Douce Amère Review

For the lips of a strange woman drop with honey,

and her palate is smoother than oil.

But her end is as bitter as wormwood,

sharp as a two-edged sword. 

(Proverbs / Mishlei, 5.3-4)

Douce Amère, as its name suggests, is a study in contrast between the bitter and the sweet.

The opening is dominated by a realistically cool absinthe accord, combining the intensely aromatic yet fresh, woody-green scent of wormwood (Artemesia sp.) and a sustained anise note. As the Green Fairy departs, a comforting fond of vanillic, creamy woods is revealed. 

Nose: Christopher Sheldrake

House: Serge Lutens

Release date: 2002
Notes (per Fragrantica): sweet-sourish pollen, cinnamon, tiare blossom, jasmine, lily, vanilla.