Dans Le Bleu Qui Pétille

There is an old church that sits on a coastal hill by the Aegean seaside. How active the church continues to be in the continuously dwindling community is not particularly clear. You're there for hours but the presence of people simply isn't felt. But it still has a clerical caretaker who seems to keep a thurible filled and slowly, lightly smoldering with frankincense. Fragrant scrub brush surrounds the church and the hillside property, overgrown and wild, a sign the parish is struggling to maintain itself. Thick, warm, salty, sea air frequently rides on the strong breezes, lifting the oils of the fragrant brush into the air and weaving through the open lancet windows of the church to coalesce with the frankincense tendrils wafting around the open stone space. In the dry down of the perfume the heat of the Mediterranean and the punishing sea air have cooled and relented, as if you're on this coastal hill after dusk when the flora and the soil more comfortably let their aromas into the air and the frankincense in the thurible grows cold. This is one of the most striking Serge Lutens releases in the decade leading up to its release, and achingly beautiful in my opinion. It shouldn't work: salty ozonic notes, incense, heavily parched wood that smells almost powdery from decades of battering by seawater air, fragrant grasses, and earthy and stoney soils. I struggle to think of another perfume that attempts this presentation, little alone one that actually pulls it off without the notes being grating, disparate, and/or incohesive. In the Sparkling Blue nothing is out of place or poorly juxtaposed. What a great name, as well. The feeling of being by the sparkling sapphire blue waters of the Aegean is real in my mind's eye, and, here, it's a spiritual, contemplative, tranquil, and almost mystical experience. This is a very nice return to form for Lutens, something quite new and unique, and composed with a clear vision and a lot of technical care. It might be quite a long time before I can or simply do, but there will always be a desire to return to this beautiful little church by the sea.

Dans Le Bleu Qui Pétille by Serge Lutens is a deeply evocative and atmospheric aquatic amber that feels more like a place than a perfume. It doesn’t transport you to the beach, but to the cliffs above the sea, where the wind carries salt and incense from somewhere far below. The ocean is present, but distant — sensed through air and memory rather than waves and sand. From the opening, incense and amber dominate, forming a heavy, dusty core that feels ancient, dry, and contemplative. At the heart of the composition sits an old, parched amber, sun-bleached and powdery, as if it has absorbed decades of sea air. Salty ozonic notes weave through bitter herbal accents and a soft restrained sweetness. Dry driftwood plays a major role here — pale, bleached, and worn smooth by time, smelling almost mineral rather than woody. Alongside it are fragrant sea grasses, salty algae, and earthy, stony soils that ground the scent in something raw and elemental. The incense is somber, cool, and immaculately clean, merging seamlessly with the salt air and weathered woods. While many describe this as a “church by the sea,” it feels older and more mystical than that — closer to a forgotten coastal temple or a lost Atlantean ruin, quietly humming with ancient energy. There is a spiritual stillness to it, tranquil and introspective, almost meditative. Dans Le Bleu Qui Pétille recalls the inky, oceanic depth of Zoologist Squid, but with a more restrained and casually wearable approach. Where Squid is bold and extroverted, this fragrance is quiet and inward-looking. Within the Serge Lutens universe, it bridges the cold, detached incense of L’Orpheline with the dusty warmth of Ambre Sultan, replacing spices with driftwood and salty sea wind. The result is a masterpiece that merges classic Lutens DNA with a modern, mineral-clean serenity.

This is a cool incense focused scent. Literally and figuratively speaking! Cannot say I have smelled anything remotely similar to Dans la Bleu Qui Petille so far... With that being said, I love it. Intriguing and different from the norm.. It’s a very unique perfume with a very distinctive approach to incense and driftwood. The two notes that stand out to me most from the notes listed. These are the notes I usually love: incense for fall and winter scents and driftwood for summer time perfumes so I thought that they would pair nicely together. Which is the case luckily cause I have blind bought Dans la Bleu Qui Petille and I am not disappointed. It’s incredibly well balanced between incense, marine, salt, green, aquatic, woody, piney, aromatic, spicy nuances. It is a bit of an unusual perfume for sure and at this point in my collecting journey, I love that about a fragrance! And in Serge Luten’s true fashion, it’s strong, long lasting and lingers nicely especially if sprayed on fabrics! Plan to wear it during beach days to see how people around me react to it! Will report back... If you want a unique marine/incense scent with depth but that smells clean and moderate performance it’s ok for you, give this a go. Can be found online for less than half price off, which is comparable price wise with Middle Eastern perfumes prices. And for that price you get Serge Lutens quality and creativity with this one! Why nobody pays attention to Serge Lutens perfumes these days is beyond me... Unisex to masculine. Love wearing it though!

Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta in Positano, Italy. Duomo di Amalfi in Amalfi, Italy. Church by the seaside—quickly sneak in, in your swim shorts, undetected in the evening to escape from the fall's chilly sea breeze after an afternoon of swimming and tanning at Spiaggia Grande—without having showered! Crystallised sea salt in your sea breeze dried clumpy hair, on your face, exposed calves and arms mixed with incense smell in the church. A church orchestra is practising on the left side of the nave. Go down on your knees, shut your eyes and pretend to be deep in prayer to prevent being asked to leave in your inappropriate attire. Disregard the puzzled look from the curious stranger. That's how bizarre and evocative this fragrance is for me. I shall wear it to those locations the next time, in swim shorts again. Wish me luck I won't be booted out—I shall smell both church and seaside appropriate this time. Wearing swim shorts to an old catholic church right after a swim at the seaside—that's like this attempting of a Picasso in perfumery. And goodness! It worked rather brilliantly here. (This fragrance would be absolutely brilliant and irresistible if the sweetness is dialed down further or removed entirely to make it even more ascetic, perhaps finally giving it the attention it deserves from the niche perfume lovers. It's now about right in the middle between niche and designer, due to the slightly sweet marine accord).

Incredibly unique, innovative and unusual perfume. It takes you on a journey to a seashore, walking between stones, sand, swimming in salty water, surrounded by odors of light incense. It feels very light beige and bright light blue. It is sometimes punchy, sweet, salty, windy, chilly yet also warm. It makes me both serene and slightly alert. You are floating in the water, but remember you are surrounded by nature and how wild and unpredictable it can become. It's not trying to be likable, rather it is a full landscape of smells and location, including some unusual notes, which surprise you almost make you feel like being blinded by the sun, but only make this more interesting and enjoyable. The quality is out of this world. It also reminds me of those high quality Japanese incense, that have a clean amber smell. I've never received so many compliments before, this perfume receives positive comments constantly. Edit... It's raining today, and the smell of rainy wind reminds me so much of Dans Le Bleu Qui Pétille. In many ways it's a rain storm. Possibly by the sea. Taking shelter from the rain in an old building by the sea. ***For prefect layering duo, adding a bit of Avignon makes this insane***

To me this is a churchy incense that shares the central stage with a salty, breezy marine accord. It's sure to raise some eyebrows but it's a very neat, very Serge Lutens way of doing an aquatic. It's very light and transparent, sparkling, like salt that has dried on your skin, sun bleached driftwood, seaweed, sand, but it's not particularly energetic. It does away with the tropes of clean, sporty, citrusy, melony/cucumber-y, turn of the millennium aquatics and veers off in a completely different, wonderfully bizarre direction. The incense note is just as important, its mineralic, citrusy qualities add a lot of texture to the marine accord, and it takes you on a meditative, demure, and somewhat melancholic journey that, at least for me, perfectly depicts the feeling of spending time alone on a beach during sunset. You could rename it to "Romanticizing Your Melancholic Solitude - The Perfume". Serge Lutens is really good at evoking this type of imagery, and while Dans Le Bleu Qui Pétille isn't a typical Serge, it's no exception to that rule whatsoever. It's truly special in that regard. It's also deceptively potent and long lasting.

Olibanum and myhr on the hot coal. You walking with the incensery on the beach, a bit of dead algea. The coriander gives a vintage style. The First smell was me in the church. Its the incense with the smell of the burnt candels, the coriander makes It smell like an eucaresty. Its not the straight up frankincense used in funerals like reliqvia by Sorcinelli. Here its more ambre Sultan and the thalasso therapy/dark Sea algea vibe. Splendid fragrance. I find marine fragrance boring and monotonous but this mix two of element that i love, Is perfect. The drift wood gives a Woody powdery oldhouse smell. 10/10 smell fresh and Smoky, alge and incense 7/10 longevity not more than 8 hour. 8/10 sillage, with one spray on One arm of my sister It projects to One arm lenght when in motion, not more than 2 hours.(the arm was covered by the sleeve) Im testing projection on my mom with four spray on the neck. She lovers It more than me. Gonna write about projection in future Blind buy safe if you like marine and incense

A seaside incense, the plumes from olibanum tears mingling with the salty air of the ocean. The window opens to the waves ebbing and flowing, curtains dance, the glint of small precious minerals, droning, meditative music plays. When I smell this, I sense warm wood like that of a sauna, glistening tide pools, the tiniest hint of starfish and sea urchins, an echinoderm accord?? The generous olibanum, as it settles, is reminiscent of scrub pines under the sun, trees that prefer sandy soils, and I ponder all these unusual plants that call the dunes home, among sun-blanched, sea-tossed old wood and wayward sea vegetation. The suggestion of ocean water is so believable amongst this frankincense; it's an ingenious pairing. I would have thought they were like chalk and cheese, but on the contrary, there is a startling harmony. So weird and wonderful, so evocative. This is one of the best from Serge Lutens in years and a favorite release from 2022.

Another incredible creation by the house of Serge Lutens. Musty, smoky opening, developing into sweet, but still spicey cardamom and wet green sensations from the algae note, with the smoke still lingering in the background. It's a remarkable combination of notes that works unexpectedly well and have i wouldn't go as far as to say a "unique" scent profile, but it is definitely far off the beaten path. I can't call this a "fresh" scent, but it is still light and uplifting, and surprisingly long lasting, albeit not with greatest projection. No information about who is the nose behind this, but i can only congratulate him/her on creating another staple for an already renowned house. The only thing that bothers me is this new style bottles that are apparently refillable - the cap fits so snugly, that when pulling it off it will sometimes start unscrewing the atomizer from the bottle, which is quite annoying.

This one is an experience indeed! At first whiff, right after applying, I regretted it. I expected it to be salty and marine, satisfyingly fishy, but instead it hit me with strong Lutens-esque amber incense. The opening was so strong that for a second I even wondered if there's any civet in it. But I let it sit for a few brief minutes, and my oh my did it become all I initially expected and more! I just made a fire by the sea out of seaweed covered and seawater soaked shipwreck wood. I'm a mermaid. The evil kind. Wow, Lutens sure does not disappoint! But if you're like the previous commenter and are going to blind buy it based on reviews, keep in mind that it's genuinely a weird scent that will be more appealing to those who generally appreciate the creations of this perfume house. Please test it before buying.

A revitalizing plunge into a small rocky cove on the Mediterranean coast, where your lungs can fill with the intense briny aroma wafting from the rocks. You return to the shore and lie down, allowing the cool breeze to dry the last drops of water from your skin. Suddenly, the wind changes direction, ceasing to blow from the sea. It now comes from the land, descending from a nearby high cliff. At the top of this promontory rests a small, ancient sanctuary, where a ceremony has just concluded. A mystical aura of incense emanates from its crevices, radiating through the atmosphere and suspending it in both space and time. The wind carries this cold and warm smell to the cove where you lie, purifying your spirit as you gaze at the blue, boundless horizon beyond which the sun has already disappeared.

@alphairone: completely agree!!! This fragrance is a complete experience on its own, a holistic rather than reductionist take on the sea accord. I can also detect the very subtle starfish/sea urchin accord you have mentioned! It's an artistic and impressionistic take on it, and I don't suppose they actually steam distill or chemically extract the essential oils of starfishes and sea urchins for this perfume. There is something salty, mineralistic, bitter, iodine-like and almost fishy lurking in there that isn't ambergris which is waxy and more texturally and olfactively distinct. This is something harder, more calcified and nuanced in character. An echinoderm accord will be appropriate and more subtle I would imagine! Very masterful perfumer Sheldrake is.

I absolutely love this. Marine, yet balsamic, very soothing yet uplifting and sparkling. To put it simply, for those who will get the comparison, this smells straight up nearly 1:1 with Algemarin brand foaming bath from way back when. I kid you not. It's nearly identical, except obviously this smells much smoother and less soapy but it's stupidly close. So if you like that foaming bath, you can buy this blindly and thank me later. I see Zoologist's Squid in the similar list but I don't agree, Squid is much more ambery and sweet whereas Dans le Bleu is balsamic, not ambery. Nonetheless, this trilogy of "Matins" from Lutens is fantastic and Dans le bleu qui pétille (literally "Into the Sparkling Blue") is by far my favorite.

This is unlike anything i've smelt before. Mind you, I haven't been in the fragrance game for very long (about a year now), but this is still such an interesting scent to me. It's quite hard to describe, but it's fresh whilst having a smokey/incense-y accord... this is what i'd imagine a dark cave at the bottom of the ocean would smell like. I definitely pick up lots minerals as well, making the fragrance sparkle, for the lack of a better word (hence the word 'pétille' in the name). This is a really unique fragrance, unlike some other summer freshies out there, that just smell completely redundant to me. Love it!

This is gorgeous and evocative in that Serge Lutens way. I got a sample and immediately bought a full bottle (super reasonably priced on FragranceNet) after the first time I tried it. I don't know where some people are getting the "fishy" component--to me, this is primarily ambery and incense-y with a substantial undertone of clean, mineral freshness. I read someone describe it as the Serge Lutens version of ambergris, and I think that's accurate (I also agree with all the people talking about it smelling like burning incense on/near the beach). I've never smelled anything like it.

There are two incredible facets of musk at play here. One that is freshly showered and dripping wet, and another that is dirty from a hard days work. Someone who didn’t shower very thoroughly. It’s so alluring. So human. This would make a head turning daily driver, my god. Its a fairly photorealistic piece of drift wood. Soaked through with mineralic sea water and left upon cold windy shores. The musks are what make this a skin scent though. I’ve always said I’m not big on freshies or aquatics but I may not be able to claim that much longer with my current line up.

This is indescribably beautiful. Many describe it as dark. For me, this is a soft touch. Shaved driftwood- in its driest, palest, most sunbaked form; extremely realistic coriander or even cardamon seed, and feather light olibanum smoke. Occasionally I get something floral. For me only peripherally marine. Extremely clean feeling. The dry down is a lovely powdery patchouli. Very powdery on me. The most striking facet being what I consider a perfect rendition of dry driftwood. Gentle, comforting, transcendent and completely unisex. Adore.

This is a beautiful marine fragrance that somehow turns praline-like on my skin in the most magical way. It’s salty and misty, but there's also something unexpectedly soft about it, as if the sea itself is offering a seductive gift, almost like a siren’s song echoing through the waves. Imagine leaving behind the monotony of life on land just for a moment and diving deep into the ocean’s abyss, where everything is still, and you and your thoughts become one with the sea. That’s what this scent smells like to me.

Briny seaweed incense. More murky than sunny. I'm impressed on first sniff. Smells like an ambergris/coriander tincture. Settles into some added mossy smoke. I can say with confidence that this is a must have for fans of Serge. It's basically his ambergris accord. I must warn that it has some raunchy stank. It's like what I imagine antiseptic agents fighting and winning a battle with decomposition might smell like. Maybe a faint reminder of biology class. Just be wary when burying your nose in it. Lol

It finally hit me. This reminds me of an algae bloom. Similar to the smell of a red tide. Salty murky funk. During these tides death washes ashore leaving some extra funk in the air. This doesn't come with the irritated eyes and lungs. Maybe it's the first sunny day after the bloom passes. I really enjoy it. It keeps getting better also. The juice is turning darker light blue