Smitten- Serge Lutens Un Bois Vanille & Cedre

I'm not going to be very original by raving about Serge Lutens perfumes. It seems that every blogger under the sun has already acquired a collection of them. Though I have yet to hear about someone who managed to score a decent sample (not the card one) of the exclusive line at the boutique.

I got three samples: Un Bois Vanille, Cedre and Gris Clair. I already bought bottles of the first two and going to hunt for samples of his other fragrances, because I'm very much in love. The third one, Gris Clair is a lovely lavender scent with a hint of a smoky spice that smells better on the husband.

The other two are a very different story. Un Bois Vanille is deep, rich and sweet in a very good, spicy way. The vanilla note is, of course, the star here. But it didn't make me smell like a cookie jar (unlike just about everything from Comptoir Sud Pacifique, a line that surprises me with its popularity). This vanilla is sexy and interesting, and its sophistication puts to shame other fragrances with similar notes. Wearing it is a pleasure. It's one of those perfumes that make you fall in love with yourself. My husband (who has an aversion to foody scents) loves it.

Cedre is another journey into the realms of deep spice. I think I'm on a spicy/woodsy kick lately, and this one fits perfectly. It's floral but also very dark. Cedre is probably not a summer fragrance, but as a rule I'm not big on those, and the richness works well for me on a hot summer night. I love how original this fragrance is. It's unlike anything else I'm familiar with, and it attracts attention. Like the UBV, its staying power is excellent. My body chemistry is notorious for making fragrances disintegrate, but these two stay forever.