Pepper Pot: Serge Lutens Poivre Noir
Oh do you remember the day when we all just lived for the bi-annual release of the new Serge Lutens? What ever happened to that sense of excitement? It was like when Steve Jobs introduced the newest iWhatever. And like Steve and his “reality distortion field” we would never know until we got our hot little hands on it whether we were getting a total game changing marvel like the iPod or iPhone or a flaming dud like the iPod HiFi or Apple Maps. Of course taste is much more personal so scents of Uncle Serge’s that I consider triumphs others recoil from (Miel de Bois) while ones I consider duds (Louve {which was just blah} or Santal Majascule {which smelled like butter-flavor PAM on me}) are perhaps holy grail ones to others.
Still, finding an SL that I haven’t tried but have seen talked about will sometimes get me to rashly do what no reasonable person should ever do: buy blind.
Because that can be like buying a sports car from FacePlace Marketplace without having ever driven it. Or seen it.
This time, however, I lucked out. Poive Noir is a delight. I like black pepper and this is the top note. Well not completely black pepper, but it seems like they snuck in some white and pink before they hit the grinder. Or maybe it’s the listed nutmeg that keeps the pepper from being too acrid. It’s quickly joined by cedar- if there was such a thing as cedar that cut like pine. It’s identifiably cedar, bit with the slightly sticky resinous quality of fresh cut pine. It finally gets to vetiver and amber and an only slightly dirty musk (one a scale of 1 to 10 it’s a 3.) It’s quite long lasting and extremely wearable. It’s also made it to discounters in record time for a 2022 release so I am not sure that it’s lasting power in the line will match the lasting power on your neck. As a matter of fact having just checked it’s not on the Serge Website. Discounters have it for around $50 for the small bottle. If you love it, stock up. I purchased mine from a discounter.
Have you tried this one? Delight or Dud? Any pepper fragrances you recommend (remember the green pepper one from L’Artisan? Or am I hallucinating that?) discuss in the comments.
And if someone could tell me what it is about my cars that cause other drivers to wantonly fling themselves into the side of them, I’d appreciate it. The ither driver, a little treasure of a person denied responsibility, told me that I didn’t know how to drive, should get a smaller (?) car, and refused to give me her info until the cops were called and the manager of the Supreme store on Sunset came out and showed us video that showed she was clearly at fault. She complained I was being rude to her. Ugh. Pizza and liberal spritzes of Uncle Serge made it better..
Photos: my iPhone, Pexels
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