Our take
What does L'Eau Serge Lutens smell like?
Serge Lutens launched L'Eau Serge Lutens in 2010 and called it an anti-perfume. He spoke of an eau of cleanliness and said he wanted to recapture the smell of ironing. The formula is credited to Christopher Sheldrake, his longtime collaborator. Shiseido distributed it more widely than the rest of the line. The opening is pale and sparkling. Aldehydes and citrus give a sense of lemon and steam, with an aquatic touch. Clary sage, magnolia and white mint form the heart. Then it all settles on a soapy white musk that barely moves for hours. It's clean and well made. It's also flat. Compared with Hermès Eau de Gentiane Blanche, another white-themed scent, L'Eau is less bitter and more like laundry. It sits far from the ambers and dark woods that made Lutens famous. That's deliberate, but you don't have to buy into it.
When to wear it
For summer and the office, when you want to smell of nothing but clean. Two sprays on a freshly ironed shirt.
It belongs to the Citrus, Aromatic family. L'Eau Serge Lutens is one of 31 creations by Serge Lutens in our encyclopedia.