Participe Passe eau de parfum spray 100ml by Serge Lutens.

 Participe Passe eau de parfum spray 100ml by Serge Lutens.

Silhouette: 

Le Participe Passè is quite something. It almost takes one aback with the opaque cloud it offers up. Initially, one notices an intensely green note of pine needles – cold and aloof – a sharp greenery that gives the impression of pine needles frozen in ice. This cooling effect is intensified by a backdrop of incense that is treated with transparency and the paleness of watercolour. All of that sits behind the curtain of fire that is everything else in Le Participe Passè. The base is the core of Le Participe Passè. Embers of an intense fire – a blaze of cumin and immortelle – glow red hot, casting a deep and rich smoke.  As one can imagine, the signature of immortelle and cumin is somewhat heavy and together they create a hefty fabric patterned with a whole variety of facets. There’s a sweaty, spice facet (attributable to the cumin, for sure), but also a sweet maple character and a hint of curry spice (hello immortelle). It’s the olfactory equivalent of velvet and it creates the perfect base material for that cooling pine brocade.