La Proie Pour L'Ombre

One of the best fragrances I've recently come across. Starts off with a leather note similar in Cuir Mauresque, with a vanilla and coffee-like back-bone, but after about 30 minutes-1 hour the salty, amazing licorice note begins to emerge. This brings about the actual focus of this fragrance, immortelle. Not like Bourreau des Fleurs which focuses on immortelle's full aspect of herbal, dry and slightly syrupy inflections, this dials down on the syrupy qualities and licorice only fully supports that element. While one would think this would be too sweet, it is balanced to a degree where it isn't overbearing (in my opinion, but I also love sweeter fragrances). This is no Rahat Loukoum in terms of the sweet factor. A fragrance that really does have unique phases, so it stays interesting, and I love each phase. Lasts 12+ hours, projection is not overwhelming. A definite must purchase for me and would recommend anyone to check it out. /rant This is the only house that invokes people to say, "this is like a remix/redux of other SL fragrances" or "this is just X SL fragrance". The house has a specific perfumer and creative director, OF COURSE it's going to have similarities, that is what defines the house and the people who like the fragrances. Can we please stop utilizing this as a negative remark and realize any house with a dedicated director/perfumer will always have the DNA that makes them unique? Isn't that WHY we try/buy the fragrances in the first place? /rant off

Wow, I was trying Fumerie Turque in the store (also another stunner from the brand) when the saleswoman asked me if I had already smelled La Proie pour l'Ombre and wow this is good. I agree on the resemblance with Dior's Eau Noire as this is a strong Licorice/Vanilla (and sober leather) with a touch of Curry/fenugreek/cloves (this may be my brain tricking me however the Curry/fenugreek is less potent than the one in Eau Noire) and a bit of what smells like coffee as well. It is an absolute 10 out of 10. I managed to get 100ml brand new for 140€ and it is totally worth it. Edit 30/11/2021: A masterpiece, the opening is straight Coffee grounds and dark cocoa before going on the licorice/immortelle/vanilla combo this is otherworldly the more I smell it the more it differs from Eau Noire, it is way darker and more suited for very cold weather

Holy crapola, I enjoyed this sample. The more time I invest into my fragrance journey, the harder it becomes to truly knock my socks off and make me say "DAMN, THAT'S GOOD" out loud. Based on the listed notes, I didn't think I would like this as much as I do (the licorice mention made me wary), but DAMN, I could not stop smiling while catching whiffs of myself the day that I wore this. The price tag is a bit much, but the scent is so damn good and lasts so long that not even the price tag can knock this from a love to a like. I sincerely doubt that this will hit the discounters any time soon, but I plan on keeping my eyes peeled for the next year or two.

This note breakdown seems incomplete- this has to have either immortelle or fenugreek, and as it dries down I find that aspect to be more the star of the show than the coffee or licorice that support it. Vanilla is also prominent- and this is a very sweet perfume, but it is just herbal and earthy enough to keep it from being cloying. I would have tested this sooner if the notes list was more comprehensive. It's a beautiful blend for my taste. I'm still miffed at Lutens for the ridiculous gratte-ciel prices, but I found a new bottle for 60% less than retail from a reputable discounter so I added this beauty to the collection :)

To have such a prominent liquorice note is, I would say, very unusual in perfumery. If you've ever smelled or tasted liquorice root you'll know it has a very unusual taste and aroma, one that most people are not accustomed to. That makes this a very distinctive scent. You'll stand out. People may wonder what it is. Some may not even identify it as perfume, and probably be intrigued. You're definitely off the beaten path here, I would say. But if you like liquorice, you'll most likely love this. It's a very natural smelling liquorice note, and makes for a very dark, unique, masculine scent.

This is positively divine. The softest most worn-in leather jacket positively steeped in a vanilla licorice tea. The leather has a chocolate coffee quality to it but dries to something crackling and slightly smokey. The licorice and vanilla temper it. This isn’t truly a “licorice” scent or a “leather” scent or a “vanilla” scent. It’s this sticky syrupy warm, sweet, dark treacle tart of an amalgamation. Decidedly gourmand without actually being so. My favorite types of scents. I have a great need for a bottle.

Dark brooding herbaceous vanilla and black licorice covered in syrup. A hint of salt, espresso, and fenugreek come through on the dry down. Makes me think of drinking Becherovka and smoking Marlboros on a freezing winter night. Amazing fragrance. Layer this with Borneo 1834 and you’d swear you died and went to heaven.

One of the ultimate best Serge Lutens fragrances. Coffee, leather and licorice, it reminds me of the Dutch Zoethout tea. Minimalist, dry, woody, mature, slightly sweet and superb. The drydown actually reminds me a bit of the smell of my dad's old car in the 80s.

This reminds me A LOT of Dior Privé Eau Noir. The licorice is very forward in this and doesn't die down over time. The leather is more pronounced here than in Eau Noir and it may be a tad sweeter. Lasting power is great - very well blended and worth the wait.

Licorice coffee! Wow! The opening is quite strong and medicinal, fascinating. The licorice is very straightforward and unmistakable. Later, a warm coffee/vanilla note balances it out and the blend becomes very pleasant. The drydown is quiet and intimate. Which is good, because this isn't a fragrance that many people will 'get'. I guess it's a love it or hate it sort of scent, just like salty licorice candy. (For the record, I like licorice in general). Fun fact: wore it to the dentist today, and it felt like a perfect match for the occasion.

Sophisticated very French leather perfume. The leather note is surrounded by vanilla, licorice, cacao, woody and balsamic notes. ‘The Prey for the Shadow’ presumably named to highlight the juxtaposition of the leather and vanilla notes exudes a gentle sensual warmth. The unisex scent has moderate sillage and very good longevity. Nothing particularly new from the house that defined niche perfumery but very delectable and sexy and so wearable. Enjoy!

Licorice! and smokey. warm, smokey licorice. it's special, give it time. special in a sense of an old fixer-upper chateau in northern France, it's winter and foggy outside, you poured yourself a glass of wine and are cooking for friends. it's an elegant and warm atmosphere, cozy and special.

An improvement on L’innomable, as they both feature that same pronounced goopy syrup vibe. This one takes a more interesting turn with a coffee-like accord and slight saltiness. Similar to Diors Eau Noire

Licorice vanilla with leather It's just delicious

I just got a sample of this--pleasant, but it feels like a quote of several other SL scents. Namely, Santal Majascule and Jeux de Peau. The former for a dusty cocoa note and the latter for its chicory/coffee-like facet. Maybe my memory of those scents is playing tricks on me, but it reminded me so much of those scents, I was wondering if I'd gotten the wrong sample as I had a hard time discerning leather. Rather than a smooth cuir like Cuir Mauresque or Boxeuses or even Fumerie Turque's far drydown, it feels more like a hazy, matte-finish suede. I'll be curious to continue to see how this changes once that first impression wears off. Again--it's pleasant enough, but not different enough from those to justify a purchase. Based on the darkness of the notes--leather, licorice, vanilla--I was kind of hoping for a more Cuir de Russie vibe.

We've been here before with Lutens. The man has a sweet tooth. In the first few moments I was saying to myself "hmm, a chocolate leather. Odd." But when the dry down hits it becomes more obvious that it's an anisic fenugreek, leather, and vanilla concoction of the sweet variety all disinterestingly plopped onto a bed of milky sandalwood. There is a bit of Ecrin de Fumee in here, a bit of Le Participe Passe as well, but it actually feels a lot more like a reworked and much toned-down version of the Section d'Or dud Bourreau des Fleurs. Bourreau was incredibly challenging for me, so this is a welcome change, but I still don't find myself interested or compelled. Quite mundane and pedestrian.

Definitely reminiscent of Eau Noire by Dior, but Eau Noire has more complexity and depth. I much prefer Eau Noire, but might make do with this since Eau Noire has been discontinued.

La Proie Pour L’Ombre features a divine liquorice-leather accord—brutal, rough, and captivating. However, the addition of vanilla introduces a sweetness that feels unnecessary and disrupts the fragrance’s raw intensity.

Too leathery. It has to be leather with something else that makes it smell like an experience. Otherwise it’s just a car dealership vibe. 4/10

I feel a little bad for these Gratte-Ciels which aren't rebottles of prior loved scents - L'Innommable, Perilleusement Votre, and now La Proie Pour L'Ombre (LPPL), as they all seemingly have rough times standing out both from their local crowd in Lutens and other high-priced niche scents. L'Innommable I loved, but LPPL isn't doing much for me on my third time wearing from a sample... Overriding dark vanilla laying atop a very minimal leather background and threatening to give you toothache from start to end... If you can overcome this sweetness and huff deeply, then there is a sort of complex, smouldering interior to LPPL which is interesting (likely from the liquorice, the scent certainly isn't boring) but just isn't really pleasant. Unlike L'Innommable, which balances its sweetness using a strong woody spicy caraway, LPPL dives headlong into an ocean of melted sugar and swims around as if it's not decadent. Super strong and lasts a long time for me. Unisex, just too sweet without enough interest to justify exploring that infinite abyss of super sweet vanilla.