SERGE LUTENS
ARABIE

2000

PERFUMER
Christopher Sheldrake

Dried Fruits
Clove
Dates
Nutmeg
Caraway
Bay Leaf
Resin
benzoin
Myrrh
Fig
Sandalwood
Mandarin
Tonka Bean
Cedarwood

I had the luck of running into a 2016 bottle of Arabie with the older presentation. Arabie is still available in 2022, but it’s moved to the Bell Jar bottle and became significantly more expensive because of it; if you can, I’d suggest seeking out an older bottle.

Arabie was a love at first sniff for me. It’s a spicy gourmand, with a ton of nutmeg, caraway and clove. It falls into the ‘Christmas’ cake category for me and that means it’s cozy, comforting and warm.

It has a similar bready, pastry quality that Serge Lutens Jeux de Peau has, but it’s less focused on just that. The spices come across edible, reminding me a lot of the Dutch ‘gevulde speculaas’ (a sort of gingerbread with almond paste and spices). Dried fruits are listed as well as mandarin and fig, but I wouldn’t necessarily say I get a strong fruitiness in any stage of the wear.

It’s very sweet, but never goes into cloying, however you must like to wear gourmands to appreciate it. It’s very smooth; there’s a lot of spiciness, but it’s not sharp, it’s carried in the resins and sandalwood, making it milky smooth as it dries.