Serge Lutens Le Participe Passé Review + Past and Present Draw

Michelyn's bottle of Feminitie de Bois (Serge Lutens and Pierre Bourdon) 1992

Almost everyone who loves perfume has a favorite Serge Lutens fragrance. My favorite is the magnificent Feminitie de Bois which was marketed under the Shiseido brand in 1992. A close runner up is the seldom reviewed  Serge Lutens Douce Amere (2000). For most perfumistas including Sr Contributor Sebastian Jara, Serge Lutens Chergui was the gateway into the collection (2001). Serge Lutens Le Participe Passé​ is interesting from both a scent and etymological perspective.The term "Le Participe Passé" translates literally to “past participle”, and Serge Lutens has always had a fascination revisiting his youth; many of his fragrances reference school (which bored him).

Serge Lutens Photography via Serge Lutens Archives

Serge Lutens is a master of creative story telling through images and perfume. He was a master photographer as well as a Creative Director and Serge Lutens Le Participe Passé recalls the processes of “silver” photography, which predates digital.

via Shiseido©

In creating Serge Lutens Le Participe there is a sense of the past (notably the resinous accord used in many of of his fragrances).

via Shiseido

Also the present (perhaps the new sleek black labels of Collection Noire and 100 ml size). –Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

Serge Lutens Le Participe Passe Fragrance Review + Full Bottle USA Giveaway

CaFleureBon Sr. Contributor Sebastian Jara of the YouTube Channel Smelling Great and founder of a popular Facebook Group reviews Serge Lutens Le Participe Passé

Disclosure: Sebastian received his bottle from ZGO Perfumery. Opinions are his own

Serge Lutens Le Participe Passé  by Sebastian 

Thanks to our friends at ZGO Perfumery we have a draw for a  100 ml  tester bottle of  Serge Lutens Le Participe Passé for registered CafleureBon reader and Smelling Great subscriber in the USA (if you are not sure if you are registered click here (you must register on our site or your entry will be invalid). To be eligible please leave a comment ON THIS SITE with what you enjoyed about Sebastian’s YouTube review of Serge Lutens Le Participe Passé​. Do you have a favorite Serge Lutens perfume? Draw closes 8/26/2018. You can follow us @cafleurebon @zgosanfrancisco @lookfeelsmellgreat on Instagram. 

We announce the winners on our site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our Site FEED…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume

 

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66 comments

  • Seba__ says:

    Very interesting idea for a fragrance. As Sebastian said, when I travel I like to purchase fragrances and wear them, that way when I wear them again many memories come alive with the scents from that travel. And I also love resins and balsams, I’m a fall/winter fragrances lover <3
    I'd love to participate in the giveaway (Miami, FL).
    Thanks!

  • Boris Castanon says:

    As always love Sebastian’s reviews… thanks to his great reviews I got few things that have become my favorite perfumes … and yes I would be more then happy to receive this fragrance… the cold weather is around the corner and full flavor juices too so Serge Lutes will be a delicious one to wear.

  • Sarah Lippek says:

    Excellent French pronunciation. I love the idea of creating intentional scent memories while traveling.

  • James Weaver says:

    I own Chergui from Serge Lutens that is my only experience with the brand I enjoy the fragrance. A fruity sweet fragrance with a black coffee accord seems very nice. This is an oriental fragrance I would love to win. Thank you ZGO perfumery for the opportunity to win a 100 ml tester bottle. Virginia USA

  • Aubre says:

    Serge Lutens Chergui is my only scent by this house. If they can create something special like Chergui..the chemistry the uniqueness… I would love it.

  • HiMyNameIsWaste says:

    Sour balsamic Serge Luten black coffee sounds good to me. Tough to say what my favorite Serge is, but Chergui & Clair de Musc are definitely in the running.

  • Alen says:

    Great review as always from Sebastian. The bottle looks pretty damn awesome with that black label. For me Chergui and Ambre Sultan are the best gems ever from this house. Thanks for this nice giveaway.

  • Dosva says:

    As always great review from Sebastian! Thank you, I enjoyed it.
    I like resins and with fruits promises us very interesting, sweet- smoky perfume.
    I wore Ambre Sultan – very interesting, dry-woody amber.
    US

  • Catlady4 says:

    I love exploring the tie between fragrance and memory. As for Serge Lutens scents, I dearly love both Douce Amere and Un Lys.

  • Pare says:

    Seb does a great review ans I am now interested in this fragrance! Favorite Serge Lutens fragrance is filles en aiguilles.

  • Furriner says:

    I’m jealous of your Shiseido Feminite de Bois! Wish it were still available!

    Gerat reviews!

    I really love Le Participe Passé. (I already have a bottle so do not enter me in the draw.) It is also somewhat similar to Serge’s recent Bourreau des Fleurs and L’Innommable (although closer to the former). I’m going to have to do some side-by-side comparisons!

  • MrsPress says:

    I love Sebastian’s channel, he’s a great reviewer! I like that he compared Le Participe Passe to other Serge Lutens fragrances, so you kind of have a better idea of what to expect. My favorite SL is Chergui, it’s beautiful. I love the name of this fragrance as well; scents bring back memories like nothing else! Thanks to ZGO, Sebastian and Cafleurebon for the giveaway!

  • shagrath says:

    Sounds great. Have always loved smokey fragrances and the added sweetness sounds inspiring. I’ve never had the chance to try out any of these fragrances. Arizona

  • middleagedandmixed says:

    After watching Sebastian’s review, I’m realizing I need to check out Serge Lutens. I’ve certainly heard of him but have not sampled any of his fragrances. Sebastian described this one as a dark wintery scent with notes of coffee. After picking up Café Tuberosa based on seeing it in a few of his videos, Le Participe Passe is one I must try as I really love Café Tuberosa. I’m discovering I like coffee notes in fragrances. Also, I completely share his love for picking up fragrances while traveling.

  • doowtnehpets says:

    Serge Lutens is such a good house. I like Sebastian’s description as always. This sounds nice for the coming winter. I like 5 o’clock au gingembre best out of the 2 I’ve tried. Chergui I didn’t really like the hay note, I know everyone loves that one.

  • Allen says:

    I love serge lutens chergui it’s one of my all time favorite fragrances. I enjoy watching Sebastian’s reviews he seems like a great guy with awesome taste in fragrances.

  • fazalcheema says:

    My favorite lutens is also feminite du bois but Sebastian makes an important point that chergui is one of the most talked about from Lutens. Similarly, Ambre Sultan is also amazing. Le Participe Passe clearly seems like it has been inspired by past lutens classics and fragrances do help us form memories. I still clearly remember when I held a bottle of givenchy gentleman in late 1990s and fell in love with it back home. thanks for the draw. I am in US.

  • BostonScentGuy says:

    Thanks for this review! I love how Sebastian puts it in the context of some other Lutensian scents (Arabie, Ambre Sultan, etc.) and the description of “cooked fruits” is evocative in my mind. I’ve heard some comparisons with Chene, which is intriguing, as that’s a favorite of mine. Thank you for this draw! Lutens was one of my first niche loves (Douce Amere and Daim Blond broke me in), and I just had a good time revisiting the oeuvre at Barneys in New York. Some of my favorites (of which there are many) include Chergui, Fourreau Noir, Tubereuse Criminelle, Chene, and MKK. Really, I can find a place in my heart for MOST of them (except never been a fan of Chypre Rouge and its descendants like a couple of recent immortelle-heavy scents that seem to be inspired by that original idea). I’m in the US!

  • ElizabethC says:

    I have the Serge Lutens Vanilla, Chergui and Datura Noir. The first line of perfume that I collected. It is nice to hear from Sebastian that this is a rich, wintery scent. I am not very interested in the “clean” scents that are out there. Would love to try this. Thank you so much. I am in the US

  • cobra10a says:

    Sebastian’s review really brought me back in time. Used to have a few Lutens and always enjoyed their rich blends. Arabia, Vetiver Oriental and Ambre Sultan to name a few. This blend sounds fantastic and rich.

  • Amy Leonhardt says:

    Loved hearing about his picking up bottles on his travels. My favorite Lutens is Arabie.

  • JackL says:

    Sebastian’s gift is being able to walk that razor’s edge when merging the objective and subjective with something that is such personal and passionate avocation. I have been obsessing about Chergui and I can barely wait to pull the trigger on a bottle! SL perfumes conjure the dark and resinous, perfect for those cold nights and keeping the ice demons at bay! 🙂

  • INYA says:

    My fav is Chergui. I like the new labels, and love the 100 ml size. I do agree with Sebastian….I wear my Serge Luten fragrances during the colder weather. USA

  • Gabriel Garcia says:

    Great review spotlight Sebastian.
    Thanks to the community, I’m able to experience this, Ive tried chergui and its awesome, lutens has a mistery and beautiful ethereal accords.
    One of the masterpieces is de profundis, I would like to see Sebastian review.
    Thanks again

  • Teresa says:

    Back in the day I loved the Shiseido fragrance Nombre Noir, a beautiful rose aldehyde perfume. As always, Sebastian makes this new Lutens perfume sound very accessible and I would love to try it. I am an inveterate 100ml bottle purchaser so this new size is appealing… one never wants to run out…I am in the US.

  • Steve A. says:

    Oh he smells coffee….nice. I want this. Always like Gris Clair from this house. And Iris Silver Mist, can’t forget that one. US

  • KCA16 says:

    sounds like another great offering from this house!
    Count me in for a chance at the 100ml tester.
    Another great video from Sebastian
    Thanks again!

  • Hikmat Sher Afridi says:

    Thanks Jara for the video review! Fruity with resin sounds great. My favorite from the Serge Lutens are Chergui, Chene and Ambre Sultan. Now will save money to buy the Arabie as you mentioned being discontinued.
    Thanks for the generosity and count me in by letting my relative address in NY, US.

  • Wayne says:

    Generally speaking, if Sebastian likes it I know I will too. I liked what he said about connecting fragrances to memories of travels 🙂 I have never sniffed a Lutens! I would love to get my hands on this one, so thanks for the chance & regards from NYC, NY!

  • nahannilove says:

    I always learn something and get to add another fragrance to my ‘must get my nose on this’ list!!! Sebastian has the best way of detailing what makes either a house or a fragrance special.

  • johnvardan says:

    I enjoyed Sebastian’s review of Serge Lutens Le Participe in that he used great imagery in describing what the fragrance reminds him of. To date, my most favorite Serge Lutens perfume would have to be Chergui.

    Thanks!

  • john lowery says:

    Sebastian’s reviews alway provide me with an olfactory hologram of a fragrance. I fell down the Serge Lutens rabbit hole back in 2002 smelling the magic of Arabie followed by Ambre Sultan and all the other hall of famers. Lutens was my intro to niche perfumes.

  • amirpasha says:

    I love it how he gives a full details about the perfume, being the notes, price and sizes, my fav Serge Lutens is Chergui and this is a great giveaway, thanks !! USA CALIFORNIA

  • Stefanie says:

    Sebastian’s reviews are always filled with passion and spot on!!! There are so many Lutens that I love it is hard to pick just one. If I had to it would be Arabie. I love fragrances that envelop you in smoky sweetness and would love to have an opportunity to try this one!

  • will says:

    I have only sampled Chergui and Ambre Sultan, but putting Le Participe Passe into the same category definitely makes me interested.

  • audesko1 says:

    Sebastian is a great reviewer! Thanks so much. My favorite Lutens fragrance is Bois vanilla. This Le Participe Passe sounds interesting. I would love to try it. I live in California.

  • YVONNE says:

    great review from sebastian!! very honest and informative!!
    I enjoy serge luten fragrances, they are classic, timeless masterpieces.
    I am excited about this one!!
    USA BASED

  • Jolene says:

    I have smelled both Chergui and Arabie, so this helps in imagining what Le Participe Passe smells like. Some of my favorite perfumes are those woodsy, resinous fall/winter perfumes, so I would love to try this. USA Minnesota.

  • Lori Laws says:

    Great review from Sebastian and I love that he always gives great pronunciation and history in his reviews! I always buy fragrances when I travel and use them to create scent memories. Chergui was also my gateway into this line and then Ambre Sultan. As Sebastian said “Le Particpe Passe has the same DNA” so I know that I will love it. Thanks so much for the generous draw and I live in the US! 🙂

  • Zibbyz says:

    Sébastien, as always, passionate and informative, answer I have tried his Fleurs d’oranger, which i I like. I like lutens spicy scents as well. Thank you for the generous draw, and for the great review! In the ud

  • andrewgiacco says:

    All of Sebastian’s reviews are wonderful and my favorite part of this one is the clear passion in describing the fragrance, what it evokes and how we works with it. This is true for all of his reviews. If i had to pick a favorite from Serge Lutens, its a basic choice, but it is Chergui. Too embarrassed to see how many others probably chose that. Thanks for doing the giveaway! Coming from NYC in US.

  • Scented Hound says:

    I would love this for the autumn and winter months ahead with it’s rich resins and balsams. I have never smelled anything from this line, and would certainly like to! Sebastian made me audibly laugh when he described this as “sweet, but not tooth rottenly sweet.” Don’t need those dental bills, ha! I will be looking into this house, but would love to win this for my new scent memory! Thank you for this generous draw! Waving from hazy California!

  • Scented Hound says:

    Went to the ZGO perfumery website and looked into Serge Lutens fragrances which sound wonderful and a great place for samples.
    However, I need a little help here. Under the La Fille De Berlin composition listing, there is a listed note that I am not familiar with.
    Can anyone please inform me what this note is? Thank you much!

  • Hasib says:

    I’ve only tried one Serge Lutens fragrance, Chergui. Like to try more out
    This one sounds nice and will be good for fall and winter. Always enjoy Sebastian’s reviews. Thanks
    California

  • Bubeto_GG says:

    Serge Lutens do have a lot of gems , and now i have to sample Le Participe Passe too.
    Again very nice job my Sebastian.Bought over 10 niche fragrances because of his reviews Lol
    I do love the idea of compote like fruits mixed with balsams are resins,with a hint of black coffee .
    Boxeuses and Rahat Loukoum are two of my all time favorite fragrances and i’ll never run out of both.I had 50ml Jeux de Peau in the past.
    Beautiful draw ZGO ,Sebastian and Cafleurebon – i do follow all of you on Instagram.
    Virginia

  • JozefJak says:

    Sebastian’s reviews are always great, I haven’t try many of SL scents, but my favourite so far is Chergui. I’d love to participate in giveaway and I have an address in Huston, TX

  • helenlam says:

    I’ve never tried anything from Serge Lutens, but this fragrance sounds intriguing. Fruit and coffee mix sounds so good for the upcoming cooler weather. I’m in the USA.

  • lordkelwynne says:

    It was grand to hear Sebastian speak of the memory of a place and scent as linked. It is something I have been personally involved with doing for well over a decade. In fact, it was a Serge Luten’s scent, la Fille en aiguilles, that I first wore to travelling to San Francisco. I used that scent exclusively during my time there. I use it in my studio to recall the color and light of San Francisco to this day.

    I presently own Fille en aiguilles and a third bottle of Vetiver Oriental. They remain two of my favorites. I would certainly like to be considered for this giveaway. I believe SL does resinous scents like no other house. I reside in Philadelphia, PA. Thank you.

  • roxhas1cat says:

    Sounds like a winner. My favorite is La Fille en Auguilles. I only own 2 from the line. I tried the “scent memory” idea this summer. I took Falling into the Sea on my Florida vacation and that made the bottle more special now. This would be the perfect fragrance for those fall weekend trips. Love stewed fruits. Thanks for the chance. Usa.

  • Callie888 says:

    I liked how he talked about getting a fragrance on a trip wearing it and then that scent being linked to the memories. One of my favorite Serge Lutens is Santal blanc! I’m in the USA thanks for the chance

  • tooka81 says:

    I love Sebastians review, how this scent is based off of the idea of scent memory, traveling to a place picking up a scent from there and being reminded of that place whenever you wear the scent. I like that he tslked about the catergory of this scent, resin, balmy fruity! I love that its interesting that it smells like boliing fruits to him! I would really love to try this intriguing fragrance! I live in the USA.

  • Diana D says:

    Oh, I’ve always enjoyed Feminitie de Bois because it closely resembled Dolce Vita by Christian Dior. Dolce Vita was my signature scent in the 90’s. And as always, I enjoyed Sebastian’s review – he’s my favorite on YouTube.
    I live in the USA.

  • WaltherP99 says:

    Thank you ZGO Perfumery , Cafleurebon and Sebastian for this great draw!
    I do follow Sebastian for a long time – since his old , but not forgotten channel “Man Loves Cologne”.
    Boiled fruits mixed with ambers , resins and true black coffee with nice sour undertone – sound phenomenal…
    From the brand i do own full bottles of Fille en Aiguilles ,Bapteme du Feu vintage 2008 bottle of Chergui and Boxeuses from the bell like jars.
    I do follow @cafleurebon , @zgosanfrancisco , @lookfeelsmellgreat + @sergelutens on Instagram
    Cheers from VA

  • NiceVULady says:

    I have always liked Sebastian’s reviews and this is another really enjoyable one. I enjoyed his description of the scent and I find it to be very interesting. Always on the look out for another oriental perfume, especially by Serge Lutens. Thanks for the draw. I’m in the USA

  • Catanosmia says:

    Great review as always. I like to associate a scent memory with travel as well and always choose just one or two to wear on trips so that the scent gets connected in my brain with the trip. I can’t wait for fall and the chance to wear heavier fragrances! Thanks for the draw, I’m in the US. Sebastian is always adding to my “must sniff” list!

  • jeremyn87 says:

    The fragrance sounds delicious. Especially when he said there’s a coffee type of note to it. Dark fruity notes are also usually really appealing to me.
    My fav from the house is probably chergui. I’m in the US. Thanks

  • ish888 says:

    I’ve been following Sebastian for a long time now. I love how he is able to describe the notes of the fragrance wherein his audience can relate to it. He talked about this fragrance and associated it with scent memories, which is great! Resins, balsam and compote-like wet fruit was his description of this scent and it sounds so beautiful. I love La Vierge de Fer from this house. Thanks for this opportunity! Ish, USA

  • StaceyW says:

    I really enjoyed Sebastian’s description of this new fragrance by Serge Lutens. I’m intrigued by the black coffee note and fruity compote aspect that he picks up. If I had to pick a favorite Lutens as challenging as that may be I’d have to choose Ambre Sultan. I am in the U.S. Thanks!

  • Onyinye Elochukwu says:

    I loved his description of the notes in the perfume it made it really interesting. He’s also great with pronunciations.
    I live in the USA

  • Mim says:

    Oh, wow! This looks amazing!
    Ambre Sultan was one of my first Serge Lutens loves,
    Santal de Mysore and MKK are up there too….Arabie was the one that first piqued my interest with its utterly different Sensibility.
    Though for versatility and wearability I think Vetiver Oriental is one of my favorites, along with Fille en Aiguilles…

    I love Sebastian’s review, how he gets right into what it’s like to encounter the scent, what comes through (eg black coffee, sour lemons) and where it is situated in the pantheon, so to speak.

    interestingly when he talked about stewed fruits plus balsams and resins my first thought was not for a Lutens but for Amouage Jubilation XXV
    Which I also adore! So if Jubilation XXV had a baby with Lutens DNA….
    I might want to adopt

    Thank you for the review and draw!
    USA

  • minteacup says:

    I enjoyed the review and thoughts on Serge Lutens fragrances, and the specific experience of this new fragrance. Although memories and enjoyment of a fragrance are very personal I feel like I have a good idea of what to expect if I ever get to sniff this one! SL Jeux de Peau and Fille en Aiguilles are my favorites that I’ve tried. I also like giving my gentler jasmines a boost with an extra spray of A La Nuit! I’m in the US, thanks for the draw!

  • Ammar says:

    Very interesting fragrance from Serge Lutens! I like Chergui and Ambre Sultan. I hope this is more wearable than ambre sultan. I notice allot of this house’s fragrances are allot more enjoyable to smell than to wear.

  • veevsmack says:

    I love Chergui – there’s so much that’s good from SL. I liked that in reviewing Le Participe Passé Sebastian mentions notes he smells even though they aren’t necessarily listed (e.g., dark black coffee accord). I’m a black, dark roast drinker all the way, and after he said that I can’t wait to try this! USA entry.