, slightly melancholy impression. Plus, I find that a good green floral is difficult to find, which is an odd thing, considering that it is one of the most popular feminine families today.
And as I have been smelling new "exclusive" launches, I have been struck by how pedestrian most of them are (come back next week for my Chanel Jersey rant!) SL once again offers something that stands head and shoulders above the rest.

[Nikki]

Wonderful review, Victoria! Oscar Wilde was a genius and therefore, still touches contemporaries...who has not felt profound worry and despair at what we are facing in the world right now...to know that this feeling is not only human but superbly humane, is a consolation. In regards to the perfume, to paraphrase Henry IV, this perfume may be worth a trip to Paris! I adore the idea of having a name like De Profundis but to use a vibrant color for the perfume itself, brilliant. Since he spends most of his time in Marrakesh, SL started using color in his perfumes and I find it great. The same happened to YSL actually, after buying the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakesh and living there as much as his time allowed, he found color! Before that time, he used mainly black but after Marrakesh, he started using purple, the same royal purple as the perfume, as well as hot pink and other colors, including the famous Majorelle blue, for his couture and jewelry. Combining color with fragrance is perfect.

[Raluca]

Thanks for the review! :) I read about it on the SL web-site. Too bad it's not available at Barney's. I wonder if I should just take a chance and buy it on-line without smelling it first.

[Chi Nguyen]

I commented on your link post on facebook but I'm gonna comment again.
This review is one of the best perfume reviews you've ever written (I'm sure you'll have great great reviews in the future but this piece will always among the best!)
I admit that after finishing reading the whole article, I found myself smiling 'n feeling a little bit ~high~ (even though I don't know how De Profundis is like since haven't been able to get a sample of it. But it seems to happen when I have a chance anyway!)

Thank you for such a beautiful, intellectual and passionate review! :-)

[Kym]

I'm feeling sad that since I live in the US, I'll never have the opportunity to smell this one...

[Annette r]

To let you know, www.theperfumedcourt.com has samples of this fragrance. And Victoria, your prose is simply soaring. Beautiful review to read. I may splurge and buy a sample of this one!

[Victoria]

Nikki, thank you for sharing this bit about YSL. I had no idea that Morocco was the source of inspiration for him as well. You know, after spending some time in India, I can understand this--in that part of the world, the use of color is so wide spread and so essential that I realize that I wear colors much more often than I used to. It also makes some fashion sense, because in the dazzling tropical sun pastels and nudes would wash you out, but the bright jewel-like shades look just right.

[Victoria]

Hmmm, I never ever recommend unsniffed purchases for anything over $10! :) Maybe, request a wax sample first?

[Victoria]

Thank you for such a nice compliment! I am blushing. The truth is that it is very easy to write about something beautiful. It touches you, it unlocks something within you. Writing those 3 star reviews is often the most difficult thing!

[Victoria]

Kym, you never know, it might even become a part of the export range like many other exclusive fragrances. Also, do try requesting a wax sample from the website. I have done it in the past, and they would send them to me. Of course, the wax gives a somewhat different representation than an alcoholic solution, but still it can give you some idea.

[Victoria]

Annette, good call! TPC does have it, and I completely forgot that it does.
Thank you, so glad that you liked the review!

[Parfumista]

I must say I'm relieved over your beautiful review of De Profundis as I fell head over heals of this fragance despite some really negative reviews from reaible sources :-). De Profundis is so beautiful, with so many fascinating twists and I enjoy it's developement during the whole day, D P is never boring. Unfortunately I get the same association as SL wish, the picture of a funeral in all its parts. Therefore D P to me is a severe perfume, to be used for still and completative days. D P touches me and thats not happening very often, sniffing lots of perfumes. According to my nose one of the very best realeases for some year.

[Victoria]

Everyone has their own preferences, and that is ok! I also find it easily one of the best launches so far. Very elegant, with an interesting juxtaposition of effects. I love its crunchy bluebell impression that comes right over the bitter green note (chrysanthemum, dalia, bitter greens...)

[Le critique de parfum]

Great review Victoria ❀ ❀ ❀

I love this fragrance even if I don't understand it well (yet).

Definitely a cold flower bouquet with a rather cold incense, hence the name and association I guess. But nothing death-related to me, De Profundis is a very elegant and beautifully distant floral piece.

Many of his fragrances are hot/warm maybe that's why die-hard fans don't like it. But De Profundis, just like Vitriol d'Oeillet, shows that there still may be some surprises in store for us.

[sunsetsong]

Great review, I have to ask does the fragrance induce a sombre and reflective mood?

[Victoria]

It doesn't to me. I find its mood wistful and tender, rather than somber. Perhaps, because these bitter green floral, slightly autumnal notes have very pleasant connotations to me. The image it induces for me is something akin to talk a walk through a rainy park, rather than a funeral.

[Nikki]

Colors are so important. The ancien civilizations such as Greek and Egyptian as well as Roman used colors in profusion; it is only now that the colors have faded and one only knows about the colorful life ancient people lived by looking at tombs...the acroplois was painted in vivid colors, so was everything in Rome. Purple, similar to the one used in the above perfume, was the most expensive color. I love the Indian pink which is similar to the YSL pink he used extensively in his later years. When I studied in Berlin before the wall came down, everybody dressed in black. It was so depressing, both black and beige are just too depressing and boring.

[Victoria]

I also find it very elegant, not at all dark and sordid. Perhaps, that's why it is not loved by the die-hard fans. That being said, I am one of the die-hard fans of Serge Lutens's dark fragrances, and yet, DP appeals very much to me. It still has the qualities that make SL line unique.

[Victoria]

One friend says that she cannot wear black, because it depresses her. I wear lots of black, I admit, but I've learned to use a splash of color to add some interest to the outfit. All-black ensembles can easily become boring and sad.

[Eric Brandon]

I don't avidly track down Luten's exclusive fragrances (though I often wish to), but this one sounds amazing. I love green florals--needless to say, mentioning L'air du Temps, Cristalle, and Miss Dior (of which I am fortunate to have found in ample supply vintage EdT) in the same article make me eager to try it. Of course it isn't a chypre, but I seem to have enough of those for now.

Also, Sarrasins's hue was really its only grasp for my affection so it is nice to see the purple juice again.

[Marion]

Oh yes! You really have captured what it is about this! I tore open my decant package, all the way to Australia from a wonderful enabler, and was struck by how strangely soft - and - haunting, this is! Unlike my beloveds from like Criminelle and ISM, which require such a gothic attitude, I can just happily spray this gentle sweet ghostly thing, almost like a sigh of past loves and distant springtimes. And Vitriol struck me as having a similar quality; I picked up the decant on the way out past my letterbox (ripping and spraying immediately as you do!) and then the same sweet wan-ness captured me every time I got back in the car. They are different but lovely from our artists at SL!!

[Memoryofscent.wordpress.com]

It is so refreshing to read such a positive review for this one. It seems Serge Lutens is the house everybody loves to hate these days. Everybody hates their ethereal florals which in my opinion are by far the most beautiful florals I have ever smelled.

[Bevfred]

What a lyrical, beautiful review. Not too much Serge in TO but I will search this out.
Thank you!

[Carla]

I found this too subtle when I tried it at the Palais Royal. (The day it was introduced!) It sounds like I might grow to love it; a purchase may not have been a mistake. I do know the first ten minutes were beautiful, but then it disappeared. The SA put such a small amount on my arm. Also, I found the wax sample entirely different from the juice.

[Victoria]

I love these kind of colored juices, especially when they are this vibrant. Of course, one has to be careful when applying, because they stain.

[Victoria]

I am not a big fan of V d'O, but I like Lutens's take on florals. Sa Majeste de la Rose, which did not get good reviews, is, IMO, one of the best rose renditions--airy, luminous, yet with a strong character.

[Victoria]

I also think that. Sometimes in niche, the pendulum swings in the opposite direction--heavy, dark, opaque, unwieldy incense-amber compositions that lack any nuance. It is much more difficult to create an airy, but distinctive fragrance.

[Victoria]

Glad that you liked it! Hope that you can find a sample someplace, it is worth smelling.

[Victoria]

I have a wax sample someplace, but I have not smelled it, since I just ended up buying a bottle. I decanted it into a spray vial, and it is much better this way. Plus, I do not like using the stopper to apply perfume--I worry that this might contaminate it.

[Marla]

What a beautiful review! I don't care for Lutens in general, but I love green florals, so this one might be just right for me.

[Carla]

I found the wax sample smelled of mint and leather. I think the parts of the perfume are more separate and dissonant (is that the word) in the wax samples. I use my fingertips to apply bell jars of Lutens, but I'm not happy with how quickly I use them up that way. This is another reason I did not buy De Profundis.

[Victoria]

Thank you, Marla! I like green florals too, the greener the better.

[Victoria]

I agree, that's a very uneconomical way. I keep spilling the perfume, so these days I just keep decants on hand.

[Alice C]

Your review was lovely. It certainly makes me want to try the perfume.

[Victoria]

Thank you, Alice! Please let me know what you think of it when you try it.

[Jamie]

I adore L'Air du Temps. My De Profundis is coming tomorrow in the mail. I can't wait!

[Victoria]

I do too, love that bitter chrysanthemum note in it.

[Lynn Morgan]

Brava, Victoria! As always, an exquisitely written, thoughtful review.I must confess, though, given the name De Profundis and the provenance, Lutens, I was hoping for a dark, swoony, Gothic scent.... De Profundis was one of the most eloquent and fearless (some might say melodramatic and self-indulgent) documents of failed Romanticsm ever written, and it was written by a man who was truly a martyr to Beauty,so I was hoping for more of a wilted lily, Ophelia drowing, pre-Raphaelite vibe, touched with cold stones, windy moors and... ohm well. You get the idea. Lutens is never afarid of extravagant emotion in his scents- I thinkthat's why people react to them so passionately-but this does sound intriguing, even if it is not my personal idea of De Profundis. I am just a English Lit major trying to make her way in the world. I'll have to give De Profundis a sniff (do they have it at Barneys?) and see if it conjures the ghosts of Oscar and Lord Alfred.

[Victoria]

Thank you, Lynn! I completely understand your idea, and it sounds perfect to me. I wish I could find such a fragrance. In some ways, De Profundis does fit it--the cool stones and windy moors aspect, for instance. Definitely give it a try!