Question:
let 's have our thread on this too...
I love Serge Lutens, I 'm in touch with myself but I admit I wear the most feminine Lutens scents of his line and the softest for everyday wear (Clair de Musc, Fleurs d 'Oranger, Bois et Musc, Un Lys, Cedre)
- masculine oriented: Un Bois Sepia, Gris Clair, Encens et Lavande, Cuir Mauresque, Chêne
- have both feminine and masculine/animalic elements and "difficult" to wear: Ambre Sultan, Chergui, Fumerie Turque, Muscs Koublai Khan, Miel de Bois, Iris Silver Mist, Bornéo 1834
Looks like most masculine oriented Lutens scents are part of Les Salons Palais Royal line whereas most export line scents are feminine oriented.

Answer:
Originally Posted by Bois et Musc let 's have our thread on this too...
I love Serge Lutens, I 'm in touch with myself but I admit I wear the most feminine Lutens scents of his line and the softest for everyday wear (Clair de Musc, Fleurs d 'Oranger, Bois et Musc, Un Lys, Cedre)
- masculine oriented: Un Bois Sepia, Gris Clair, Encens et Lavande, Cuir Mauresque, Chêne
- have both feminine and masculine/animalic elements and "difficult" to wear: Ambre Sultan, Chergui, Fumerie Turque, Muscs Koublai Khan, Miel de Bois, Iris Silver Mist, Bornéo 1834
Looks like most masculine oriented Lutens scents are part of Les Salons Palais Royal line whereas most export line scents are feminine oriented. I have to say that my favorites include many of those you consider "masculine." I really like all these, especially Encens et Lavande, Gris Clair, Cuir Mauresque. I also love Fumerie Turque, Muscs Koublai Khan, ISM, Chergui, Tubereuse Criminelle, dna Rose de Nuit. I don't regularly wear any of those you consider "feminine." Ultimately, I don't think these distinctions really say much.

Answer:
I think we will always associate certain smells (as well as colours, fashions, etc.) with being either masculine or feminine. We are socialized thus, and interestingly different cultures may have the exact opposite associations! What is fun, for me, is to play with this socialization and push it's boundaries. I'm not talking about full-on gender bending here (which can also be fun, if you are so inclined), but just stretching the limits a little. When I was a teenager my buddies joked that "real men don't wear pink." Sure, they do! And, if it's the right pink, they look damn hot doing it! Pushing limits, blending opposites, taking a different route, this is where discovery lays.

Answer:
I'm with Pellen. Yes, the 'traditionally' masculine and feminine sterotypes are there, but much of the fun is in exploring the edges -- and beyond.
Personally, I like my fragrances distinctive and gorgeous, irrespective of gender labels. That being said, many of my favorites -- and certainly most of my faves (to date) of the Lutens line (Encens et Lavande, Un Bois Sepia and Cedre) -- are often considered more on the masculine side of the scale [less so Cedre because of the tuberose].
I love Aramis' Havana and several of the Trussardi and Penhaligan "men's" scents, Malle's Musc Ravageur and of course the infamous Kingdom, which was my one and only blind buy. Also adore the traditionally "feminine" D&G Woman (the red capped bottle), MPG Eau de George Sand, and Diptyque's Un Jardin Clos. Go figure.
Guess I aspire to being Pluran, too. Wear what you love, be who you are, labels be damned.

Answer:
Originally Posted by ComDiva I'm with Pellen. Yes, the 'traditionally' masculine and feminine sterotypes are there, but much of the fun is in exploring the edges -- and beyond.
Personally, I like my fragrances distinctive and gorgeous, irrespective of gender labels. That being said, many of my favorites -- and certainly most of my faves (to date) of the Lutens line (Encens et Lavande, Un Bois Sepia and Cedre) -- are often considered more on the masculine side of the scale [less so Cedre because of the tuberose].
I love Aramis' Havana and several of the Trussardi and Penhaligan "men's" scents, Malle's Musc Ravageur and of course the infamous Kingdom, which was my one and only blind buy. Also adore the traditionally "feminine" D&G Woman (the red capped bottle), MPG Eau de George Sand, and Diptyque's Un Jardin Clos. Go figure.
Guess I aspire to being Pluran, too. Wear what you love, be who you are, labels be damned.
Our own perception is funny too, I personnally find Cedre and Musc Ravageur very feminine, Cedre too sweet and so soft and the Ravageur too powdery sweet for a man (I admit the topnotes are on the masculine side for ten minutes but then it 's all woman on my skin).
I m with you on the pushing the fun and boundaries (I own Iris Silver Mist and Santal de Mysore but more for the beauty and artistic interest, I rarely happen to wear them).
what amazes me the most is coming accross some Lutens reviews which women would find a scent too masculine for them and men would find the very same scent too fem for them.

Answer:
Originally Posted by Bois et Musc what amazes me the most is coming accross some Lutens reviews which women would find a scent too masculine for them and men would find the very same scent too fem for them. Yes, it all comes down to our personal perceptions, doesn't it? And isn't it fun to see how varied we are!

Answer:
A sales associate at Barney's sprayed Chergui on me and I immediately fell in deep love. It's been years since a fragrance hit me so hard. To me, it smells completely "feminine" and I was later astounded to find out that it was considered unisex and that lots of people find it too masculine. I suppose it also has something to do with individual chemistry as to how it smells on each person.

Answer:
Sorry for digging up this oldy, but when it was posted I was still a Lutens virgin. Not so much, now.
I've only tried the exports, but fell in love with Ambre Sultan right away and had to have it. The second one I bought was Chypre Rouge, which is mesmerising in its weirdness, but certainly not at all feminine. Most scents I own have a sweetness to them, whether that sweetness comes from flowers, fruits or gourmand elements, but Chypre Rouge has none of that. It's so herbal it's almost savoury (to me at least - I know some people have said it's like candied pecans, but I get none of that).
The jury's still out on Chergui - I did try it but I'd already sampled several perfumes by that stage and anything that goes on the back of my hand tends not to smell as it should (the previous week I tried Fumerie Turque on the back of my hand and thought it was pleasantly sweet, but a little insipid. When I tried it again on my arm, phew, it was as though I'd stuck my nose over a lit pipe and inhaled. Overwhelming smoke!)
Cedre I found quite masculine but I could certainly wear it. However, I've resolved not to buy anything unless I really love it. Which is a good rule of thumb, with so many delicious parfums out there.

Answer:
My favorite is Ambre Sultan. With all that sweet benzoin, it makes itself accessible as a women's fragrance. Minus the sweetness, it would be too dry and spicy for us.
On the other hand, Fumerie Turque, even with its sweetness still stands squarely in men's territory for me because of the smoke. It smells like a lit pipeful of tobacco. I enjoyed my sample, but I don't think it would work in the longrun for me. I have to be careful not to buy fragrances because I like their artistry if they do not wear well as a perfume on me.
Daim Blonde was a bit manly, I think. It was subtle. Definitely leathery, with apricot fruit, but no flowers. A tad bit soapy. I liked it, but I thought it would be better on a guy.
Arabie was the scent of cooking sweets, definitely do-able for women. Smells like a kitchen with date-filled cookies, curries, and other wonderful things in the oven.
Cedre was appropriate for women, too. The cedar was unisex, but the tuberose was the star of the show, and that flower with all its sweetness is associated with women. Ditto Fleurs d' Oranger, which has tuberose, also.
Bois Vanille, yes--it's the scent of baking that makes me associate vanilla with women. And because vanilla and amber are bases in women's perfume while leather, herbs, and tobacco are the focal point of men's cologne.

Answer:
Let me preface this by saying that I LOVE Lutens fragrances!
But, there are some that just don't do it for me: Fumerie Turque is one of them - unfortunately, it just disappears into thin air within minutes of application... it does the same thing on hubby! I'm not sure if there was a problem with that particular bottle, but for some reason it truly had no staying power on either one of us whatsoever!
Chergui on the other hand, is to die for! I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! Chergui is most definitely my favorite of all Lutens!
Diam Blond is another one I really like, but not nearly as much as I love Chergui! I find it soft and wispy and subtly sweet... somewhat buttery.
Fleurs d' Oranger, Cedre and Datura Noir are also in my top 5 Lutens! I simply adore them; they are all creamy and waxy and remind me of Willy Wonka’s colorful gardens with chocolate fountains and chocolate rivers that run through most exotic gardens with the most enchanting-candy-flowers... (as an aside – these three do not smell chocolaty – well, maybe Datura Noir has a very tiny bit of chocolatyness to it).
Arabie is another beauty I am deeply fascinated by, and have worn on few occasions but I do not crave it often enough to warrant a full bottle yet; although that could change . Arabie is beautiful!
Bois Vanille, mmmm, most yummy and delicious vanilla for sure and one that is 100% wearable for me .
Now for the ones that seem just a tad too masculine for me:
Chêne and Bornéo 1834 are really not my thing - they are both delightful however – and while Bornéo especially reminds me of Prada, Prada which I LOVE, I find Bornéo a little better suited for my husband… Same thing with Chêne.
Ambre Sultan, I also really like, but I think I prefer it on my hubby!