Jeux de Peau

Jeux de Peau from Serge Lutens, composed by Christopher Sheldrake. Undisputedly my all-time favorite gourmand perfume. Not a fragrance family I gravitate toward, but there is a handful of them that manage to offer that savory/gourmand olfactory experience while remaining mature, cleverly done, sophisticated, unique, and complex enough so I never get bored wearing them, or should I say, get a sugar crash. This one goes far beyond the savory theme rendered so well that I will go to say that is the most complex Serge Lutens perfume on my skin, and I have tried and owned almost all. Linearity is a foreign concept here. This brings me to the name itself, which in French means "skin games." I often questioned the choice of words, thinking of a plethora of more suitable titles, yet now I see how the pun was placed and agree that it is an aptly chosen name. The major theme of the perfume is the smell inside of a French Boulangerie, aka Bakery. Think of freshly baked bread and warm croissants. And it spans further to wheat, flour, yeast, butter, and warm milk. All of that is encompassed in this composition and rendered to perfection. The aroma of barley and bread is among my favorites. I don't eat a lot, but I sure love the smell. I searched high and low, sampled many compositions that promised to deliver that olfactory experience, and stopped at Jeux de Peau. Not only does it present that "vision" accurately, but somehow stretches that accord throughout the life of the perfume such that it never loses its identity but builds on it and adds intricate nuances. As mentioned, this perfume offers a slightly different experience of my skin each time and seems to depend on how much I apply or my body temperature. Smelling it close or in the air will also unveil slightly different facets. I like to term this type of olfactory structure as "prismatic" or "in spades," where the structure, or the main thread, is consistent, but different nuances emerge under certain conditions and at different times without a set progression. As opposed to the classical top-heart-base linear build and evolution. Consequently, Jeaux de Peau is constantly playing games on my skin. It feels like having breakfast in the same bakery shop every morning, yet each day the game of flavors and circumstances are slightly different. The bread/barley accord dominates. It is the canvas that Sheldrake built and on which he strikes various elements at different times. The opening is a tour-de-force in terms of facets unveiled simultaneously. I pick up the anise, even some artemisia that calls back Douce Amère, a delightfully savory and crispy saltiness, and faint herbal nuances. Shortly after, the bread accord holds its ground for a while with only the salty facet playing along, in crescendo, at times. Later, the soft herbaceous elements get through with the everlasting flower and the fruity osmanthus. Then, it transitions from bread and butter (main course) to the dessert served as croissants with apricot jam and steaming warm milk on the side. I love the way Osmanthus announces the apricot accord, in an almost logical fashion, just as the buttery texture introduces the milky one later. The latter makes me think of Dries van Noten from Frederic Malle and how the milk acord is showcased there through a heavy use of Sulfurol. It makes me wonder if Sheldrake decided to opt for a similar material in this case, however, it feels more poised and carefully dosed to the point where the "meaty" and "nutty" qualities are omitted. Finally, the sandalwood base becomes ever more tangible as the hours go by, and still, I would never think of it as a woody, let alone sandalwood perfume. The material is put to great use but never claims its presence with enough authority. It feels like the tabletop or the wooden cutting boards were made of it but no more than that. One last thing I want to mention is that the sweetness never feels overbearing, jovial, or excessive, as some have mentioned. I believe the perfume is brilliantly balanced and that the herbaceous, and most importantly, the salty facets, help to keep the sweetness in check at all times. I would say it feels more savory than sweet. Therefore, people who don't like their perfumes excessively sweet (I sure don't) should still sample Jeux de Peau. Especially if you enjoy the smell of wheat/bread, the idea of smelling like a Boulangerie, or just curious to try something utterly unique and evocative that bears all the trademarks of why this house is donned by many as the "parent of niche perfumery" as it came to be. IG:@memory.of.scents

It seems everyone has a personal story with Jeux de Peau, and I'm sorry to say that I am no different! For years, I tiptoed around acquiring a sample, I found the price to be outrageous, honestly. But, something eventually brought me to my knees and I purchased a decant along with three other Lutenses. I was originally drawn to the decadent notes pyramid, but over time I even became obsessed with the satisfying gradient on the "main accords" section. These colors pleased me to no end. When the envelope arrived, I was about a week out from my trip to San Antonio. I was split between pursuing different art forms and I told myself, "by the time I get back from Texas, I'll know what I want to do next." It's by no surprise that the second I stepped on my first layover flight that I knew what I wanted to do. Anyways, around 11:00 that night I rolled into bed at the airbnb, tired from a day of travel, with Jeux de Peau all over my zip up from my local brewery. So Jeux de Peau reminds me of a lot of things. It reminds me of when I fell in love with music, when I found Emmylou Harris, and when I first played my classical guitar and never wanted to put it down. It reminds me of the violet color of twilight Texas skies, the warm and dry April breeze, and the type of zen only achieved during flying at night. It opens with pulpy milk and dries down to an almost savory sandalwood. Upon first spray, it does give the impression of wheat in its golden and tall form, mixed in a giant pot of milk, doughy and starchy. Shortly after, spices trickle in and permeate the recipe, the bakers are mixing all the dry ingredients in. The final stage is nothing less than perfection. A dawn's rays on your face, a warm hug from someone you've missed for so long, and an excuse to wear the sunflower-yellow dress in your closet. Smelling this on your skin, your jacket, your blouse is heavenly. The various loaves and pastries of this batch are cooling on the counter, angelic choir overhead. I can't forget about Jeux de Peau and at this point, I'll be mumbling it when I'm old and can no longer find the right words. It is so special to me and one day that bell jar will be mine, resting next to my guitar picks and capo. I will dab it on my wrists and collar before meeting those I love and before letting my voice be heard in a major key. I would walk all the way from Boulder to Birmingham... you get it.

An amazingly three dimensional fragrance, Jeux de Peau is laitonic, coumarin-creamy, coconutty and unlike anything I've ever experienced - a full-bodied gourmand sensory overload: it smells intoxicating, delectable and delicious with a warm, woody foundation - I think what fascinates me about this is it delights the senses - all of them, especially taste and smell. Tantalising. Almost edible. Serge Lutens is famous for niche quality natural ingredients and Jeux de Peau is a prime example - it smells vividly natural and realistic. First got this about five years ago, and really liked it so I started carrying a 12ml travel spray so I could reapply as desired. While working on a film set up the coast it leaked absolutely everywhere so for the next three days it was all I could smell. In addition to indelibly imprinting Jeux de Peau on my mind - so much so that just thinking of it makes my mouth water - the effect on other people was remarkable - I've never had such an overwhelmingly positive response from so many different people. Bit confused by the name "Jeux de peau" which literally translated is "skin games" or "leather games" - and could be an allusion to the "Jeu de Paume". which refers to both the traditional game of tennis as played by the kings of France, where it was played (a royal tennis court) as well as to a contemporary venue in the Tuileries where tennis was once played. Considering how utterly intoxicating this is, perhaps the "skin games" in question are the intimate kind. Jeux de Peau is extremely, deliciously, sexy and so unique it transcends the conventions of traditional gender-based perfumery. Whatever it means, it is an exquisitely beautiful fragrance that is a real pleasure for the wearer and for everyone around them.

This is one of my favorite sexy-comforting scents. I pulled it out yesterday as temps in Cali are starting to normalize for "fall" here. And while we're not yet into sweater-weather I can see it coming! In Jeux de Peau, notes are blended harmoniously and the woodsy-smooth sandalwood with buttery and toasted aspects of wheat, apricot and osthmanthus are perfect in these more moderate temps. At first spritz there is a butter-popcorn, warm toast impression lasting several minutes but the heart transitions into buttery sandalwood with a bit of a bite. It enhances the wood aspects of the sandalwood smoothing and amplifying them at the same time. This perfume works well in heat, with sandalwood and osthmanthus creating a lighter clean and fruited aspect. Spice notes, while present do not turn it into a Shalimar or Coco. There's just a nice, low key thrum. On skin JdP becomes a somewhat sweet--but not overly gourmand scent--and never veers into fruity-licious or honey-sweet saccharine despite imortelle adding a dollop of bitter maple syrup. It's brightened with the osthmanthus's sunny lift to the apricot and imortelle and wards away cloying aspects. This could easily become a signature scent, and I think is fairly unisex, possibly a slight lean to the "more feminine" but the sandalwood is grounding for all. The overall effect is: sun-warmed skin, radiating a golden light, and skin, and when you hug someone that is simultaneously sexy (sandalwood and apricot/osthmanthus) and comforting (milk, wheat, imortelle) if that makes sense. It is the perfect fall-into-winter scent, extending languorous sunnier days while watching leaves turn and blow. I highly recommend. I have a back-up to my back-up, so if someone is interested in a bottle pm me.

This is one of my favorite sexy-comforting scents. I pulled it out yesterday as temps in Cali are starting to normalize for "fall" here. And while we're not yet into sweater-weather I can see it coming! In Jeux de Peau, notes are blended harmoniously and the woodsy-smooth sandalwood with buttery and toasted aspects of wheat, apricot and osthmanthus are perfect in these more moderate temps. At first spritz there is a butter-popcorn, warm toast impression lasting several minutes but the heart transitions into buttery sandalwood with a bit of a bite. It enhances the wood aspects of the sandalwood smoothing and amplifying them at the same time. This perfume works well in heat, with sandalwood and osthmanthus creating a lighter clean and fruited aspect. Spice notes, while present do not turn it into a Shalimar or Coco. There's just a nice, low key thrum. On skin JdP becomes a somewhat sweet--but not overly gourmand scent--and never veers into fruity-licious or honey-sweet saccharine despite imortelle adding a dollop of bitter maple syrup. It's brightened with the osthmanthus's sunny lift to the apricot and imortelle and wards away cloying aspects. This could easily become a signature scent, and I think is fairly unisex, possibly a slight lean to the "more feminine" but the sandalwood is grounding for all. The overall effect is: sun-warmed skin, radiating a golden light, and when you hug someone that is simultaneously sexy (sandalwood and apricot/osthmanthus) and comforting (milk, wheat, imortelle) if that makes sense. It is the perfect fall-into-winter scent, extending languorous sunnier days while watching leaves turn and blow. I highly recommend. I have a back-up to my back-up, so if someone is interested in a bottle pm me.