Friday, October 26, 2007

Spice and Everything Nice- Serge Lutens Rousse



The truth is that I have been wearing Rousse ever since I got my bottle, throughout the summer. It did well in the heat and didn't bloom too crazily. I hope. But I couldn't wait to try the spicy cinnamon heat in its natural habitat of gray days, cold nights, crunchy leaves and fall colors.

You know how it is: The weather cools down, trench coats and cashmere are pulled out of their storage and you start thinking about baking cookies and wearing spicy perfumes. Rousse sort of combines them all, except that his cinnamon and spice aren't really the stuff gingerbread is made of, but more of a spiced wine and mulled cider.

The opening notes are full of cinnamon, soon to be joined by rich fruit. The mandarin note is sweet, but not cloying and it doesn't make the scent into the juice on the bottom of a fruit cup. It's familiar and comforting, but it blends well into the spices and woods and keeps them from becoming too dark. Rousse's heart is playful and uplifting: Clove? Carnation? Something sparkly is going on there, making me think of red vitrage windows catching the light.

The base is beautiful and well-blended. The various notes come together perfectly into a sweet, woody-ambery base. On my skin the cinnamon and mouthwatering spice never go away. On my husband it was much more dry. He found the amber to be a bit too much for him, but I beg to differ. He should probably give it another try in the cooler weather. If he can pry the bottle from my hand, that is.

First image is the official ad for Rousse. Beautiful but doesn't match my idea of this scent.
The second picture is of an artwork made of real cinnamon, by Bulgarian artist Vasco Tsenev.

Rousse and the other Serge Lutens scents of his export line are available from Aedes, Barneys and all the other usual suspects, now also including Luckyscent, which is great news for those of you on the West Coast.

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