Daim Blond

I really disliked Daim Blond when I first tried it 3 or 4 years ago, but have gradually come to love it in the intervening time, though it remains a strange and challenging composition to my nose. Daim Blond is a very fruity, dry suede with a dry iris in the mix. When I first tried it, the apricot really got to me and came off sweet but also a little papery, somehow. In many ways it still is, but now it conjures to mind dry fruit wrapped tenderly in leather, like a sort of alien bouquet. The skin of the apricot is peeling away from the desiccated flesh like an ultra-thin parchment; it is crying out for water as it cracks into dust under the midday sun. I maintain that it doesn't smell particularly "natural", it's a strange and jarring scent but also beautiful and serene. A mentholated ghost of either cardamom or hawthorn (or perhaps Lutens' notorious cough medicine note) is swimming around for the first half an hour before finally yielding. I just can't pin down the "mood" of this one - it's giving an emotion but just not one with which I'm familiar. I think one thing I still struggle with in this scent is the seeming lack of "payoff", its unsettling demeanour is simply how it is - it's not taking you on a journey so much as luring you out into the desert to die from thirst. Even now, smelling it on my arm, there's something subtly sinister in it, in its unnatural dryness, the ambiguous fruit, and the suede from an animal not found in any bestiary. It's a love for me, and in my view is actually Lutens' best fruit scent, though Bois et Fruits remains much more approachable for me.

After testing this and a million other Lutens on paper today, I finally settled on spraying this to my wrist. The apricot started strong and dominated the first half hour at least. Then, maybe two hours in, I kept thinking "why does this smell so familiar?" It was driving me nuts, and I wanted to come here and check out the "this perfume reminds me of" to jog my memory, but I had left my phone at home :( It nagged at me for hours, this sweet, earthy smell. Soft, feminine but not girly. Light pink and beige come to mind, and it is rare that scent evokes colours so distinctly for me. I really appreciated that imagery in the scent, given it is called "White Suede." While it did not smell overly leathery, the scent evoked that feeling of soft, worn suede, and light colours. Genius! But still naggingly familiar. I got home and checked the site. Bottega Veneta! Of course! I find the dry down almost identical, but the opening and middle quite different. BV wins in it's mossy, resinous opening. Daim Blond has a beautiful musky-iris dry down. And both fragrances are inspired by soft, luxurious leather. I guess both perfumers were on to the same thing. In all I was disappointed that the fragrance was not unique, but still enjoyed it. Also is is quite long lasting. The dry down is still going strong and it's been 6 hours of sweating, hand washing and cooking. Update: 4 hours later the dry down is still going strong. That puts us at about 10 hours! Not bad. Update the second: I own this now and want to say the dry downs are not as identical as I thought, but still similar.

DB is my most worn perfume, & I must be on 6th or 7th bottle now. I don't think I can write a review that really does it justice though - it's just a gorgeous perfume (imo) that speaks to me more than the rest of my bottles. Suede (especially strong in the opening), the apricot feels dry-ish in texture, not sugary or juicy. I can't pick out iris or heliotrope distinctly (& I love heliotrope) - although I do vaguely sense some purple florals. Anyway, to me they they sit quietly & politely in the background. On my skin the drydown is a warm clean musk. I get no powderiness at any point. DB feels really well balanced. It opens coolish & aloof, & finishes up warm & mellow, like a sunny Autumn day ! It doesn't make a big statement, people will say "you smell lovely", rather than "your perfume smells lovely" A versatile scent that never feels inappropriate - it gives me confidence & always makes me feel better than I know I am. The Jeffwithfrags review (further down) really made me think. The perceived "faults" are probably exactly why I am so fond of DB. Not too fruity/vanillic (I'm tired of vanilla) not loud, & not "too" anything. There are more than enough syrupy fruity vanilla bombs in this world already!. I love this perfume because it is understated & elegant, but contemporary & still unusual. Edit Aug 2017. I'm sure DB has been "watered down". It used to last all day on me, but sadly I can't say that about my more recent bottles. Such a shame, it does smell the same & I do still love it though.

One of my very first niche perfumes and my first Lutens, it's still a favorite after all this time, though unfortunately I don't use it as much as I should. The problem with Daim Blond is that it's too discreet, too "comme-il-faut", too delicate and that makes me forget it's even in my collection. Still, when I open the cap and smell its gorgeous fragrance, I always end up wearing it:) And delicate or not, it's managed to get me a compliment from a male coworker, when I thought it was barely detectable myself. Daim Blond is heavy on the apricot and suede; if you expect a leather fragrance, remember that suede has quite a different smell from leather and the difference is quite obvious here. There's a fruity sweetness in it, that happily does not resemble the sugary confections in the mainstream market, but is a bit sour as well, refined and as elegant as it gets; in fact I can better imagine wearing Daim Blond with a crisp suit and pumps rather than my faded jeans and t-shirt. Still, the projection is low as most people have mentioned and this is mainly a skin scent. However, based on another fragrantica member's suggestion, I wear a bit at the base of my hairline just above the nape, which causes it to drift with the movement of my hair and be noticeable without being 'on-your-face'. Longevity is good though it's not amongst the strongest Lutens, but somewhere between 6-8 hours. If you're not all about dry and spicy scents, give this elegant beauty a chance!

I blind bought Daim Blond 3 years ago based off the reviews and especially the notes, apricot and suede: yum, yes please! Excited, I tried it on and hated it. I was so disappointed and confused. I couldn't smell any of the listed notes, it smelled fussy, very mature, like a vague, dated perfume. Sad because I had spent the money, I put it away and forgot about it. I've been going through my perfume collection and I tried it on today: Wow! So thrilled I kept my bottle. The opening is a bit odd, almost like concentrated PEZ candy with it's plastic PEZ dispenser. And then! It softens into Osmanthus and apricots rolling gently on suede. It's a gorgeous, sensual, delicious creamy cloud and everything I had hoped it would be. It's so delicious I want to eat it (but not really because I envision licking a piece of soft suede covered in mashed apricot, lol) it's more that I want to possess the delicious wafts and stop them from dissipating. Sadly, doesn't seem to last all that long on my skin but it is faintly clinging on my shirt and hair. This is a love for me. Edit: Wore it to bed in my hair and my husband said, 'What is that? It's unlike anything else you have, kind of woodsy, almost masculine, like I would wear that? It smells really good and expensive.' He was a fan for sure. And nicely, a soft wood/suede note still remains in my hair this morning. I also have to say it reminds me of Agar Ebene in the dry down.

I’ve been wanting this for so long and I finally got it. Bought it blind. I trusted the reviews, I trust Lutens, I studied the notes and I know what I like. This is a masterpiece. It is a complex iris suede scent yet it is highly refined and masterfully blended. It is sheer elegance in a bottle. Worthy of being a signature scent (whatever that is lol). This is the play-by-play of my experience. The opening is just a hint green and spicy. I quickly pick up on the iris and a slight powderiness begins. The apricot kicks in and brings with it a subtle sweetness to the overall composition at this stage. I’m still getting a hit from the iris and this stage lasts a while until the leathery suede finally appears and then the most luxurious scent emerges from my skin. It’s like nothing I’ve ever smelled before. This is quiet, rich and luxurious. The heliotrope deepens the leather at this point and adds just a tad more sweetness but the scent, as a whole, never becomes sweet. It’s actually somewhat “dry”. You’ll still catch whiffs of iris, spice, and leather at this point and this dance will continue for a while. The end is a powdery soft musky leather that becomes a second skin. On my skin, the iris note lingers a long time well into the dry down stage. I want my skin to smell like this all the time. Daim Blond has as many facets as a Tiffany diamond. It’s sexy and sophisticated and I’m in love.

Ah man, I love this one. FB worthy for sure! I got a travolo of it and have been savouring it, so lovely. When I put it on for the first time, I burst out laughing! It smell exactly like band-aids haha. Like the tan rubber and the glue. I thought it was interesting, funny and that I was going to use up my sample but not buy a bottle. This phase lasts for about 30min on me. Then, then I got to the middle and the dry down and they are amazing. The middle is quite similar to BV, at least the Suede note is but I find Daim Blonde is more "pretty" while BV is a little dark (only a little). The name Blonde Suede is really appropriate in my opinion. The dry down is up there as one of the most beautiful "your skin but better" scents I've ever come across. Everyone I've shown it to has liked it. Sadly I seem to be unable to describe WHY it's a beautiful skin scent (like what notes I'm getting and such). What I can do is give the perfume a personality: it would be the nice girl that looks all sweet and maybe a bit boring but turns out to have read 100's of books and have knowledge of the rare and interesting. Simple on the surface and beautifully complex underneath.

Opens with a plush blast of cardamon, apricot and something unknown to me which must (by a process of deduction) be Hawthorn. It's new to me and I breathed it in deeply, but it's so harsh it caused the back of my throat to constrict for a few minutes... an experience which has created some respect. When I stop gasping, I get a warm, peppery spice (no incense in the notes, but I get something resinous nonetheless) as well as that bracing must-be-Hawthorn note and a big hit of dry, powdery Iris and apricot. There's a plush suede note (osmanthus?) joined by heliotrope in a violet haze something like powdery violet-leaf which I love. As time passes I catch a whiff of warm leafiness which could be hay or could also be tobacco leaf; whatever the case, the dry-down is a sun-warmed, dry, plush concoction which radiates off my skin for hours. Lutens describes Daim Blond as "yellow as corn silk, as gold as the sun" & I do get a warm, summery atmosphere which feels comforting and luxurious. I'm about to dive deeply into this house. Distillation: attacked by Hawthorn but comforted by plush suede and spiced apricot

Daim Blond is such a beautiful leather fragrance. It's definitely suede and not smooth leather, but it's not too animalic. It's a warm scent, but it has some cooler powdery accents from the iris and also a sweet jammy fruit note from the apricot. Sometimes, especially in the beginning, I get a phantom violet note from the iris/fruit combination. I'm usually indifferent to powdery cold purple florals, but with the warm suede and the apricot, they work for me. In the drydown I also get a hint of woodiness. The apricot fades away, which is a bit sad to me as I love that note, but the fragrance stays very beautiful. I think this is more of a feminine leather scent at first sight. On the other hand, iris fragrances for men are popular right now and leather is generally considered masculine, so I guess this could be worn by all genders without any second thoughts. It's generally easy to wear and elegant for every occassion, as long as you like suede. Some users voted this as similar to Bottega Veneta EDP. I'm one of the few who don't like BV and luckily, Daim Blond is totally different to my nose.

Sweet, well-behaved, malleable leather; the suede is sophisticated and mild enough not to clash violently with anything, and the apricot is mellow and gently spicy, rather than being an overripe/rotting overbearing top note. To me this is utterly unisex and would be delicious on anyone. I get no medicinal or moldy notes at all; just sweet, gentle, agreeable soft suede. If you want really raunchy leather, this isn't it; if you want a wearable, slightly fruity leather at a lower price, then Fendi Leather Essence is not a million miles away. Daim Blond is not even the deepest or most complex or most delicious Lutens leather - to me that's Cuir Mauresque, which I'm dreaming of owning one day. But Daim Blond is genuinely lovely and somehow reassuring. I wear it on days when I need to feel snuggled, relaxed and wrapped in warmth. Sillage isn't huge, and drops off pretty sharply after the first hour or so; in terms of longevity it stays around 5hrs on my skin, which is longer than I was expecting - it's so gentle I thought it might disappear earlier.

I walked into the now defunct Barney’s (RIP) with the intention of buying a bottle of Loewe 001. While the associate went to get that bottle for me, the lady at the Serge Lutens counter had me smell Daim Blond and I went home with this bottle instead. Apricot and suede play SO well together. Fruity apricot hums in the background, and along with iris, softens the suede in a way that smells like sweetened skin salted by the sun. A unique and beautiful combination that feels velvety, creamy, and a little smokey. I used to wear this a lot (half of my 50ml), but it was never perceived by anyone around me so I stopped wearing it. I kind of forgot how good it was until I revisited my bottle now in 2025. Thankfully it’s still as beautiful as when I first bought it. Such a shame that a fragrance this exquisite will only be appreciated by yourself. I’m happy I was able to get a bottle while they offered it at a much more affordable 50ml size.

Daim Blond is so different, delicate, proud...It’s strange, but I did not like it first time I tested it. It seemed to have a lot of apricot in the composition and it was just too much for me... I nearly forgot about the sample until one sunny day I rediscovered this beauty and I couldn’t stop sniffing it any more. This is all about leather, but not this kind of leather as Cuir Mauresque for example. It’s not dark and heavy. It’s fresh and soft. It’s more similar to Bottega Veneta, but without oak moss and with more heliotrope. Attention! One drop is enough, the concentration is very high! And this one drop can envelope you for whole day into the fresh, soft, powdery aroma. The influence of this refined, elegant juice is wonderful – it makes me to walk with the straight back, to speak slowly and even reminds me to not raise my voice at my kids... how nice! It makes me behave more politely...

This is exactly what I was hoping for based on that enticing pyramid of notes: a lovely combination of (above all) suede and apricots. The suede is very smooth and dry, a bit dusty. That pleasantly rigid vibe is on the one hand enhanced by the slight spiciness from the cardamom and the somewhat sharp iris, and on the other hand contrasted by the jamminess and subtle sweetness of the apricot. The result is a wonderfully velvety and even creamy smooth scent that blends together very well, while not losing the separate charm of the different notes. Very well done, as can be expected from Serge Lutens, with average sillage and longevity. It's the kind of unisex fragrance that can turn out very feminine on the right person, I think. So this is going straight on my wish list; I want to get a bigger amount as soon as possible, since it's so perfect for the current season of fall.

A glorious lady she gets compliments galore, A beautiful suede,she'll make you want more. An apricot edge that sweetens and teases, A powdery iris that pleases and pleases. A little bit musky,she enhances the air, Your friends will definately want you to share. So versatile, she'll bring you lots of attention, I've never worn another that so many have mentioned. Seriously, this is very special juice for me. It's one of those that could have been custom made for my skin.It's virtually seasonless and even though it's not strong, it's sure. This'll last a good 12 hours plus on me and I've never, ever gotten as many compliments on another perfume. Perfect strangers will stop me and ask what I'm wearing. The best part is that I love it too. Daim Blond can be worn with jeans or a business suit and everything in between A personal classic......

Reminds me of the shoe sections at Barney's. It must be the high-quality leather and suede. A lovely, soft, newly-made luxury product kind of suede. I adore it, but do feel that it seems plasticky or some kind of synthetic -- not a synthetic fruit, but a synthetic interpretation of a high-quality leather/suede mixed with shoe-glue maybe. It feels upscale, expensive, refined, but not human at all, and definitely not sexy. If there were a beautiful, sophisticated robot in the room, she would be wearing this. :-) (Edit to add the dry-down): The luxurious soft leather/suede note is far away and only a hint. The apricot note has gotten stronger, but not at all sweeter (which I'm relieved about). I like my dry-downs to feel more "lived-in" at least, if not slightly dirtier than the opening. Clean smooth and lovely, nonetheless.

Diam Blond is such a beautiful perfume! The opening is strong waxy Iris with lots of cardamom. It reminds me of Kenzo jungle elephant but lighter and with Iris added. I'm a sucker for Iris! Soon this changes into a candied violet scent paired with fruit, apricots and suede. At this point the cardamom has dissipated and the similarities to Kenzo are gone. At the last stage of the perfume it has become a musky iris And occasionally I get whiffs of cardamom. I find this perfume unique and delicious. It is warm and cozy. Sillage starts off strong but within 10 min. It calms into close to the skin but still noticeable to people close to me. Longevity is about 4 hours. I wish it lasted longer on my skin but I'm happy to reapply. It's one of the most beautiful iris perfumes I've tried. I love it.

One of the things I love about this site is the way it re-educates you. If I were ever forced to chose only one "personal signature" fragrance from the vast Serge Lutens offering, it would almost certainly be Daim Blond. It was first given to me as a gift by my partner. I don't love it BECAUSE my partner gave it to me, but because in giving this perfect fragrance to me, I know why he is my partner. But, back to the learning. Leather, musky... certainly I know these are notes I like. But "powdery", "floral" or "fruity"? These are qualities I seldom associate with myself. And maybe that's why this is exactly the perfect scent for me. When I want to feel comfort, my own strength or simply taken out of myself, this is always a go-to option.

As a chypre lover I supposed to like the leather note in perfumes and I can say wearing Daim Blond I tend to like it. (I'm already in love with Visa and L'Arte de Gucci which have leather among the basenotes.) Daim Blond comes off with an apricot jam smell, the home-made apricot jam my mother used to conserve every year. As the leather arrives it brings along some smokiness. This leather is not that raw dry dirty mainly masculin monster but a truly feminine gentle fairy. Rather suide than leather. A pair of suide gloves. The spotted back of a fawn. The smoky sweetness remains in the end and turns into a cozy chypre with obvious musk underlining it. Highly recommended as an entrance into the world of leather fragrances.

Incredible Parfum !!! Right from the start. Refined, Dear, Lovable, Wonderful! For me, it was love, so much that I could not stop sniffing my wrist :). Truly a masterpiece of the house of Serge Lutens (is the first fragrance that I had the honor to hear Lutens). Beautiful in the drydown become "dusty", velvety, soft and fantastic! I would really recommend this perfume. I think I'll use it for the colder months (especially autumn). The notes come together in perfect harmony with each other .. especially apricot-suede, is a perfect combination for me in this composition! They are also the two notes that stand out more from start to finish ... Pure magic! * Sillage: 6/10 Longevity: 8/10 Scent: 10/10 Overall: 10/10

This is going to be my next full size purchase. I'm totally in love. It's soft, creamy, powdery and a dream of how I wished my natural body scent was. The longevity is just awesome on me. I can still sniff it the day after I applied it. The silage is nice and I just need a little to feel gorgeous. I don't want to buy anything beautiful, luxurious and expensive and just have it vanished. This going to be a very wise investment and my new warm comforting and sensual go to perfume for winter. (Other perfumes I used on daily basis are Bandit/Piquet, Infusion de Iris EDP/ Prada and Untitled/Margiela. I plan also to shop Chanel 19 edt, Dior Homme in full size for your reference. I'm a iris, musk and woody lover.)