Lumiere Original

This is why I buy vintage scents. One whiff and I feel like I'm smelling an organic concoction of incredible ingredients that make up a Lumiere or a Habanita or a Poison. It's intense. Lumiere opens really big and I'm immediately transported to my tropical home town in 1985. (Seriously, for a whole hour the first time I smelt this I'm just reminiscing and I have to force myself to leave that place and do something useful.) It's bright and hot like being out in the sun. It opens quite strong, very green, a little bitter. It starts off soapy to me, A bitter, soapy, slight smokiness that reminds me of my dad. The flowers are in there and they slowly move to the front. The smokiness leaves after about 15 minutes and the greenness and bitterness slowly subside over the next three or four hours as the fragrance gets softer. This brings the flowers to the forefront and it gets sweeter and sweeter with the flowers. It's lost its soapiness for me hours in. Very well blended. Very well balanced. Sometimes it even reminds me of Poison! I get more sandalwood than ceder. Not much musk, but the vetiver and oakmoss are heaven. This lasts all day on me as a gentle soft sweet floral and then I have to shower. This is not a manicured garden. It's a freeform garden that's growing a bit wild. My joy in Lumiere is in the realism. It's not antiseptic. It makes me feel like I'm outside in the sun rummaging through our farm for elephant grass to feed my rabbits and Guinea pigs. I'm checking up on the chickens and the parrot, making sure everyone has food and water and company. I stay out in our lovely garden until sunset with my cat and dog because the house is big and empty and scary, till my mum comes home. For the first time in years I remember *all* the animals I had growing up and I miss them. Then it occurs to me that most of them were brought home by family who weren't actually there ninety percent of the time! I was the only one there!! I'm not complaining. They brought joy to my life and kept me company in the years I spent 'alone'. Now Lumiere can take me back there anytime.

Having a passion for "oriental" fragrances, when I was offered a 3/4 full ORIGINAL Lumiere 100ml (EDP? EDT?? It does not say!), I just could not say "no"! I have never smelled the "newer" version, and have to say after smelling this one: WHY would I ever?!? Lumiere (torch, or "light" in French) opens with your typical (but never generic) 80's aldehydes and powdery florals, with just a kiss of fruitiness and something vaguely cool underneath, resembling mint or eucalyptus (this fades quickly though). The composition of the flowers in the heart is similar to other Rochas releases, but here the heavier flowers (jasmine, rose and ylang) overpower the softer ones (muguet and daffodils) to result in something thick and almost boozy in the way it smells. Not like alcohol itself, but having that same "vapory" glow and heady warmth. After these "drunken" flowers have passed out (calmed down a bit), the lighter ones do come out to play, honeysuckle and hyacinth being the most noticeable to my nose. And then tuberose has her solo and sings a raspy sultry number (think "Fever") to introduce a wonderful woody melange of cedar, sandalwood and vetiver; kissed with musk and dry green moss. Lumiere may be for women (as far as to whom it is marketed), but I find it to be a stunning male scent as well. Despite the abundance of flowers; the fruits, greens and woods balance this very well. This is a wonderful "80's" perfume...without all the shoulder pads and big hair vibes, that retains all of the richness of that era and none of its tackiness. Sillage: very good Longevity: great Overall: 4.25/5 WOW! I cannot believe that I actually own the original Lumiere, and owe a very big THANK YOU to cisco, who swapped this to me. I just adore this fragrance and cannot wait to wear it on the cooler summer nights and warm fall days to come! This scent definitely lives up to its name, it is bright and warm (like a torch) but is not "light" by any means, and it is definitely something that would attract me like a moth to a flame...

A masterpiece. It's so sad that perfumes like this get discontinued. I guess this is due to the fact Rochas is not such a fashionable house anymore. If Lumiere had been a Guerlain or chanel fragrance, believe me it would be still in production. Lumiere is a bold, floral fruity perfume, offspring of the eighties. It shares some vibes with Byzance and Poison. I remember stealing sprays from my cousin's bottle (i was a kid and could not afford buying bottles but i had my tastes and nose well delevoped in the field!). It is, as many recall, a ray of light. The light that perks in through the blinds in a late summer afternoon. That light is warm and smells of ripe fruit and summer flowers it's comforting and reviving. Lumiere manages to be fresh with hyacinth and jasmin, then gets sweet with a honeyed rose and ripe fruit. It never sickens, unlike the fruitchouli disasters we smell nowadays. Lumiere is bold femininity, but not cloying. It remains airy, like that ray of light. I wish i still had a bottle of this glorious perfume.

Finally got this beautiful gem. She has born the same year my eldest child. This is a beauty that needs time to develop on Your skin. This is art in a bottle. Ouuuu it make ́s me wonder---- just to refer Led Zeppelin ́s text from "Stairway to heaven". She gives You all the time in the world, settles into your skin tenderly, comforting You the hole evening and early night whispering everything ́s gonna be allright! She ́s a skin scent. Reminds me of Fidji by Guy Laroche and eau de JLO, but much much more tenderly- is this a trip to Eden gardens? Thank You so much Nicolas Mamounas for creating this beauty! This and Mystere are the very best creations made by him!

It's like opening a grave. The original box. The shimmering flask pristine. The liquid still clear. This almost 40 yo bottle gives me crushed, rotting white flowers, a fallen down structure of what once was a unique beauty. Still sharp, almost green, and sweet like death. For almost 40 years I've kept her in my memory, but now, I am fully accepting that she is gone. An hour in, shadows of her flutter by, ghost-like. Elusive in a sour, bitter, chaos of fragments. And, at the end, the softest woods and musk. I feel like a necrophiliac.

The old Lumiere opens with a classic explosion of aldehyde, along the lines of Madame Rochas but not so acute. The opening gives way to a beautiful floral green. Quite and long lasting, with hyacinths and daffodils. It softens it through wear, but I do not get the glorious woods that others report. It dries until a soapy mash gently lingers. The EDP is worn close to the skin but for 6-8 hours.

gorgeous for special occasion - wedding, lunch at the Peninsula Hotel light enough for a crowded place like synagogue/church or long haul flight not candy sweet but could be for woman of any age - even a child. Its the perfect scent to wear to make a good impression - meeting your rabbi or boyfriends parents, job interview. Long day in court? I DESERVE TO WIN ON ELEGANCE ALONE

lumière... this is dusty, powdery-dusty light of magical quality. it isn't real but true. this light seems to be made of sweetness, the nectar kind, fairy-food kind. no sugar or artificial sweetener here, nothing at all of substance to feed on. and it is more than enough... marvellous light eating utopia. projects beautifully!-no: shines, shines! -it's light, after all! ..sigh

There's none other like this one! Used it, with great relish all through the mid to late 1980s and am really disappointed it was discontinued, (or re-vamped). I have not smelt the new one and don't feel inclined to test it because how can you possibly improve on the original Lumiere which stood out so clearly from the rest of the scents on the market at that time?

Remembering this perfume makes me sad, very sad that it no longer exists (there is a new version but it is awful). I actually can barely even describe the notes anymore, it has been so long since I have experienced the original ethereal thing that was Lumiere. I vaguely remember it feeling like soft, summer florals and chiffon. I am so sad.

This is my "youth in the bottle". Unforgettable... Unreturnable... For several years it was my signature perfume. I was one and only in my native city in 1984 wearing this perfume. Very classy, reach and the same time - young and beautiful. I still have an original bottle... Very empty though.

The review below concluding with the following is the best perfume review ever, I smile every time I stumble on it: "Its the perfect scent to wear to make a good impression - meeting your rabbi or boyfriends parents, job interview. Long day in court? I DESERVE TO WIN ON ELEGANCE ALONE"

My first ever truly grown-up, expensive fragrance, purchased in May 1988. I remember getting lots of compliments wearing it, and I myself loved it to bits. I wish I could get my hands on another bottle of this masterpiece. Long gone but not forgotten.

This is a gorgeous sweet SWEET powerful floral, not white in the least. Succulent and rich. There is a quick fruity note in the top then a blast of hyacinth and narcissus with some tuberose, ylang and musk.

I get compliments every time I wear this. Perfect sexy summer scent. I adore it when it's too hot for Poison or Byzance. Same vibe but more luminous. See what I did there?

This perfume manages to truly create the scent of spring in a bottle. This is fresh and interesting and realistic. Really nice. I am testing a mini vintage.

Can you believe that Lumière can be good for a man? I had a kind of memory from my youth about one girl who was wearing Lumière and I always remembered a gorgeous violet bottle on her desk, so I was kind of obsessed to find this scent, the original one and to inhale it again - together with the story behind the fragrance... So I found it on ebay and bought - just like a whim. And you know what? Despite of being in the perfect condition and bringing me joy of possession, the bottle of Lumière became something more than just a souvenir from 25 years ago. I fell in love with a scent and started to wear it. Flowery and feminine in the beginning, it transforms on my skin into soft oriental adorned with delicate petals of beautiful flowers and softened with woody and musky notes. It's intriguing and unusual, but not bizarre on me at all. I guess many of modern unisex niche fragrances appealing to both sexes are somewhere between masculine and feminine, so Lumière doesn't sound old-fashioned. The difference is that the approach to creation and the different quality of raw materials in the past makes this fragrance something truly original and emotional comparing to many contemporary hi-profile scents. And it's interesting to notice, how Lumière changes with time - exactly like light itself changes from daylight to twilight. It has a beautiful sillage, reminding of shimmering plume from the perfume advertising, which I always remembered and adored. It gives so much more to fantasy and imagination comparing to modern campaigns... I believe some fragrances stay forever even if they are considered to be discontinued and forgotten. And I am very happy to have this fragrant expression of light next to me, bringing joy and muse into my life.

I just obtained a 30ml bottle of this very recently and was instantly moved by its sublime beauty. It exudes mainly airy jasmine grounded with a misty, mid-sweet iris root to my nose. I can detect this distinguished redolence around the nozzle without even actually spraying it. It starts with some burst of aldehyde which reminds me very much of Guerlain Chant d'Arome. Both of them are exquisitely composed of delicate spring bouquet but Chant d'Arome is more powdery and earthy whereas Lumiere is more silky and ethereal. It also contains some crispy fruity note but it is rather fleeting. I can feel there is some complex in its depth but they are so well rounded that you hardly feel a trace of harsh, grounding note that intrudes the whole femininity, which seems to make Lumiere stay in light and simplicity to chant the infinite beauty of spring again and again. I am so glad that I have finally found a jasmine scent that I can truly love and appreciate because it smells very true-to-life but never becomes musty indolic, just like the natural redolent whiff I get when I just enter a spring garden. The delicate and fragile smell of jasmine always make me feel sentimental. I have always felt attracted by the image and the purple bottle of Rochas Lumiere since I was still a 13 years-old, naive teenager. I think it was because I intuitively knew that's a fragrance I am gonna love without reservation. My intuition was right. It has instantly become one of my favorite and I am moving to stock a big bottle because it was discontinued long time ago. Try it while you can still find it. Highly recommended.:) PS. I would like to add the nose behind Lumiere(original) is Nicolas Mamounas, the same creator for famous Byzance.

Hmmm... curious! I have a vintage that is in the same style of Byzance and Byzantine. I assume the formulation is the same as the original but Rochas was just rebooting several of their fragrances into these beautiful bottles. I am quite surprised that no one has mentioned the slight but still noticeable indole in the opening. Is my nose just misreading the aldehydes others mention? I CAN detect the aldehydes but to me they provide more of a sparkle and lift to a composition that might have been heavy given the florals listed. I also get something I can only describe as the "Rochasade" that seems typical to both Byzance AND Byzantine though they are all completely different. The florals appear to me to be more like a bouquet with the notes just combining harmoniously on my skin, though if I smell my wrist, the few that really stand out are jasmine, which I think is the source of the indole I get throughout the duration, the hyacinth, and the violet. So far I haven't worn this outdoors in the springtime weather, and I can guarantee it is going to be a different experience! It's going to take several wearings to really get to know Lumiere intimately, and I'm looking forward to that. Right now, it's a very strong like, but may become a love! There's something nostalgic about it, but I don't think it's dated.

Rochas Lumiere. I could not have said it better than Silverblue. Spot on! Thumbs up and balloon to you :). I've just bought a slightly used 50 ml bottle and I thought I would experience a 80's powerhouse and kind of a woody and bitter floral aldehyd described far down. But instead this little gem is much smoother than expected and has a delicate touch of fruity notes. The aldehydes are the softer ones like in No5 eau Premiere or L'Interdit, and makes it somewhat airy. It actually reminds me of airy sunny days. Lumiere is well worth buying if you like white florals with an old fashioned touch. Just give me some time to stock up first. An etheral jasmine fragrance!

This is my mother in the 90s. I found this vintage bottle hidden in her boxes. After wearing Eau de Rochas for most of the 80s, she changed in the 90s to Lumière, which is such a different kind of woman to me. Lumière smells like opening her wool sweaters dresser. It smells of watching her getting dressed in her cream cashmere dress. It smells of warmth. It's the rays of light passing through the window in the middle of winter. That is all I smell, the ray of light, the hope of spring in the dead of winter.

It took me several tries to come to terms with Lumiere. The big opening takes some getting used to, but it's def. worth the trouble. The aldehydes are followed by big lush florals and thankfully only a little hint of musk and orris. Lumiere smells like an older classic perfume and performs like the 80's creation it is. A feminine scent in a cute modern bottle, Lumiere deserves to be loved.

An image of an intense ray of white light - cold and strong and piercing. It's a floral light - cool and slim. What I mostly get classifies Lumiere as a floral - no hint of oriental in it. On me it doesn't warm up with time, it just fades.

This was one of my favourite fragrances when I was 20-something, way back in the 80'. Sadly discontinued and its new version smells nothing like the lovely floral I remember. The closest to how this used to smell IMO is Beyond Paradise.

I was able to obtain a vintage bottle of this on e-bay. It is rich and complex and smells really good so I think it's the real deal.It is a combination woods and floral. Very nice and long lasting, also.

Delicate sweet white floral with a hint of honey. Somehow it reminds me of Ozbek by Rifat Ozbek.

It's my first vintage perfume bought, and I'm still at the beginning of this perfume exploration and learning+enjoying. I don't know about this one. It's the third time smelling it and it's terrible. Like a bug's spray. The opening is very harsh and intense, i don't sense any green notes or flowers. It's all over the place, cannot put my finger on a specific note. Maybe I got a bad batch? Or wasn't stored accordingly all these years? I don't know. Disappointed it's my final review. later edit: If anyone want's I'm very willing to give it away.

I was given a bottle of this in the late 80s. I was wearing Nina Ricci's Fleur de Fleurs at the time (glass bottle inside white plastic textured tube) and was totally in love with that. Lumiere, I loved the bottle but not what was inside. I didn't keep it long. Wonder if I'd like it now.

Hmmm...I am the only one who dislike it a lot. =)

I have very much enjoyed wearing and smelling Rochas Lumiere (Original) this Summer. This fragrance was passed down to me from an elderly neighbour almost a decade ago. At the time that this fragrance came into my possession, I didn't enjoy vintage or aldehydic perfumes. Fast forward ten years and my tastes have developed to include the colourful fragrances of the 80's. Lumiere by Rochas packs quite a punch. As would be expected, this fragrance matches the big hair of the 80's with its big throw. A little obnoxious I guess for today's standards, a few light sprays are all that is required to smell approachable. A pleasant peachy aldehyde dances playfully on the skin in a similar vein to Lancome's Tresor and Giorgio by Giorgio Beverley Hills. As I can see by reading many reviews left for this fragrance, Lumiere had many fans back in the day. Whilst the re-released 2000 Lumiere smells nothing like the original, I have hopes that the 2017 version shares something in common with this 80's gem. I am unfortunately down to my last few sprays. Looking at Lumiere's scent pyramid, you can see why fragrances these days smell so linear. I find myself having to reach for the fragrances of yesteryear when I want to experience some complexities. Lumiere is certainly complex and enthralling on the skin. You never quite know where this fragrance might take you.

Fragrance Review For Lumiere Top Notes Aldehydes Orange Blossom Green Leaves Violet Fruit Bergamot Middle Notes Honeysuckle Tuberose Orris Root Jasmine Hyacinth Ylang Ylang Lily of the Valley Rose Narcissus Base Notes Sandalwood Musk Oak Moss Vetiver Cedar I find this similar to Scherrer but more floral and with more wood. A beautiful and old fashioned perfumy chypre. It opens with aldehydes and orange scents of orange blossom and bergamot. The fruit is delicious but it's over before long. The honeysuckle and florals are gorgeous. The notes of narcissus ylang and lily of the valley as well as tuberose are all there. Mature and classy florals. A fragrance of light and dark textures. There's oak moss and cedar along with sandalwood. Beautiful. A musk note smells more like leather. Classic and unisex along the style of Cristalle by Chanel.

lumiere or light..is the perfect name, for the perfect fragrance, in one of the most beautiful bottles, multidimensional cap that reflect the ultraviolet rays.its almost like a rainbow of colors in a purple bottle..my mother used to keep it in her bathroom along side rochas la fem i guess she didn't like them .so as a child i used to go smell them, they are like sisters,both dreamy ,a bit fruity ,unique, a bit powdery, musky ,flowery , lumiere is like a fresh bouquet of unique flowers ..i think its a timeless treasure..its so feminine ,romantic and luscious.. rating 4 out of 5

I purchased a little miniature of this on Ebay and it arrived yesterday. I wore the original around 1988, when I had my very first serious relationship with a boy. I think I'd bought it because the bottle had been so beautiful, although I also liked the smell. Well, I put this on my wrist last night, and was transported back to around 1988! With all the memories to boot. Wow. I still really love this, although maybe it's something to with the memories of 'coming of age'. I don't really care...this is lovely.

Jasmines lily of the valley and white floral. This is a white floral bomb with huge doses of jasmines and lily of the valley softened by tuberose & hiacynth then hardened again by ylang and narcissus. At first I sensed an insecticide spray for certain time because of the over dose jasmines and lily of the valley.. then it softened when the tuberose joined in. I see this as a rude fragrance rather than a light or ray of light. It could be a beautiful rude blend.

Oh my......lovely, just simply, truly, deeply lovely. I am a long time Rochas fan but had not tried Lumiere (being "stuck" on Mystere and Femme) ...and then I read some of the reviews here and decided it was a must try. I now know the mini bottle of the original is not going to satisfy me for very long and Lumiere has quickly become a must have. So, thank you all for leading me to the "light".

Lumiere was a rich woody and green floral sparked with vetiver and orris roots. An ultimate spring bouquet in my opinion. A very heady scent especially with the prominanlt hyacinth and daffodil. I was always surprised it did not have a lily, but I guess that was the fragrant daffodil It is classic french perfumery and should npt have been replaved with its paler more modern cousine.

I had this fragrance as a teen. I remember the honeysuckle the most. A bright, airy floral. When spraying Sunflowers on me this morning, I thought: err, this fragrance is so much the 90s. Then it hit me why I thought that. It reminded me of when I sprayed on me Lumiere. Sunflowers is heavier for sure, but it does remind of Lumiere.

oh,please, can anyone tell me if this perfume still exists? It is definately my "youth in abottle" I was young and in love when I wore that perfume and just adore it. I believe beyond paradise smells very much like it, but I'd like to find the very original perfume. Please, help me!

Lumiere lives up to its meaning, "light". The aldehyde is nice, light, and airy. This smells very narcotic, full of white flowers under the morning sun. Its entire composition is on the "treble" side of an equalizer. "A young and joyful day." -AB-

Lumiere lives up to its meaning, "light". The aldehyde is nice, light, and airy. This smells very narcotic, full of white flowers under the morning sun. Its entire composition is on the "treble" side of an equalizer. "A young and joyful day." -AB-

Is the new version available in stores? I've found one at a flea market but I'm unsure if I should buy it or not. Can't find it for a "good price" online

My mother wore this and passed it onto me. I remember an airy floral wisp. Very pleasant for any occasion.

The first Lumiere, that was made in 1984, is wondeful! I can't find who is the creator of this miracle?

This reminds me a great deal of Chloe (Lagerfeld) but with more fruit notes.

This surely must be a precursor to Poison. Very underrated.