STEPHANE HUMBERT LUCAS
Ruby Naga – Harrods
2022
Green Mandarin
Lychee
Almond
Raspberry
Peach
Jasmine Sambac
orange blossom
orris
Bulgarian Rose
Violet
Amber
Vanilla
Tonka bean
Clear Musk
Blond Woods
Made exclusively for Harrods.
‘Ruby Naga is inspired by the divine serpent creatures known for their incredible strength and outstanding beauty. They reside in magnificent jeweled palaces and serve as protectors and guardians of treasure – both material riches and spiritual wealth.’- Stephane Humbert Lucas
I already really liked the Harrods H Mamba collaboration, but Ruby Naga could be my favorite Stephane Humbert Lucas at the time of writing. It’s definitely among their lighter, brighter and more mass appealing releases. I initially enjoyed Soleil de Jeddah – Mango Kiss, but ended up selling it out of my collection, as it was sweeter than I liked. Ruby Naga fills that gap in a much more tame way; more like a fruitier equivalent to the powdery signature of the brand’s Panthea Iris.
Ruby Naga still goes sweet almost instantly, but on one hand smelling like proper vanilla and on the other, because of how powdery it is, in a way that feels more traditional. Tart, sweet, powdery and vanillic, with restraint and with a subtle, but I think important role for the florals, keeping it solidly more grounded and less modern. There is a fizzy, sort of cola/lemonade-esque texture to the opening hour, which is my favorite part of the wear. It recalls the style of a Penhaligon’s The Omniscent Mister Thompson.
As the citrus fruitiness fades away, Ruby Naga loses some of its magic, but still remains a nice and pleasant, vanillic & iris-heavy powdery skin scent with an ever-so-slight fruity tinge, that reminds me of a sweet strawberry, more than citrus at this stage. Perhaps a tad generic or at least, familiar smelling, but it still retains a hint of that old-world quality on my skin (my mind keeps going to chamomile, which has an old-fashioned connotation for me); like a very subtle aromatic, spicy tinge. Overall, Ruby Naga ends up reminding me most of (old batches of) Dior Bois D’Argent, if that had a fruitier flanker.
I think how much you are aligned with these more retro powders, will make up most of how you feel about Ruby Naga. It’s easy to assume a more contemporary, trendy smelling perfume like God Of Fire by looking at the notes. The fact that it’s not, makes it my current favorite from the brand, but I could definitely see it as a reason for fans of Stephane Humbert Lucas to find it underwhelming or too understated, if they order it with different expectations. A big thumbs up for me and I ended up buying a full bottle in 2026.
