LouLou

Dark wet streets and glossy black lips. A slick blue raincoat and clear plastic umbrella shining under the glow of a fortune teller’s buzzing neon sign. Underneath the raincoat are torn fishnets, thigh high boots, black velvet, stacks of liquorice dark rubber bracelets and the unmistakable smell of LouLou. A funeral bouquet in a vase of cough syrup, the smoky seriousness of a gothic church and the tingling fumes of a numbing agent applied in a back alley body mod parlour, it glows like a throbbing cobalt aura and draws you in so deep it’s a trap door into a midnight underworld. A nocturnal perversion of multiple scent characteristics that bring calm and comfort by the light of day. It’s powdery and sweet, not in a wholesome and comforting baby powder way but a deeply vampy and sinister way. Medicine and cosmetics stashed behind a cloudy chipped mirror in the bare bulb bathroom of an apartment in a wicked concrete jungle where the sun never rises. It feels like you could cut lines of it on a mirror like some fictional drug in a David Lynch universe that is snorted and rubbed on gums like cocaine but distorts and transports the mind like an undiscovered hallucinogen. It certainly has the power to hurt your nostrils right out of the bottle. If the little blue locked box in Mulholland Drive had contained a bottle of LouLou I wouldn’t have been surprised. I’ve seen this described as good girl gone bad but honestly I’d go as far as to describe it as good girl back from the dead. Michelle Pfeiffer as Selena Kyle resurrected by stray cats in a back alley of Gotham city, lurching home and trashing her kitschy pink shoebox apartment with spray paint and spilt milk. Shredding her innocence and comfort and forging a new undead self out of massacred plush toys, oily black deconstructed vinyl and shattered neon tubes. Loulou is strong enough to mask the stench of the parts of her that died and has a deep blue medicinal reek like she wears it for the pain of her injuries. A balm for her grinding joints and dark plum bruises. Loulou is pain, damage and desolation doused in an anaesthetising rocket fuel concoction of sweetness, flowers and holy smoke in an attempt to forget everything that hurts. It’s the scent of someone halfway here, high, in shock, sleepwalking between worlds. a beautiful masklike face with a faraway gaze. Something terrible hiding in the indigo shadows at the back of your mind. A nightmare you forget seconds after you wake up lost in your black satin sheets. Loulou isn’t evil but she has looked it in the eyes. Insane projection and longevity, performs dangerously well. Once it’s on it’s ON. I wouldn’t even go near it with your nose for the first hour after spraying, it’s extremely, almost painfully strong at first but once it settles to just plain nuclear it holds there all night. Or day. Or both. Basically you’re on LouLou’s schedule until your next shower. Not for everyone and definitely not a safe blind buy but real legends never are. Be ready for compliments and complaints, people will love it and hate it but if you care about that then this wasn’t made for you anyway. This is the kind of scent that makes the most of perfume’s potential, it's a time and a place, a character and a story all at once, a novel in a bottle. It’s an exorcism ritual in an 80s nightclub. It's an early Madonna styled ghost haunting a new york subway car because she never made it home, popping her gum and twirling her dark glitter nails in her bleach fried split ends for all time. Its haunting, girly, narcotic, mysterious, doomed, hypnotic, sexy, nostalgic and eternal. It’s the signature scent of an 80s palm reading vampire streetwalker in the bad part of a bad city. The kind of girl that would get picked up by Patrick Bateman and eat that loser alive. A favourite for life.

Not one perfume is like Loulou. Bottle designed by Annegret Beier: "Loulou's bottle is like a magic flask. Rub it, and a spirit comes out." I would love to start with the bottle. Somehow users dislike it. I love it. It's so eccentric... It's like shaped to fit this absolute perfume masterpiece. Like the witty spirit of the Loulou shaped bottle from inside. Yes it comes out, that spirit... and then you become friends. It is someone that loves you madly. Takes you to self talking trips. Stays like the best friend... Did I spoke of bottle? There you go... Loulou takes you away. Ekhm. Perfect bottle for one of the greatest scents ever. Love the colors combination and love other products connected to Loulou. I own scarf, blouse and even sunglasses. I must be obsessed. No doubt. Not one perfume is like Loulou. When Cacharel Loulou first came out in 1987, there was a wonderful TV ad the great film actress Louise Brooks and her Lulu role in the silent 1928 Pabst film Pandora’s Box, thats what they say, it was the inspiration. Character from the film, actress I doubt. I could find many other. Like BettyBlue character. Wild. Mad. Erotic. Perfumer Jean Guichard once again sold his soul to devil with this perfume. He created legend and one of the best perfumes in the history. Is this his best composition? No. In my opinion his best is Eden. I wrote review of Eden also btw (if interested check Eden comments). The god of perfumery Jean made himself immortal with this femme fatale symphonie. Yes, this is perfume that destroys males minds, makes females envy (ones who can't wear it) and makes parents worried, when yung girls starts to wear it. Every time in all these years, since I wear it, I always get compliments. Comments. The magnetism of Loulou is beyond brain understanding. People act carnally. They act physically. It's a scent that human memorises. It hunts you forever. It's seductive. Perfume creator Jean Guichard, used a peculiar fragrant anise note. The brilliance of this move is reflected not only in the contrast of thick and sweet notes of white flowers and vanilla but also in a perfume’s spicy depth and magnetism that attracts you to nail your nose to the blotter or neck of the person wearing Loulou. The enchantment, like that of all genuinely good and quality perfumes, develops over time. It gradually evolves into one of the best floral oriental perfumes, the so-called florientals, with dominant notes of animalic jasmine, rich amber, sensual vanilla, and sparkling aldehydes. At the same time, sophisticated and luxurious, but also sensual and mysterious. Femme fatale cocktail. Not feminist. This is definitely not feminist scent. Turn around. Pay the attention. Do you smell Loulou on any feminist? I highly doubt that. Femme fatale doesn't mean libéral, feminist female. It means self accepted feminine lady with high intelligence for living and love. Lady doesn't seduce with sex. It uses erotocism. Lady doesn't seduce with Indoctrination. It uses spiritual intellect. Guys don't leave femme fatale. They leave feminists... Top notes: Bergamot, violet, plum, mace, cassis (black currant buds), tagetes (marigold), anise; Wonderful opening! Heart notes: Jasmine, tuberose, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, rose, orris, lily of the valley; Base notes: Cedar, vetiver, sandalwood, tonka, heliotrope, vanilla, benzoin, musk. It has extremely nice dry down. P. S: "To add to the creepy Lolita factor, here’s perfumer Guichard’s discussion of his use of vanilla in Loulou: “The idea of vanilla came straight into my head because we wanted something sensual that smelt of skin. In France, people say that a young girl’s skin smells of caramel. That is the smell of toffee, which is a bit vanilla-like. So we started working around the vanilla-toffee notes.” (Haarmann & Reimer)

The first words aloud after the first spray onto the back of my hand were, "Well! Someone was paying attention at perfumery school..." Jean Guichard. Same master perfumer who composed Obsession and Eden among other classics and just happens to be the head of the Givaudan perfumery school. He wasn't just paying attention in class, he became the schoolmaster. At least my nose got one thing right off the bat. Might be boring/old news for some, but that part of the story is, I think, vital in approaching this fragrance. Loulou blooms or should I say, 'fumes' like a rolling fog. Creeping like ink poured into deep water. Elemental, unnerving and utterly beguiling. It's how I imagined every 'oriental' fragrance to at least develop (but never have for me so far-not like this) and it delivers it all in so many movements or phases that it really is more akin to the cliche' of a symphony than just a hummed ditty about flowers and wood. Once the first movement started to fade, I nodded to myself: "Ah, okay, shows over folks... Pity. I thought this was really gonna be-" There's a moment where there's near silence, not even anyone in the audience coughing for a change. And then it really starts. Hours. Literally hours of glorious wave after wave of what is clearly a master at work. Whole accords then single notes, effortlessly unfolding themselves without any of the joins showing. Morphing into alien shapes and equally surreal materials, before reverting back to the vaguely familiar. Supporting notes making perfect sense and all without the usual mental hang ups about trying to identify any of it. Love it or hate it, it doesn't matter. This is one of those fragrances that doesn't just earn its place as a cult classic through sales. It delivers it easily after establishing itself as sultry and unforgiving as a tropical storm. It follows the rules only to show you how breaking them is fine because they can always be put back together. Until the next time you spray. For me, Loulou isn't a person but a place. A state of mind even. And just for once, it seems. It's a fragrance that's affordable and abundant, proving that cost/quality for the end consumer (this one at least) has very little to do with any spin about ingredients and how much it costs to make etc. I'd relish the vintage experience, but something tells me this is more than enough for my senses. It's calmed me some after so many things I got way too attached to were rendered unrecognizable or simply vanished. It proves to me that extraordinary fragrance does not have to cost anyone $30-50/ml to experience it. Narcotic and even perverse in its effect, this is one of those once a week at the (ahem) Opium den kind of trips for me (no pun intended). I could try to tell myself I can stop any time I like, but I'm already guessing that 'Loulou' is actually some kind of code for those in the know. A pet name for something with much greater reverence. Something that gives you a permanent itch as well as the warmest, soothing fingers to scratch it with.

(Review of an early 1990s Cosmair era EdP) If you love yellow florals and you’ve not smelled LouLou... what are you waiting for? Seriously. You’re missing out on an icon of the yellow floral perfume genre. Powdery aldehydes usher in one of the largest processions of fruit and yellow florals I have ever smelled. If this procession was a parade, it would bring the entire city to a halt. Sour and zesty bergamot, juicy oranges, watery and blue plums, and a waxy blackcurrant lay over mimosa and marigold florals that couldn’t be more golden yellow without the interference of genetic manipulation. The marigold is properly "musty-musky", a touch earthy and bitter, and a hair green-citrusy, while the mimosa radiates with a golden sunshine glow of the silkiest honey, sweet, and unctuously nutty like baked pecans. Oof this is decadent! Almost to the point of being a bit lewd, if I’m honest. But LouLou is not done because up next is the yellow floral of ylang-ylang. Smell this and smell languid tropicals, baked and rich bananas in the form of breads or creme pies - and cue the drooling. Helping with this is a vanillic, fatty, and creamy tuberose that is no wallflower sitting quietly in the background, but it never pushes itself forward of the ylang-ylang as far as my nose can tell. Earthy and warm balsams and resins at the base push it over the top. Creamy sandalwood, a sticky and warm and vanillic benzoin, and fatty animalic musks. My Lord. Is there anyone looking at me right now? Am I drawing ill-advised attention to myself? Never has a floral perfume made me question if I might have the psychological underpinnings for a food fetish - until I first wore LouLou, that is. Make no mistake that LouLou is floral first and foremost, but if someone wanted to state this has one foot over the line into gourmand territory I don’t know that I could make an argument against it. Also don’t think from my description that this is an ultra sweet, cloying and lumpen floral/food bomb either. It’s sweet, but naturalistically so. It’s not cloying or lumpen, but it is rich and thick whilst maintaining air and space; however, it is very likely unsuitable for the heat and humidity of summer depending on your locale - so be warned: it is big, it is strong, it is diffusive, and it lasts an age. Stunning work. Simply stunning. When I want a yellow floral for the winter that gets my juices flowing and steels me against the gray cold I reach for LouLou, and when I want something more stately and elegantly refined, I reach for my favorite Frederic Malle, Une Fleur de Cassie. These are my two yellow florals that will always hold a special place in my heart and my collection, and I cannot laud any higher praise than this.

Somehow in the course of my 30's I grew into a woman in her early 40's who only owned one perfume... Not LouLou, but Noa, which I bought after smelling it on a friend's wife. Oh, yes I had worn perfumes before in my life... many! But in my 30's everything seemed to bother my husband's delicate nose, and somehow it became that the only perfume I owned was gentle, inoffensive, Noa. Noa. which lasts about 1 hour on my skin and couldn't possibly offend anyone. Enter the pandemic and I was taken by two fancies: 1. that reading Fragrantica reviews was far better for my psyche than reading the news and 2. I desired to smell something nostalgic and bombastic. LouLou! Oh, LouLou. To think that I was afraid of smelling you at first. To read these reviews you would expect to experience bug spray or urinal cakes or, I don't know! Something horrendous. But... imagine my surprise when I recieve a bottle, and find it... so .... enchanting.... so ... confusing!? Challenging, yes. Seductive, yes. I do not have the sophisticated nose as many seem to have here, I can't always determine specific notes. It smells like your sophisticated aunt's make-up table. Like a coat room, all chrome and fur coats at a 1980's office dinner party. Like having big fluffy hair... like wearing sexy lingerie under your be-shoulderpadded power suit. Like wearing nylons that came out of a plastic egg. It's artificial, it's sweet, it's aggressive, it's also so... ... city. One morning, before dawn, when I had bravely sprayed LouLou on before work, I was at the petrol station, in the dark, filling my car... and that gasoline smell mixed with the LouLou... it blew my mind. I was transported in my imagination to a different scene, a different life. What else can I say about LouLou? I know that a few days before my period is due, and during my period, I cannot abide it. There is some sharp, harsh note which comes to the fore which I hate. Is it the perfume itself? Is it my body chemistry? Or is it my sense of smell which has altered due to my cycle? I'm not sure! What I do know is that for 3 weeks out of the month, there is no other scent I seem to prefer. I experiment with other scents, but I always go back for LouLou. It seduces you. And yet, I still find sometimes I am afraid to wear her. Like she will be too bombastic for the situation. That people will hate it. Maybe this is why I keep coming back to LouLou, because she's complicated and exciting and never, ever boring.

In the realm of fragrances, LouLou by Cacharel stands as an enchanting masterpiece, a scent that transcends time and leaves an indelible mark on the olfactory senses. Launched in the 1980s, this Powdery Floral fragrance is a symphony of bold and powerful notes that evoke a sense of danger and allure. Picture a dark and mysterious forest, shrouded in an intoxicating ambiance. LouLou, inspired by the timeless beauty Louise Brooks, is like a forbidden flower, its petals exuding warmth and a touch of danger. As a man captivated by this scent, I find myself drawn into the depths of this alluring fragrance, much like being lured into a dense, dark forest. The top notes paint a vivid picture – a blend of Plum, Chinese Cinnamon Wood, Iris, Violet, Lily, Anise, Jasmine, Mimosa, and Cassia. It's a sensory journey, akin to stumbling upon a rare, dark red flower in the heart of the forest. The initial whiff is a provocative dance of sweet and spicy, a scent that is as distinctive as it is timeless. As I delve deeper into the fragrance, the middle notes unfold, revealing layers of Ylang-Ylang, Heliotrope, Orris Root, Orange Blossom, and Tahitian Tiare Flower. It's like discovering hidden facets of the mysterious flower, each note adding complexity to the overall allure. LouLou becomes an irresistible force, much like succumbing to the temptation of picking the forbidden fruit. The base notes linger, leaving an indelible mark on the senses. Incense, Vanilla, Benzoin, Sandalwood, and Musk create a rich and velvety trail, reminiscent of the lingering scent in the air after a forbidden encounter. LouLou becomes a dangerous elixir, leaving an imprint that is both memorable and provocative. In essence, LouLou is not just a fragrance; it's an experience, a journey into the intoxicating world of a woman's scent. It's a bold and daring concoction that elicits strong emotions – a perfume that opens up a realm of sensations. Indifference is not an option; one must succumb to the allure, much like following the enticing trail of a dark red flower in a captivating and dangerous forest. LouLou is a timeless and controversial masterpiece that leaves an everlasting imprint on the masculine soul, inviting him to explore the delicate yet powerful essence of femininity.

I didn’t think I would love Lou Lou by Cacharel as much as I do. As someone who adores vintage fragrances, Ciara by Revlon, Eden by Cacharel and all those bold, unapologetic scents from another era, Lou Lou somehow slipped under my radar for years. I recently picked up a bottle from Chemist Warehouse and, despite the inevitable reformulations over the decades, I completely understand why this fragrance became such a classic. Part of me wishes I’d been around when Lou Lou launched in the 1980s. I can only imagine what the original version was like in its heyday. It must have been an absolute powerhouse. What’s interesting is that Lou Lou doesn’t behave on my skin the way many fragrances do. Sometimes I spray it and feel like it’s disappeared within minutes. Then, hours later, I’ll catch a beautiful little waft of it and remember it’s still there. To me, that’s often the sign of a fragrance that genuinely works with my skin chemistry rather than shouting at me all day. I’ve often heard Lou Lou described as Poison by Dior’s little sister, and honestly, I couldn’t agree more. I always wanted to love Poison. I admired it, respected it and appreciated its place in fragrance history, but I never truly connected with it. Lou Lou, on the other hand, feels softer, more approachable and somehow more wearable, while still carrying that unmistakable 1980s drama and personality. It’s rich, powdery, warm, slightly mysterious and wonderfully nostalgic. The kind of fragrance that reminds you why vintage perfumery still has such a devoted following. A surprise favourite and one I find myself reaching for far more often than I ever expected. If only I could have experienced the original 1987 version in all its glory.

Hello! It's 4th September 2024 and I have just purchased a 30ml eau de parfum of Vintage Lou Lou on ebay. I never wore Lou Lou when it was launched back in the day. In 1987 when it first came out I was 20 years old and a devoted wearer of Cacharel 'anais anais' and YSL 'Rive Gauche" and also the original Christian Dior 'Poison". I didn't like the look of the 'Lou Lou' bottle or packaging as I thought it looked cheap and childlike. How wrong I was! I'm still not bowled over by the plastic bottle very garish turquoise and burgundy but the juice inside is gorgeous. I do not see the similarities at all with Poison. Lou Lou is an explosion of white florals mixed with vanilla and amber the top notes are loud but the dry down is heaven and warm and very sexy. I'm now 57 years old. Lou Lou is 37 years old so still classed I suppose as a modern classic as by no means is it as old as the Grand houses of Guerlain, Chanel, Coty, but it has earned its place as an important part of the 80s memories of loud fragrances, shoulder pads, big hair, big earrings, huge jewellery. I think of 'Dynasty' of Joan Collins wearing this fragrance as Alexis was formidable and a sex siren. Linda Evans who played Krystle her arch nemesis is 'anais anais' the other popular fragrance by Cacharel. I'm really enjoying the spiral of this fragrance as it is developing on my warm skin and the twists and turns. Perfect for now Autumn 🍂 and into Winter and Christmas 🎄 warm, cosy, sensual and inviting. Lou Lou my apologies I arrived very very late to the party.

This is a lovely perfume. It does feel very dated to me, and that has been the case for most of the cacharel perfumes I have smelled. This is not a negative to me anymore, as more dated scents tend to feel more evocative and they develop in interesting ways. The perfume reminds me of byzance by rochas, but much more balanced and less cloying. to my nose this opens with incense and resin, a very strong tuberose or tiare flower, cinnamon and heliotrope. The white floral and the cinnamon get subdued, and I get some plum that feels kind of like liquer. The white florals and the powder are kind of trying to outdo each other, I get sort of a different balance of the two depending on the weather. It is also sweet but not in a sugary way at all. I think that the spicy powderiness of this is just perfect for winter. I was afraid that this would be extremely heavy but it really works for me in cold weather and I don't find it hard to wear casually. As with all my perfumes I spray once and distribute that. This lasted me a bit more than 12 hours. Silage is not enormous, but there is a slight trail. I love this, but it may not be for everyone (if you get headaches easily but you like the scent, I would just spray this on clothes and let it settle for a bit). I got a horrible headache from it when i wore it the other day in unexpectedly very hot and humid weather, and I will never repeat it because it gets too intense.

I came across LouLou after reading that it's similar to Poison by Dior. I like Poison's opening but not quite. Something is off. It's sharp and I get a scratchy feeling in my throat. Then I'm also not particularly a fan of the base in Poison. Overall Poison was still intriguing enough that I kept reading about it and seeking it out to test from time to time whenever I was in a perfume store. Then one time I saw a LouLou tester and immediately sprayed it. I gasped in awe. This only happened to me once when smelling Tom Ford's Black Orchid. The similarity to Poison is there indeed but it's so much better for me. It's so smooth, soothing, calming well blended and exquisite. LouLou is doing what Poison is doing... just better. There is an odd note that reminds me of plastic or barbie head but it's not off putting. Actually nostalgic. As a man I'm not into powdery perfumes so there was a bit of worry that it will turn powdery soon after the top notes melt away but to my surprise I don't get any powder. Another huge plus for LouLou! It develops on my skin incredibly syrupy. Really delicious. So many wonderful reviews here that I can't really add much except that I'd just like to share my love for this gem.

This review is for the original vintage LouLou as haven't sampled this for some time. I grew up in the 80s/90s and I remember when Coty and Cacharel took my high school by storm. It was the time of New Kids on the Block and Benetton bags (and their controversial ads) The biggest fragrances at the time were Body Shop's Dewberry, then Vanilla and Mostly Musk. When some of my peers were knocked out by my RE teacher's fragrance they were soon begging their parents for Guerlain's Samsara and Calvin Klein's Obsession and Eternity but that was a rare moment. They were mostly kept happy by Coty's Exclamation and Cacharel's Eden, Anaïs Anaïs and the very lovely and very grown up LouLou. I am not sure what the teachers made of it all but I do remember my weirdly hirsute music teacher saying the room smelled like a 'tart's handkerchief'!! (This was Catholic school oddly enough) My own personal favourite in this era was the quieter and more demure Forever by Yardley. But LouLou was truly something special when it first arrived on the scene. Very sultry, decadent and other worldly. How was I to know then that my foolish youthful days were in a period of some of the affordable greats being made in perfumery?!

I have been wanting to smell this for at least 35 years. My older cousin had this sitting on her dresser along with Liz Claiborne and Tresor. I have no scent memory of it. If she wore it, she must’ve had a light hand. I was fascinated with the bottle, but never gave in to temptation. When I sprayed it for the first time I did not think this was her so maybe it was gifted to her or she just liked the bottle. She seems more like a soft Dior lady. It’s kind of loud, spicy and big florals. I love it! My cool older cousin who I looked up to was always shy, gentle, elegant and mysterious. To me this is a scent for a more bold, outgoing or even quirky person. This is how I think Betsy Johnson signature should smell. In the opening it is kind of musty and vintage like to put it politely, but then within minutes it’s fruity, floral incense! Right up my alley as I’m an amber spice lover! Edit: I do get that synthetic vibe others have mentioned, but I feel Lou Lou is slightly synthetic. not overdone synthetic like some more modern fragrances where it comes off as just weird, play doh, plastic or cough syrup. And I adore the name, Lou Lou!

Ormai tutti i profumi vengono chiamati "una vaniglia". Un bouquet di cento note sono ridotti a una vaniglia. Che non è neanche vero. Al massimo potrebbe essere definito "un fiore di tiarè con eliotrpio,cannella,benzoino,tuberosa,incenso,fiori d'arancio,anice... " ma alla fine sono talmente tante le note che ridurre a una sola è improbabile. Lasciamo stare anche le odiose definizioni di profumo " troppo vintage" come se lo avesse indossato chissa quale vecchia barbona del 1200. Loulou lo indossavano persone dai 12 anni in su, le mie amiche di scuola a 17 anni e le loro mamme e anche io a 14 anni. Come se noi fossimo stati vecchi. Certo le cinquantenni di oggi credono di essere adolescenti e odiano la maturità, infatti non cel'hanno. Stanno bene gisto con addosso odori di torte e budini sintetici. Lou Lou era un grande profumo, oggi se lo sognano tutti i nicchiosi e i vari profumiri artistici che usano solo roba chimica a buon mercato,la intrugliano con l'intelligenza artificiale e poi la vendono a centinaia di euro. Tutti profumi che si usano una volta e poi,stomacati e annoiati, si depongono in un cassetto a prendere polvere.

I'd like to appreciate Lou Lou again after sniffing it while going though a summer flu. In bed, reading perfume reviews with a slight fever, headache, sore muscles and painful throat, I'm forgetting about my symptoms. Next to my big white bed is my nightstand, which contains my precious, little collection of perfumes. Every now and then I take one bottle out and sniff it, going through some of the reviews, in my head, that stayed with me the most. Some perfumes I can't stand right now, some are OK, but Lou Lou is the only one that is calimg me down and working like medicine. In a weird way I almost felt perverse, sniffing that blue cap and letting myself fall back into the sheets as if I'm experiencing some kind of satisfaction from a forbidden fetish. If someone caught me in the act, they wouldn't understand. Of all the perfumes that I own, Lou Lou is the only one I'd call addictive. I might have cheated on my Lou Lou with other perfumes, even forgot or neglected her since I got her, but she's been waiting patiently for me just to prove to me that she's not resentful and will be there for me anytime I need her.

A near perfect encapsulation of the late 80s and early 90s when the fashions were fun and wild, before the 90s lost its sparkle to post-modern boxiness and low-effort avantgarde ugliness. It is 1987 and you're driving your VW Cabriolet convertible while listening to Depeche Mode's latest album, Music for the Masses (a great release), and driving to meet your friends at the mall. Indeed, LouLou may be THE ultimate mall scent. (ELDO Remarkable People and Bond No. 9 Chinatown are strong competitors for this honor, too.) Incense and Plum dominate a full-bodied mélange of many other notes-- numerous as is typical of perfumes from the 80s-- that create a warm, playful vibe. The nostalgia is formidable due to a sweet plasticky-ness reminiscent of doll heads and the timeless powderiness of cosmetics. Clearly, it is an evocative scent, providing a different impression for nearly every person, good or bad. May it charm your nose as it does mine. Indeed, I've fallen quite in love with LouLou!

Loulou strikes me as the rebellious offspring of L'Heure Bleue, gritty and brazen, willing to cuss you out if crossed. It's punk rock in a way. Perfumer Jean Guichard was inspired to take a Guerlinade-like base of heliotrope, orange blossom, benzoin and vanilla, and surround it with the fat, smoked plum similar to that of Balahé and Poison, hot cinnamon balls and olibanum. The loud, swaggering ylang-ylang makes it over the top. This is not to say that LouLou is a "challenging" wear, at least to the right nose. For all its seeming brassiness, half of its development does purr like a kitten, and words like 'sexy' and 'cozy' do come to mind. There are facets that resemble berry flavor Bubble Yum, 70s-80s plastic toy figures made by Kenner, and headshop joss sticks, but that sliver of classic charm injected into it harnesses LouLou as a proper perfume and not a cheap novelty. This colorful and unforgiving wonder is an icon for good reason.

found this perfume in my mom's closet and i can't believe how wonderfully incensy it smells. i know my mom's perfume preferences so i was quite surprised to find something that seems more like something that would be a signature perfume of mine, because of the incense and heavily sweet notes here . it turns out i do know my mom very well, and it was in fact my grandmother who gifted this beautiful perfume to her, so for anyone wondering just how classic this formulation is. she never wears hers and says that i could use it if i would like, but i think i'll just purchase a bottle of my own from fragrancenet. my grandmother bought my mom's bottle from europe (she does a lot of traveling so i cannot specify where) when it was still the beloved original recipe. i hope the updated version still has the same impact as the original because what an unexpectedly dark and powdery perfume this is.

While wandering through Galeries Lafayette in Paris, my eyes landed on a striking blue bottle... it was Loulou. Finally, I thought, I’m about to meet the fragrance I’ve read so much about. I remembered the critics: too old-fashioned, too “old-lady”... I spritzed it on my arm—and instantly, it came alive. Loulou is luminous, complex, and full of life. Rarely does a fragrance give you energy, tell a story, and reveal such personality. There’s a daring fragility in it. A touch of melancholy, a whisper of mischief, a surprising innocence entwined with mystery... like a secret only the skin can tell. I wore it on a walk, letting it mingle with the city air, and returned two hours later to buy it. Only a 30 ml bottle, and already I regret not choosing more. Loulou, you are extraordinary.

Che magia questo profumo! Mi ha affascinato fin dal suo lancio,87/88, questo profumo magico,misterioso,dolce che stordisce,ma talmente variopinto che non ti lascia più scappare. Una scia balsamica,muschiata,selvaggia. Una goccia sulla pelle ed è come se si spalancasse il vaso di Pandora, la lampada di Aladino.. Un turbine di fiori/colori avvolti in una resina che mi fa pensare al cielo grigio ma che si muove veloce con il vento, anche se il cuore è tutto tropicale di fiori di tiare accompagnati da tuberosa,ylang ylang,mimosa,violetta,in realtà si sente l'eliotropio che ti droga la mente. E' fantastico (naturalmente parlo delle versioni vintage fino al 2000). Ne ho anche un a versione del 2009 ma il bouquet non è più denso ne ricco di elementi come prima. Quindi non vale la pena.

I finally tested today and I had to buy a bottle straight away ,it just blew my mind!. How could I have missed it? Absolutely amazing! Lou Lou is the inspiration of many modern perfume centred in tuberose,jasmine,Tiare flower and carnation.Opens with a creamy tuberose and orange blossom and then it becomes dark, leathery and green, the dry down is very smoky rubbery incense with civet, vanilla and tonka,leaving a delicious aura in your skin. Lou Lou is elegant, timeless,high quality ingredients,masterfully blended, retro, Avant Garde futuristic, Dada,Cabaret Voltaire, Belin,Bauhaus,Belle Epoque. Besides the bottle design is unique, very original. Masterpiece.Unisex or for amphibious men or people with an eclectic taste for perfume. Very close to Safari Extreme by ASAQ. 10/10

Incredibly complex, unique, dark, warm, intoxicating, powdery, creamy, soapy, plasticky like a barbie doll – That’s LouLou! This is such an interesting rich blend of many of my favorite notes! I wish I could write a lengthy poetic review of this. LouLou would deserve that, but I’m at a loss for words trying to describe her adequately. To my nose, this kind of smells like Nivea cream and incense. Soapy, but sweet, powdery, and smoky. Tons of florals and spices add depth. There’s also something a bit coconutty here, which I’m guessing is the tiare flower. Wearing LouLou feels like a statement, since it stands out in today’s sea of sweet gourmands and bubblegummy florals. She’s vintage, and yet she doesn’t smell “old”. A timeless masterpiece.

I've always wanted to try this fragrance but the bottle always put me off. I ended up grabbing a modern formulation and it's soooooo familiar, I have definitely smelt this before. I can't stop sniffing myself! There is a similar plummy top note like Poison, but this is more powdery and that anise accord makes it unique. To my nose this is quite subtle. It smells like raspberry cordial and liquorice allsorts. It has a very nice creamy vanilla, not super incensey to my nose but there's a depth, it isn't all sweetness. Addicted, I just now need to get my hands on a vintage bottle so I can get the full hit! I layered it this evening with Passion from Elizabeth Taylor and combined it brings out the incense note

This is my everyday perfume. When in doubt, I reach for LouLou. The closest comparison I would make is a lighter version of Poison with the fruit dialed way back and a peppery pop right at the opening. When it dries down on me, it becomes incense. It is a wonderful perfume. I purchased LouLou blind after reading about it online and seeing reviews indicating that many people find it overly strong and offensive. I personally don't like 'sanitized' fragrance; the way I see it, if I want to smell like a shower, I'll take a shower rather than pay for a fragrance that smells like one. Why wear a perfume that doesn't assert itself? I want an experience, not olfactory diplomacy. More LouLou for me.

As many reviews have stated, it is very polarizing. You need to have the right skin chemistry for it so definitely not a safe blind buy unless you have a couple friends who want to try it and see. The notes and reviews drew me in and there was a $25 small bottle available at Shopper's. Love at first sniff.. Mysterious, sophisticated, spicy but not sharp. My favourite perfume to wear when I'm feeling more natural and gothic. Smells like blowing dust off an old book in a witch's library filled with various flowers with years of lit incense soaked into the pages. On my partner it smells horrible. Has that plastic note that many negative reviews mention. So, try if you dare...

I must admit that I've got a massively-positive bias for LouLou by Cacharel- it's the perfume my mom wears, after all. I have never worn it myself but the sheer nostalgia and comfort this brings to me means I may just buy a bottle for myself. LouLou is powder-sweet in a hairspray kind of way, and although I may not have grown up in the eighties, I just know that this scent came from that era. I don't understand the way folks describe this scent as being dark, but I can understand the somewhat bittersweet melancholic vibe that's been described. It may not show it in the votes, but I believe this scent is most appropriate in the springtime. I love LouLou, and you could too.

Che ricordi! Loulou era uscito nel 1987 ma io lo ho provato nell'estate 88 in montagna. Un profumo sensuale sublime, voluttuoso, un bouquet denso,umido,sfumato di mille fiori,nebbia,polvere,una sensazione tropicale, ombreggiata,ma fresca, scaldata da un raggio di luce. Profondo, intenso,ben lontano dalle bombe chimiche di oggi ai frutti e vaniglia o biscotti al burro... Loulou è da provare nella sua versione migliore,fino a quando cacharel era iscritto fra le due parentesi. Le versioni rifatte che si trovano oggi sono rovinate e non valgono ne il test ne la recensione. Per giudicare il profumo originale occorre aver testato la fragranza originale.

It was an elusive talisman when i was a child. it used to sit in my mothers large vanity, next to the little porcelain figurines. it ́s blue and red shape seemed alien to the rest of bric-a-brac, probably the reason why i would spray it on a lot... i had gone years without seeing it around but then i suddenly remembered and bought it... INSTANT HIT. feels like a autumn day as solar beams fall on skin, as sharp winds filtered through the pine and deciduous forest ́s soft caress of leaves gently kiss your body. plum. incense. ylang-ylang. gorgeous heliotrope. feels like strolling through a mountain road with the love of your life. so good.

If Pornography by The Cure was turned into a fragrance The original yandere psycho femcel grippy sock jail fragrance. A frag for girls who would hiss at their classmates in elementary school. This frag loves Albert Camus and Franz Kafka and actually turns into a giant cockroach. This is probably what the monster mash smelled like. Imagine that video of bats dancing to molchat doma or The Skeleton Dance Disney animation, same vibe. Celia Mae from Monster Inc type beat. It's a better womens equivalent to Salvador Dali Pour Homme than the actual womens Dali Rip Ian Curtis you would have loved Loulou by Cacharel It's great

Glamorous, garrulous stepmom who lives beyond her means and always arrives fashionably late. Acquaintances think she's a fussy Southern belle, but she's not afraid to get her hands dirty in the garden (she's a Leo with strong earth sign placements). Can seem flighty and self-involved until she bakes you an unforgettable peach pie or mends your old teddy bear with a heart-shaped patch of red velvet. Loves to blast Annie Lennox’s Diva in her blue 1995 Honda Civic whenever she picks you up from school. If Miss Honey from Matilda dressed like Debbie Jellinsky from Addams Family Values.

This perfume is so unique and it’s one of those fragrances that smells completely different at the opening than it does at the dry down. The opening smells very similar to the original Dior poison, but slightly more powdery. 5 minutes later as it starts to dry down, it literally smells like those vintage barbie dolls. It has the exact same plasticky vanilla smell. I know this may sound unpleasant to some, but I love it! I personally love the smell of dolls because it’s so nostalgic. 🍦🎀 Also, this perfume is STRONG. I’m usually guilty of overspraying but you only need 1-2 sprays.

YES!!! When I smell this I picture the dressing room at my old Ballet school. After our class for young girls the next class was for young women and when my group got back to the dressing room to change out of tights and ballet flats into thick winter layers and boots, it was full of (to me, age 9) the most beautiful and graceful women I had ever seen. Some in burgundy leotards with long hair in a loose braid, some in baby blue sweats with hair in a tight bun. In my memory it is snowing outside but inside it‘s warm. The entire room smells like Lou Lou. Wondrous femininity.

Like a more unisex and more polite LPRN Black Perfecto. Less dramatic and swarthy, but possibly more masculine. I think it's rad and smells like a dark green, Italian two seater touring car, with maroon leather interior, and a hot chick riding shotgun. You can hear the driving gloves squeaking on the steering wheel. It goes where eagles dare and men should have no problem wearing it. It's strangely fougere-adjacent for something with no lavender. Slick, clean, and sharp, with a bit of pomade, and red mechanic's grease.

I love (and am wearing) it now for a Sunday morning wedding feast. It is the 5th of November 2023. When I first encountered it in the 80s I thought it reminded me of a childhood insect spray called Mortein. My favourite scents at that time were Jean-Louis Scherrer, Diorella and Mitsouko – yes, they were some of the greatest fruity chypres ever invented. So one could say that something like LouLou was a radical departure from what I loved then, and something I would not wear. Chypres are still my favourite group though.

I have just discovered Loulou and was able to purchase a vintage bottle from 2002 before reformulation, from eBay. I also purchased a reformulated version and the two are completely different. I’m new to Loulou and the vintage formula had me at hello! I love it from start to dry down. I can not stand the reformulated version and will never purchase it again. The reason being for me; it drys down to an incense-unclean hell that loses all floral or fruits. Vintage Loulou loves my skin chemistry and I’m so happy.

I love Loulou! Where has she been all my life? I’ll wear her whenever I feel like it—this need for “being worn in particular seasons” opinion be damned. She brings out the feisty, fiercely independent, against the trends, vintage fashion-loving, mischievous and fun, ethereal lady standing out in a world of drab beige Becky’s with her unapologetic glittery aura and gypsy attire...the woman I’ve developed into more fully over the years and so overjoyed to finally land on for eternity.

I love Lou Lou I wore her in Highschool then when I was 18 I fell in love with Ombré Rose which to me smells very similar just more powdery. Lou Lou is night while ombré rose is daytime. Lou Lou is not for everyone she’s a Smokey powder beast that’s not for the faint of hearts. She’s the OG Goth perfume that every teenager wore that smoked Clove Cigarettes and watched the craft while the girly girls wore Anais Anais. I love her she’s a go to of mine since the early 90’s.

I remember the ads for this! So dark and romantic, I wanted so very much to be that girl. Sillage & performance are typical of the 80's frags-- BIG. Everyone knows you're there. This is well-blended, powdery, it's definitely adjacent to Anais Anais (which all the cool goth girls at my high school wore). This was my signature scent in 1988, when I was 18. I wore it *constantly.* I lived in Taipei at the time, and my scent memory is so tied this. Much, much love for LouLou

Lou Lou is a big personality 80s perfume that- to me-is iconic. I see Lou Lou is a Femme Fatale. Unpredictable, beautiful, wild and traumatised. I experience a Smokey plum musk scent that is for cooler weather and night time use. There is a hidden plastic note in there that makes me Lou Lou feel futuristic, giving off Blade Runner vibes! I absolutely love the romance, danger and dramatic allure of Lou Lou. She will always be in my top 10 perfumes.

why does nobody ever talk about the SUEDE note in this? the unmistakable sour, creamy funk of soft, high-quality suede screams out in the opening, and steals the show. i get suede, syrupy ylang-ylang, and nag champa incense. zero plum detected at all. if one wanted to add or enhance the plummy note, i’d bet this would smell amazing layered with Lattafa Teriaq Intense. today i layered this with Babycat for a super-suedey incense bomb. magnificent!

I have an original from 1989 and one from 2020's, it is still quite good, but nothing like the original. The intense smell of plastic in the opening and the deep smokiness of the drydown had been taken away from it. What a shame...It is still nice fragrance, but not enough if you know the depth and beasty power of the 80's version...I am keeping the new one though, because of the sentiment, layering it with something smoky.

This perfume reminds me of my mom, so I love it. I think it's for a more mature, sexy and bold woman, and that is..... definitely... not me... But it smells incredibly good. It's a love for me. Also, I have to say that I absolutely despise anise and can't stand it, but here I don't get any of it. I mean, for me that is nice. And I have to add that I really don't like the new bottle, It was so unique before :(!!!

LouLou is magical, sweet, mysterious, intense and melancholic. Withdrawn, dark energy. A blend of churned plums, vanilla beans and incense. Ritualistic, highly emotional. Evokes a betrayed, precious love or unspoken memories kept sealed within us. One won't appreciate it until their feelings are matched with its scent. Truly special, both antiquated and futuristic. Buy it. One day, it will be triple its price..

As someone who has never smelled the original formulation, I love this. I do not get any sour "piss" like smell as one commenter put it. I can smell the ylangylang, musk, vanilla, tiare, and iris the most. The dusting of Chinese cinnamon, incense and sandalwood notes complement the soft powdery scents and round it out. It's multidimensional and does not smell dated at all. Absolutely worth it.

super powdery but unique and layered perfume!! definitely very mature but beautiful, has a soft edge to the warmth. i disagree with all the winter 'when to wear's - it's dark but has a sweetness that makes it a really special summer perfume (if you prefer stronger scents). when i smell this now it makes me think of heatwaves and the countryside of my old friend's house :D

LouLou is crazy. I mean, I can’t say anything else. Freakin’ bonkers and I love her. Plummy, big floral, powdery, smoky incense bomb. A weirdo not everybody gets and you’re lucky if you’re able to understand and be captivated by her, it’s usually because she has chosen you, too. She is the kiss lips emoji 💋 she is that chick at the party who goes big and never goes home.

The nuances of this scent are magnificent, though it is fairly linear on me. Just got a bottle from 1986 and it was love at first spray, I'm positive this will be a regular for me. The bottle evokes the Hylics games for me which are very dear to my heart so that is a huge plus, I will probably get the mini at some point just because of this association. Oui, c'est moi!

I hate to be a hater but the new version is insipid compared to my vintage bottles. Very obviously pared down for modern tastes and maximum profit. It's good; it's still LouLou. But it's like the difference between a cologne and a perfume d'esprit in terms of complexity and intensity. At least it's still available, and cheap. Better this than no LouLou at all!

Something about this reminds me of the original Star Trek tv series. It smells both ancient and futuristic, like incense and resins and cigarettes, white florals, and plastic. I have the more recent reformulation, I have not smelled the original formula, but want to. I love this scent, even if it is a little weird, it smells intoxicating.

Sometimes I blind buy perfumes purely for the bottles. LouLou, like my other Cacharel fragrances, was one of them, and it doesn't disappoint. Like many other reviewers, I get major hippie shop vibes from this, and also a hint of suede. She is LOUD, powdery, and musky, everything I love in an 80s perfume.

i love this perfume, it's the perfume i wear most ever since i got it ! i think it does smell a little dated (though that is definitely part of the appeal for me) and it has strong powdery and floral notes, which i really like. i think it does wear off relatively in my experience though :(