Gris Clair by Serge Lutens

Gris Clair is a nice alternative to the commonplace hyper-feminine perfumes. For one, this isn't marketed to women specifically, but to both genders – and it most definitely can be worn by anyone. For men, this would be a nice, subdued woody lavender, something inconspicuous and less overt than some of the mainstream top sellers. For women, this is daring but cosy. A little masculine… okay, a fair bit masculine… fresh and spicy in the opening, but in the end ultimately warm and clean. This has a lot of character for something that, judging by the list of notes, looks like an easily pegged comfortable, familiar – boring – lavender scent. This one is far from boring, but it is comfortable. It’s just the sort of thing I like to reach for when I'm not feeling the predictably feminine floral perfumes, which is often enough (though, there are times when the girly stuff tickles my fancy, but we’ll get into that in other posts). Without further babbling, let’s have a peak at  Gris Clair by Serge Lutens…

Gris Clair starts with a medicinal, herbaceous lavender, a burning candle note and the cosiness of steamy laundry. It’s very mundane, but it evokes the sweet things in life, the good memories – toasty clothes, lavender cologne, melting wax. As it unfurls, fresh-cut woods add a sort of crisp, fresh-air feeling to it, making this whole thing feel like a “big open space” experience.

The lavender and other notes persist throughout, gradually giving way to the dry-down as the heart of the fragrance melts away.

Gris Clair softens over the hours, sweetens very lightly, but only enough to add a sense of warmth (not nearly enough to be described as a honey note or a sugar note, it’s so very subtle, almost imperceptible – this comes from the smooth sweetness of tonka bean, which I much prefer to vanilla in most cases). The dry-down is lovely. Many reviewers have described the scent of ironing cotton in this fragrance, and they are right. That is a big part of the dry-down, and, paired with the lingering notes of lavender, wood and tonka bean, makes for a cosy, unexpectedly pleasant and sophisticated smell.

I have been wearing this a lot lately, and will be continuing to do so for some time. It’s really great in cold weather, and I love its masculinity. Women don’t necessarily need a sweet floral perfume to feel feminine, sometimes a unisex scent affirms that feeling even more. So, if you love real natural lavender and the scent of hot cotton, this is worth a try!

P.S., Gris Clair is an Eau de Parfum concentration, so it lasts quite a long time (7-8 hours)

Have a great day, and thanks for reading!

A.