Dent de Lait

I recall that in my childhood home, we had powder blue porcelain in our bathroom, including our bathtub. My Mom would give me bubble baths using the Avon Bubble Bath with its distinct rounded, bubble-edged bottles. We'd either have fresh green or soft pink, and I recall their overall scent and the texture, and man, did they really suds up the tub, perfect for pretending there were glaciers for my toy tugboat to navigate through gallantly. Mom also would use Revlon Aquamarine, and I remember I actually made a little song out of it while taking a bath, "Aquamarine...silly jean...aquamarine you're so clean." Dent de Lait, with its peculiar yet alluring aldehydic yet lactonic feel, takes me back to the overall sensory experience of bath time as a kid (sorry Mr. Sheldrake, it doesn't evoke memories of losing a baby tooth). I perceive what I believe to be Adoxal in the top notes: somewhat rosy, aqueous, metallic, reminiscent of fresh linen. Of course I could be wrong, but I am convinced it was used, and this is the first time I've encountered it where I actually love its use (unlike Byredo M/Mink, which is a bit terrifying). This is accompanied by a silvery mauve sensation of heliotrope that grows milkier and rounder into the heart, softened with a marzipan. A cool, but not cold atmosphere, contrasting with the milk of human kindness; after all, we are bathing in a warm tub! There are undertones of incense and minerals—the treble of olibanum not yet ignited, without any of its ambery, resinous hues. The heliotrope grows more powdery and soapy, soothing like a soft towel after one's bath. It's pajama time, off to bed, and a comforting blanket clean and tucked in. In the dry down, Dent de Lait wishes sweet dreams to you and your teddy bear.

I would have preferred to test Dent de Lait before reading its press release, different reviews and comments; even before knowing its name... The prejudice is like a vile revenge that is hard to get rid of and opinions referring to metallic notes and to the smell of blood unfortunately had done their job. Fortunately I tested it and my opinion based only on the comments of others ended up in the bin. I smelled the mouillette and my wrist where I had sprayed the perfume and I’ll tell you – Dent de Lait is a beautiful perfume. It is clean and musky, slightly sour in the opening, but lays in tender powdery base, like a touch of baby’s skin. The metallic notes listed are nothing else than sparkling aldehydes, not heavy or soapy, but fresh and frizzy. There is nothing salty that could conduct to the idea of blood. Whole composition bases on soft cloud of almonds, heliotrope and white musk. The name – Dent de Lait - is metaphorical inviting us to reflect on our childhood, on the loss of innocence and the awareness acquired over the years. Serge says: “It’s like a wolf who passes from the taste of milk to the taste of blood”. We lose our teeth and we lose our childhood. By child we all dream to grow up faster, but growing up hurts, awareness hurts, being an adult hurts. And this contrast between milky powdery innocence and bitter shade of consciousness is presented in this wonderful fragrance created by Christopher Sheldrake and Serge Lutens. The only thing I feel pity about is the new packaging - 100ml - it's just ugly for me.

a pearled marble trinket dish filled with cotton. hugging scraped knees in a milkbath. tears trailing down buccal pillows. grey, periwinkle, white. neurotic in a bathroom. hunched over the sink in silent tête-à-tête with a burnished mirror's reflection, cursing the likeness with a busted lip and swollen gums. the sterility of cold ivory tiles. lace curtains cascading with glum clouds behind. lukewarm water. initially bleachy and chlorinic, this soon gives way to heliotropic powder and creamy almonds providing a semi-sweet lactonic base: milk candies and blood stains. there is a metallic undercurrent of sterile, cold stainless steel, as opposed to dingy orange rust a la 'secretions magnifiques.' a tinge of blood, faint and human, not unnerving, like being nicked by a razorblade in the tub as fanciful frothy hotel soap sting the wounds, watching red clouds form in bathwater. forlorn memories of bleached porcelain, riz au lait, the four humors, and suds. have you ever cried sitting at the bottom of a shower as minimal synth played from a phone speaker? cold, soapy, metallic, soft. songs for dent de lait: dream for your bathwater by terror bird, tenderface by victrola, everybody's night by deux, doctors + nurses by earth's epitaph.

This is a masterpiece, albeit a strange one. This is aldehydes like I have never smelled before. Extremely clean and soapy and very pleasant- yet sharp and out of place in a perfume bottle. I spray this on my bed and clothes and my home smells AMAZING – like walking into a very clean home – and I feel like I am cheating at cleaning. On the skin, this is not for the weak- think Byredo Blanche but 10x the intensity, with more floral projection. I think people who say this smells like blood or milk are taking the literal translation a bit too far- baby teeth or milk teeth is not what this actually smells like- but it is a moment in time for the perfumer of his childhood spaces (hence baby teeth). For any of us who grew up in another country- this is that same nostalgia- that sharp soap, the coldness of clean concrete floors mopped with some ungodly oil to make them shine, clothes handwashed in sharp soap and left out to dry in the summer. I believe this is discontinued so you should try to get your hands on it- I will be honest I did not understand it at first, but after wearing it a few times I absolutely love it- I crave smelling it as I have never smelled anything like it.

I got this perfume back in 2022 as a gift to myself for making it through the winter. I read many a review suggesting that it was bloody and strange and that pretty much sold it for me. I recall that on my first spray, I wasn't super impressed - I wanted to smell more metallic and threatening. This perfume was powdery and clean smelling in a really strange way and I didn't know how to feel about it. What I was looking for was something that reeked of malevolence, suggestive of my very real ability to rend flesh from bone (which is a regular part of my job). Initially I got impressions of an intense cleanness and innocence - it was soft and lovely without cutesy sugary notes. However, it's grown on me. That "clean" note is fresh and soft, with just the tiniest bit of metal if you really concentrate on it. It's almost as if you've been bleeding, and just took the time to wash up with a delightful white bar of a fine hotel soap. While it is lowkey and wearable, there is indeed a note of that malevolence I sought within this scent. Despite its simplicity, it's made a huge impression on me.