La Couche du Diable

"How can one attend the coronation of Satan without ever once having tasted sin? Oud and labdanum come together to create a diabolical and sumptuous veil of indulgence and remorse for a first transgression." is how the Lutens website describes La Couche du Diable, a name that, quite aptly, translates to "The Devil's Bedsheets" If ever any of the hyperbole used in the marketing of fragrances was true, it would be here. And if sin had a scent, it would be this. So much so, in fact, that I was, and am, compelled to remark that the 7 deadly sins were bottled Christopher Sheldrake in this scent. And be warned, it truly is a devilish delight, but absolutely not for the faint of heart, or the novice nose. And embody them, it does. Pride; Wearing this fragrance brings about a change in the way one carries themselves, almost unconsciously. One smells regal, untouchable and proud. Almost as if "above" those around them. Greed; A spray, perhaps two, but no more. Every drop, something precious and rare, not for mere mortals, but only for those that have dined with Lucifer in the fires of hades. Envy; An abstract thought, and perhaps one difficult to articulate, but the feeling evoked whilst wearing this, is one that is missed in a manner almost cruel after the fact, as if the person adorned by this fragrance is another version of the self, unbothered by the opinions of the crowd, instead choosing to care only about luxury and indulgence. And it is that feeling that one is envious of. Gluttony; The fragrance itself is gluttonous in the extreme, filled with precious material, every waft a rich, warm and opulent aroma, the distinct smells of luxury moving through it. Wrath; As the color suggests, this fragrance is anything but kind. Nay, it is angry, like the fires from whence it's been inspired. It is the color of rage...of passion. Sloth; As bright as the it burns, it is also a test of patience. It is slow to develop, to reveal its secrets and hidden pleasures. It is languid and ever present, savoring every sin as you indulge. Lust; The sin all are familiar with, and that requires no further explanation. Anyone who smells it, will understand immediately. Now my own rambling hyperbole aside, I must move on to how the scent smells, more than what it evokes, although for me, the latter is often more important than the former. La Couche du Diable is opens with a cinnamon-boozy accord, with a citruses going through it, lasting for a good while, as the fragrance evolves, bringing with it a metallic, almost blood like tang, as the amber, labdanum and woods begin to take center stage, turning it warmer and more austere. The oud in this fragrance is something I can barely detect, except to say it smells, somewhere in its evolution, like warm skin. There are no discernable Top, Heart or Base notes to me, instead it flits and evolves from one sin to another, staying true to its amber-spiced core, with notes of flowers, citrus fruits and woods coming and going as they please. It toes the line, almost crossing into middle-eastern perfumery, but remaining firmly planted within the west. This scent is best suited for fall and winter, and you wear it for yourself, since it is unlikely to garner many compliments, especially from the masses, that prefer the blue fragrances to anything even remotely creative. The longevity is excellent, but it stays close to the skin, which I believe is quite appropriate, since only the "chosen" will get to smell it. And smell it you must, not only to experience truly daring perfumery, but also to understand the plethora of feelings this concoction evokes. To summarize, dark, indulgent, and sinful. Sweet and spicy. Unique in the extreme. Stunning.

This perfume makes me laugh. Serge Lutens has always had a great sense of humor, and frequently at our expense sometimes. The title of this perfume is lewd and puerile. Lutens loves a wordplay game and La Couche, a singular form it should be noted, most likely means diaper. And it’s an oud composition with a sense of humor, which is always welcome since oud and its devotees take things far too seriously. This is actually a labdanum perfume, and, more specifically, a cistus labdanum perfume to my nose rather than labdanum. For this reason as well, I tend to think of it as more of a deconstructed oud perfume rather than a strict presentation. Strict is not a thematic element that would jive with what seems to be La Couche’s intent. Curiously absent in La Couche - I’m still chuckling at this every time I write it, I’m such a child - are the fecal, animalic, barnyard notes most readily associated with oud. So, again, to an earlier point I made, this isn’t really an oud composition, but the argument could be made against another statement I provided that you cannot truly have a “deconstructed oud” - or something to that effect - without the animalic facet. I don’t find La Couche (lol) accruing defect because of this though; all of the other facets we associate with oud are there and just enough to spark a lightbulb moment where you mind says “oud!... But... hold up a second.” Instead, what I smell is one of the darkest, resinous, woodiest, rose perfumes I can recall. Deep, dark brown, earthy resins of enormous viscosity that almost renders them immovable. The woods of aromatic trees touched by forest fires, swatches of black and brown in their exposed cores leaking sap. Woody spices as well, like a very pungent and fresh nutmeg and cinnamon combination, and probably a rather heavy touch of allspice. And then there’s that floral note, the rock rose, the cistus labdanum’s high note. This perfume might want association with the devil, but this floral note will make you sing God’s praises. This rose smells black in color. Many oud varietals have a natural floral aspect to them that is a bit “rosey” in many/most presentations, so, to my mind, this works. There is nothing fruity jammy, peppery, or green to this floral note at all - it is muscular, resinous, woody, and earthy in a hallelujah-God’s-knightly-warrior sort of way. As an oud-not-oud in Serge Lutens’s typical dark humor that makes me the butt of the joke, I am more than happy to laugh along with it while also being very taken with its superb materials and handling (very likely at Sheldrake’s masterful hands). Oud purists will not like it. Good. Stay away. It’s not for you and that means more for me. That said though, I’m not sure who this perfume is for. If the oudists won’t care for it, and those who don’t like oud are likely to find the commonalities off-putting, then who will this appeal to? Maybe the Satanists amongst us. I might convert (from whatever it is I currently am). Excellent work.

The old adage goes, 'the devil is in the details.' The devil also apparently rests in his bed, waiting for you to allow him to arise in your mind. We all seem to think that if there were a fragrance to reflect what seems to be such a parable, it would smell offensive (well, some folks seem to think so anyhow given a number of other reviews I've read) but no, not at all, this smells beautiful, if not dark, brooding, and beguiling. I think more of Mara in Buddhism, and the fears that arise, particularly the existential, those of loss, of death, of ceasing to exist. We all find ways to distract ourselves, resist the feelings, run away from truth—hiding from these fears, and we do so through manifesting behaviors: greed, gluttony, sensuality, consumption, delusion. Perhaps its a stretch for me to suggest that Christopher Sheldrake wanted La Couche du Diable to represent the embodiment of this (after all, did Guerlain and their perfumers really intended Samsara to represent the cycle of suffering?). This fragrance though, as I wear it and reflect during a tenuous time, has me meditating on the relationship I have with scent, transcending fragrance itself. How does it distract me? How does it help me to tune in and befriend difficult feelings? There is a lining of tangerines and citruses, a periphery of light within the depths of the labdanum accord which eclipses all else. Any other element here serves as an accent, or shading at most. I believe Sheldrake might have used a natural derivative of cistus-labdanum produced by Biolandes called Hydrocarboresine. I have a generous amount of it as I adore it, a perfume in itself. It is at the other end of the spectrum from, say, olibanum resin, it is unctuous, resinous, and smoky, with the sweeter highlights of cistus contrasting with the leathery and organic backbone. The whole composition feels like viewing brightly-hued stained glass windows against the negative space of a dim church interior. Light and dark. The story of life. So facing the devil in its bed means stopping, and this fragrance makes me stop, and that—and this fragrance, is tender and real.

i feel like a huge component of perfume is aesthetic and conceptual; what the title, bottle, and brand contribute has a ton of stylistic weight for me when picking a perfume. call me weird, but its almost enough for me to know that it will be the perfume that i want. i was really drawn to the beautiful art-deco logo and bottle shape and the overall concepts of serge lutens. i immediately wanted the imagery that the title presented: the devil's bed. sexy, demonic, twisted. when researching, i found overwhelmingly negative reviews about it--people alarmed by the mistranslation (the devil's diaper! ew! i asked a french friend; he confirmed that the use of "couche" is definitely an anachronistic way of speaking, and that this would be closer to something like the devil's bed/bedsheets); people saying that this smells like blood! wtf! i'm almost exclusively a musk lover. this is a beautiful scent. very smoky, oud and amber, dries down with a nice citrus. when still wet, it smells like cocktail olives. this is definitely a musky perfume. the musk component of this smells exactly like that of CB I HATE PERFUME's "musk" accord. Christopher Brosius apparently really dislikes musk, and made a synthetic of it from his imagination and research. this smells just like that scent, down to the isomer. like: dirty panties. which honestly, i love. some might not. but its very seamless and elegantly present. like slipping anchovies into a sauce, something delicious and necessary would be missing without it. not making very appetizing analogies today, am i? this perfume lives up to its image. its highly sexy, elegantly animal, and arousing. the only downside to this in my opinion is its low sillage and longevity. i've been wearing it in the day, and going out at night, i'll probably just wear more. ;-)

With thousands and thousands of perfumes around, it is sometimes useful to me when people connect a certain fragrance to others of the same ilk or style to make myself an idea of what to expect. Sometimes I go "What is this person saying??" but I nonetheless think it can be useful. So with this word of caution for I may be wrong, I find La couche du diable quite easy to describe as a labdanum and amber strong fragrance not too far from Laudano Nero by Terenzi, without the tobacco. Yes, WITHOUT the tobacco and in a less in your face fashion. La couche is more sophisticated and chic. You can tell it is a Lutens by the great use of materials so as to never be cloying but still have a wow factor and presence. I don't know any other Lutens close to this in smell but there is no doubt the general feeling it creates is not far from the one you get with the other late offering Le participe passé. However, where the latter shares a lot with some early offerings, La couche is undeniably less complex (no ton of spices in the mix here) and I could even dare to say this music is a one-track song. Labdanum and amber in a somber, elegant way. I sometimes smell some orange, some rose, but I would lie if I said those rival the other two or make the perfume have any considerable twist at any point. I like Laudano nero but find it a bit heavy sometimes, I haven't had that feeling with La couche, although the overdose of labdanum needs some context to be worn.I definitely like it but with so many Lutens in mind and heart, this doesn't find its place yet. Who knows, perhaps next winter?

This is a "niche" and all of Serge Lutens' fragrances are artistic fragrance so it's not supposed to be mass appealing. However, it has this very alluring and captivating aura or vibe once you take the "fume" immersing into you, to the last inch of your senses and body cells. It's definitely dark and mysterious, intoxicating and alluring, mixture of resinous, balmy, ambery, syrupy notes with touch of dark rose, orange and woody accord and they all are super well balanced and well blended thanks to the mastery of niche and artistic perfumery. The name of this fragrance gives you an impression of being completely hellish, viciously dark, obnoxious and offensive but when you wear it, it's just so bold but not harsh, dark but not annoying as long as you are someone who walks the alley of dark, spicy, woody, sweet, resinous and oriental genre. This is absolutely not for those who enjoy fresh aquatic citrusy soft fluffy soft floral airy green or blue fragrances. After all it's "la couche du diable" (is it "the devil's nappy or bed??) This is such a one of the kind gem for me. Soft projection and performance compare to many other loud obnoxious room filling fragrances but not shy either. Absolutely a fantastic quality with a definite statement and presence and some people will definitely notice and have their own observation or comment whether good or bad. It's the same as when we look at Picasso's paint. Some loves it and some doesn't appreciate it.

"It is no longer necessary to go to hell to invoke the devil. Seek, and the earth will provide" Serge Lutens La Couche du Diable. A purely Oriental perfume. Created and inspired by sin and forbidden pleasures incited by the Devil himself. The fragrance opens hot, like flames of fire in burning lava, between aromatic resins, spices and incense smoke together with the warm and sweet labdanum resting on precious woods (Oud and labdanum are very evident here, and it is a smell that I love ) mixed in amber chords that burn among the roses, melting very slowly and transforming into a liqueur fruity honey, sprinkled with hot spices (cinnamon and saffron) and in this way, warm and pleasant smells emerge. As the hours go by, the fragrance becomes less scorching, with small and soft breaths of warm and Floral air, which emerge between the embers and the smoke of hell, giving a masterful closure to the final performance. La Couche Du Diable is a perfume that when you smell it evokes the many and diverse pleasures of life. It is dark, very warm, honeyed, resinous, woody, mysterious, balsamic, somewhat smoky, incensed, elegant, sensually devilish, and at the same time surrounded by great mysticism. The substantivity on my skin reaches 12 hours with strong to moderate diffusion.

Possibly the most opulent fragrance in my collection - which is largely composed of rich, spicy, overpowering scents. La Couche du Diable doesn't project massively, but it is powerful, intoxicating. Sweet, spicy, boozy, it's almost gourmand; but too there is a profoundly dark, smoky, almost austere quality to it which puts me in mind of some incense-filled monastery or ancient temple. Something about it is imposing, larger than life. I'm almost intimidated by it - can I really pull off such a scent? I spray it on nonetheless, and every few minutes put my nose right to it and sigh with delight. Is this the scent of the devil's bed, as its name suggests? Biblical imagery certainly comes to mind, but I rather find myself picturing communion wine - not that found on Sunday in church, but *the* communion wine, that which Jesus bled. Trust that I am embarrassed to write it, and well aware of the pretentiousness necessary to compare a perfume to the blood of Christ (and I'm not even a Christian!). My shame at putting these words to the page should only highlight the earnestness of my review. If I liked this scent any less, I would have the decency to be more measured about it.

LA COUCHE DU DIABLE: Opens Warm, resinous with liqueur aromatic nuances between spices wrapped in incense smoke mixed with sweet and herbaceous labdanum, resting on precious woods (oud and labdanum, in a perfect oriental chord that I love) in the heart, the chords of amber merge with roses, thus creating an olfactory perception of fruity honey with floral nuances, or in turn, it also transmits aromatic and intoxicating vibrations of a good rosé wine, sprinkled with rich spices (saffron and cinnamon) saffron being a Sophisticated olfactory note, of spicy odors with penetrating leather nuances, providing great uniqueness to the composition. Over the hours, the fragrance settles into a one-person bubble, creating an olfactory journey of small, soft puffs of warm and floral air, but no less intense. All beautifully mixed and balanced giving a masterful closure to the final performance. It is dark, very warm, honeyed, resinous, woody, mysterious, balsamic, subtly smoky, incense, elegant and seductive. The substantivity on my skin reaches 9/10 hours with a strong to moderate diffusion.

Dark Souls (or Game of Thrones) in a bottle, La Couche du Diable is one of the best faux ouds out there, albeit now sadly relegated to a bell jar. I originally hated it, but its sour-savoury fruitiness, blood-tinged ambery profile and dark woodiness are rich and compelling, and pull you back again and again like a repulsive yet oddly addicting liqueur. It does have a "demonic" smell, and is fully replete with smoke and embers as the press release suggests, it does also exhibit peaty notes of rotting wood and gasoline, and is as challenging as that sounds. Though dark, it is much more so an unsweetened labdanum than any kind of real oud, but is sufficiently complex and alluring for me. One of the greatest recent Lutens, I nevertheless think LCdD struggles in a background milieu of thousands of faux ouds, though it is perhaps greater and more artistically executed than most of them. I'm part way through my 2nd 100ml spray bottle, and am not looking forward to exhausting this smouldering, huffing beast down to its final breath.

Move over Kids from Beaufort London 'cos Master Christopher Sheldrake is Back! This is dark dark dark, so dark the devil is the sun shining in comparison! The fragrance's beginning is a concoction of skanky oud, labdanum and burning log firewood. Smouldering hot and very very potent! After an hour or so I start to get whiffs of cinnamon and amber but the skankiness of the oud and burning wood remains potent. After the 4 hours' mark, gradually the sweetness of the orange, mandarin and musk starts to make itself appear and the skankiness of the burning wood with oud begins to die down. I totally understand when @nordstorm (see below) makes reference to Van Helsing because this fragrance is straight-up avant-garde. It is uber-modern, sophisticated and not for the faint-hearted!!! It is unlikely going to be a mass pleaser or a best seller but it hits the right spot for those who appreciate edgy and dark scents. Who would've thought that the Devil's Bed is Hell?! Only Serge Lutens will do what only Serge Lutens can do! 10/10

I binged on this after getting a decant and ended up getting a full bottle. Now this is the frag for me to wear while wandering in the woods listening to Type O Negative or My Dying Bride, ha. Simplistic yet so enchanting! The smell doesn't develop much on me but it's so good. The combination of rich labdanum, wood, roses and oranges makes it impossible not to like if you're into woody church stuff. What makes it especially enjoyable for me is the fact that this fragrance lacks being overly sweet, unlike many of its kind. Equally great in October and June. I actually see it as a good summer scent since it's not overly sweet and thus not suffocating. It's empowering and beautiful. As for the comparisons, I don't really see it being similar to Laudano Nero as the latter is actually sweet and distinctively boozy and not as sophisticated. Christian Woman by Type O Negative started playing in my head while I was writing this! Makes sense since the name of the fragrance feels like goth gone pop but in a good way.

I adore this spicy, rich, 'devilish' scent! It's naughty indeed! I'm getting spicy cinnamon, beautiful labdanum, with fresh green roses surrounded by gorgeous amber and fresh oranges. The Oud is so smooth it's almost undetectable. I love this fragrance. The sillage is moderate and the longevity is excellent. This is quite similar to Lutens' Fille en Aiguilles, similar, not the same as. I wouldn't substitute one for the other because they each have their own unique personalities and both are worth having. I love both of them. La Couche is sweeter than I imagined, at least it is on my skin. What a perfect fragrance this is! If you value unique fragrances that tick all the boxes, you must get your hands on this one! I agree with Mapache's review below, it definitely reminds one of Mmmm, I immediately thought that upon first sniff! This is wicked juice ya'll! Not for the faint-hearted, shy folks out there.

@SkinnyLegend La Couche Du Diable is not discontinued but got transferred to the exclusive line in the Cloche/Bell Jar collection, thus only available in their Paris boutiques now and occasionally in the webstore. It's one of the better Lutens to come out in the las decade or more no doubt. One of my favorites as well. I sold my export bottle because I actually wanted to change it with a bell jar:). They are some of my favorite-looking flacons. And since it is a fairly new scent and never received a special engraved design, maybe it will in the future and warrant a purchase. Sold it with a "design upgrade" in mind and knowing full well it was not going to be discontinued. They hardly terminate a scent for good, and only a few ended up like that (quite recently I might add). I always felt like Couche was the love child of Fille en Aiguilles and Ambre Aultan.

لا به لای لایه های این عطر میشه گم شد در شروع؛آب پرتقال غلیظ که با پوست پرتقال جوشانده و تغلیظ شده رو به همراه یک وایب چوبی_عودی_تنباکویی پیچیده در دُز بالایی از دارچین و زعفران حس کردم که بی نهایت استادانه و با سلیقه کنار هم چیده شده بودند این وسط یک وایب آروماتیک اما بسیار تیره برای من وجود داشت که حس ای شبیه به سوختن چوب دارچین تازه چیده شده رو منتقل می کرد یا حرارت دیدن معجون مرکباتی_ادویه ای _آمبری روی یک سری هیزم خشک و تازه(کمی وایب آلبالویی در کنار دارچین) رز بسیار موقر و سنگین ای توی عطر کار شده؛در کنار حس شرقی و صمیمانه ای که منتقل می کنه،ابدا زننده نیست و طیف سلیقه افراد ای که با رز زاویه دارند رو هم می تونه پوشش بده و ازش لذت ببرن در یک کلام فوق العاده ****************** scent:9.5/10 longevity:7/10 sillage:7/10 purchase value:5.5/10 ******** overall:7.3/10

It's ironic that it's the devil's bed, but I'm getting Orthodox church. The church is even stronger than Nicolai's Incense Oud. It honestly reminds me of a shop in my city owned by a Coptic man from Egypt who burns incense on a regular basis. Don't be afraid: for the first few minutes it really smells like a cough syrup, but that fades quickly. It's very balsamic, resinous, smoky, and woody. I am also getting wine, labdanum, citrus, Coca-Cola, cloves, and dried fruits: plums, apricots, raisins, and cranberries. Warm, but not as warm as Nerotic (Laborattorio Olfattivo), and without the rubber. Overall it leans masculine, is seductive, and definitely a niche fragrance. Do not blind buy. Autumn and winter. Don't spray this on white fabric.

La Couche Du Diable from 2019 which translates to the Devil's Lair 😈 Apparently this fragrance also inspired Le Lion by Chanel from 2020 which could be true considering the similar notes and Christopher Sheldrake the perfumer for Serge Lutens is the director of research and development at Chanel. This fragrance has a skanky oud note that makes you think 'oh lord what have I done' along with some sweet and spicy citrus from the orange and cinnamon and then dries down to a nice deep amber, definitely give it some time when first trying it out. Glad to have this in the 100mL bottle since now it's been moved from la collection noire to the bell jars. Certainly an acquired taste but this did a full 180 on me and I now love this fragrance.

This opens very much like one of my favorites, Moth from Zoologist. A very similar initial pyrotechnic of saffron, cinnamon, and oud. The cinnamon here gets a lot juicier and more prominant, though--this reminds me of Red Hots, as others have said, but even more of Hot Tamales, which are stickier and sweeter. As it dries down the citrus notes and rose softly appear. I really love this fragrance. I love the name, too, and it does fit. This smells like getting drunk on mulled wine at a Christmas party in Norway. You're sitting by a big roaring fire under the northern lights and making out with someone you've just met. He has warm hands, the smell of smoke in his hair, and he just did a shot of Goldschläger.

Splendid hedonistic fragrance, straight away went to my favourites! Smell of sin commited in very lavish curcumstances and so willingfully. Forget about "quick and dirty" adultery. La Couche du Diable makes time and heart stop at first in order to restart really sloooowly afterwards. You will get your silks and furs, huge bed and open fire, red wine, refreshments and dried fruits on a silver antique tray. But most importantly you will be able to lose yourself into someone else's eyes. It is a sin for the pleasure of sinning. P.S. I agree with votes of similarity with Sahara Noir, Sahara's base is a tangible love-sin as well)

With a name like this (The Devil's Diaper) I had high hopes. What I got was a perfume that smells like many other Lutens perfumes. Which is not to say it's bad, but it's so close to those several many others that I feel totally bored by it. Think Le Participe Passé meets L'incendiaire meets Ecrin de Fumée meets Périlleusement Votre. And in fact here, the synthetic oud is scratchier than in the aforementioned ones and is already irritating me after five minutes. Big fat meh. Update: it's mostly a labdanum soliflor, I don't get any of the other notes, just synthetic oud, some resiny sweetness in the opening, and labdanum.