Daim Blond (2004)
by Serge Lutens Les Salons du Palais Royal Shiseido

Incredibly different. Opens up with the hawthorne blast but settles smoothly. The leather is not fierce or obvious. It is very fine and soft like lovely Argentinian leather worn further down between a gaucho's thighs.

So charming... It is very earthy and lively. Well blended layers of flowers apricot and musk is staying very near to skin and seductive at the same time. It is a love at first sight for me. The only drawback could be the strong apricot which made the dear tresor boring for me after several use. but now all thumbs of mine are up.

Apricots, cardamon, and leather. Smells like fall-- leaves turning color, spices for baking persimmons and parsnips, soft leather boots. Sweet like pumpkin kadu from an Afghan restaurant. Sadly, it fades pretty quickly.

This really does smell like white suede! I LIKE IT!!! It is rather on the femme side of the unisex scale, but that doesn't bother me. On my skin it doesn't turn too sweet. Not that turning sweet is a problem for me. Good for summer nights IMO. This is the only SL frag. that I own a full bottle of.

Utterly sour, too sweet - a huge misunderstanding really. Although the scent spans a wide range of different notes (from the lowest frequencies of leather up to the highest ones of citrus and apricot) I couldn't help but notice a huge gap between those relatively 'fine' layers. The result: thin, chaotic, confusing olfactory. Furthermore, this is probably the only fragrance on the market that makes me sick. I sorry, but there's no poetic license to this statement - it literally makes me sick. Dry down is a nightmare. I expected so much more.

For the last couple of years, I found it very difficult to understand Daim Blond. Looking back now, I was probably expecting something typically Luten-esque, while hoping for a leather fragrance that worked exceedingly well with my skin chemistry. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as heavy as many of the previous Serge Lutens creations, and nor was it the leather scent that I was looking for (but since then, I’ve now concluded that prominent leather scents rarely work on my skin). Also, the reviews on various websites didn’t help matters either – they largely confirmed what I, at the time, considered to be a disappointing release.

Daim Blond remained one of the ‘also-rans’ from this house for quite a while but I, occasionally, found myself compelled to test it from time to time. Indeed the apricot kernel, iris and leather notes were no less inviting but still not quite full bottle-worthy. And then something happened without any warning – its enigma suddenly dissipated and, after a long struggle trying to understanding it, its true nature finally revealed itself to me…

The problem is that Daim Blond is widely misunderstood and, as a result, has received too many lukewarm reviews over the years. Perceiving this creation as a dominant leather scent will only court disappointment. It isn’t really a take on leather but actually a take on suede and this is an important fact that should be acknowledged. In addition, based on the notes, I will go out on a limb here and proclaim that it is not a dominant suede scent either. Although its softness is partly due to the suede note, many tend to overlook the fact that musk is one of its main notes. Based on how it performs out of the bottle, I would say that it is, essentially, a fruity-musk scent with a hint of suede. I believe that if the wearer approaches Daim Blond in this way, they will fully appreciate it for what it is.

I still consider it too soft to wear in public and find its sillage to be too subtle for such occasions (but, then again, I’ve never been terribly enthusiastic about musk scents). However, after further musings, I’ve come to the conclusion that it would be an excellent fragrance to wear either during intimate moments or before going to bed. Many have sung the praises of Musc Ravageur and consider it to be very much appropriate for the aforementioned situations - I consider Daim Blond to be a superior alternative (and with far better longevity). While Musc Ravageur half-convincingly hints at naughty quickies in a nearby cul-de-sac, Daim Blond conjures up vivid images of tender (and yet profound) love-making between freshly laid silk sheets. For me, it’s sexy but in a completely different way. But, then again, this all comes down to personal taste.

So, with this in mind, I urge you to approach Daim Blond once again – both from a completely different perspective and without the prejudice formed by previous reviews.