Perfume Review: Chergui by Serge Lutens
Perfume Name: Chergui
Perfume House: Serge Lutens
Perfumer: Christopher Sheldrake
First Released: 2005
Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Rating: 4.5/5
Smells Like: Honeyed tobacco leaf, hay absolute and amber
“A fire fanned by the wind, a desert in flames. As if bursting from the earth, Chergui, a desert wind, creates an effect that involves suction more than blowing, carrying plants, insects and twigs along in an inescapable ascent. Its full, persistent gusts crystallize shrubs, bushes and berries, which proceed to scorch, shrivel up and pay a final ransom in saps, resins and juices. Night falls on a still-smoldering memory, making way for the fragrant, ambery and candied aromas by the alchemist that is Chergui.”
I have something of a love affair for perfumes inspired by the desert and its winds. Perfume reaches us unseen, carried through the air, full of delightful promise. I have this romantic notion of traveling along the Silk Road at night and how one would feel to suddenly smell the incredibly seductive scent of Chergui carried along by the wind. The perfume is a warm embrace, a richly evocative spice, and a beautiful blend of hay and honeyed tobacco leaf.
Named after a Moroccan wind, Chergui is actually one of three perfume inspired by the desert winds of Morocco that I own (like I said, a love affair). The others are (the unsurprisingly named) L'Air Du Desert Marocain and Au Coeur du Désert, both by Tauer Perfumes. Where the Tauer perfumes rely heavily on incense, the star of Chergui is that honey, tobacco leaf and hay combination. It is sweeter and darker, and to my mind perfect for the colder months because it is so thoroughly warm and inviting. Perhaps it seems odd to wear a perfume inspired by the desert in Winter, but it works beautifully - if you did want something similar for the Summer months, I would suggest Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens, because it feels brighter by comparison.
The most unusual note in this perfume has to be the hay. If you are thinking dry earthy grass, think again - hay absolute is a truly divine scent on its own. It does have an undeniable earthiness to it, but lends itself perfectly to colder weather in the way that the earthiness of vetiver lends itself to a warmer climate. There is an almost tobacco-like sweetness, with honeyed tones, a slight woodiness which gives it depth, and a rich coumarin and tonka bean-type base to round it out.
In the infamous perfume guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez (2008), Sanchez writes “Hay absolute, all by itself, is so insanely good it’s a wonder nobody just dilutes it and slaps on a label”. She goes on to write that many years ago Turin brought some hay absolute to Serge Lutens himself and that it blew his mind. Now whether Sheldrake’s creation has anything to do with that meeting, who knows, but I can absolutely see a perfumer creating something purely around the note.
While the perfume does gently unfold over time, you can pretty much detect everything there from first spray. There is a floral combination of rose petal and iris, which mingles well with the camphorous incense smoke. The incense remains throughout, but is lightly applied in comparison to the Tauer perfumes. You then get the sweet honey and tobacco leaf that brings out the best of the hay. The honey is well balanced, so it is not sickly sweet, but simply lends itself to that tobacco leaf which is rich and balsamic in nature.
There is a smooth leather, almost suede-like, that appears alongside the honey, tobacco leaf and hay, but to my nose it is outshined by the previous. From the beginning you can actually smell the white musk in the background, which has a warm and clean quality that works well with the tonka bean and amber to bring warmth and cosiness to the perfume. I generally tend to prefer dirtier musks and perfumes with the raunchiness of civet or castoreum, but the musk works well here. The sandalwood has a clean and creamy nature, providing a solid backbone to the perfume with that bright amber.
Rich, heady and warm, I love this perfume. I first smelled it around a decade ago in Liberty, and remember it packing far more of a punch, but alas, ever-changing regulations mean it was subject to reformulation. I may actually try to track down an older bottle or decant for comparison. Overall, I think this is a beautiful perfume for the colder weather and I am sure I will be reaching for it more often in the coming months.
I do not generally believe in age ratings or gender divides when it comes to perfume (wear what you love), but Chergui definitely leans slightly more towards the masculine end, and there is a maturity to it, which means I would be (pleasantly) surprised to smell this on someone in their 20s or younger.
Top Notes: Iris and Rose
Mid Notes: Honey, Tobacco Leaf, Hay Absolute, Leather
Base Notes: Amber, White Musk, Tonka Bean, Incense, Sandalwood
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