Rousse

My childhood cinnamon dream, realised. Let me explain: I grew up in the UK, where cinnamon is much less A Thing than it is in the US. We didn't have much of a culture of cinnamon rolls, or cinnamon toast, or cinnamon candles, or cinnamon breakfast cereal, or chewing gum, or air-fresheners or whatever. (This has changed a bit in recent decades as the whole world got more Americanised.) Yeah, you might - if you were lucky - get a bit of cinnamon on the top of rice pudding or bread pudding or custard tarts, but usually - unless I was left on my own to make homemade cinnamon toast with about a heaped spoon of spice per slice - there was NEVER ENOUGH CINNAMON. It wasn't rationed or controlled or a luxury or anything - it just wasn't that popular. So, when I was a kid, I would long for trips abroad where I could find and eat all the cinnamon-flavoured nonsense I wanted. US Red Hot or French Hollywood Cinnamon chewing gum were LIFE to me. If I wasn't going anywhere I'd beg any friends or family who were, to come back with cinnamon contraband, and hand over my pocket money to them and hope. I just can't get enough... Cut to too-many-decades later. I've turned fragrance fanatic thanks largely to being depraved by an encounter, too late in life, with Serge Lutens scents. I've smelled my way through nearly all the small square-format bottles and fallen in love with many. Picked up a few partial bell jars on eBay. Took a deep breath and bought a bell jar of my own. Keep hearing whispers about Rousse but it's almost impossible to find - and only then then learn it's CINNAMON BY SERGE. MUST HAVE! I stalk this scent for years on end and finally get a 50ml bottle via a ridiculously complicated international route involving a global network of fragheads. (It's like the gum traffic all over again). And: Rousse is cinnamon perfection - and that's all it is. Right down to a sense of the almost-burning cinnamon-infused icing sugar dust on those tiny precious pink rectangles of prized, foreign gum. In some ways it's superlative - a definitive cinnamon soliflore; I get pretty much nothing but straight, sweet, centred cinnamon all the way through... so totally linear it's almost minimalist. It's NOT a burning spice bomb or exotic adventure; rather something upmarket, gentle, femme-ish though unisex and smooth throughout. Yet, if I didn't know better, I might think it a CDG single-note chemical experiment rather than something from Lutens, so often the house of deep, organic, weird complexity. For non-cinnamon-bun-heads, that might bring a sense of letdown: what is all the exclusivity and the high price really about, then? There's none of the deep mellow fruit, or crazy-man spicing, or really dark wood here that you might expect from a Lutens oriental scent. It's absolutely NOT complex; 5 O Clock Au Gingembre, maybe the closest thing to it from the house, is an epic saga of progression compared to Rousse. Sillage is subtle, not huge, but this may be a plus; performance is a little disappinting, to be honest - fading away more or less totally by about 5h in on skin, though it might make 9 -10 on textiles. So despite its towering reputation - this one is not a beast, or a lesson in perfumery art, or the smell of a whole landscape. It's so simple that you might not even think it adds up to a complete fragrance, let alone the smell of an entire persona. But if you have cinnamon right in your soul, like I do ... you may not care. I wear this just for myself, often just before bed: sweet, safe, cinnamon-scented dreams sometimes follow. Magic.

Rousse reminds me of the aroma of a specific (yes, there are several!), Cinnamomum verum, otherwise known as Ceylon cinnamon. Sourced from Sri Lanka, Madagascar and the Seychelles, it is less coumarinic than cassia, with a woodier-spicier warmth. Sheldrake folds this cinnamon accord into a doughy softness that has me swearing there is orris here, or maybe Orivone, or something with irones: it feels pale, powdery, and keeps Rousse from feeling too hot-spicy to the nose. It's beautifully muted and impressionistic, while still evoking the feeling of comfort and safety. There is also this phase that has a more tea-like quality, somehow feeling translucent, yet full-bodied. Anchored with a familiar cedar that has been a keystone since Feminite du Bois, here it harmonizes with the cinnamon as it transitions in the base, feeling softly earthy, with the resins feeling dusted and baked-in. As I take Rousse in, I must admit I want to do anything but work; I want to crawl back into my bed, wrap myself up in a blanket, and lose myself in a good book or film. It's one of those—it softens, rather than energizes; it's one for disconnecting. Side note: this is one of five first samples I received back in 2008 from the SL counter, and its unencumbered, unfussy beauty had my heart since.

When I first smelled it I remember my reaction. Did Christmas came early this year? Don't get me wrong. But all that cinnamon . But with all creations I learned to judge them after you evaluate them for at least a few hours after the first encounter. And it changed a lot. The cinnamon was always predominant but cinnamon does that is one of the most strong modifiers in perfumerie (I personally in my creations rarely use cinnamon I prefer cloves, nutmeg, and even pepper after all you can compose a similar scent of cinnamon but more subtle) so with cinnamon you have to be very light handed or use it in trace . After the hours past it became more woodsy the tangerine started to give it shinning face and the orange appeared. Then the woods ( give me woods and take my heart) came out cedar and maybe some Caucasian pine ? Anyway for me is still my Christmas perfume very gourmand like baked cinnamon cookies and all those Christmas smells in the house. For a cinnamon addict one of the best .

Rousse is a true oriental spicy, but a calm, gentle one. The initial moments are poignant due to the strong cinnamon notes. But they calm down and cloves can be detected. And then we have a perfect chord of those two notes in beautiful balance. We can also sense the mandarins and the cedar, but they are soft, nearly silent, for cinnamon and cloves are more prominent. As mandarins and cedar work, everything gets in the second perfect balance and everything is in its due place. Rousse is a comfortable fragrance, but it takes some time to get to this point: cozy, warm, calm, perfect for cold days. Those days when you step inside and enjoy a fine hot beverage on your old smooth couch.

A beautifully done woody Oriental showcasing the most perfect use of the cinnamon note in perfumery. The perfume opens with notes of mandarin orange, clove, candied fruits and slight iris. The heart is all cinnamon including cinnamon wood and bark. The perfume settles on a powdery bed of cedar, vanilla, amber and balsamic resin. The unisex scent has moderate to strong sillage and very good longevity. Sophisticated, a bit dessert like, and just delectable. Enjoy!

The most cinnamon of cinnamon scents. Classy, warm. On application I feel cloves then cinnamon appears rounded up by amber. It is a perfect autumn scent. To my surprice it warms up considerably in winter and becomes very ambery in the style of Ambre Sultan but instead of the spices there we have cinnamon with a hint of cloves on a cedar canvas. A dreamy scent. The projection in winter is intimate, it lasts 10 hours and is easy to love.

Sexy, Classy and Mysterious ... Those are the three words that come into my mind when i wear Rousse. It starts with a woody Cinnamon. Than the woody turns down and cinnamon stays a little sweeter, but not too much. I wished i could describe better how wonderful this scent is. My Boyfriend just loves when i wear it. Definitely one o the bests in my opinion!!

Of entire wax pack of samples Rousse is my favorite so far. Loved it from the first sniff and knew I will be getting a full bottle, even though it discontinued and overpriced now. It is such a pleasant and comforting Christmas scent. Cinnamon is not overpowering. Rousse is the perfect mix of cinnamon and cloves with resins and amber. Gorgeous!

Doc Elly, you basically said what I would have about this fragrance. The only thing is, the lasting power with me was less than what you experienced. I ended up liking it a bit more, after another testing. I'll see if I will buy a decant of this. To anyone else trying Rousse, you really have to like cinnamon.

At the begining it's spicy cinnamon, a bit sweet something like cinnamon bubble gum and I love beggining part the most, drydown is not that sharp it's like cinnamon tea smooth calm and not that intense, all in all it's very nice fragrance.

Reminds me so much of those red hot fireball candies. I love this one so much, it actually smells "hot" when you sniff it, particularly in the opening. Might not be for everyone but I'm still bummed this is discontinued.

A wonderful smell, my second favourite from the Lutens.... and another remedy for migraines... soft, warm but not sweet, magical !!!

I love cinnamon and this perfume is the most luxorious way to wear cinammon...it's a jewel in my perfumes' collection

Some scents you love with your heart, and some you appreciate with your head because of how well-made they are, even if they don't make your heart beat any faster. For me, Rousse falls into that second category. To love this, you have to really love cinnamon as a perfume note - if you do, I don't think you can do much better than Rousse. But I don't, really: I personally like the smell of cinnamon a lot more in real life than in perfumes, where it's a note that I can take or leave. So I should have seen it coming from a mile away that this wouldn't really be my thing, and I think I got my decant more out of some kind of Serge Lutens completionism: gotta smell them all... But like I said, I do like it: it's warm and spicy without being overwhelming, with some balancing lightness added by the orange note, and a woody aspect to keep it from smelling like a bakery. Also, it does smell a little like lipstick, which I like. In fact, if I smelled it on someone else, man or woman, I'd think they smelled wonderful, and I'm glad I got to test it, even though I think I'll probably never even use up my small decant. Which is just as well, since it's been discontinued, so all's well that ends well.

A dreamer of pictures I run in the night You see us together, chasing the moonlight, My cinnamon girl. Ten silver saxes, a bass with a bow The drummer relaxes and waits between shows For his cinnamon girl. Whenever I wear Rousse, Neil Young's "Cinnamon Girl" is sure to be stuck in my head all day. Despite being more of a cold weather fragrance, I find myself reaching for Rousse lately to counteract the damp, rainy blahs. Rousse positively exudes warmth with lots of amber, spicy cloves and musky base notes, in addition to a large dose of cinnamon. Even though it is not as daring as some of the other Lutens scents, I enjoy it as an approachable, easy-to-wear addition to the line. And yes, it would suit a redhead to a tee, so Rousse is appropriately named.

Oh, I am so glad I got to try this! Thanks Solvita :) Straight up: cinnamon tic-tacs, Big Red chewing gum. Bold, strong, sweet &....well, just very, very candy-cinnamon. After some time the clove-tinged cinnamon mingles with a note that reminds me of orange peel beeswax oils rubbed into ancient, dry woods....but all-in-all this is one big, dusty, cinnamon bomb. I love a good spicy scent, but worn alone this is a little linear for my liking. I am in concord with Nuppu - layer this up to add interest to more genteel orange-fruity frags & spritz liberally to corrupt those innocent rose scents. Would I fork out for a big bottle...probably not....but this would be a nice scent to own in decant-size to perk up some of my more calm frags.

Creado como una esencia de canela, no es más que la imagen de un niño pelirrojo de cabello ensortijado con la cara llena de pecas; travieso y afable a la vez y que espera con impaciencia la tarta que su abuela tiene en el horno mientras desprende efluvios aromáticos embriagadores de canela, mandarina y vainilla. Un intenso perfume que recuerda el arte de la repostería hogareña y tradicional, los caramelos, la infancia y los placeres por lo dulce y tierno, todo ello “sobre alimentado” por la intenso estilo de Sege Lutens, aderezado por el ámbar, el clavo, la madera y el almizcle, con un toque empolvado que le proporciona de una longevidad etérea y cálida.

This is a wonderful fragrance for winter. Exclusively warm, oriental, exotic, sweet, but within limits, it's a magic liquid of cinnamon perfection. This scent is a fusion of mandarin, cinnamon, cloves, spices, floral & aromatic notes, fruit, cinnamon wood, precious woods, amber, musk, iris and vanilla. This perfume has a misty, mysterious, dark, sexy vibe. I love that the floral part of this fragrance is quite indistinct and unobtrusive. But the fragrance is quite heavy for me, even though I definitely enjoy the smell. This is a great value for money in my opinion in a simple, classy, elegant, minimalistic bottle. A definite repurchase.

Cinnamon! The first thing out of the vial. A dry, woody cinnamon, not a sweet candy one. There are some other things underneath the cinnamon that were hard to define, but as the scent dried down it took on a little bit of a floral character. I did not smell amber at all, at least not anything that I’d define as amber. Rousse is mainly dry spice, cinnamon with a hint of cloves, all the way through. The longevity was moderate, about half a day, maybe a little more. To me, it’s a pleasant scent, but not one of my SL favorites.

This definitely shares DNA with Five O'Clock Au Gingembre. Just amp up the cinnamon, get rid of the ginger and tea notes and add resins. I now have both. Rousse does seem to have slightly better performance, but still lacks in that regard. It's a pretty good cinnamon scent, and I had hoped it would be my holy grail of cinnamon scents. But I think I would place both Hermès Equipage, Cinnabar, Opium, Aramis JHL, CK Obsession for Men, and even Serge Lutens Arabie ahead of Rousse as cinnamon scents in my collection.

Sharp and discouraging opening that smells like some bizarre mixture of industrial cleaning chemicals and Coca Cola. Luckily, slowly develops into less spicy and more balsamic scent with a hint of sweetness that makes it strange, but interesting and quite unique smelling. I like it, but couldn't wear it - the cloves are just too heavy for me. For a proper winter dose of cinnamon I would rather choose Diptyque Eau Lente.

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT layer this with Agent Provacateur. I thought this scent alone was too sharp and much like the clove oil I apply onto bugbite, so I assumed that the rosy muck would balance out. Instead, the strong medicinal note in that scent fused with that of this one, and together with the musk it just ended up smelling like that useful but unpleasant body part that I shall not name.

Darn it but I REALLY wanted to like this. There is a soap quality to it that ruins the whole thing for me. Another blind buy. GOSH I have learned my lesson. Can't even pull out the cinnamon for having to wade through the soap cloud. For those who don't mind the soapy in their frag, this one will please you. Will trade this full bottle (minus 3-5 sprays). PM me.

Soft hot cinnamon, a bit sweet, very comforting, with woody undertones. Not complicated or groundbreaking - but harmonious and comprehensive. Recognizable old Lutens vibe - if you like 5 o'clock, Arabie, Chergui, you'll like that one too. Not similar to Diptique to me, as L'Eau is too sharp and cold.

Variation on a theme. Rousse fits in well with two others: Serge Noir and Fille en Aiguilles. The opening is sort of bitter, but when you can bring up the patience you'll get rewarded with a warm ambery cinnamon. Sillage: medium Longevity: 4 hours Too bad it has been discontinued.

cinnamon and resin with clove. It smells a little bit like medicine at the opening. Like a pine with oranges in the kitchen with some baked spicy cookies. Interesting, not sweet, not sharp, definitely for cold weather. Smell of a cozy luxury. Special. Longevity 9 hours.

Semi-bitter cinnamon bark and salty dough. Very transparent and light. Now the dough is fading into the background and cedar and cloves make an entrance. Already plenty of reviews for this one, so that is all.

Warm cinnamon, airy and light, gourmand ;o) For cold weather

Copied from veruska' review: "To me it's more cloves and amber than cinnamon resting on a sweet floral citrus bed." I couldn't agree more. From the reviews and descriptions I expected a cinnamon powerhouse like Diptyque's Eau Lente, but didn't find it here. Instead, this reminds me very much of Arabie, just a little less spicy, so if you like Arabie you'll probably like this too. Also reminds me of PdE Aziyade, only Aziyade has more cinnamon than this IMO, while both carry the stewed fruits basenote. I'm a great amber and cinnamon fan, but surprisingly this didn't work for me; I think it's the sweet citrus base which is a bit too sweet for me. I was seriously considering a blind buy of this now that it's gone from the export line and I'm very glad I didn't. Not bad, but I certainly can live without it.

Ive only tried about 5 of SL's perfumes and I havent had much luck, as all of them have seemed, to me to have a really dirty heavy skanky undertone. I thought this would be the same, but after a bouple minutes its a nice slightly sweet ambery cinnamon, the sweetness comes a hint of fruit, the mandarin must be but it doesnt smell of any particular fruit really to my nose, anyway this isnt groundshaking but its nice and the best SL ive come across so far. I doubt id buy the FB but i wouldnt mind a decant. Tried it again and I don't know how I liked it before, I smell all of the spice/fruit from the notes, but the undertone of this is wax. Yes it smells like a waxy heavily perfumed lipstick rolled in a christmas fruit cake that has orange peel and cinnamon in it. Don't like it.

Truly cinnamon, warm yes, but not hot or heavy on me. If you crave for almost dry feeling cinnamon scent, this is it, you coud imagine it brown cinnamon powder on spraybottle. There is mildy sweet tone also, making this little bit towards mulled vine. So comfortable. The thing that make Rousse exceptional good, is it great potential in mixing with other scents. I've always loved spicy cinnamon in perfumes, and now I can make them more cinnamony, or mix it with something really different, like now, Bvlgari Rose Essentielle, so lovely spicy rose! And one of my comfort classic, Chloe gets in winter mood with Rousse. Peach, creamy tuberose and warm, brown cinnamon, pretty damn good together, I might say.

I have this on today, it’s a cool sunny day in New York and this fragrance is perfect. It’s a warm cinnamon with amber mixing in. It’s such a beautiful unisex fragrance. Unfortunately on me this doesn’t last. I have always had a place in my heart for Serge Lutens it was my first experiences with Niche fragrances. Each SL are so well blended and this one is no exception. On my skin it is a spicy and warm cinnamon, it drydown in an Amber after about an hour. By the 3rd hour it’s sits so close to my skin but the cinnamon honey and orange show up. The notes are so of my favorites and work really well together in the true SL fashion. I believe this is now in the exclusive line and harder to find.

I love a good spicy Oriental fragrance that shape-shifts on my skin-and Rousse is not it. I can't elaborate too much-since Rousse was a scrubber for me...Not too much cinnamon-but too much cinnamon and cloves-together, the opening doesn't promise any of the desired resins or the toned down yet voluptuous amber of dreams. There is no fair way to review a fragrance that gives one a headache-but I think this fragrance would actually shine on somebody else, as it has a strong personality, yet a natural smell-natural materials and some true-to-olfactory-group true-to-Lutens quality. Somebody, please sample this and come hang out with me for a few hours, so I can smell its transformation-on you.

Cinnamon & cloves = heat. I have only small decant of this and doubt I will never get a full bottle, but it is not bad at all. On my skin this is pretty linear scent with lots of cinnamon and cloves, with very light balsamic-woody-smoky backdrop. The amber is barely detectable. I would very much like to use this on layering, actually I'm wearing it right now with Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca - the lush and moist greenness of it lifts the cinnamon & cloves to all new dimension, a vibrating combination. Can't wait to experiment with it and some sweet scents - well that might not be for the hot weather we are experiencing right now...

Very spicy and dry. I think someone else likened this to red hots which made me smile. I can't help but agree. Even after an hour my arm had a red hot candyish (I know not a word) smell to it. I was waiting for some woods to kick in. The woods took a bit to show up. There is no smokiness or incense to this scent which sometimes can happen with heavy spices. Pretty straightforward. I wish it had a bit more depth or a few more layers to unravel. I always make mulled cider in the fall and this reminded me of that. I think I would layer this with another scent. If you like dry straightforward cinnamon and cloves give this one a shot.

Spicy spicy! This is like a candied version of Cinnabar; not that Rousse is really that sweet, but that Cinnabar was so very dry and intense. Rousse is very cinnamon-y to me, like red hot candies. I also sense the cloves and amber, so it is not just one dimension. It is very warm and rich. As intense as it is, it does not overpower. Sillage is maybe arms length. It radiates but is not a fog of scent. Longevity is >5 hours. Thoroughly enjoying my tiny decant!

cinnamon and resins all the way throughout. it's quite nice, i must say, but quite similar in parts to serge noire. both occupy similar domains, but i think serge noire is a smidge better. just a smidge... there's a sharpness in the resinous element (it'd be a mid of oppoponax and galbanum, i'd say) and it just knocks the balance off a tad. the individual components work quite well, on the whole, just not as smooth as it could've been. nice, nonetheless...

Do I love cinnamon ? YESSSSS ! :-) This scent is perfect for my current winter-christmas-feeling but goes beyond. As most Lutens frags Rousse conveys more than just some exquisite ingredients. There is a feeling of warmth, sensuality and to some extent also comfort. Despite the spiciness its gourmand character remains subtle, no sweet cinnamon pops here but a dry cinnamon wood note. Very nice.

I was just gifted a rather larger roller decant of this and totally love it. Spices, cinnamon ! I could have sworn I detected some rose but that's not in the notes listed. This is an airy spice dream! Highly recommended for those who are wary of the big orientals. Don't be afraid; Come over to the dark side and enjoy how beautiful, soft, and lovely they can be!

I bought a bottle on my trip to NYC last year. The cinnamon candy notes can be a bit overpowering at first, but the dry-down on this fragrance is absolutely beautiful. Woody, balsamic, slightly sweet. When I spray it on to go out for the evening, I can still smell the base notes when I wake up the next morning. Good fragrance for the winter months.

Truly beautiful. Yes the cinnamon is overwhelming surrounding rest of the notes, but there is a beautiful balance here that unfolds piece by piece. It works so well. I adore this perfume so much. It never goes too far one way or another, it's not Christmas-y or gourmand which would be so easy, it's not too hot or spicy either. Wonderful. 9/10

Rarely does one come across a perfume that evokes memories to reckon with . This opens with cinnamon alright .However its the cinnamon bubble gum flavor with hints of spice, that takes me back in time. I love this soo much and this has gotten me compliments as this smells wonderful on my skin. Another brilliant one by serge lutens!!

My family loves when I smell Rousse. Come up to me, draw the air and say :what a wonderful cinnamon! Indeed, Rousse is cinnamon perfume, but not edible,Rousse is elegant, mysterious, very feminine. Character, haze reminiscent of the great L'Heure Bleue, even though it smells different. Beautiful smell - as the summer, late evening.

I just found an old sample box and applied Rousse. Why is this discontinued?? Should have bought it when I could. I always loved it more than other Lutens. Simple, yes. But why complicate matters. Boo hoo. I see a bottle sold last week on eBay for $399, and that’s for 50ml!

I used to hate Rousse, but this winter i toyed a bit with my big sample and without really thinking that it's for me, i kind of like it more.To me it's more cloves and amber than cinnamon resting on a sweet floral citrus bed.Not great shakes but universally appealing.

Mmmmmhmmmm. Sexy gingerbread woman taking a rum-heavy eggnog bath. Delicious. Keep this spice flowing. Oh wait. Is that a bit of pipe tobacco coming in there? Cloves? Boys better watch out if I'm wearing this anywhere near any mistletoe. Just sayin.

Another one that I am confused about. This one is very cinnamon spicey one... Maybe too much for my taste. On a woman its not bad but I am thinking too much about christmas cinnamon cakes exactly like CDG White. Not bad but I wont buy it. 7/10

Mostly this is cinnamon spice with something in the base to keep it more complex than just cinnamon. Still, it's primarily cinnamon, so if you don't like that scent, stay away. If that's your Holy Grail of perfumery, this is your baby.

I get a lot of cinnamon and the other spices that, for me speak about winter culinary pleasures: apple pie and gluewine ... I like my perfumes less spicy. A lot of better choices for my chemistry and my taste in the Serge Lutens line.

I can't wait to try this delectable sounding perfume whilst smoking a clove, to smell how they intertwine and flutter about one another, all around me