Note Pyramid
Tobacco Leaf
Lune Rousse
Ten materials and an oak barrel in the base make Les Nereides Lune Rousse Eau de Parfum the most ambitious thing in this small range, and the least likely to be mistaken for anything else on a shelf. It opens dark. Tobacco leaf is dry, bitter and faintly sweet, the smell of a pouch rather than of smoke, saffron flower adds a leathery, slightly medicinal warmth, and cacao bean brings an unsweetened bitterness closer to a raw nib than to anything from a confectioner. Nothing about the first ten minutes is easy, and it is better for it. The middle softens those edges without brightening them. Rose fills out, deep and slightly jammy, osmanthus adds a soft, faintly fruity sweetness with a leathery underside, and cedarwood keeps a dry sharpened line running through both.
The finish is where the oak barrel matters. It smells of cask wood and spirit, dry and faintly boozy, and it gives the drydown a texture most compositions at this size never attempt. Immortelle sits with it, with that curry like, maple sweet, sun dried quality that divides people sharply, while tonka bean lays down a soft powdered warmth and musk holds everything against the skin. Expect strong longevity and moderate projection, with the first hour the loudest part. Autumn and winter are its seasons and evening is its time, either sex can wear it, and it suits anyone who likes a fragrance with some bitterness and some weight to it. It is not a scent to buy unsniffed.
Les Nereides is a jewellery house first, founded in Nice in 1980 by Pascale Chavepeyer and Enzo Amaddeo, who had met studying art in Belgium years earlier. The company is still family run, its hand finished pieces take their cues from nature, and its perfumes are a small sideline rather than the main business.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
Similar Notes
The Scent Vault
Join thousands earning on every order
Earn points as you shop, redeem for money off, and unlock member perks.
Find out more
The Scent Vault Gift Cards
Give the gift of choice
One card, every scent. Let them pick the fragrance that is truly them. Send it instantly by email, or schedule it for a future date with a message of your own.
Shop gift cards
