Chergui

Today I'm going to be taking at look at Serge Lutens' Chergui. This is another that has been on my list of fragrances to try for quite some time, probably the better part of a year. The note breakdown with honey, tobacco, and hay notes was intriguing to me, and with my natural affinity for tobacco anyway it was something I knew I had to experience for myself. Let's get into it and see if it's as good as I hope it is. Scent: The opening is sweet, spicy, and warm. The primary notes I get are tobacco leaf, sandalwood, incense, and hay. The strongest of the notes are the tobacco leaf and hay. The tobacco leaf starts off the opening with a cozy, sweet, warmth that is powerful but gentle at the same time. It announces itself clearly as the dominant note, but doesn't assault the nose doing so. Following behind the tobacco leaf is the hay note. In this fragrance the hay comes across as dry and grassy with subtle sweet nuances as well. There's a green-ness about it, but not so much that I would call it a green note. More so than that, there's a certain facet of the note that I can best describe as "sun-baked". It's warm and almost solar, but not quite; like a bale of hay on a warm spring day. Up next is the sandalwood and incense. The sandalwood confers a sturdy woodiness tinged with a bit of powder and flecked with just a touch of spice on the back end. Lastly, the incense adds a bit more spice along with some smokiness in the background. The dry down is sweet, warm, and balsamic. The primary notes I get are tobacco leaf, honey, amber, and hay. The strongest of the notes are still the tobacco leaf and hay. Not much has changed with the notes from the dry down; the tobacco leaf is still warm and sweet, and the hay is still dry and grassy. The only notable difference is they feel a little fuller and more rounded out. This is followed by the honey and amber. The honey has emerged in the dry down to provide a gourmand, sticky sweetness to the base of the fragrance. It's not over the top or strong enough to mask the tobacco leaf or hay, it instead helps to bolster and accentuate the sweet elements of those notes and give them a gourmand edge. Lastly, the amber is nestled securely in the background as a deep, rich, resinous sweetness; similar in tone to the Amber Xtreme notes from Prada's Luna Rossa Ocean EDP and Parfum. The dry down reminds me a bit of Tumi's Continuum as well. Performance: Initial projection in the first hour is very strong and can fill a room. Sillage matches that intensity with a dense and heavy scent trail. After about four hours the projection was still about 5-6 feet and the scent trail was a bit lighter but still easily noticeable. After about 7-8 hours the projection had died down to about 3 feet, but the scent trail had remained just as noticeable. The fragrance became a skin scent around the 10-11 hour mark. When to wear: Chergui is a fall/winter fragrance best suited for evening wear. This is not a casual wearing fragrance, but will work great for formal occasions, and even better for special occasions like date nights or anniversaries. Because of the powerful sweetness, this is not something I'd wear to the office. Blind buy: If you like sweet and balsamic fragrances like Luna Rossa Ocean EDP or Continuum, this is a safe blind buy for you. Final verdict: Chergui was a very enjoyable wear. The scent profile is very in line with what I typically enjoy; sweet, warm, spicy with focus on tobacco. The one thing that did surprise me is that it was more "designer" than I imagined it would be. Now there's nothing necessarily wrong with that, I was just a little underwhelmed is all. In terms of performance Chergui did well. Strong projection and scent trails for about 4 hours, and lasting about 10-11 before fading away. Versatility is technically below average but that's to be expected for a fragrance in this category. It's made for cooler weather and works great for formal or special occasions, but that's about it. When it comes to mass-appeal Chergui scored higher than I thought it would due to it's "designer" vibes. It focuses on sweetness and warmth which are very safe and popular accords, and doesn't go too heavy or get challenging in any way. This is one of those fragrances that most people will think smells great and will get lots of compliments. In conclusion, Chergui is a solid sweet tobacco fragrance and will be an easy wear for most people. If I didn't have anything like that in my collection and I was just starting to get into tobacco, Chergui would be a great place to start. But since I already have a strong collection of fragrances in this category and Chergui isn't offering anything unique to the DNA, I'll have to pass on getting a full bottle for now. Still, I'd recommend this to anyone to try because it really does smell great. Scent: 9/10 Longevity: 8/10 Sillage: 8/10

Chergui: If You Know, You Know. Serge Lutens is a niche French house that has been around for a long time, that specialises in really fine perfumery that sits distinct from the mainstream in terms of quality but also in accords. It is unconventional perfumery but not in an over-provocative way. It is more thinky than shouty if that makes sense, and so it should come as no surprise to anyone who follows my reviews that this is a house I very much enjoy. This is my kind of fragrance. I own two from this house: Poivre Noir which is the loveliest study on the many facets of black pepper against sweet, rich woods and a little bit of spice as you could imagine, and Chergui which is the subject of this review today. I love it when a list of fragrance notes has a layer of mystery in terms of what the fragrance will feel like, smell and how it will wear so then you have that little frisson of excitement to discover it yourself when you take that cap off. Chergui is one of those fragrances where the effect when you smell it is a wonderful surprise and you have to then go back and pick out the accords (or not) from the list based on what you can smell. It is note spotting. This is fragrance for people who know and love fragrance. Chergui is a brilliant example of this and I'd contend that it is - delightfully - one of the trickier fragrances to pick out the notes from. But that is the only challenging aspect of this wonderful concoction. It is this rich, floral, sweet and musky blend that glistens in the air. I loved it from the first moment I put my nose on it and I still do; as much because it defies my attempts to define and pigeonhole it to this day, as anything else. Is it a formal fragrance? Yes, but not solely. Is it a floral fragrance? Yes, but not solely. Is it something to wear when I am feeling experimental? Yes, but not solely. Is it something I would wear for myself without leaving the house because it fascinates me to keep sniffing myself and take in the journey? Yes, but not solely. The opening has a slightly boozy quality to it. It is super rich, almost tamarindy with an earthiness and sourness in the edges. The hay isnt fibrous, it is more like the sillage of silage, if that makes sense. There is a moisture from the tobacco leaf accords that hits you from the first sniff: it isnt a bitter or dry tobacco smell but of the fresh leaf itself. The interplay between the tobacco leaf and the iris here is magical. Both do enough to stop the other from dominating. The heavy rose in this (I think rose oil) is an ever-present from beginning to end. As it dries down the sweetness comes more to the fore and it ramps up a lot higher than you think it is going to. It dries down very sweetly indeed. The sweet, rich base over the sandalwood is amber, incense and honey. I cannot see vanilla in the notes but I can smell it here in the base. All these working together should make it cloying and squidgy, over-sweet and a bit sickly but Chergui never truly goes that way. It is sweet but not too much. You'd have to say this is fantastically well blended. The effect as it fades is honey and flowers but not in a very feminine way. It has a quality to it that transcends just how it smells. This is one that you feel as much as smell. Chergui **feels** a bit special. If niche has a feel, this is it. It has moderate sillage and you get a decent 6-7 hours from a fragrance that never truly settles fully into the skin. Is this an intimate thing? Yes, but not solely. I do think it leans slightly feminine and comes into its own in colder weather, but I'm a guy's guy who lives in baking hot Dubai and I absolutely love this one. So many of my reviews are so positive and enthusiastic but I think this is because I only really review fragrances I own and so there will not be many I don't like for obvious reasons. And if there is a slightly hyperbolic tone to the positivity in how I talk about these fragrances, that is just because this is a hobby I love deeply and that comes through in my reviews I hope. Chergui is a fragrance I speak about in these somewhat elevated terms because it typifies the love I have for fragrances. This isn't your bog standard cheap designer crowd pleaser. I get a tremendous amount of enjoyment from things (not just fragrances but with lots of things in life) that are a bit different, a bit niche, a bit advanced and that require a bit of effort and thought to get the best out of, and Chergui is a wonderful example of this. I wear it quite rarely as it a bit of a secret weapon of mine. It doesn't have a specific utility for me, a certain situation where I reach for it. It is more of an instinctive thing. You know when you know. There Word Summary: Rich, Floral, Niche. Scent - 8/10 Drydown - 8/10 Sillage - 7/10 Bottle/packaging - 7/10 Performance - 7/10 37/50

Let's talk about terroir for a moment, and a hobby of mine that unfortunately very few can relate to these days: cigars. (Skip to the second paragraph if you have zero interest in this.) Most people who know the bare minimum about cigars know that Cuban cigars are the most coveted, and usually the benchmark for cigars throughout the world. This is not due to Cuban makers' superb blending abilities or quality control. Any aficionado will be able to tell you that Cuban makers' creativity throughout the cigar making process, from growing to fermenting and aging to blending to selling, is quite low; and Communist government-run entities (which the majority of Cuban cigar makers are to some degree by Habanos, S.A.) have notoriously poor quality control. No, what makes them coveted are the unique terroir of Cuba and the Cuban seed tobacco they hold with vicious defense. The Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and quickly-catching-up Honduras, have hands-down surpassed Cuba in creativity and quality control, but those countries terroirs and tobacco seed aren't like Cuba's, and, therefore, neither are their cigars. The principle is no different from wine, just listen to an argument between a California winemaker and a French winemaker to confirm it. For decades, and even quite a bit now, the French refused to acknowledge that California can make wine that is just as good as French wine simply because California's terroir is not French and therefore the wine cannot be as good. They're wrong, of course. Chergui does this interesting thing of presenting us tobacco, in a perfume, that seems to have come from a unique terroir not able to be replicated anywhere else. Chergui has luminous spiced amber notes, floral sweetness, and a distinct suede leather quality, not dissimilar from Cuban cigars. It is highly complex, with Sheldrake's masterful compositional abilities on full display. There is a hay note that perfectly encapsulates fragrant dried grass, floral, sweet, and gently green earthy. There is a good dose of pink rose, pretty and elegant, that actually pushes Chergui pretty comfortably onto the unisex line - a unique direction for a tobacco perfume of its time period. Amber notes of a gently cured tobacco that's still a touch green, a slightly smokey and medicinal but more so robust incense note, and a creamy sandalwood base create a beautifully elegant foundation. Musk acts as an amplifier for the honey and orris notes, both of which are big players stretching from top to bottom of the perfume, with the orris giving Chergui an overall sense of dry, stately, floral, powderiness, and the honey a translucent and sundrenched yellow pollen sweetness. The two notes have penetrated every corner of the perfume, impossible to separate from the more individual notes, acting as the glue holding everything together. In the better part of two decades ago, Chergui was drier than the new formulations, the newer seeming to lean a bit heavier into the honey and amber notes. But, new or old, it's still Chergui, and it's a masterpiece. There is a principle to culinary arts, particularly Eastern culinary arts, where a dish must be finely balanced between salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and unctuous before it can be considered complete and properly executed. This principle can be applied in varying degrees to a lot of things you smell/taste - including perfume, cigars, wine, etc. This idea of balance - of all parts being in equilibrium to create a cohesive whole - is what Chergui achieves in spades. It is beautifully well-rounded and supple, even as it undulates back and forth to bring one note or a particular set of notes to the forefront while others pull back, and then shortly later they trade places again. Rich, elegant, complex, evocative, always warm and inviting and never pushy or standoffish. Every time I wear it I feel like a million bucks, like I should be in a silk suit, sipping a fine cognac in a high-end cigar bar - that's it! Now I get it, now that I've put thoughts and feelings to paper! Chergui makes me feel bougie af. Well, that's a crass note to end on, isn't it...?

The first time i experienced chergui, i received a 5ml miniature with my bas de soie order. This was back when i believed i only liked realistic florals, so you can imagine how this didn’t really work for me. Over the two years of owning the sample, i kept returning to it. As time passed, my taste as a whole changed. I started accepting that perfumery just cannot capture the true beauty of flowers in real life. So i basically gave up on ‘photorealistic’ florals and went into more vintage amber territory with my tastes, starting with l’heure bleue and eventually shalimar. Chergui kept getting more beautiful as i sampled it on my skin, and after 2 whole years, i caved and got a full bottle. What withheld me the most was how autumnal/late summer this smells. I never buy perfume based on the season, I will wear a resinous amber in 36 degrees i never gaf. But chergui was special. The way it diffuses, the way it feels warm and cozy but not heavy or sweet, the way it smells like so many things at the same time but still manages to be completely unique. it is just so beautiful. I think it is my favorite serge lutens out of all the things I own. Tubereuse criminelle has a beautiful opening, but once the menthol aspect of the tuberose disappears it becomes rather boring. Fleurs d’oranger is rather generic, bas de soie is too metallic, fils de joie is more like a dry red fruit jam with a slight hint of jasmine, iris silver mist is too clovey, de profundis isn’t necessarily fun to wear and more of an experience, la religieuse is too citrusy in a cleaning product way, fumerie turque is nice once u get past the ashtray aspects and five o clock au gingembre is too dry and thin. Chergui is genuinely in its own lane. It is completely wearable yet never too simple. It is layered and all the notes feel ‘full’. It is evocative and emotional, there is nothing photorealistic about this. It is diffusive like previously mentioned without being too much. It balances greenness, spiciness, powderiness and warmth perfectly. It is almost like a baby of vol de nuit and l’heure bleue, yet nothing like the two. It feels like i wasted tons of money on serge lutens perfume that i ended up not liking that much only for the best one to be right in front of me. Now to the notes themselves... actually i dont think fragrantica note pyramids truly mean anything, especially in a scent as abstract as this. I do think that the iris and the hay are very noticeable, the iris especially staying for a full day in the drydown. The hay is warm and almost misty, like a cold yet sunny morning in late august. I find tobacco scents hard to describe because i am a smoker and i am constantly Exposed to tobacco when making my own cigarettes, and the tobacco in perfume never smells like the real deal. Which is a good thing in this case, as i dont want to smell like a bucket of winston blue. There is also a hint of honey, which doesnt smell like caramel or like maple syrup as the note does in many other scents. It also doesnt go dusty animalic as it does in fils de joie. It just adds a golden warmth to the rest of the fragrance. The perfume as a whole wears incensey, but not really a specific type of incense. Maybe opoponax? Chergui does smell a bit medicinal, but I think it might be related to the link between coumarin and cherry cough syrup. I love it however! The ingredient list now shows a few more ACTUAL things in the perfume, like pelargonium (geranium), bergamot, vanillin, bay leaf, spearmint, lavender, camphor and cederwood. And yes, when you really sniff it, there is a hint of something camphor esque. I also think these herbs add to the medicinal experience. But in the end, a note breakdown doesnt work for something like chergui. It is blended so well that all you get is Chergui and maybe iris after 12 hours. I am obsessed. I cant wait to wear this in october. Definitely worth the hype and cult following. May smell masculine leaning on first sniff, but it is definitely one of the most unisex things i have smelled.

Chergui comes from Arabic Sharqi, which is the name given, in Morocco, to the wind that blows from the Sahara desert. In Arabic, it means "from the East" and, in the case of the perfume, has no connection with the island of the same name, located in Tunisia. Serge Lutens is passionate about Morocco and chose the place as his house. Many of his inspirations come from there. In the case of Chergui, Lutens defines as: "a fire fanned by the wind; a desert in flames". The composition brings hay sugar, Iris, rose, honey, incense, tobacco leaves, amber, musk, and sandalwood. For those who don't know, there are some types of hay with high sugar content, like the Hay of sugarcane and the Hay of Greece (fenugreek). In the case of the latter, its seeds have an aroma very similar to the aroma of maple syrup (the one used in pancakes). Again, Christopher Sheldrake managed to interpret the ideas of Serge in an exquisite manner. Chergui, the wind, passes over the Atlas Mountains, going down by the coastal plains heading towards the Atlantic Ocean, completely dry. And the result of Chergui, the perfume, is exactly that: a dry and warm blow on the skin that will only become calm once the dust goes down. Once sprayed on my skin, I thought: "I want a bottle now"! The first impact brings a rose honeydew and an iris that is not powdery as usual, but floral and with nuances of violets. Suddenly, without notice, arises an aroma of honey and a creamy tobacco, warmed by the amber. At this stage, it reminded me a lot of The Dreamer (Versace) and of the reason why this scent is so appreciated, even though being part of a commercial brand. This is a great tobacco! And this was the longest stage of evolution on my skin. From there, about three hours after I applied, Chergui changes again and, as the wind, loses strength and becomes smoother, although dry. The incense and the sandalwood blend and create a nuance that resembles a soft leather. However, I read many comments that show that in addition to evolving a lot, Chergui can also be mutant. The comparisons go from Obsession (Calvin Klein) and Tobacco Vanille (Tom Ford) to Bvlgari Black (Bvlgari) and Eau des Baux (L'Occitane). For some people proved to be very feminine. On my skin, I found it more masculine. Anyway, this beautiful perfume – launched in 2001 (not in 2005, according to Wikipedia) – manages to be elegant, strong, seductive, and different. It's the kind of perfume that people stop you on the streets to ask its name. Just a reminder: Have I already said I want a bottle?

Chergui remains one of Serge Lutens' masterpieces, and one of the best perfumes I've ever owned. Yes, even after reformulation. Old formulation: ★★★★★★★★★☆ This 50ml bottle was purchased 9 years ago and still has a few mls left. The old Chergui opens with a fresh, slightly sour breeze that quickly yields to a warm, well-balanced blend of tobacco and honey, with subtle woody notes in the background. The honey softens in the drydown, revealing powdery notes. To me the brilliance is really in that the sweet honey balances out the rough, offensive property of dry tobacco leaves. Longevity is excellent, with moderate projection. New formulation: ★★★★★★★★★☆ The new Chergui lists “Immortal Flower, Leather of Russia, Hay” as official notes. Tobacco is notably absent, which is a bold change given the old Chergui’s unofficial reputation as one of the best tobacco fragrances out there. However, the new Chergui does deliver a highly similar atmosphere, which is a pleasant surprise and also the reason why I believe some recent reviews may have been biased by Fragrantica’s outdated note list. There is absolutely NO TOBACCO in the new Chergui. The opening of the new Chergui is quite sharp, alcoholic, and not the most pleasant. I detected incense and even mint. But they quickly transitioned into the main notes of hearty immortelle, dry hay, and leather. As it dries down the hay and leather become more noticeable, creating an arid, powdery finish that’s distinct from the typical baby-powder base found in many perfumes including the old Chergui. Excellent longevity, moderate projection, like the original. To me, the new formulation is an even better embodiment of the concept - a scorching wind in Moroccan deserts. It’s undoubtedly drier, less sweet, and less powdery, but remains irresistibly warm. Understandably, the new Chergui can be a disappointment to tobacco lovers. But for those who appreciate Serge Lutens’ artistry in capturing poetic visions, the new Chergui is definitely something not to miss.

Absolutely the best tobacco scent i've ever experienced. And i've got a few...Dior Tobacolor, Mancera Red Tobacco, Montale Oud Tobacco, Tom Ford Tobacco Oud, Jazz Club, Tobacco Honey by Guerlain and more.... but........Chergui is absolutely in a different class altogether. My number one. Just a truly rich majestic tobacco scent with the right touch of spice and sweetness. It smells organic and natural, realistic. The delicious warmth of the honey and summer sunset scent of hay set off the tobacco like a dream sequence and work perfectly in harmony. There's a really subtle and off-key iris here that probably explains why some people are getting a baby powder smell. To me its just a subtle edge that gives it an old school gentlemanly classic touch of fougere barbershop...but its just a mere hint which makes it so amazing, maybe about 10% noticeable/prominent. What a fantastic and original idea. Its just GORGEOUS to me and highly innovative, its a genuinely original take on the tobacco scent genre. Unique. Imaginative. There's no ashtray vibe here, just a good life-affirming shag! Pretty much a masterpiece. A real special occasion Red Carpet fragrance, suited with a crisp clean white shirt and collar with black tie, all dressed up, clean fresh out the shower and immaculate. I feel like Sean Connery as James Bond wearing this. Daring, tough, handsome, fearless, confident, classy, intellectual and a sexbomb. All at once. Performance is excellent value for money.....Longevity is massive, 10 hours plus and noticeably still there in the morning............just awesome sillage is also definitely stronger than most I think this would be sensual and amazing on a woman too, its just a romantic and amazing scent of organic mother natures love radiating in the air Deliciously addictive. I'd wear this on my wedding day, its that damn classy....a rare 10/10 for me

This is the scent that got me back into perfume after a 2 year hiatus in which I was fragrance free. Ironically I bought this tobacco heavy scent to celebrate quitting smoking. I went to the perfume house in Portland looking for something special and smelled a lot of different scents. They have the Lutens out to play with along with a booklet of notes as determined by the owner who is a certified nose. Not knowing anything about the line I started flipping through the book and sniffing the bottles, spraying them on cotton balls etc. Chergui was listed as hay sugar, tobacco, honey and perhaps 1-2 other notes, no flowers though and I was intrigued but couldn't find the bottle. I asked the saleswoman in the store where it was and her eyes twinkled a bit and she grabbed it from the back, almost empty and told me they were out of stock. It ended up being the one fragrance I tested on my wrist, I thanked her and told her I would be back if I liked it and left the store to grab some lunch. Walking down the street on that sunny fall day is such a clear and wonderful memory. I kept lifting my wrist and breathing in deeply. About 1 1/2 hours later I knew I wanted to have it. I called the shop and the SA instantly knew who I was and told me "I knew you would be back for this one, it's so special and my absolute favorite". They put me on the waiting list, 1 week later I had the bottle in my hand and was reunited with an old love of perfume. I love this fragrance, smokey, sweet, yum.

This is a Great Oriental Spicy Fragrance ! Unique, Warm , Sweet and Complex. Chergui was on my Radar about two years and I bought Ambre Sultan blind-buy last year. I bought chergui blind-buy after reading positive comments and reviews, I watched reviews on YouTube too. Chergui sold out everywhere in Canada and I found It on line in Toronto with reasonable price. It opens up with warm spicy, Green and floral notes in the background then dry down is sweet powdery, Incense-y, ambery and woody. My wife fell in love with it at first sniff. It is suitable for cold weather. In my opinion , Chergui is a work of art in a bottle, It reminds me of Bazar with Spices in the middle east. This perfume has High Quality Composition and Well-blended. It doesn't smell similar to Baby powder. Please ignore fake comments and reviews, I promise you some of them never smelled it and wrote a review! It doesn't smell similar to Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille because there is no The Tobacco note in this perfume Based on Official Site by Serge Lutens. The Hay , Honey, Incense, Immortal flower and Amber notes are dominant in this Scent. Longevity is above Average. I really enjoy it when the weather is very cold. Please try it before buying. This review is based on the new reformulation bottle If you are looking for a warm spicy Unique Perfume, try it. Highly Recommended. Two Thumbs Up. Bravo Serge Lutens! Rating : 8.5 / 10

This fragrance does suit its inspiration to a certain degree What i get is tobacco and honey mainly, at least upon the first spray, i think the honey is done really really well here, it's not weird and, idk, "middle eastern", it is transparent, and gives a quiet and somber vibe, the tobacco is rather dry and cherry-ish, but overall the fragrance is still sweet but not too sweet. I dont rlly recognize the hay note Under the honey and tobacco, it's the incense and florals that really complete this fragrance and bring the vibe that it's intended, the florals aren't that noticeable but you know they're there, and they are soft and melancholic, along with the incense, they pair up really well, which makes the fragrance elegant, melancholic, and it's rather soft and light It is a rather linear scent, but as it dries down, it gets creamier and creamier, i think it may be the sandalwood playing its role The whole vibe of this fragrance is like a desert wanderer, his clothes are rugged and torn, but he is unbothered by the heat, because the wind cools him down, and his long hair flows in the wind, he looks at the horizon where the sun is about to set, he lights a cigarette, and keeps on walking as the night falls upon and the stars light up the dark sky One of the best serge lutens fragrances for men, considering as a signature scent for me

People describe Chergui as honeyed tobacco, as warmth, as amber made intimate. This is not incorrect. It is simply incomplete. On my skin, the hay arrives first. Not pastoral hay. Not the sentimental version. This is sun-cured grass with a faint bitterness at the edge, something dry enough to resist sweetness. The honey is present, but it behaves like varnish rather than syrup. It coats; it does not pour. Tobacco follows as leaf—brown, papery, almost brittle—more texture than smoke. What shifts the composition is restraint. The dryness holds the sweetness in place. Iris appears not as powder but as distance, a pale coolness that interrupts any attempt at comfort. Incense is not ecclesiastical; it is a thin mineral line, a horizon you sense more than see. There is a moment, about an hour in, when the fragrance could collapse into warmth. It does not. The hay steadies it. The sweetness darkens but never turns edible. What lingers is suede, amber, a faint echo of straw warmed by light. Chergui, hay-forward, feels less like indulgence and more like control. It suggests heat without surrendering to it. It is layered without excess, nuanced without fuss. A study in balance, in tension, in the quiet authority of dryness. It does not bloom. It settles.

Opens with a sweet, powdery cloud that immediately gives off a soft, cloudy feel. Following is the hay accord which I can't really explain the smell but it's very distinct. The tobacco here is dry and lightly smoky, rather than the sweet, syrupy type that are in some fragrances. It’s present, but never overpowering, and blended smoothly. A thin layer of honey runs underneath everything, adding just enough sweetness to soften the dryness without turning the scent dense or sticky. It’s perfectly balanced. The overall feel is warm and inviting, with a really comforting scent bubble that wraps around you. I can definitely understand where people get that baby powder / baby wipes comparison from. In the air, especially when moving around, that sweet powderiness becomes very noticeable and can lean in that direction. Up close on my skin, the individual notes stand out more clearly but as it dries down, the powder becomes more dominant. There’s also a slight lipstick/vintage feel to the fragrance, adding to its sense of class. This is a very poised and elegant scent. I don’t find this overly challenging outside of the hay note, which might throw some people off, but that’s also what makes this fragrance stand out and gives it its character.

Hmm, its SUUUPER powdery in the opening, but 30 minutes in the powdery accord starts to settle. Im also getting a lot of "Cherry", maybe Cherry Tobacco? What has me a bit dissapointed is that Im not detecting the "Hay note" which is what drew me to trying Chergui to begin with. As far as performance goes, its better than I thought itd be bc so many were saying that it nolonger performed that well since the most recent formulation. Did 2 spritzes on my arm to test it from my brand-new bottle, and its going pretty strong at 6 hrs now, so thats a plus! Im hoping that with time the Hay note will become more prominent. Ive also heard that there was a " medicinal accord" that I was looking forward too, but do not detect... Well, fingers crossed, but for now.. its AIGHT🤷, Oh yeah, and call me Ca-Razy, but this is really giving me Banana Republic Tobacco & Tonka Bean which also smells like Cherry to me minus the strong powdery opening. Again, hopefully the Hay and medicinal notes become more noticable later on.... We shall see!🤔, again tno, gets a B+ for.perfomance, was expecting moderate longevity, but it "Above Average" in that department. Decent projection too😊

Seriously the prominent amber here has legs, it sneaks out almost completely around hour two. You need to do a few full wears to adore this art piece. Hate the amber at first sniff, but its quality and characteristic really save it. The opening has a tangy & powdery scent that instantly reminds me of Xerjoff Richwood's early stage. Then the amber comes in and dominates the scent for the first 2 hours. Up close, it is that sweet (annoying to me) amber that you can smell in almost all dominant amber accord fragrances. However, in the air/whiff, it is like a dusty/powdery floral with a bit of tanginess to it, and less of that ambery sweetness. I cannot smell any tobacco and leather in here. It could be in the very far back to round the scent. When the amber rested after working for 2 hours, I can smell the toned down opening again for a bit, before it slowly turned into a dusty soft fragrance with a very tiny hint of maybe vanilla or immortelle. Longevity is 6+ hours. Well projection in the first 2 hours. Pleasantly enjoy the whiffs of this.

It happened to be introduced to this brand quite late. Chergui was the first and (for now) the only fragrance I've tried and I am very very happy with it. First impression - a hit of spices, sweetness, woodiness and fruits. Very elegant and even though it reminds a bit of some other fragrances it's actually very original creation. It develops into tobacco, honey, dry woods and smoke. There is an addictive quality to it. I find myself going for it often. Sometimes I just like to hold the bottle and smell it from time to time. When a fragrance works with your chemistry and taste sometimes you know it straight away. Chergui just blended with my skin. The feeling of wearing this masterpiece of a fragrance is absolutely satisfying. It reminds me of sweeter and thicker La Nuit De L'home, or a twist on Tobacco Vanille. Very good stuff. One of the best blind buys. Also, I paid €52 for 50ml so I received a niche fragrance on a designer price. Can I be more satisfied?

After initial spray. I didnt consider this to be special. Unique yes, but this doesn't really fit me as a person. But then the dry-down kicked in... Yes, this is good. I'd say a like and not a love from my side. It will take some time for you and others to adjust to the profile. It's a bit daring, but just enough. I can see myself loving this one over time, though. The scent is complex and it will take multiple wearings to understand fully. Don't judge it because of the hype and the initial opening. Wear it a few times. Took my own advice and wore it a few times. This has a baby powder/baby wipes kind of vibe to it as well after I've let it sit for a while. This is a strong love now. At the start I did not get the baby wipes/powder vibes, it it something that came out after multiple wearings. I guess my nose just upgraded in real time haha

the scent of Chergui is one that literally makes my heart race. it was not a love-at-first sniff, the opening is warm spices and heady incense, quickly fading into a honeyed amber then settling into a simply beautiful symphony of soft, creamy smoke and powdery faint florals and cozy honeyed skin. this is not for the faint of heart, but it is a well-worth it Love Affair that makes me feel like I’m wrapped in a warm familiar embrace, and an exciting and intriguing whirlwind romance at the same time. It is like no scent I’ve experienced before, and it is a welcome and well-thought out new addition to my collection. masculine leaning but sensual and suited for a woman like me: for when you want to feel like you have your life together and possibly more mature/serious than you are. ;)

This is a perfume that needs heat to really bloom. In cool weather it is light honey with a very sharp woody note (the balsalmic I assume). It's nice, but it's sort of flat and the notes feel like they are bumping awkwardly against one another. But let the temperature get above 80F and everything changes. Chergui turns into liquid gold. It's like bathing in raw, natural honey in an old tobacco drying shed in the summer. It's deep and rich and sensuous and it sings. It keeps pumping out the glory even while I and my horse are sweating through our workout under the hot sun, we still smell wonderful. Wait until summer, spritz a bit of this on and sink into luxury. I love it. But I suspect this is a love it or loath it sort of fragrance. So be warned, shy and retiring it is not.

I love Chergui. I have loved it for over a year, but for some reason my brain has been trying to convince me it's not that good of a fragrance recently. Some of the criticisms that went through my head while taking a break from it: - "The vanilla/amber base is too sweet. I don't even like sweet fragrances to begin with" - "The iris note is a bit plasticky" - "There isn't much tobacco in it for a tobacco fragrance" - "It's difficult to perceive after the first half hour" - "The base is present in many Serge Lutens perfumes, it's not that distinctive" - "The hay note is nice, but not that convincing. I'd rather wear Milano Fragranze's Derby if I want hay" Then I wore it again and fell in love all over again. Sometimes my brain just needs to shush.

This is a masterpiece. Forget the notes for a moment—this is the scent of naked confidence and radiant warmth. Chergui is intensely warm, slightly sweet, and grounded by a stunning earthiness. The hay note is the star; it smells less like barn hay and more like a rich, slightly smoky black tea. The entire composition has a soft, glowing, slightly dusty texture—like a gentle desert wind at sunset. I'm usually wary of sandalwood, but here it's perfectly blended, acting as a creamy foundation rather than a solo player. The iris, rose, and tobacco are subtle whispers that just add depth, not distraction. Performance: Excellent longevity and a beautiful, moderate sillage. A must-try if you love deep, cozy, unapologetically sensual orientals.

A deep, smooth, cherry-like honey tobacco with powdery amber and a beautiful grassiness that makes me think of wind sweeping through a cool dry prairie. The iris lends it a creamy edibility, and there’s a touch of musty smoke like just-snuffed incense. This sits close to my skin but still really makes itself known. Subtle, just the right amount of sweet, with a glowing warmth like embers. It draws you in and then rewards you with complexity — it’s seductive without trying hard. One of my favorite things ever is to bury my face in a sweater I just took off and inhale this complex & enveloping drydown...it is unbelievably beautiful. So elegant, but still a wild and almost melancholy thing. I love love love this fragrance.

When this dries down, it smells like a full bodied and honestly much better version of untitled by margiela’s opening. Where that fragrance falls flat immediately after, and basically just smells like synthetic musks, this one keeps all the character throughout its whole wear. Ive smelled multiple tobacco honey fragrances and even though its not my style i can get behind them. Chergui however has to be the most perfect one. Powdery, warm, cozy, naturalistic, not too sweet, enveloping, green, sophisticated. So good. Maybe one day i’ll buy this, and i definitely recommend it to people who love scents like this. I just dont think it personally suits me as a wearer

Oh so pretty! A sweet musky powdery scent, that to me indeed starts with honeyed tobacco. It certainly is of a certain time period but I just can’t entirely place where it stands. It definitely has a dusty warmth to it- soft and enveloping like a ray of sunshine in a dark room on a cool afternoon. I get the hay and iris aswell. To me this smells like a couple coming into a warm house from the cold in late fall or early winter, their noses red and hair frizzy from their hats, perhaps visiting their parents in the countryside, the interaction between them is nothing but warm and loving- there’s longing, excitement and peace there. This feels like a warm hug.

Okay so I’ve owned this for a while now, and let me tell you I wasn’t the biggest fan when I first came across it. It was syrupy and a bit too much like a dusty dried fruit, which was hard to stomach. HOWEVER As I’ve owned it and let it sit for a while this fragrance has become my everything. I now get a super smooth, luscious tobacco, almost vanillic which I love for the winter months. The dusty dried fruit note that I used to get has changed for the better, making it the slightest bit sweet. To me, this fragrance is the most elegant wool coat embrace, actually a beautiful scent that I will never get tired of wearing.

What can I say? This is great stuff The hay note is very important as it cuts through the thickness and makes the fragrance more versatile. I would say its an all year round signature but just one spray during warmer days it does "bloom" nicely in warm weather meaning the amber becomes really pronounced in a good way kinda "golden" smelling if that makes sense. I was debating between this an Ecrin De Fumee which is like the newer more mature more mysterious version of this. Ended up getting this but they both are equally amazing imo This is pretty youthful perfect for mid 20s to mid 30s Overall like a solid 9/10

This is so not for the modern taste. Opens airy, powdery, like rose-infused water. Then it turns to a dry, dusty, natural tobacco leaf smell plus hay. I do get some slight supporting sweetness which I believe is the honey, but it is not my idea of the honey note because that one would be more attention-grabbing and even edible. Very evocative of a cool autumn afternoon in Quebec, a distinguished gentleman on a rustic library and he's ready to smoke that pipe tobacco before he reaches on his first book. This is an amazing fragrance that requires some time to appreciate.

Serge Lutens Chergui is a rich, warm fragrance that feels like a gentle breeze across a desert at sunset. The opening is a blend of smoky tobacco and sweet honey, which meld beautifully with spicy undertones and a touch of hay. As it develops, the scent reveals soft, powdery iris and a whisper of incense, adding depth and complexity. The dry down is warm and comforting, with notes of amber, musk, and sandalwood providing a smooth, sensual finish. Chergui is a captivating scent, perfect for those who appreciate deep, cozy fragrances that evoke both mystery and warmth.

I got this one so wrong when I first got it. I found it too sweet and powdery. I put it away as a potential swap or sell. But. I got it out a few weeks ago and I can’t believe I almost got rid of it. It is so good. Yes it is sweet, yes it is powdery, but it is also so spicy and the tobacco is on another level. This is so cozy, so masculine, so wearable. Perfect for fall and winter. The only problem now is that I feel less confident about getting rid of some of the scents I don’t like, what if they pull a Chergui on me?! This one is great. Get it.

Chergui by Serge Lutens is a masterpiece of warmth and depth. It opens with a blend of rich honey and smoky tobacco that feels both cozy and exotic. The spices are perfectly balanced with a touch of sweetness, creating a scent that’s both comforting and mysterious. As it dries down, the soft incense and amber notes reveal a sensual, almost velvety base. It’s a scent that feels like a warm embrace on a chilly evening, complex yet approachable. If you’re looking for something timeless, luxurious, and unforgettable, Chergui is an absolute must-try.

I absolutely love this smell. It’s spicy and warm and sweet like maple syrup. I originally got it for myself when I was ordering fragrances online. I found I didn’t enjoy the scent on myself and thought it was far too masculine for my taste so I ended up gifting it to my boyfriend instead and I love when he wears it. The scent reminds me of Christmas time in a strange way, or a well put together business man in a romance novel. It is extremely strong at first spray, but I found it settles pleasantly and it has a fairly intimate silage.

Its a lot softer and smoother than I was expecting. Mildly spiced. Love all the notes. Think the hay is doing a lot of work smoothing out the edges. Unfortunately it doesn’t project very well, though that might be because I was wearing a heavier fragrance earlier and got used to that intensity. My husband likes it and he doesn’t like anything unless it’s powdery or floral. So that is very high compliments. Excited to wear this in the cooler months. I preemptively pulled it out because it dropped like ten degrees.

To all the people trying Chergui for the first time: this perfume is NOT what it once was. The only thing you get from today's reformulation is honey, a fleeting, almost non-existent amber, and an awfully present powder accord. It has nothing to do with either tobacco or hay, which made the original perfume unique and legendary. I'm not saying this to make a scene (which some reviewers here like to do), it is simply the truth. If you wanna know what Chergui really is, buy a sample of the original on eBay.

Oh wow!! Just received a 10mil sample of this and I’m absolutely in love! Very heady and creamy amber, slightly spicy but not as much as Ambre’ Sultan or Amber Absolute. This is gorgeous beyond words. Perfect for a Michigan winter. This is wearable every season except for summer. Thankfully, it’s borderline sweet but it never crosses that line. This is for more mature folks. Not dated, just more mature. This is a beast and definitely full bottle worthy.

Simply an amazing scent. After 4 years of collecting I finally bought a bottle for my (own) birthday and I'm so glad I have such great taste!! Don't take the baby wipes, talcum powder, hay comments to put you off. The honey and the tobacco work so well with it, that all together this makes a fragrance that is quite unique and very easy to ware in any situation. Will definitely be in my top 10 and I cant wait to wear this over the autumn and winter,

Wow! It's very rare for me to get the reaction I got from this. A strong sweet honey tobacco backed by beautiful florals, smooth woods and a hint of incense. I can't really compare it to anything else I've smelled. Maybe a mix of tobacco vanille and Naxos. Minus the citrus. I hope that makes sense. It is absolutely not for everyone, but for me it's a contender for all time top 5. Strongly recommend you try it if you like sweet tobacco notes.

Once again, the magic of Serge Lutens got me loving the notes I normally hate. This time I am loving tobacco. I sprayed this scent, and I audibly went "Woah!" It is so beautiful, sweet honey and tobacco but also melancholic florals and incense are lingering in the back the whole time. I actually did not find it overpowering at all, although I am the person who gets headaches from strong scents. SL fragrances just work.

All I can say is wow. Chergui is a beautiful, complex fragrance. The notes are blended beautifully, I mainly get tobacco, honey, amber, iris, and hay. To me it smells like a tobacco leaf with honey drizzled over it in a pumpkin patch. The iris is not heavy or very lipsticky, it plays a supporting role and gives it this slight powdery nuance. This is the epitome of a fall fragrance to me and I love it 9/10

Chergui, hot sweet wind from the sands.... Yes, it's unisex. But - It's not pretty woman scent. For me, as a woman - it's "I'm gonna mount and ride you till you cry mercy" scent. It's almost perfect "sex in a bottle" perfume. And I'm sorry if your body chemistry is rejecting it or making it powdery. Try it again in several years - our hormone make up changes slightly every 7 years. And take a ride.

Gül ile bal... Biri kalbin dili, diğeri dünyanın tatlı suskunluğu. 🌹🍯 Bu uyum anlatılmaz, yaşanır. Gül yukarıdan iner gibi, bal aşağıdan yükselir gibi... Ortada bir yerde ruhla buluşur. İnanarak edilen bir duada, secdenin gölgesinde o koku burnunuza değdiğinde zaman yavaşlar. Mekân silinir. Sanki kelimeler susar, sadece niyet konuşur. Bu bir parfüm değil. Bu bir hâl. Bir teslimiyetin kokusu.

Though I hated tobacco in fragrances until I smelled this. Rich, full yet restrained. Incredibly well blended, none of the notes stick out, almost in the vein of an abstracted fruit or dessert. Late drydown resolves with this sweetened tea effect on me. Like what Jazz Club or Naxos wants to be without any of the vulgarity. One of the most graceful sweet scent ever created.

What I can say about this is that its timeless. It is elegant, sophisticated and doesn't scream out loud about itself. I would describe it as dried flowers and herbs in very fine sand. Its warm, ambery and spicy, but its also a bit green, fresh and very well crafted. Projection is a bit weak but its nice in the air and stays firmly on skin and for days on clothes.

🍂 October in a bottle. So, so good. It smells like October, the month before Halloween. It gives off aristocratic vibes. Like a walk around Edinburgh. Sweater weather. Cinnamon buns. Rich but not strong or overwhelming. Warm and spicy, with a little bit of woodiness. Longevity is about 6 hours on the skin and all day on clothes. Sillage is at arm’s length.

I love Chergui in the summer. I layer Juliette Has a Gun Not A Perfume under this which I think gives it a hint of whimsy, and I get compliments all the time. Mature but never taking anything too seriously! Goes well with sunscreen, sweat, a fresh mani-pedi, vintage suede, denim, cigarettes, beer, and post-shower right before bed in clean sheets!

I love it—one of the few full-sized bottles I had from this house. I'm feeling nostalgic now. It perfectly fitted the weather in London where I was wearing it most of the time. I would love to get another bottle. Powdery, subtle yet present, sweet, honeyed hay-like tobacco for me. Very distinctive. Equally great on a man or a woman.

Chergui. The Chergui. This one preforms like a damn champion off of my skin. I initially wanted a tobacco-honey fragrance; but what I got was laying in a incensey, tobacco flake covered, honey-scented haystack off my skin. And ya know what? I love every second of it. Do not blind buy this one like I did. I just got super lucky.

I live for the powdery dry down on this. That’s what this fragrance is all about for me. It’s not a cosmeticy powder or a baby powder; it’s a dry hay powder with a little tobacco smoke (not much) and it’s heavenly. Lasts 12 plus hours on skin. This is one of those perfumes that is a no brainer and works for every occasion.

smells like walking around the park in the middle of September while smoking a cigarette and wearing an oversized wool coat. a really warm, dry and cozy fragrance. i feel like the hay note really took it to the next level. it also reminds me of living in an old Eastern European townhouse with wooden floors.

This is SUCH a beautiful scent. Love at first sniff. The kind of fragrance that will make people remember you. The Iris is really the showpiece here and the powdery drydown is ambery and warm. It reminds me a lot of Hellenist's Les Bras de Morphee but a lot more smooth. One of the best from Serge Lutens!

Warm, rich honey-tobacco. I really love it! I think it’s a very approachable niche. Definitely might try and pick up a used bottle next fall/winter. The hay note makes me feel like a very chic and beautiful horse. If the hay note is not your thing, don’t worry as it faded as the scent developed for me.

Please anyone let me know if there is a fragrance similar to Chergui dry down. The opening is too harsh and smells like chemical fabuloso cleaning product. So harsh I have stopped wearing this even tho the dry down is the sweet comfort of cosmetic Iris powder and honey. I would be forever greatful.