Our take
What does Des Clous pour une Pelure smell like?
Des Clous pour une Pelure joined Serge Lutens' Les Eaux de Politesse collection in 2020. The name refers to the pomander, an orange studded with cloves that people hang in wardrobes at Christmas. The house does not credit a perfumer. The official formula lists just three notes, and that is exactly what you smell. Orange opens with a sharp, nearly sour zest. Clove arrives fast and takes centre stage. It is dry and a little medicinal, like a freshly crushed clove. Nutmeg closes with a soft woody warmth. Yves Saint Laurent's Opium already paired mandarin with clove, but under a thick layer of resins. Des Clous keeps the idea and makes it light and sheer. Some will find the orange poorly blended with the spices. It is a simple winter scent, far from the house's grand orientals.
When to wear it
For a cold December day, sprayed on a wool scarf. Two or three sprays are enough.
It belongs to the Oriental / Amber, Spicy family. Des Clous pour une Pelure is one of 31 creations by Serge Lutens in our encyclopedia.
