Chypre Rouge Serge Lutens for women and men

In the progress of trying all of SL's products, today Chypre Rouge had its turn.

I must admit the opening shocked me like no other opening ever did..: A thick curry smell filled the room, as if I had been working in an Asian kitchen for hours.
Luckily after about 20 minutes CR settles nicely down into a subdued peppery chyphre vanilla.

Not bad at all, still, I rather doubt it's survival in my wardrobe.

ESSENCE OF CARAWAY would be a more accurate name for Serge Lutens CHYPRE ROUGE, at least judging by the way it plays out on my skin! I believe that it is the pine mingling with the overwhelming caraway note which together conspire to produce the scent of lettuce. Le Grand Serge has managed to transport me: to a Jewish delicatessen!

Honestly, to my nose, this is an oriental perfume of the culinary variety. Great for evoking memories of rye bread and coleslaw, but to wear? Hmmm... Definitely not for me. In fact, I see a bath in my immediate future.

Quite eagerly awaited my decant of this red Juice.
VERY Very Woody Fruity opening, Hint of pine, but not at all like floor cleaner. It's like he selected the finer parts of Pine.
Smells strongly of Bavarian Berry tisane Teas, and Red potpourri. Very complex and layered, softening out to a kind of sweet Powderyness that suggests honey, but i don't sense honey overtly. Yes, this does smell like a dense, dimly lit forest, with LOTS of moss and berries, Blackberries, or black currants.
This is definitely unisex, doesn't suggest a gender at all. But i'd feel comfortable wearing this anywhere. My mum likes it instantly and said it's very good. She's not into perfumes as much as me, but she sniffed my Arm quite intently. She also says the DryDown smells like Must de Cartier, but i don't see that. The only thing they have in common is Jasmine & Amber.
**Update: oh my... i just realized, this reminds me strongly of Stetson Black by Coty. But Chypre Rouge is FAR more unisex, sweeter the whole way down, and refined mossy wood, than the Oily twig & berry of Stetson Black. They're both good really.

As some people have suggested, this DOES smell a bit like raspberry and strawberry jellies setting in plastic bowls for a children's party... but so what? It's kinda fun!

There IS a bit more to it, to be fair; a nice, musky, woody effect at the base - but there's no getting away from the fact that this scent is all about fruity jelly, ladies and Gentlemen. It reminds me of Chanel's Allure Sensuelle somewhat.

Wear it while holding a bunch of balloons.

I love the initial spicyness of Chypre Rouge, and whilst I find this vaguely lingers on me over time, it's taken over by a gourmand sweetness. This is pleasant enough, but not really to my tastes, which is such a shame as I really wanted to love this perfume. This has no lasting power on me (is that a sample thing?).

Very dissapointed, am trying differnt chypres to
see how they compare to yvresse.
Chypre rouge is expensive and has little staying power on my skin. It does however
remind me of walking through woods after
rain, but will not be buying it again.

Such a tease! This is a beautiful, warm, sweet and woody combination of notes that disappears as soon as it touches my skin. So sad! I can smell it just enough to know that I would love it.....if only it would stick around! : ( I will go with bpal's Lunar Eclipse instead. Not quite the same but it's as close as I'm likely to get to the feeling I get from Chypre Rouge.

Well, you know that kind of smell of medicine for children? So…that’s what I felt!

It doesn’t mean that I didn’t like…I liked! However, I think it’s too much sweet and nauseating. It is a kind of sweet scent that I don’t like. I have felt a mix of red fruits with honey, but in a synthetic way.

I didn’t feel neither the jasmine, nor the oakmoss or the patchouli notes, which are part of its composition.

Is it strong? YES
Does it has a good lasting? FOR SURE

Unfortunately, I guess I wouldn’t wear it, even if someone gave me. To me it has the exactly smell of “candy female scent” that people don’t like to feel on women. On men???? Never!

I love this fragrance, because is unique. Deep warm and woody, hot and very spicy.
On the first whiff delicious, but not sweet, just like some spicy food or a fruit cake, something like almond or hot pepper.

I like it! It's surely a different fragrance and I can see it is of neurologic interest for Luca Turin - LOL!
I don't smell so much cumin here. No obvious honey, jasmine or beeswax. They probably melt into the scent and make it subtly attractive. It is very suitable for both men and women.
For me it smells of candied red fruits and trees. Candied moss. It is like walking in a thick forest made of red trees with bright red fruits and leaves with a soft pink dusk around. A work of imagery. It would be like walking into such a place if the fragrance had more sillage. With one single spray you'll be the only one to smell it and content yourself, secretly. Neurologically happy.

This is a truly horrible fragrance, like having you head jammed into a burlap sack filled with pencil shavings, chalk dust, and moldy curry powder. One of the worst Lutens I've ever smelled. Like having a handful of old black pepper thrown in your face. As Luca Turin says "chiefly of neurological interest"

...correction: "...wandering through WOODS..." not "foods". Unless you're referencing "Hansel and Gretel" and "Chypre Rouge" would totally work for that.

Smoky, wooden cottages and caraway bread smothered in honey and lingonberry jam; orange, matted pine needles, dried leaves and crackling bark; a wine-like, syrupy sweetness. There's also an aromatic hint of church resin, like something that would be swirling in a monastic setting. "Chypre Rouge" is dense, astringent and woody,--not a soft, pretty little scent in the least--both striking and ancient, evoking Scandinavian and Germanic folktales and primeval forests, days spent wandering through foods in search of berries and fairies or gnomes. Magical.

Hmmm...the caraway, pine needles, & honey create an interesting aroma on me. I don't smell them separately, but combined, I get an Indian-spice (perhaps cumin?)/licorice-type scent that reminds me of something---perhaps a candy (not sweet of course) from my past. It's bothering me that I can't remember...

I don't get any jasmine or beeswax. I can sniff out the patchouli, but the top notes remain present for a VERY long time. Then the amber emerges, but it remains subtle and even barely noticeable at times. Very earthy, spicy, & warm. I won't be adding this to my list of "to haves"...but interesting. Has lasted for 4 hours so far.

*Update: The amber is resilient. I smell it more towards the end. I'll even go so far as to say that it even "brightens" the whole composition. The vanilla shows up and helps it along as well. The dry down reminds me of Midnight Poison Elixir. Interesting...

I nearly bought it this fall in Paris, it sounded great on blotter, rich and warm, especially for cold and rainy weather.
Then I tested it on my skin, well it didn't work... Though I still think that its one of the best from the SL perfume line.

I smell patchouli, vanilla-musk. Something foody, probably the nuts, and an edge of burnt. Not in a bad way but odd. Neither is it a pleasant smell on my skin. Again, not bad or foul, but too woody/burnt to be perfume. I like it anyway.

I don't get many of Chypre Rouge's top notes. There is a faint pine needle scent but it is very quickly overwhelmed by very sweet notes. Honey, but also and most prominently, candied red fruits. It reminds me of fruit gums, at times. I didn't get the jasmine note, which would have been nice to counter-balance the sweetness. Some rose, perhaps. The drydown is mostly warm vanilla and amber and, to a much lesser extent, moss. But the sweetness remains present at all times and only fades very slowly. Chypre Rouge is not a masterpiece, but still wearable if you can stand the sweetness and don't mind a little oddity. Preferably used in cold weather.

Adoro i chypre, ma questo è troppo unisex per me, molto speziato...adoro il cumino...

Definitely a different perfume. I received a sample and I too found it sweet and hot at the same time. Yum!

Sweet and hot red chypre ;o)