Our take
What does L'Eau Froide smell like?
Serge Lutens unveiled L'Eau Froide in late 2011 and it reached the shops early in 2012. It followed L'Eau Serge Lutens, the first of these deliberately austere waters. Christopher Sheldrake composed it, as he has most of the house's perfumes. The subject is Somali frankincense. Not the smoky incense of a church, but the raw resin, cold and lemony. The opening plays on exactly that, with lemon, mint and a prickle of pepper. In the heart the incense settles alongside a marine note and ginger that keeps everything awake. It smells like a wet pebble left on an altar. The base is minimal: clean musk and dry vetiver. Next to Chergui from the same house, L'Eau Froide feels almost monastic. It has more in common with a cologne than with the orientals that built the Lutens name.
When to wear it
A scent for hot days, at the office or at the weekend. Reapplying at midday won't bother anyone.
It belongs to the Woody, Aquatic family. L'Eau Froide is one of 31 creations by Serge Lutens in our encyclopedia.
