Sowmya GibishPlenty of people assume a Louis Vuitton perfume is just the logo sitting in a fancy bottle, something you buy to flex four letters. Then they smell Ombre Nomade at the counter and go quiet.
The line is big now and the bottles all look nearly the same, so which one is actually worth the boutique trip? Do you want something for the office, a cold evening, or the back half of summer, and does it last or fade before lunch? These four earn their price tag, and the bottles even refill in store, so here they are sorted by when you would actually reach for one.
Everyday, On Repeat Louis Vuitton Imagination
Men
Perfumer
Jacques Cavallier Belletrud
Fragrance Family
Citrus Aromatic
Notes
Top: citron, Calabrian bergamot, Sicilian orange
Middle: Tunisian neroli, ginger, cinnamon
Base: Chinese black tea, ambroxan, guaiac wood
A colleague started wearing this last year and now half our floor smells faintly of black tea and citrus by 10am. It opens bright with bergamot and orange, then settles into that famous black tea note with a bit of ginger and cinnamon, and it holds for a good eight hours without ever shouting. Some people find it a touch too clean, almost like fresh laundry, but that is exactly why it works as a daily scent.
Cold Evenings and Long Dinners Louis Vuitton Ombre Nomade
Unisex
Perfumer
Jacques Cavallier Belletrud
Fragrance Family
Oriental Woody
Notes
Top: oud (agarwood)
Middle: raspberry, benzoin, incense
Base: rose, amberwood, birch
Walk through a mall in Dubai and you will smell this on someone before you reach the escalator. It is built around a deep oud, with raspberry and incense softening the smoke and a rose sitting underneath, and it fills a room so fast that one or two sprays is plenty. If you want your oud a little quieter, Tom Ford’s Oud Voyager keeps the wood much lighter, but this is the one people across the GCC keep buying, and it is not a subtle thing.
Your Cold-Weather Signature Louis Vuitton Attrape-Rêves
Women
Perfumer
Jacques Cavallier Belletrud
Fragrance Family
Floral Fruity
Notes
Top: bergamot, ginger, lychee
Middle: peony, cocoa flower, Turkish rose
Base: patchouli
Peony and raw cocoa powder have no business smelling this good together, but here we are. My cousin wears it every winter and I can smell it on her coat before she even takes it off, a soft mix of lychee, peony and a dry cocoa that fades down into patchouli. It can read a bit generic on some skin, so test it first, but on the right person it is the kind of scent people stop and ask about.
Hot Days and Beach Trips Louis Vuitton Pacific Chill
Unisex
Perfumer
Jacques Cavallier Belletrud
Fragrance Family
Aromatic Fruity
Notes
Top: citron, orange, lemon, mint, black currant
Middle: apricot, basil, May rose
Base: fig, dates, ambrette
People keep calling this an expensive cucumber lotion, and honestly they are half right. The minty, watery freshness does give off a cucumber feel, mixed with juicy apricot, citrus and a little basil, so it smells more like a mojito by the pool than a fancy perfume. The catch is that it fades faster than you want for the price, so if you love the fresh, fruity style, some of this year’s fresh releases give you more for less.
Yazhini Manimudi
Sowmya Gibish
