Bas de Soie Serge Lutens for women

It is, indeed, as other have said a very cold, almost metallic, opening. I can't say green as I immediately got the iris - but definitely not your run of the mill rounded powdery iris perfume. I was wondering if the hyacinth's inject the coldness here or the offbeatness to the powdery iris - I can smell the distinct hyacinth's there sitting in the background and I am trying to identify other notes here - yes, there is a whiff of mint but I am wondering if it is mint or other notes that are unwritten as my nose picks up mint quite easily and I am finding these notes hard to identify - maybe there is even a coriander leafiness going on as I do get a slight whiff of body odour! Some musk way back there as well - slight but there which seems to give this an almost animalistic scent (I was even wondering if civit was involved here?) - there could also be a skanky rose in here as well......!!!!!

I bought this as Serge said it was sensual, powdery and feminine. I'm disagreeing on the feminine as it has a masculine edge to it in my opinion! I have this on one wrist and La Senza's Undiscovered on the other. now, the oddest thing is that there are actually alike in the way they sit on my skin except that Undiscovered is in a word 'commercial' (sweet and rounded) whereby BDS isn't - it is (like most of Serge's fragrances) slightly offbeat and unrecognisable except to someone who knows his perfumes!

This is an 'edgy' iris - an unusual iris but one to wear if you don't favour the 'powdery sameness' of other iris-based fragrances! It is quite unique and quite a work of perfumery art a la Sheldrake! As I mentioned don't overlook this if you are a bloke and into Serge's perfumes as you might be very surprised how it works on you! For the run of the mill iris users I do think this is a case of try before you buy just to see how it sits on you!

@ Aur-ha-kadosh below :
Yes, we are all (or most of us are at least) well aware that it's not the flowers of Iris but the tubers that are used in perfumery. But surely you can work it out for yourself, that when we mention the "smell of irises" we actually mean the scent of the tubers of orris. Which incidentally DO actually have a scent of their own. (Even somewhat "floral" in nature despite not originating from the blooms).

Sorry, this is a cold, gray metallic mess, scraping up against another cold gray, metalic mess creating a high pitched shrieking, soulless scream. Just run away.

Aren't both the iris flower and oris root(root of the iris) both used? I mean I know the root is more often used than the flower. But the flower is still used in perfumery in modedrn days, just not as much as it used to be used, and also used in aromatherapy and medicines... even in gin for flavor and color. So it is possible that some perfumes are using the flower and not just the root.

The strategy of seeding the recognizable with just enough menace to haunt without causing panic is a classic approach in perfumery. The indole enhances the cleanliness of the white floral. A bit of civet cuts amber’s sweetness and gives it some shadow. In Bas de Soie, the iris doesn’t start with much of a carrot seed note, but it winds up there and takes on a bit of that gorgeous papery iris scent in Chanel 19 (edt especially.) The hyacinth starts pretty, grows more muscular, and then actually gives a hint of the metallic seaport of Secretions Magnifique.

I don’t find BdS the simple, linear functional scent that others appear to deride. It is coherent, and although not as outré as some of the SL icons, it doesn’t hide its seamy side.

Bas de Soie is a crispy,powder iris scent. It starts kind of harsh and quite woody/spicy to my nose. When the woody sensation disappears,you can only smell iris,powdery,deep and soft iris. Bas de Soie instantly reminded me of Hiris by Hermes,although Bas de Soie is more linear and soft.This is not an aggressive iris,maybe a bit when it opens but it lingeries to an airy iris. Very appropriate to those who love powdery iris. It has also good lasting power and medium sillage.

This smell like a woman after 2-3 days without showering. Gross!

I'm in love with some Lutens scents, but not this one. This doesn't match to my body chemistry. Besides I could not detect the Iris note. The opening was green and spicy, but right after couple of moments it turned to an awful raw eggs, fishery skanky smell on me. I thought this was only some bad reaction that would not last and tried to ignore the annoying smell and focus on my work. Bad, bad mistake, this one has a powerful staying power, so that not only me, but also my laptop stunk! I had to wash my wrists several times and still felt like vomit. Thanks God I had a sample from YR Iris Noir, that I applied to my wrists (here I can clearly detect the Iris, right from the beginning, it's pleasant and it costs much much less).

I second to the first reviewer. This perfume almost identical with ELdO Secretion Magnifique in the top note. Glad to know that my nose is still normal. :)

This fragrance is so linear and smell like a rich strange flowery note to me (btw, I haven't sniff a real iris flower). I thought SL BdS is going to be cheerful floral scent, but it's not. Those who wear this, probably have a mysterious and mature attitude. Not for the teenagers, for sure.

A very contradictory perfume. At first spritz I smelt a lot of green--something like watercress and flat-leaved parsley. This became a sort of mint, very fresh mint leaves, overlayed on the sweet high note of Iris. I kept sniffing and that mint remained--it is actually still detectable on my sleeve the next day. Then a spiciness: carnation and clove. And finally, very strangely, just as scorpiosheep said, a whiff of stale cigarette.

This is how I picture it: An elegant woman is sitting in the bar of a Grand Hotel. The wool jacket of her suit is hanging on her chair back. Her blouse is satin. She is smoking, sipping a vermouth, and wearing Chanel No. 19. She stubs out her cigarette, grabs her jacket, and excuses herself to go to the ladies' room. While there she carefully reapplies her lipstick and pops a stick of spearmint gum in her mouth.

As much as I hesitate to use the term "skanky", the opening of Bas de Soie is just this. I got a huge note of stale cigarette butts which did not wear off for about half an hour, but after initially recoiling from this I could detect a hint of something peeping out from underneath, and persevered with it until gradually Bas de Soie gave up its middle and base notes. I don't find anything green about it at all.

Now I am not a poetic person, but this experience conjured up a mental picture story. In it, the girl rolls on her naughty silk stockings and a low cut dress, sprays on a pretty floral scent and goes out for the evening, but somehow ends up in a smoke-filled dive, decides to brazen it out, ends up having one drink too many and wakes up next morning reeking of smoke and pretty floral scent, and wonders what else she got up to that she can't remember. Her silk stockings are torn......

It's innocent and sinful at the same time. Serge Lutens has excelled himself again, but this is quite different from any others of his I have tried. Do I like it enough to buy the FB? I don't know yet. I'm going to have to get a couple more little vials and live with this one for a few days before I decide.

I tested "Bas de Soie" just before a travel by train. I took place next to an older nun and my smell was perfect for the situation: fresh like white lilac, innocent, even a bit... catholic! "Virgin Mary" would be a better name for it than "Silk Stocking" :) And it lasts very long, with devotion!

I agree with reviewers that say that this is not a typical Serge Lutens fragrance. If I was blind guessing, Id say it smells more someting from Annick Goutal (and her Ninfeo Mio just to name one off the top of my head). It's quite grassy and powdery, very, very green. Makes me think of fresh cut grass and crystal clear water, with a sprinkle of powder on the top of it.

For me it is not metallic, but crips, slightly sharp, and makes me feel of a Japanese garden- geometric, elegant, serious. Occasionally it can come out a bit too harsh for me, and a bit to wild on the green side.

The opening notes to Bas de Soie are an eye-popping icy cold metal reacting with poached fish! Luckily, the fishy smell disappears. But the metallic part remains with a bit of static electricity. There is something very cold and distant about this smell. I can envision wearing Bas de Soie if I lived in a home made primarily of metals, gray colors and not a cushion in sight!

this scent makes me sick, after an opening very harsh and medicinal ( but in the bad meaning of this word ) it becomes dizzy and like poisonous thing, it smells like old cosmetics became dangerous to use, i want to vomit after 5 minutes, can't stand it !

A very conventional, yet pleasant scent. When the first onslaught of green iris notes is over, the heart is quite smooth and not very "interesting" in terms of "innovative", let alone creative. In so far, the name "Silk stocking" is appropriate, since it is a smooth scent, very much like a discreet fragrant veil. Bas de Soie also reminds me of Chanel No. 19, but the legendary No. 19 is much harsher. Sillage of Bas de Soie is average. 7 out of 10 points on my personal scale

Another not typical for Lutens, an "asthenic-floral" fragrance: transparent, not sweet, coldish-pale. Floral notes are done quite abstract, in the blurry impressionists' manner, and yet the iris and hyacinth (I seem to smell also a shade of narcisse) are easily recognizable and have a slightest powdery touch. Though, there is something strange in the base, that makes me think of a raw cold soil (the "metallic note" mentioned in the other reviews?)

Bas de Soie is a linear and not loud perfume, it feels smooth and silky-cool, indeed.

Somewhere in the same category with Penhaligons Bluebell, but without the fecal note. Deeper and darker, more purple somehow, if that makes sense to the ones using color for reference ;)
Really liked it, even if I am not into florals. Beautiful :)

I received a sample of this fragrance and really like it. It's a bit mysterious; a walk through a forest on a fall day. It also reminds me of the library and art galleries; of people noticing this fragrance on you, but keeping silent. Like admiring a beautiful piece of art.

I received a sample and thought this could be one of my favorites since I do like an iris note, and I love Serge Lutens. But, somehow, disappointing. It reminds me of Chanel's 28 La Pause, which is, in my opinion, much better blended. I don't get spicy notes, which are so Serge Lutens. This one has something metallic inside, which is so annoying.

Bas de Soie was one of ten samples I recently recieved, and immediately jumped out as a potential favorite.

"Smooth as marble!" I told myself. I know this is described in blogs as 'cold and metallic,' and I"m not going to disagree with that, but it is also so much more: perfection.

Some are comparing this to 28 La Pausa and Chanel 19; for me no to both.On my skin this is more energetic, pure and intense. Strong iris (which smells like a snapped green bean) is usually too much for me, but when blended with hyacinth (which I love in Chamade), it's plain pretty.

(Fragrantica is leaving out galbanum, musk and spicy notes, which are also included.)

You'll also detect 'hard minerals' here, so yes, that would be the metallic aspect. To me this is an 'active scent', makes you want to move, be creative, smile.

This will absolutely come down to chemistry. The type of folks who might like this probably have some hard core greens on their shelf. This is not a dark floral mix at all, it is cutting and brisk. On me it is a perfect match, and is what I might order if I ever paid for a private scent.

I find this a little bit skanky, almost like Etat Libre d'Oranges "Secretions Magnifiques". It lacks SMs metallic secretion-ness, but that is only a good thing!